GET YOUR $300 CREDIT FOR THE BAHAMA, ST LUCIA, JAMAICA, ANTIGUA

Sandals Resorts is offering even bigger incentives for last minute Summer bookings. Guests who book any Sandals vacation for travel between August 1st and August 31st, 2011 will get an instant credit of $300. Savings are automatically applied to the final price. This offer is available for Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua and The Bahamas.

Additionally, guests staying for seven nights or longer can get the Free nights at applicable locations! Please see details of this offer below.

Sales Tip: Summer Instant Savings is valid for US, Canada and Latin America only. This offer is based on double occupancy and requires 6 nights minimum paid stay and will be fulfilled as a credit per room toward and all inclusive or land only reservation at the time of booking. Maximum one credit per room. Does not include airfare costs, taxes nor fees. Credit has no cash value. Not combinable with any other air or instant savings offers.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to visit us for more travel discount.

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BUNAKEN OF SULAWESI, INDONESIA BEACH

Ever fancy yourself being a mermaid? Being able to swim along with other creatures of the sea , moving to the rhythm of the waves? In the Bunaken Marine Park, you will encounter a real “mermaid”, and you can also get a glimpse of sea life here.

Bunaken is an 8.08 km² island in the Bay of Manado, situated in the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bunaken forms part of the administrative city of Manado , capital of North Sulawesi. The marine Park around Bunaken is part of the National Park that also includes the ocean around the island of Manado Tua – or Old Manado, Siladen and Mantehage.

Within the Bunaken Marine Park, visitors can see various strange and colourful marine life along its sea bed. To reach this park, you can take a motorboat. The journey from Manado takes around 40 minutes. Entrance fee is 25,000 rupiahs per person per visit.

The translucent waters of the Bunaken seas enable people to clearly view numerous sea biota. There are 13 species of coral reefs in this park, dominated by edge ridges and block ridges of rocks. The most attractive view is the steep vertical sloppy coral reef that plunges down as deep as 25-50 meters.

Feast your eyes on 91 types of fish found in the Bunaken National Park, amongst which are the locally known gusimi horse fish (Hippocampus), the white oci (Seriola rivoliana), yellow-tailed lolosi (Lutjanus kasmira), goropa (Ephinephelus spilotoceps and Pseudanthias hypselosoma), ila gasi (Scolopsis bilineatus) and others.

Divers may also meet mollusk like the giant kima (Tridacna gigas), goat head (Cassis cornuta), nautilus (Nautilus pompillius) and tunikates/ascidian.

For those who enjoy scuba diving, this is a great place to be. With about 20 dive spots to choose from, divers will have the chance to swim below the sea, and frolic joyfully while admiring the sea creatures.

Make sure to visit Bunaken during its best season between May to August. That way you can explore the Park to its fullest.

To observe some of the fascinating images of Bunaken Marine Park, you can visit our photo essay: Bunaken&Derawan Underwater Paradise

Similarly stunning are the sceneries of Kalasey seas,at the outskirt of Manado in: The Deep Water Paradise of Kalasey Seas off Manado

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KARIMUNJAWA OF JAVA SEA

Visit Karimunjawa islands now, and witness with your very own eyes the beauty of tropical islands life so highly prided by most Indonesian. The weather is warm, the sky is sunny, the water is crystal clear and the view is literary breathtaking.

Located relatively close to Java island, allows Karimunjawa to be an accessible and most importantly affordable holiday destination to marine lover visitor. The operation of fast boat from Semarang has cut the length of trip to the islands to half of the usual length of trip by ferry boat from Jepara. Now, visitor could reach the islands in 3.5 hours trip. No more are-we-there- yet syndrome caused by the six boring hours in the slow moving ferry boat.

Karimunjawa it self is an island-chains with 27 islands linking in the territory. Only five of them are populated and mostly by local traditional fisherman. In a way, this could show how close the islands to the term of ‘virginal tropical paradise’. The quiet and peaceful surrounding is the perfect hideout for those who wish to escape the hectic and frustrating high-speed city life. Take some time off, slow down a little bit and see how much that would do you good. 

The status of Karimunjawa as one of the preserved national marine park in Indonesia gives evidence on how beautiful the underwater life is in the islands. No need to rent high cost diving gear or search for a specific location just to view forest of colorful coral reefs and all their inhabitants. They are scattered all over the place! The islands are reported to be the home of 242 different kind of fish as well as 133 genera of aquatic fauna. Just get your snorkel set ready at hand, plunge into in the water and enjoy….

Get tanned! Get sunburned even!.. Most of the islands are blessed with white sandy beaches that stretch along the shoreline. So what you need to do is pick a spot to your liking, laze out in the sun and voila!...Those celebrity golden chocolate skin will be yours by the end of your holiday.

So what are you waiting for?.. Contact our customer service now, terror us with your zillion questions, even those of the most trivial ones, and let us arrange a fun trip that suit best to your preference….and your budget of course.

Here are some hints on what you can do while you stay in the islands:

Swim with sharks: Really?.. Yes, really!.. Swimming with sharks is a must to do activity while you stay in the islands. Test your guts and have memorable pictures taken with the sharks circling around you in the conservatory shark pool.

Fishing: Night fishing is a favorite activity to some visitors. Do it by your self or join a tournament that frequently held by local government and institution.

A trip by glass bottom boat: Not really an Olympic qualified swimmer?.. Fear not people, there are plenty shallow water in the surrounding. But if you want to see the marine life in deeper water, joining a glass bottom trip is a must.

Islands hopping: Club hopping?.. Mall hopping?.. Naah, that’s old news. Islands hopping is the ‘it’ activity for you to do in the islands. Remember, there are 27 of them, and all waiting for you eager beaver marine lover. (See how my words rhyme perfectly?..)

Diving: If you are one of the people who are not satisfied by snorkeling slowly around the islands, diving is definitely an option. Rent a diving gear and get set to the various diving sites available in the islands. FYI, one of the most favorite is Indonoor shipwreck.

Contact us if you really want to visit this island.

source : http://www.karimunjawa-islands.info/

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ROTE ISLAND OF NUSA TENGGARA

The exhilarating feeling of reaching the southernmost point of Asia, riding the waves in one of the best surfing spots in the world and imbibing its unique culture, Rote Island offers you an adventure of a lifetime.

Most of the beach attraction is in at the Nemberala beach. It is a surfers' paradise. The white sandy beach and clear water was enthralling. The other beach available in this island is Bo'a beach, where it is located in secluded area. This pristine white-sand beach is 10 minutes away from Nemberala. It is a perfect place to take pictures of long sandy beach with palm trees, surrounded by golden cliffs. The place at Bo'a beach is practically not really a public beach where you can just lazed around, snorkeled, and do things we usually can not do in a public beach.

There is no flight from Jakarta that arrives in Kupang earlier than the Ferry departure schedule. So the only option is you can take any flight to Kupang wheather it is Sriwijaya Air, Batavia Air, Lion Air, and Garuda Air, and stay one night in Kupang. The next day you can take the Express Bahari ferry at 08.30, but usually departs late from Tenau harbour. Arriving at Ba'a Harbour in Rote, you can take an ojek, or a hired Oto to Nemberala. It's a 48 kilometers drive

For accommodation, the finest one in Nemberala is The Nemberala Beach Resort. But there are few others homestays that suit more for a tight budget. The homestays are usually packed with international surfers, so they have international quality to host guests as well. Anugerah Homestay next to Nemberala Beach Resort is a nice place to stay with nice bungalows.

Please let me know if you plan to visit this exclusive island.

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GILI MENO ISLAND IN LOMBOK (WEST NUSA TENGGARA)

Gili Meno, the middle island, the smallest of the three Gili's and it is the quietest with fewer tourists. A great escape for honeymooners or someone who wants to get away from it all. Special features of the island is the salt lake and spectacular dive sites such as, Meno Wall, Sea Turtle Point, and Blue Coral Point. The beach on eastern part of the island is very nice and there's snorkeling just offshore and further north

Gili Meno has a population of about 300 locals. The interior of the island is mostly a palm trees surrounded by grass which is kept neat by cows munching lazily in the shade. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, all transport is by horse-drawn carts or on foot. The diving was pretty good, with quite a strong current but that incredible swimming-pool visibility that you get on good days off the islands in SE Asia. The relaxed pace of life and the community feeling on the island is really special. In Gili Meno, where fresh water is shipped from Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an option. It is a necessity.

MENO'S BIRD SANCTUARY On the island of Gili Meno, a new tourist attraction introduced by an Australian businessman who live in Bali, with hundreds of various tropical birds from many different rain forests of Indonesia, featuring a maze of walkways that lead to fantastic aviaries. Macaws, flamingos, pelicans, eagles, parrots, and more create a cloud of rainbow as they fly overhead.

Access to Gili Meno from Bangsal Harbour:
Public boat from Bangsal Harbour to gili Meno could be a problem, because passenger list at the ticket counter must reach at least 20 pax, otherwise you must charter the boat. If you meet other travellers, try ask them to share the price of boat charter. Most likely Public Boat goes often to Gili Air and Gili Trawangan. If you have no choice, rather than charter the boat yourself, try stay for a night in Gili Air or Gili Trawangan, then in the next morning take Island Hopping Boat that regularly leaves twice a day daily at around 9 - 10AM and 14:00 - 15:00PM.

Facilities on Gili Meno

Electricity supply is now available on Gili Meno. The electrical voltage in Indonesia is 220 Volt, if you bring any devices which require recharged at lower voltage (110 Volt) bring an electrical voltage converter or ask the hotel where you stay for STAVOLT.

Money changers are available in most Tourist Information, but usually give you a lower rate than changing on the mainland of Lombok. As there are no banks on the Gili islands, make sure you take enough cash for your intended period of stay. But if you get into any difficulties, it is good to know that there is now one ATM machine on Gili Trawangan, located at Hotel Vila Ombak

A Health center (PUSKESMAS) is being developed on Gili Meno under funding of contributions from local businesses. Bring along some important medication kits just in case, because there's no doctor available on the island.

For your own safety, deposit valuable items at the reception where you're staying at. Carry only small cash and necessary items.

Activities

There are many options for an enjoyable holiday on the islands. You can rent snorkeling equipment, join a diving course, or just snorkeling off-the-shore to see the magnificent coral reefs and fishes.

There are few quality scuba diving operations on all the islands. The blue coral garden around the north east of gili meno can be reached by snorkeling off-the-beach. Turtle point and meno wall located in the north west of Gili Meno and can be reached only by boat. Join any of the boat dive trips available.

While the island is busiest from May through August, the quieter off-season from January to April provides a better opportunity to enjoy all the islet has to offer. To get around the isle, the only means of transport are Cidomos, horse drawn carriages. Bicycle rentals are available too. Expect higher prices for most things there since all food and goods must be brought over from the mainland.

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