Located on the western half of Bogue Banks, one of the barrier islands of the Outer Banks island chain, Emerald Isle is the best way to enjoy a fun-filled and relaxing family vacation. The beautiful sandy beaches, lush vegetation, abundance of wildlife, endless aquatic activities and friendly family environment make “the Gem of the Crystal Coast” the perfect family vacation getaway.

The pristine beaches with abundant sunshine are filled with endless excitement. Feel the sand between your toes as you stroll along where the white sand and ocean tide meet, pausing every now and again to collect beautiful seashells that wash ashore. The kids will be completely preoccupied with building sandcastles, digging holes and burying one another in the sand. With little traffic, the family friendly beaches are surrounded by activities including miniature golf, playgrounds and arcades. By the days end, everyone is sure to leave the beach sun kissed and your camera will be filled with amusing photos to add to your family photo album.

Emerald Isle is known as the Crystal Coast for a reason, so make sure to spend plenty of time exploring the refreshing turquoise water which is generally ten degrees warmer than the Outer Banks region. Enjoy swimming, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and surfing. If you don’t happen to own a personal watercraft, there are several boat rentals to choose from such as Boon Docks & Bear Island Kayaks who offer a variety of guided tours. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast and prefer to chart your own course, a self guided canoe trip to a coastal inlet is sure to fulfill your need for adventure.

For an up-close look at the delightful and stunning underwater marine life, enjoy a daytrip on a scuba diving adventure. Enjoy family bonding time during the training class and everyone will be eager to dive into the ocean depths. If you prefer to stay dry, a chartered boat tour will provide you with a knowledgeable captain who can take you to the best fishing locations for you to bring in the catch of the day of yellowfin tuna, sailfish, grouper, amberjack, or barracuda.

With so many fun filled adventures, everyone will have a thriving appetite. Dine at one of several local restaurants all stocked with the freshest seafood caught by the local fisherman. And if the kids haven’t quite developed a palate for the local bounty, be assured there are several other kid friendly menu options. Try an evening dinner at an open aired restaurant where you can enjoy the spectacular sunset.

Known as one of the best golf courses in the area, make sure to pack your clubs to enjoy a day at Brandywine Bay Golf and Country Club. The pro shop and snack bar are sure to provide you all the gear you could need and yummy snacks to keep you energy going throughout the day. This course also caters to the family with its practice bunkers and junior programs. Emerald Isle provides several popular courses that incorporate the salt marshes, streams, ponds and dense woods with every play.

When planning the details of your vacation, the best way to get the most out of your getaway is to stay in an Emerald Isle Vacation Rental. Enjoy a vacation home that allows you to meander to the beach at your own leisure or relax in a comfortable setting providing everyone with privacy, space and amenities of a home away from home. It’s easy to find and reserve your dream vacation rental within your price range and that has all the amenities to make your vacation as soothing and comfortable as possible.

N Spin
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/vacationing-in-emerald-isle-north-carolina-54925.html

Duration : 0:0:26

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Duration : 0:8:36

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Duration : 0:2:15

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Featuring diverse marine life including whale shark and eagle ray at Black Rock, octopus, lionfish, snapper and other schooling fish, jellyfish, nurse shark and stingrays at Shark Cave, scorpionfish, crocodilefish, cave diving at Western Rocky Island, barracuda, anemonefish, crabs, and moray eels with cleaner shrimp.

Shot in March 2007 with http://www.SantanaPhuket.com

More Myanmar (Burma) diving videos at http://www.bubblevision.com/underwater-videos/Myanmar-Burma/

Duration : 0:6:31

Technorati Tags: 720p, anemonefish, Asia, barracuda, boys, Bubble Vision, Buddhist, Burma, Burmese, cave, children, coral, crocodilefish, Diving, eagle, fish, girls, hd, HDV, jellyfish, kids, lionfish, Marine, Mergui Archipelago, monk, Myanmar, nature, Nick Hope, nudibranch, octopus, ray, Reef, scorpionfish, scuba diving, snapper, Stingray, travel, underwater, whale shark, whaleshark

Duration : 0:7:13

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Duration : 0:7:7

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Situated off the coast of Honduras, Roatan is one of the three Bay Islands, and is the undiscovered secret of vacationers from the colder North and South American locations that are looking for a tropical vacation destination with a variety of water activities, un-crowded white, soft powdered beaches, and inexpensive hotels and restaurants.

Roatan is a long narrow island of almost 40 miles in length. It is a beautiful island with mountains and lush green tropical foliage.

Roatan’s weather is ideal and rarely affects having a good time and has a mild rainy season that occurs from November to the end of January. The northwest side of the island is protected most of the year from the southeast Even then, the West End and northern side may be calm and enjoy excellent diving and beach activities. If wind conditions or weather becomes and issue, the dive operators and resorts will simply move their boats to the “lee side” of the island and calmer waters

The popular tourist spots on Roatan are West End, West Bay, Sandy Beach, and Oak Ridge/Punta Gorda.

Roatan’s two largest cities are Coxen Hole and French Harbor and offer very little for the tourist, both of which are the main concentration of inhabitants living under poverty level conditions. Coxen Hole is the capital and is location of the international airport and the docking terminal for cruise ships. Beyond that, the reason tourists come to Coxen Hole is for the banks and rental cars. French Harbor is home to the largest fishing fleet in the Western Caribbean. The reason most tourists come to French Harbor is for their two popular waterfront restaurants, Gio’s and Casa Romero’s

The main attractions in Roatan are scuba diving, snorkeling, beautiful beaches, a laid back, relaxing way of life. The island is on the world’s second largest barrier reef with a variety of world class dive sites, easily accessible by a short boat ride or as close as 100 feet from the beach.

Oakridge/Punta Gorda

Oakridge is located about one mile past the paved road on the Eastern end of the Island. It is a small picturesque community with a strong afro-Antillean culture. It is only in recent years that access by car to this area has been opened and hasn’t changed much with the passing of time. Tourist services here are scarce. The fishing is excellent, and on Roatan Ranch they offer English speaking horseback riding tours of the area.

Nearby Punta Gorda on the opposite side of the Island was the first Garifuna Settlement in Central America. The Garifuna or Black Caribs were marooned in Roatan by the British in 1796, and every year on April 12th they commemorate their arrival with a carnival. This is also the home of YUBU where you will meet Garifuna people and see their exotic dances and purchase souvenirs made by them.

Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay is considered the cultural center of Roatan and is the location of the Institute of Marine Sciences, the Roatan Museum, the Carambola Gardens, and the Marine Reserve. It is also the location of Anthony’s Key resort one of the first and largest dive resorts on the Island.

West End

Commonly referred to as “Gringo Central”, this little town with a “Jimmy Buffet – Margarita Ville” atmosphere is located on Half Moon Bay. Here you can access all there is with a walk along its un paved sandy main street that rims the bay and is lined with palm trees and rustic, weather beaten wood restaurants, bars, hotels, and t-shirt shops. The prices for food, drinks and hotels are extremely inexpensive. There is a very informal, relaxed — let it all hang out attitude that can be enjoyed without ever getting out of your sandals, shorts, and t-shirts.

West Bay

West Bay has one of the finest beaches in the world. It’s white, soft, powdery beach is un-crowded, although with development of new hotels and condominiums, this is rapidly changing. This is an excellent location for families and for snorkeling right off the beach. The hotels and restaurants along West Bay are more upscale and expensive than West End.

West Bay is also the home of Gumbalimba Park, a privately owned and managed ecotourism park with lush tropical flowers and forests, exotic birds, monkeys, a hanging bridge, and zip line canopy rides.

Frank Dalotto
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/roatan-honduras-a-travel-destination-guide-106881.html

Added: February 03, 2008

Ko Tao (also often Koh Tao, Thai: เกาะเต่า, lit. “Turtle Island”) is an island in Thailand located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand.

In january 2008 i used 20 days on Koh Tao.

Recharging my batteries and start diving again after 14 years.
I did stay at Sunshine (hotel) at Taa Toh Bay where the Scuba Shack/Star diving team has a Padi diving school with some of the most trained Scuba divers on this planet; Dirk, Jay, Merlyn,Vladimir & Pee Wee.

A stay that i will remember with pleasure for the rest of my life.
And i will go back there.

Recarga de pilas y empezar de nuevo de buceo después de 14 años.
Yo permanezca en el Sunshine (hotel) en la Bahía de Taa Toh donde el Scuba Shack / Star tiene un equipo de buceo Padi de buceo escuela con algunos de los más capacitados Scuba buceadores en este planeta; Dirk, Jay, Merlyn, Vladimir y Pee Wee.

Una estancia que i recordarán con agrado por el resto de mi vida.
I y volverá allí.

Koh Tao covers an area of about 21 km². Administratively it forms a tambon within the district (Amphoe) Ko Pha Ngan of Surat Thani Province. As of 2006 it’s official population number in 1382[1]. The main settlement is Ban Mae Hat.

The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered around tourism, especially scuba diving.

Ko Tao was named by its first settlers for the island’s turtle-like geographic shape. Coincidentally, the island is an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles.

Development of tourism has negatively impacted the health of these grounds but a breeding program organised in 2004 by the Royal Thai Navy and KT-DOC, a coalition of local scuba diving centres has reintroduced hundreds of juvenile turtles to the island’s ecosystem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Tao

Duration : 0:7:44

Technorati Tags: adventure, corals, culture, destination, Diving, fish, fun, holiday, log, nature, relax, scuba, shark, travel, turtle, vacation

By HeyYouImage
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Duration : 0:3:41

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