Kimberly Fisher's Blog, page 239

Travel: CEO Status at The Sagamore

For those craving a bit of luxury, head to Miami and indulge in the "CEO Package" at the Sagamore Hotel.

Stay in the three bedroom 1,800 square foot Penthouse with 1,800 square foot private outside terrace with private elevator entrance and breathtaking ocean views. The hotel features original art work in each room and the Cricket Taplin Collection in the hotel, infinity pool, pool-side grill, and the upscale Sagamore bar and lounge. The hotel is steps away from prestigious shopping, dining, and entertainment located in the heart of South Beach.

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Like most CEO offerings, this package comes with some perks. Mention the "Sagamore CEO Package" at the time of booking and receive some cool gifts: an iPad2, comp airport limo pickup, bottle of champagne upon arrival, daily comp breakfast for up to 6 and free beach chairs.

Reservations for this special offer must be booked by June 15, 3011 and require a 2 night stay. Starting at $1300. per night. For more info: www.sagamorehotel.com.

 

Filed under: florida, luxury, scoop, travel, travel planning, Uncategorized Tagged: ceo package, florida, luxury travel, sagamore hotel, south beach

Travel Guest Post: Planning Student Travel

As a college student, you may be planning a vacation for the first time. And after working hard at school all semester, you are looking forward to getting some well-deserved rest. It is important to make all of your travel plans far in advance in order to save yourself money, time and aggravation. There are several main points to consider when planning a vacation. These points include destination research, travel methods, currency exchanges, meals, sightseeing excursions and area transportation.

Destination Research, Travel Methods and Currency Exchanges

Although some travel destinations are expensive, other places offer discounted packages for student travelers. In order to create a workable budget, you must first research the area's currency exchange rates. And of course, you need to figure out how you plan to travel to your chosen vacation destination.

For domestic travel, you have the option of taking a train, driving a car or flying in an airplane; the method you choose will depend on the amount of time allotted for your vacation. For example, if you only have a week off from school, and you are traveling 3,000 miles across the country, you do not want to spend two-thirds of the week driving. In this case, an airplane ride is a better approach. Find out your options in terms of connections, flight itineraries, taxes, customs fees, baggage requirements and fees.

Accommodation Plans

Your accommodations should be set before you leave. First, you need to determine how much of your budget you can allot to a hotel or hostel. If your vacation plans include overseas travel, consider staying at a youth hostel. These places are inexpensive and relatively safe; be sure to read visitor reviews before making a decision. No matter what accommodation you choose, always make your reservations in advance, pay all deposits before you arrive and request a confirmation number.

Meals

You obviously have to eat while you are on vacation. Once again, your meals will be determined by the amount of money you can spend. To reduce your expenses, you can prepare a lot of your meals. Most hostels have communal kitchens or kitchenettes. If you do have some money to spend dining out, read the restaurant reviews in the area where you will be staying.

Sightseeing Excursions

Unless you plan to simply lounge around for your entire vacation, you will probably want to do some sightseeing. To get the most sightseeing done in the least amount of time, group the sightseeing stops close together to fit them within 1-2 days of excursions. Check out the transportation, ticket prices and operation times beforehand.

Area Transportation

After you get to your vacation destination, you will need a way to travel around the area. If you want to rent a car, compare rental-car company rates, insurance requirements and pick-up times. Also, find out what each company's policy is regarding credit limits and age restrictions. Of course, driving is not your only option if you are staying in a large city. Most metropolitan areas have a bevy of affordable transportation methods. Travel guides and websites provide plenty of information in terms of ferries, subways and trains.

Safety Precautions

Regardless if you are traveling to a place where you have previously vacationed or if this is your first time at that destination spot, you must make safety a priority. If you are a newbie traveler, think about vacationing with a travel partner. At the very least, give a copy of your itinerary and contact information to a trusted friend or family member.

Author Byline: making sure that you have the best holiday planned is no picnic. Finding cheap flights and cheap accommodation can be hard, which is why Student Flights are there, to help you find the cheapest travel arrangements for the ultimate holiday.

Filed under: travel, travel planning, travel tips Tagged: student travel

Food: Madison Square Eats

What I love about New York is the diversity of everything; from the fashion to the lifestyle to the food. Properly titled "Mad Sq Eats", the event is an upscale version of a food festival, featuring some notable New York restaurants such as Eataly, Ilili and Momofuku Milk Bar.

Other vendors include Asiadog, Roberta's Pizza, Sigmund Pretzelshop, Bar Suzette, Breezy Hill Orchard, Cookie Panache, Goat Town, Hong Kong Street Cart, Calexico, Nunu Chocolates, The Filling Station, Resto, Stuffed Artisan Cannolis, Spices& Tease and P&H Soda Co.

Running from 11am-9pm from May 6th-June 3rd on the West side of the park in Worth Square, check out these yummy treats:

Pork bun from Hong Kong Street Cart.

Calexico chicken soft taco.

Fries from Cafe Suzette.

Loose leaf exotic teas from Spices and Tease.

Filed under: camera phone pictures, events, food, new york Tagged: asiadog, bar suzette, calexico, eataly, food, food festival, foodie, madison square eats, momofuku milk bar, new york

Travel Guest Post: Discovering Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state 150 miles south of the continent. It is the 26th largest island in the world with a population of around 508,000 residents. It has vast amounts of untarnished natural environment and 37% of Tasmania is made up of national parks, reserves and World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage area is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia and is also known as the Tasmanian Wilderness. Tasmania is divided into five regions which include Hobart & Surrounds, The East Coast, Launceston Tamar and The North, The North-West Coast and The Western Wilderness. If you are looking for adventure, breathtaking scenery, the unblemished beauty of the landscape as well as indigenous flora and fauna, a Tasmania holidays may be a great contender for your next vacation destination.



There are so many different aspects of Tasmania to explore, it is impossible to list and describe them all. However, here are a few of the tourist attractions in the region of Hobart & Surrounds, Australia's most distinguished city. Salamanca Place is an iconic venue featuring the Tasmania culture through artisans, musicians and producers. There are many studios and galleries featuring woodwork, jewelry, ceramics and glassware. There are also a plethora of restaurants featuring great food and wine as well as entertainment. Other areas in this region that may be of interest are the Alpenrail Swiss Model Village & Railway, one of the top five model railways in the world, and the Anglesea Barracks, now the Military Museum of Tasmania.



The Western Wilderness is well-known for Cradle Mountain. Cradle Mountain is the home of Lake St. Clair National Park. It is also known for Mt. Ossa, Tasmania's highest mountain at 5,305 feet. It is not far from the Overland Track, the 40 mile long distance walking track. Gordon River is another attraction in this region. It is made up of two rivers, Collingwood and Franklin, which flow through the rain forest and merge to become the Gordon River, great for whitewater rafting. Another major tourist attraction that is very unique in the Western Wilderness region is the Antony Gormley Sculptures. A total of 51 black steel sculptures are situated on 10 square kilometers of the white salt plain of Lake Ballard.

The Launceston Tamar and The North region is home to the Tamar Valley Wine Route which includes over 20 different cellars for wine tastings. It is also well-known for Cataract Gorge which boasts the world's longest single span chairlift, wildlife, gardens, suspension bridge, abseiling and stunning views. Launceston is also the site of many colonial settlements from 200 years earlier as well as National Trust properties. You may also wish to visit the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. It is considered to be one of the most significant heritage properties in Australia. Don't forget the Woolmers Estate and the National Rose Garden which represents the finest compilation of historic roses in the southern hemisphere.



The East Coast of Tasmania allows tourist to walk to the Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Other choices of attractions include the Bicheno Penguin Tours, touring the famed St. John the Baptist Church in Buckland or visiting the Historical Maria Island. This island was an 18th century convict penal settlement and is now a national park. There is also fishing, boating, beach activities and whale watching, both Humpback and Southern Right whales, at the Freycinet National Park. The North-West Coast of Tasmania is one of the states most flourishing farming areas filled with volcanic soil conducive for agriculture. Some attractions include visiting the tulip farm at Table Cape, surfing at Boat Harbour Beach, exploring the King Solomon and Marakoopa Caves or visiting the Don River Railway & Museum, which has the largest collection of vintage steam engines and carriages in the state.

As with planning any holiday, accommodations in Tasmania are aplenty regardless of your budget. It's your choice to backpack, camp, stay at a farm or reserve hotels, motels, resorts, lodges, and bed and breakfasts.

Bio: Matt Milstead can be contacted at mattmlstd@gmail.com.

Filed under: holiday, travel, travel planning, travel tips Tagged: tasmania

Fashion: Gucci & Japan Relief

The most stylish way to support Japan relief can be found with the limited-edition Gucci bracelet. Made with non-allergenic calf leather, The red and white band with the "Gucci Loves You" charm retails for just $100.00, with ALL proceeds benefiting the Red Cross.

The bracelet hit Gucci stores in Japan on April 23rd, and launched in the U.S. about a week later.

For more info: http://www.gucci.com/us/worldofgucci/articles/charitybracelet

Filed under: charity, fashion Tagged: bracelet, charity, fashion, gucci, japan relief

Travel: Must Have Travel Apps

 

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Angry Birds ($.99): What better way to pass some time on a plane or before drifting off to sleep in your swanky hotel room than with Angry Birds?  This wildly addicting game is the perfect travel companion, just make sure you don't get too caught up in your game!


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LiveProfile (FREE, available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices):  Keeping in touch with friends when you're traveling isn't always easy, especially if you're going overseas, but LiveProfile makes staying connected simple…and free.  A free mobile messenger application that connects Blackberry, Android and iPhone users LiveProfile allows users to communicate with lightning-fast message delivery and reliability. Unlike text messaging, LiveProfile displays when messages are delivered, read, and even when the recipient is typing a response, making it feel closer to a live conversation.  You can even share photos, add smileys and update you status over Facebook and Twitter with the simple touch of the screen.

 

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TripAdvisor (free): Ever get to your hotel and realize it's nothing like what you thought?  Get out of there and find a better stay for the night with the simple touch of the TripAdvisor App.  It will give you reviews of the best hotels, restaurants and more in whatever city you're in. Users can even find cheap flights, take a virtual street-level tour of their destination and upload their own reviews immediately!


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mTrip Travel Guides ($5.99): Plan a specific itinerary for your chosen city.  If you need help getting around this App will locate you and show you the most optimal routes, offline, to travel to your destination by foot or even subway.  You can even snap photos and send postcards via Facebook and email when you're inside the App.


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OpenTable (free): Make restaurant reservations (at more than 13,000 restaurants in U.S., Canada and abroad) in no time with OpenTable's essentially a miniaturized version of its online services. That's not a criticism, of course. You can also read diner reviews and view menus, both especially valuable when traveling. 


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USA Today AutoPilot (free): AutoPilot lets you store all the information for your trips—flight, hotel, or car reservations and gives you updates on flight status and weather for your destination. You can even store confirmation numbers for your reservations.  It's the perfect App for business travelers that are always traveling some place new.

Filed under: technology Tagged: angry birds, apps, liveprofile, opentable, usa today

Event: Ben Stiller, Donna Karan & CharityBuzz

Have you always wanted to mingle with likes of Donna Karan and Ben Stiller while doing something positive? Hop  on a private plane and jet off on the humanitarian adventure of a lifetime?

Donna Karan and Ben Stiller are partnering with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz to auction off a life-changing experience to raise funds for The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Charitybuzz raises funds for nonprofits around the globe through incredible online auctions, giving its bidders exclusive opportunities to make a difference. The winning bidder will secure one seat on Donna Karan's private plane for a weekend trip to Haiti this fall with Ben Stiller. The humanitarian mission will be one of many for Karan, who has passionately worked to secure a better existence for Haiti's future.

The experience, valued at $100,000, is open for bidding internationally through March 16th at: http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/RFK2011/catalog_items/256424

"For me, Haiti is where all the initiatives I care so passionately about come together; preserving culture, securing the health and well-being for people and the education of the children who represent their tomorrow," Karan said. "The journey of my two worlds – design and philanthropy – picks up in Haiti. Haiti speaks to my heart. Haiti brings out every emotion you have – despair, compassion, love and hope – as well as the excitement of what's possible with some heartfelt connection and creative collaboration."

A trip with Donna Karan to a place so intrinsic to her life today will truly be a life-changing experience. Her donation to the RFK Center shows her support for their wonderful work on the ground in Haiti. Accompanied by Ben Stiller and other notables, this is an experience not to be missed.

The proceeds for this experience benefit The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a 42-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to providing an ongoing base of support to human rights defenders around the world.

For more info: http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/RFK2011/catalog_items/256424

Filed under: charity, contest, events, luxury, travel Tagged: ben stiller, charity, donna karan, haiti, humanitarian

Travel Guest Post: Sardinia in May

Sardinia is the largest island of the Mediterraneo is a fantastic place to spend a luxury holiday   before the always crowded  summer season. If you like to avoid touristic mass affluence you can travel in May and June, the best time to visit Sardinia.

Airlines offer low-cost flights from many European capitals in the shortest possible time. Getting to the airport in the north of Sardinia is a very short and pleasant trip because you will not find any traffic.

Some events not to be missed if you decide last minute to go to Sardinia in May:

*6 to 8 May – Wine Festival Porto Cervo

Over 100 wine tasting hosted in conjunction with conferences and book presentations at the hotel chain Starwood. Do not miss tasting than even the presentation of a novel  noir, "the blood of Montalcino" with the presence of the author. Wine not to be miss – Mesa Gavino Sanna.

Location: Porto Cervo – airport: Olbia Airlines: Easy Jet and Meridian

To visit: Church of Stella Maris, the beach of Cala del Faro

*May 12 to 18 – Abbabula Festival – Sassari

A four days of a non-stop concerts and theater performance. Including DAVIDE VAN DE SFROOS , ZEN CIRCUS, Joe Perrin, AMOR FOU, CASINO ROYALE – that are going to present the new album just came out and finally on May 18, Caparezza live show.

Location: Sassari – Airport: Alghero Airlines: Ryanair

Concert not to be missed: Caparezza Casino Royale

To visit: St. Nicholas Cathedral in the Gothic style, Ex-Q contemporary art center and  Li Punti a restoration exhibiting the statues Mont'e Prama.

*May 22 – Traditional horse ride  – Sassari

The Sassari's traditional horse ride is an opportunity to experience emotions of other times between stunts on horseback, traditional songs and dances. From 62 years is one of the most characteristic folk festivals of the island, the only one to maintain a secular nature. It offers the opportunity to see gathered together all the traditional costumes of the island.

Location Sassari – airport: Alghero Airlines: Ryanair

Costume not to be missed – Samugheo

To visit: St. Nicholas Cathedral in the Gothic style, Ex-Q contemporary art center and  Li Punti a restoration exhibiting the statues Mont'e Prama.

*May 27 to 29 – European Jazz Expo – Cagliari

3 days devoted to jazz in the the park of Monte Claro at Cagliari for a lively festival to be experienced. Inside, in addition to concerts, theater, workshops and a space dedicated to children.

Location Cagliari – airport: Cagliari Airlines: Ryanair, EasyJet, Meridiana

Concert not to be missed – Transglobal Underground and Ricci / Forte theater and Joe Perrino

To visit: Castle Marina and old districts of Cagliari, Poetto beach, the Castle of San Michele.

Experiencing Sardinia in May could be a great surprise for those used to come here only in summer!

About the author: Damiano Usala can be reached at damiano.usala@engedras.com.

Filed under: guest post, italy, luxury, travel, travel planning, travel tips, travel writing Tagged: italy, luxury, sardinia, travel

Book Review: Taking Root in Provence

If you are looking for an armchair getaway filled with charm, subdued sophistication and grace, pick up a copy of "Taking Root in Provence" by Anne-Marie Simons. A writer and traveler, Anne-Marie has that certain way of casually transporting you to a different place  through the eyes of a local.

As a former American, the Simons' decided on retiring in the South of France. The main draw? Quality of life. The beaches, mountains, fresh air, ancient cities, remote villages and culture drew them in. Get a little glimpse of the daily life of an American in Provence; and experience drama of the daily markets, village life, transportation strikes, gypsies, curious villagers, French traditions, truffle cheaters, winter festivities, apartment mishaps, the humor of being lost in translation, wine and of course, food.

The book reads as part memoir and part travel guide, as we go from Provence to Marseilles to Nice exploring the culture, life and cuisine of Southern France.

Order at Amazon.com.

Filed under: books, france, travel, travel planning, travel tips, travel writing Tagged: book review, books, provence

Travel Guest Post: Know Before You Go

Nobody wants an out-of-town mishap to derail their vacation. These quick fixes from the editors of Women's Health magazine will prevent any unexpected health hang-up from ruining your getaway.

1.         Treat a scorching sunburn

Thin skinned and easily forgotten spots like the ears and the tops of the feet often suffer the worst sunburn.  First take an ibuprofen to help curb any inflammation.  Next, hit the grocery store for some white vinegar; dilute one teaspoon of it into a pint of cold water and every few hours cover the burn for 10 minutes.

2.         Manage motion sickness

It's hard to enjoy sailing when your heads hanging over the side of the boat.  Taking slow deep breaths of fresh air and focusing on the horizon should help. So can nibbling on some ginger candy or placing a drop of peppermint oil under your tongue.

3.         Fix a chipped tooth

For a small chip, use an emery board to file down sharp edges, just as you do to fingernail. Since cracked tooth enamel can leave nerves exposed, if you feel pain you can temporarily seal the area with Krazy Glue. For bigger chips, put broken tooth pieces in a container filled with cold milk; the sugar compounds can keep tooth cells alive for 72 hours.

For more tips on how to deal with getaway disasters, pick up the May issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now, or head to WomensHealthMag.com!

Filed under: health, holiday, travel, travel planning, travel tips Tagged: health, travel tips