Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach


Panama City Beach


Panama City Beach


Panama City Beach


Panama City Beach is a vacation destination unlike any other. With more than 27 miles of sugary, white sand and emerald waters, it's no wonder we are known worldwide as "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches." Voted the #1 drive destination in Florida, 60% of air travel to Bay County are tourists coming to vacation in Panama City Beach. Panama City Beach is fast becoming a world-class resort community with fabulous attractions, entertainment and dining.
The Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to visit our city. We know you will enjoy the beautiful beaches we are proud to call home

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Montego Bay


Montego Bay


Montego Bay


Montego Bay


Montego Bay


Low-key and relaxed, Mo-Bay (as the locals call it) is warm year-round. Swim and snorkel in clear water at Doctor's Cave and Fletcher Beach, dive in the ominously named Widowmaker's Cave, golf on courses such as Half Moon and Tryall. Off the beaten path, feed a hummingbird at the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary and tour Rose Hall Great House, a former sugar plantation with a spooky past. After dark, feast on jerk chicken, dance to a reggae beat and gamble on Gloucester Avenue, a.k.a. the Hip Strip.

Boracay Island, Phillipines

Boracay Island, Phillipines

Boracay Island, Phillipines



Boracay Island, Phillipines


Boracay Island, Phillipines


Boracay Island, Phillipines

Boracay Island is a great place for just lazing around. Seven km long, it is only one km wide at its narrowest point. Boracay's largest villages or barangays are Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc. A confusing network of paths and tracks connects them, and several smaller hamlets called sitios, so maps of Boracay can only serve as a general guide. Slightly more than half the 5200 population lives in Manoc-Manoc.

There is a beautiful beach on the west coast with very fine white sand, particularly near Balabag. The water is quite shallow, however. For snorkeling the east coast is better but beware of rips. There are scores of little sandy bays scattered around the island; they make an attractive alternative to the ever-popular White Beach.

The atmosphere on Diniwid Beach is also pleasant and peaceful, just to the north of White Beach. There are a few places offering inexpensive accommodation there that would cost twice as much at White Beach. Also well worth the visit is the immaculate Punta Beach.

Boracay is also well known for its now very rare gleaming white puka shells, said to be the best in the world. For years puka shells were dug out of the beach at Yapak and then sold. It's already a fait accompli that large masses of land are soon going to be moved in the north of the island. The most important Philippine property developers, Ayala Land, FiI-Estate and Primetown Property Group have bought up 205 hectares of land. There they intend to build resorts and housing for the better off; construction on the obligatory golf course is already well under way.

Every day seems to be a holiday on Boracay - all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. Just get up, make some coffee and decide whether to go sailing, windsurfing or perhaps snorkeling and looking at corals. If you're curious you may get as far as the Caves of the Flying Dogs of Yapak' or Bat Caves (admission P20) on the other side of the island, where there are still fishermen who have nothing to do with tourism, except that they too have to pay higher prices in the stores.

For many people, Boracay is the typical Pacific island paradise. Whether this will change in the foreseeable future depends on how much building development goes on. Which will inevitably change the face of the island Out of all recognition. The new slogan seems to be 'concrete instead of bamboo'. Fortunately, so far most architects have succeeded in designing buildings that do not dominate their environment and fit in with the island around them.

Nevis

Nevis


Nevis


Pinneys Beach (Nevis)

Nevis

Nevis is very peaceful and not very touristy. And that's the beauty of it. If you want to have a quiet, contemplative time, it is entirely possible. On the other hand, there are lots of things to do for a more active vacation. Oualie Beach hotel reception desk has all the contact information.

Click here to see our Guest Book for some of the activities our guests enjoyed.

There have been reports that you can do five to six times more work than usual with your laptop on the veranda (taking periodic walks to the beach below and dips in the pool). But that may be not everyone's idea of a vacation...

Nevis Watersports on the beach below offers sea kayaking, windsurfing, and deep sea fishing.

Scuba Safaris (869-469-9518), run by Ellis Chaderton, also at Oualie Beach, offers scuba diving to experienced divers as well as beginners.

Jim Johnson offers guided walks and hikes through his company, Top to Bottom, (869-469-9080). Jim is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Under The Sea (869-469-1291 or 869-662-9291, cell), run by Barbara Whitman, a marine biologist, has a lovely aquarium on Oualie Beach. They offer Touch and Go snorkeling tours and snorkeling lessons.

Mountain bike rentals are available at the bike shop at Oualie.

The friendly captain Lennox Wallace sails his catamaran Caona almost daily from Oualie Beach to the shores of St. Kitts for swimming, snorkeling, or just enjoying rum punch or beer and the sunset.

The Four Seasons hotel has a world-class 18-hole, par 72, 6,766-yard golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. They also have ten lighted tennis courts.

Nevis Equestrian Center in nearby Cades Bay (a 20-minute walk) offers horseback riding.

Many hotels are renovated plantations that can be fun to visit. A ride around the island on the main road is 25 miles and takes an hour.

Nevis offers many beautiful hikes, including the ones along the Upper Round Trail, to "The Source," and to Nevis Peak (3,232 ft). The latter is hard to find, though, without a guide.

The Botanical Garden of Nevis still needs some time to mature. But the Golden Rock Plantation Inn has a pleasant "nature walk." It used to be the place to see vervet monkeys, but now you are likely to see them from the veranda or on the road to the beach.

Those interested in the island's past may enjoy visiting the Museum of Nevis History and the Nelson Museum. Nelson arrived here to enforce the Navigation Acts and eventually married Fanny Nisbet here. Nevis is also the place of birth of Alexander Hamilton. Cafe des Arts in Charlestown, next to the Museum of Nevis History, has a pleasant gallery and is a cool spot to have a glass of lemonade.

Nightlife on Nevis is low-key. Eddy's in Charlestown has a DJ on Wednesdays; Nisbet Plantation has a buffet dinner and a live band and dancing on Thursdays; Oualie Beach Hotel has a local band on Fridays and a steel drummer for Sunday brunch; and Four Seasons has a Calypso band every day. You can always ask around to find out what else is going on.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas


The Bahamas

Geography

The Bahamas are an archipelago of about 700 islands and 2,400 uninhabited islets and cays lying 50 mi off the east coast of Florida. They extend for about 760 mi (1,223 km). Only about 30 of the islands are inhabited; the most important is New Providence (80 sq mi; 207 sq km), on which the capital, Nassau, is situated. Other islands include Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros, Cat Island, and San Salvador (or Watling's Island).

Government

Parliamentary democracy.

History

The Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants of the Bahamas. Columbus's first encounter with the New World was on Oct. 12, 1492, when he landed on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. The British first built settlements on the islands in the 17th century. In the early 18th century, the Bahamas were a favorite pirate haunt.

The Bahamas were a Crown colony from 1717 until they were granted internal self-government in 1964. The islands moved toward greater autonomy in 1968 after the overwhelming victory in general elections of the Progressive Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling, over the predominantly white United Bahamians Party. With its new mandate from the black population (85% of Bahamians), Pindling's government negotiated a new constitution with Britain under which the colony became the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands in 1969. On July 10, 1973, the Bahamas became an independent nation.

An Emerging Economy

Once heavily reliant on agriculture and fishing, the Bahamas has diversified its economy into tourism, financial services, and international shipping. While the nation enjoys a per capita income that is among the top 30 in the world, there is a big gap between the urban middle class and poor farmers. In addition, the nation is vulnerable to hurricanes, which regularly inflict serious damage.

Hubert Ingraham became prime minister in May 2007 after his Free National Movement, an opposition party, won parliamentary elections.

Phuket Beach

Phuket Beach

Phuket Beach


Phuket Beach


Phuket Beach

Few islands can boast of such an abundance of sandy beaches and clear waters as Phuket. The winding coastal roads along the west coast of this 540-square-km island offer stunning views and easy access to some of the world's finest beaches.

Whether one wants to sample the frenetic pace of Patong or find solitude on a remote stretch of sand in the north, Phuket's beaches have it all for the sun seeker. The monsoon rains of May-October can bring unpredictable swimming conditions, so heed the posted flag warnings.

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Waikiki Beach


Waikiki beach


Waikiki Beach


Waikiki beach


Waikiki Beach


Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Waikiki is no longer a paradise just for the upper-crust. More than 100 years have passed since Waikiki was the exclusive playground of Hawaiian royalty and their chosen friends. Now, cheap hotels and package tours allow just about anyone to visit. These days, however, the playground is of a different sort. From throbbing nightclubs to quiet parks, from gentlemen long-boarders to the lions at the zoo, Waikiki has something for everyone. One can walk from one end of the island to the other in 20 minutes, but 20 days is not enough to experience all Waikiki has to offer.

It all begins at the yacht harbor where every boat imaginable, from sporty, racing numbers to salty-dog blue cruisers, lines the water. It is here where Hawaiian canoe clubs train and stately yachts strut their stuff. Next door, the Hilton Hawaiian Village stages hula shows to welcome the weekend and blasts fireworks visible from miles away. The beach is wide, the water is safe and any beach toy imaginable is available to rent.

However, not enough visitors find time to visit the other end of Waikiki, where 200 acres of parkland wrap around the base of Diamond Head Crater and there's always a quiet spot in the shade. This is where the locals come to jog in the park, swim at Sans Souci Beach or barbecue dinner with family and friends.

Between these two extremes, the seven-tenths of a square mile that make up Waikiki are packed with hotels, theaters, restaurants and shops and crowded with executives, backpackers, families and hookers, who collectively speak every language under the sun. Late-night revelers cross paths with dawn-patrol surfers, and another day begins on one of the world's most famous strips of sand.

Ipanema Beach, Rio De Janeiro

Ipanema Beach


Ipanema Beach


Ipanema Beach


Ipanema Beach


Ipanema Beach

Ipanema Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Trendsetting Ipanema, the place made famous by the '60s song to bear its name, has a long tradition of dictating beach chic to the rest of the world. The beach was, after all, a launching pad for the skimpy tanga bikini, the once-popular crocheted G-string for men, and the unforgettable (if only we could forget) dental-floss bikini.

As expected, the two kilometers of white sand - and the bodies strewn along them - are the star attractions here. Yet the name Ipanema also refers to the surrounding neighborhood - a compact, easily navigated mixture of upscale shops, frenetic nighttime hot spots and hip restaurants. First-time visitors will want to stroll down Rua Vinícius de Morais - a strip lined with bars, shops and restaurants, including the famous Garota de Ipanema Bar (originally called the Velloso Bar). It was here that Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Morais penned the lyrics to "The Girl from Ipanema." On Sundays the Hippie Fair offers wares from area craftsmen and artists. And at night, the young and young-at-heart head to Rio's Baixo Farme and Baixo Quitéria, southside streets jammed with bars and Cafés.

Maunday's Bay, Anguilla

Maunday's Bay


Maunday's Bay


Maunday's Bay

Maunday's Bay, Anguilla
Once a secret hideaway, Anguilla has come into its own as a Caribbean hot spot for Hollywood starlets and honeymooners alike. But don't let Anguilla's popularity scare you away: it is certainly well deserved, as proven by this island's beautiful beaches, posh resorts and overall laid-back charm. There are 33 beaches on this 16-mile stretch of island, and the best part is that they are all open to the public. This is truly a dream for beach hoppers looking to check out a few sandy shores before settling down on one. One of the most popular beaches is Shoal Bay, a 2-mile strip of pearly-white sand on the Atlantic side that has a convenient equipment rental on site for visitors. Rendezvous Bay is another gem, renowned for its stunning seascape and shallow, family-friendly water. With the powdery beaches and tranquil atmosphere, most visitors will find it hard to peel their bodies off their beachside lounge chair. However, there is plenty to explore both on land and under the sea. The island's coral reefs provide snorkeling fans with the perfect backdrop of vivid coral gardens, bright schools of fish and low-gliding stingrays. At Stoney Bay Marine Park there is a sunken Spanish ship dating back to the 18th century that is an underwater treasure trove for scuba enthusiasts. But, really, if you just want to pull that beach chair under a palm tree and spend the day staring out at the azure waters, no one is going to argue with that.

Veince Beach, California

Venice Beach


Venice Beach


Venice Beach


Venice Beach


Venice Beach, California

Let's begin by making one thing perfectly clear. No beach in the world is like Venice Beach. Sure, other beaches have sand, surf and sunshine. But they do not have a three-ring urban street circus, complete with philosophizing artists, trash-talking hoopsters, preening weightlifters, barefoot sand sculptors and unclassifiable scores of freaks.

I don't use the word "freak" lightly. I grew up in Southern California and have seen my fair share of weirdness. But never have I seen a wilder, more vibrant assortment of creativity and craziness congregated as densely in one place as I have seen at Venice Beach. All of this frenetic activity happens on Ocean Front Walk, a three-quarter-mile concrete boardwalk with stores, fast food spots, flea markets and artists. (What exactly constitutes "artistry" - sword swallowing, playing electric guitar while rollerblading, spontaneous screaming - is something for you to decide for yourself.)

Whether you pump iron and tan at the open-air Muscle Beach weight pen, watch (or if you dare, play) hoops on the blacktop courts that inspired "White Men Can't Jump"or simply stroll the boardwalk, Venice Beach promises an experience you will never forget ... or repeat elsewhere.