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In a move which straddles the boundary between bad taste and tempting fate, a trans-Atlantic cruise is being offered in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Organisers have pledged to offer food that matches the menus of the original voyage, along with lectures from historians, and entertainment from the era. Whether or not there will also be a historically accurate shortage of lifeboats, the brochure fails to mention.

The aptly named Titanic Memorial Cruise is scheduled to leave port on April 8, 2012, cruising out of Southampton, exactly 100 years to the day after the ill-fated ship. Should it avoid all floating ice in its path, it is due to arrive at the spot in the North Atlantic where the Titanic sank one week later. At that point, a service will be held onboard in remembrance of those who lost their lives. Unlike the original ship, the cruise will then continue its journey to Halifax, where passengers can visit the cemeteries containing the graves of those who perished, before docking in New York, the Titanic’s intended destination.

With the original ship still resting on the ocean floor, organisers Miles Morgan Travel have chartered the Balmoral, a ship capable of carrying approximately half as many passengers as her unsinkable, but ultimately sunken, cousin. Industry news suggests that the cabins are selling fast, despite their hefty price tags, in a display of the enduring interest in one of the world’s worst maritime disasters. The Olympic-class liner and her disastrous maiden voyage still capture the imagination a century on, offering a contrasting tale of romantic luxury and the tragic loss of life. Intended to be the largest, most opulent ship ever built, the Titanic gave its passengers four days of exquisite comforts before delivering many of them to a watery grave. Millionaires, businessmen, politicians and artists were among those who succumbed to the same fate as the cooks and cabin-boys of the ships crew. Along with novels and documentaries, a multitude of films have been made about the Titanic, including the James Cameron epic which became the highest grossing movie ever.

Whilst the memorial cruise promises to draw the crowds, there are those who have questioned the perhaps macabre similarities between it and the original journey. What might we expect next, a high-speed drive through the Parisian streets in honour of Princess Diana? A New York fly-by in honour of 9/11? Whatever the intentions of the organisers, and those who take up their places on the Balmoral, there is the nagging feeling that the method employed in this memorial is perhaps a little ghoulish, profiting from tragedy through the guise of legitimate commemoration. Certainly, none of the original passengers will be there to trace that century old journey, the last, Millvina Dean, having died in May 2009. Our fascination with the Titanic already threatens to destroy the remains of the ship itself, with scientists suggesting that repeated visits from submersibles are hastening the deterioration of the wreck. Perhaps now is the time to let the memories of those lost at sea, along with the ship itself, rest in peace.

On a closing note, it is worth mentioning that the Balmoral is owned by Fred Olsen, whose parent company Harland and Wolff built the Titanic. Let’s hope that their iceberg detection machines have improved since then.

Ah, Santorini! What hasn’t already been written about this romantic paradise of white washed homes and blue domed buildings perched high above the sea on imposing rock cliffs.

We walked around the island of Thira, took dozens of pictures of famous sites, and wondered what we could offer our readers that they haven’t already seen and read about Santorini. We found our answer while talking to one of the town’s many colorful donkey drivers.

Background

When a cruise ship approaches the sun-baked islands of Santorini in the Aegean Sea, the first thing the passengers notice is the 800 foot rock wall of Thira that stretches from the sea to the mountain top where the principal town of Fira is located. 

There are three ways to get from the water’s edge to the town above. In 1715, the island inhabitants built a rough path into the side of the sheer mountain so they could hike to the summit. Before long, donkeys were enlisted to help carry cargo and passengers to and from the ships and town. In 1930, the walkway was improved and more donkeys were added to aid in the assent and decent. Finally, in 1979, a cable car was installed to automate the process – but the most fun ride is still by donkey.

If this were Disneyland, the donkeys would be the E-Ride

The Santorini donkey drivers refer to their cutesome beasts of burden interchangeably as donkeys and mules. A fellow tourist and practicing Arkansas farmer enlightened us, “Donkeys are purebred, and mules are hybrid, – these are donkeys”. We have no reason to doubt his word.

On any given day, and depending on the number of cruise ships moored in the harbor, there are between 50 and 100 donkeys at work. A one way ride – up or down – cost five Euros.

Walk up if You Can

The zigzag walkway from sea to city is paved in stone, and because of the many switchbacks, the distance from one end to the other is 1300 meters or about 4,265 feet. There are 657 four- inch tall steps on the walkway, and this natural stair-master provides a very good workout on a sunny day.

Donkey vs. Cable Car

The cable car ride lasts approximately 3 minutes (the wait can be fifteen minutes), and the much more exhilarating donkey ride takes almost one-half hour to go up, and just 15 minutes to come down. The down journey is faster and more thrilling for two reasons. First, down is inherently easier, and second the donkey food is at the bottom of the walkway.

The downhill donkey ride is not without its peril. Banging legs against a fellow rider on a tight curve – while going full donkey tilt – can be painful. In addition, on any given day, there will be one or two donkeys that are out of sorts for one reason or another – and they bite. This aside, the rewards far outweigh the risk.

The next time you find yourself on a cruise ship at the picturesque port of Santorini, start your visit with a smile – ride a donkey up to all those unforgettable views and remarkable restaurants.

Happy travels!

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

The world’s first all-glass underwater restaurant opened on April 2005 at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (formerly Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa) in Rangalifinolhu, Maldives. Ithaa (pronounced eet-ha) which means “pearl” in Dhivehi is a five-by-nine meter transparent acrylic encased under water restaurant that seats 12 guests. The restaurant is submerged five meters below the Indian Ocean and offers diners a 360-degree panoramic view of coral reef and marine life. Ithaa serves Maldivian-Western fusion and international dishes that costs US$120 to US$250 a meal. It’s best to eat here during lunchtime since the view is at its best when the sun is shining. The restaurant is open Mondays through Sundays from 12:30am to 11:00 pm.

According to reviews, despite the tasty food being served at Ithaa, diners can’t pay much attention to their food. They are too fascinated by the breathtaking underwater view surrounding them. Being one with the vibrant aquatic life for some time also made them feel like marine creatures themselves.

Red Sea Star Underwater Restaurant, Bar and Observatory

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Submerged six meters below the Red Sea is the world’s very first underwater bar and restaurant, the Red Sea Star Restaurant, Bar and Observatory. Each table has two windows on the side and one above giving diners an octopus eye-view of the kaleidoscope beauty of the undersea kingdom. Ironically, the guest’s attention tends to get torn between the magnificent sea creatures in the colorful coral garden outside and the marine looking creatures and shapes inside such as the jellyfish stools and anemone lighting fixtures. The restaurant offers continental cuisine with the main course priced between USD$10-20. It seats 105 guests and is open daily including weekends and holidays from 10 am to 1 am.

Before the Red Sea Star was built in 1998, the area on where it now sits was a dirty and desolate seabed caused by severe damage due to illegal human activities. Four years before it opened for business, the “Star” team started growing a coral nursery surrounding the reef to save, recreate and preserve what used to be an active and colorful coral reef 20 years ago. Now, it has also become the only underwater night observatory in the world where the softly lit rare sight of the underwater kingdom at night is seen through the Star’s 62 amorphous windows.

Read also:

• The Smallest Restaurants in the World
• 10 Exciting Residents of the Great Barrier Reef
• Maldives: The Lowest Lying Country in the World
• Bizarre Eating Places: Stressed Out Customers Can Beat Up Staff, Throw TV on the Wall

Arkansas, United States

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Always wanted to get closer to nature?! Well it doesn’t get any closer than this! The Creek Cave House was built with the philosophy of keeping the natural beauty untarnished and thus took almost four years to complete.

The House is located inside a cave, and has natural living cave walls and ceilings. Not exactly the all-natural kind?! The House boasts of a pool room, a state of the art kitchen, large living areas, central heating and dehumidifiers that eliminate any suggestion of dampness!

The cave is located in the Buffalo National Country in northern Arkansas, United States surrounded by the raw beauty of the Ozark countryside. It is accessible by winding country lanes or if you have the dough, by a chopper.

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Exploranter – Overland Hotel

São Paulo, Brazil

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Tired of the same ol’ hotel with the mint on the pillows? How about a hotel on wheels! Mr. Flavio was tired of the traditional tourist trips offered to visitors in Brazil; so he decided to do something different, and different he did!

The Exploranter is a 25-ton Scania truck and trailer which houses a lounge, a kitchen and 28-berth sleeping quarters. It takes you to the backroads of Brazil, places you won’t find in the glossy travel brochures. Launched by Falvio at São Paulo s adventure sports fair, and it is now one of the most unique traveling tours in the world.

They allow you to customize your trip by offering a variety of activities like hot air ballooning, horseback riding, cycles off road rally, motorbikes, quads, trekking, historical routes, gastronomy, vineyards, archeology, fishing, rafting, bird watching, spelunking, rodeos and even scuba diving!

The tour ranges anywhere between three days to three weeks depending from group to group. For just 200 reais (60$) a night you’ll visit some of the most amazing undiscovered locations in Brazil!

Everything from eating fried crispy ants to visiting slave dungeons in the middle of coffee plantations the Exploranter is guaranteed to quench all your adventure needs!

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Hotel Puerta América

Madrid, Spain

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Ever wondered what a hotel in 2050 would look like?! The Hotel Puerta América in Madrid built at a cost of $94 million is an architectural wonder. Brain child of the French architect Jean Nouvel, each of the it’s 12 floors – everything from the elevator lobbies down to the blankets and bathrobes – have been conceived by various powerhouse architects and design studios.

Comprised of 308 standard rooms, 22 junior suites and 12 suites, the hotel is a blend of unique architecture styles and ideas, which are as awe-inspiring as they’re disorienting. Located at Avenida de América, one of the busiest roads to the city center, it’s just a cab drive away from The Prado Museum and trendy shops of the Salamanca neighborhood.

With rates starting from 250$ p/n to 3,900$ p/n for suites, it’s bound register a page in your book of unforgettable locations!

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Ice Hotel

Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

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Who needs concrete when you have ice! The Icehotel is located in the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden or 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

The Icehotel is the biggest hotel of ice and snow in the world with an area of over 6,000 m.sq. It is constructed out of purest of pure clear ice blocks taken from the Torne River, which has an ice layer upto a meter thick during winters! The entire hotel exists only between December and April as it assimilates back with nature with the arrival of spring.

On its completion, the hotel features a bar, church, main hall, reception area and rooms and suites for over 100 guests to sit and sleep on blocks of sculpted ice in the form of chairs and beds. Every room and suite in the hotel is unique and is built from scratch every year. If you’re don’t fancy sleeping on frozen water, warm accommodation is available next to the hotel. Rates start as low as 1350 Kronor (172$) per person per night.

With unique sculptures and infrastructure year after year, the Icehotel is destined to give you a warm welcome to the frigid Arctic!

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Capsule Hotels

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If you’re Claustrophobic, then this set of hotels will have you running for the hills! The concept was started by Kisho Kurokawa and the first capsule hotel was located in the Umeda district of Osaka, Japan.

The “rooms” are enclosed fiberglass or modular plastic blocks usually 2 x 1 x 1.5 m. Just a tad bigger than a..coffin? Most of them provide you with a television, an electronic console and even wireless internet connectivity, though comfort space isn’t exactly their priority.

Washrooms are communal and many of the hotels provide restaurants, vending machines and pools. The hotels may have anywhere from 50 to 700 capsules stacked one on top of the other with stairs provided for access to higher level capsules.

Though it hasn’t gained too much popularity outside of Japan, Western variants offer larger accommodations with added facilities,

• StayOrange.com Hotel
• Yotel
• Pod Hotel
• citizenM

The hotels are not the most comfortable or entertaining, but at 16-34$ a night you can boast about having spent a night in a plastic box!

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Take a look at these underwater hotels, restaurants, and a spa below for something truly different.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

The Poseidon of Fiji underwater resort is built 40 feet below, and is going to open in 2009.

The resort offers a 16-passenger luxury submarine tour, and guests are also provided with a personal Triton submarine for excursions on their own. Reservation is welcome at around $1,500 a night.

Take a look at the video to get a feel for what it will be like underwater.

Underwater Hotel in Istanbul

Istanbul will open its underwater hotel in 2010, which will include restaurants, exhibition halls, and sea view rooms. It is said that the underwater hotel has the visibility of the Istanbul Bosphorous Strait, which links the north of Black Sea with the south Sea of Marmara, and is about ten feet.

Experts think that the Istanbul hotel may not be deep enough to offer that underwater view appreciation, even though it will be 7 floors under sea level.

Jules’ Undersea Lodge

This lodge is located in Key Largo, Florida, at 21 feet below, and offers services such as weddings, hosting tourists, and divers. Although guests of Jules Undersea Lodge require a diving certificate, it will only take three hours to complete one.

Guests will enjoy two private bedrooms, with 42-inch glass portholes, and a living room with DVD player. The building is equipped with hot showers, air condition, kitchen, and books. Rates begin at $375 a night for one person, including the diving course, and light breakfast and dinner. For $150 dollars more, you can also get certified, and as certified divers, you will get unlimited diving.

The Hydropolis

The Hydropolis in Dubai is determined to be the world’s first luxury underwater hotel. It has 220 submerged suits, costs around $5,500 a night and glass bubble at 66 feet below the Persian Gulf. The Hydropolis is set to open late in 2009, and offers guests a giant ballroom, concert hall, open air-shows, and views of surrounding skyline above the sea surface.

Here is a look at how the Hydropolis is being constructed.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

This luxury resort has the glass bubble Ithaa undersea restaurant, and it is only five meters below. Have a look at this video to see what it is like to have your dinner served while watching the fishes around you.

Here is a different view of this Ithaa undersea restaurant.

Huvafen Fushi Resort, Maldives

This is the world’s first underwater spa, where you can enjoy rock massage, pearl massage, and body mud wrap in the underwater treatment rooms while enjoying the soothing sound of sea life at Lime Spa.

With many choices offered, from underwater hotels, to underwater restaurant, to underwater spa, why not go for an extraordinary experience?

Spa has been practiced way back since thousands of years ago by some of the early civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Mesopotamians. It was called as social bathing in healing waters that was believed to be able to promote better health, wellness, relaxation, and even slows down aging. However, it is believed that this hydrotherapeutic treatment was first sought after by the Romans on the purpose of relieving the body from aches and sore after heavy physical activities and trainings.

To some people, spa is just another kind of luxury that may cost some fortune for a normal people with a moderate salary. It is only recently that spa become something that is affordable, practical and popular among the common people as a whole. Spa is seen to have some holistic element of purifying the body and enhances the outer and inner beauty. In fact, people have find ways of practicing it at home for a new way of relaxing and also to pamper themselves.

We will travel to the authentic islands of Indonesia…

Indonesia, a country made of islands, that is rich and abundant with natural beauty ingredients that are rare and hard to get elsewhere; and whereby they can actually mix and pounce these ingredients into paste, coat it onto your skin and let you relax. However, that is only one type of their spa treatment. There are many more.

Indonesian spa may be different from many other spa treatments around the world. Diversity of vast botanical produces in Indonesia has made it the birthplace of many tropical beauty products and these include natural treatment for hair, skin as well as for medicinal purposes. There are about 6,000 species of plants, herbs and other natural resources available on this authentic land. Actually, many of these spa practices and treatment were originated from the royal family of the Javanese kings of old times. Some of the ingredient remained as secrets but gradually become known to the public recently.

Few of common spa treatments in Indonesia are:

Floral Baths Body Spa (Mandi Bunga)

This is a type of relaxing treatment and meant to enrich your inner beauty through the elements and auras of the flowers. Sounds mythical, but it is all part of the Asian ideology of interlink between outer and inner beauty with spiritual and the natural aspects. A bathtub of warm water is prepared with petals of flowers such as jasmine, rose, gardenia, bougainvillea, hibiscus and magnolia and later, the person can soaked in the water for about 20 minutes, savoring the tranquility. It is common sometimes to have a floral bath function for new brides before their wedding day. D.I.Y: gather flower petals and gently crush them in the lukewarm water. For a little boost of fragrance, cut a few slices of Kaffir lime and mix it in the water. Soak it for a while before using the floral water to bathe.

Milk Baths Body Spa (Mandi Susu)

This is one type of traditional beauty bath that has been used by Javanese princesses of now and then as an elixir of youth. Milk from goat’s, sheep or cows is often used in this bath and is believed that it has the ability to soften and whitens the skin of the person treated. Prior to advanced researches, the only thing that may be a little of inconvenience is the smell that is left on the skin. However, nowadays you can find milk bath products easily, ready to be use and most importantly, odorless. Sometimes it is even enhanced with floral fragrance or such and made into liquid soap.

Lulur Baths Body Spa (Mandi Lulur)

Lulur bath has been practiced since the 17th century in the Javanese palaces. It is believed capable of providing the body with the proper cleansing essential. Lulur bath is an exfoliation process and polishing of the body that is supposed to leave the skin so healthy that it shines, smooth and inexplicably soft and supple. In the process, pastes are used to coat up the skin and are made up from herbal ingredients and other things such as turmeric, temu lawak, sandalwood, jasmine oil and rice powder soaked in water and made into a scrub. First, the paste is massage on the entire body and left to dry for about 20 to 30 minutes before the dry paste is rubbed off to complete the exfoliation. The process will leave some yellowish color on your skin because of turmeric properties but it will wash off on the second or the third rinse. The massaging is to enhance blood circulation to improve skin’s condition. There are many pre-made lulur products sold in the oriental market today that can be use instantly for a home spa. It will more difficult to find them in western countries but it is not impossible.

Balinese Fruits Facial Spa

The tropical climate of the region (that is humid throughout the year with occasional heavy rains) makes the skin become oily much more easily. A paste made of temu lawak, rice powder, limejuice, papaya is used to reduce excess sebum on the face and at the same time, replenish hydration that has been lost. D.I.Y: Get a slice of papaya and throw away the seed. Cut into cubes and have it crushed. Then get a small winter melon, cut into cubes, have it steamed and then blend to get a nice smooth paste. Next, have an egg beaten until smooth and mix it slowly with the crushed papaya and blended winter melon. Use the paste as a mask on your face after cleansing and leave it for about 10 minutes. After that, wash it off with lukewarm water and apply your favorite moisturizer. You will get a much more radiant complexion if this method is use a few times in a week, and now you can even try it at home.

Java Wrap Slimming Spa

If you have ever been to Indonesia, you will hardly get to see overweight women. Besides their hectic lifestyle and special diet and supplementary consumed, there is another thing that is practice by the women there to have a nice slim figure. It is called the “Java Wrap”. This method has been used by Javanese women for centuries to get a slim figure, especially after giving birth (yes, also meant to get rid of those sagging skin and stretch marks around the belly afterbirths). This method is not only done by women in Indonesia actually, but also around the nearby regions, especially by Indonesian and Malays. The main function is to flush out bacteria from the body, helps the lymphatic system to rejuvenate as well as cleansing and healing the body on an overall basis. Java wrap is a very tedious process since you might find it hard to do it alone and an assistant is required to help you do it. A paste made of a mixture of eucalyptus, crushed sea stone or coral, limejuice, betel leaf, and oil is applied to the abdomen area and later, the area between under the breast to the lower hip is tightly wrap with a very long cotton cummerbund. The concept is like wearing a slimming girdle.

Almost everything is made of scratch in these islands because it works for them as well as other people who tried them. The only letdown is that the traditional method may become a little more hassle than usual, and this is one of the reason people prefer buying ready to use products. There is nothing wrong in this choice. In Indonesia, spa ingredients and equipments are rather easy to obtain, even the ready to use products are actually traditionally made, and only that they have it up for sale. There are also many Indonesian spa products on sale commercially worldwide.

St. Kitts has the best hiking places. You can stay at the Rawlin Plantation Hotel and hike the cloud shrouded mountain called Mr. Liamuiga. It is a 3,792 foot volcano that has been dormant. It takes about two to three hours of hike to the summit. You can do this on your own or you have a guide. When you reach the summit, you will be able to see the green carpeted crater. There are also ropes that are available of you dare to go down the caldera wall for about a thousand foot.

Barbados is heaven for those who are into surfing because this place has the best waves in the Caribbean area. Every November, the annual Reef Classic Barbados is held at the Soup bowl in Barbados. There are also waves that are good for intermediate and beginners. You can stay at the Sea-U Guest House in Bathsheba. You can also hike from Bathsheba to Bath Beach along the old rail.

The Seychelles has the best scenic places you can get to with the use of a boat. The SY Sea star is a 138 foot schooner and has eight cabins, teak decks, gears for diving and snorkeling and mountain bikes. They offer and 11 day cruise of island hopping. Included in the island hoppings are the islands of Mahe, Praslin, Cousin and La Digue.

Vieques is located in Puerto Rico. There are mangrove line lagoons and empty beaches in this area. It is also a home for the endangered leather back turtles and brown pelicans. It is also a home for the red footed boobies that is just cruising on the waters and of course lots of giant fish like permits, snooks, tarpons and a lot more. Your activities in the island will include fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking.

Strawberry Springs

Located 7 miles from Steamboat Springs and nestled between Rocky Peak and Copper Ridge. The water from the springs usually trickles down the hillside at approximately 150 degrees before it enters the stream. The largest pool is kept at 104 Degrees while the smaller shelves of the cells are cooler due to geothermal venting.

Krause Springs

Krause Springs is located 34 miles from Austin, Texas and is known to be the most prevalent in the state. The springs are a compilation of two separate cells that overlook Cypress Creek. The lower levels are adorned with Cypress trees and waterfalls which made it a spiritual place by the Native Indians. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “Two springs feed the 70′ by 20′ swimming pool at a rate of 70 gallons a minute at a temperature of about 70 degrees.”

Crab Cooker Hot Springs

The beautiful Eastern Sierras viewed from Crab Cooker Hot Springs. This spring is among several located in this highly popular camping and backpacking area. It’s quite shallow but big enough for several people and the scenery that surrounds the bathing hole is spectacular.

Wekiva Springs

One of my favorite places to call home; the Wekiva Springs is located in Longwood, Florida where the Timucuan Indians fished and hunted for years. These thermal springs are fed by five diverse sources, while the fish come directly from the springs into two large cells. “The thermal water flows at a rate of 130 liters per second with a daily capacity of 5,760 people.” The temperature is usually kept around 72 Degrees which at times can feel like bathing in ice cubes. These healing waters contain calcium, sodium, magnesium, chlorine, and carbon dioxide which can cure neurological disorders, arthritis, and skin deficiencies.

Banjar Hot Springs

The Banjar is located in Bali and not too far down the road from the only Buddhist monastery in the area. These hot springs are marvelously landscaped with tropical plants. Being they are proven to help with ailments and spiritual clarity, local residents and tourists are urged to spend a couple hours a day relaxing to sooth the soul and clear the mind.

Onsen in Nachikatsuura

The Onsen Spring in Nachikatsuura, Japan located on the premises of the Nakanoshima Hotel on Nakanoshima Island. The island has six different hot springs with high sulfur content and this is just one of them. The spring is said to aid in the healing process of arthritis, female infertility, gout and rheumatism.

Chena Hot Springs

Chena Springs is located northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska near the Chena River State Recreation Area. The resort is using the first low-temperature binary geothermal plant built in Alaska to explore alternative energy sources.

The main attraction at Mammoth Hot Springs is the terraces. The Mammoth Hot springs are continuously changing. As cells grow, water is forced to flow in different directions and the constant changes create a living sculpture made from heat, water, limestone, and rock fractures. The colors are derived from natural living organisms attaching themselves to the side of the terraces.

Nevertheless on the cruises I have been on I found there are certain things I like to do and I make sure I get them done. Maybe you are the same when you go on vacation, and if you aren’t take a look at these three suggestions the next time you go on a cruise to enhance your vacation fun and experience.

Bingo

Sure when you hear the word bingo you probably think of a weekly function for local older folks in your town that head to the church recreation hall to win some cash. However on a cruise ship, bingo is a ton of fun. At the beginning of the week the crowds are small but by the last day as long as the jackpot still stands the bingo hall is absolutely filled. Why? Because the jackpot grows into the thousands of dollars. On one cruise vacation I was on a woman won over $7,000. It was enough to pay for the entire cruise and them some. It is a bit pricey, so if you are going to play and only have the budget to play once, do it on the last day to go for the jackpot.

Wine Tasting

I am not much of a wine person but my wife is and on a cruise ship they offer wine classes. So normally I tag along with her and I can tell you I have learned quite a bit. It still doesn’t make me a connoisseur of wine but I do know more now then I ever had. Some cruise ships charge a nominal fee of $5 for the class while others offer it free and then try to sell you wine at the end of the demonstration. Either way it is fun and you never feel pressured into buying anything.

Art Auction

Every ship I have been on has an art auction. I never realized how popular the activity was until I started seeing the rooms filled with people bidding on art from vendors I personally never heard of. Although I have never bought any art myself I have sat in on a couple of auctions (mostly for the free wine & cheese) and can say that if you are an art person, one of these auctions is definitely for you. The people there were excited when they won, and the energy in the room is incredible. Even if you are not an art person, sit in on one and you are sure to enjoy yourself.

These are just three of the endless things you can do on a cruise ship. I chose these three because they are different then what you could get on other vacations. The next time you go on a cruise give them a try. You never know you might win the jackpot, become a wine expert or learn a thing or two about art or auctions.

These are locations that will provide an experienced or modest traveler with a one of a kind stay. Enjoy!

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

Gamirasu Troglodyte Hotel is located in the heart of Cappadocia, Turkey near Urgup. The hotel boasts 18 rooms that have been completely restored and reopened in 1999. The hotel is situated in a retreat that has been there for over thousands of years. This hotel is a perfect honeymoon and wedding destination.

Marqués De Riscal

This luxury hotel located in Elciego, Spain is nestled in the “City of Wine”. There are 43 guest rooms, including 11 suites that overlook the spectacular views of the country. There are fantastic restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, indoor Jacuzzi, and 14 spa rooms specializing in “wine therapy” treatments.

Blue Lagoon in Iceland

This lagoon is one of Iceland’s most inimitable attractions. The lagoon uses geothermal seawater that is scientifically known to clear the complexion and aid in healthy skin. The trip will be a purely spiritual one filled with nature, scenery, and air that is clean and fresh.

Daintree Ecolodge

Located in Queens land, Australia, this resort is nestled in one the oldest living rain forests boasting 15 lovely villas in a tree house setting. It perfectly secluded for romantic honeymoons and secret rendezvous’.

Magic Mountain Hotel

Located in Panguipulli, Chile this lovely secluded hotel contains 13 rooms, and 11 cabins that can easily accommodate 4-6 guests. The name of the hotel was derived from Commander Pepe who called this hotel his home in the 70’s and 80’s.

Machu Pichu Sanctuary

This ancient hotel boasts some of the most spectacular views of this historical Inca settlement in Cusco, Peru. The lodge is the only hotel located within the sanctuary of the Manchu Picchu Ruins. It has 29 rooms and 2 suites which have the most spectacular views of this sacred place.

Woodland Park: The Hobbit Motel

Located in Otorohanga, New Zealand, Woodland Park is more like a motel for the more modest traveler. Woodland Park has 3 amazing options for sleeping quarters that include a “1950’s Bristol Freighter Plane fully refurbished into 2 beautiful self contained motel units.” A 1950’s Rail Carriage spectacularly redesigned into a completely self enclosed unit. The last sleeping quarter is an underground motel known as the “First Hobbit Underground Motel” with spherical glass windows.

Quinta Real Zacatecas

A part of history is reborn in Zacatecas, Mexico where the 17th Century San Pedro bullring has been converted into a luxurious hotel. The hotel faces the city’s primeval vaulted suspension bridge.

Hotel Puerta América

Located in Madrid, Spain this hotel boasts a different design on every floor depending on the taste of the guest. There are 12 floors and each and every room was created by a different designer so make sure you do your research before visiting. The front desk will provide a list of different floor plans when you check-in if you are unsatisfied with the room you were assigned to.

Kakslauttanen Hotel and Igloo Village

Located in Lapland, Finland these glass globes are offered for guests that would prefer a cold or warm night sleep. There are 31 cabins that are situated quite close to the Arctic Ocean and the Urho Kekkonen National Park

Propeller Island City Lodge

Located in Berlin, Germany this hotel is packed full of amazingly designed architectural rooms. There are 30 rooms that are all instinctively unique. Depending on your idiosyncratic and adventurous taste, you will choose your ability to have a one of kind stay.

Check out 10 Spectacular Resorts around the Globe for some more Travel destinations.