Guests stay in thatched roof hales (Polynesian-inspired bungalows) on 82 oceanfront acres. No televisions, telephones, radios, air conditioners are there to distract. Coconuts supplant traditional “no disturb” signs.

Included in the guest rate are all daily meals, an award-winning, traditional Hawaiian luau and activities from snorkeling and tennis, to lei-making, stargazing and fishing the traditional way with bamboo poles.

Water-based activities include an Outrigger Canoe Program in which guests learn to paddle a canoe, Hawaiian-style. A Wiwo’ole Ribcraft Adventure is available for seasonal whale watching as well as cruises to hidden snorkeling sites with Scooters (dive propulsion vehicles). There’s also standup paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, and SCUBA diving (scuba dive instruction and certification programs are available as Kona Village is a PADI certified resort).

If you are looking for an affordable hotel and perfect accommodation for your next business trip or family vacation checkout our hotel partners and enjoy discounted hotel rates for your next business trip. Also watchout for Best Hotel Deals available and updated every month.

By Travelandtourismnews

Kona Village Resort

Six women and two men died Tuesday in a fire at a bar frequented by locals in the resort town of Cancun. Employees at Castillo del Mar have told police that gunmen tossed gasoline bombs at the establishment, which is located in a low-income area far from the city’s main tourist zone.

Quintana Roo state Attorney General Francisco Alor told a local radio station that the cause of the blaze remains under investigation and that the bar has had problems in the past, although he did not elaborate.

Businesses throughout Mexico are often hit up for protection money by drug cartels, which sometimes set fire to those that refuse to pay, the Associated Press reports. And while Cancun has largely avoided the drug-related violence that has killed more than 28,000 people in Mexico since 2006, drug cartels and immigrant traffickers are known to operate in the area.

But the violence appears not to be deterring vacationers, who are scheduling trips to Mexico even after the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning on Aug. 27, advising American citizens to delay unnecessary travel to the central Mexican states of Michoacan and Tamaulipas, as well as Sinaloa, Durango and Coahuila.

The warning also ordered children of all U.S. government employees to leave Monterrey amid a high number of kidnappings there and following an Aug. 20 shooting near the city’s American Foundation School. An earlier warning that authorized the departure of relatives of U.S. government personnel from U.S. consulates in the northern Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros also remains in effect.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to “stay within the well-known tourist areas,” according to the warning.

“Although narcotics-related crime is a particular concern along Mexico’s northern border, violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists,” the warning read. “U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times … In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens living in Mexico have been kidnapped and most of their cases remain unsolved.”

But despite the danger, the number of international tourists visiting the country by plane increased 35 percent in June compared to the same month in 2009, according to Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) statistics.

MTB officials say nearly 820,000 people from destinations worldwide visited Mexico in June, up from 605,435 in June 2009. Of those visitors, the tourism board said, roughly 573,000 were from the United States, a 23 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Canadian visitors, meanwhile, skyrocketed more than 100 percent compared to the year before, up from 21,322 to more than 41,000.

But figures provided by the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries paint a different picture, indicating that the number of U.S. air passengers to Mexico actually declined by 2.5 percent this year and by nearly 11 percent in 2009.

MTB officials say cruise travel is also on the rise, as the number of American cruise passengers in the first four months of 2010 increased 6 percent compared to 2009 levels. Passengers from Canada also increased 9 percent from a year ago, MTB officials said. Mexican ports welcomed 5 million cruise passengers last year, and that figure is expected to reach nearly 6 million this year.

Despite the recent suspension of service on Mexicana Airlines, MTB officials are touting increased service by AeroMexico — the country’s largest transcontinental airline — from Miami to Monterrey and Houston to Monterrey. Other airlines have also begun offering additional direct flights to Mexico’s hot spots, or will begin to do so shortly. British Airways is scheduled to begin flying direct between London and Cancun in November, and China’s Hainan Airlines will begin flying direct to Mexico City. U.S. airlines, too, are offering new direct routes from San Francisco to Los Cabos and Charlotte, N.C., to Puerto Vallarta.

“We feel these numbers are evidence of the strength and quality of Mexico’s destinations,” Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara, said in a statement.

Online travel agencies agreed that Mexico remains a top tourist destination despite its deadly drug war.

Genevieve Shaw Brown, a senior editor for Travelocity, said Cancun remains the country’s most popular destination and ranks No. 13 among the travel site’s domestic and international locations.

“Two of the reasons Mexico remains popular are value and convenience,” Brown said in a statement to FoxNews.com. “There are direct flights to Mexico’s major tourist destinations from nearly every major city in the U.S. That competition among airlines helps to keep pricing down. Average international airfare from the U.S. this fall is $769 round trip as compared to airfare from the U.S. to Mexico at $443 round trip.”

Marita Hudson Thomas of Orbitz.com said Mexico’s resort towns are “largely unaffected” by the ongoing travel warnings. In fact, she said, Cancun was just named the company’s top international destination for the Labor Day weekend.

Popularity of Mexico’s Gulf Coast resorts aside, the State Department travel warning makes it clear that travel South of the Border is not without risk. And recent news reports bear out the potential danger.

At least 16 people were injured last week when a grenade exploded at a bar in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta. And other tourist hot spots like Acapulco, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo and Cuernavaca aren’t immune to the drug-related violence.

“In April 2010, three innocent bystanders were killed in a shootout between Mexican police and [drug-trafficking organization] members in broad daylight in one of [Acapulco's] main tourist areas,” the warning reads. “In the same month, numerous incidents of narcotics-related violence occurred in the city of Cuernavaca, in the State of Morelos, a popular destination for American language students.”

By Foxnews

Tourism Mexican

The stream, situated in Khon Buri district, is about 70 kilometers south of the provincial town and is fed by Wang Tao Waterfall in Thap Lan National Park, which extends to parts of neighboring Prachin Buri Province.

Pornchai Amnuaysap, a local provincial councilor, said the money will be spent on constructing a visitor information centre, public toilets and jetties, in addition to new trekking routes along the stream and a resting area by the Lam Chae reservoir on the outer fringes of the national park.

Mr. Pornchai said construction of the new facilities is expected to take about six months, with Kaeng Wang Tao ready to cater to visitors by early next year.

Already popular as a tourist destination because of it’s unspoiled beauty, visitors to the area who want to enjoy the natural surroundings currently have a choice of 18-home stay facilities at Mabkrad village and numerous raft-houses at Lam Chae reservoir in which to stay.

The new facilities are expected to increase the popularity of the region with local and international tourists alike, as well as see the introduction of a greater range of activities, which the provincial council has committed to ensuring leaves the local environment unspoiled or damaged.

Kaeng Wang Tao stream remains open to those interested in trekking, or just sightseeing, and can be reached by taking Highway 224 from the provincial town to Chok Chai district and then Route 2071 to tambon Khok Krachai in Khon Buri district, where a two-hour boat ride across the Lam Chae reservoir brings visitors to a point where they can trek to Wang Tao Waterfall.

By John Le Fevre

Thap Lan National Park and Kaeng Wang Tao stream in Khon Buri district of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) Province are to receive some amenities making it more friendly as a eco-tourism destination.

Bey Soo Khiang, Senior Executive Vice President (Marketing & Corporate Services) of Singapore Airlines said at the opening of Natas Holiday Fair 2010 at Singapore Expo on Friday that the country`s tourism industry looks brighter and more prospective than last year`s.

Until July 2010, Singapore`s economic development continued increasing by 13-15 per cent of its Gross National Product (GNP), which is level than that of the United States.

“The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that the number of foreign tourists will increase 3-4 per cent in 2010, while that in in Singapore will grow to 12.5 million.”

“It is quite reasonable to have such optimism,” he said.

Moreover, Singapore`s tourism sector is also undergoing a transformation. This year saw the inauguration of Marina Bay Sands, integrated with the World Resort Sentosa.

It will also be supported with world class events like the Youth Olympic Games and Formula One. The two events may increase the number of foreign tourists to Singapore.

Changi International Airport reported that the number of passengers on transit increased by 17 per cent in the last six months.

SA is encouraging an increase in the number of foreign tourists by expanding overseas flights.

Now SA flies to 62 destinations in 34 countries.

“If we make a comparison with Indonesia`s tourism sector, the estimation has a very wide gap. Indonesia with is much larger than Singapore and has more destinations, may only have seven foreign tourists until the end of this year.”

By Eturbonews

Singapore predicted it will have 11.4 million - 12.5 million foreign tourists up to the end of 2010.

Located in Riviera Maya, Hacienda Tres Ríos is an exclusive luxury resort focused on green travel. The highest grade award from Green Globe Certification comes after an extensive review of the resort’s procedures, daily operations and green practices.

Last year Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort was voted “Mexico & Central America’s Leading Green Hotel” at the 2009 World Travel Awards. The eco paradise has also been nominated for four awards in this year’s ceremony, including “Mexico & Central America’s Leading Green Hotel” and “Mexico & Central America’s Leading All-inclusive Hotel”. The World Travel Awards is recognised as the ultimate travel accolade and is hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the “Oscars of the travel industry”.

The Green Globe Certification was delivered by Romeo Dominguez, representative of Green Globe America Latina to Romárico Arroyo, vice president of development and financing, Tres Ríos. At the ceremony, the Tres Rios sustainability team and its leader, Gabriel Santoyo, received an award from Green Globe recognizing the excellent work done to achieve the recertification.

“We not only received this certification for a consecutive year, but we did it with an incredible 95 percent. I don’t know of any other hotel – worldwide – that has achieved such a high grade and so soon after opening,” said Mr. Gabriel Santoyo, chief environmental officer for Tres Ríos. Mr. Santoyo has been responsible for coordinating all sustainable management practices that have resulted in this exceptional score.

The vice president of development and financing, Tres Ríos, Romárico Arroyo, highlighted the hard work that has been invested in Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort to ensure this luxury resort follows strict environmental and quality standards in Mexico, as well as international sustainability standards.

“Tres Ríos started out as an ecological park, and we have been consistent in following our set guidelines and standards to protect the extraordinary beauty and diversity of the region. Our guests are able to reconnect with nature while they enjoy the Mexican hospitality and all the luxury we offer,” said Mr. Arroyo.

Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said: “It is reassuring to see how a luxury beach resort can operate at such high standards of sustainable management. The Tres Rios sustainability team are experts in managing natural resources, including the care of 120 species of plants and 90 species of animals. This conservation management is further enhanced by their training programs for staff and the local community.”

From its opening in November 2008, Hacienda Tres Ríos has positioned itself as a model for sustainable tourism in Mexico and abroad. The resort has been recognized by the highest Mexican environmental authorities, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). It has also been featured at tourism fairs around the world, with the sustainability team invited to share their knowledge in forums in London, Spain, and Berlin.

Besides its Green Globe certification, Hacienda Tres Ríos is recognized by international environmental organizations like UNEP, Sustainable Travel International, and Rainforest Alliance. Its environmental achievements have been acknowledged in the leading travel markets of Europe including Germany and London.

Located in a 326-acre of jungle, mangrove, and coastal dunes, the eco-friendly resort is built 2.8 meters above sea level on stilts that allows for the free and natural movement of water flows. The construction and design allows for electricity consumption to be reduced 38 percent in air conditioners and 70 percent from lighting. Specially-designed operating systems allows for water consumption to be reduced by 40 percent. The resort also uses 100 percent biodegradable products and recycles the same percentage of solid waste.

By Breakingtravelnews.

Hacienda Tres Rios

No casualties have been reported. But some unconfirmed sources said two workers with the scenic administration are feared buried.

Huo Wenjun, head of the Huashan Mountain Scenic Area Administration Committee, told Xinhua the estimated 3,000-cubic meter landslide blocked a 30-meter section of the road, stranding 200 tourists on Tuesday.

“Those stranded have been able to get down from the mountain by using a pedestrian path,” he said adding that no casualties had been confirmed.

Huo said the scenic spot would remain closed until the debris was removed. So far, 200 people are working to clear the road.

Huashan is the most precipitous of China’s five sacred mountains, which also include Mt. Tai in eastern Shandong Province, Hengshan in northern Shanxi Province, Songshan in central Henan Province and Hengshan in central Hunan Province.

It takes 3 hours to reach by car from Xi’an, capital of west China’s Shaanxi Province.

By Xinhuanet

Huashan Mountain / Image via lookinchina.com

Overnight stays by foreign tourists in Spain rose by 11 per cent in July this year, compared to the same time in 2009, according to official figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute.

The figures are the first sign of a break with the staycation trend which led to UK sales of foreign holidays falling 15 per cent last year, according to Britain’s Office of National Statistics.

The poor British summer, on top of last year’s wash-out, coupled with a strengthen of the pound have rekindled in Spain’s costas. Aggressive cost cutting by tour operators of up to 40 percent have helped to the rebound.

However 30 million foreign tourists arrived in Spain in the first seven months, down 0.4 percent on the same period in 2009.

Spain is the world’s third most visited country, after France and the United States, and tourism accounts for nearly 10 percent of its GDP.

But Spain has been one of the hardest hit European Union countries during the downturn, especially its tourism sector. The country’s unemployment rate hit 20.05 percent in the first quarter, the highest level in the eurozone, and its highest reading since 1997 as the collapse of a property bubble continued to take its toll.

By Breakingtravelnews

Spain Beach

A recent Gallup Poll named Costa Rica one of the Happiest Places on Earth citing its people’s health, prosperity, and overall satisfaction with life. So, what has this small nation done right to create this type of society and, more importantly, what kind of changes can other countries make to achieve a little more happiness in everyday lives?

When Costa Rica made the decision to eliminate its army in 1948, it seemed like an unlikely and naïve choice, at best. Then, in 1978, Costa Rica took it a step further and declared 25 percent of its territory as protected land in an effort to preserve the rich biodiversity that today has made the country one of the most sought after ecological destinations in the world.

While these decisions were highly criticized in their time, Costa Rica, today, has come full circle and proven that a life focused on the well-being of the people and the planet is the best recipe to living a long and happy life. Their zest for life shows because while many initially come here for the country’s natural beauty and an endless choice of activities, ultimately, the longest lasting impression they leave with is the kindness and joy that the Costa Rican people offer.

All of these choices have enabled Costa Rica to be a society that can count on accessible education for all and a nationwide healthcare system that even provides for tourists in the country. Ticos, as Costa Ricans call themselves, enjoy a literacy rate that is comparable to any other well-developed nation, equal rights for all, a political system which allows for strong participation from its citizens, and an almost complete elimination of fossil fuels for electric production.

As a destination that offers visitors a chance to experience the beauty of the Earth and its people, Costa Rica began to see a growth in its tourism industry. In order to mitigate the negative effects of tourism development in the country, Costa Rica quickly took action, and in 1996, it established the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST), which outlines four main pillars for developing a property or operation that would reduce the impact that it would on the environment, its population, and its culture as well.

Over the past year, Costa Rica, as a country, and its tourism sector alike, have received an unprecedented amount of recognition for its staggering achievements at the environmental and social level. Organizations like the World Economic Index Forum and the Environmental Performance Indicator developed by Yale University and Columbia University have ranked Costa Rica as the best place to do business and the cleanest destination in the Americas, respectively.

The CST program has not only been well received by the industry, with over 150 hotels and tour operators certified, but it has also been regarded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as the model for sustainable tourism in Latin America. Additionally, the CST program was recognized by the III Virtual Congress on Latin American Tourism Industry and Destination Competitiveness with the “Tourism for All” award in the category of “Innovation in Tourism and Hotels.”

All of these efforts have positioned its tourism industry as one of the most sustainable in the world and it has no shortage of awards either. In the past year alone, establishments such as Green Hotels of Costa Rica, Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Rios Tropicales, Hotel Punta Islita, El Silencio Lodge, Nature Air, among many others, have been recipients of sustainable tourism awards and recognitions from prestigious organizations such as National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, Rainforest Alliance, and the World Travel and Tourism Council.

The key to happiness, as Costa Rica has proven, isn’t necessarily limited to the act of consuming less. Rather, it is the philosophy that when people take the time to take care of and appreciate the things around them that aren’t replaceable, such as the environment, their people, and their culture, then they begin to create a society that finds happiness in the simple things that the world has to offer.

By Visitcostarica

Costa Rica

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy brought the breathtaking scenery of New Zealand’s countryside into the international spotlight. Combine this scenery with a huge variety of recreational opportunities, and you’ve got an outdoor enthusiast’s ideal vacation destination. Even those without a desire to jump off bridges or roll down a hill in a clear plastic ball will find something to do–New Zealand’s cities offer plenty of opportunities for fine dining, shopping and museum-going. Because a trip to New Zealand can come at great expense, however, it is important to spend plenty of time planning your vacation to ensure that it is as memorable as you hope it to be.

Step 1

Decide what time of year you would like to visit New Zealand. Remember that it is located in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning the seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere–when it is summer in the United States, it is winter in New Zealand. The summer season is the busiest in New Zealand; it is also when the majority of activities are open for tourists. From May to September you will typically find smaller crowds and also are more likely to find good deals on airfare.

Step 2

Determine how much time you have to devote to a trip to New Zealand. The greater amount of time you have to spend, the more you will be able to see. Given the amount of travel time necessary to get to New Zealand, ideally, two weeks is the minimum trip length you should consider. Two weeks will provide adequate time to see a large part of both the North and South Island, although you will have to continually be on the move. For trips shorter than two weeks, plan to focus on just one part of the country rather than trying to see it all.

Step 3

Decide on a rough budget for your trip. Your largest expense is likely to be airfare, followed by lodging, transportation and food. Check the websites of Air New Zealand and Qantas for specials when researching airfares. You may even be able to add an extra stop in Hawaii or Fiji on the front or back end of your trip without paying an additional fee. Remember to also take into account the cost of tours and recreational activities, such as bungee jumping, jet boating, zorbing, skydiving and glacier hiking.

Step 4

Put together an itinerary. The majority of international flights land in Auckland on the North Island. You can opt to start your travels here, or take an immediate flight to Christchurch in the South Island. Highlights of the North Island include Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington. Highlights of the South Island include Kaikora, Christchurch, Queenstown, Te Anau, Fjordland National Park, Milford Sound, Mount Cook National Park, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and the wineries of Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. Adrenaline junkies should plan to spend the majority of their time in the South Island; Queenstown is the epicenter of outdoor recreation.

Step 5

Choose a method of transportation during your travels in New Zealand. Although New Zealand has an efficient bus system, a rental car or camper van will provide you with the greatest amount of independence. For quick travel between locations, flying may be an option, although doing so will cut deeply into your travel budget. Traveling by rail (TranzRail) is also a good option–the TranzScenic rail line cuts through the mountains and provides breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery.

By Susan Berg

Glacier hiking is just one of the many possible activities in New Zealand.

Those sites are Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Kiribati’ s Phoenix Islands and Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea.

Bikini was the site of U.S. nuclear bomb testing in the 1940s and 1950s.

UNESCO said the tests had major consequences on the geology and environment of the atoll symbolized the dawn of nuclear age.

The Phoenix Islands conserve one of the world’s largest intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems, together with 14 known underwater sea mounts thought to be extinct volcanoes, complete with a staggering variety of marine species.

The Papahanaumokuakea chain of tiny islands and atolls, stretches nearly 2,000 km north-west of the main Hawaiian Islands.

It was declared both a natural and cultural heritage site.

This is because it is one of the world’s largest marine protected areas, and the region is also thought to be the origin of life in native Hawaiian belief.

By Travelandtourismnews

Bikini Atoll