Travel and Leisure

What is the Atlantic City Attraction? Well….Atlantic City is a wonderful and exciting tourist attraction in New Jersey. It is located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This tourist attraction holds the second largest gambling and resort community in the United States, second only to Las Vegas.

What Draws People Away from Las Vegas to Atlantic City?

There are several benefits that make Atlantic City (abbreviated AC) more attractive than Las Vegas. Why would someone choose AC over Las Vegas?

• Location, location, location – One of the most obvious benefits of AC over Las Vegas is that it is located on the east coast. For those that live or frequently travel the eastern side of the United States, it is far more convenient than a trip to the western side of the U.S.
• Lower Crime Rate – When you compare the crime rates of both cities, AC is far more appealing. Las Vegas is one of the highest crime rates in the country. According to the 2003 FBI Report on Offenses Known to Law Enforcement only about 11 percent of crimes committed in AC were violent.
• Atlantic City offers the Absecon Lighthouse and Atlantic City Boardwalk to enjoy, which is not available in Las Vegas.
• According to 2008 statistics, consumers ranked AC higher than Las Vegas in regard to price, pampering and sophistication.

Gambling is not the only DrawIn addition to the world renowned casinos, AC offers a lively boardwalk with every souvenir that a tourist could desire, games, entertainment and great food. You have miles of beautiful ocean beaches available to walk and enjoy. The Atlantic City attractions keep getting better all the time. There is truly something for everyone.

Those that are looking for new and exotic dining experiences will find everything that they want here. World famous chefs have used AC as their home to provide fabulous meals in various restaurants. These chefs include Bobby Flay, Stephen Starr, Wolfgang Puck and many others. Whatever you may be looking for in an exciting or elegant dining experience can be found in this beautiful city.

When your schedule does not allow traveling to the west side of the United States, AC is your answer. When you are ready for a refreshing change from Las Vegas that will provide you the same exciting casino experiences along with relaxing recreational opportunities AC is your answer. Whatever travel or vacation experience you are looking to fulfill you can find something to fit your bill here.

Your travel experience can include gambling, fancy dining, beautiful beaches, a world renowned boardwalk, and awesome site seeing opportunities all in AC. This east coast travel extravaganza provides an experience that visitors rate very highly and 78 percent of past guests have said that they would recommend this resort location to their friends and family. You can experience the vacation of a lifetime all in one convenient location. Plan your trip today and you too can enjoy the Atlantic City attractions.

What is it about the Mediterranean that makes this area of the world such a big draw for so many holidaymakers each year?

No doubt the weather has a big part to play in the matter. But perhaps it is also the huge range of destinations that the Med has to offer that attracts the eyes of so many. After all, there are over two hundred different islands you could choose as your own personal destination, some better known than others.

As such you could explore the Mediterranean for years and never take the same holiday twice. There are dozens of islands off the Greek coast alone, as well as the much larger and better known islands including Cyprus and Malta.

Perhaps this is why all those who explore the Mediterranean area find something completely different from everyone else. The Med offers secluded and romantic getaway islands for those who want to be away from the crowds. But it also offers prime tourist spots that are packed with people during the summer months. No matter what you want or need, the Mediterranean can offer it to you.

Of course there is also the Mediterranean diet to sample. While this varies from island to island and country to country, you will find that olive oil, fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Combine this with the outdoor life, swimming, snorkelling and relaxing in general and you will see why so many people love Mediterranean holidays.

When it comes to finding suitable accommodation for your holiday in the Med, you will find there are plenty of choices available. While some people view the Med as being an expensive and luxurious holiday it doesn’t have to be an expensive one.

However with lots of spas and luxury resorts opening on popular islands such as Cyprus, you will find there are plenty of ways to indulge yourself during your annual break away. These can offer so many facilities and temptations that you might find it difficult to leave your hotel at all!

For example a luxury hotel Cyprus style might provide luxurious swimming pools and plunge pools to enjoy when you want a break from the sea and the beach. And with the opportunity to indulge in facials and massages as well, you can really get your money’s worth and have the holiday of a lifetime in this kind of setting.

As you can see, the versatility and luxuriousness of the Med is what attracts many people to it. And you will probably find that once you have visited it once you will want to go back again and again, finding new places and new attractions and islands to visit. From Cyprus to the Greek islands, every inch of the Mediterranean was built to be explored.

The Belizean underwater world has always been regarded as one of seven underwater wonders of the world. The underwater flora and fauna flourishing in crystal clear reefs of Belize have fascinated scuba divers from across the globe to take a plunge here. Scuba divers of all ages and abilities enjoy the spectacular underwater gardens teeming with sea life of all types.

The visibility in the Belize water makes you feel like diving in an underwater aquarium. Belize barrier reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world is not the only scuba diving heaven in Belize. There are many small islands that lie of the coast of the Belizean mainland known as “cayes” in Belize and these cayes have their own world of beautiful corals. After going through the diving destinations, I am sure that all the people who fancy scuba diving will rush to the Belizean waters.

The Blue Hole

Lighthouse reef in the Ambergris Caye barrier reef is famous for the great Blue Hole which was formed before the last ice age. The Blue Hole is the perfectly circular hole approximately one quarter of a mile and the water going as deep as 480 feet.The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mould its walls become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives and is an excellent treat to watch for scuba divers. Near to The Blue Hole, one of Belize’s largest protected areas, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, encompasses 10,000 acres of the atoll and 15 square miles of surrounding waters. Bull, reef and hammerhead sharks add to the exotic look of the blue hole. Many diving resorts are located on the Ambergris Caye where all the diving facilities are made available.

Turneffe Atoll

Turneffe Atoll is famous for its multitudinous scuba diving destinations all bundled into one. The underwater visibility here ranges up to 150 feet which helps to get the glimpse of the Caribbean’s amplest aggregation of marine life. Large pelagic, rays, turtles, eels and schools of snapper, jacks and permit can be found in abundance here. The numerous mangrove islands houses various diving resorts. Turneffe Atoll is famous for “Elbow”, one of the most exciting dives. The strong currents in some areas make the elbow dive more electrifying.

Gladden Split, Placenia

Gladden Split is Placenia boosts of the best diving sites to catch a glimpse of whale sharks and has become a hub of scuba divers. Do not keep any misconceptions about the whale shark. These are quite gentle and are playful with divers. Divers can swim and play with these giant fishes as long as they want.

Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan

Shark ray alley is one of the best “animal dives” in the Caribbean. Nurse sharks and several southern sting rays are the biggest fascination for scuba divers here. These creatures have great tolerance for divers and they enjoy the human company. The flora and fauna here attract the best underwater photographers from around the world.

Hol Chan marine reserve is a must stop for the first dive in Belizean waters. You can always see all species of fish including jacks, groupers, snappers, parrot fish, angel fish, and barracuda, eels, spider crabs, lobster, and nurse sharks hovering around in the Hol Chan waters.

Glover’s Reef Atoll

This is the most isolated of Belize’s diving destinations. The atoll is surrounded by a superb wall, and the local sea life boasts everything from sea turtles to manta rays. There are also plenty of sharks, but one should beware because not all of them are of the safe variety. The gentle giant whale sharks along with black tip reef and nurse sharks enjoy the company of humans. But in the middle are the hammerheads, and on the dangerous side tigers and bulls are sometimes seen around Glover’s Reef. It’s a great marine experience but not for those who scare easily.

The Chutes off Calabash Caye

This diving spot is nearly 50 feet deep along the top of the wall. It is good for oceanic encounters and taking wide angle photographs with huge sand flat that is home to garden eels and yellow head jaw fish. Wide chutes lead to a wall covered with yellow tube sponges, purple sea whips and brain coral. The hawksbill turtles, spotted drum, scrawled cowfish and spotted morays are found in the waters here.

Apart from these diving hot spots, many other smaller cayes also have their own corals reefs and diving spots. Belize maintains itself ranks among the top Caribbean dive destinations and scuba divers across the world love to take advantage of the very best scuba diving in Belize. The Turneffe Atoll, the Lighthouse Atoll and the Blue Hole are easily the paradise for scuba divers.

What kind of break are you planning for this year? Here are some activity holiday ideas to get your holiday juices flowing…

Let’s kick off the activity holiday ideas list with water sports. How about snorkelling or sailing on the Great Barrier Reef, diving the Great Blue Hole in Belize, or diving with sharks in the Grand Bahamas? What about surfing Pipeline, Hawaii or doing a spot of windsurfing or kite surfing in Egypt. The Red Sea is recommended to all vacationers by more than one of our travel experts because you can dive, snorkel, windsurf or kite surf – so it’s a multi- activity holiday idea!

Winter sports is the other big one when it comes to activity holiday ideas. Go skiing in Whistler, Queenstown, New Zealand or in Zermatt, or go snowboarding at Kicking Horse, Folgaria and Jurassik Snowboarding Park or in Ste Foy – how’s that for a few ideas doe starters? Les Arcs, Meribel and Hirafu shouldn’t be omitted from the list of winter sports activities either.

The activities involving adventure travel are also popular: lots of people fancy themselves spending their two week break from work rafting the Grand Canyon, paddling the Zambezi, camping with Saharan Nomads or paragliding around Oludeniz, Turkey. One of the most adventurous ideas for those holidaying is still Everest. Even if you’re not up to attempting the summit, this could take you up to base camp.

If those ideas are too adventurous there are some soft adventure activity holiday ideas to try on for size. Fancy trekking New Zealand’s Southern Alps via the Milford Track, or Chile’s Torres del Paine, going on a cruise up the Nile or down the Ganges, driving the Alaskan Highway or exploring the Zambezi? These are all challenging activities that don’t require years of fitness preparation.

These days another kind of activity is popular – volunteering or learning activity holiday ideas. Attend Genghis Khan Warrior Training in Mongolia, volunteer to help care for the Orang utans at Sepilok, Malaysia, work with AIDS orphans in South Africa, study wildlife photography in Tanzania, or just learn to hula in Hawaii – all of these activities can be expanded into a whole idea for your vacation. And once you start talking animals some people know they’re looking for a wildlife based activity – something where they’ll get to meet some of the world’s furrier, scalier, or toothy inhabitants. What about taking on a flying safari along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, or following in the hoof-steps of the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration? Walking with leopards and floating with hippos in South Lauangwa or birdwatching in the Okavango River Delta?

People often ask me how I got interested in the topic of river cruising. Some of the blame goes to Mark Twain and his tales of the Mississippi, but only a small part. The truth is a more interesting story that goes back to the days of yore, when people actually did things.

Several older, but maybe not wiser, friends of mine from our tiny village in central Iowa, decided to traverse the entire 2300 miles of the mighty Mississippi River.

It was impossible to make the trip in one shot, so they decide to do it in segments. Their plan was to start at Minneapolis and float as far as they could during their week’s vacation time and then start the next year from where they had left off. At less than 200 miles per week, it would take at least a dozen years to accomplish the entire journey.

They built a raft of two giant war surplus rubber pontoons somehow bolted and lashed together. It was topped by a wooden lean-to and propelled by a tiny outboard engine. Sitting on its trailer, it looked like an out-house riding on two giant 30-foot long hot dogs. These obviously were men of great courage – or stupidity.

I followed this epic for several years, listening to their tales after they returned home as they unloaded, deflated, and dried out their equipment. Tying up on the riverbank and sleeping overnight on hard, solid ground may sound reasonable to some; however, to me it seemed that was more like a long, wet, camping trip.

They told tales about nearly being crushed in a huge lock surrounded by gigantic, terrifying raft-smashing chains of grain-filled barges; or almost being swamped by the wakes of the huge barges they met; or of the huge northern pike – more likely a sturgeon – they “almost” caught – and pulled one of them overboard.

Perhaps the most frightening event happened near St. Louis when they were in the center of a terrible storm that destroyed the “out-house.” That was almost enough to make them decide it wasn’t worth the effort.

But they prevailed. Year after year.

I went off to the Army and never heard any details of the downriver leg of the tale. However, they kept the dream alive each year, 200 miles by 200 miles. Finally some time later, my mother sent me a newspaper clipping: “the boys” and raft had finally cruised successfully into New Orleans and they were on their way home – via bus.

It would be nice to believe that there was some sort of recognition of the journey, but there was none. At the very least, the raft belongs in a maritime museum.

Instead, somewhere on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico rests this wonderful makeshift rickety raft. A raft that has the distinct honor of outdoing the imaginary feats of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. As for me, oft-tempted, but deciding against repeating the trip, probably in a comfortable house-boat, I settled on writing this article about it. Much safer by far, but not quite as exciting.