Sunday, December 30, 2012

Those hoping to shake up the typical theme-park-dominated itinerary can head into downtown Orlando's




Sprinkled with white-sand beaches, hotels manchester botanical gardens, and National Parks, Grand Bahama Island is a tropical paradise. Fodor's called it "one of the most well-rounded, diverse destinations in the Bahamas" for its natural beauty and resort attractions. During this two-day cruise from Celebration Cruise Line, you'll spend a full day exploring the isle and can choose from several organized excursions , such as a dolphin swim, a cruise on a glass-bottom boat, a kayak tour, or a round of golf (excursions are an additional fee). Off boat entertainment includes swimming with dolphins, snorkeling above the coral reefs, taking an adventurous jeep tour, or relaxing on a private beach. The ship also offers entertainment with four restaurants, a casino , and a sprawling pool deck. Click here to see the itinerary.
Dining can be a luxurious affair on Celebration hotels manchester cruises. At the Crystal hotels manchester Dining Room, guests can savor a formal five-course dinner, which includes Bahamian conch chowder to prime palates for roasted rib with truffle potatoes. The atmosphere is a little less formal at Rio's, where sharply dressed servers carve meats tableside. hotels manchester Fill up on pizza and pasta late into the evening at Trattoria di Gerry. For a truly memorable meal, reserve an ocean-view table at The Cove, which is well worth the $25 upcharge. Fine wines and impeccable service complement upscale dishes, as you can taste lobster hotels manchester françoise in a saffron beurre, pan-seared filet mignon, or, for dessert, viennese apfelstrudel.
The party scene kicks into high gear at night thanks to a handful of entertainment venues . At the Wynmore Casino, you can play poker, slots, and roulette until 3 a.m. Comedians and dance troupes take the stage at The View, a multilevel spot that doubles as a late-night dance club. The cruise's ocean-view pool deck is the place to be during the day. Grab a chair by the pool and soak up the Caribbean sun, or sip frozen cocktails at the tiki bar.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions. Panama City, Panama: $999.00 for Panama Resort with Airfare and Car Rental ($1,665.00 value) Panama City Vacation with Airfare
Panama's hotels manchester capital city and largest metropolis, Panama City, sits close to the border of South America on the Isthmus of Panama. Sandwiched between a rainforest and the Pacific coast, hotels manchester the subtropical city enjoys some 300 days of sunshine annually, and temperatures hotels manchester rarely dip below 70 degrees. Your five-day Panama City vacation sets you up in the Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort Spa , steps from its own private beachfront overlooking the Bay of Panama.
A short drive from the hotel, hotels manchester you can find downtown Panama, dubbed "a dynamic metropolis" by the New York Times . It's home to shiny skyscrapers, raucous dance clubs, and the whirlwind Carnival celebration, which takes place in the days before Ash Wednesday.
Casco Viejo : Located northeast of the resort. Spanish colonial churches and Moorish palaces line the often-cobbled streets of this UNESCO World Heritage site. The name roughly translates to "old shell," hotels manchester and it seems to fit. The tree-lined plazas that once hosted bullfights and bazaars are now filled with street vendors, buskers, and artsy nightclubs.
Panama Canal : When construction on the Panama Canal wrapped up in 1914, it was a historic moment—the hotels manchester Isthmus of Panama now connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Frommer's calls the canal "one of the grandest engineering feats in the world." It can take up to half a day to cross the canal. hotels manchester If that's out of the question, simply stop at the Miraflores Locks, where you can watch cargo ships passing through. Exhibits in this area chronicle the canal's construction and significance to global trade.
Metropolitan hotels manchester National Park : At close to 700 acres, this park—roughly 20 minutes from the hotel—contains a tropical rainforest, where hundreds hotels manchester of exotic birds make their home alongside iguanas and sloths. A crane tour lifts visitors high above the forest for a chance to glimpse spider monkeys hotels manchester or see a bird's-eye view of Panama hotels manchester City's burgeoning skyline.
Many of Panama's other attractions are just an hour or two from the city. Head north toward the village of Embera for a nice day trip. A boat can take you upriver into the tiny village, where thatched-roof houses perch on stilts. Here, villagers hand-weave baskets and perform a ceremonial hummingbird dance that is rumored to encourage healing.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions. Orlando Area: $169.00 for 3- and 4-Bedroom Villas near Orlando Theme Parks ($282.00 value) Vacation Homes near Walt Disney World® Theme Parks
Dotted with sparkling lakes, pristine state parks, and world-class golf courses, central Florida is a haven of outdoor beauty, one that's graced with warm, sunny days all year long. It's also the site of one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world: the Walt Disney World® Theme Parks. hotels manchester The theme parks, water parks, golf courses, and nightlife are all within 30 minutes of Fairways Florida Villas's Orlando-area vacation homes.
This Groupon is valid for three- or four-bedroom silver- or gold-level homes spread among 24 communities across Kissimmee, Davenport, and Haines City. Each home has plenty of space for a large family or a group of 6–8 friends, and all contain master suites, full kitchens with modern appliances, and private, screened-in pools. Many also have pool tables, hot tubs, and high-speed Internet connections.
Each of Fairways Florida Villas's two-dozen communities hotels manchester has a unique set of amenities, too. Some, such as the Southern Dunes , have full golf courses onsite. Others include community pools, clubhouses, or family play areas, and all are a short drive from theme parks, nightlife, and restaurants in nearby hotels manchester Orlando.
Located in the center of Florida, Orlando may be forever associated with the Walt Disney World® Theme Parks , which now are part of the world's most-visited entertainment resort. It spans roughly 30,000 acres, encompassing four theme parks, hotels manchester two water parks, five golf courses, and the Downtown Disney® Marketplace. There's no shortage of things to do here: begin your day by boarding a rocket-shaped three-seater that climbs to 180 feet before entering a deep black tunnel and racing past stars, satellites, and constellations. Walk across the park to sample Moroccan cuisine for lunch, or ride a dune buggy through a haunted 18th-century mansion. Before heading back to the hotel, take in the nightly fireworks, laser, and water show. As one of the most popular family destinations hotels manchester in the world, sunny Orlando is home to other theme parks including Universal Studios , SeaWorld , and Gatorland .
Those hoping to shake up the typical theme-park-dominated itinerary can head into downtown Orlando's vibrant arts district. The neighborhood boasts venues such as CityArts Factory , a multifaceted patchwork of gallery spaces, and SAK Comedy Lab , which hosts family-friendly improv shows five nights a week.
About a 10-minute drive north, you'll find eight cultural institutions at Loch Haven Park, including the Orlando Museum of Art , which houses pieces by Georgia O'Keeffe, Robert Rauschenberg, Ansel Adams, and Andy Warhol. The park is also home to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater , the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra , and the Orlando Science hotels manchester Center . Visit the science center hotels manchester to take a rover across a simulation of Mars's red surface, or race on a 70-foot pinewood derby track.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions. Online: $229.00 for Southern Charm in Savannah's Historic District ($458.00 value) Venerable Southern Inn in Savannah's Historic District
Spanish moss hangs from the trees along the cobblestone streets in Savannah's historic district. hotels manchester Here, 18th- and 19th-century buildings share space with parkland and old cemeteries. Built in 1876, The Dresser Palmer House stands on a street lined with old-fashioned townhouses. A wide wooden porch with light-green arches wraps around the front of the double-gallery mansion. Stroll along its red-brick paths and you'll wind past wisteria bushes and trickling fountains.
hotels manchester The Dresser Palmer House holds friendly evening socials where staff members serve complimentary glasses of wine and light hors d'oeuvres. In the morning, hotels manchester you won't be able to resist the lavish breakfast in the Victorian dining room, which may include items such as quiche with pears, pecans, and sausage as well as peaches-and-cream french toast.
The inn's rooms have names such as the Flannery O'Connor, Conrad Aiken, Wisteria, and Confederate Jasmine. They have distinct hotels manchester decor—some feature exposed brick walls, others fireplaces and clawfoot bathtubs—but they all have modern, private bathrooms and an elegant ambiance. hotels manchester In the Flannery O'Connor room, light pours in from the windows onto finely carved wooden hotels manchester furniture and romantic floral hotels manchester prints. hotels manchester An impressive four-poster bed anchors the Wisteria room, and a brick wall lies behind the beds in the Confederate Jasmine room.
Founded in 1733 as Georgia's first city, Savannah retains much of its original layout, including its 22 famous public squares, or trustee lots, many of which contain a historical landmark or two. The outline of Savannah's remarkably well-preserved historic district conforms to the city's boundaries before the Civil War. With one option included in this deal, you can hop on an old-fashioned trolley tour of the beautiful buildings in town.
In addition to its multitude of antebellum homes and Regency-style mansions, the district has been declared the most haunted area in America by the American Institute hotels manchester of Parapsychology. Guided ghost tours take you through the city's spookiest spots, such as the allegedly haunted Colonial Park Cemetery .
A few blocks from Dresser Palmer are the green landscapes, wide boulevards, and ornate fountain of 30-acre Forsyth Park, the city's oldest park. After a visit to the Parisian-inspired park, you

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