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Discover Maui: One Of The Most Amazing Islands On The Pacific

by Royal Holiday July 11, 2016

written by Royal Holiday

This island is the second largest in the Hawaiian archipelago. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Maui has a population of 117,644 inhabitants. It is known for its beautiful and diverse beaches and a crater that surfaces from the ocean and is home to a large variety of marine life. Maui has all the features that make it an amazing destination, its beautiful landscapes can be observed while traveling one of the most iconic roads in the world. The turns, tunnels and waterfalls that embellish the Hana Highway and surround the island, are something to behold.

Lahaina is the capital of Maui, formerly the capital of the entire archipelago and until 1845 it was the most famous whaling port in the Pacific. Now, the port can be visited and the historic district is filled with renovated buildings, museums and more.

The island of Maui is also a perfect place to practice aquatic sports like surfing, windsurfing, scuba diving and snorkeling. On top of that, golf is a big deal as well and the many cultural outings and terrific restaurants make Maui the perfect place to relax and vacation.

Multi-colored beaches.

Maui’s beaches are quite diverse when it comes to marine vegetation, sea life and colorful sands in white, green and black. Waianapanapa State Park is home to one of the black sand beaches while Kapalua beach has golden sand and Kaihalulu displays sands of a reddish variety. This phenomenon occurs due to volcanic eruptions that mix small lava particles with sand and because of the rapid cooling of the lava by the ocean water, while green sand occurs because of volcanic crystals and minerals that are separated by erosion. The colorful beaches are a marvel seldom seen anywhere else in the world. The strategic location of the volcanic activity of Hawaii is responsible for these wonderful sights.

Places to visit in Maui

Haleakala

This is one of Hawaii’s most beautiful natural parks. It extends all the way from the south coast to the east and it sits at 3,055 meters above sea level. The park is a huge volcano covered in lush vegetation that provides visitors with the most amazing sights. The tip of Haleakala Crater is the tallest spot in all of Maui, sitting at 10,023 feet above sea level. Visiting the top is one of the most amazing experiences you can live in Maui, getting the chance to witness all the botanical diversity and the post-card quality landscapes of all colors and sunsets to die for. Excursions and walking trails in Haleakala are activities mainly geared towards tourist. You can find all information about routes, prices and tours, available in one of the three visitor centers located at the entrance to the park. The national park has an area of over 30,000 acres full of diverse sights like tall green forests, waterfalls and desert among others.

Image courtesy of dronepicr at Flickr.com

Kaanapali Beach

Is this beach, you may engage in all kinds of aquatic sports like snorkeling, submarine rides, scuba and others. The main appeal of this beach is the chance to actually see humpback whales passing by. This place is quite important due to being so large and different from the rest of Maui’s beaches. The beautiful white sand and the crystal clear water make this beach one of the most beautiful places to see in all of Hawaii.

Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery

A modern and innovative idea was born at this farm when a family had the idea of combining organic sugar cane with mineral-rich seawater in order to create vodka. The place is located on the western hills close to the Haleakala volcano. The place is perfect for lovers of fine spirits and those interested in tasting this exotic type of vodka. Here you will find a dedicated guide that will give you all the information about the distillery and how their extraction processes have evolved over the years: and of course, a chance to try their famous drink.

Lahaina City.

Lahania is the most important city in the island and used to be one of the most important harbors in the whole archipelago back when it was Hawaii’s capital. The town has a population of 10,000 inhabitants and thanks to the tourism and agriculture; Lahaina has thrived and became a popular destination for travelers.

One of the main attractions people can find here, is a historic trail that goes through the whole city. The path is full of information posted on helpful signs that talk about the history of Lahaina from its beginning in the kingdom of Hawaii and before the land was even known for its harbor.

For more information about beautiful islands, visit our Royal Holiday Cruises blog.

July 11, 2016 0 comments

Destination Tips Royal Caribbean Royal Holiday

The 4 best diving destinations in the Caribbean

by Royal Holiday January 4, 2016

written by Royal Holiday

Scuba diving is one of the best activities a person could ever experience and scuba divers know it. It´s not just one of those things you do once and never do it again. It’s something that can easily become a passion. Scuba diving means being able to explore a new world that normally humans have very limited access to: The Ocean. Swimming and being at the beach will never ever be the same for you after you have tried Scuba Diving. You will not only start to enjoy the ocean, the water and the sand better, but something else will magically happen. And this is a fact. Scuba diving will automatically teach you to respect the ocean, and all the living creatures that live inside of it. You will immediately look at a shark a different way that you used to before. You will start thinking every single living thing that you find while you scuba dive deserves to be there because the environment where you found it, needs it and has allowed it to be born there for a reason. You will understand the cycle of life underwater and you will even start loving the enormous creatures you were afraid of before. You will also understand humans are not even tasty for them and if you ever have the joy and luck to experience scuba diving with dozens of hammerhead sharks around you, you will know that happiness and excitement have their own ways to appear. There are different kinds of environments for scuba diving and temperature is definitely one of those factors that can make you choose a diving destination from another. Normally, cold waters will show you different and bigger ocean inhabitants than warmer waters, but warm waters will always have the colorful panorama only small sized schools of fish can offer when they are just passing by, while you relax and feel like you are flying, only underwater. Therefore, when it comes to choosing a warm, comfortable, relaxing and colorful ocean to scuba dive, the Caribbean is the place to go. The Caribbean of course has many places to scuba dive. Here are the top 4 places to find the most beautiful scuba diving experiences in the Caribbean:

Bahamas

The possibilities that can be found in the Bahamas are diving marvels of all types. You will find shipwrecks, blue holes, shallow reefs, amazing coral walls, and for the more adventurous, there are plenty of shark dives. You can choose between land-based operators, or live-aboard dive boats.

The water temperature in the summer normally goes around the high 80s, while in the winter it may drop to 70. Visibility usually great, with an average of 80 to 100 feet.

Cozumel

Cozumel is one of the diving destinations divers have to visit, at least once in a lifetime. It offers currents, perfect water temperatures, walls, a Spanish galleon, caves with sleeping sharks and other big animals such as green turtles, nurse sharks, eagle rays and green moray eels. It is a real pleasure for your eyes. Cozumel is a year-round dive destination, so it doesn’t matter when you want to go, there will always be great dive experiences waiting there for you.

Water temperature flows between 75 and 85, depending on the season.

Image courtesy of Serge Melki at Flickr.com

Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are known for the beautiful walls that is offers. Caverns with multiple hogfish, huge lobsters, enormous yellow tube sponges and also shipwrecks will amaze you all along. A special place called Sunset Reef (55 feet) holds the well-known Bronze Beauty. It is also called the Mermaid of Grand Cayman. A statue made by a Canadian artist, who after a contest, named her Amphitrite, Queen of Seas, who in mythology was the wife of Poseidon, Lord of the Oceans. It was placed there is October, 2000 and it is a wonderful site to visit.

Water temperature in Cayman Islands normally goes around 78.

Image courtesy of Mark F at Flickr.com

Bonaire

Famous not only for the diving beauties it offers, Bonaire also has a great reputations when it comes to ocean conservation standards. It is one the few places on earth that truly protects and respects its underwater treasures not only for the tourist attractions and economic benefits they can get from the ocean, but also for the fact that the Island’s government really cares about taking care of these valuable natural assets. Bonaire is a diver’s paradise and it is tailor-made for divers. It offers more than 400 fish species and it is almost guaranteed you will be able to see seahorses, coral and hermit crabs. The famous Hilma Hooker shipwreck is one of the famous dive attractions of the island, and is one that you don’t want to miss. Bonaire is a place that you will surely want to visit more than once.

Water temperatures are almost always in the low 80s and visibility will normally be 100 ft.

January 4, 2016 0 comments

Destination Tips

Top 5 Islands to Participate in Aquatic Sports

by Royal Holiday September 18, 2015

written by Royal Holiday

Adventure awaits in the Caribbean for those who desire to go on early Fall vacation before the snowy winter weather arrives. Now is the perfect time for you to get out to one of the many resort islands and enjoy a range of different aquatic activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, tubing, and sailing. So pack up your bags and get ready to redeem your Royal Holiday vacation club membership credits at these top 5 Caribbean islands that offer aquatic sports so you can feel the surf surrounding your feet and the salty breezes tousling your hair.

Punta Cana

Located in the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana offers scenic ocean views of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The sparkling sandy beaches and endless clear waters will have you placing on the swimsuit and rushing out of the hotel before you have even checked in.

If you are in the mood to find out what types of aquatic life lurks underneath the warm waters, there are over 10 dive sites in Punta Cana for snorkeling and diving, including Cabeza de Toro Beach. You can look at the coral reefs, kiss a dolphin, or swim along nurse sharks and sting rays at the Marinarium. From July to September, fishermen take to boats to catch blue marlin. There are several tournaments hosted by the local Yacht Club as you can put your fishing skills to the test.

Turks and Caico

When you have seen and done everything that the Bahamas has to offer, pack your bags and travel southeast to a small archipelago just waiting for you to explore the turquoise waters. Turks and Caico island has 230 miles worth of beaches as you can go swimming along Long Bay or Pillory beach, scuba-diving at Provo’s barrier reef, or snorkeling at Salt Cay. If you travel to the back country of Turks and Caico, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy paddleboarding whether you are a beginner or a pro.

Oranjestad

Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba, which guarantees that you will find all the aquatic sporting adventures that you could possibly want on your vacation. During the day, people flock to the beaches to enjoy the cool waters yet it is the high winds that call to sports enthusiasts who want to take part in water activities. Wind surfing, scuba diving, kite surfing, paddleboarding and swimming are available for beginners and pros at places like Hadicurari Beach, while the young kids can go swimming in the waters at Baby Beach. Oranjestad is also the perfect place to learn about “snuba,” which is a combination of scuba diving and snorkeling.

Bonaire

If diving and snorkeling are your two main aquatic sports, then head out to the island of Bonaire in the Southern Caribbean by the coast of Venezuela. This beautiful reef-lined island with its mangrove forests is a true treasure of the Caribbean due to its conservation and preservation efforts of the ecosystem. When seeking a water sport adventure, your first stop should be Lac Bay. Go kayaking through the mangrove forest until it opens up enough for you to dive from the kayak and take part in a snorkeling excursion. While beneath the water, you will see upside-down jellyfish and babay manta rays. For people who want more active sports, then windsurfing at Sorobon is perfect for you.

Guanica, Puerto Rico

Image Source: Ricymar Photography / License

When going on an island adventure, some people don’t want to stray too far from the United States, especially if this will be their first vacation away from the mainland. Guanica, Puerto Rico offers the best of both worlds were you can be on an island that is still considered part of the US. Guanica is a quieter resort location versus more crowded, tourist attractions such as San Juan as this town is located toward the southwest section of the island. Here, you can find a relaxing vacation with the right amount of sand, surf and sports activities. Gilligan’s Island, named after the popular 60s sitcom, has clear waters that are perfect for kayaking and snorkeling. Swimming is allowed at the public beach of Balneario Cana Gorda with calm waters that are perfect for family vacations.

There are so many islands that feature water sports that there is really no way to name them all here. The type of island vacation to go on will be based on your personal budget, the amenities that you are looking for, and the time of year — since the waters and winds can get rough in certain places, and the crowds can make it difficult to book the perfect resort package. To save a few dollars while still having the best possible vacation for yourself, your significant other or for the entire family, look for deals at popular resorts and hotels through Royal Holidays. You can earn credits that can be put toward the hotel stay so you can have a longer vacation and enjoy every type of aquatic sport that you love.

September 18, 2015 0 comments