Brief History of Cozumel

Seeking a fertility blessing, many women traveled here, as they considered the island the home of the Moon Goddess Ix Chel.

The first Spaniards arriving in 1518 and one year later, Herman Cortes and his crew laid claim to the location, decimating many of the buildings and sacred temples. At the time, approximately 40,000 Mayans made the island home. The Spaniards also brought smallpox and by the late 1500s, only a few dozen Mayans remained. The island repopulated in the 1840s, as many refugees arrived from the Yucatan Peninsula during a caste war. The island also became a favorite pirate hangout.

Cozumel Weather

Cozumel offers spectacular villa rentals and luxury villa vacation rentals thought out the year making it a perfect luxury travel destination. The daytime temperatures stay around 80 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. The days are long and sunny with sunsets occurring anytime between 8:00 and 9:00 PM. The nights during spring and winter often cool to a comfortable 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainstorms come and go throughout the year, but the majority of tropical storms arrive in the fall. The island also experiences occasional hurricanes. In 2005, Cozumel suffered a hurricane in July and another in December.

Cozumel Activities

Most of the luxury villas are easily accessible by either walking or biking.  The island does offer bike and car rental services. If contemplating renting a car, many suggest doing so outside of the airport where rates are considerably cheaper. Cozumel features dozens of restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world, though Mexican dishes are very common. The island also boasts the freshest seafood dishes and quite a variety of tropical fruits.

This luxury travel destination features numerous entertaining activities and sites of interest. Witness the remains of the ancient Mayan culture when visiting San Gervasio, located in the lush jungles of the island. Pass under an ancient stone arch and follow the centuries old road to the site, which many believe served as the ceremonial location where Mayans worshiped the Moon Goddess.

Venture to Chankanaab Park where dolphins, manatees and seals frolic in the lagoon waters. Enjoy the white sandy beaches, swim or snorkel in the crystal clear waters. The underwater world of rainbow colored coral and fish make Cozumel a popular scuba diving location. Deep-sea fishing is another popular pastime and anglers catch everything from grouper and marlin to mahi mahi.

Tourism is a major portion of Cozumel’s economy. Life & Style, a luxury travel company, offers travelers spectacular villa rentals and luxury vacation rentals.

Visit Turks And Caicos

Offering gorgeous weather all year, it rarely dips below the mid-70s in the winter and spring months, and it is often at least in the mid-80s the rest of the year. The only time to be wary of visiting the islands is during hurricane season. While hurricanes rarely strike land in the Caribbean, it is always a possibility.

Culinary Delights

This Caribbean island has excellent cuisine options and delicious fresh foods to choose from. Being an island nation, seafood is a majorly important and popular option. Cultural dishes include lobster, fish and even and island favorite – conch. Hominy, the unofficial dish of the nation, is made with chicken, vegetables, peas and grits. Luxury restaurants dot the islands as well, and you are likely to find dozens of tasty options to satisfy whatever craving you have. Don’t forget to venture by markets for fresh tropical fruits.

One of the most popular drinks in the Caribbean is rum. You cannot visit Turks and Caicos without trying some local rum-based drinks.

Luxury Travel Amenities

Turks and Caicos is made up of 40 different islands and cays, but only eight of them are used by people and explored. The other islands are mostly nature reserves and empty white-sand beaches. Each island has its own unique and diverse atmosphere, and the people are different on each island. Providenciales is the main attraction, and most tourists end up visiting this spot.

The Capital Island is known as Grand Turk, where you can experience the historical side of the country. The middle islands and north islands have the best beaches, as well as caves to explore and wildlife. These areas are quiet and very private offering a variety of luxury rental villas. Parrot Cay and Pine Cay are privately owned and the only way to get here is to stay at the exclusive luxury resorts that are situated here.

There are numerous beaches to explore, and all of them offer picturesque landscapes and exquisite underwater activities. Turks and Caicos is the premiere Caribbean luxury travel destination.

Feel free to contact Life & Style with any questions regarding your luxury travel requirements.

Tourism is a major portion of St. Lucia’s economy. Life & Style, a luxury travel company, offers travelers spectacular villa rentals and luxury vacation rentals.

The East Caribbean Dollar is the currency of the island. Many of the island’s inhabitants speak French, calling the island Sainte-Lucie. Many visitors travel to St. Lucia because of its tropical weather and the best time to visit is during the dry season, from January through April.

St. Lucia is known for its culinary treasures, both casual and formal. The island’s restaurants incorporate fresh seafood and produce to create unique Creole dishes. The dishes are heavily influenced by others from around the world, including American, Mexican, Asian and Indian cuisines. Tourists can can enjoy eating a casual lunch on the beach or fine dining indoors offering breathtaking views.

A couple enjoying a romantic getaway or honeymoon in St. Lucia will find no shortage of activities and accommodations. Many couples choose to stay in gorgeous luxury villa rentals or luxury vacation rentals that the island offers. They are upscale and often all-inclusive. Couples will also enjoy some of the island’s entertainment, including dancing and listening to music. Many couples go on cruises or visit the natural waterfalls.

Those with an adventurous side will enjoy rainforest hikes, visiting a volcano and other outdoor activities include visiting the Pigeon Island National Park or the stretches of the beaches. Visitors that would like to be even more adventurous can enjoy going sailing or zip lining through the rainforest. Families may visit the water parks and most of the restaurants are child-friendly.

Athletic tourists can enjoy the opportunities to golf, bike, jog and water ski. There are many opportunities for beginners and advanced divers to take a tour off the coast of St. Lucia. The entertainment is fit for people of all ages, often involving steel bands and singing. The island offers something for everybody, whether it is relaxation or adventure. St. Lucia is the place to go to awaken each of the five senses, from the unique cuisine of the island to the scents and sights of the rain forest.

Search St. Lucia’s luxury vacation villa rentals locations and properties. Feel free to contact Life & Style with any questions regarding your luxury travel requirements.

Privacy is one of the biggest benefits of chartering a private luxury yacht. Crew members are the only others on-board, so passengers are able to relax and have a fabulous time without having to endure the prying of nosy strangers. Life & Style, a luxury travel company, will help you plan your romantic getaway, corporate business retreat and family reunion, as those are all among the top reasons that people charter a private yacht.

Activities on-board a private yacht are decided upon by those paying for the use of the ship and not by vacation planners and cruise directors. Private yachts are also smaller than cruise ships and are able to get into interesting places where cruise ships cannot go. Nature lovers will appreciate this aspect because it will allow them to get closer to wildlife and to beautiful indigenous flora. Individual dietary needs and preferences can be accommodated by the staff of a private yacht with greater ease and willingness than what the traveler will find on a package vacation. Departure times and return dates are also entirely up to the passengers, making this form of travel highly convenient for those with busy lives.

Independent luxury travel is a growing trend all over the world, and the popularity of private yacht rentals reflects this. People often return from vacations feeling more worn out than when they first departed on their adventure, but this doesn’t happen after a vacation on a chartered yacht. Rejuvenating and refreshing, independent travel on a private yacht is one of the most memorable experiences that a person can have.

Although expense may be a factor when considering the benefits of chartering a private yacht, quality leisure time isn’t just a frivolous expenditure. It’s important for everyone to have a good degree of recreation in order to maintain optimal levels of good health and happiness. Chartering a private yacht is an excellent way to fulfill that need.

The history of St. Martin is interesting as it was originally settled by South American Indians around 900 AD, the island was later claimed by Spain, and finally divided between the French and the Dutch in 1648.

The French side of the island is known as Saint Martin and uses the Euro as its official currency. While French is the official language, English is widely spoken. The Dutch side of the island is known as Sint Maartin and uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder as its official currency. However, since the Netherlands or “Dutch” Antilles was dissolved in 2010, the currency will be changing to the Caribbean guilder before 2013. In Sint Maartin English and Dutch are both official languages. However, you’ll notice English is spoken more widely than Dutch.

Tourism is a huge economic engine for both sides of the island as visitors can expect to find high quality luxury hotels, restaurants and holiday experiences. Vacationers visiting Saint Martin or Sint Martaan will find that they are privy to some of the highest quality luxury travel experiences combining the sophistication of the old European capitals with the languid and laid-back island culture that draws so many annually to the Caribbean. Living up to its French influence, Saint Martin is known around the world as the culinary capital of the Caribbean. With daily flights from France and several locations in the United States, Saint Martin has become a destination of sorts for foodies and shoppers looking for luxury and designer goods around the world.

With an impeccable safety record, and so many high quality restaurants, shops and fresh markets, many visitors opt to seek out accommodations such as luxury villa rentals and luxury vacation home rentals rather than the all inclusive resorts that are popular in other parts of the Caribbean.

Villas are usually located beach side and many St. Martin luxury villas rentals come with their own pools for those who would rather not swim in the ocean. Some villas offer a secluded getaway while others are within walking distance to some of the worlds most cosmopolitan island nightlife and dining.

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Learn more about St. Martin and what the island has to offer such as regions, beaches, travel options, food, attractions and entertainment.

For every reservation made through Life & Style to Japan, we will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Japan Tourism Agency (JTP) so that they can use that money to market Japan to the world, which helps Japan’s economy.

Check out our Japan properties here and book today!

FREE ROUNDTRIP AIR:  Japan Tourism Agency is proposing a plan to offer 10,000 free roundtrip tickets to the country in an effort to attract more tourism after this years devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Life & Style will be returning to Japan in 2012.  Why not join us?

UPDATE:  The budget for Japan Tourism Agency’s proposal was not approved for 2012, however they will revisit this at a later date.

When I planned my winter vacation five years back, there was the usual debate with friends deciding where we should go. Finally everybody voted on Puerto Rico, so I began the process of robotically scanning over many websites looking for a luxury villa that would suit our group.  Even though we were looking for a villa, after many hours of surfing the net, I just couldn’t seem to find a website that could offer us the kind of villa that we had in mind.  Frustration began to set in with the lack of choices I found so, I decided to forget the whole villa idea and reserve a hotel, confirming three rooms in a pretty chic place.

Oh how wonderful Italy can be during the winter months (especially when the sun is shining). It’s known to be very peaceful some say while others tell you not to travel to Italy during the winter months because everything is dead, so I’m here to say that it just isn’t true! Just this weekend, I decided to take a drive down to Pompeii for the day with my mom. I wanted to take some photos and to see for myself and to see just how “dead” Napoli would be in December.