Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Five Star Trip to Cozumel

If you've been reading our Monday Morning Message you already heard about our successful trip to Cozumel, Mexico a few weeks ago. We escorted 30 of our friends and family to the Iberostar Cozumel for a week in paradise. As a follow up to our brief Monday Morning report on the trip I just wanted to add some detail about the Iberostar and the island of Cozumel itself.
Iberostar is one of those resort chains you can always count on. The service levels are always first rate and the food is always of a high quality for an all-inclusive resort. Families really love Iberostar due to their Star Friends programs. The Star Friends are activity directors who always keep the kids (and the adults) entertained. Every night the Star Friends put on a show for both the children and the adults.
Vacationers to Iberostar can also count on magnificent resort grounds, always well-kept. And the Iberostar Cozumel was no exception. The grounds were immaculate. The beach was also well kept. While the sand on the beach is white, vacationers should note that the entrance to the water is rocky, so water shoes are a must. However, the advantage of the rocky, tranquil waters is the quality of snorkeling right off the beach. Many in our group took advantage of this activity, seeing several different types of fish, and even some barracuda.
The rooms at Iberostar are quaint. They are all set in bungalow units spread throughout the resort. Each room features either a balcony or patio with their very own hammock (another popular feature for the kids). Several bars, including a swim-up pool bar, beach bar and lobby bar were always accessible. There were also three specialty restaurants that offered guests a-la-carte dining. Most in our group raved about the Mexican restaurant El Sarape. But, quite honestly, the buffet restaurant was great and offered variety to please every palate.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the island of Cozumel and all it had to offer. Many of us toured the island by jeep and had a chance to experience the east side of the island. Unlike the developed west coast, this side is mostly untamed with expansive white sand beaches and a rugged coastline. Only a few rustic restaurants line this coast, along with one small hotel. Visitors to Cozumel need to include at least a half day excursion to this side of the island.
Beyond a visit to the east coast, many in the group enjoyed horseback riding in the jungle, parasailing and scuba diving. Cozumel is a virtual divers' paradise, with the second largest reef system in the world lying just off its coast.
One of the highlights of the week was a catamaran sunset snorkeling excursion with Fury Catamarans. If anyone is visiting Cozumel we highly recommend Fury. The crew was friendly and always willing to please. After our two snorkeling dives, the crew opened up the bar and turned up the music for a dance-filled cruise on the open seas.
I'd love to hear from others who joined us on this trip for their impressions. We had so much fun this year we are already gearing up for next summer's trip. We hope to have details sometime in the early fall.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Welcome to My Blog

I guess everyone needs a blog these days. So, here I am on the bandwagon. I hope this space provides our clients and prospective clients with a forum to discuss upcoming vacations, report on their past vacation experiences and ask general questions about travel. I will try to post information every once in a while that is informative (and hopefully entertaining) and also try my best to answer all of your travel related questions. In an upcoming post I will give you my trip report from Cozumel where we hosted a group of 30 at the Iberostar Cozumel.
In the meantime, I hope to hear from you on this blog

Carl