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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday September 2, 2006 - 21 New tourist destinations abound in Central America BEAVER TRAILS TO HUNGARY: Joan Rouleau, Rose Jay and Gerry MacDonald read The Oakville Beaver in Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary while on a Mainly Mozart Tour. Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. N olitours is a Canadian Wholesaler, with a very special place in my heart. They have the courage to take us to new destinations, not an easy task. So, I'm excited when I flip open their Sun Brochure this time of year, to see what's next. They also focus on Central and South America, favourite destinations for me. This year El Salvador is the new country, approximately a five-hour flight. Nolitours is using the fourstar Royal Decameron Salinitas, brand new and getting consistently good reviews from Canadians. It is a small resort at 390 rooms, has six pools (one saltwater), and yes a whirlpool. There are three restaurants, a beach front snack bar, and of course a buffet restaurant. Ancient legacies, ceremonial centres, museums and beautiful architecture are waiting for your camera in El Salvador. The scenery with a backdrop of 20 volcanoes means you'll be taking lots of pictures, so be prepared. Now on to Panama, where Nolitours was the first Canadian wholesaler to offer the country as a destination. Accommodations include the wildly popular Royal Decameron Beach Resort Golf, Spa and Casino, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Radisson Decapolis Panama City. The shopping in Panama is fabulous, second best duty free shopping in the world no less. Costa Rica is always a favourite, and you'll have nine choices with Nolitours. One of my favourite editors came back from the four-star Barceló Playa Tambor raving about her week there. It is a particularly great property for eco-tourists, and I have fond memories of walking the hard packed six-kilometre beach to the nearest village for a cerveza. I visited Roatan, off the coast of Central America last spring to check it out for you, and I honestly can't think of a better beach anywhere. In fact, all but six rooms are just steps from the calm sea, and have a sea view. Some of the world's best diving is found just minutes from the three-star Fantasy Island Beach Resort. It is small and intimate and reminds me very much of the old days before mega resorts. Nearby San Andres Island, also off the coast has great diving. Nolitours offers five Decameron Resorts, which you'll have access to, when you stay at one. Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela, in South America is a good dollar for value spot to visit with 12 resorts to choose from. The Lagunamar Resort and Casino has rooms big enough for a family of five or more. It also has one of the nicest kids' swim and play areas I've ever seen, with lots of shade and chairs for Mom and Dad. Key Largo in Cuba is another new destination perfect for sun worshippers and water sport enthusiasts. You'll choose from three resorts. Samana in the Dominican Republic is an attractive new addition, particularly with the new airport cutting the transfer time to an hour, from three hours. It's hard to choose the right destination and resort to suit your needs, but this brochure helps, and I'm impressed. If you want to be a beach bum, with great beaches they suggest Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo Santa Lucia, and Varadero in Cuba, the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I would add Roatan Island. For nightlife choose Acapulco, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, San Andres Island, and Varadero in Cuba. Nolitours recommends Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama for eco-touring, with the best of both worlds in the ocean front resorts they offer. Of course they also offer the usual popular favourites as well. Cancun now has a great beach again. I watched the sand boat deposit millions of tons of sand from a nearby sand bar last February. All of the resorts have had an update, or been totally rebuilt, and so have your favourite nightclubs, shopping malls and restaurants. Many of the resorts have also added spas to their properties. Most tour operators have offered deals to get you to book early, and Nolitours has come up with an interesting one this year. To encourage you to book early (before Oct. 15) for travel Nov. 1 to April 30, they are offering a free Snorkel Sportkit. The mask-tempered safety glass, double-edge leak-free seal has adjustable buckles, and a hypo-allergenic 100 per cent silicone strap. The Snorkel has a 100 per cent silicone mouthpiece, long bore tube, purge valve for easy clearing and gurgle free performance. The package includes a carry bag and a 35mm reusable camera waterproof to 8m, pre-loaded with 27 exposures. Each of you will get a coupon when you've made your final payment that can be redeemed through over 100 authorized retail dive shops across Canada. Nice idea and worth $150. Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. WORLD'S TOP RATED EXPEDITION SHIP: EXPLORER II Great news!! There is still space on two 11- night Antarctica sailings on the Explorer II on January 21, 2007 and February 01, 2007 departures. It's the best time of year to go. These two expeditions operate at the height of the austral summer, when the seas are the smoothest and the sun glows up to 24 hours a day. The temperatures are at their warmest, varying between lows of 30 to 40 degrees F and highs of 45 to 55 degrees F. It is a time of rebirth when seals, whales, penguins and other birds migrate here to breed and feed on the virtually unlimited supply of krill, crustaceans and fish. EXCERPTS FROM A PASSENGER'S DIARY . . . "Our cruise departed from Ushuaia, Argentina. We spent the following day at sea as we headed for Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands. We arrived there on the morning of day 3 and spent the entire day enjoying the charm of this quaint British outpost. Days 4 and 5 were spent crossing the Drake Passage on our way to the Antarctic Peninsula. Day 5 provided our first sightings of whales and huge icebergs. On day 6, we made our first Antarctic landing where we were greeted by thousands of curious penguins - all of this against a backdrop of rugged mountains, icy seas and glaciers. We had an outdoor lunch of lobster tails, chicken and burgers grilled on the rear deck of the Explorer II as we cruised the fjords between Yankee Harbor and Paradise Bay. We even visited a British Antarctic Survey station at Port Lockroy where we had our passports stamped at the most southern Royal Mail post office on the planet. The unspoiled beauty of Antarctica cannot be fully described with words or pictures. You have to be there to drink it all in. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!" For more information and pricing - give us a call! If you have information to share from a recent trip - we'd love to hear it - trish@mctavish.com Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS Your guide to local travel experts and the best deals to your perfect getaway! Voted Best Travel Agency Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Glen Abbey Travel Inc. 2441 Lakeshore W. Bronte Village Mall Oakville, ON 1 Convenient Location in Oakville: Relax... you're with us (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-827-7272 www.uniglobeglenabbey.com 146 Lakeshore Rd. E. 905-842-4999 lakeshore@travelchoice.ca 221 Lakeshore Road E. wwwhookedoncruising.com 905-337-2228