Cheap Vacation Packages to Toronto, Calgary, Cancun, Florida, Las Vegas and More

TravelJackpot Blog

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana

The Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana is one of the luxury adult only resort in the Punta Cana area on the west shores of Dominican Republic. It’s located in the Cap Cana area which is a Muli-million project complex that contains a Marina, Condominiums, Golf Club and Resorts.

The Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana resort is just fabulous with beautiful gardens, beach, villas, Love Bar, 4 a la cart restaurants, a brand new Spa and well equipped gym. This is my second visit to Secrets resort, my first stay at Secrets resort was at the Secrets Capri in Riviera Maya Mexico. In order to make it easier and less boring, I am going to categorize the review. Lets first start by the Resort itself:

Rooms:

The resort has variety of room types with different exposures. The Ocean View Junior suite is the less costly out of all the other rooms. This type of room is very spacious with a small cedar walk in closet, a spacious balcony overlooking turquoise waters that you will wake up to every morning, a king size bed and twice a day maid service. The Ocean View Junior suite is located in the main area of the hotel and I strongly recommend staying in one of these suites. If you happen to be celebrating anniversary, honeymoon and if you want to spend a little more money, there are other room options available to you. Castel Junior suite is located in the fortress section and you can actually walk out to the Salt pool. Keep in mind that all the rooms are ocean view in Secrets Cap Cana. Another option is the Monarch Villa which is near the beach so you will be walking out to the beach. These types of suites are somewhat pricey, however, a Hollywood star (including previous guests: Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Ludacris and the list goes on) or Dominican Stars can be your next door neighbor.

My recommendations before choosing any SECRETS resort is to get the “Preferred Membership card” which will give you Lots of advantageous (Ex: Wine Vouchers, Massage and Spa coupons), Free room upgrade before you reserve the Hotel. You can sign up for free and get your membership number and present it at the front desk at check in.

Entertainment and Daily Activities:

As for the nightly entertainment, we enjoyed incredible fire shows, acrobatic show, Drink mixing competitions and also the usual music and dancing. The love bar (Piano bar) turns into a mini disco at night, where you can sing to your favorite song in Karaoke or just grab the Mojitos, or a glass of Campaigns and start dancing.

During the day, there are plenty of activities that you can do. For example, you can start your day with aquatic Zumba exercise with a professional Zumba instructor from the US, or you can relax on the beach on one of the cushioned sun beds and enjoy premium drinks on the beach. At any time if you feel hungry during lunch, there are BBQ Chicken fillet or Angus Burger, the CasaBella Restaurant (Buffet Style), or the Blue Marlin (Sea food Restaurant), are available.

So, who typically goes to Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana:

Couples

Honeymooners

Romantic Getaway

Adult Family getaway

What to do when at Cap Cana:

From the airport: Take the taxi as opposed to the Hotel arranged Transportation

Sign up for Preferred Group membership (You do not collect points, however, you will be eligible for upgrades if available)

Visit the Cap Cana Marina

Golf Course

Juanillo beach

List of Restaurants at the Resort:

Casa Bella: International cuisine and resorts buffet for Lunch, Breakfast

Blue Marlin: Seafood restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Lunch and Dinner

Wok: Asian restaurant with Teppanyaki, Sushi and Asian Food (Near the Spa)

The Steakhouse: Top quality Steak house (Near the main entrance)

Capriccio: Italian Restaurant near the Love Bar

Other Amenities:

Spa: A Brand New Spa has just been completed in Jan 2011

Gym: A well equipped gym with: Treadmills, workout machines, weights, and Elliptical machine

Room Service: One of the best and diverse food selections with high quality

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana Images:

*Casino*	*Show at Night*	*Garden*
*Convention Centre Bathroom*	*Juanillo Beach*	*Juanillo Beach*
*Juanillo Beach Fun Van*	*Ocean and Ininity Pool*	*View From Junior Room*
*View From Junior Room*	*Fortress Area at night*	*Stage Prep for New Years Eve*

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana Videos:

I want to surprise my Boyfriend or Girlfriend with a Romantic Vacation. Where should we go and which hotels should we stay at? How do I plan my surprise trip?

Often times you come to a point in your relationship that want do something nice for your significant other and this could come in the form of a surprise romantic getaway to a tropical hotspot. Perhaps its his/her Birthday, your anniversary or you just want to finally propose to her; This is just a great idea.

So the question is: what should I do to make this a very exciting vacation surprise and where are the romantic destinations to consider and which hotels to stay at? The answers to these questions depend on what your significant other is into and what kind of surprise s/he enjoys the most and how much money do you want to spend on this surprise.

In order to achieve a nice surprise and a romantic stay in the tropics, I would definitely recommend couples, honeymoon resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia or if your budget is higher, Bali or Tahiti can be your other options. All inclusive hotels are the best choice as you don’t need to worry about getting a restaurant bill every time you order a drink. For more information on whether to stay at All-Inclusive or non-inclusive hotels please see my other article: “All-Inclusive Vacation: Is it the Right Choice for You?”

So how should I start my surprise? Well I think planning this task is very important but here are some suggestions to help you with your trip plan J.

Before you go on your Surprise Vacation:

Make sure that your significant other is free for that particular week before you book your vacation
If you are going to celebrate a Birthday, Anniversary or if you are planning to propose, make sure to call your Travel Agency or the Hotel in advance and ask them to make the special arrangements. (Most hotels offer anniversary, Honeymoon packages;)
Be proactive to ask the Hotel to prepare the room in a way that your partner would fall in love with it.
- Suggestions: Bouquet of roses, chocolate, bottle of Red Wine or Champaign and candles or even a live band singing Happy Birth day when you arrive; Also don’t forget to arrange for Rose petals all over the bed and the Tub with candle lights leading the way to the tub. Wow isn’t s/he going to love your surprise vacation idea.
Don’t wait until the last day to break the news to her/him, you need to make sure s/he has ample time to absorb the situation and enough time get ready for the surprise trip.
Go over your trip checklist for your destination and make sure you take all the things you need. For more info about what to take on the trip read this article: “Going on a trip? What should I take with me? Travel and Vacation Checklist”.

While at your Romantic Vacation Hotel:

Be proactive to plan your dinner, and make reservations at the restaurant just before sunset and pick a table where you can see the sun and the ocean. Arrange for a band to play your favourite romantic music for you at your table while you enjoy your food (don’t forget to tip these guys J).
Be picky about your private romantic table for two to watch the sunset as you are enjoying your Wine and appetizer. If you can’t see the ocean/sun from the restaurant, then arrange for your table to be setup right on the beach with candle lights and a private waiter.
After the dinner fill up the Wine or Champaign glasses and walk to the beach and take off your shoes and just dance under the stars.
Arrange for a massage in the Hotel Spa and make sure that you both get the massages at the same time and in the same room. Most hotels have a separate Spa room, but try to have your massages on the beach in an area where it’s relatively quiet.

Suggested Hotels:

Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Grand Velas - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Sandals Grande St. Lucian – St. Lucia

Sandals Royal Bahamian – The Bahamas

Sandals Grande Antigua – Antigua

Paradisus Palma Real – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

If you have any questions, let me know and I will be more than happy to help out.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Going on a Trip? What should I take with me? Travel and Vacation Checklist

It is sometimes a challenging task for travelers to organize and pack their suitcase and there is always a question in mind, if anything was forgotten or did I leave anything behind?

The best advice is to pack according to the purpose of your Travel since the stuff you need when you travel for work is different from when you go on vacation. Also, your destination should also be taken into considerations.

I hope the list below can help you out with Trip planning your Tropical Vacation:

If you are going on a Vacation to a Hot and Tropical place (Florida, Mexico, Caribbean and South America) don’t forget the following items:

Swim suite
Sunglasses
Slippers
Shorts
Tank tops
The usual everyday Clothing: Underwear, Socks
Contact Lenses and Solution
Shaving Cream and Razor
Gel, Hair Spray, Hair paste
Makeup
Dress pants and Dress shirts (if you are going on a Honeymoon and that your hotel has a dress code)
Jeans at least two pairs
Party Clothes
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Gifts for the locals (if you want to leave gifts instead of tips or do something nice for the locals)
Hand and Face Cream
Your own Shampoo if your hotel doesn’t provide it
Hair dryer
Perfume and Colognes
Sanitizer Gel
Snorkeling Gears (if you have)
Money and Credit Cards
Your Passport, Hotel Vouchers, Coupons
Condoms and lubes
Pajamas
Vitamins and Omega 3 pills
Aspirin and Tylenol
Tampons/Pads

If you have any questions, let me know and I will be more than happy to help out.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

All-Inclusive Vacation: is it the right choice for you?

Why Should I go to an All-Inclusive resort as opposed to a Non All-Inclusive Hotel. All-Inclusive Vacation: is it the right choice for you?

Travelling is always a very fun thing to do especially after a tough work or school period, but the choice of where to go or which hotel to stay at could be a difficult one. Most of the travel advertisement that we see are targeted for All-Inclusive Hotels and Resorts, which means that Drinks, Food and may be some of the activities are part of the hotel price.

This arrangement makes it very convenient, not worry about paying every time you eat or you order a drink at the bar. Also, it’s great because you know up front what your food/drinks cost are and you don’t have to pay for any nasty surprises that may jeopardize your lovely vacation. There are different All Inclusive hotels, some are targeted for couples; others are for singles, and party goers and many for weddings and honeymooners. The All-Inclusive resorts are very popular in places such as Cuba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica where the infrastructure for tourists going out to restaurants and bars outside the resort are limited.

Advantage of Choosing an All-Inclusive Resort:

Drinks, Food, Restaurant, nightly entertainment costs are included in the price of your hotel
There are no added surprises in terms of extra hidden costs, so this way you can plan and budget your vacation more accurately
You are travelling with Kids and family and all the activities, foods, drinks are available and the cost is known well in advance.
In terms of Food, the buffet will give you a variety of choices of both local and International food to choose from and you are not restricted to one type of food which you may not like.
Free non-motorized water sports, language lessons, dance lessons and kids activities
Free Transportation To and From the airport
Often a good deal on the airfare package as well

Disadvantages of Choosing an All-Inclusive Resort:

If you are not too much into drinking, then you may save more money by staying at a non-inclusive resort.
If you are a type of person who likes to taste and enjoy different local food, or experience the local culture, then you may not enjoy spending all your time in an All-Inclusive resort.
You may find eating at the same restaurants or buffets for 7 (or more) days rather repetitive and may want to try different variety of food. In this case, the all-inclusive resorts may not be the ideal option for you.
If you are into adventures and want to spend the majority of your day outside the resort and spend the night in town exploring different nightly activities, then you will not be in the resort for the entire day and you will just be sleeping there. In this case, the All-Inclusive may not be a good option.

Who should consider All-Inclusive Resorts

Families with kids and travelers on a tight budget.
Honeymooners or couples celebrating anniversaries that don’t want to be bothered with a bill every time they have a snack or a drink
Travelers that just want to relax on the beach all day and enjoy the sun
Spring Breakers and Party Travelers that want to drink all they can for free

If you have any questions, let me know and I will be more than happy to help out.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Types of All-Inclusive Resorts:

Weddings, Honeymooners and Couples:

Mexico:

Royal Hideaway Playacar - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Grand Velas - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Zoëtry Casa Del Mar - Los Cabos, Mexico

Dreams Los Cabos - Los Cabos, Mexico

Caribbean:

Sandals Grande St. Lucian – St. Lucia

Sandals Royal Bahamian – The Bahamas

Sandals Grande Antigua – Antigua

Paradisus Palma Real – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana - – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Galley Bay – Antigua

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana – Punta Cana Dominican Republic

Secrets Wild Orchid – Montego Bay, Jamaica

Single Travelers and Spring Breakers:

Grand Oasis and Oasis Cancun – Cancun, Mexico

Riu Caribe – Cancun, Mexico

NH Krystal Cancun – Cancun Mexico

Arenas Blancas – Varadero, Cuba

Barcelo Solymar – Varadero, Cuba

Grand Paradise Bavaro – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Allegro Playa Dorada - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Bahia Principe San Juan - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Hedonism II – Negril, Jamaica

Hedonism III – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The Allure of a Cruise Part Three

At the same time, like an all inclusive, all the food and drink should be included in the price (including the entertainment and activities) meaning that once you get out there on the sea it actually becomes quite a cheap holiday.