Sunday, March 27, 2011

ITINERARY - Mexico (La Paz) by s/v Odysseus

LA PAZ, MEXICO
Itinerary courtesy of s/v ODYSSEUS


Day 1:  La Paz
Stroll along the waterfront and enjoy a romantic sunset.  Indulge in delicious local cuisine and dance until the wee hours.  Explore historic museums or shop for authentic Mexican arts and crafts.  Experience legendary sport-fishing for marlin, wahoo, tuna, dorado and more.  Snorkel with playful sea-lions or scuba dive with hammerhead sharks and great mantas.  Kayak alongside friendly dolphins and whales.  Or just relax on an endless white beach and get reacquainted with your inner self.

Day 2:  San Carlos
San Carlos is basically a tourism oriented extension of Guymas which is only 10 miles away.  Almost all the business here is oriented toward tourism with an emphasis on sportfishing and diving.  There is a large population of retired Americans living here and two new large  marinas support quite a few permanent liveaboards.  Besides the  excellent marinas, there are at least 40 anchorages along the 55 mile coast that stretches from San Carlos south.  Want an isolated cove or beach all to yourself?  You will find them here in abundance.

Day 3:  Loreta
The first settlement on the Baja peninsula has more than 300 years of history.  Ancient cave paintings, historic stone missions and stunning artwork and crafts await your discovery.  The sunny climate, the warm sea you can swim in year around, the world class sport fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, whale watching, hiking and golf make Loreta the ideal place for either an adventure-filled or laid back getaway.

Day 4:  Isla Espiritu Santo
Twenty miles off Baja’s LaPaz, this arid Manhatten-size island in the Sea of Cortez, with its towering cliffs and deeply carved inlets, is home to a third of the worlds’ whale and dolphin species.  Though kayakers flock to the island’s electric blue waters, you can always find an empty cove to call your own.  Besides world-class kayaking, there’s snorkeling, scuba diving, and fly fishing for black skipjack and topsail pompano.  Also, there is a good chance that you may find yourself in the water with Sea Lion pups and giant Manta Rays.

Day 5:  San Jose Palmilla
Simply put, Palmilla is the grand dame of Los Cabos. Located just four miles from San José del Cabo and overlooking the most beautiful bay in the area, the Palmilla resort provides its residents and guests with elegance, privacy, amenities and luxury that no other community offers. From the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course to the exquisite One&Only Palmilla, and from the lavish Mandara Spa to the miles of pristine swimming beaches, Palmilla is in a league of its own.
The ultimate resort community, Palmilla was one of the first full-scale master-planned developments to break ground in Los Cabos, and upon its completion, will feature more than 1,000 high-end properties plus all the amenities today's luxury traveler desires.

Day 6:  Cabo San Lucas
Once a tranquil fishing village, Cabo San Lucas is now a perfect vacation spot for the entire family.  Known worldwide as the “Marlin fishing capital of the world,” Cabo is also blessed with 5 championship golf courses and is considered the gold capital of Mexico.  If golf, water sports, fishing, ATV’s, and horseback riding are what you seek, Cabo has it all.  With nightclubs like Squid Roe, Hard Rock Café and the Giggling Marlin, Cabo’s night life is hard to beat!

Day 7:
Enjoy a leisurly breakfast in the shade of the large cockpit.  As an added treat, you can watch the Cabo fishing fleet leave the harbor for a day of marlin fishing in the vast Pacific.  You captain will plan the day to ensure you reach LaPaz in time to make your departure arraignments, however, if time permits, a brief tour of the Cabo harbor will include the main beach at Playa Medano (one of the great people watching spots in the world), quiet Playa del Amor (Lovers Beach) and Lands End with its magnificent  rock arches.  We think that CABO is a wonderful spot to end your cruising adventure and trust that you will return home with many priceless memories.

Monday, March 21, 2011

RECIPE: Wild Garlic & Nettle Soup - Hotel Barge Shannon Princess, Ireland

This recipe is from the Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess.

WILD GARLIC & NETTLE SOUP

Ingredients:
  • 1 large bunch of nettles
  • 1 large bunch of Wild garlic
  • 2 medium potatoes, diced
  • 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 stick celery, sliced into small pieces
  • 2 cups (1 pint) stock
  • 1 cups (½ pint) milk or creamy milk for extra richness.
  • Small knob of butter
  • Salt and pepper
 Garnish:
  • Cream or Natural yogurt
  • Wild garlic flowers

Method:
  • Wash the nettles & wild garlic in cold water and drain. Pat dry with a clean towel.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium temperature and add the onions, nettles, celery and potato. Stir to coat mixture with butter and ’sweat’ them in the saucepan for about 5 minutes.
  • Now add the Wild garlic - just one minute before the rest of the ingredients are done. The nettles should be just wilted.
  • Pour the stock and the milk into the saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Pour into a blender and zap. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  • Serve garnished with cream or natural yogurt, and heads of wild garlic, accompanied by crusty sodabread.
Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess II - Barging in Ireland
Barge Cruises along the Shannon River, Ireland

Visit Ireland and enjoy seeing the sights and soaking up the Irish culture with Ruairi & Olivia, owner-operators of the Barge Shannon Princess, along with their attentive crew. The barge accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 cabins which can be configured as either doubles or twins, as you prefer. Shannon Princess is available for private charters and individual cabin booking for shared charter weeks.




Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book SHANNON PRINCESS 
View Shannon Princess's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

ITINERARY - Polynesia, South Pacific by m/y MISS KULANI

SAMPLE ITINERARY
POLYNESIA, SOUTH PACIFIC by m/y MISS KULANI

Click maps to enlarge

DAY 1

Arrive Papeete, Tahiti. VIP greetings with flowers. Guests to be taken to Marina Taina. Afternoon visit to the Robert Wan museum.

DAY 2

Early morning steam to Moorea (15 miles). Moorea is Polynesia's second-most popular tourist attraction after Tahiti. Located a mere 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of the island of Tahiti, Moorea is a triangular shaped island encircled by a lagoon of translucent green, fringed by an azure blue Polynesian sea. Covering an area of 51 square miles, it is the only other major island in the Windward group of the Society Islands besides Tahiti. Enjoy water sports, visit to the Marae and Belvedere. Depart for evening trip to Huahine (90 miles).

DAY 3


Wake up Huahine and enjoy water activities and land excursions on 4x4 all terrain vehicles into the mountains. Huahine is, arguably, the most picturesque island in all of French Polynesia. With steep mountains descending into protected bays of azure blue and emerald green colors, the island is also one of the more geographically diverse of the Society Group. Also known as "The Garden Island" due to its abundance of lush green tropical foliage and wild jungle-like scenery, Huahine is one of the more interesting of the Society Islands to explore. There's also an abundance of long and beautiful white sandy beaches on Huahine... and the good news is that on this island, most of them are easily accessable for total quality beach and sun worshipping. Night voyage to Taha'a.

DAY 4

Taha'a produces 70-80% of all French Polynesia's vanilla. Because of the pervasive aroma of vanilla, Taha'a is known as the "Vanilla Island". Enjoy visiting the vanilla farms. You can also visit the famous Taha'a Island Resort Relais Chateaux. Tahaa's pearls are of also of exceptional quality so take advantage of the black pearl farms too.

DAY 5

Early morning sail to Raiata. Far less traveled than Bora Bora, Tahiti, or Moorea, these two fascinating islands offer the vacationer the experience of a true unspoiled French Polynesia.Visit the Marae of Taputapuatea, the oldest Marae of the Mahoi culture.

DAYS 6 & 7

Bora Bora island is possibly the single most famous island in all the world. The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words "Bora Bora" bring an almost mystical presence to the island. Spend two days in Bora Bora. Explore the history of World War II where the US military chose Bora Bora as a military South Pacific base. This island is predestined for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its beautiful lagoon. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.

DAY 8

Fly back to Tahiti for international departures.



Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book MISS KULANI
View Miss Kulani's online brochure
For more yachts, visit our website: www.ParadiseConnections.com