Montage Resort

The beach isn’t just for kids and teenagers. All the family can enjoy the shore provided, of course, there aren’t “elbow-to-elbow” tourists. You can also do more than just get a tan (or a sunburn). Get up and get active with some of these suggestions. The old favorites are always fun which is why they’re still popular. You can toss a foam rubber ball Frisbee, play with a beach ball (nice because they deflate for easy carrying and storage), go inner tube surfing (cheap and increasingly harder to get but you can also deflate them). Don’t forget your sand sculpture or sand castle building tools. Here are some other suggestions to consider for enlivening your beach resort vacation.

1. Collect driftwood

Especially if you’re of a creative bent, this can be not only a unique, but profitable pastime as well. What figures or forms do the driftwood shapes conjure up in your mind? What might they look like when painted or polished? How might you mount or display them?

2. Collect shells

Long a popular beach pastime with children and adults alike, it can still serve as an interesting activity for the kids (or you). Even more so if you’re on a new, foreign or strange beach which may well offer up some unique surprises. Make a collage, a display or shadow bow of your best finds when you get back home.

3. Catch crabs and crustaceans

We used to walk along in the surf of the Chesapeake Bay with a framed meter-square piece of window screen to trap all kinds of small crabs, crustaceans, sand worms and even small fish. It made for an interesting series of “catches” and provided endless hours of simple fun for me and my siblings. With eleven younger brothers and sisters, it also kept us out of “trouble” or at least reasonably so. Sometimes a fisherman would buy our “catch” for use as live bait, much to the profit of the local ice cream vendors.

4. Surf fishing

There are all manner of collapsible of multiple piece rod and reel kits you can easily pack in a suitcase or store in a car trunk. Whip it out, local regulations and conditions permitting, and try your hand at whatever the regional waters offer. Some surprisingly large catches can be made in less than two feet of water. Just put on a snorkel and dive mask, wade out to waist-deep water, stand still for a few minutes with your face in the water. You’ll often be thrilled at the number and size of the fish and other sea creatures you’ll see all around you below the surface. In many tropical waters, it’s like standing in an aquarium.

5. Catch live bait

As was mentioned earlier, like bait can often be sold to local fishermen (or use it yourself). Use a cast net, walk along in knee-deep surf with an old window screen and bucket. Minnows, crustaceans, sandworms, small eels and crabs are all susceptible to this method. Be sure to check local regulations first. Keep them alive and fresh in a bucket partially filled with water.

6. Relax or get a “surf massage“

Soak and soothe those aching bones with a relaxing massage. In numerous resort areas there are locals who offer this service right at the beach. Be sure to negotiate prices before services are rendered to avoid any price gouging. Another alternative is to let the sea and surf “massage” you as you lay there. It’s free and the surf never gets tired or overcharges you. Sit facing the surf with your legs outstretched. Move forward until the surf covers you up to the belly button. Change positions forward, backwards or other variations as the surf changes.

7. Go walking

Already identified as a “best” exercise activity, walking is almost always pleasant. Walking on dry sand gives you more of a “workout” than walking on sand that is still damp from the receded surf. For maximum huff and puff, try walking in the surf itself. A normal rate of walking is a mile and a half in fifteen minutes, so a thirty minute walk is a good workout for the day. Fifteen minutes out, fifteen minutes back to your starting point should do you nicely.

8. Nature watch or people watch

Okay so if you’re just in a “do nothing for awhile” mood then nature or people watch depending on where you are. Pick a good vantage point and note what happens all around you. Is that couple married or dating? What do you think they do for a living? What can you tell about them from watching? What animals, birds or sea life are common where you are? Are there sharks? Dolphins? Crabs? Squid or other unusual forms of marine life? What fauna frequents the area? What about snakes? I was more than a little surprised to learn from a local resident that feral cats are a big problem in Acapulco. As I paid more attention during my comings and goings in and around the city I noticed they were almost everywhere. They could become especially troublesome at night.

These and other imaginative activities can help turn a “lay in the sun and burn” day at the beach into a much more relaxing, creative or stimulating time for you and the family. Try some of these as an alternative to the usual “do nothing” day.

Prof Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He lives in Cali, Colombia, fishes the South American Pacific coast, Amazon and Orinoco River basins for exotic salt water and fresh water game and food fish. For no-obligation information on how to get original, exclusive Exotic fishing stories, fishing technique articles, fishing-action photography and one-of-a-kind content for your fishing-related newsletter, blog or website contact him today at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com for more free, action photo-packed, South American fishing adventure articles.

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There’s nothing more relaxing than fishing at your favorite fishing spot. Whether one is a beginner or an adept at this ancient pass time, fishing can serve as an enjoyable hobby and sport. In fact, for those that love to fish, there are fishing resorts that one can visit and vacation at. Thus, there are prime spots for everyone to fish! Moreover, many fishing resorts are easily affordable, all you need to do is bring along your equipment!

For those who love to fish, resorts serve as a prime vacationing destination. There are resorts offering five star accommodation, full service restaurants, and a number or outdoor recreational activities to take part in along with any fishing expedition one may want to take. Water skiing, rafting, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, cycling and more can all be had at different resorts in addition to your beloved pastime.

Moreover, if you enjoy hunting, in addition to being an avid fisherman, you can go hunting for deer, caribou, moose, bear, rams, and more when you visit many of the resorts and lodges designed specifically for such purposes.

There are many resorts and lodges to choose from when you want to fish. In fact, as an example, the state of Michigan has numerous sites one can visit and fish at. Ackeley Park Rapids, Cass Lake, Crane Lake, Detroit Lake, the Gunflint Trail Area, Hackensack, the Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnibigoshish, Lake Kabetogama, Lake Ely, Lake Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Rainy Lake, Lake Vermillion, and the Upper Red Lake all offer fine opportunities to fish in the state of Michigan. Now imagine just as many offerings in other states and you can see the number of opportunities one can find to vacation and fish!

Some resorts offer hotels, while others offer cabins and a campground for quite relaxation. You can spend time on the beach or when you are not about to fish, you can spend time touring all the local hot spots and attractions. Cabins can be rustic or modern and will provide visitors with the ultimate sense of “living in the wilderness” and many of the cabins are large enough to handle big groups of people. Some cabins have a porch where one can sit and see the scenic views as the sun sets and twilight settles in. Cabins that are fully furnished with most everything one would require for comfort can be easily rented for a week or more and give the entire family a vacation worth remembering.

Some resorts and lodges also supply extra curricular activities to engage in when you are not fishing the waters. Volleyball, horseshoes, tennis, golf courses and hiking trails are just a few of the many alternatives such vacationing destinations supply. So, if you are planning to fish this vacation, your best bet is to visit a resort or lodge and get all of your entertainment needs met at one location. Moreover, your accommodatios will be waiting and ready for you and you will find yourself wanting to visit such resorts each and every year.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Fishing
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Since the return of democracy to Bulgaria in 1989, one of the most significant developments has been in the sphere of tourism and, parallel to it, a rapidly growing interest in realizing hitherto unsuspected possibilities for foreign investments in real estate. The length of the Black Sea coastline, well-known in the 1960s and 1970s as the holiday playground of Bulgarians and the citizens of other Soviet bloc countries, has undergone a massive transformation into one of the most attractive talked-about destinations for European tourists. It has been characterized enthusiastically as a second Costa Brava.

Many visitors, after their first unforgettable vacation, came back, this time looking to invest in new seaside apartments built off-plan in astoundingly beautiful new property developments at incredibly low prices. Add to this the accession of Bulgaria as a full EU member state in 2007 and you understand immediately that the prospects are unusually attractive. The renaissance in summer tourism on the Black Sea coast is complimented by the discovery by winter sports lovers of the excellent facilities and almost unexploited possibilities of Bulgarian ski-resorts. Already prominent on the European - and even global! -Ski-lovers list are resorts like Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Sofia, the elegant capital of the Bulgarian Republic, is minutes away from the densely forested slopes of Mount Vitosha, the pride and recreation ground of the local inhabitants. In the last 10 years, the national capital has been transformed into an international business centre with a cosmopolitan character.

All this in turn has created the hugely increased interest of European and especially British and Irish, investors in a number of highly attractive new, “off-plan” Property developments, particularly in these hitherto unknown Bulgarian resorts, whose potential is just now being truly appreciated.

Bansko, about 160 km south of Sofia and 250km from the Northern Greek metropolis of Thessaloniki, has been called the Gateway to the Pirin Mountains. In fact, the entire region has been designated the Pirin National Park. The pretty and historic market town of Bansko, a notable centre of regional commerce from the 18th and 19th centuries, forms the vibrant heart of this new resort with global ambitions. Now you can see, side by side, historic monuments and new 5-star hotels, attractive traditional residences and state-of-the-art property developments. The variety of clubs and pubs and places of entertainment for all tastes will impress vacationers. Bansko, furthermore, is a major venue, in the strong Bulgarian bid for the Winter Olympic Games in 2014, together with the capital Sofia and the other two leading Bulgarian ski-resorts, Borovets and Pamporovo. Borovets is the oldest winter resort, founded by Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand in 1896 and is closer to Sofia, near Samokov, to the north of the Rila mountains. Pamporovo is a modern purpose-built ski-resort in the Western Rhodope mountain range, where they are getting everything ready for a unique sports experience. Bulgarians are hoping it will impress the world skiing community with the high standards of sports and tourist installations. The conditions for skiing are among the best in the Balkans. 17 ski-tracks with a total length of 65km cater for skiers and snowboarders of every level of skill, from basic beginners to the very advanced. The Gondola ski-lift terminal is opposite the 5-star Kempinski Hotel. By 2006, to cater for the increasingly high expectations of affluent winter-sports lovers, more than 6000 apartments are being built in new construction meeting the highest international standards. Each of the developments has its own characteristic name, indicative of the way local Bulgarian architectural tradition is married with modern developments, where attention has been given to detail. Beyond any doubt, the special attraction of these properties in Bansko is the low cost, matched by equally high quality.

In addition, Bansko has an excellent 18-hole Golf Course and the route infrastructure in the area has been significantly upgraded to enhance access to the other tourist attractions of the surrounding region. Discussions are underway at Government level for the construction of an airport, capable of accommodating international flights.

Pamporovo opens up like an Alpine resort, along the scenic valley route from Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second city, to Smolyan and the newly-opened border point with Northern Greece. In the shadow of Mount Snezhanka (1926 metres), it is Europe’s southernmost ski-resort, with sunshine for at least three quarters of the year, but also very agreeable temperatures, guaranteeing ideal skiing conditions for the duration of the season from December to April. Created around three main skiing areas, with 25 designated slopes, Pamporovo is the perfect choice for the winter sports enthusiast, whatever may be his or her degree of proficiency. There are also experienced instructors to guide learners and children.

During the summer season, Pamporovo becomes the ideal base for mountain-walking and environmental tourism. It’s a year-round centre for healthy, energetic relaxation. Several brand new 5-star hotels assure top-notch accommodations, quality entertainment and excellent nightlife, but also provide gym, swimming and sauna facilities. In addition, there are a wide variety of well-stocked shops and restaurants, each with their own particular variant of attractive d

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