“Pure Life” is the best way to describe a vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica has so much to offer, amazing natural beauty, thrilling adventures, friendly people, a relaxing lifestyle, and picturesque views from your hotel. Costa Rica is a small country, and is an example of the great things that the simple life has to offer. It’s no wonder why Costa Rica has been dubbed “the happiest place on earth”. Its people are the most content, it has the world’s best biodiversity ecosystem, and the highest life expectancy. Regardless of what your interests are, whether it’s relaxing on the beach, surfing, or observing nature, Costa Rica offers a vacation that you will never forget.

Even though Costa Rica only consists of .1% of Earth’s land surface, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity. The country is a nature-lover’s paradise. Costa Rica has twenty-six national parks and protected areas all over the country and contains a large array of animal and plant species. Not only is the animal and plant life diverse, each area of the country has a diverse climate to enjoy. Costa Rica has beautiful hotels, resorts, and lodges, but also can be enjoyed from a camping site out in nature and under the stars. Costa Rica is nature at its best. Here you can see amazing jungles and tropical rainforests, diverse plant and animal life, active volcano eruptions, and breathtaking beaches. On a Costa Rica vacation, you can enjoy surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sport fishing, and white water rafting.

Costa Rica is the home of a large variety of plants and animals, which makes it a great vacation destination for the wildlife enthusiast. The country only consists of about .1% of the world’s landmass, but it has 5% of the world’s biodiversity. About 25% of Costa Rica’s land consists of protected national parks and other protected areas, and has the biggest percentage of protected area in the world.

One of its national parks is known all over the world by ecologists for its biodiversity. It is Corcovado National Park and visitors can certainly see a wide variety of wildlife at this location. This is the only park in the country where all four Costa Rican monkey species dwell. The four monkeys are: the White-headed Capuchin, the Mantled Howler, the endangered Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey, and the Central American Squirrel Monkey.

Tortugeuero National Park contains spider, howler, and white throat monkeys, three-toed sloths, two-toed sloths, 320 bird species, and many different reptiles. This park is the location of the largest annual nesting site of the endangered green turtle. Also, the park is the site for the nesting of leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve contains about 2,000 plant species that include many orchids. More than 400 bird species and over 100 mammal species are located there as well. Overall, about 800 species of birds have been discovered in Costa Rica. And, if this isn’t enough, Costa Rica is a mecca of reptile and amphibian diversity and includes the world’s fastest running lizard, the spiny-tailed iguana.

The Grenadine Islands have a lot to offer vacationers, tourists, and honeymooners. Besides the beautiful scenery, white sandy beaches, and tropical climate there are an array of other activities to enjoy. To start of with, there is golf. Canouan Islands offers The Trump International Golf Club at Raffles Resort Canouan Island. It is home to the resort’s eighteen-hole, par seventy-two golf course. Also, there are tennis course courts at some of the hotels of the Grenadines. The island of Bequia has courts at four of its hotels, and there are other public courts as well. Palm Island has tennis courts, and the Raffles Resort CanouanIsland has a tennis complex that has four courts complete with flood lights for night games, a pro shop, equipment rental, and a professional player for tennis lessons.

The island of Mustique has a horseback riding stable and a guide that can take visitors for rides on the beach. If you like to shop, Bequia has many shops that cater to the boating and sailing clientele, or people who just enjoy boats. The book store there has a nice selection of books about boating, carved souvenirs, and knives.

The beaches in the Grenadine Islands are some of the most beautiful in the world. They are not crowded and remote, and some of them are only be gotten to by boat. All around the island of Bequia there are palm trees and great locations for relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, and walking. Some of the beach offer bars for lunch and drinks.

Agriculture, including banana produce, is the largest part of the Grenadine Island’s economy. However, tourism is also another important part of income for the islands. It has been difficult for the government to start new industries and there is a high unemployment rate of about twenty-two percent. That fact that the country is overly dependant on a single crop is the biggest hindrance to the economic growth of the Grenadine Islands. Also, tropical storms destroyed a large amount of crops in 1994 and 1995.

The development of tourism has great potential for the economic growth of the country in the next ten years. The filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies has helped the islands to gain more exposure and popularity with tourists. The recent growth has spurred on a lot of activity and construction projects that is helping tourism. One aspect of the new construction that is taking place is a new international airport that is currently being built.

The Grenadine Islands has a population of 118,149 as of 2008. The population consists of 66% Black, 6% East Indian, 19% mixed race, 2% Carib Amerindian, 4% White, and 3% other. Most of the population is people of African descent that were brought to the islands to work on plantations, and there is also a growing Chinese population. The Grenadines have a high immigration rate, but the very high unemployment rate causes population growth to become a significant problem. The official language of the Grenadines is English, but many there speak a dialect called Vincentian Creole.

The Grenadines is a nation that is located in the Lesser Antilles chain that lies at the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where it joins to the Atlantic Ocean. It has a size of 150 square miles and is made up of the main island of Saint Vincent and the other northern two-thirds of the Grenadines. These other smaller islands stretch from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada.

Located to the north of the Grenadines is St. Lucia, to the east Barbados, and to the south is Grenada. The Grenadine Islands have a population of 120,000 and the capital is Kingstown. The nation has a British and French colonial history and is now a part of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM.

Saint Vincent was originally called ‘Hairouna’ by the Carib Indians. Carib Indians thwarted European colonization on St. Vincent until the eighteenth century. At that time, escaped African slaves left Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada and looked for refuge in St. Vincent. They married Caribs and were then called Garifuna or Black Caribs.

In 1719, French settlers took control of the island and began growing coffee, tobacco, cotton, indigo, and sugar on plantations. The plantations were worked by African slaves. In 1763, France gave control of St. Vincent to Britain, but later re-invaded the island in 1779 and eventually regained control. However, Britain later gained control again by the Treaties of Versailles of 1783. The Treaties of Versailles were lesser treaties under the Treaty of Paris of 1783.

Located nine miles to the south of St. Vincent, is Bequia, the biggest of the Grenadine Islands at seven square miles. The history of this island has been closely related to the sea for many generations. Traditions of boat-building, whaling, and fishing have been passed down for many years and are still part of the culture today. Another island of the Grenadines is Mustique. This island is three miles long and one and a half miles wide at its widest point. It has a large plain in the north and consists of seven valleys that have their own beach. There are also wooded hills that reach a height of 495 feet.

In the center of the Grenadine Islands is Canouan. It is a small island at only five square miles. However, the smallest inhabited island of the Grenadines is Mayreau. It is only one and a half square miles. Its population is at 250 residents. The only way to reach Mayreau is by boat and it is completely surrounded by beautiful, white, sandy beaches. It is a great location for snorkeling and sailing. However, there is perhaps an even better location for diving and snorkeling in the Grenadines. It is at Tobago Cays and its Horseshoe Reef that protects the five deserted islets that make it up. It boasts beautiful palm-dotted shores and excellent snorkeling and diving.

If you’re looking for a great place to relax, Palm Island would be the place to visit. It is a very small resort island located a mile from Union Island.

The Grenadines and St. Vincent are thirty-two islands and cays that stretch forty-eight miles south to the country of Grenada. St. Vincent is partly mountainous with La

Soufriere, an active volcano, located in the north. The volcano reaches 4000 feet and is the highest point of the mountains. It also has a sheltered coastline on the Leeward coast and is around eighteen miles long and eleven miles wide. The Grenadines make up an additional seventeen square miles. The Grenadines Islands consist of Bequia, which is seven square miles, Mustique, which is 1.9 square miles, Canouan, which is three square miles, and Union Island, which is 3 and a half miles long and contains Mt. Tobai that reaches 1,000 feet.

Of the many islands and cays that make up the Grenadines, it is Mustique, Palm Island, and Union Island that are frequented by the rich and famous who enjoy yachting, diving, swimming in the deep blue waters, and visiting the beaches. The Grenadine Islands are surrounded by coral reefs and are well known for having some of the best sailing conditions and beaches in the world.

It is possible to sail from island to island in a little over and hour with trade winds of ten to twenty-five knots. You can enjoy swimming ashore to visit a beach bar, see giant sea turtles, and meet new people from all over the world as you take in a drink at sunset. There are also ferries and charter aircraft available to visit Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, the Tobago Cays, Union Island, Petit St. Vincent, and Palm Island.

Kid-friendly resorts are always a hot topic for families as they’re trying to decide where to go for vacation. Many resorts throughout the world have kids and families in mind when they prepare for their guests. Many conveniences and activities are put into place by resorts to make family vacations more enjoyable for everyone. Below are a few resorts that have taken the time and effort to do just that.

First is Center Parcs, which has thirteen “holiday villages” in northern Europe. Each one has a large domed area that contains a tropical pool complete with slides and waves, restaurants, shops, spas, and more. It boasts huge cottages in country settings that include many outdoor activities. It also has indoor playgrounds and the prices are affordable. There are a lot of Center Parcs near Paris, France for the whole family to enjoy.

Another kid-friendly resort you may want to consider taking your family to is Club Med Cancun Yucatan located in Cancun, Mexico. It is in a great location with 22 acres on its peninsula and boasts numerous relaxing beach areas. It has a place called PassWorld where kids can enjoy different space activities. There is an active-style kid club that includes trapeze as a signature activity. There is a full-size movie theater, off-shore snorkeling, concierge room with extra amenities. Babies are welcome and there is access beautiful adventures in the Riviera Maya.

These two resorts have a lot to offer your kids and the whole family. Put these on the list and decide with your family which resort will be the best fit.

If you have kids and are looking for some options for kid-friendly resorts you may want to consider a few that are described below. The first one is called Breezes that is located at Costa do Sauipe on the Bahia coast in Brazil. It is a well developed area that has a beachwalk, village, golf, equestrian center, and lake activity center. It has endless miles of beach, low land prices, various activities on the property and at the Costa do Sauipe complex. Sometimes you can catch a free concert at the village and visitors can also take eco-tours or a trip to visit historic places in Salvador.

Another kid-friendly resort you may want to try is another resort with the name Breezes. Breezes Curacao Resort Spa and Casino is an all inclusive resort located in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. “All inclusive” consists of scuba diving for ages 12 and up along with instructions, windsurfing, snorkeling and more. There is delicious food at Italian and Japanese restaurants, a kids club, and fun on land such as trapeze and rock-climbing. Guest can visit the town of Willemstad that is a cultural hot spot. Some of Willemstad looks like an Amsterdam canal street decorated with kid’s crayons. Breezes is also conveniently located only a five-minute walk from the Sea Aquarium.

If kid-friendliness is an important aspect of where you decide to take your family on vacation you should definitely check the two Breezes out. Your family will thank you.

Océans is the work of veteran actor, director and producer Jacques Perrin, who co-wrote and co-produced the movie with sidekick Jacques Cluzaud. The film is a look into the world’s seas and the creatures that populate them, carrying an appeal to halt humanity’s steady destruction of habitat and species. But Océans is no Jacques Cousteau rehash, and its environmental message, while alarming, doesn’t impose the sense of doom central to recent films like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth or Frenchman Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s Home. Instead it seduces the viewer to the maritime cause with awe-inspiring imagery, creating an almost emotional attachment between viewer and cinematic object by bringing the camera into astonishing intimacy with erstwhile unapproachable beings. At one point, a mother walrus hugs her baby protectively as she swims. At another, a diver caresses and plays with an 18-foot, 1-ton great white shark nicknamed “Lady Mystery.”

Océans involved two years of planning and four years of filming, spread over 70 expeditions to 54 shooting locations — resulting in 450 hours of rushes. In that process, Perrin consulted with French navy engineers to come up with casings, booms and vehicle technologies allowing cameras to move with the same speed, agility and, at times, airborne abilities of otters, dolphins and whales. He and his crew also perfected a system of maintaining perfect camera stability at high speed amid unpredictable ocean currents.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1957939,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0eKVbI3cI