Puerto Vallarta is quite simply one of the most beautiful, cultured, luxurious vacation spots in all of Mexico, and indeed may be considered one of the best in the world. Here you will find the ultimate fusion of traditional Mexican culture, from bullfights to grilled marlin served beach side; and the finest of resort living, from spectacular sport fishing to all-inclusive resorts that cater to your every whim.

The town of Puerto Vallarta is brim full of the complete “Mexico” experience. Taco stands and an order of quesadillas is but the first step. In the past visitors would lodge down in a central hotel and do their sightseeing from there. That changed with the opening of the “Romantic Zone” on the south side. Olas Altas and Basillo Badillo now offer world class restaurants & the pier offers panga rides to Animas, Yelapa and Quimixto. Fortunately though, the town has managed to retain some of its charm. Picturesque colonial and whitewashed buildings, cobblestone streets that wind in and out, red spanish tile roofs differentiate Puerto Vallarta from other seaside resorts. The main sight is the Church of Guadalupe on the picturesque main plaza. The red brick bell tower is topped by a crown modeled after the one worn by Mexico’s 18th century Empress Carlota.

Luxury hotels and shopping centers have sprung up north and south of the original town, allowing Vallarta to grow into a city of 350,000 without sacrificing its considerable charms. It boasts the services and infrastructure — and, unfortunately now the traffic — of a modern city, while still retaining the authenticity of a colonial Mexican village.

If romance is in the air and the ultimate destination wedding is your goal, Puerto Vallarta offers many wedding coordinators who will effortlessly handle the paperwork and arrangements to make your ceremony (and honeymoon) the ultimate in romance, beauty and tranquility.

For family vacations, you won’t find a finer destination. There are abundant activities for all ages and interests, from beach side fun to craft and sports gatherings for kids and adults.

One great side trip to take is to Tequila, a short drive away, where the agave plants that give us the liquor that takes its name from the area are grown. Hidden treasures like that abound in the area, seen by many of last generation’s moviegoers in the Richard Burton/Ava Gardner masterpiece “Night of the Iguana.”

Polovragi Cave is one of the most intriguing cave in Romania - it is not very well known, as it is located very close to another cave “Female’s Cave” (Pestera Muierilor). Polovragi is one of the longest caves in Romania, its exploration has not been completed yet, galleries fossils or active fossils form a real maze, very attractive to a mere visitor as well as for experienced speologist.

The cave is located in the village with the same name, about 1 km from the monastery Polovragi - the distance is about four hours drive from Bucharest.

Around this cave there are many legends. One of them would be that the other exit of the cave is located in Transylvania. So far its length reaches 10 km and the research still continues so, who knows, maybe someday it will reach Transylvania.

Another legend says that here may have lived Zamolxe, the Dacian god, and the stalactites and stalagmites were formed by his tears, after Dacia was conquered. This legend is fueled by the fact that on the top of caves’ hill a Dacian fortress was discovered.

Polovragi Cave is electrified and can be visited on a length of 800 m. Besides the various forms that stalactites and stalagmites incorporate in the cave, we can find an interesting painting called “Death with scythe.”

In the cave, speologists could identify different forms and strange forms harmoniously carved over the decades. Walking through the galleries we can distinguish forms of snake, eagle, elephant and even Santa Claus.

The cave is accessible to all and offers cool and unique images at a very low price, so please visit it and feel the strange vibe inside it.

One of the way to capture the beauty of Retezat Mountains is to make panoramic photos of the sorroundings. So, keeping this in mind, during my journey to Stevia Lake, I’ve made some panoramic images and I’ve decided to share them with you even if they are not in a very good shape.

On our second day of holiday in Retezat Mountains we decided to take on the Curiosity Path: from Rausor Complex towards “Lolaia Crest”.

The path is, in the most of it, of a low to medium difficulty and there are areas where the falling of the trees has blocked it almost entirely. Anyway you can find the original path again without any major delays of time.

The whole walk would take you around two hours and a half - at least this is what it took us, it’s easy in the forest but it gets more difficult when jumping from rock to rock - it’s a kind of “rock climbing”.

The interesting thing is that this path is described in a guide written by The Administration of National Park Retezat, so from time to time we could find different types of numbered poles associated with explanations. The following is the translation of that information along with the photos taken around the scenes:

1. Forests of spruce (Picea Abies), form a belt between the forests. Survival on poor soils, is due to lower symbiosis with fungi, which catch the spruce by its roots as a felt.

2. The panel nature, “death gives life”
The importance of dead wood for the forest is often overlooked. It’s often forgotten that mountain forest soils are very poor in nutritious elements. Here, besides the falling leaves, the bodies of annual plants and dead animals, the animal droppings and dead wood, there are no other fertilizers.

3. Saplings growing on a dead spruce stump. Seedling plants have chosen this substrate, rather then lean ground and full of stones. Dead wood, in addition to nutrients that it provides, acts as a sponge, absorbing water during the rains, water that is then gradually made available to seedlings. By comparison, the water from the skeletal soil of the forest  evaporates quickly.

4. The economy of space. Some species like raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and tree birds (Sorbus aucuparia) take their places at the “floor”, on the roots of spruce, where they can find a soil richer in nutritive substances.

5. The roots of trees have the role of a “keeper” for soil.
Near pole number 5, you can see another part of the forest, namely the fixing of the slopes. You can see how spruces (Picea Abies) set the detritus with roots that have a casing role. As a building would crumble without the reinforcement of concrete iron, so all the detritus and soil on the slopes of hills and mountains would go downhill without roots which are “reinforcements” for them.

6. Do trees have friends and enemies?
As people do, trees can get sick also. There are many diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi. Diseased trees are quickly attacked by insects. These are common phenomena, which a natural forest, unaffected by the brutal intervention of humans, makes them easy side.

7. Rausor Ski Path was obtained by the deforestation of an area of spruce forest. Forest tries to reconquer the lost territory so many seedlings of spruce (Picea Abies), of different ages, grow on the ski path. Pioneer species are those that grow first.
On the path to “Saua Caruntu” you can see the most representative pioneer species Mirch - (Betula pendula) whose seeds being lighter than the spruce ones, have colonized faster the slope. Thus, the slope was fixed and, in a few decades, here would appear the new spruce forest.

Sunset in Rausor

On our first day in Retezat National Park, we decided to take the path to the closest glacial lake - Stevia. This lake is considered to be the most beautiful one in Retezat - a real emerald masterpiece - and we got to see it from the beginning of our trip.

The path to Stevia Lake is neither very difficult but nor quite easy. It can be made with your family (kids and wife) only if you take into consideration that it would take you the whole day for the trip towards and back from Rausor complex.

Retezat Map

So, first thing in the morning we had breakfast at Dora pension and around 8:30 we started our little adventure in the mountains. Being fully packed with various digital maps, gps, printed maps we still did not find the first entrance to the path that is marked with a red vertical line - some old maps were having a red dot as a marking for Stevia so we got on the red dot path that lead us only to a small wooden hunting cabin.

Hunting Wooden Cabin

We managed to find the entrance to the path with some help from a local - the thing was that the right path coincided with another one marked with a blue cross (The Curiosity Path  - that we took on the next day).

Sun between the trees

For the first one and a half hour the road took us only deep inside the forest - the wildness feeling is very profound. Step by step we got more and more into the woods - at every turn we were expecting to see the “finish line” but our hopes were in vain. The trees don’t give up so easily and the climbing gets more difficult as we approach the “Condor Shelter”. We were expecting for some resting place but instead we got the remainings of the shelter that burned down some years ago. So we moved on…

From here the trees are getting smaller and smaller letting the junipers to play their parts into the nature. The path goes upwards besides the Stevia small river right through the one-man-tall junipers.

At some point it gets more difficult - the path is not marked as good as it was through the forest - the red vertical line can be seen on the rocks but sometimes you have to go by the instinct. A good help can be the sight of the small group of rocks gathered by people for signaling the right way. And on many parts the path goes right on the rocks - you literally have to climb them one by one, choosing the right rock to jump on and the right direction to go to.

All I have to say now is that all the effort we made was worth it - the final destination, Stevia Lake, was reached after a three hours journey. The view around the lake is quite breathtaking - it seems to be taken from a paradise world. The lake is surrounded by the high picks of Retezat Mountains leaving only one way to get out of there - and that’s the way the glacier took when it melt a long time ago forming a beautiful glacial valley. The remained water formed this 0.7ha glacial lake that has 10 meters deep at 2070 meters height. Its water has an amazing clarity and beautiful emerald colour - some trouts consider this lake as their home, not being disturbed by anyone at all.

After two hours of contemplating these beautiful sights we decided to get back already thinking at the dinner ahead of us. We took the same path back to Rausor complex and find it of the same difficulty as in climbing it. But we still got enough time to enjoy the nature at its best representation.

I’ll leave you now exploring the nature through the pictures I’ve taken, being confident that I convinced you to come and see the beauty in reality.

View of Dora Pension

Retezat is one of the most spectacular mountains from Romania and one of the most beautiful mountains from Eastern Europe. Dora Pension is placed right at the entrance from the North side of the Retezat National Park. It is a very good place to start for hiking in those great Retezat Mountains, being situated at an altitude of 1350 meters near touristic complex of Rausor, 30 km from Hateg, Hunedoara, România.

This was the main reason for me to choose this location for few days visit - also the access to Rausor by car is really easy - good roads (some recently made).

The pension has a limited accommodation space - only 22 places in rooms with two, three or four beds - six rooms in total - one room with four beds (one double bed and two singles). We’ve started on the wrong foot when I arrived there because my reservation made with four weeks before has been shorten with one night for no reason however. Of course this made me mad, as I really wanted to enjoy 4 days in Retezat and not 3 - and this after many emails exchanged with the owner and also a couple of phones made. In the end all went well - the receptionist (which was playing many other parts) called the owner and I was given the four beds room at the price of two beds. So my advise is to keep calling the owner a few times, even one day before the arrival so that everything goes smoothly.

2 of the 4 beds in my room

After this small issue, things got towards a good direction when we got to our room - each room has its own sanitary group, nice wooden furniture - everything you’d want to have when coming back from the mountains. Each evening the heat was on and the warm feeling was immediately making us get relaxed.

For sure, all mountain lovers would find here one of the best place where to leave behind the city’s stress and pollution. Also many interesting objectives are available to be visited by car of by foot - I’ll present some of them in the future episodes dedicated to Retezat Mountains and Hateg country.

Ski Track in the Summer

This place is not only a summer visit location - for winter recreation guests have at their disposal at two hundred meters distance a ski track with a 1300 meters length and 380 meters level difference. Modern cableways (teleski) are available on the piste - for those not very intimate with skiing, usage of sleighs is also permitted. At guests’ requests ski training can be done by professionals. During winter in Retezat most of the paths are considered to be dangerous, but those around Dora pension can be used for short walks, of course not without taking into consideration all the rules of winter hiking.

The restaurant is available for outside visitors also - it is a small but friendly location. The food is quite good and plenty for any appetite. Choosing the half board, you would be able to serve breakfast and dinner (with two courses) at a very convenient price.

Talking about prices, here are the latest available:

Prices (€/day):

Double room 42 EUR/day/BB   50 EUR/day/HB
3 beds room  58 EUR/day/BB   70 EUR/day/HB
4 beds room  70 EUR/day/BB   84 EUR/day/HB

Map to Rausor - Dora Pension

Access roads:

From Deva
On DN66 Road Deva - Simeria - Hateg - on DN68 Road Hateg – Totesti – Paclisa – to Sarmizegetusa - Rau de Mori – Suseni – Colt Monastery - Râusor - Dora.

From Caransebes
On DN68 Road Caransebes - Otelu Rosu - Sarmizegetusa - Rau de Mori – Suseni – Colt Monastery - Râusor – Dora.

From Râu de Mori - 10 km on the DJ686 Road, tarmac road until Suseni, between Suseni and Râusor is frequently maintained and in very good condition, being accessed by cars in all seasons.

For more details you can access Dora Pension site: www.pensiuneadora.ro

In the end we’ve had a great time staying here, and that’s why I recommend you to try it too.

Following this I will cover in some future articles the mountain routes we’ve been and show you the beautiful, unique surroundings in Retezat.

A Cancun vacation means long stretches of fine white sand beaches, the bluest waters of the Caribbean Sea and all under the hot Mexican Sun. Cancun is a city built on dreams, a mega-resort of ancient lore, romance and hypnotic beauty. Its snow-white beaches are legendary, the chalky product of eroding limestone, which coats the Yucatan Peninsula.

Founded less than 30 years ago, it is a metropolis with ultramodern shopping centers and hotels which are the new Babel: contemporary temples of this generation born in the shade of multi-family skyscrapers. In 1967, the Mexican Government commissioned a study to pinpoint an ideal place for an international Caribbean resort. Cancun was picked by a computer from several destination choices. In 1969, the first road was carve out. In 1972, work began on the first hotel. Today Cancun has more than 26 thousand hotel rooms ranging from five-star to moderately priced hotels, which accommodate more three millions vacationers annually.

Cancun provides work and support for thousands of families hailing from different socio-economic backgrounds. With people from diverse places within the Mexican Republic and the world, this new frontier town blends within the tropical jungle and the sea, among ancient archaeological zones and new establishments.

Streets of houses with palm-thatched roofs and giant rose-marbled living rooms are nestled between nightclubs where locals and foreigners dance together to the rhythms of the Caribbean. The latest in hip-hop and house music pulses through the streets amongst the restaurants that cater to all palettes and satisfy the most varied of tastes.

The Hotel Zone with its 14-mile stretch of beach is bordered by the Nichupte lagoon on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. North from the Hotel Zone is El Centro (Downtown), a microcosm of real Mexico. Curious scenes here can teach you much about the Mexican culture. The heart of Downtown is Tulum Avenue. This avenue is easily distinguished by its garish fish fountain known as “El Cebiche,” a popular photo spot. Walk down Tulum and you can encounter open-air markets, modern grocery stores, street cafes, restaurants and bars.

Cancun, an array of infinite possibilities in both land and sea ports, which continues to grow, each day with more history; a reality that is genuinely its own, beside the jungle, beneath the sky of clouds bearing an immense promise and facing the world’s most beautiful sea.

The transparent waters with visibility of up to 100 feet, offer a fascinating window to an underwater world. Divers and snorkelers alike can venture into this spectacular underwater utopia populated by iridescent fish, intricate latticeworks of coral and an array of fauna.

The partying in Cancun does not stop when the sun goes down. In fact, some might say that the real fun has only just begun. Cancun’s alluring nightlife is world-renowned for a good reason: you can dance to the rhythm of the latest tunes at an ultra-modern dance club, enjoy your favorite drinks in a happening bar or take a romantic dinner cruise on the calm waters of the Nichupte lagoon under the star-filled sky.

For All Inclusive Hotel Deals go here: Cancun All Inclusive Vacations Save up to 75%!

As you would expect in the Caribbean, one thing you can be sure of is heat. It is very rarely cold here and even in the tropical rainstorms you’ll still be warm! The best weather for your holiday to Cancun is during the months of May and November when there’s no shortage of tropical sunshine.

The heat can be too much for some people as temperatures but if you want to get it just right then try visiting Cancun on holidays during September. During this month the weather is hot but not to the point that it’s unbearable and there’s very little rainfall.

Slanic Prahova is situated between Prahova and Teleajenului valleys, at about 44 km from Ploiesti and at the height of 400 meters. The resort, of national significance, is opened the whole year through, benefiting from a temperate climate, specific for the woody hills, characterized by pleasant summers (the average temperature in June is 19,5C) and winters which are relatively mild (the average temperature in January is -3,5C).

Slanic Prahova Location

To get to Slanic Prahova by car, from Bucuresti take the DN1 road to Ploiesti and then there are two choices: one is Teleajenului Valley (DN1A) and the other is Varbilaului and Slanicului Valley from Plopeni (DJ102G). I recommend you to take on 102G - the road has been recently improved and the sightseeing is better then DN1A, a much more used road.

The distinct beauty of the natural surroundings, particularities of the local climate determined by location in a basin depression hearth and not far from the last mountain peaks and the presence of the outstanding tourist attractions and spectacular dimensions of bases and treatment recognized, are premises for a pleasant stay, refreshing and quiet.

Developments that still continue in the city, modernized bathrooms and complex arrangements of beaches and terraces in their precinct, pensions, new summer terraces and beautiful park are reasons to believe Slanic Prahova as an attractive tourist resort for people of all ages.

The intense tourism in this area is determined by the existence, at Slanic, of an uncovered salt mountain (a natural preserve) and the picturesque “Lacul Miresii” (the Bride’s Lake, or Grotto, 425 sq. m., 20 m deep) which formed in 1914 when a salt mine cave in. The resort also boasts with many villas, pavilions, private houses available for accommodation.

Unique in the country and in Europe, the Unirea salt mine is formed of 14 rooms, trapezium shaped, having an 32 meters opening at the lower part, a tray of 10 meters and a height of 45 metres. The entire area is of 78 000 square metres and the excavated space is of 2.9 millions cubic meters of salt. The ventilation, it is possible on the natural way, and the temperature is 12 degrees Celsius all over the year. The old salt mine has been turned into an in-patient sanatorium - at the depth of 210 m - for the treatment of respiratory diseases in a salt air micro climate.

The mine was opened in February 1938, but actual works started in 1943 and continued in 1970. Mining in a descending direction, both horizontal and vertical cutting out with specific cutting equipment, the rocks were dislocated by explosions and then transported by mining car to the shaft and up to the preparation and shipping line.

The mine consists of 14 trapezoid-shaped rooms with a ten-meter ceiling and thirty and thirty-two-meter floor width. The height of the rooms is of fifty-four meters and the wall inclination angle is of 60. The level difference between the surface and the mine hearth is of 208 m. 2,6 million cubic meters of rock salt were excavated during the working of the mine. After 1970 the mine became a tourist attraction. It was adequately modified to accommodate both visitors and patients treated for various respiratory diseases in the fully equipped sanatorium housed inside the mine. Qualified medical personnel attended and assisted asthma patients treated in the salt mine sanatorium.

Other rooms house football and handball grounds, a running track and even museum. The works of the sculptor Iustin Nastase, among which the busts of the Roman emperor Traian and the Dacian king Decebal and several other pieces presenting relevant elements of the existence of the Dacian and Roman peoples are exhibited in the “Genesis” room.

For accomodation we recomment you two options: Balneary Center Slanic and Hotel Roberto. Of course you can find many private pensions available where hospitality is a vital point of attraction.

This is a place that is worth seeing - I assure you - it is unique in Romania and, in Europe, there are a few places where the same phenomenon can be seen.

Interesting is the feeling that you have by just standing on those grounds - you feel like you are standing on the Moon. Why is that? It’s due to the absence of vegetation around the cones. The mud volcanoes create a strange lunar landscape because the soil is very salty and very few plants can survive on such a soil. Isn’t that stunning? Only rare species of plants can be found here such as Nitraria schoberi and Obione verrucifera - this is the only place in Europe where these can be found - so no wonder why this place has been declared a natural reservation.

When it’s raining is crawling on the flanks of the cones, slowly creating different sized canals. In fact water is putting a very much impact on this place - it is the one that models the zone giving it the special look.

But how can you get there? It is quite simple and the road is pretty good for a normal car. First you have to arrive in the city of Buzau. From there you take on DN10 towards Brasov and after about 18km make right to Berca. There are signs on the road for “Mud Volcanoes” written in romanian language: “Vulcanii Noroiosi”.

For a place to stay near the mud volcanoes, you will find a very beautiful 4 stars pension right in Berca commune: Casa Matei. You’ll find there the hospitality you are looking for at a very convenient price: from 32 EUR to 55 EUR per double room, depending on the floor (including breakfast, VAT, wireless internet and private parking). I must say it’s a bargain for what it’s being offered instead.

I hope I’ve just raised your attention towards these marvelous places and if you take my advice and visit them you’ll not get disappointed - you’ll find many other beautiful objectives that deserve to be visited.

This luxurious, superior 4 starts hotel offers excellent value for money and extensive facilities for all guests. It has both rooms with balcony and without balcony. Comfortable accommodation includes 5 suites. As well as the facilities listed below, there is free parking (you can leave your car for as long as you like), an outdoor pool with poolside bar, spacious lobby with comfortable sofas, TV area, conference room (for up to 200 people), Wi-Fi internet and office services.

What we recommend is to reserve a room with no balcony here at the incredible price of 78 Eurs per night per room. And as a bonus for booking.com reservations all guests have free use of Pelagos Spa Club. The rooms with no balcony are exactly the same as the rest and the facilities offered are no different either. So the offer is quit good, I might say.