Lampedusa, Islands of Sicily

As promised in last week's "Sea the World" post, today we are traveling somewhere new. Somewhere that is not in the Caribbean. Somewhere like Italy.

More specifically, we are going to explore Lampedusa, the largest of the Pelagie Islands. According to Wikipedia.com, the Pelagie Islands are a group of three small islands located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily, the southernmost part of Italy. If you are knew to traveling, like me, then you have never heard of Lampedusa either.

Now, I don't know about you, but just thinking about Italian food excites me. I cannot imagine Italian food plus an Italian beach.

Yum! Anyways, let's get back to discovering Lampedusa.

Lampedusa has a semi-arid climate, meaning it has very mild winters with moderate rainfall and very hot, dry summers. According to tripadvisor.com, the best time to visit is between May and September.

Lampedusa offers Caribbean-esque waters, white sand and a very unique setting. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa's hot spot, was voted #1 on the 2013 Travelers' Choice Top 25 Beaches of the World. 

Rabbit Beach, also sometimes referred to as Rabbit Island, is actually one of the last remaining egg-laying sites in Italy for the endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle. The beach and a neighboring island are actually part of a nature reserve. So if you are a turtle fan, this is definitely the spot for you!

'Sea' you all next week for a new adventure!

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Hello again. I hope my last post made you feel warm and fuzzy. I am very glad you have returned to help me explore a new destination. Read on to see where we are going today.

As I mentioned in my first post, I am on the verge of graduation. Come May 3, I am done with school forever... or until I decide to get my masters. So, I decided to take this time in my life to explore some of the places I want to travel to. I also decided that the perfect graduation gift would be an all-inclusive trip to anywhere!

You see, my boyfriend Tom and I have been dating for five years, and I feel that I should be rewarded for dealing him and college combined for the past four years. He agreed, and allowed me to begin planning our trip.

My initial instinct was to look for a destination somewhere in the Caribbean. I knew from experience that the flight would not be too long, and prices in the off-season would be generally cheaper than during spring break.

I began searching several Caribbean locations for a five night stay in May. Much to my surprise, the most affordable destination turned out to be Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Since I have never been there before, I decided to take a closer look.

The Dominican Republic is located just southeast of Turks and Caicos, to the east of Haiti and to the west of Puerto Rico. Punta Cana lies on the southeast corner of the island.

According to GuidePuntaCana.com, the island enjoys a year-round tropical climate, with little seasonal temperature variation. The average temperature ranges from 73 degrees in December to 88 degrees in August. The hurricane season runs from June to November.

If you plan on visiting Punta Cana, you will most likely fly into Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). You will also need a valid passport. If you are traveling from Chicago, your estimated flight length is close to 4 hours and 30 minutes. A flight from New York is closer to 8 hours.

When you arrive in Punta Cana, you will notice the official language, according to WikiTravel.org, is Spanish. However, English and many other languages are spoken, as it is a highly-touristed area.

From my experience as an obsessive google user, there are many different resorts worth staying at in Punta Cana. A very good resource to use for both flights and hotels is Apple Vacations. This travel site allows you to find some pretty good deals and also allows you to compare different resorts.

Tom and I are hoping to stay at Majestic Elegance Punta Cana. Not only is this resort very affordable, but we also know a couple who just stayed there on their honeymoon. The couple raved about this resort, and assured us we would not be disappointed if we stayed there. This resort features seven different restaurants and seven different bars. There are also four additional bars for those in the Elegance Club, or the area of the resort reserved for adults 18 years and older.

Just the thought of going on a vacation puts me in a wonderful mood. I hope you feel the same.

If the Caribbean is just not your thing, come back next week. We're going to 'sea' somewhere else.

Turks and Caicos

As a college student on the verge of graduation, all I can think about is the next stage of my life. I'm not exactly sure what the future holds, but I assume the next stage will include landing my first full-time job, moving in to my own place, tying the knot and having babies.

But before any of that chaos happens, I'd first like to relax on a beach somewhere with a frozen beverage in-hand. So now I ask myself, where should I go? Where could I go? This blog will help me, and tons of other vacation-seekers, discover some of the best destinations in the world that are located on crystal-clear waters.

Disclaimer: The only destinations I have actually visited include Ft. Meyer's Beach, Florida, Clearwater Beach, Florida and Negril, Jamaica.

For today's destination, I have decided to start with my favorite caribbean location. Turks and Caicos.

Now, I know what you are thinking. How can Turks and Caicos be my favorite destination when I have never even traveled there? Here's how:

I was thirteen when I went to Jamaica. It was my first time out of the country and my first encounter with rum. Yes, sadly the reason I want to go to Turks and Caicos stems from rum. Long story short, our favorite bartender at our resort in Jamaica was being transferred to a resort in Turks and Caicos. He seemed extremely excited as he spoke about breathtaking, blue water and the whitest sand. It was at that moment, I decided someday I would go there. I sure hope I run in to that bartender one day so he can mix me up a strawberry daiquiri.

Anyway, let's check out some details about Turks and Caicos.

The Turks and Caicos Islands consist of 40 islands and cays, eight of which are inhabited. It is roughly 500 miles southwest of Florida, just under the Bahamas and to the east of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). While many consider Turks and Caicos to be part of the Caribbean, it is actually located on the Atlantic Ocean.

The islands are home to roughly 30,000 full-time residents, and welcome more than 200,000 tourists annually.

From November to May, the average daily temperature is between 80 and 84 degrees. In the summer, June to October, the average temperature is between 85 and 90 degrees. On average, Turks and Caicos has 350 days of sunshine. But beware, hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

Another reason why I feel Turks and Caicos would be my favorite destination is the price. While doing research on several different Caribbean locations, Turks and Caicos is almost always the most expensive destination. So why would I favor the most expensive place? Because I have expensive taste. I always, unknowingly, pick the most expensive out of any option, whether it be shoes, a dress or a vacation spot. I like what I liked. I can't help it.

So if you think you would like Turks and Caicos as much as I do, go ahead and look into booking a trip. If you are into big, all-inclusive resorts check out Beaches Turks and Caicos.

If you prefer something a little smaller and more quiet, try Beach House Turks and Caicos.

Check back in next week to sea where we travel to!