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The Search for Paradise

We want you to win a trip to Paradise!

Again we want to give you the chance to win a 7-night stay at the hotel you find. Plus, you’ll also win a GoPro HD photographic camera to take pictures!

We want you to win so, we’re making it easy! We are giving you clues throughout the game.

How can YOU win?

  • You’re not a facebook fan yet, “LIKE” us HERE

  • Click on the contest tab The Search for Paradise

  • We’ll give you some clues. It will be on the left side of your screen.

  • You can move & zoom in and out of the map to search for the hotel.

The 1st person that finds the hotel WINS!!!! You have two chances to win per day.

Good luck!

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One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila – Floor?

 

Mexico’s national liquor has of course become a runaway worldwide success, that’s for sure (I hear even George Clooney is planning to launch his own brand, called Casamigos). But slowly but surely, more folks these days are also appreciating that there’s lots more to tequila than frozen margaritas, slammed shots and ay, caramba hangovers.

This particular tipple comes from the juice of the spiky, cactuslike blue agave plant, cultivated (by hand even today, as shown above) in the reddish soil around the city of Tequila, near Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. Agave juice has been fermented in this area for many centuries, dating back to the days of the Aztecs (and today their particular form of firewater is still sloshing around, known as pulque). But the Spaniards in Mexico had their own go at agave, inventing tequila around the 17th century, just a couple of generations after the original conquest; not long afterward, the first license to produce tequila commercially was granted to a family whose name you’ll recognize: the Cuervos.

Today there are more than 100 distilleries, with some of the better-known and high-quality tequila houses in addition to José Cuervo include Sauza, Don Julio, and Patrón, and some of these are open to visitors. Most are around 80 proof, but the white tequila that goes into most margaritas is only the least aged type. Finer grades include reposado, which is aged in oak at least two to several months, añejo (aged one to three years), and the more recently added extra añejo (aged more than three years). Some of the more vintage tequilas have a smoothness, darkness, and complexity that’s practically cognac-like.

Photo | Niv Maoz

In addition to serving a respectable range of fine tequilas, Iberostar resorts offer them for sale in their shops, staffed by employees who know their firewaters; some will conduct tastings with experts. Give ‘em a swirl and a gulp, and you’ll see they’re way beyond Carlos ‘n Charlie’s…

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Jamaican Me Married: Destination Weddings in Style at Iberostar Rose Hall Suites

I first started covering destination weddings more than a decade ago while working for Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. Why budget travel? Because given the ballooning costs of holding a nice knot-tying even in your backyard, resort weddings can be surprisingly affordable, both allowing couples to better control costs as well as enjoy a luxurious experience (with or without guests) in a beautiful tropical setting.

Jamaica’s an especially popular place these days for couples to combine getting hitched with a great tropical honeymoon, and while many resorts offer destination weddings, I found that the elegant Rose Hall Suites near Montego Bay goes the extra mile to pull out all the stops for couples. The “Golden Coast Wedding” package not only provides the basics – marriage license, minister fees, wedding cake, champagne, decorated venue, and music of your choice – but great extras such as a couple’s massage at the beautiful on-property spa.

It’s a pretty simple process – you can show up just 24 hours before the ceremony (though it’s recommended that you come two or three days ahead to meet with the wedding planner and iron out the final details. I recently caught up with the planner at Rose Hall Suites, Nicole Barnett, to get the nups 911:

How did you come to your job here at the Rose Hall Suites?

I came to it in 2009 from the resort’s public relations department, and it has been fantastic. I enjoy the enthusiasm of people planning their weddings; it’s honestly been an amazing experience so far.

How far in advance do you recommend couples book?

The most popular months are March through July, but regardless of the month, I’d recommend that couples try to book their dates at least a year in advance.

How many spots on property are available as a wedding venue?

We have four locations for a wedding ceremony: the beach, the lobby terrace, the lazy river island, and the pool gazebo, plus a backup-plan location if it rains: our lobby staircase.

What’s the most unusual request you’ve had?

A bride who wanted me to rent a white horse for her to ride down the aisle.

Can you share with us a particularly special moment you remember from an on-site wedding?

The most memorable experience I have had was a Hindu wedding that lasted  for two whole days. They asked me to participate and I even got my hand painted! The most memorable wedding thank-you I have received  was from a special couple, Andrew and Jennifer Parker. They were so loving to each other, and instead of focusing on the materialistic aspect of the wedding, they gave me their ideas and left the planning  and organizing to me.  They were always concerned about ensuring that the family was included and taken care of. Despite their anxieties, they never lost sight of what was most important to them and that was their love for each other. In the end the wedding was beautiful and they thanked me ever so often by always sending emails from time to time to say how they are doing and to check on me.

by David Paul Appell

For more information, write to weddings@iberostar.com.jm or call 876-680-0000 extensions 1525 and 1516.

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Ronaldinho’s Brazil

Ronaldinho

Brazil is famous for many things: long stretches of sandy beaches, sexy women in thongs, sporty beach volleyball players and most of all, football (or soccer). Brazil is almost synonymous to football – having won the World Cup several times in history. And let’s not forget, Brazil is home to some of the most famous footballers in the world.

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, more commonly known as Ronaldinho, is one of the popular Brazilian football players of all time. He’s been awarded FIFA World Player of the Year twice in a row (2004 and 2005) and he’s played for several outstanding football clubs such as FC Barcelona and AC Milan. He was also named in the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé.

Originally from Porto Alegre, Ronaldinho was born in a family of soccer addicts who lived in a wooden house in a favela. Under the influence of his father, he played a lot of football as a a kid and at a young age, he showed plenty of talent. He soon signed a contract with FCC Gremio, and at the age of 13, he made a name for himself when he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team. As he said in an interview, ““Football for me is pleasure, joy, my life. The happiest moment of my day is when I am with the ball, training. Being a footballer is still the best job in the world.”

After several years of playing in Europe, Ronaldinho is now back in his home turf, playing for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team. The world-famous football player loves nothing more than being around his family. It’s obvious that this humble player stays true to his roots and the beauty of Brazil probably has something to do with it.

Photo | JanS0L0

When you visit one of the Iberostar Hotel’s in Bazil; You’ll never know who you might run into.

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Keen on Kilims

One of my very most prized travel souvenirs is a vintage kilim, about 75 years old, which I bought more than a decade ago in the otherworldly medina of Fez, Morocco – with its black-and-yellow zigzag motif, it evokes exoticism and the quintessence of travel whenever I look at it. I’m instantly transported back into that world of mint tea and mysterious narrow byways, the tannery where I watched young boys dying leather for shoes and Ottomans, the rooftop restaurant where I first tried tagines and pigeon, and the bathhouse where I found myself being vigorously pummeled by a wiry Moroccan masseur.

So what exactly are kilims and how are they different from carpets? Well, they’re also made of wool, but in many ways are closer to tapestries – flatter, lighter, more tightly woven, and less durable than carpets, with no pile to speak of.   All the above add up to one key reason kilims also tend to be less expensive than most rugs – another is that they have traditionally been a homespun village craft, made for locals instead of the tourist or export market as increasingly became the case with rugs.

Having said that, over the years I’ve spotted quite a few gorgeous, skillfully crafted, even quite sophisticated kilims in several countries, and in various countries, more of them have been made for export than they used to be – and some command prices into the thousands of dollars or pounds. The word “kilim” itself is Turkish, derived from the Persian gelim, but in addition to Turkey and Iran they can be found throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Balkans – so if you ever find yourself at one of the Iberostar resorts in Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Montenegro, or Bulgaria, you may well come across local examples while browsing in local markets or shops.  Many will be relative bargains, and I can assure you from personal experience they will look marvelously striking whether hanging on your wall or laying on your floor.

Photo | Stephan Geyer

  If you ever find yourself at one of the Iberostar resorts in Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Montenegro, or Bulgaria, search for your gorgeous, skillfully crafted and sophisticated kilims!

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Viva Cuba – Wisdom Through the Eyes of Children

Posted by Andy Jarosz in The View - (0 Comments)

Cuba schoolbus

If you’re one of those (men) who is ashamed to be seen shedding a tear or two at a movie, Viva Cuba is definitely not for you. I defy anyone to watch this delightful film and not experience an emotional rollercoaster as the two young stars battle fiercely to save their close friendship.

Viva Cuba

And yet Viva Cuba is certainly no sentimental tearjerker. It tells the story of Jorgito and Malu, a pair of 12 year old who have formed a seemingly unbreakable bond of friendship. Their closeness is all the more remarkable given the animosity that exists between their mothers: Jorgito’s mother is a passionate communist while Malu’s mother is a devout Christian.

Indeed it is Malu’s mother who is keen to get away from Cuba and wants to take her daughter with her. They live in Havana but require Malu’s father, who lives at the other end of the country, to sign her exit papers.

Rural Cuba

What follows is a daring road trip undertaken by the two children as they make a desperate journey across Cuba to try and prevent Malu’s father from signing the documents and splitting them apart forever.

Spun around this simple tale the adventures of the two protagonists are then played out against the backdrop of the Cuban countryside. We get to see images of Cuba beyond the classic Havana shots that are now familiar to most of us; the landscapes are memorable. Along the way Jorgito and Malu meet an assortment of very colourful characters.

Cuban Road Trip

Viva Cuba is a great movie to watch before a holiday to Cuba. It provides a clever insight into some of the cultural conflicts in the country and the ways in which people are managing to survive. It will probably encourage visitors to get out of their resorts and explore the countryside by car on their own Cuba tour.

But for all these insights the most powerful message of the movie is not a political one. In Jorgita and Malu we see the embodiment of a perfect friendship that is driven to the point of destruction by the selfishness of their parents. We see the world through the eyes of both adults and children and are left in no doubt which have show the greater levels of wisdom.

As for the ending, well I won’t spoil it for you. It is an excellent movie and one that I would recommend to anyone. It’s enough to say that you’ll need those tissues close to hand!

Photo: Henryk Kotowski via Wikimedia Commons

Next time you visit Cuba and stay at one of the Iberostar hotels, we encourage you to get out  and explore the countryside.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

There are of course a bunch of Mexican patriotic holidays that come around every year.  But that’s caught on most outside Mexico is Cinco de Mayo – especially in the next-door United States, most notably out on the West Coast, but really, pretty much wherever there’s a taco/burrito/ chimichanga emporium (I mean, when you’ve reached Omaha…).  As with St. Patrick’s Day, for many CDM has had its origins obscured and become just another excuse for carousing, so I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone what in fact is behind this momentous occasion whose name is nothing more than the Spanish for “the fifth of May.”

When in 1861 the Mexican republic’s iconic president Benito Juárez declared a two-year stop-payment on debts to European creditors, the relevant countries actually sent warships to collect (yeah, it was a slightly different time). One of them, France under Napoleon III, decided to go one further by trying to set up a pro-French empire in Mexico. So the hotshot French army landed and took Veracruz but then, amazingly, got its cul kicked by a Mexican force just half its size near Puebla. This Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla was naturally a big-time boost for the young country’s national unity and patriotism.

And though in 1864 France finally got its wish and installed Austrian Habsburg Archduke Maximilian as “emperor,” in spite of actually instituting some pretty humane reforms, just three years later Max ended up getting deposed and put in front of a firing squad, and good ol’ Benito was back in the saddle again.

Ironically, these days Cinco de Mayo festivities are actually more widespread in the States and elsewhere than in Mexico itself, where it’s most touted in and around Puebla and in some of the border areas and tourism centers (such as Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Cozumel, where Iberostar has its Mexico resorts). But regardless, as a celebration of Mexican pride, bravery, and overcoming overwhelming odds, this one’s totally a keeper.

Photo | iStock/Kelly Richardson Photography

If you plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico next year, you should stay at one of the  Iberostar Hotels!

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Winner of the “New Website Contest”

We’re so excited to tell you who won our Contest! But, before we get to the actual winner, here are the answers to our contest’s three questions:

  1. How many countries have an Iberostar Hotels & Resorts?  
    16

      2.   How many logos can you find in our Iberostar Hotels & Resorts homepage?
           7

      3.    What’s the image of the Iberostar destination shown on the header of this contest?
              Playa Bavaro, Dominican Republic

So, did you get ‘em all right?

Unfortunately there could only be one winner, chosen by random drawing.  A hearty congratulation to Keri Robertson! We hope you’ll tell us all about your trip!

And the rest of you, don’t despair, guys. Stay tuned, because we’ve got a lot more cool contests coming soon.

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Trinidad, Cuba’s Sweetest Colonial Sugar Plum
Trinidad, Cuba

Trinidad, Cuba

Certainly Cuba has no shortage of charming Spanish colonial and early post-colonial architecture, from Pinar del Río out west to Santiago in the east. But for me the place that most makes me feel like I’ve actually stepped into the past of a century or more ago is Trinidad (Spanish for “trinity”), an almost ridiculously photogenic UNESCO World Heritage Site which in 2014 will commemorate its 500th anniversary.  In the province of Sancti Spiritus, on the south coast of the island’s midsection, it can be visited as a day trip from Havana or the resorts of Varadero or Cayo Coco – but to really soak up the singular atmosphere, I highly recommend spending at least one night here, and a stylish, luxurious choice is the 40-room Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad on peaceful little Céspedes Park.

Once you’re settled in, there are several interesting little museums to see, as well as landmarks just outside town like the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills) and nearby beaches such as Playa Ancón. But more than anything else, the main appeal here, for me at least, is just spending a leisurely day and evening strolling (or perhaps riding in one of the horse-drawn carriages that have proliferated to cater to the tourist trade) along the cobblestone streets of the historic center. And don’t forget to have a bite in one of the paladares (private restaurants), as I do on all my visits (that gives you the double bonus of a peek at a local home; last time I dined in a lovely tiled courtyard that I would’ve never seen from the street outside). And nighttime is even more delicious. The sun can be bright and the heat  intense during the day, but when the sun goes down, the calles come aglow with streetlamps and often echo with chatter and music drifting from bars and restaurants.

You know, some might tell you that it’s too late, that Trinidad has already been Disneyfied and commoditized and ruined by mass tourism, but don’t let them discourage you. Because while it’s true that the growth of tourism has certainly changed the town since I first started visiting in the late 1990’s, there are still plenty of quiet corners to discover, where you can still very much feel the vibe of the past in one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved historic towns, de la Cuba de antaño – of the Cuba of yesteryear.

Photo| Jzielcke



Next time you travel to Cuba , stay at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad on peaceful little Céspedes Park. Located in a quiet art of town but still only a 10 minute stroll to the famous Casa de Musica.

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Vanilla Flan (Vanilla Custard)

“Flan” is the Spanish name for vanilla egg custard, topped with caramel sauce. Flan makes a great finish to any meal because even though it is sweet, it is a light dessert.

  Ingredients for 4:

2.5 cups of milk
 100 g of sugar
 4 eggs
2 vanilla beans

 Caramel Ingredients

 150 g of sugar
1/4 tsp. of water

Directions:

Put a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar. With a wooden spoon, keep the sugar moving constantly in skillet until sugar is completely melted, and of a rich medium brown color (caramelized). Pour the caramel into dish. 

In another saucepan boil the milk with the vanilla.  Meanwhile in a mixing bowl add the eggs beat slightly, Mix in the sugar. Stirring constantly, gradually add hot Milk. Pour the mixture into the dish that already has the caramel.

Place the filled casserole dish into a larger pan and add 1 inch of HOT water to the outer pan. Bake at 150 ° C for about 25 minutes.

Bon appetit!

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