Iberostar official blog where we can meet and decide our next travel destination
Header

Riding the waves with Elisa

julio 27th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View | THE WORLD OF IBEROSTAR - (0 Comments)

 

Riding the waves with Elisa

A dose of excitement is an essential ingredient for any memorable holiday, mixed with a few unforgettable experiences and a generous helping of lifelong memories. But if in addition to all that there’s enough to share with all our friends and family at exactly the same time as we’re savouring it, then doesn’t that make the whole experience even better and more intense?

What will Lucy and Shane think when they see Elisa riding the Caribbean waves on board a fun banana boat? Exactly. They’ll realise that they’re missing out on a holiday experience they most probably deserve more than anybody. We enjoy seeing others enjoy themselves; after all, we want only the best for ourselves and those we love. And that is what the campaign that reveals IBEROSTAR’s marvellous world of vacations is all about. A 2.0 experience in which our guests share their thoughts, sensations, joy and happiness with everyone.

And to make this possible, IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has arranged for a professional production team to film guests while they have fun telling their family and friends all about their holidays. Once recorded, the video message will be sent to the recipients, while guests continue to have a fabulous time at some of the world’s finest resorts. But that’s not all: they will also have the chance to see via their webcams the recipients’ reactions when the messages arrive from our fabulous destinations.

More info at iberostarconnection.com

, , , , , , ,

Los Bandoleros: Vin Diesel in the Dominican Republic

abril 10th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

fast & furious

Short movies

Those of a certain age might remember when a trip to the cinema usually involved two movies: the one you’d paid to go and see and a short film, usually no more than 15 minutes, that was quite likely a director’s first attempt at getting noticed by a wider audience. Those days are long gone, but look closely and you will find the occasional short film still being produced, often being added as a bonus on a DVD and telling a back-story to the main feature.

Fast and Furious

One such example is the 20 minute movie Los Bandoleros, directed by the one and only Vin Diesel and shot in the Dominican Republic. Action movie buffs and fans of  Vin Diesel films will be familiar with the five The Fast and the Furious films, in which Vin Diesel and friends race a whole array of fast cars, carry lots of bank notes in suspicious sacks and spend most of their time in the company of the type of beautiful girls your parents probably warned you about.

Los Bandoleros served as a prequel to Fast and Furious, the imaginatively-titled fourth installment in the series. At the start of Fast and Furious Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his crew are hijacking fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic, but the reasons for them being in the country are not so clear. This is where Los Bandoleros helps to fill the gap in the story. The short story tells the tale of how the gang reform in the Dominican Republic and includes the small matter of a jail break to get everyone back together.

Perhaps the best thing about short movies such as Los Bandoleros is that they can be watched free of charge and without any fuss. In fact the whole movie is available on Youtube in two installments. The producers are presumably happy for it to be distributed widely as it helps promote the main movie.

The Perfect Beach?

The Dominican Republic also comes out well from Vin Diesel’s short movie. He is a self-confessed admirer of the country and it was no surprise it was chosen as a filming location. Check out the final scenes played out on the stunning Caribbean beach with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez; you may just want to drop everything and find your own way to this tropical paradise.

Photo: riccardodivirgilio on Flickr

If you ever decide to drop everything and find your way to this tropical paradise, stay at one of the Iberostar Hotels in  Dominican Republic.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gallipoli & The Loss of Innocence

marzo 27th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Destroyed buildings around Gallipoli

Gallipoli The Movie

Ask most Americans to think of famous actors in a war movie and their thought will immediately turn to Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan or Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor. Ask the same question to the average Australian and they will be almost unanimous in naming Mel Gibson for his role as Frank Dunne in the classic movie Gallipoli. Indeed despite the movies Mel Gibson had starred in before the release of Gallipoli, many consider this to be the film that made him an A list star.

The 1981 film by Peter Weir is set against the backdrop of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915, in which around 100,000 men were killed including many from Australia and New Zealand. The sacrifice of those involved in the terror of the Turkish trenches is commemorated each day on April 25th, known across Australia and New Zealand as ANZAC Day.

From Innocence to War

The story begins in western Australia and centres on two young men and how they went to war. Archie is an innocent young man who is greatly influenced by his uncle’s reading of the Jungle Book. He decides that just as it was time for Mowgli to leave the wolves who raised him and make his own way in the big bad world, so he too needed to become a man and fight in the military. He meets Frank at an athletics carnival and they travel together to Perth to enlist for military service.

Their journey takes them through exotic Cairo where the young men live it up in the bars and brothels of the city before being dispatched to the hellish scenes of Gallipoli in Turkey. The scenes vividly portray the brutality of trench warfare, with the two men fighting desperately for the Allies while seeing death and destruction pile up around them.

Ironically none of the scenes were shot in Turkey, with all of the battle sequences carefully recreated in South Australia. Only the scenes at the Pyramids and in the bazaars were filmed in Egypt.

Go to Turkey today and you’ll find that the battlefields at Gallipolli provide a sombre but highly recommended visit for those wishing to learn more about the history of the bloody battle fought here almost 100 years ago. From Antalya resort and all along the holiday coast you’ll find excursions that take visitors to the scenes of the 1915 battle and allow them to pay their respects to the fallen and get a glimpse of how difficult life would have been for the troops in 1915.

The trenches have long gone but the sacrifices made by the young men in battle make this a hugely important places to visit for those whose ancestors fought and paid the ultimate price.

Photo:  By NA (Turkish General Staff)

, , , , , , , ,

License to Snorkel: James Bond on the Yucatan Coast

marzo 1st, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

IslaMujeres

Looking back at the 22 James Bond movies made so far, it’s hard to pick one that is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be the best. The chances are that License to Kill is unlikely to be too many people’s favorite: Considered to be one of the weakest movies by the critics, Tom Hibbert of Empire described Timothy Dalton’s performance as “quite hopeless” while Entertainment Weekly slammed the movie’s Bond girl Pam Bouvier as “a nagging pest”. Others however have defended the movie, claiming it is one of the most faithful to the Bond in Ian Fleming’s novels.

The production of License to Kill was fraught with problems from the beginning. While every previous Bond film had been produced at UK studios, a change in tax laws had meant that it was no longer feasible to use the British Pinewood studios and so an alternative had to be sourced. The problems continued post-production with the original name for the film, License Revoked, considered a poor choice in the US. As a result all marketing materials had to be re-created to reflect the change of movie title.

Isla Mujeres

Much of Licence to Kill was set in Mexico, with Mexico City playing the part of the Republic of Isthmus. Underwater filming meanwhile took place around Isla Mujeres near Cancun on the Yucatan coast. The island, although undergoing much development in recent years, remains a charming retreat from the busy coastal resorts it faces on the mainland.

For those on a Mexican vacation Isla Mujeres is an easy day trip from Cancun, with visitors able to visit Dolphin Discovery or take Whale Shark tours in the summer months. Renowned for its clear waters and excellent snorkeling and scuba diving, it is no wonder that the production team chose to film their water-based sequences on Isle Mujeres.

A Bond Farewell

License to Kill was something of a watershed for the James Bond story. It was Dalton’s final appearance as Bond before being replaced by Piers Brosnan. Others, too, made their Bond farewell in this film, including Robert Brown as ‘M’ and Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny.

Whatever the merits of the movie, however, few can argue that one of its stars was the stunning Yucatan peninsula and its underwater marvels.

Live your own James Bond adventure at Iberostar’s stunning Yucatan resorts… or just veg on the beach. With a plethora of fun activities for kids and adults alike, it truly is up to you.

Photo | Ezarate

, , , , , ,

‘Our Man in Havana’: A Most Unlikely Spy

febrero 21st, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

While the Caribbean may have provided a backdrop to the world’s most famous spy, it was also home to one of the most unlikely heroes in the world of fictional espionage. Written in 1958, only a few months before Fidel Castro seized power in the Cuban revolution, Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana presents a damning picture of comical incompetence at the top levels of the British intelligence services.

An Unwilling Spy

Jim Wormwold may not match James Bond for his glamorous life as a secret agent, but Greene’s character makes the most of a difficult situation to become a big player in pre-revolutionary Havana. A modestly successful vacuum cleaner salesman, Wormwold is unwillingly recruited to keep an eye on activities in Cuba for the British government. At first unhappy to get involved, he soon sees the opportunity to provide for his demanding daughter the lifestyle she so craves. When he has nothing to report, he soon lets his imagination go wild and the resulting excitement he creates in London and Havana soon spins out of control.

Havana Bar

Like all good novels by Graham Greene, the main action takes place in a series of seedy bars and involves lead characters whose lives are often dominated by the need for their next drink. As the plot unravels we are taken through many of Havana’s well-known watering holes, including some of the same ones previously frequented by that other famous Havana drinker, Ernest Hemingway (like the Floridita pictured above, birthplace of the daiquiri).

It is remarkable that Greene wrote this story so close to the Cuban revolution. What is yet more surprising is that in 1959 he was given permission by the newly formed Castro regime to make the movie of the book. It was a time of chaos and with the regime not yet aligned with the Soviets, the film producers were given free rein to do as they pleased. As a result, Our Man in Havana remains one of the few outside productions shot freely in communist Cuba.

Cuba Today

Visit Cuba in 2012 and you’ll find plenty of references to Hemingway in the bars of its capital city. You are of course unlikely to find Wormwold’s vacuum cleaner shop, although if you do you might want to speak quietly as you pass by. After all, spies do come in the most unlikely of guises.

Photo | Wagner T. Cassimiro “Aranha”

, , , , , , ,

World’s Sexiest Woman in Brazil: Alessandra Ambrosio

enero 27th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

Brazil is famous for many things: long stretches of golden beaches, lush jungles inhabited by jaguars, all-night-long parties, beach volleyball and most of all, beautiful people. Sultry, sexy and hot – the beauty queens and supermodels of Brazil have long given it a reputation as the land of the world’s most alluring women. From Gisele Bundschen to Adriana Lima (just to name a couple), the list of supermodels who hail from Brazil is longer than that of any other country in the world.

World’s Sexiest Women

One of the hottest Brazilian models in the fashion industry these days is Alessandra Ambrosio (right), a native Brazilian who’s rocked the world with her smouldering good looks and charisma. In her successful career as a top model, Ambrosio is best known as the face of American lingerie brand, Victoria’s Secret. She appeared on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for the first time in 2000, and continues to steal the limelight ten years on. Her biggest headliner was the runway walk she did in 2005 wearing lingerie made entirely out of candy. As the spokesmodel for Victoria’s Secret, she’s been dubbed by the media as one of the world’s sexiest women. She was also chosen as one of People magazine’s annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007 .

Ambrosio’s Brazil

While there are probably few chances of finding Ambrosio sun-bathing on the beach, there are certainly other ways to get acquainted with her and her hometown of Florianópolis, Brazil, where she currently lives with her husband and daughter. Florianópolis is the capital of the state of Santa Catarina and boasts a beautiful setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

To start your tour of the city, head to the most beautiful building in town, the Catedral Metropolitana, and then wander through the Municipal Market to experience Brazil’s culinary offerings. But the star of Florianópolis has got to be the beaches – all 42 of them – wild, undisturbed and absolutely stunning. Head to any beach in Florianopolis and you’ll be teased by a smorgasbord of beautiful girls spotting gorgeous tans and clad in skimpy bikinis. If that’s not enough of beach bumming for you, be sure to include Salvador da Bahia and Rio de Janeiro – home to the best beaches in Brazil – in your itinerary!

Photo | over_kind_man

, , , , , , ,

Man vs. Wild: Bear Grylls in Mexico!

enero 10th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

He’s known for his gut-wrenching survival skills and daredevil stunts. He’s sliced open carcasses of wild animals, eaten deer droppings, wrestled alligators and used the corpse of a sheep as a sleeping bag – all in the name of survival. He’s the face of extreme adventure – he’s Bear Grylls, the host of survival TV series, Man vs. Wild.

Born Adventurer

Grylls’ Man vs. Wild show has become one of the most watched shows on the planet, reaching approximately 1.2 billion viewers around the world. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Grylls was taught how to climb and sail by his late father. Trained from a young age in martial arts, Bear then spent three years as a soldier in the British SpecialForces. It was here that he perfected many of the skills that he pits against Mother Nature. In 1998, Grylls achieved his childhood dream and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest Briton, at 23, to reach the summit of Mount Everest, just eighteen months after breaking his back. Grylls has since led numerous record-breaking expeditions which have raised over $2.5 million for children around the world.

Adventure in Mexico

In each episode of Man vs. Wild, Grylls strands himself in the inhospitable wilderness and demonstrates impressive survival techniques along the way. The show has featured Grylls performing incredible stunts like climbing cliffs, parachuting from helicopters, balloons, and planes, ice climbing, running through a forest fire and wading through rapids.

One memorable episode saw him navigating Copper Canyon in Mexico, one of the up-and-coming hiking hotspots in the country. The overall canyon system is made up of hundreds of deep, twisting gorges and it’s larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon. Parts of the canyon are so remote that they are still unmapped – without a guide, getting lost is almost guaranteed.

At the start of the episode, he gets dropped off at the top of the canyon from which he overcomes numerous obstacles to find his way down to the bottom. Along the way, he jumps into the intimidating canyon rivers, encounters flash floods and eats scorpions for energy. You’ll also see him climbing sheer cliffs, catching trouts with a makeshift needle and thread and setting up camp fires by night. In the episode, you are treated to the beautiful landscapes of Copper Canyon and the verdant greenery of Mexico that you rarely see elsewhere.  If adventure is what you’re looking for in Mexico, then you know where to go next!

Photo | RHTraveler

, , , , , ,

Pirates of the Caribbean: The True Story

diciembre 29th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Under water Ship Wreck

A little over 300 years after it was scuttled and left to lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the Quedagh Merchant was recently discovered just off the coast of the Dominican Republic. This famous shipwreck is now being opened up to the diving public as an imaginative new attraction, the Museum of the Living Sea. The story of how it got there is a real life tale of Pirates of the Caribbean and one of which Captain Jack Sparrow himself might be proud.

The Rise and Fall of Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd had arrived at Catalina Island in 1699 in the Quedagh Merchant, a ship he had recently ‘acquired.’ Kidd worked for the English government as a privateer, his task being to keep the seas clear of pirates to allow the Crown’s trading to carry on safe from attacks. Unofficially his task was also understood to include taking possession of enemy ships and it was this element of the job that landed him the prize of the Quedagh Merchant. Having been a successful privateer for many years he saw the treasures on the ship as just reward for his hard work.

His exploits by this time had caused anger and concern back in London, and having left his newly won treasure at Catalina Island he was arrested and taken to London for his trial. Despite his defense that he was only carrying out his duties, Captain William Kidd was convicted as a pirate and hung in 1701, with his corpse left on display in an iron cage for several years as a warning to others.

Shipwreck

With Kidd out of the way, the ship was quickly stripped of its gold, silver and other precious materials and cut loose to break up and fall to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.  It sailed barely 70 meters from the shore of Catalina Island before sinking, yet for some reason it lay undiscovered until 2007. Several cannons and anchors were still attached, and while the marine life had grown around the wreck it was still easy to identify it as the Quedagh Merchant.

Living Museum of the Sea

The government of the Dominican Republic has collaborated with Indiana University to open up this unique underwater museum.  Visitors can follow plaques that guide them around the wreck and offer information on the rare corals that are found at the site. It seems that after a three centuries-long pause, the Quedagh Merchant is attracting interest once again.

Photo | SeRVe Photography

, , , , ,

Why the Greek Islands Will Have You Singing “Mamma Mia!”

diciembre 2nd, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Agios ioannis mamma mia chapel

From time to time a movie comes along that does more to promote a destination than a glossy brochure or TV ad could ever manage. The Greek Islands were already renowned for their natural beauty, but thanks to a bunch of actors who were clearly having the time of their lives belting out a sequence of feel-good songs, the image of Greece that many of us have will never be the same again.

Mamma Mia – The Movie

Rarely has a movie with such a flimsy plot become such a smash hit. While the musical Mamma Mia relied on instantly recognizable ABBA songs that had the audience first humming the songs and before long dancing in the aisles, the movie has a bigger ace up its sleeve. Not only do we get to sing along to ABBA with Meryl Streep and Colin Firth but we can also sit back and enjoy the gorgeous Greek island scenery that serves as a backdrop to the movie.

The scenes flit between impossibly pretty harbours, crystal clear waters and quaint white-washed cottages before the grand finale inside a delightful little church and a picture-perfect hilltop location. Rarely has a place been shown in a better light; the Greek tourist board must have been delighted with Mamma Mia!

Filming on the Greek Islands

Mamma Mia is filmed in three locations in Greece. Most of the scenes take place on the island of Skopelos, a relatively undeveloped island that is popular with those looking to taste a little of the ‘real’  Greece. Nearby Skiathos was also used for a few scenes while the harbor that features in several scenes was actually on the Greek mainland in the tiny village of Damouchari.

In truth the producers of Mamma Mia were spoilt for choice when choosing which Greek island to use as a location for the movie, with countless pretty harbors and secluded coves to choose from. The Greek islands are quite rightly considered one of the world’s most scenic holiday spots and wherever you decide to go you won’t be far from your own Mamma Mia moment. All you need is that ability to sing the Mamma Mia music without warning as you’re enjoying the spectacular views!

Photo | Vangelis Beltzenitis

, , , ,

Jamaica’s Blue Lagoon Thrives, Minus Brooke Shields

agosto 9th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

The Blue Lagoon, Brooke Shields

If we were to take a look back at the last couple of decades of film, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find movies like “The Blue Lagoon” in terms of the nature of the story lines and the care taken with the plot, as well as the success of something so simple, sweet and childlike, but that still managed to win over more than one generation with the gentleness of the characters, the candidness of the protagonists and (why not include this in the list of reasons for success) the wonder of the film locations, where anyone in their right mind would love to be stranded.

A Travel Film, Starring Nature

“The Blue Lagoon“ is not just the name of the film that catapulted the gorgeous Brooke Shields into fame: It’s also the name of one of the most beautiful lagoons in Jamaica, with incredible coloring that changes throughout the day from jade to an unreal turquoise, plus amazing coral reefs and a tropical underwater fauna that Jacques Cousteau himself did not want to miss, let alone not share with the world.

This spot, one of the most visited on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, was originally called the Blue Hole, but after the movie was filmed in 1980 and the destination grew as one of its leading tourist attractions, the name was wisely changed and it was made clear once and for all that if you’re 15 years old and dreaming about disappearing to a desert island, this was the place you should go.

To Swim or Not to Swim

Before you start to dream of a cool swim in the beautiful lagoon, however, be aware that access to it as a swimming area has been closed off. You can now only enjoy its waters from one of the boats the locals make available to tourists so they can at least get their hands wet in such an idyllic place. There was a time when you could access the lagoon from a beach restaurant, which also served as a dock, but it was wiped out by a hurricane years ago and never replaced. Some even claim that it was a way of protesting against the excessive number of tourists who made the lagoon a poorly respected attraction. There’s no question that the characters in the film never expected to find a place with a kitchen so close to the water.

Photo | Columbia Pictures (now Sony Pictures)

, , , , ,