USA travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

There is an unwritten low that the most beautiful places are awkward to get to – the farther away, the more isolated, the better. Gite D’Indaiatiba is just such a place. Situated in rain forest between Sao Paulo and Rio, it is hidden in a dense vegetation at the end of a rocky, precarious dirt track 7 miles (12 km) away from the beachside of Paraty.
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Xara Palace was built right into Madina’s ramparts by Sicilian grandees back when the Crusader Knights of St. John ruled the island of Malta. A decade ago, a local family bought the derelict castle and spent years renovating and decorating it with Maltese antiques and paintings. They did a fantastic job, from planting olive trees in the atrium to putting an authentic wind-up gramophone on the landing. The contemporary restaurant on the roof has panoramic views to the coast that attract diners from all over the island, and the intact history of Mdina is known locally as ”The Silent City’‘ because traffic is normally banned from its maze of narrow alleyways between towering palaces, convents and churches. Photo by: Michel27
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A regular on ”world’s best hotel” lists, Robert Redford’s rustic Sundance resort is unique. It sits in 6,000 acres (2,425 ha) of wilderness on the slopes of the 12,000 foot (3,660-m) Mount Timpanogos. Rivers burble and birds sing in summer, in winter, mugs of hot chocolate steam beside a crackling fire waiting for skiers to return. The cozy rooms feature American quilts and Native American will hangings, and the food is superb, whether in The Foundry, praised by Zagat’s for its luxury brunch, or the five-star restaurant. Photo by: Mike In Park City
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Tucked away in the San Juan Mountains, this romantic old mining town turned resort offers a refreshingly new tourist experience. Although the town where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are rumored to have hidden after robbing a bank in Telluride in 1889 may appear sleepy, nothing could be further from the truth. There is abundance of activities to satisfy even the most hyper vacationer.
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There are countless eco-lodges in Costa Rica. Few, however, live up to the environmental credentials as well as La Cusinga on the country’s Pacific Coast. All of the lodge’s cabins and furniture have been made using wood grown on-site in a sustainable plantation, electricity is provided by hydro and solar power, and food served there is harvested locally or caught fresh from the ocean. The place offers a supreme level of comfort and cooking, allowing you to relax in a glorious natural setting without feeling too guilty about the environmental impact of your actions. Photo by: velotech
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A stunning seventeenth-century colonial harbor town on Brazil’s Costa Verde, Paraty is a perfectly preserved UNESCO World Heritage site. Paraty meaning ”river of fish” in the Tupi language, was founded in 1667. The town’s growth was based on its location at the end of the Gold Trail connecting Rio and Europe to the gold mines in Minas Gerais by the sea. Photo by: Rodrigo_Soldon
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On the edge of a small fishing village in the heart of a natural park, Picinguaba Pousada is a relaxing hotel in a former colonial mansion run by unpretentious Brazilian couple. It sits on the stunning Costa Verde (green coast), a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of spectacular landscapes. Photo by: Jacada Travel
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