Posts Tagged ‘Heart’

Exploring Los Santos, The Beating Heart Of Panama

Despite languishing in relative obscurity behind Panama’s more prominent draws like the Canal, the Pearl Islands and Bocas del Toro, the Los Santos province of Panama should rightly be considered one of the country’s liveliest regions. It is fairly bursting at the seams with cultural celebrations, natural attractions, beautiful beaches and adventure. It is no surprise then, that it is now becoming the site of intense international interest, as celebrities and tourists flock to Panama’s heartland.

Los Santos is a curious blend of real-world cowboy country, seaside magic, folkloric charm and thousands of years of history, all of it inhabited by incredible tropical biodiversity. It’s a place where quiet pastures stretch endlessly into the horizon, bordered by miles and miles of nearly deserted sandy coastline, and occasionally broken by the dramatically rounded hills that stand guard over the southern coast.

Today, a Panama real estate frenzy is building in the quiet, rural province, in particular on the Azuero Peninsula, which takes up the lion’s share of the Los Santos territory. Surfers, travellers, international celebrities, sportfishers and real estate buyers are all making their way along the PanAmerican Highway to see what the fuss is all about.

“There’s no doubt there is a magnetic pull to Los Santos, and we find that many of our clients are those who heard about it from someone else – it’s not yet fully on the radar, but those that have been here immediately fall in love,” says Daniel Rudasevski of Andromeda Ocean Estates, a luxurious beachfront gated community under way in Pedasí,Los Santos.

Los Santos: Sea, Sun, Sand and Surf

If Panama’s more well known attractions tend to eclipse that fact that it is indeed a lush, tropical country with as much coastline as inland, a visit to Los Santos serves as an excellent reminder. An undeniably huge part of the Los Santos charm lies in the miles and miles of virtually deserted beaches that extend into the Azuero Peninsula.

“We are fortunate in having two beautiful pristine beaches framing our community,” says Mr Rudasevski of Playa El Toro and La Garita, which spill before Andromeda Ocean Estates, “but in truth there is so much to choose from here – the peninsula is ringed with great beaches.”

The Pacific waters are warm year-round, lapping onto more than 50 miles of light and dark sand beaches. At night, pregnant sea turtles lumber up sandy slopes to lay their clutches of eggs; during the daytime, they can be seen lingering in shallow waters, along with brightly coloured tropical fish, majestic rays, and vast schools of game fish.

Of note is Isla Cañas, thickly fringed with mangroves, which receives thousands of nesting turtles on its kilometers-long beaches at night.

Many of the beaches – in particular Playa Venao at the southernmost end of the peninsula in the Pedasí district – are beginning to gain notoriety in the surfing world for consistent breaks with a lot of elbow room.

A Taste of Caribbean Splendor: Isla Iguana

If miles of pristine beaches and curling waves aren’t enough to grip the imagination, then Los Santos has another trick up its sleeve: a postcard-perfect Caribbean island, set mysteriously in the Pacific Ocean.

Isla Iguana, an island nature reserve in sight of the peninsula’s southern coast is Pedasí’s sweetest calling card: blinding white sands, swaying palm trees, and a heartbreaking coral reef fanning out beneath crystal-clear waters.

Isla Iguana sits in full view of Andromeda Ocean Estates, and was a significant factor in choosing the site.  “This took our location from special to extraordinary,” says Mr Rudasevski.

Day-trippers can visit Isla Iguana easily by hiring a local panga to make the 20-minute trip from the mainland, and spend the day snorkelling in warm, shallow waters thronging with colorful marine life, or languish on the islands two power-soft beaches, while watching storms of frigate birds circle endlessly overhead.The island is a major nesting site for the frigata magnificens, and home to several species of iguanas and lizards.

Drop Me a Line: the Sport-Fisher’s Boon

The waters off Los Santos are a fisherman’s bounty, offering plenty of big game fish – sailfish and marlin, for example – and many more tasty dinner catches, such as yellowfin tuna and red snapper. The south end of the peninsula is so well-travelled by big schools of tuna migrating and spawning that it is known as the “Tuna Coast”, bringing notoriety to Pedasi fishing.

“You hardly need to leave the shore to start hauling in big game,” marvels Mr Rudasevski. “There’s no doubt this is a major attraction for our homeowners – you can catch a delicious meal in less than an hour, and be home to cook it minutes later.”

Birds to Bikes: the Wilder Side of Los Santos

Though much of the original tropical forest cover was cleared to make way for cattle pastures, there remains plenty of wildlife to fascinate the dedicated animal lover. In particular, Panama is the home to, and a stop for, nearly a thousand bird species, including some of the world’s rarest. Amateur ornithologists will find themselves well rewarded at the pond in Pocri, just north of Pedasí, where dozens of bird species alight to court, mate, raise young, or just rest their wings for a moment.

Scuba divers will find a plethora of marine life in the coastal waters, particularly around Isla Iguana and the Frailes Islands. Several species of rays, including manta rays, sharks, trumpetfish, sea turtles, seahorses, octopus and a thousand variegated fish congregate in the balmy waters.

For those who prefer more activity, the smoothly-paved hilly roads are the perfect base for long-distance cycles, with plenty of opportunity for heading off-road. For a more organic means of travel, horseback riding is possibly the preferred choice in Los Santos cowboy country – you’re unlikely not to share the road with horses and riders rounding up a herd of cattle, or making their leisurely way home at the end of a long day in the field.

Three’s a Crowd, Four’s a Party: Los Santos Fiestas

No mention of Los Santos would be complete without the colorful outbursts that punctuate every town, seemingly every weekend: the fiestas. There are no end of reasons to celebrate in Los Santos, whether religious or commemorative, or simply a matter of long-held tradition. The most riotous celebration of all is the five-day Carnival, and the town of Las Tablas is renowned for its frenzied merriment, with lavish parades presided by lovely girls in traditional hand-stitched gowns called polleras, dancing, fireworks, masks and traditional music.

Other noteworthy fiestas are the Corpus Christi, a religious festival in Ciudad la Villa de Los Santos, which blends Christian rites with dances celebration ancient pagan worship; La Mejorana in Guararé, a music festival that features the province’s traditional instruments after which the festival is named; and Easter Week, or Semana Santa, which is celebrated throughout the province and is a major national holiday. But most weekends will find some cause for festivity, and each small town will have its own distinct expression and tradition.

Those interested in even older traditions will take interest in Los Santos’ pre-colonial history, with architectural digs in the northern end of the province revealing settlements dating back thousands of years.

A Place to Hang Your Panama Hat: Buying a Home in Los Santos

All of these attractions have begun to lure real estate developers, celebrities, retirees and second-homeowners to Los Santos in search of the perfect piece of property to call their own. Celebrities such as Michael Jordan, Mel Gibson, Mick Jagger and the Prince of Liechtenstein all have properties in the Pedasí district, and many more of the rich and famous are spending time in Los Santos.

“The amount of interest this area has generated is phenomenal, but somehow it remains that quiet, out-of-the-way secret spot you’ve just discovered. It has not lost its innocence,” says Mr Rudasevski. “Andromeda Ocean Estates is intent on preserving that.”

Despite its potent charms, the Los Santos province remains true to its roots, tranquil and authentic, the perfect place to hang your hat.

A Day at the Races in the Heart of Hong Kong

Hong Kong has often been compared to Singapore for its booming economy, shopaholic population and its technology loving multitudes. An Asian city that is bereft of the organized chaos that is Bangkok or the cultural overdose of South Asian giant India, Hong Kong is known for its west-oriented values, neatly manicured streets and MRTs. Hong Kong to many in the region at least is at first a food loverâ??s paradise owing to its culturally diverse and adventurous populace. Home to such well-known attractions as Victoria Peak, Big Buddha and Hong Kong Disneyland, this vibrant city is also where the shopping district Mongkok, Lamma Island and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is located. But thereâ??s more to Hong Kong than itsâ?? towering sky scrapers, abundant food courts and trendy nightclubs. Even a decade after it was handed over by the British to mainland China, Hong Kongâ??s image is synonymous with a modern day metropolis that is fast paced with an ever-growing appetite for the finer things in life. And it seems though the British rule over this island nation seems to have receded in to the backdrop, its cultural influence has left an indelible mark on the countryâ??s social landscape. This is why Hong Kong is renowned as a horse racing hotspot in Asia. As an equestrian sport that has captivated the world for centuries, horse racing finds its origins in the Chariot races of Ancient Rome. A permanent fixture in Norse mythology, horse racing was the sport of royalty, who sped across palace grounds on thoroughbreds to the cheers of Noble men. Coupled with gambling from its inception, horse racing today remains a sport of the elite although unlike centuries past, the average traveller can also have a stake in the winning steed of his choice. Famed for its adrenaline rushing, nail biting atmosphere, horse racing was first conducted in Hong Kong during British winters. But looking at the Hong Kong populationâ??s insatiable appetite for the sport it is difficult to trace its roots in the countryâ??s colonial past as horse racing is ardently followed by locals of all stature. The Hong Kong racing calendar culminates in the Hong Kong International Races which consist of five events that attract horse racing enthusiasts from around the world. Home to two top-notch race courses, Happy Valley and Sha Tin Racecourse, the betting process in the venues are generally handled in a pari-mutuel system. Described as one of the regionâ??s premier race courses Sha Tin Racecourse can host up to 83,000 people at a time and also has the longest Diamond Vision screen at 70.4 metres width and a height of 8 metres. Built in 1978, the thrilling atmosphere of a day at the races is best experienced here while the Happy Valley Racecourse has offered night racing from 1973 onwards. As the nationâ??s first race course, Happy Valley is now home to a state of the art track and live horse races broadcast. Come September and all of Hong Kong is buzzing with horse racing fever as the annual horse racing tour is about to commence. Running through till July these are marked months on racing loverâ??s calendars as the spectacle of this refined sport captivates locals and tourists alike. For those who are interested in learning of the history of this much loved sport, visit the Hong Kong Racing Museum where the past is revisited with unmatched fervour. Pleasantly situated, Hotel Jen is an excellent Hong Kong Island hotel located close to the race tracks. Charming and comfortable this cosy rest is a premier tourist hotel in Hong Kong

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Heart to heart

Heart to heart
NEWMAN – Valentine’s Day is Sunday, a day to celebrate love, romance, and the blessing of finding one’s soul-mate, which is exactly what George and Verbena Schoppet of Newman did when their life paths crossed in early adulthood, after years of living within a stone’s throw of one another.

Read more on The West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard

Honeymoon Destinations To Flutter Your Heart

There are myriad honeymoon destinations around the world for wedding couples to choose from. You could, for instance, hole up in a cabin in the Alps, go horse riding in Ireland or try to spot the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. But these options will all be pretty damp and dreary and, well, kind of depressing. If you are in the mood for a dazzling selection of wonderland adventures to choose from, look at Southern Africa-, mainland Africa- and Indian Ocean island getaways for newly married couples; the ultimate African honeymoon in a range of destinations that epitomises romance and indulgence.

We offer a vast array of honeymoon destinations to choose from, leaving the final decision up to you. Select an African safari at Sayari Camp in Tanzania, where you will overlook the Serengeti plains which are home to vast numbers of wildlife, as well as the renowned annual migration of thousands of wildebeest and zebra. Here you can feast on champagne, scrumptious bush breakfasts and incredible views across the magnificent Serengeti from dawn until dusk.

There are also African honeymoon choices for those who enjoy seclusion, privacy, solitude, tranquility and silence; where your only interruptions are the hush of the wind on savannah grasses or a distant call from a Pied Kingfisher. Or you may be more drawn to Jacks Camp, an enchanting moonlight desert vacation venue situated at the very heart of Botswana. Dinner in the hauntingly beautiful landscape of the Makgadigadi Pans is sure to be a peaceful experience. Jack’s Camp is a 1940s safari style campground where the colonial setting of the buildings and decor will truly have you stepping back in time. Alternatively, you may prefer to visit the Naibor tented camp on the Masai Mara. Here you can indulge in romance in the clouds whilst overlooking the ultimate wildlife destination in a hot air balloon from a brand new perspective. Float above the Mara sunrise, followed by a celebratory champagne breakfast. The thrills are endless when the sky’s the limit.

If you are an island style couple, then Azura in Mozambique is the place for you. The ultimate in escapism and luxury, here you can expect to be treated to fresh seafood, private beach dinners in front of your own villa, and saturated candlelight – book your island getaway at Azura now. Another island venue you might consider is Manda Bay in Kenya, an exotic beach resort hotel nestled on the tropical island, Manda. Here you can indulge in castaway picnics on deserted beaches, and feel like the only two people who exist in the world.

If you have ever dreamt of an African honeymoon these options are sure to conjure up delight. For both of you, this honeymoon may be the only opportunity to be pampered and spoilt for a long while. You may want to celebrate your marriage by starting at the decadent Lion Sands Ivory camp on the Sabie River bank. Travel to the Kruger National Park to the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge hideaway, leaving the hum of the city behind you. This private reserve allows you to dine under a blanket of African stars whilst soaking up spa time during the day. This really is heaven on earth.

For the experience of a lifetime, book a vacation to one of our top honeymoon destinations today – you will be spoilt for choice with the options available. Happy honeymooning!