Right now people are looking for exotic and different destinations, on shoe string budgets.
Everything in the known world is crashing around their ears, with the stock market in the biggest bear market, for a very long time, with the ‘r’ word floating around. No-one can afford to be rash in their investments or spending. Every cent spent must count, as extra cash is in short supply.
There is however, one exotic destination that has something very special and still in everyone’s reach. It has some of the last untouched wilderness areas in the world. People still live in custom villages, the way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. A place where you can breathe the fresh air and see the brightest stars in the tropical night sky. That place is Vanuatu, in the South Pacific.
The charity, YouMe Support Foundation in partnership with winaresort.com is raffling a boutique resort in the capital of the island nation, Port Vila, only three hours by plane from Sydney, Australia.
Funds from the raffle provide non-repayable education grants for geographically and financially underprivileged children. A return airfare and one week’s accommodation is included in the 1st prize.
Later this year someone will become the proud new owner of Seachange Lodge. With it goes a tax-free income. Retirement waiting on a South Pacific island.
The raffle will assist children who cannot help themselves. “Unless we get outside help, our students will never have a chance to go to high school,” Mr Harris Apos, the Banks Area Secretary in Vanuatu said. “They will never have the opportunity to live their dreams of being a school teacher, doctor, mechanic, carpenter, or nurse. They simply have to stay in the village on the remote island.”
The Prime Minister Mr Lini, admitted, “The government does little to assist these people,” when he visited the area recently. “Sometimes all that is needed is only $US500 to bring a classroom into use.”
One exercise book is shared between several pupils and pencils broken into three pieces to give them something to write with. Qualified teachers are in the minority and often it is the recently graduated primary students who assist the younger ones. Many parents cannot read or write.
In 2006, the nation of Vanuatu, made famous by A Michener’s ‘Tales of the South Pacific’, (and the film ‘South Pacific’) was voted the Happiest Country on Earth, by the British New Economics Foundation’s (NEF), Happy Planet Index.
“The Index was based on life expectancy and environmental footprint, to rank the countries”, according to Adrienne Wilson, writing for Gadling.com on July 15th 2006.
Yet the local schools are without resources of any kind. Most of the children will never leave their villages.
“We really appreciate our guests, who since 2004 have helped us to send desperately needed school supplies to these isolated areas,” said Richard Tendys, the current owner of Seachange Lodge. “For those of us who use the benefits of the 21st century without a thought, it is good to invest in some children who hardly know the technology, that can help them, even exists.”
Vanuatu has never become commercialized like some of its South Pacific neighbours and so has maintained it own unique blend as an exotic travel destination.
It’s always something of a shock to emerge from the damp woods of British Columbia onto the bright hard candy of Whistler. Whistler Village is still basically a small sporting town with a gigantic ski area in its backyard (more gigantic than ever if you count the nearly half-million acres of backcountry that makes up the Heli Skiing area). Come dusk, when the yellow lights come on and the snowy peaks turn pink, the Village Stroll becomes a parade of apres-skiers. The 2010 Olympics may crank the party and prestige quota up another level, but the folks piling into all those cozy bars and restaurants are concerned only with tomorrow’s powder.
Considered to be one of the top ski resorts in the World, Whistler’s growth in the last 10 years has been astonishing. Whistler has a philosophy that there is ‘something for everyone’ from skiing and snowboarding in the Winter to mountain biking and golfing in the summer, as well as other recreational activities such as shopping, dining, culture and arts. With regards to accommodation Whistler not only offers ski-in / ski-out condos and chalets, it provides many other options suitable for all price ranges.
Luxury property rentals in Whistler have become increasingly popular as people seek convenience, service and all their needs to be catered for, in their need to escape for their hectic lifestyles. Accommodation in Whistler caters for all needs, from intimate 1 bedroom cabins to decadent 6 bedroom mansion style houses catering for up to 20 people. All amenities are provided and careful thought has been given to ensure the guests stay in Whistler is as enjoyable as they had hoped. Property rental in Whistler is well advanced and therefore guests have high expectations when choosing their luxury getaway in this corner of Canada.
Its reputation precedes it – for the fifth time, one of America’s most prominent ski magazines, Skiing magazine, has named Whistler the Number One Ski Resort in North America. The Daily Telegraph (UK) ranked Whistler ‘Best Ski Resort in the World’ in 2003. Ski magazine voted Whistler the 2nd best resort and TransWorld SNOWboarding rated Whistler the best resort.
With a mile-high vertical rise, Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains are nothing short of the most remarkable skiing experience. It is the largest ski able area in North America served by one of the most advanced high speed lift system featuring 15 Express lifts in a total system of 33 lifts. It has the greatest vertical rise of any ski resort in the continent. Twelve incredible bowls, three glaciers, and more than 200 marked trails offer skiers of every level and age endless enjoyment.
Whistler Blackcomb is regarded by many as the top ski resort in the world, but why is this? On the slopes, every level of skier and snowboarder is catered for — every type of terrain imaginable can be accessed by a fast and efficient lift system yet the slopes remain relatively un-crowded. Off the slopes there are about 100 restaurants and about 200 shops to try, and dozens of other sports and leisure activities.
Today, people come from all over the world to experience world class skiing and snowboarding in the Winter, and golf, hiking and mountain biking in the Summer. Whistler is unique in offering such a diverse range of activities, of such a world class standard. Luckily for the millions of visitors Whistler receives each year there is plenty to choose from when it comes to accommodation In Whistler. Luxury whistler chalets are prevalent for those who desire more comfort after a days skiing. Many of these Whistler properties are ski in / ski out offering the best in convenience and luxury in Whistler.
