Ski For $1 At Fernie Or Kimberley
You can ski for only $1 at Kimberley or Fernie with an inaugural Delta flight. You can ski for only $1 at Kimberley or Fernie with an inaugural Delta flight.
Skiers and snowboarders never find lift tickets this cheap. But a lift ticket at Kimberley Alpine Resort or Fernie Alpine Resort actually only costs $1 for early riders on Delta Airlines new service into Cranbrook, B.C. That’s a deal you can’t afford to pass up.
The new flights from Salt Lake City head direct to the Canadian Rockies International Airport beginning Dec. 17. Flights run on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The “Ski for $1″ deal is being offered by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, owner of both Kimberley and Fernie. The air-lift ticket package is only available for purchase through the ski company rather than the airline.
Inbound flights must be scheduled for Dec. 15, 20, or 21 and originate in the continental U.S. to get the $1 ski ticket deal. The offer is valid for one day of $1 skiing per airline ticket purchased. It also is based on round trip airfare.
You can purchase airline tickets with the $1 lift ticket by calling Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Central Reservations at (800)258-7669. Mention the “Ski for $1″ offer when making the booking in order to get the deal.
New Air Service = More Play Time on BC’s Powder-Packed Slopes
Getting to the snow just got a whole lot easier, thanks to new direct air service between Salt Lake City and the Canadian Rockies International Airport.
On December 17, Delta Airlines will ready the runway for its first direct flight to the Kootenay Rockies destination – and that means easier access to BC’s bountiful snow at family-favourites Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fairmont Hot Springs.
An added bonus?
With Fairmont and Fernie just a 60 minute jaunt away and Kimberley even closer at a mere 20 minutes from the Cranbrook airport, one can fly the friendly skies and buckle the bindings all in one day.
For the ultimate road trip, hit the Powder Highway, a scenic circle tour that links some of BC’s best alpine resorts, and the ideal route for discovering even more Kootenay Rockies gems.
Whitewater Ski Resort, Red Mountain Resort, Panorama Mountain Village, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and of course Fernie, Fairmont and Kimberley – along with over 50 backcountry operators offering snow-cat skiing, heli skiing, backcountry touring and nordic adventures – can all be found along the Powder Highway.
Add in fun activities like dog sledding, snowshoeing and igloo dinners, and you’ll understand why the Powder Highway is travelled by devotees the world over. And why not?
With the world’s highest concentration of powder possibilities like these all wrapped up in one great destination, you’re no more than a flight, a shuttle and a shush away!
Leading Beach Destination
The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the appointment of Cancun as Leading Beach Destination in Central America by the 2008 World Travel Awards.
The CVB expressed that this important award was given in the context of the 15th Anniversary of these annual awards given to the best of the global travel industry.
According to the organizing committee of the World Travel Awards, celebrated earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, Cancun was nominated in the category of Best Beach Destination in Central America and the Caribbean along with other tourism centers in Panama, Costa Rica, México, Nicaragua y Honduras.
It is important to mention that this same organization recognized Cancun with a similar award four years ago. The World Travel Awards designates the winners in each category according to the number of votes granted by travel agencies worldwide.
Also hosted in Orlando, the Cancun CVB attended the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) from September 7 to September 9.
As every year, the CVB participated in this meeting’s the trade show with a pavilion located right at the entrance of such an important event attended by 1,600 travel agents from the United States.
The tourism delegation representing Cancun and Puerto Morelos was formed by the NH Cancun and Puerto Morelos Hotels, The Royal Cancún, The Gran Caribe Real, Ocean Spa Cancun and the Cid Puerto Morelos, as well as Xel-Há through image exposure.
The Cancun CVB has already confirmed its attendance to this event to be held in Las Vegas next year.
Diving with the gentle giants
Cancun, Mexico – Skipper Jorge drops anchor 50 kilometres off the Mexican coastal resort of Cancun before shouting over to his partner Jose to usher two passengers with life-jackets, flippers and snorkels to the side of the vessel. Suddenly Jorge lets out a cry of “12 metres” and a huge fish, whose mouth stretches more than one-and-a-half metres across, looms into view. It approaches the boat slowly and swims alongside.
Jose and the two guests let themselves fall into the water before making their way towards the cavernous opening which could easily swallow up both of them. For its part, the whale shark seems to be ignoring the two colourful “objects” within its field of vision and it simply changes course.
The world’s biggest fish – since whales are mammals and not fish- is far more interested in looking for plankton, its main source of nourishment. Meanwhile the snorkelers are filled with a sense of wonder at the huge, brown creature in front of them. Its back is a checkerboard of pale yellow spots, its belly white and it has a pair each of dorsal and pectoral fins. The top fin of the whale shark is more than two metres high.
In the Indian Ocean, where the whale shark is often relentlessly hunted down for its meat, which is sold as a delicacy to Taiwan and other countries, snorkelers and divers have little chance of spotting the creature. In Southeast Asia the fish is an endangered species.
Close to Cancun, between the islands of Contoy and Holbox, the whale sharks are in their element. Every summer from June to September the world’s largest number of whale sharks congregate with clockwork regularity. “There are several hundred of them,” said captain Jorge. The summer months are marked by a huge aggregation of plankton off the northern end of Yucatan peninsula. It is believed the sharks come here to feed on the micro organisms which form the basis of their diet, but they also consume fish eggs and sometimes even small dolphins.
It is a fascinating spectacle as the animals swim for hours on the surface with their mouths agape to take in up to 6,000 litres of seawater an hour. They suck in the water near the surface before filtering the liquid to recover around four kilos of plankton at a time. They use their sense of smell to help locate their prey, then the huge mouth opens and the water is actively pumped over the gills. Whatever gets caught on the gills is swallowed – mostly plankton but also small fish which do not manage to get out of the way. Biologists have tagged many of the whale sharks and are able to follow their progress across thousands of miles of the world’s oceans.
One whale shark was found to have travelled nearly 900 kilometres in 31 days. “We even came across one whale shark which had been tagged in Australia,” said Jorge. For officials in Cancun and the state of Quintana Roo, the whale sharks are more than just a lucrative source of tourist income in Mexico’s most popular holiday area. The entire area off Cancun is a national park where shipping movements are strictly limited. A maximum of 15 boats a day are allowed to travel out to the whale sharks.
“Tourism does represent a risk,” admits biologist Ignacio Barat. “And we can only preserve nature if everyone adheres by the rules.”The enchanting island of Contoy is off-limits to the “whale shark boats.”
The nearly nine-kilometre-long island is largely uninhabited and has been set aside as an animal and nature reserve where no more than 200 visitors a day are permitted. It is also home to thousands of cormorants, frigate birds and pelicans who share the habitat with salt water crocodiles, iguanas and snakes.
The waters of the Caribbean Ocean around the shores of the island in the Gulf of Mexico are teeming with barracudas, sharks and dolphins. There is a small research station, a natural history museum and accommodation for four biologists who observe and carry out research.
Contoy’s pristine beauty is protected by an organisation called “The friends of the Isla de Contoy” which is chaired by the German Honorary Consul in Quintana Roo, Rudolf Bittorf. Needless to say, only a few, carefully-chose tour companies have permission to land people on this unique island.
Discover the Archeological Mysteries Hidden in Cancun
Cancun is an open door to a perfect getaway. Aside from offering the most luxurious hotels, exquisite restaurants, modern night clubs and unlimited eco-tourism and adventure possibilities, Cancun offers travelers the advantage of visiting archeological sites built more than 2,000 years ago, without traveling too far away.
El Rey (The King) Ruins, located only about 6 miles from the Cancun Center on Bulevar Kukulcan, km 17.5 was named after the discovery of an ornamented head-shaped sculpture found today at the Chetumal Archeological Museum. The site seems to have originated in 300BC; however, the structures found today date back to the year 1300AC and have a complex style resembling Tulum in Riviera Maya. Because of its privileged location between the Caribbean Sea and the Nichupte lagoon, it is believed that it was the center of a city devoted to maritime commerce and fishing. The site’s facade still shows remains of mural painting, and today serves as home to a considerable amount of birds and reptiles.
North of the city on the way to Punta Sam lays another archeological site called El Meco, named after the nickname of a local resident while its real name remains unknown. It has the tallest and most important building of the co-urban area of Cancun and the largest number of buildings devoted to civil and religious affairs. According to investigations, this place was inhabited and deserted in several occasions. In the year 1200AC thanks to its maritime activity, El Meco took an important role in the political and economic arena of the peninsula.
Also, several other ancient relics can be found in Cancun such as Yamil Luum, located at the center of the Westin Lagunamar Hotel as well as the isolated temple that can be seen at the Pok ta Pok Cancun Golf Club.
Only 2 hours away from Cancun, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza, recently declared Human Heritage and home to the impressive Kukulcan pyramid, a large calendar made of stone that is adjacent to the largest Mesoamerican ball game field. In addition, there is a Mayan astronomic observatory and The Temple of Nuns.
Twice a year, an amazing astronomic phenomenon takes place: the Spring Equinox in March 21st and the Autumn Equinox on September 22nd where the sunlight effect creates the illusion of the Kukulcan serpent descending from the top of the pyramid to fertilize the earth. This event attracts tourists from all over the world amazed to see the clarity of this event.
Another highly unknown archeological jewel near Cancun is Ek Balam, a site that started revealing its secrets during its recent discovery. Its buildings, temples and palaces are located inside a walled area indicating that it was a sacred center and political headquarter home to governors and priests. This site is located at 90 miles from Cancun and requires at least one hour to tour around the main structures.
The longest remnant of the Mayan world, Coba, is found about an hour and a half away from Cancun and was built by several communities of more than 50,000 inhabitants in a territory of 43 miles. Coba exerted economic control of the region trough a complex network of roads, and it is home to the tallest pyramid in the north of the peninsula with 42 meters high where a view of the jungle extends to the infinite.
We cannot help but mention Tulum, the walled city sitting at the edge of a cliff facing the sea. The vestiges of the city’s castle and temple are decorated with symbols of the god of bees and Venus, guardian of the coast and commerce. This is one of the most visited ruins in Mexico since it’s located at only 82 miles from Cancun.
Cancun is proud to be home to this Mayan heritage that dates back to the year 1500BC and whose influence in the city and culture can be appreciated in the architecture of hotels, local gastronomy and spa treatments offering tourists a unique experience full of traditions and history.
Escape to Beautiful Cancun
If you are considering travel to Mexico, then Cancun is a “not to be missed” destination. Cancun offers so much to see and do, nowhere else in Mexico can match it.
Cancun is less that half a day’s travel from fascinating archeological sites. Chitchen Itza, Mexico is the site of a well preserved Mayan village. You can climb what locals call “the Mexican pyramids”, or you can go inside the pyramids to see the sculpture of the jungle cat.
You can stroll across the fields where an early form of basketball was played. The hoops are high on the side walls of the arena. Knowledgeable guides will lead you through the whole site. If you go, consider staying for the night shows where the pyramids are lit with lasers and dramatic music plays.
Xel Ha Nature Park
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Also an easy travelling distance from Cancun, Mexico is Xel Ha nature park. It’s a nature preserve, water park. Here you can snorkle amongst thousands of colorful fish in a safe, secluded environment.
The lower levels of water and natural, insulated cove make it much safer than open ocean snorkelling. Yet you are still in a beautiful, natural coral reef setting.
Xel Ha is not man made.
Cancun is Mexico’s number one tourist destination at an international level, and with good reason. Marvelous climate convenient location, amazing natural and cultural attractions make this city a favorite. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily.
Cancun Towers are three luxury apartment towers that are currently being developed in the Gated Community called Puerto Cancun Mexico. Located within the Bay of Isla Mujeres, Puerto Cancun is adjacent to downtown Cancun and the hotel zone on the last stretch of untouched oceanfront.
This amazing development has everything, golf, ocean, shopping all with the peace of mind that comes with a gated community.
If you are thinking about visiting Cancun, or are looking for an investment that towers above the rest, call Irene Barnes at 250-432-9200
