Travelers' tips and advises

Bol will surprise you with its natural splendor. The Adriatic has spread its wings far and wide and cutting along the edges, are numerous shores. And close to the shoreline, there is the warm spread of golden sand. One of the most beautiful beaches in the region is Golden Cape and as the name suggests, this is where you get to see the true golden color of the sand. Bol, Croatia is not just about natural beauty; the cultural monuments are equally impressive.



In the southern portion of the Croatian islands, you will come across a vibrant resort known as Bol Brac. The summer sport activities have drawn thousands of travelers from all over the world. You can enjoy sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing and even underwater fishing in these islands. Kitesurfing may be a relatively new form of entertainment, but once you know about this activity, you will enjoy it thoroughly. As you plan your tour in, Bol Croatia, you will have to remember two important places. One of them is the Dominican monastery, and the other us known as the Dragon’s Cave which is located close to the village known as Murvica. Both of them are what you call crowd pullers. You can either catch the small taxi boats or the mini train to reach the Bol beaches.



Bol is part of Brac Island. There are two ways in which you can get acquainted with the place. You can explore the gentle coastline and marvel at its beauty, or else you can look towards the inland. In the northern coastline, you will find important establishments known as Postira, Supetar, Splitska and Sutivan. Near the western slopes, the landscape is gentler. Milna and Bobovisca are known for their industries like shipbuilding and fishing. Povlija is known mostly for the olive groves. This place is frequented by tourists from all over the world. In the southern portion of Brac, where the landscape takes a rough turn, the islands are sparsely populated. Bol, Croatia is known for its rich cultural heritage. There will be performances in theatres.



There is never dearth of entertainment in the island. You can enjoy the performances of singers, musicians and dancers. There are a number of cultural clubs which organize daily shows. Bol is known as the paradise of windsurfers. Even if you are an amateur, you can take few lessons and learn the basics which will help you. Sports enthusiasts will find ample options to keep themselves busy. Apart from windsurfing a Kitesurfing, you can join the other players in tennis courts. You will love volleyball, bowling, basketball or soccer. Paragliding can be the perfect option to explore the adjacent areas. You can start from the Vidova Gora peak. The Dragon’s Cave’s in Bol, Croatia is a rich storehouse of reliefs that shows the history of the place.



You will come to know about the fascinating lies of the Glagolithic priests who lived around 15th century. If you are a foodie, you will love to have the wild orange liqueur and have a portion of porsek. The sweet wine, which has been known as the downfall of many will linger in the mouth even after the drink is gone. You can have a bite of Plavac Mali. This is a kind of grape which is used to make the Californian wines. The restaurants will set its platter with both local and international delights. The wine selection is envious. The Bolski plavac is one thing that should not be missed at any cost. The family taverna will cook up some local specialties. After you have your fill, you can head for the nightclubs. The night is always young in Bol, Croatia, and the party will continue till daybreak.

Stockton has a lot of cheap hotels to offer their eager tourists. Everyone is craving to experience the enjoyment of relaxing in Stockton.



Stockton is superbly California’s Central Valley, near San Francisco, coastal beaches and the Yosemite National Park. This is city has been once described by a magazine as a “surprisingly exotic destination”. The beauty of Stockton is mesmerizing. It is an excellent destination for people looking for a vacation spot that merges with culture, history, exclusive shopping and culinary delights. This compelling city is proud to offer an ample heritage, a lively, up-to-date ambiance and numerous cheap Stockton hotels.



The city has a lot to bid their tourists. You can have fun in a bike ride through miles of impressive parks and trails, stroll on the Promenade and catch a glimpse of the beautiful Stockton Marina, awe at world-class works of art or explore unique crafts along the Miracle Mile. You can also sip a glass of great wine at a local winery or dine in a contemporary restaurant. There will never be a dense moment during your stay in either luxury of cheap Stockton hotels.



Cheap hotels in Stockton started to grow due to the many tourists who come back time and time again to relax in a city packed with plenty of history, the arts, good food and wine. There are many cheap hotels in Stockton which offer relaxation under the sunny skies and a ton of daily, weekly or longer stay activities that wouldn’t even ruin your budget.



Cheap Stockton Hotels



Residence Inn Stockton – This hotel is located two miles north of downtown and three miles from the University of the Pacific. They have won the hearts of their guest due to the comforts of home they offer. Residence Inn has roomy suites with separate living rooms and sleeping areas. They also offer free parking, laundry facilities, high- speed Internet and safe deposit boxes to guests. Apart from these, free breakfast is served by their very friendly staffs. For meetings and functions, the hotel has two fully equipped conference rooms to ensure the success of every event. Room accommodations for 2 guests with a queen size bed only costs $119 per night.



The Courtyard Stockton – This is one of the best yet cheap Stockton hotels in the area. It is situated just a quarter mile from the Continental Cable Vision and two miles from Crestwood Hospitals, the University of the Pacific and downtown Stockton. With 89 roomy suites and guest rooms to choose from, this hotel bid their guests the comforts of business and leisure stays.



The hotel has an outdoor pool, Spa tub and a fitness facility. Business amenities include wireless Internet access, meeting rooms for small groups and business services. It also has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Their event facility includes conference rooms and guest parking is free. Room amenities include air conditioning units and coffee/tea makers along with cable televisions with premium TV channel(s), HBO and pay movies as well as bathrooms with a nice bathtub. Room accommodations for 2 guest with a king size bed only costs $129 per night.

Imagine, having your own place in Florence, Italy. That’s always been a dream for Kim and I. So, when we went to Florence last week we tried to find a place that felt like home, but, because we’re on vacation, also feel like a 5 star hotel. With just a little research, we found it. It’s called the JK Place Hotel. After our stay, it was obvious why Travel and Leisure voted it one of the best hotels in 2010.



I don’t often go nuts over hotels, because I spend a lot of time in them and frankly it takes a lot to impress me, but the JK Place Hotel, completely, above and beyond, impressed me. It impressed me so much that I asked that manager, Claudio Meli, if he’s was willing to go on camera to talk about it.



So, what’s the big deal, why is this place so unbelievable? Oh, let me count the ways. I generally make my decisions about a hotel before I arrive. I judge them based upon what my ‘pre-trip phone calls’ are like. I sometimes call a hotel, a half dozen times before I arrive, to sort through restaurants, night life and cool things to do. Crazy, I know, but remember we are creating videos and guidebooks and our info just has to be right. This pre-trip research is my first step. Needless to say, I’m kind of a pain in the ass about these things.



When I called the JK in Florence, I was greeted by a warm friendly voice (Lorenzo) who knew who I was (and it wasn’t a jet set life thing) and who was genuinely expecting me. He really was. It was kind of like having a very cool friend in Florence, who totally ‘gets’ the vibe you’re looking for and has all the connections to make it happen.



Within 24 hours I had the perfect list of restaurants, night life and cool things to do that were broken down by specific categories (like once in a lifetime, stylish, see and be seen and cozy). The list was very tight and came with website urls and the name of the people that would be expecting us if we selected it.



After I made my picks from Lorenzo’s list, I called the hotel to book everything. I spoke with Angela, a lovely soft spoken Italian woman who was totally aware of what Lorenzo sent me and was sitting ‘on ready’ for me to green light our choices. Twenty-four hours later, I had every detail of my trip handled exactly the way I wanted. No begging. No repeated phone calls like ” who are you again”. I felt like I was Bruce Springsteen coming to stay with them. Realize, I haven’t even left America yet!



Now, for the moment of truth. After the long transatlantic flight from the states, I had to know if this place was for real or did I just get lucky with some really cool people on the phone? We arrived to one of the most beautiful squares in Florence, Piazza Santa Maria Novella, to a building with no ‘obvious’ hotel sign on it (later I noticed a small nameplate on the wall to the side). In the JK Place, the only way to gain entry, is to ring a bell.



Within seconds, Lorenzo (in Gucci from head to toe) lets us in. His first words are “you must be Rob and Kim”, second words were “can I get you a glass of wine and some lunch”? I was like, this isn’t a dream and there really is a Lorenzo! He brought us in to a sitting room that was totally hip, sexy and baroque all at the same time. He didn’t ask for a credit card, or for us to sign anything. He sincerely wanted us to relax and enjoy our first few moments in our new home in Florence.



Out from nowhere comes what can only be described as an apparition. A young 20 something, in a butlers apron, with a silver platter of wine goblets and a light amazing lunch. I asked Lorenzo to join us so we could go over his itinerary. He stopped everything he was doing and explained every single restaurant, club and event that we had scheduled, with the intellect of a historian and the warmth of a best friend.



After lunch, he brought us into what can only be called the non-check in area. Imagine a private library, like Batman had, but was totally hip and historical all at the same time. He gave us a brief tour of the hotel and gave us the keys to our room. Kim and I were escorted in the hidden elevator (you would never know it’s there; it’s cleverly hidden behind glass) to room 21.



We opened the door to our room and our heart stopped. There it was, our own private palazzo in Florence! Our room had two floors, with a window that opened up to the most amazing view of the ancient piazza (square) below. Oh yeah, there was a big bowl of fresh fruit waiting for us, with a beautiful hand written note.



I suppose, I could go on and on talking about how there are only 20 rooms and each one is different, or how the ‘pink room’ is the perfect sexy place to have a cocktail or lunch. Or how the daily torts will make your eye balls pop out (not to mention your belly). Or how there are more staff members than actual guest rooms. Or how, on a beautiful day you can lounge on the upstairs private deck and listen to the church bells announce the hour. Or how from the penthouse bathtub you have a stunning view of Florence’s famed Duomo. I’ll just tell you to get on the plane, right now, and run to the JK Place (if you’re lucky enough to get in).