| Paradise
For Pennies |
| Vacation
To Isla Margarita |
| by Jean E. Middleswarth |
| It’s all true!
Those
folks who’ve found their mecca on Isla Margarita, and have shared their
thoughts with you, tell it like it is! Gentle tropical breezes, the azure
blue Caribbean, exquisite views, fun of all types, friendly and welcoming
people.
And, with the
current exchange rate, all for pennies a day! After a most memorable vacation,
this is definitely my Paradise for vacations to come!
I figured it
out. My week in Isla Margarita cost me less than a week at Myrtle Beach. |
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| My traveling
companion and I selected the Portofino Resort Complex package. Located
on the northeast coast of Isla Margarita just next to the popular Playa
El Agua beach area, the well-groomed and well-managed Portofino Resort
has everything you could want or need.
Enjoy the clean
and comfortable accommodations and the beautiful grounds. There are several
pools for “quiet”, “sports” or “fun” activities. The Portofino boasts several
open-air buffet restaurants (with the comfortable temperature, almost everything
in Isla Margarita is open-air), an air-conditioned ala carte restaurant
(with food as delicious as I’ve tasted anywhere), and even a pizza/hamburger
snack bar.
Eat any time
you’re hungry. Our vacation package included all the food you could
eat and all the local beverages you could drink at the several resort bars.
(“Local” means locally sold brands of beer, wine and liquor. We sampled
generously and found them all quite good.)
We were treated
like royalty! The management and the staff bent over backward to make our
stay pleasant. |
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| Bill O’Brien,
the
President of Veterans Vacations and a resident of the Portofino at
the time of our stay, was a gracious host.
He supplied
us with tips on local attractions, scheduled our island jeep expedition,
suggested shopping trips, provided real estate information, translated
for us on numerous occasions, and provided us assistance through his vast
local network.
It was the
middle of May when we vacationed - not yet “high” season. We were the
only Americans (you could tell because we were the only ones using
sunscreen), along with several Europeans.
Many Columbians
and Venezuelans vacation at the Portofino. Personally, I liked being among
the local folks. It was fun immersing in the local culture, and we were
treated like one of the “family”. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| No military
connections? No problem.
According to
the www.veterans-vacations.com website, you can qualify by joining www.military.com
(no cost). The www.veterans-vacations.com staff made every effort to make
our vacation effortless and enjoyable, although we were not veterans ourselves.
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No question
about it! Isla Margarita is a vacation in Paradise! I exchanged $200
US for Bolivars (the official exchange rate in May 2005 was 2150 B’s/$1
US, and we got an even better exchange on the local market).
I bought gifts,
ate out a couple of times, took taxi’s here and there, and still had a
bunch of B’s to spare. Some of those B’s went for exit taxes (count on
almost $100 US in entrance and exit taxes in Venezuela).
Some B’s
are safely stowed away for my trip next year. We are definitely going
back! Where else can you get Paradise for pennies? |
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| Picture this:
For my 65th birthday dinner, we ate at a French restaurant on the beach
in Playa El Agua. VIP seating under a crescent moon and myriad stars. The
Caribbean lapping gently a few feet away, a beautiful sunset beyond
the mountains, and a gentle tropical breeze to accompany my delicious (and
inexpensive!) meal! This is Isla Margarita! Paradise for Pennies!
To contact
Jean Click Here |
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