Florida Villas Blog

My advice for folks looking to visit Orlando in 2010 is to book early. Already we have seen many enquiries coming in for next Summer. On top of this the peak booking time is always immediately straight after Christmas. So to avoid disappointment don’t leave it too late!

Vacation home rental has seen an increase over the last few months despite the current economic climate. This is probably due the fact that people are realising that you can have anything from 2 to 24 people staying in a vacation home, therefore making it much better value for money.

If you want to take a look and make a no obligation enquiry to our owners visit either www.perfectfloridavillas.com or www.floridavillaselite.com

We will also be offering very good value Car Hire in 2010, this will be totally safe as we intend to use a pre-paid method for booking the vehicle at either Dollar or Alamo. What this means is that unlike other companies that make bookings on account and when they get into financial difficulties and can’t pay the rental company, the car will not be there for you when you arrive. With us when you pay the car is booked and paid at the same time. So what ever happens to us, your car hire is safe.

Most people know the Florida Keys and Key West as a great getaway. One of the most unique places on earth. Calm. serene, laid back. Just the right setting to recharge your batteries and rejuvenate your spirits. But a getaway to the Florida Keys and Key West is much more than peace and quiet. And not just because of the legendary fishing and the world’s most spectacular dive sites. The Keys mean history. Art, theater, museums, shopping, fine dining,entertainment and much more. 120 miles of perfect balance between natural beauty and extra-ordinary excitement.  From some of the best camping spots in the country to luxurious hotels. With charming  bed and breakfasts to rustic, family-owned lodgings. In other words, something for everyone.

Whether you drive or fly into Key West, one thing’s for sure: there’s simply no place quite like it. An island city of palm-lined streets, boasting Victorian homes, gingerbread conch houses and mansions on the National Register.

John Audubon and Ernest Hemingway lived here. One had a passion for preservation. The other, a great zest for living. And that combination gives Key West its unique personality. The moment you get on world-famous Duval Street, in Old Town Key West, you do more than feel the ambiance. You become a part of it.

Key West is dive shops and charter boats and glorious sunsets, but it’s also a Bahamian Village. With historic forts, lighthouses, theaters, museums, galleries, festivals, markets, sidewalk cafes and legendary pubs. Even Truman’s Little Whitehouse

At Key West you can buy a postAt Key West you can buy a postcard or a famous hand print. You don’t need a car. Tour the city on foot or by trolley. Mingle with some of the world’s most fun-loving characters. And find some of the best-made cigars and aloe products anywhere. Key West is unique, and unspoiled. A feast for your heart and your soul .

Imagine a place where you can battle a sailfish in the morning and enjoy a live play at night. Where you can explore a marine sanctuary one day, and original artworks the next. Where music naturally belongs, be it Buffet or Bach.

Theatre lovers will love it down here. Key West gives you plenty of choices with three theatres. The Marathon Community Theatre presents stellar comedies, dramas and musicals throughout the year. And the Key Players will entertain you with a variety of tautly produced shows in the Upper Keys. rprised at the caliber of the resident artists – a wealth of styles and techniques creating works with a flare and freshness that’s uniquely Florida Keys. From paintings to sculptures, the work is innovative, captivating and unique.

Then there’s the music. Not one type, but all. From  Then there’s the music. Not one type, but all. From  Amadeus to ZZ Top. So you can just as easily let loose in one of our pubs, as lose yourself in a vibrant symphony. Whether it's a play, a concert or the perfect painting for the foyer, The Florida Keys & Key West will dazzle you with a variety of cultural venues that are as impressive as they are unexpected.

We took the US27 route which we had been advised was more interesting than the Interstate route. We passed through many towns and so many orange groves which went on and on into the distance. We also saw many sheriffs sitting at the side of the road slightly hidden from view until you were up close so speed limit was kept to....
We stopped for lunch at Key Largo at a Tiki Bar which was just so beautiful looking out over the beautiful blue water. It took us around 4 hours to get from the villa to Key Largo. Then, another hour to Key West. We then drove on to Key West and stopped along the route to paddle in the water as and when we fancied it or if a spot looked particularly scenic.
Upon arrival at Key West we dropped our bags at our hotel, we just went for cheap n cheerful as we had decided we would be out most of the time and so nothing fancy needed. We changed and went out, we went to the southernmost point which is 90miles away from Cuba. There was a man there who took our family photo and said he has been there taking visitor photo’s for around 20 years just for the pleasure of it.
We then went to Duval Street which is where lots of the restaurants and shops are and milled around looking for somewhere for dinner. So many restaurants to choose from and I think we went to the Rum Barrel. The following day we had pre booked a snorkeling trip from 9am - until 1pm, free beers, wine and soft drink thought it would be a nice way to spend the morning.
Upon departure we sailed for around 40 minutes to the reef (by this time myself, Jai and my middle son Ryan were feeling very poorly and had realised we were definitely not sea dogs!! ish. We sThe snorkeling was wonderful and we saw so many lovely fish. We spent around 90 mins in the water. We used a company called FURY who seemed to have a lot of the water sport business as there were stall all along Duval Street. Unfortunately on the way back we all suffered and none of us could stomach even the soft drinks. The captain instructed all of us who felt ill to be ill over the back as the toilets couldn't cope. I was mortified but fortunately there was a whole host of us who didn't have sea legs...
Anyway, back on land we drove to the beach and had a lovely afternoon. The sea was just like walking into a bath, just beautiful. Arun found a coconut and was determined to crack it which he managed after banging it on rocks for about 1/2 hour. Jai drank the milk from inside and said it was so sweet. That evening we went back to Duval Street, had dinner and then went down to the seafront and relaxed, we looked around the shops and walked down to the harbour and sat by the sea for a while taking in the ambience. We got back to the hotel around 11ish.
We went home via Miami - had lunch on Ocean Drive and went on the beach for 1/2 hour and then it poured down so didn't stay there very long. Took the interstate back home and it wasn't such a nice journey.

Submitted by Sandra, you can view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=349

It is really one of the must do’s to visit one or both the Disney Water Parks when in Orlando. Disney have recently increased the price of admission from $40  to $45 for adults and from $34 to $39 for kids.

If you are a regular visitor to Orlando or even if you are there for a couple of weeks but don’t want to do the regular theme parks but would like to soak up some sun in a really cool atmosphere it could be worth you buying a Disney Water Park Annual Pass. The cost for adults is $106 for adults, $87 for kids,  so 3 admissions and you are on to a money saver after that.

Saturday April 18th 2009 will see around 250 exotic and rare cars on display on the boardwalk at Celebration. Some of the cars included are the original batmobile, monkee mobile, munster mobile, Kit from Knightrider, Back to the Future DeLorean. Along with many other types including Ferraris, Aston Martins, McLaren, Bugatti and many more.

 

It’s been a very cold winter in Florida this year with some quite frosty mornings. They haven’t had one as cold as this for many years. The result is many dead or dying plants and lawns, however some new shoots are starting to show through now. Could this be the start of Spring??

 

Orlando has a great wealth of shops and could be said it is a “shopper’s paradise”. There are several shopping malls within a few miles of each other along with numerous “outlet malls”

 

Sales.

This is an extra special time to shop as there are bargains on top of bargains to be had. Sale times are Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Columbus day, New Year to name a few.

First I must say this, I have been visiting Florida for many years and was never inclined to shop at the old Beltz outlet mall at the north end of International drive, so was not bothered about the fact that it got bought and more or less demolished a couple of years ago. I visited the new shops that have replaced the old ones and I must say I was mightily impressed by the new Prime 1 outlets. I would now favour it over my previous favourite the Premium Outlets. There are all the usual popular stores there, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland, Juicy Couture, Guess and much more. 174 stores in all, now mostly open.

It is very well laid out in semi open plan design with a similar look to Premium Outlets. There is a much better food court than the one that used to be there featuring some well known chains such as Sbarro Pizza, Subway and China Max although, I must admit than whenever I have has Chinese food from these food courts I have an incredible thirst afterwards. Some other less common food vendors are 5 Guys hamburgers, these burgers are made to order and nothing like McDonalds!! Really good food and you can choose your toppings. Their fries are cooked in “No Cholesterol “ peanut oil. One thing which is new and I found very good was the Oakley Vault selling a huge selection of Oakley clothing at very reasonable prices. Well worth the visit.

Premium Outlets

This is situated off the Interstate 4 close to the Lake Buena Vista area on Vineland road. There are some great stores here many of them firm favourites with shoppers. The usual designers are here with a few added exceptions such as Armani, Hugo Boss and Versace. There is a nice food court with a Starbucks coffee shop too. On weekends this place gets very busy and since the last time I was there they have now built a multi-storey car park. Well worth a visit. Also if you are over 50 you can get an extra 10% your purchases on Mondays.

Florida Mall.

This is situated along Sand lake road and (OBT) Orange Blossom Trail. It is a large mall with some very good shops but not so much for the bargain hunter. There is a Macy’s here and you can find some bargains here if you are there at the right time. One other thing to remember is that if you are a foreign visitor you can get a discount card by going up to the gift wrap section upstairs and ask for your tourist passport. You need to show ID and they will give you a card that gives you an additional 11% off your purchases. Great place to shop and browse.

Mall at Millennia

This is the latest addition as far as major shopping malls go and it is a highly modern high tech place. Outstanding design and filled with high end stores like Gucci, Cartier, Prada and more. There is however a Macy’s and the same applies here as at the Florida Mall. There is a Bloomingdales too. The food court is ok and offers some differences to the other malls. The mall is situated on Conroy rd, just off the I4. Carry on past the Universal Studios exit and about 2 miles down the road you will see the exit.

In this retail area there are some other gems too. There is a Marshalls, which is a bit like TK Maxx and has many good bargains; you just have to be prepared to hunt them down. There is also a Golfsmiths shop that sells golf and tennis gear plus other good stores.

If you are planning your first trip to Florida here are some tips and a bit of info to make your planning a bit easier.

You can download our FREE Orlando and Florida guide. It contains much information and tips on visiting Florida.(eBook pdf)

 

 

 

One of the most famous beaches in Florida is of course Miami Beach, but that doesn't mean it is the best. There are many beaches in Florida with its 1000 miles of coastline. Some are les commercialised than others. Many people love the beaches of the Gulf Coast, on the west side of the state, while others prefer the more tidal Atlantic coast beaches such as Daytona, New Smyrna or Cocoa Beach. The latter offer much more opportunity to surf. Daytona Beach allows the driving and parking of vehicles on the beach on certain stretches.

For a more tropical feel though I believe the Gulf Coast has it. The tides are much lower here and the sand more powdery, sugary white. Beaches like Clearwater and St. Pete's tend to be very commercialised but still very nice compared to some of the beaches further south, such as Naples, Ft Myers and Marco Island.

Clearwater Beach.
Situated around 90mins driving time from Orlando is an enjoyable place to visit even for the day or perhaps an overnight stop if you are in Orlando. The beaches do tend to get a little crowded at the weekends but nothing like the beaches in Europe. There is a marina from which many boat tours and dolphin sighting trips can be booked. I can recommend the “Sea Screamer” the world’s largest speed boat that issues a “rain check” if you don’t get to see some dolphins. They love to play in the wake of the boat and you can get some great photos and video on this trip. The trip lasts around an hour. Clearwater Beach has some beautiful sunsets and around this time all the craft stalls and street entertainers come out.

Ft Myers Beach.
This is further south on the Gulf Coast, close to Naples. Driving time around 3 hours from Orlando. The actual Ft Myers Beach is on Estero Island a peninsular just off the mainland. This is less commercialised and the beaches are far from crowded. There are fewer hotels here but more condominiums. Many of them can be rented and are very nicely furnished. I have stayed in 2 belonging to the sunstream group, “Pointe Estero” and “The Gullwing” the rooms have everything you need and have great views of the Gulf.