The Most Scenic Islands in Italy, Ischia

 Introducing Ischia, one of the most scenic Islands in Italy. Conde Nast Traveler recently ranked Ischia as 2^nd most scenic islands in Italy. Ischia may be less popular than Capri, but it’s also less crowded and offers much better beaches. It has a permanent population of approximately 58,000 and up to 6 million tourists. Ischia is an excellent island for everyone, providing a perfect spot for beaches, shopping and many historic sites to visit. It is situated in the hills above the sea and is nestled in a great private location.

Ischia is a volcanic island and many tourists enjoy the health benefits of its hot springs and volcanic mud. Ischia offers many different reasons to visit. Ischia is a great choice for spa vacations and for those who are interested in wellness. For the natural lovers, I recommend hiking to Mount Epomeo or visiting botanical garden. Also there are different museums or modern art galleries (If interested, please check UPCOMING EVENTS below). Last but not least, Ischia has beautiful beaches around the island. The best time for the travelers to visit Ischia is from April to October and is also a safe destination, even for women travelling alone.

*UPCOMING EVENTS*: There is a special festival even going on between August and September, called Settembre sul Sagarato. This is a festival held every year since 1988 in the village of Piazzale Battistessa, opposite the Church of San Pietro. The festival lasts for two weeks and is filled with painting exhibitions, parades of traditional costumes; wine tasting, fagiolate (bean stew tasting), concerts and shows;

Now, let me introduce Mezzatorre Resort & Spa. It is a five star resort set like a gem between the sky and the sea of Ischia on the northwestern side of the islands of Ischia, at the end of the San Montano Bay. Surrounded by seven hectares of pine wood and perched on a bluff above the sea, Mezzatorre Resort & Spa is is near the town centre of Lacco Ameno.

Mezzatorre Resort & Spa features 45 rooms and 12 suites with beautiful furnishing and modern amenities. From the hotel, guests can enjoy beautiful views from the Epomeo Mount up to the Vesuvio volcano. Mezzatorre Resort & Spa also provides swimming in the ocean, and offers many options with amazing view and privacy. I personally loved the heated seawater pool, which is set above the sea. There is also an excellent pool terrace lunchtime venue that provides excellent seafood with good local wines. 

The cuisine of Ischia by chef Giuseappe D'Abunto is top notch and provides a perfect blend of sea and land flavors. Mezzatorre Resort & Spa offers many signature local or Italian dishes; One of the most appreciated (also one of my favorite) is "Thick spaghetti with sea-urchins". Executive Chef Giuseppe D'Abundo is one of the main reasons for guests to come back to Mezzatorre. 

 Here comes my favorite part of this hotel! If you want to benefit from the well-known thermal water and muds of the island, Mezzatorre Resort & Spa’s Health & Beauty Center is a must. According to the general manager of Mezzatorre Resort & Spa, its philosophy is “Nourish your body, nourish your soul!”. They offer guests the possibility to nourish their body by means of the different health & wellness programs of their thermal spa, which prevent or cure diseases. Its offering of treatments is inspired by the salus per aquam philosophy. All the treatments provided the use therapeutic thermal water flowing at 45° from the hotel’s private spring. The treatments include mud therapy, balneotheraphy, anti-stress massages, and anti-aging facials. Guests (also one of my favorites) love the open-air massages sessions performed in the cozy gazebos with a sea view.

If you are looking for magical atmosphere, stunning setting with breathtaking views in Italy, I highly recommend Mezzatorre Resort & Spa. Mezzatorre Resort & Spa provides beautiful location with a very relaxed yet luxurious travel destination.

For 2015 Virtuoso Rate Includes:

*Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

*Daily Buffet breakfast, for up to two in room guests

*A complimentary 4-course dinner for two people

*With a minimum 3 night stay guests also receive: One Themal water treatment in pool per person (value 50 EUR)

*Early check-in/late check-out

 For any additional information, visit classictravel.com, or please inquire Jamie Yoo, Jamie@classictravel.com  and she will help create a personalized and fun-filled itinerary for your next trip. 

Mezzatorre Resort and Spa

CASA DE CAMPO

Earlier this March, I had the luxury to spend a 4 nights 5 days vacation at the best all-inclusive resort hotel just off the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Since Casa de Campo is a resort, I wasn't expecting just a simple property hotel with a few services here and there, and I certainly knew that the property was going to be big. However, right when I got to the resort, I was surprised to see the actual layout of this resort. Casa de Campo was huge, it was bigger than any resort I've ever seen.

As I was checking in to my suite, the front desk handed me a key to a cart - one similar to a golf cart - for me to use and ride as a transportation service throughout my stay at the resort. This cart was bigger, fancier, and ran on electric. The cart was useful throughout my whole stay as I was able to place a lot of my luggage in the back trunk of the cart. A resort so huge that they rent you a complimentary golf cart to ride your way around the property?- Of course!

At the Casa de Campo, I stayed in the Elite Suite, which I booked through the Casa de Campo Resort Complete Supplement package. Luckily the Elite Suite gave an astounding view of the famous golf course, Teeth of The Dog. With the Complete Supplement package, every restaurant in the resort as well as drinks at its bars were complimentary, which I definitely took advantage of. Food, drinks, along with resort activities such as horseback riding, tennis, skeet shooting, and water sports were all included in this package as well (you can also enjoy the view of the Teeth of The Dog course at Lago Grill, a traditional Dominican buffet-style breakfast cuisine with performances from live bands). When it comes to resorts, most people generally stay inside the perimeters of the property but occasionally like to scope out what's around the resort as well. However, the sporty person that I am, I found myself at the shooting club, taking horseback riding lessons, and polo game watching. Although the golf courses are not included in the Complete Supplement package, they are an absolute must-go.

The Teeth of The Dog golf course is ranked as #1 in the Caribbean and 43rd in the top 100 courses worldwide. This golf course is as difficult and intricate as it gets. The Teeth of The Dog includes devilish dogleg shots and signature Dye obstacles. I even found myself on this exact golf course for a good chunk of my stay. The beach and the resort's collection of villas add to the already beautiful landscape. Even if you're not a golf person, or you're a beginner, I highly recommend at least stepping foot into the golf course- even if it is to enjoy the scenery.

I don't know about you, but for me, when it comes to vacations one of the first things I do is go restaurant hunting. I search for all the must eats, which then leads me to the must go restaurants around the area, then I read the reviews. However, since the Complete Supplement package gave me access to all the restaurants in the resort, I decided to fill up my taste with as many different cuisines as I could.

The first restaurant I stopped by at was La Piazzetta, a traditional Italian restaurant situated in Altos de Chavon. Altos de Chavon is a 16th century replica of a Mediterranean village that features its own amphitheatre, museum, restaurants/bars, The School of Design, and St. Stanislaus Church. As you walk through this town, you'll be able to submerge yourself into a different era in a different town. (Andrea Bocelli will be hosting a concert in this town during April!)

The second restaurant I went to was La Casita, a Spanish tapas restaurant located in La Marina. If you like to have your food with an amazing view, definitely visit La Casita since you have the option to dine in their waterfront seating area, or in the al fresco structure overlooking the Marina. I would recommend getting a seat a little early so that you can watch the sunset pass behind the yachts, through the Marina.

Another restaurant I thought was a must go is The Beach Club by Le Cirque. The Beach Club is a restaurant located right on the Minitas Beach with a full out beach theme- palm and coconut trees, straw huts, the ground floor as sand, and beach chairs. There's honestly no better place to enjoy your lunch and/or dinner with the feel of the tropical breeze and a breathtaking, up-and-close view of a beach.

The Coco Mar, along the Minitas Beach is a Caribbean bar that is just as popular as The Beach Club. Make sure to check out the Coco Mar, and stop by the resort lobby bar as they host events almost every night, filled with live music and jazz.
The bar inside the resort's swimming pool is also an option for anyone who wants a little extra to their normal routine in the pool!

The Casa de Campo is also well known for its private and hotel owned villas. The villas are categorized into three sections: the Classic Villas, Exclusive Villas, and Oceanfront Villas. These villas are separated into the number of rooms that they house; however, each villa has features that are unique to its own. I had the privilege to get a tour of some of the hotel owned villas in the resort, and I have to say- I would definitely buy one...if only. Every villa has its own individual architect, which means that the architectural designs are different and special in its own way as well. I visited the Villa Bambu, the Villa Vogue, and the Villa Infinidad. The Villa Bambu and the Villa Vogue are both Exclusive Villas with 4 and 5 bedrooms, respectively.

The Villa Bambu is a one-story villa with four bedrooms. This Villa is more on the sophisticated and modern style- the architecture and interior come from those of interior design magazines, while also utilizing natural materials such as real bamboo, wood, and stone.

The Villa Vogue is also a one-story villa with five bedrooms. The Villa Vogue is also modern, with a hint of Asian influence embedded in its architecture and design.

The Villa Infinidad is an ocean-front four bedroom villa that soaks up the amazing view of the beach.

Sure, these villas add a specific feature to the resort as a whole, but they also have a widely known reputation for housing and hosting some important figures in the entertainment industry. One of the villas of Casa de Campo was filmed on the show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Michael Jordan was also a guest who definitely enjoyed his stay at one of the villas.

The Casa de Campo attracts not only families, but also leisure travelers who come as couples or groups that want to have fun during their vacation. This resort is great for all travelers who like to be active and want to be engaged in their favorite sports- or even sports that they may not have the chance to enjoy on a regular basis. The Casa de Campo certainly deserves five stars for its impeccable service, warm welcomes, and attention to details, despite the fact that it is an all-inclusive resort. Even without the Complete Supplement package, guests can receive Virtuoso benefits that are comparable with the ones offered in the package, by booking through classictravel.com.

<For 2015, Virtuoso Rate Includes>:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability from Elite Patio to Elite Balcony
• Buffet breakfast for up to two in-room guests daily
• $100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay
• $200 USD Spa Credit for Inclusive Reservations
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

Now what better way to spend a short and/or long vacation with The Casa de Campo- a resort that goes to far extents to ensure that their guests are content and satisfied, to the point that it also offers private transfers via a heliport to and from the resort?

For any additional information, visit classictravel.com, or please inquire Jamie Yoo, and she will help create a personalized and fun-filled itinerary for your next trip.