An all-inclusive vacation in the middle of a rainforest

Often, family vacations in remote locations like rainforests are off the table, simply because children may not be able to deal with the less-than-ideal conditions. However, a resort in Queensland, Australia, is looking to appeal to travelers by allowing them to stay in relative comfort- even in the middle of the rainforest.

At O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, guests can choose to stay in 48 brand-new luxury villas, according to Stuff New Zealand. These freestanding structures feature modern comforts like air conditioning, hot tubs and a full deck that overlooks the rainforest. They can easily fit the whole family, and the rest of the resort offers all the services that the villas don't, like a restaurant and spa.

That might be enough for some families, but staying in the room all day would be a shame in the middle of this beautiful Australian treasure. The rainforest, located in the UNESCO World Heritage Lamington National Park, boasts animals like koalas along with some rare plants and trees. The resort has installed a canopy walk, allowing visitors to get a bird's eye view of all the jungle action.

CRUISE PLANNERS JOINS WYLAND FOUNDATION AND PRINCESS CRUISES FOR A CAUSE

I wanted to post this press release because there is still time to get in on the September 27th cruise. Call me for details.

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Wyland to promote environmental awareness and ocean preservation aboard Princess Cruises

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – February 23, 2011 – Cruise Planners/American Express, the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the cruise industry, is selling select Princess Cruises as part of its 2011 CP Cares initiative, allocating $50 from each booking made by a Cruise Planners/American Express agent to raise funds for the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life.

Renowned marine wildlife artist and environmentalist Wyland will sail on two upcoming Princess cruises, hosting live painting demonstrations and meet-and-greet sessions with passengers. Many Princess cruise ships feature Wyland’s work in the onboard art galleries and incorporate his art in the swimming pool areas. Aboard the Ruby Princess, Wyland held an impromptu painting session during one of his cruises where he drew dolphins at the bottom of the Neptune Pool before a crowd of cheering passengers.

“We are so proud to be able to give back to the Wyland Foundation through sales of Wyland’s exclusive and popular Princess sailings,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners/American Express. “Cruise Planners/American Express is all about giving cruisers the ideal ocean experience, and we hope to be able to give back as much as we can to an organization that works to conserve what we love so much, our oceans.”

Cruise Planners/American Express’ home-based travel agents are booking cabins for two Wyland Princess Cruises – the Ruby Princess and Star Princess. The seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Ruby Princess is sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 27, 2011 to the Princess Cays in the Bahamas and ports in St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos Islands. A portion of sales made for the 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyage aboard the Star Princess will go directly to the Wyland Foundation. The Star is sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Venice, Italy on September 27, 2011, and visiting ports in Italy, Greece and Turkey.

“Connecting with the passengers onboard the Princess voyages is a wonderful experience because they get to see first-hand the artwork I create and also learn more about our programs and campaigns to protect our oceans and marine wildlife,” said Wyland. “We appreciate Cruise Planners/American Express for giving back to the Wyland Foundation by delivering a portion of sales to fund the important programs and initiatives I created to educate and inform the public.”

About the Wyland Foundation

Founded by renowned environmental artist Wyland, the Wyland Foundation has helped children and families around the nation to rediscover the importance of healthy oceans and waterways through public art programs, classroom science education, and live events. The foundation gives children the tools they need to become more creative, positive, and solution-oriented. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and has worked directly with more than one million children since its inception in 1993. Learn more at www.wylandfoundation.org.

About Cruise Planners/American Express

Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Services Representative, is the largest home-based travel agent network in the cruise industry with more than 700 franchise owners across the country that independently book cruises and associated travel. Named No.1 Cruise Tour / Travel Agency by Entrepreneur magazine for the past eight years, Cruise Planners positions franchise owners for success by providing them with innovating marketing, booking and lead-generating tools as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry's top executives.

Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., Cruise Planners has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include Agency of the Year from American Express (2010), Royal Caribbean International Home-Based Partner of the Year (2007 - 2010), Norwegian Cruise Line Home-Based Agency of the Year (2010), Southeast Region Travel Agent Partner of the Year from Celebrity Cruises (2010), four coveted Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly in 2010, American Express Travel Representative Excellence Awards (2004 - 2009), Globe Award from American Express Vacations (2010), Globus Family of Brands Premier Agency Partner (2010), Platinum Circle Member with Viking River Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises Top Producer (2009).

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