After the seemingly endless winter, no one could be blamed for wanting an early jump on summer. The good news is that you can do so this month, at beach getaways that promise sun, surf and temperatures in the 70s, 80s and 90s, but without the crowds or the high prices of the peak season.
经历了一个看似无穷无尽的漫长冬天,谁不想早早跳进夏季呢。好消息是这个月你就可以实现这个愿望,在海滩度假村享受阳光、冲浪以及20至30摄氏度的温暖舒适,而且不必承受旺季的拥挤或高价。
Mexico
墨西哥
Puerto Vallarta
巴亚尔塔港(Puerto Vallarta)
Between the Sierra Madre Mountains and Banderas Bay is the CasaMagna Marriott. Not only does it have the Ohtli Spa, one of the best in Mexico with 22,000 square feet of facilities (whirlpools, foot baths and an aromatherapy steam room and sauna), but it also has four restaurants; a sandy, full-service beach and pools; and rooms decorated with Mexican touches.
卡萨马格纳万豪酒店(CasaMagna Marriott)位于马德雷山(Sierra Madre Mountains)和班德拉斯湾(Banderas Bay)之间。这里的奥特利Spa浴场(Ohtli Spa)是墨西哥最好的Spa浴场之一,占地2.2万平方英尺,设施齐全(旋涡浴、足浴、香薰按摩蒸汽浴和桑拿浴);此外还有四个餐厅、服务齐全的沙滩和泳池,以及颇具墨西哥风情的客房。
For a nighttime resort respite, check out the Old Town Art Walk on Wednesday evenings this spring. With nearly two dozen galleries in El Centro, the self-guided tour allows visitors to meet area artists.
如果哪天晚上你想暂离度假村,不妨去看看今春举办的周三夜旧城艺术之旅(Old Town Art Walk)。在这个自由行活动中,游客可以参观埃尔森特罗的二十几个画廊,与当地艺术家会面。
In mid-May an ocean-view room with a king bed comes in at just $135 a night — not bad, and you get a $50-a-day resort credit. If you opt for double beds at the same price, the room comfortably fits four. Over New Year’s the same room costs $303 a night.
5月中旬,特大床海景房的价格仅为每晚135美元,还挺划算的,而且每天都返还50美元的度假村优惠券。选择双人床的话,同样的价格足够四个人舒舒服服地住下。新年期间,同样的房间一晚价格为303美元。
Malaysia
马来西亚
Pangkor Laut
邦咯岛(Pangkor Laut)
Billing itself as “One Island, One Resort,” the Pangkor Laut resort is indeed on a private island, three miles off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It has white sand beaches, rocky outcrops and even a rain forest. Nature enthusiasts will appreciate that the resort takes up only a small part of the 300-acre island, and includes Emerald Bay, so called because the water reflects the color of the island’s many trees.
邦咯岛绿中海度假村(Pangkor Laut)自称“一个岛屿、一个度假村”,它的确在一个私人小岛上,位于马来西亚半岛以西三英里处。这里有白色沙滩、露出地面的岩石,甚至还有雨林。小岛面积300英亩,该度假村仅仅占据的一小部分,这一点无疑会令热爱大自然的人们赞赏,小岛上的景点还有翡翠湾(Emerald Bay),郁郁葱葱的树木倒映水中,映得湾水绿如翡翠,因此得名。
But the facilities are abundant: two swimming pools; tennis and squash courts; a spa with healing huts, bathhouses and nap gazebos; and even a library. With sailing, yachting, snorkeling, fishing and sightseeing excursions available (one of which includes visits to a restored Dutch colonial fort and a Taoist temple on a neighboring island), there is plenty to do, besides eating at the seven restaurants, most of which feature Asian Pacific cuisine. A Hill Villa with a private balcony overlooking the gardens costs $237 a night, including breakfast, a third less than during high season.
这里设施也很丰富:两个游泳池;网球场和壁球场;带疗养室、更衣室和休憩观景台的温泉疗养浴场;甚至还有个图书馆。有很多活动可供选择,可以驾帆船、驾游艇、浮潜、钓鱼、远足观光(比如,参观一个修复后的荷兰殖民堡垒,或者附近岛屿上的一座道观)。当然,你还可以在这里的七家餐馆用餐,大多是亚太风味的美食。带有私人露台、可俯瞰花园的山间别墅(Hill Villa)每晚237美元(含早餐),这个价格比旺季的三分之一还低。
Caribbean
加勒比地区
Aruba
阿鲁巴(Aruba)
It may be a bit cloudy from time to time in May, but, for the savings, avoiding the high season in the Caribbean is well worth the wait. A stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Aruba on Palm Beach, which celebrated its first anniversary in November, costs nearly $729 a night in February versus $339 a night in May for a room with a king bed and limited ocean view. Every one of the 320 rooms has a private balcony with at least some glimpse of the turquoise sea.
5月的阿鲁巴可能偶尔会有阴天,但是从省钱的角度看,避开加勒比地区的旺季还是很值的。11月,棕榈滩(Palm Beach)的阿鲁巴丽思卡尔顿酒店(Ritz-Carlton, Aruba)将庆祝开业一周年。这里的特大床有限海景房2月份的价格是每晚近729美元,5月份的价格是每晚339美元。320个房间都有私人阳台,至少都能瞥见青绿色的海水。
There are also four fine-dining restaurants and a 15,000-square-foot spa. Those who enjoy blackjack late at night will appreciate the casino, where table games run until 3 a.m. and more than 300 slot machines are available 24 hours a day.
该酒店还有四个高档餐厅和一个1.5万平方英尺的spa浴场。喜欢在深夜玩21点扑克的人会喜欢这里的赌场,桌面游戏持续至凌晨3点,300多台老虎机全天候运营。
But if you are looking for culture and a beach break, 10 minutes away is Aruba’s capital, Oranjestad, home to Dutch Colonial architecture, boutique shopping and hiking through the Arikok National Park, with a coastline dotted by cactuses.
但是如果你想领略这里的文化风情和海滩激浪,那么,只需十分钟车程,就能到达阿鲁巴首都奥拉涅斯塔德,那里有荷兰殖民建筑和精品购物中心,你还可以在阿勒柯克国家公园(Arikok National Park)漫步,它沿海岸线而建,长满仙人掌。
Dominican Republic
多米尼加共和国
Punta Cana
蓬塔卡纳(Punta Cana)
In the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic and named after the cane palms in the area, Punta Cana may be a bit humid in May (temperatures can approach 100 degrees). But at the Sanctuary Cap Cana, three miles of white sand beaches should combat the heat. The resort is part of a gated community, and its guests have access to the Punta Espada (a Jack Nicklaus golf course) and a nearby harbor marina. The 20,000-square-foot spa has a studio for yoga and Pilates, a fitness center and a hydrotherapy circuit, but the resort also offers cocktail-making tutorials and dance classes.
蓬塔卡纳位于多米尼加共和国最东部的省份,得名于该地区的细棕榈树。5月份的蓬塔卡纳可能有点潮湿,温度可能接近38摄氏度。但是圣所卡普卡纳度假村(Sanctuary Cap Cana)三英里长的白色沙滩应该可以对抗这样的湿热。它属于一个封闭式社区,游客可以前往蓬塔埃斯帕达高尔夫球场(Punta Espada,由杰克·尼克劳斯[Jack Nicklaus]设计)以及附近的一个港口码头。这里两万平方英尺的spa浴场有一个瑜伽和普拉提练习室、一个健身中心和一个水疗室,此外度假村还提供鸡尾酒调制课程和舞蹈课程。
Outside the grounds, in Punta Cana, one can also find activities such as zip lines, horseback riding and day trips to see the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), a Unesco World Heritage site.
度假村之外的蓬塔卡纳也能找到很多活动,比如高空滑索、骑马以及殖民区(Colonial Zone)一日游。该殖民区是联合国教科文组织的世界遗产地之一。
A junior suite with a king bed or two queen beds, with its own furnished terrace overlooking the sea, costs $290 a day in May, versus $345 a day one week earlier at the end of April.
普通套间有一张特大床或两张大床,有私人露台,带桌椅,可俯瞰大海,5月份每晚290美元,4月底房价为每晚345美元。
Florida
美国佛罗里达州
Key West
基韦斯特(Key West)
Given that temperatures are the same in March through May (in the 70s and 80s) but that the hotel prices are noticeably different, it seems that waiting until late in the season has its rewards. What’s more, tourism tapers off now, letting you land a prime spot at both the beaches and bars.
基韦斯特从3月份到5月份的气温是一样的(21至27摄氏度),但是房价却明显不同,所以等到旺季末尾是值得的。而且现在游客逐渐减少,你可以在海滩和酒吧找到绝佳位置。
At the Inn at Key West, a boutique hotel with a large tropical freshwater pool and fitness center, a premium poolside room with a patio is $209 a night, excluding taxes, in mid-May. In February, that same room is $399 a night.
基韦斯特酒店(Inn at Key West)是一家精品酒店,有热带淡水大泳池和健身中心。5月中旬,带露台的优质泳池边房间的价格是每晚209美元(不含税)。2月份,同样的房间是每晚399美元。
Beyond the Conch Republic beaches, Key West has art galleries galore, a butterfly and nature conservatory, every water sport imaginable and, of course, a crazy night life. Just minutes from Duval Street, one of the best places to party, the hotel is close enough that crawling home should not be a problem.
除了海螺共和国(Conch Republic)海滩,基韦斯特还有很多艺术画廊、一个蝴蝶与自然温室、你能想到的所有水上运动,当然还有疯狂的夜生活。杜瓦尔街(Duval Street)是最佳派对地点之一,离基韦斯特酒店只有几分钟路程,要是喝多了,勉强走回酒店应该不成问题。