Say Aloha to the Hawaiian Isles

The islands of Hawaii are so beautiful they are difficult to describe. There is a good reason why so many songs have been written and so many movies have used Hawaii as a backdrop - it's paradise!
Visiting Hawaii is simple for Americans since it is a state; this makes it easy to just hop on a plane and enjoy a tropical vacation without even bringing a passport. Many Americans even choose to retire in the Hawaiian isles, as it is so idyllic with its beautiful tropical foliage, gorgeous vistas and balmy weather. Even the rainy weather is beautiful here.
Some basics you may wish to know before Hawaii include:
Say 'Aloha!' This ubiquitous greeting means both hello and goodbye and seemingly many other things as well. It is a warm welcome and you will find the island's people to be hospitable, laid-back and friendly. As with many tropical destinations, the pace is a little slower here, even in the larger cities such as Honolulu. Put a lei around your neck and enjoy tropical life.


Pack light but bring a jacket. When it gets rainy or windy, especially up in the mountains, it can be a little on the cool side. Indeed, because of the geography of these volcanic islands, with mountainous centers leading, often dramatically, down to the ocean on all sides, the weather can vary greatly in different places on the same island, and from one moment to the next. Also bring sun protection as the sun's strength can be deceiving when you are enjoying an ocean breeze.


Bring your camera! Everywhere you look there will be fabulous sights to see, and you'll likely want to record many of them. If you're there in the Spring you'll even see whales, and rainbows are common any time of year.


Your options for accommodation in Hawaii are many and varied. You can stay anywhere from a small bed and breakfast to a large, decadent hotel, and many people from the mainland own rental properties here. Do an online search and you'll find some great offerings you may not have thought of.




Alex writes about exercise ball squats, so you can have killer legs and glutes by using exercise ball lunges and other effective stability ball exercises.

Top Three Popular Accommodations Areas in Tropical North Queensland

If you visit the Tropical North Queensland area you will discover all the beautiful nature and culture it has to offer. There are wonderful accommodations but they are esconced inside a unique natural environment. There are three areas that have proven to be most popular with travelers, Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas.
These locations are very central in their locations which is what lends them such popularity amongst travelers, along with great accommodations of course. In addition to all the natural surroundings to give you relaxation in your accommodations, you have fabulous shopping, fine dining, and great night life to enjoy. But make sure to bring your walking shoes because you don't want to miss the true wonders of the region that make it known worldwide, exploring the rainforests and experiencing the waters.
When you are exploring the abundant natural surroundings you will find it totally as it was made, not touched by humans, with much flora, fauna and creatures all around. You will want to see it all, the Great Barrier Reef, the beaches and the rainforests. These natural wonders are all still in existence, there for you to witness what Mother Nature can really accomplish.
This region also offers a glimpse inside the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, a culture that has been here for hundreds of years. The planets history along with human history is evident all around you as you discover more about the Australian history.
When selecting accommodations for your trip to the Tropical North Queensland be sure to consider the areas of Port Douglas, Palm Cove and Cairns. These three areas offer the best accommodations and keep you feeling civilized while living in the wild. Perfect for those who want to come see and experience all but wish to retire to an incredible world class resort in the evenings. The best of both worlds.



Prior to reserving anything online for your Tropical North Queensland holiday visit tropicalnorthqueensland.com soon. If you need cairns accommodation this is the site to visit, you can book online directly. Tropicalnorthqueensland.com offers a lot of information about the region and can help you with other queensland hotels.

Sun Peaks Accommodations - Nancy Greene's Contributions

After a nine year racing career, Nancy retired from amateur racing at the age of 24 and focused her energy on enhancing the quality of the Canadian ski experience. This article recognizes some of Nancy's contributions to Canadian ski communities, her role in the development of some of British Columbia's flourishing ski resorts and her investment in Whistler and Sun Peaks accommodations.
Post-Racing Career: Enhancing the BC Ski Experience
After a successful promotional career with Rossignal Ski Company and numerous endorsement campaigns with well-known names such as Mars Bars and Pontiac, Greene relayed her interest into improving Canada's ski environment. Both Nancy and husband, Al Raine, saw enormous potential in BC's majestic mountains and tremendous snow; they focused first on Whistler, determined to turn it into a major ski destination. While Al became actively involved in the planning process of Whistler Village, Nancy utilized her clever business skills and prominent athletic status to draw investors and tourists to the budding mountain resort.
The couple built Nancy Greene's Olympic Lodge in 1985, one of Whistler's first hotels whose success marked a turning point in Whistler's investment atmosphere.
Although Nancy and Al sold the hotel in 1988, they remained active members of the Whistler ski community, either volunteering as race officials or serving on committees for the International Ski Federation.
Sun Peaks Accommodations: A New Frontier
After experiencing success in Whistler, Nancy and Al shifted their focus to a new ski destination, Sun Peaks Resort in the interior of British Columbia. In 1995, the couple were among the first to build and develop Sun Peaks accommodations constructing their first condominium hotel, Nancy Greene's Cahilty Lounge, in Sun Peaks village. Nancy remains at Sun Peaks resort today, promoting and publicising Sun Peaks accommodations. Nancy has since been appointed Director of Skiing at Sun Peaks resort and takes time to ski frequently with guests.
Beyond the Bunny Hill
Other than her appointed position at Sun Peaks, Nancy assumes the prestigious position of Chancellor at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. In December of 2008 she was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself. As you can see, Nancy is truly an inspiration. Her unyielding dedication, motivation and Olympic ambition will leave a life-long impression on skiers and non-skiers alike.



Devon O'Malley is a staff writer for Allura Direct, an accommodations website offering powerful search and instant booking features for vacation rentals Ski with Nancy Greene and book your Sun Peaks accommodations today!

The Digital Gypsy's Dilemma: The Best Place To Live For An Internet Based Business

If you've got a digital business that really only requires a connection to the net to do business, your concerns boil down to having a cost structure that maximizes your profit while providing you with a high quality of life. Being productive is difficult in an environment where you're miserable. Having a high quality of life isn't a guarantee of success, but it sure makes it easier to be productive.
The problem is that most of the really enjoyable places aren't exactly what we'd call "low-cost" and in order to live in a nice place you're business will have to really produce, or you'll have to hold down a job while you try to build your internet business. At some point this juggling act gets out of hand and your business will demand enough time that you can no longer hold down a job to pay the bills. If your internet business isn't producing enough to pay the bills, your only options are to downsize and cut expenses, burn capital in hopes that your business will produce more later on or give up on the business altogether.
Those can be hard choices. Our vote is to minimize expenses and save as much money as long as possible. The lower your burn rate the longer you last, and thus the better your chances of success.
For many people, this means trying to find a low-cost location that still provides high-quality infrastructure, and that usually means living somewhere that isn't that desireable and doesn't offer a very high quality of life. Sure, there are places in Kansas where they're practically giving away houses, but who wants to live in Kansas? The people who want to live in Kansas are already there, but the state has a declining population because of all the people who are moving out. Same goes for North and South Dakota. Just think "40 degrees below zero" and you'll get an idea why.
Most entrepreneurs agree that they are more productive in a pleasant environment.
Radically Lower Your Costs By Moving Offshore
One of the best solutions to the dilemma is to move abroad to a low-cost location with excellent infrastructure, and in this article we'll discuss the relative advantages of Margarita Island.
Margarita is an island off the coast of Venezuela, and it's the largest of the three islands that make up the Venezuelan State of Nueva Esparta. Margarita is the lowest-cost island in the Caribbean, but it has the added advantage of not being an independent country. If you've been to other Caribbean islands, you already know what we're talking about: Island nations have to be self-supporting, and they usually do this through the mechanism of sky-high customs fees, so everything on the island is very expensive.
Margarita has excellent infrastructure, with DSL available in the major cities of the island. Margarita is also known as a "free port" which doesn't mean that there are no customs duties, but rather that the national sales tax (14.6%) doesn't apply there. It has an airport with direct flights to Frankfort and Toronto (but not to the US- for that you have to transfer at Caracas), so travel isn't that difficult. It isn't like other island locations where "you can't get there from here- you have to go someplace else first."
Cost Of Living On Margarita
Where Margarita Island really shines is the low cost of living. A single person or a couple can live comfortably on less than $1000 a month (if they own their own home or apartment), and that includes having a housekeeper and going out to eat at nice restaurants several times a week. The low cost of living is combined with tropical island living- you only need a single wardrobe, and formal dress is practically unheard of down here.
Housing: Housing costs are reasonable. If you're looking for an apartment in a nice area, plan on spending somewhere between $40k and $70k for a nice 2 bedroom 2 bath (quite often you can find fully furnished apartments for sale). Rental apartments can be had for anywhere from $400.00 to $800.00 a month for really nice places: ocean view, secure building, nicely furnished, nice neighborhood. Housing in less desireable neighborhoods will run anywhere from $200.00 to $300.00 a month, but your Spanish had better be pretty good.
Medical Insurance and Medical Costs: Medical insurance for an individual will cost about $150.00 to $200.00 per month, although if you're young and healthy you can do without and just go to the public clinic if you get sick (they're free). Your Spanish needs to be good enough for basic communication, and if you're hospitalized you must have someone who isn't sick who can help care for you (the public hospitals don't provide linens, blankets or meals). Medical costs for dental work are really cheap (typically 10% to 15% of what you'd get charged in the US), and just about any medical procedure you can imagine is available on Margarita for 15% to 20% of what you'd pay in the US. If you've got a young family, you'll really see your costs drop.

Having a baby by C-section will cost about $2500.00 (all inclusive) for a 2 day stay at a good private hospital.
Having a baby naturally would cost about $1000.00 (all inclusive) for a 2 to 3 day stay at a good private hospital.
Getting braces with a good orthodontist will cost about $900.00 to $1600.00, depending on how much work is required.
Minor liposuction is a hundred dollars or so, major liposuction will go upwards of $300.00 to $600.00.
A major cosmetic overhaul, combining liposuction with a facelift and a breast-job will be less than $3000.00.
Chelation therapy (IV with Sodium EDTA) is about $20.00 per session.
Basic doctor visits cost about $20.00 to see a good private physician.

Vehicle Insurance: Getting insurance for vehicles offers you two choices: Full coverage or liability only. The full coverage costs about 15% of the book value of your vehicle annually. Liability insurance costs about $130.00 annually. It doesn't matter what kind of vehicle, they don't care if you have a drivers license or not, and there is very little paperwork if you're in an accident and they have to pay.
Vehicles: Used vehicles are expensive, new vehicles are cheap (compared to the US), and for lots more information read our article on buying a vehicle on Margarita [http://bulletproofretirement.com/public/220.cfm]. The cost of everything associated with owning a vehicle is cheap. We just had a water pump replaced, and the cost was $74.00: parts were $45.00, labor $29.00. Gasoline is about 12 cents per gallon, so get used to filling your tank with pocket change.
Food: Food costs are highly variable compared to the US, based on what you want to eat and whether you can eat the local products or whether you're brand-loyal to an imported brand. We see our food costs hovering around 1/2 of what we spent in rural Kentucky, but we don't buy a lot of processed food.
Entertainment: This is a highly variable expense. Going out to eat is cheap, with a 4 to 5 star restaurant costing $30.00 to $40.00 for two, including a few drinks per person. Buying a bottle of wine will adjust the price according to your tastes in wine (wine is also cheap). Dinner and coffee for 2 at a nice restaurant will cost less than $20.00, and you can eat a full meal at a lot of places for about $5.00 to $6.00. Movie tickets cost about $2.00 and going to the beach can cost anything from nothing (bring your own umbrella, drinks and food) to $20.00 to $30.00, depending on whether you rent an umbrella and chair and eat at one of the beachfront restaurants. Going to an internet cafe costs about 50 cents per hour, and sitting at the mall people watching doesn't cost anything.
Phone: Plan on spending about $40.00 to $60.00 a month for combined home phone and cellular phone, and if your area can get DSL, you can look up the charges on CanTV's webpage to see what you'd have to pay.
Electric: Depends on your accomodations and usage. We have friends who pay about $15.00 a month, and we've paid about $100.00 a month running the AC 24/7 in a large apartment. Some people bribe a power company guy to "fix" their meter so that it's somewhat slow, and some people just hook up a wire to the power line (an illegal hookup). It's common.
Water: Water is pumped over from the mainland, and it's unbelievably cheap: maybe $2.00 to $5.00 per month. Garbage pickup is included in the water bill. If you have an apartment you'll probably see this expense covered in your condo fees.
Getting Residency
Americans are hung up on the idea of doing things "by the book" but Latin America isn't like that: in most cases there is a solution to your problem that involves paying an official to take a special interest in getting your problem solved. It's possible to live on Margarita as a tourist, going to the airport every three months and paying someone at Immigration about $40.00 to stamp your passport with an exit and entry stamp, extending your stay another 3 months. You're only supposed to be able to do this once, but they don't care. You're spending money on their island and you aren't causing problems, so what's the problem? You want to stay? You have money? No problem.
It's also possible to get a permanent residency visa without too much trouble, and there are lawyers on the Island who can help "expedite" this issue for a fee. You're paying them for their help and what they do to get you taken care of is their business. The permanent residency visa is good for 5 years and you can get a Cedula (national ID card) so you won't have to carry your passport around with you. This makes you legal, and you won't have to worry about your immigration status.
Permanent residency status qualifies you for citizenship after a while (the amount of time depends on when the next election is- it seems Señor Chavez has been allowing people to become citizens if they'll vote for him). This is a great deal because Venezuela is issuing Andean Community passports that meet all the security requirements for travel in the modern world, and it's good for visa-free travel to 56 countries, including almost all of Europe. In today's world having a second passport is an extremely wise idea: you don't know what the future holds.
Doing Business
The ideal situation is to sell to the US or Europe (charging US or European prices) while living in a really low-cost place area that provides a high quality of life. Margarita is perfect for a digital entrepreneur who wants to do this. The money you make will go a lot further than you'd believe, and what you don't spend you can either save and invest or put back into your business.
Regulation of digital businesses on Margarita is non-existent. There are no licenses, permits or other issues involved. You can pretty much do what you want- and it isn't a matter of hiding, there's nothing to hide from. Because your status is essentially that of a tourist, you're handled with kid-gloves: the authorities don't want to annoy the goose that lays the golden eggs, so tourists are pretty much left alone to play and spend money.
Taxation is another interesting issue. As a US citizen, if you reside outside the US you've got an $86,000.00 tax exemption (your wife can also make $86,000.00), so you've got tax-free income between $86,000.00 and $172,000.00. Venezuela doesn't tax you on money you make outside the country, so in effect you've got the best of all worlds: an extremely low cost of living, high quality of life and no taxes.
What it comes down to is having a business model that works, and having the time to do business. A business model that wouldn't support you in the US might very well give you a lifestyle on Margarita that you couldn't ever have in the US. If you put the time and effort into your business you might eventually see it grow into a really nice income producer. While it's growing you'll avoid taxes and have a really low cost of living. At such a time as your income is high enough, you can take your business anywhere in the world that has a 'net connection.
We don't know of any place in the US where you can have such a low cost of living and high quality of life as Margarita, and with its excellent infrastructure it's a perfect place for a digital entrepreneur.
Copyright 2006 Bulletproof Retirement
All Rights Reserved



Brian Botta
[http://bulletproofretirement.com]

Why Smart People Are Buying Health Savings Accounts

No doubt about it, Colorado health insurance can get pretty expensive. In these difficult economic times, it's hard to fit insurance premiums into the family budget. Which is why instead of getting traditional health insurance, more and more Colorado residents are turning to health savings accounts (HSA). The reason: instead of paying insurance companies for a service that they may not use, they create a stable asset that grows year-over-year, and acts as a standby fund for emergency medical needs when they occur. In short, health savings accounts combine health insurance and investment.
There are two parts to obtaining an HSA. The first part is a high-deductible Colorado health insurance policy. As of 2009, the IRS defines as high-deductible any health insurance plan with a minimum deductible of $1,150 for single-coverage and $2,300 for a family, as well as a maximum out-of-pocket of $5,800 for single-coverage and $11,600 for family coverage. To get such an insurance plan, just approach a qualified agent or get an online quote from a health insurance website.
Once you have an HSA-qualified policy, you're eligible for the second part: a health savings account for covering present and future medical expenses. Anyone under 65 may open one with an accredited Colorado health insurance company that offers HSAs.
An HSA can be funded by an employee, an employer, or both. As of 2010, the maximum contribution is $3,050 for single-coverage and $6,150 for families. For seniors 55 years and above, they are allowed to pay "catch up" contributions of up to $1,000 to their accounts. HSAs are open to anyone with a qualified high-deductible plan, including employers of any size, employees, and the self-employed.
You can get a high-deductible health insurance plan without getting an HSA, but as you will see, HSAs have significant advantages that will appeal to the smart buyer:
Numerous tax advantages. First off, all the deposits you make to your HSA are tax-deductible - that is, you can exclude them from your gross taxable income. Second, any interest you earn from your HSA is tax-exempt. Third, when you use your funds to pay HSA-qualified expenses, like doctor's fees, prescription medicines, and so on, those too are tax-exempt. Lastly, in the event of death, your remaining funds are transferred to your designated beneficiary-tax-free.
Your HSA is a permanent plan. A health savings account endures even when you change your employment status. That is, you get to keep the funds you've accumulated even after you leave your job. This applies even if your employer has contributed to your fund.
Your funds may be used as savings. Because of the tax benefit on the interest, you can let your cash grow over the years. Moreover, unlike with a flexible savings account (FSA), any unused funds in your HSA is rolled over to the next year. By the time you reach the age of 65, you can withdraw your funds without penalty and use it however you want. This makes your HSA an excellent means of augmenting your retirement fund, so long as you stay healthy.
Note:You are allowed to withdraw for non-qualified reasons before the age of 65, but this will incur a 10% penalty.
An HSA provides flexibility on the medical services it covers. With HSAs, it's you, not an insurance company, who decide what you pay for. Your HSA can accomodate medical expenses not covered by the usual health insurance plan, including vision and dental care, medical equipment, related transportation costs, and non-traditional treatments like acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care. Many kinds of HSA plans also cover prescription medicines.
An HSA is a lucrative option to a traditional Colorado health plan. Rather than paying premiums to an insurance company, your money goes to your own savings account. But not just any account-you're investing in your own health, which is the wisest investment there is.



Tim Hebert is the Managing Partner with Sage Benefit Advisors (http://sageba.com), a Colorado health insurance agency specializing in individual health insurance, group health insurance and employee benefits, and HSA plans paired with health savings accounts. Tim has been serving the health insurance needs of businesses, families, and individuals in Colorado for over 10 years.

Whistler and Sun Peaks Accommodations - Nancy Greene and the Dawn of BC Ski Resorts

From Olympic ski champion to winter resort entrepreneur, Nancy Greene Raine is truly Canada's alpine jewel. Greene achieved global recognition as one of the top ranked skiers with her performance in the 1967 World Cup and gold medal victory in the 1968 Olympic Games.
Aside from athletic competition and international glory, Nancy has played a powerful role in the development of Whistler Blackcomb and Sun Peaks accomodations, two of British Columbia's most prominent winter resort destinations. This article examines Greene's influential role in the growth and development of Whistler and Sun Peaks accomodations and her contribution to the success of both resorts.
Nancy's amazing achievement at the 1968 Olympics as well as victories in the succeeding World Cup allowed her to retire from racing at the age of 24 and begin a successful promotional career. Nancy and her husband, Al, have made skiing an endless profession, purchasing both Whistler and Sun Peaks accomodations and helping to promote and expand the status of both resorts.
The couple started by building a ski cabin in Whistler in 1970 and used their summers to coach on the glaciers. Both Nancy and Al saw that British Columbia had some of the finest mountains and snow in the world, and made it their goal to make Whistler a top ski attraction. While Al was greatly involved in the development of Whistler Village and the expansion of both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, Nancy used her prestigious status and cunning business etiquette to draw investors and visitors to the resort. Greene soon became the unofficial spokeswoman for Whistler and helped make it a key tourist destination.
In 1985, Nancy and Al built Nancy Greene's Olympic Lodge, the first accomodations in Whistler to be built and financed as a hotel. The success attained by the lodge marked a defining moment in improving Whistler's investment situation. The couple later sold the hotel in 1988, but stayed engaged in the amateur ski racing, volunteering as race officials or serving on committees for the International Ski Federation.
In 1994, Nancy and Al relayed their focus to Sun Peaks Resort in the interior of British Columbia as a new ski destination area. Sun Peaks accomodations at the time were extremely limited; infact, the Greene's built the first condominium hotel in Sun Peaks Village - Nancy Greene's Cahilty Lodge. Nancy not only promotes and does public relations for Sun Peaks accomodations, but she is also the Director of Skiing at Sun Peaks resort and skis with guests whenever she can.
As you can see, both Nancy and Al's involvement with Whistler Blackcomb and Sun Peaks resorts have contributed greatly to the success and prestige both resorts boast today.
Devon O'Malley is a staff writer for Allura Direct, an accomodation website offering powerful search and instant booking features for vacation rentals Ski with Nancy Greene and book your Sun Peaks accomodations today!

What We Want Is Luxury

It may seem incredible now, but people of a certain age will well recall the days when departing for ones annual holiday in a traditional seaside B & B could entail packing ones own towels and sheets because none were provided by the landlady. Breakfast was served strictly at a set time and if you had the misfortune to be slightly late, you had a very good chance of being excluded altogether. Woe betide you if you arrived back at your lodgings after a certain time, because you would probably find yourself locked out for the night!
Thankfully those days are now gone and long forgotten, showing how things change over time. But change is always ongoing, and a new trend seems to be manifesting in relation to our holidaying habits - a trend that the holiday makers of times past would never have imagined.
A major shift has taken place and what we now seem to be doing is replacing the traditional two week summer holiday, with several shorter ones, thus, breaking up our working year with short pleasurable experiences. A consequence of this is that we are looking to make each short break as memorable as possible to see us through to the next time. Increasingly, instead of just standard or above average hotels, what we want are luxury hotels.
There are certainly a great many luxury hotels to choose from spanning the length and breadth of the country and the upmarket facilities on offer are excellent. It is not unusual to have free use of gyms, Jacuzzis' saunas and pools, whilst additional facilities can be had at a very minimal additional charge such as beauty treatments, tennis or squash facilities. For those of us who cannot bear to be parted from our laptops, internet connections are readily available!
The main feature that really makes a luxury hotel though is undoubtedly, the décor and some of the interiors are truly astounding. Many luxury hotels have had refurbishments of millions of pounds - money very well spent when you see the result, with stylistic themes to please everyone ranging from Victorian Gothic / Edwardian right up to contemporary modern.
After the days activities are done and all one wants to do is settle down peacefully for the night, then once again a luxury hotel will be able to satisfy your every need - and in style.
The dining facilities are excellent, often with a choice of restaurants on site and with all manner of tastes catered for. Whether your preference is for Indian, Thai or a Traditional Roast you will probably find it at your luxury stopover.
And what of the traditional nightcap? Well, once again, a visit to the hotels' bar will provide you with your hearts desire, in lavish surroundings, before you retire.With so much to commend them and the contribution these hotels make to enhancing our breaks, we can see why increasingly, what we want is luxury.



Get away this year, visit this superlative website for a grand choice of luxury hotels in the sun!
Amit Biswas - Lantrix Online Solutions