The Royal Prisco is a great little family owned hotel in Positano, Italy. Maria and her brother, whom own the hotel, are very friendly and accommodating hosts. Budget Jetset received a great rate for a room which had no balcony but a window with a view. The cost through Booking.com was only $150 US per night during the August high season when many hotels are $300+ a night minimum. The room and the entire hotel is exceptionally clean. The hotel is a recent construction compared to many of the historic hotels in the area but designed in the style of an old Italian B&B. The location is great for walking down to the beach during the day and walking up to some of the popular restaurants along the cliff side at night. The air conditioning worked great during the scorching summer days. Budget Jetset highly recommends the Royal Prisco if looking for a practical hotel on the Amalfi Coast that is affordable during the summer high season.
The BPM’s 10 day electronic music festival in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico ushered in the new year with a bang. Marking its five year anniversary, this was the biggest and best yet. With its star-studded line-up of global DJ’s, BPM was a non-stop marathon of great music, good vibes, beautiful beaches and fun parties. What better way to welcome 2012?
Most days offered up two to three day parties at Kool Beach Club, Canibal Royal Beach Club or Mamitas Beach Club. There were also two to three night events to check out each evening at Blue Parrot, La Santanera or Pink Elephant. While the day parties would go from noon to about 8pm they came alive around 4pm each day. Nighttime parties began at 11pm but would be in full swing by 1am and last until 6am. On New Year’s Eve, Danny Tenaglia spun one of his marathon sets at Blue Parrot from 4am to 4pm! Every party was filled with techno loving revelers whom were there for the sole purpose of dancing to the beats of the hottest DJ’s.
Festival Highlights
Best Night Party – Ritchie Hawtin’s techno heavy set at Blue Parrot was out of this world.
Best Day Party – Lee Burridge & Matthew DeKay’s “All Day I Dream” party at Mamita’s. An Ibiza like experience, with the best crowd of the week and a dream like beach setting. Runner up – Steve Lawler’s surprise set Kool Beach. A fiesta of house/tribal/techno goodness!
Best Venue – Canibal Royal is a very relaxed, laid back, funky, retro style bar, restaurant and beach club right on the ocean’s edge. Great atmosphere and vibe for the BPM day parties, especially as the sun sets!
Worst Party – Mark Knight’s party at Kool Beach was like stepping into an episode of Jersey Shore! Will take a pass on that scene, thank you.
Most Out of Place DJ - Steve Angello is one of the biggest names in dance music right now but an odd choice for this festival. This festival brought in some of the best techno DJ’s around, why choose to host the mainstream, anthem loving Angello?
Other fun parties include Heidi’s set at La Santanera and the surprise Ritch Hawtin vs. Dubfire set at Kool Beach.
The event was a major success! Kudos to the BPM folks that work hard at making this THE new premiere dance music festival. In Budget Jetset’s opinion, BPM is the new Winter Music Conference (WMC) and in one of the most amazing locations. The gorgeous backdrop of Playa Del Carmen only makes it that much better. Looking forward to seeing how they top themselves in 2013!
Budget Jetset will have lots to report from the BPM Festival. The 10 days electronic music festival begins December 30 and goes through January 8. Set at clubs around the small resort town of Playa del Carmen, BPM Festival comprises more than 40 individual events and well over 100 DJs and live acts.We will be keeping an eye out for great places to eat and drink, fun clubs and parties to check out as well as the best beaches & shopping in the area. All Budget Jetset style! Check out the festival details at http://www.thebpmfestival.com/
Budget Jetset recommends WhichBudgetto help build an inexpensive overseas flight itinerary. WhichBudget.com searches local, budget airlines -- a great way to save on international travel. It’s based on a comprehensive list of airlines servicing 170 countries.
Select an overseas starting point, end point or both, and the site will list local budget airlines you’ve probably never heard of that service each route. For example, if you search for flights from Bangkok to other Asian destinations, you’ll get options from AirAsia, Jetstar and Nok Air. Click on an airline’s link and you will be redirected to its home page to book a flight.
If you are planning a multi-route trip through sites like Expedia and Travelocity airfare will drive costs up significantly but because WhichBudget partners with local airlines you will get the best price possible. Check out www.WhichBudget.com to start planning your next budget jetset trip!
Tired of staying in over-crowded, super-sized chain hotels on vacation? Do you want a more intimate, personalized experience at your next travel destination? Budget Jetset recommends using TabletHotels.com to book your next boutique hotel vacation.
Tablet was founded in 2000 and consists of a worldwide audience of over a million “Global Nomads” that have made the site the online authority for finding and booking hotels that provide truly unique experiences. Tablet offers the lowest online rates guaranteed for almost 2,000 boutique and luxury hotels in more than a hundred countries. There are no associated booking fees and you will be offered concierge-grade customer service, verified guest reviews and user guides from Tablet’s “Global Nomads” and exclusive private sales & rewards. When conducting a search by destination, Tablet will also highlight the most affordable and the best rated resorts in the destination of choice.
What are “Global Nomads” you ask? The folks at Tablet define them as a diverse group of travelers unified by their discerning tastes and enjoy connecting and sharing their journeys with other like-minded folks. Tablet’s Global Nomad network has become a comprehensive travel community of individuals whom seek out unique and memorable places to stay. Sounds like a great group of Budget Jetsetters! Reserve your room on TabletHotels.com now.
FestivalZoo is great resource and a one-stop shop for electronic music festival information. The goal is to provide festival-goers with an all inclusive resource designed to take the festival experience to new heights. The site covers all the major festivals in the US and EU. Content includes the latest festival news and details as well as tips from festival pros on planning, reviews, photo galleries and more. Budget Jetset recommends keeping an eye on FestivalZoo to find out the best way to attend upcoming events on a budget. Lots of fun festivals to look forward to in 2012!
BPM Festival has released their full DJ line-up for their 5th annual event, taking place from December 30th through January 8th. Set at night clubs and beach clubs around Playa del Carmen, BPM Festival will host more than 40 individual events with over 100 DJ's and live acts. This year’s line-up includes top global techno DJ’s including Danny Teneglia, John Digweed, Lee Burridge, Steve Lawler, Richie Hawtin, Danny Howells, Steve Angello, Pleasurekraft and many more. Click on the flyer above to see the full list. This is going to be the biggest BPM Festival yet!
Currently on the BPM Festival website you can purchase tickets to the New Year's Eve event, 3 day, 7 day and 10 day VIP wrist bands for access to BPM events at the festival. If you are planning on attending multiple events than Budget Jetset recommends getting one of the wrist bands to save some money rather than purchasing individual event tickets. The wrist bands also allow for VIP line bypass to avoid the crowds out front.
Gogobot is a start up social media platform to share your travels and get great trip recommendations from people whose opinions you value. The best travel advice comes from people you trust, your friends and peers, not from anonymous strangers on the internet. You can read endless amounts of travel reviews on TripAdvisor but do you value the opinion of those you don’t know? Travel is a personal experience and we all have different expectations.
Gogobot can be accessed online and through your mobile device. The site leverages social data from Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other social media platforms. On Gogobot, you can search for travel recommendations from your friends via Facebook or Twitter and look at the top recommendations (e.g. New York City restaurants) from the entire Gogobot community. The tool also allows you to post questions within the gogobot community and out to friends on social networks and filter travel results by those you are following, as opposed to the general Gogobot community. You have access to travel recommendations from people you trust the most, your friends. The service is fast-becoming a much-loved, travel savvy community. Sign up today on the gogobot site or through your mobile app store.
Looking to connect with other like-minded electronic music fans in your next jetset destination? Want to find out what hot spots to hit up in your fave city? Seeking out a fun underground party in NYC or Miami?
Here are a few recommended sites to find out the latest and greatest in electronic dance music events and info:
ResidentAdvisor - One of the world's largest independent electronic online music magazines with news, interviews, event info, forums and reviews.
TranceAddict - global news, events and forums on everything trance and techno around the world. The forum page is especially popular for up to date info.
ClubPlanet - Nightlife directory for US jetset cities like NYC, Miami, LA and Vegas.
Rythmism - New York City’s premiere dance music and clubbing resource.
Ibiza Spotlight - Everything you need to know about Ibiza nightlife and clubbing with guides, reviews, calendars and forums to keep up to date.
CoolJunkie - Miami nightlife guide for South Beach nightclubs, lounges, bars, hotels, pools, etc.
Looking to book a last minute trip to your favorite budget jetset city in the United States? Download the HotelTonight smart phone app for your iPhone, iPad or Android. HotelTonight partners with local hotels in popular US cities to provide last-minute deals on their unsold rooms, with discounts up to 70%. The app provides easy mobile booking of same-day hotel inventory from several jetset destinations including New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas & Miami. It’s free and easy to sign up and you will receive $25 credit for your first booking. Refer a friend and you will receive additional credits towards future bookings. Download HotelTonight now through The App Store or Android Marketplace!
Surprisingly, Bora Bora can be done budget jetset style. Try staying at the Le Maitai Polynesia, rated four stars by travelers on TripAdvisor. If Bora Bora has always been the dream trip you never thought you could afford, then Le Maitai is an option that can make your dream a reality. Set amongst lush tropical gardens, Le Maitai Polynesia offers affordable accommodations for a destination that is recognized as a playground for the rich and famous.
The resort is located at the southern tip of the island, within walking distance of famous Matira Point, the most beautiful strip of beach on the island. If you choose to stay onsite, there is a small beach right on the property with access to snorkeling equipment, outrigger canoes and kayaks free of charge. Also in walking distance is a small market with all your grocery needs as well as some small restaurants.
There are two onsite restaurants, Haere Mai, off the quaint lobby, for breakfast and Wednesday buffet dinner and Tama’s Maitai Beach restaurant that faces the lagoon. You can also spend happy hour sipping tropical cocktails and listening to a local Tahitian music band at Manuia Bar.
The hotel was built in 1996 and offers several different room types including over water bungalows, beach bungalows, ocean view rooms and for the true budget value, garden view rooms. There are 74 units in total. All units offer a balcony, air-conditioning, TV, in-room safe, stocked mini bar and full bathroom. Unfortunately there is no pool onsite but the calm, crystal clear water of Bora Bora’s lagoon is your pool! You will be in awe of all the colorful tropical fish to be seen in these waters.
Le Maitai is one of the few hotels in Bora Bora where you can find rates for $200US per night (for a garden view room). For this budget jetsetter it was more important to visit the island of Bora Bora than to pay for a high end bungalow resort. This was not a mistake. Le Maitai offers clean budget accommodations on the most beautiful island in the world. A place everyone should visit once if you enjoy your tropical destinations. For more info on the hotel please visit the Le Maitai Polynesia site.
Dara Samui Beach Resort and Spa is located on Chaweng Beach on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. The hotel is a 4 star hotel situated on the most beautiful stretch on the northern end of the beach. The Dara Samui staff are very welcoming and will go above and beyond to accommodate your requests.
The hotel is a long narrow structure that stretches from Chaweng Beach Road straight to the sea. The design of the hotel reflects the culture and architecture of Thailand from the pagoda like lobby to the décor of each resort room. The ancient culture of Lanna, from Northern Thailand, and its distinctive architectural style are the major influences on the hotel design. The serene oasis has several outdoor sitting areas covered in greenery, beside fish-filled water features.
Thai bamboo double doors covered in gold leaf lead you into the moderately sized room. A large king size bed sits in the middle of the room surrounded by traditional Thai murals on the walls. A small day bed lounger sits next to the larger bed. There is also an armoire with a flat screen tv and dvd player. Next to the armoire is a small desk with a welcome basket of fresh fruit. The bathroom is impressively large with soaking tub, double sink and open air shower. Also offered in the bathroom are spa products for your bath needs and a rattan beach bag & beach towels. There is a patio off the living room but unfortunately not much of view except of a neighboring hotel.
Follow the outdoor hallways down to the beach and you will walk beside a small tropical free form pool, the Dara Serene Restaurant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner and a pool bar for happy hour cocktails. The pool is not large, with only a few loungers around it but three steps down is the gorgeous white sand of Chaweng Beach. Who wants to sit by a pool anyway when you can step into the warm, calm, crystal clear sea. There are plenty of loungers on the beach for your use.
Outside, In front of the hotel lobby, sits Lanna Restaurant for dinning in the evening. The restaurant overlooks the action of Chaweng Beach Road with live entertainment from traditional Thai performers. You can choose from a menu of fresh seafood and a selection of Western and Thai specials.
While not the cheapest resort on Chaweng Beach, it’s a nice four star resort in a great location that is reasonably priced. You can find more budget accommodations but they won’t feel as luxe as Dara Samui. There are several other four and five star hotels located along the same stretch of beach that cost upwards of $300-400US a night. Using sites like Agoda.com or AsiaWebDirect.com you can find rates at Dara Samui for $120-170US per night. Dara Samui Resort and Spa is a Budget Jetset hotel of choice on Chaweng Beach. For more information please go to the Dara Samui website.
Flash travel sales are a great way to find budget prices for your next jetset vacation. Usually you have to act fast because these sell out quickly. There tons of websites that offer vacation packages, hotels and airfare deals. Every Wednesdays several of these travel sites publish their weekly top travel deals. Sign up today and receive the best deals via email so you don’t miss out on some great prices.
Here are a few of the more popular sites to sign up with:
It’s never too early to start planning for the 2012 travel and party season. Electronic music festivals across the globe are increasing in popularity and growing in size. These large open air events can bring in up to 200,000+ electronic music fans for a multi-day marathon of beats from the world’s top DJ’s.
As a Budget Jetsetter it’s always important to plan ahead and take advantage of early bird discount tickets when they become available. You will get the best deals on local accommodations and airfare by booking early as well.
So which festivals do you plan to attend next year? Here is a guide to some of the major electronic music festivals scheduled for next year:
BPM Festival is a 10 day festival set against the picturesque tropical backdrop of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico from December 30, 2011 through January 8, 2012. BPM will be celebrating its 5th year anniversary and plans to have the largest attendance yet. Early bird all access passes are already for sale on the site.
Ultra Music Festival is scheduled March 23 through 25, 2012 in Downtown Miami, Florida. UMF is one of the more popular electronic music festivals in existence. The festival began annually in 1999 and in 2011 over 100,000 dance music fans were in attendance. Early bird tickets are going on sale shortly, visit the site for updates.
Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the original electronic music festivals founded in 1997. EDC began in Southern California as a one day event. Eventually the festival expanded to three days and in 2011 relocated to Las Vegas and brought in over 200,000 music fans. In 2012 the Vegas set festival is scheduled from June 8 through 10. Keep an eye out for smaller franchised EDC events in other US cities but nothing beats the original. Check the site for updates and info on early bird tickets.
Tomorrowland, heading into its 8th year, will be held on July 27 through July 29, 2012 in Boom, Belgium. Tomorrowland is gaining popularity as the electronic music festival not to be missed based on its huge success in 2011. Look for event details and early bird tickets on the site.
Creamfields is scheduled for August 24 through 26, 2012 in Daresbury/Cheshire, UK, just outside Liverpool. The festival expanded to three days in 2011 and will be a three day event again in 2012 due to its enormous success. Creamfields franchised its festival to several other global destinations including Abu Dhabi, Buenos Aires, Adalucia, Malta, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, amongst other popular jetset destinations. Visit the site for details on all the 2012 festivals.
Electric Zoo is the newest and quickly becoming one of the largest electronic music festivals located on Randall’s Island in New York City. In 2011, its 3rd anniversary, the festival brought in over 85,000 attendees and has been getting bigger and better. The three day festival is set for Labor Day Weekend 2012 on August 31 through September 2. Keep updated on the festival website.
These are just some of the larger electronic music festivals. There are even more scheduled around the globe in 2012. With a rise in attendance and popularity at these festivals expect to hear about more in the future.
The Royal Prisco is a great little family owned hotel in Positano, Italy. Maria and her brother, whom own the hotel, are very friendly and accommodating hosts. Budget Jetset received a great rate for a room which had no balcony but a window with a view. The cost through Booking.com was only $150 US per night during the August high season when many hotels are $300+ a night minimum. The room and the entire hotel is exceptionally clean. The hotel is a recent construction compared to many of the historic hotels in the area but designed in the style of an old Italian B&B. The location is great for walking down to the beach during the day and walking up to some of the popular restaurants along the cliff side at night. The air conditioning worked great during the scorching summer days. Budget Jetset highly recommends the Royal Prisco if looking for a practical hotel on the Amalfi Coast that is affordable during the summer high season.
