Topic Best Beaches near Orlando
Daytona Beach
Just as famous for its NASCAR speedway as its seashore, Daytona Beach nonetheless offers a great Atlantic Oceanside environment. It's easily accessible from Orlando via I-4, and it features plenty of hotels, restaurants and bars. You can even drive your car right onto the beach in some areas.
Canaveral National Seashore
This public park features a gorgeous beach as well as opportunities to fish or take nature hikes. You'll see tons of wildlife here, including 14 species of threatened or endangered animals. Keep your eyes open for bald eagles, wood storks, falcons and manatees, as well as thousands of sea turtle nests.
To compile our annual list of the best places to travel in the upcoming year, T+L editors thoroughly and meticulously consider a variety of factors. Which under-the-radar gems are most exciting to our network of contributing writers and global correspondents? Which destinations are our A-List travel specialists fielding requests for? Which classic vacation spots are starting to emerge-but for entirely new and compelling reasons? Which global events and changes in travel restrictions have made certain destinations easier to get to?
This year's list ranges from the Andaman Islands, off India (which impressed even the most discerning ocean-lover, Jacques Cousteau), to an unspoiled stretch of the Caribbean, and nine other beach destinations with sun, sand, and beautiful views. For food lovers, we've got everything from Ghent, Belgium (where a group of young chefs is leading the culinary revolution and plans for a massive food hall are under way), to the canal town of Aarhus, Denmark, which is stepping out of Copenhagen's shadow with three Michelin-starred restaurants of its own.
Closer to home, once-overlooked spots have proven themselves worthy of another glance. The bike-friendly town of Richmond, Virginia, has standout architecture, a burgeoning art and food scene, and a brand-new design hotel. Detroit's renewal has been on our radar for a while, and with signs of life springing up in its abandoned buildings-including a hotel that set up shop in a historic fire-department headquarters-it's finally earned a much-deserved spot on this list. And in San Antonio, the Roman and Williams-designed Hotel Emma, in a former brewhouse, sits at the heart of the restaurant- and shopping-packed Pearl district.
In the geopolitical sphere, the recently signed nuclear deal between Iran and the UN security council has opened up opportunities for Americans to more readily visit the cosmopolitan capital of Tehran and the mosques of Kashan. And while Cuba was on last year's list, a spate of new cruises that dock in Havana-all thanks to eased travel restrictions for Americans-mean the destination is continuing to blossom. Cruise ships are also heading to Batumi, in Georgia, with its gorgeous botanical garden. It's a Black Sea port that's gaining attention from the big cruise brands given the safety concerns in Ukraine.
Whether you're looking for a weekend getaway close to home, a farther-flung bucket-list trip-or even a multi-stop tour that combines, say, the art- and design-filled Taipei, the classic Chinese retreat of Hangzhou, and the hip surf community of Canggu, Bali-consider the 50 incredible destinations on this list a road map for your planning and inspiration in 2016.
Flip through the slideshow for the full list, and share your thoughts (and travels) with us on social media with the hashtag #TLBestPlaces.-Stephanie Wu
KELLY PARK
After two very intense (and fun) days in Disney World with my 2 year-old toddler, we needed a little break. So, I did a quick search of what was in the area, within 30-40 minutes of the park, ignoring Sea World, Universal and other theme parks in favor of a more outdoors-y type of escape. Lo and behold Kelly Park Rock Springs popped up and looked perfect. I buckled my little one into his carseat, grabbed bathing suits, his water float and some towels and hit the road.
I wasn't sure what the water temperature would be like in Apopka, Florida in early February, but as-promised this warm-water freel-flowing spring was PERFECT! It was around 70 degrees, the weather was gorgeous, and the setting was absolutely lush. During winter the park is open from 8AM to 6PM (in summer it's open til 8PM). I didn't rent a tube, but I wish I did. The spring is just too shallow for swimming, so I mostly waded and watched my little one splash around. He absolutely loved it. It was pretty much the perfect height for my toddler.
Kelly Park is pretty awesome too. It's 248 acres and There are picnic tables, covered pavilions, bbq pits, a large playground and tent and RV camping. For $3 a vehicle (with 1-2 people, and $5 per vehicle for 3-8 people). The park also rents out tubes for lazy floating. The springs bubble from a rocky outcropping which results in a meandering stream that goes on for about a mile and settles into a sizable pool. Absolutely perfect for inner tubing.
Now, here's the rub…the park gets pretty popular during summer, but I can attest that it's just as amazing in the winter, MINUS the crowds. If you do venture out in summer be prepared for some traffic getting to the park, it's off the main roads in Apopka, and the park is known to reach full capacity by mid-morning, so be prepared to also arrive early, or risk getting turned away. During the summer months the park limits visitors to 1,350 a day, which is about 330 vehicles. Obviously, it's more crowded on weekends, but during summer school vacations it's anyone's bet.
If wading or tubing aren't your thing, there's lots of other stuff to do, like BBQing, or sunbathing, doing yoga on the shore, or just hiking around the many lagoons and pools throughout the park. You can also camp at the park for $18 a night.
Orlando on a budget
Orlando on a budget – not a sentence you hear often! Usually a vacation to Orlando, Florida is one in which holiday makers save up for. For many, it's a lifetime dream to meet Mickey and Minnie, and not a just stop over trip! Whilst pricing flights from Portland, Oregon to Nicaragua, Craig realised that it was cheaper to fly from Orlando or Miami hence our fly by six-night holiday to Orlando!
Orlando on a Budget – Accommodation
The key to managing a trip to Orlando on a budget is staying in the prime location, and that spot is International Drive aka iDrive. Just think of 11 miles packed with restaurants, bars, crazy golf, shops, and hotels. There are over 89 hotels on iDrive: that's a lot of choice!
Orlando Airport to iDrive
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The #42 Lynx bus will take you from Orlando Airport to iDrive for $2 (so cheap!) and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, depending on your drop off point. An Uber will cost approximately $20 / 14. If you are on a budget, don't even think about a taxi ($60-70)!
Choosing a Hotel on iDrive
After a quick squint at Bookings.com and Tripadvisor you'll soon realise that many of the hotels on iDrive are stuffy, outdated, and have pretty poor ratings. One of the benefits of these hotels is that they are super cheap. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Please do take Tripadvisor reviews with caution, as people are more likely to leave negative rather than positive reviews! I also tend to check Google and hotel social media account hashtags for a balanced view.
Orlando Theme Park Shuttle Buses
You definitely want your iDrive hotel to offer shuttle buses to the Walt Disney Parks (they will drop you off at Epcot, you can use the monorail and buses from there to the other parks) and Universal Studios. In the morning you can expect the journey to Epcot (Disney) to take about 30-40 minutes and 15 minutes on the way back, depending on the time of night (we left at 10pm) and year (we were there in low season). The bus to Universal Studios only takes about 10 minutes, but depending on where your hotel is located on iDrive you might be able to walk!
Hidden Costs of iDrive Hotels
Most iDrive hotels are resorts and charge a daily resort fee, which will not be included in the overall price when booking online. This fee covers things like parking, internet access, in-room coffee service, access to fitness suites if available, local and toll – free calls, and most importantly, shuttle service to theme parks. An Uber will cost you approximately $26 / 18 to Walt Disney World whilst a taxi will cost approximately $44 / 31. For Universal the Uber is slightly cheaper at $6 / 4 (location depending, we were in the middle of iDrive) and $22 / 15 for a taxi.
Warning, many of the shuttle buses leave at 10pm from Walt Disney World. We were extremely lucky as the Magic Kingdom projection show and fireworks randomly took place at 8pm which allowed us to catch a bus back! Thanks Walt!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Avanti Resort which I chose because it was modern, had a swimming pool, and a shuttle bus service to both park areas. I think we were the first customers to enter the doors wearing 18 litre backpacks!
Disclaimer – I pitched the resort and they offered us media rates and an upgrade for a review of our stay. I feel we really lucked out, as Avanti Resort was my number one choice out of all of the hotels on iDrive. I think you'll understand why…
The Superior room overlooked the turquoise swimming pool, had a massive bed which is ideal for those sweaty nights in Orlando, air con to help with the heat too, a television, bathroom, large sink area with mirror for getting dolled up before a night out at Universal CityWalk! And to Craig's delight – a hairdryer (not even joking)!
Other amenities included a coffee / tea maker, fridge, and microwave. If you truly are on a budget, book a hotel that offers these – iDrive has three Wallgreens, which sells food. We bought yoghurt and fruit for breakfast, which saved us approximately $20 / 14 per day on the most important meal of the day!
Avanti Resort also has a bar, Starbucks, shop, cafe, and my favourite – a fitness suite! You really do miss having a gym nearby whilst travelling and let's face it, there are a whole lot of calories to be consumed in Orlando! What is the dream after a work out? A hot tub. Avanti Resort has one of those too.
International Drive can best be described as a far more impressive Blackpool (England) and less overwhelming Las Vegas! There are countless food and drink opportunities on iDrive. Here are three saving tips for dining on iDrive.
Firstly, ask your hotel if they have any coupons, the concierge at Avanti Resort had lots to offer us. Secondly, look out for happy hours (Miller's Ale House had $2 cocktails in the evening!) in bars and set prices in restaurants. Finally, check out the Eat and Play card for discounts on America's well known and lesser advertised establishments! This card will also give you discounts on activities on iDrive such us Ripley's Believe It Or Not Orlando Odditorium!
International Drive has lots to offer small and big kids alike! We did a bit of flying at iFly, talk about feeling the force. In Orlando the fun does not stop when you leave Walt Disney World or Universal Studios!
Universal studio
So, you are going to take the family to Universal Studios and are wondering what else to do after visiting the theme park. One thing is for sure, there are plenty of interesting things to do in Orlando. This list will guide you on some of the activities in Orlando that will be fun for the entire family
Orlando has great vintage clothing stores. Orlando Vintage Clothing also has great costumes if you want to get your Halloween shopping done early. Etoile Boutique, Deja Vu Vintage, and Other Peoples Property are also great vintage clothing stores worth seeking out.
The Lego Imagination Center has a building area with different types of Legos, a jungle gym, and life-sized Lego statues. The statues include a 12-foot tall T-Rex dinosaur, a family walking their dogs, and a giant sea serpent protruding from the nearby lagoon. The best part is it's free to visit.
Do something different and experience nature in Orlando at Lake Eola Park. Visiting the park and feeding the swans (bring lettuce or spinach) is one of the best things to do in Orlando. You can also rent paddle boats or eat at one of the restaurants surrounding the lake. Go on a Sunday for the Sunday Market. This is another one of the great free activities in Orlando.
Orlando has great restaurants that the whole family will enjoy. Enjoy Southern food in an old feed house at Cask & Larder. They serve favorites such as raw oysters, smoked country ham, and Nashville hot chicken. The kids will love having fondue at The Melting Pot. Hawkers Asian Street Fare, in the Little Saigon area of Orlando, is a great place for a pork belly Bao, Banh Mi sliders, or some curry duck noodles.
Another one of the great free things to do in Orlando is going to see the wildlife and bird exhibits on Lake Jesup. There's also a ball python to see. You can also pay for an air boat tour to get out on the water with the alligators. There are also free live bands on the weekends.
Most people are unaware of all the stunning wildlife in Florida. Go on a kayak tour and see bald eagles, dolphins, and manatees. They even offer a full moon tour, and at certain times of the year, you can even see bioluminescence.
The Pop Parlour in Orlando has to be the coolest place to get a popsicle. These popsicles are handmade, all natural, and organic, and you can get flavors such as cookie butter cheesecake, avocado coconut, and peanut butter pie. For the adults, they offer boozy pops. Some of those include the elderly pear, made with aged Zacapa rum and fresh Bartlett pears and, another favorite, the whisky ginger pineapple.
Martin Wynn
