The Future of Airplane Travel? A new concept from Airbus

Airbus 'Invisible' Concept Plane Revealed As Future of Commercial Flight

by Chris Anderson


Invisible planes? Not quite Wonder Woman invisible plane, but Airbus released media galore of their future tech transparent plane concept for 2050 as reported by the Telegraph.co.uk.

On the newly launched Future Airbus Website, "A third of the people that took part in our global Passenger 2050 survey of 10,000 people said that they want the flight itself to feel like a holiday experience and to be able to access all the technological advances which fill their daily lives during the flight."

Who doesn't want a flight to feel like a holiday instead of the often cramped and uncomfortable haul usually associated with flying these days? At least if you're flying cattle class. Regardless lets hope Airbus paves the way with designs like these instead of Ryan Air and their "standing room only concepts," which thankfully haven't seen the light of day yet.

From a report on FOX, according to Airbus the plane won't have a bad seat (believe it when it happens) and will be divided up by first class, business, and economy, and "is divided by the individual needs of the passenger such as relaxing, playing games, and interacting with other passengers or people on the ground."

"Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment," said Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering quoted in the Daily Telegraph. He continued, "The Airbus Concept Cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination."

Some of the future tech involved in the Airbus transparent plane concept are walls that change according to light conditions, holographic pop-up gaming displays and passenger's body heat powering in-flight entertainment.

Airbus is mum on the actual technology needed to make the transparent material, which the Daily Mail says is to be a plant-based skin.

Maybe some of the $5.7 billion airlines made on baggage fees could go into researching some technology actually geared towards the comfort of passengers, or invisible plane walls.

One can dream.

Airlines get $5.7 billion in fees

U.S. airlines made billions in fees in 2010

(CNN) -- U.S. airlines accumulated nearly $5.7 billion in fees in 2010, according to a financial report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Airlines collected $3.4 billion from baggage fees and $2.3 billion in reservation change fees, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics report.

Other fees paid by passengers are included in larger categories with other types of revenue for the report.

"Without sustained profitability, airlines cannot add routes, add workers or buy new airplanes, all in the interest of airline customers and the global economy," Air Transport Association spokeswoman Jean Medina said in a statement Monday.

The Air Transport Association is one of the oldest and largest airline trade associations in the nation.

"Importantly, airlines have different revenue models, providing customers choices; just as with fees, customers have the option to pay for products and services they value," Medina said.

The numbers have increased from 2009 when airlines received about $2.7 billion in baggage fees, according to the bureau.

Airlines' baggage policies recently got further notoriety when soldiers returning from Afghanistan posted a YouTube video voicing their outrage at the nearly $3,000 they were charged for checked bags on a Delta Air Lines flight.

That airline has since changed its policy for service members to include more free bag checks, and other major U.S. carriers have followed suit with similarly eased policies.

12 most beautiful lakes in the world

12 most beautiful lakes in the world

These 12 lakes go to all the right extremes -- highest, deepest, clearest -- and showcase nature at its most spectacular. Soak up the views from a boat, a cable car, a trailhead or a castle tower.

United States

Crater Lake

Thousands of years ago, the top of a 12,000-foot-high volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left behind became known as Crater Lake, the centerpiece of a national park in southern Oregon that displays nature at its rawest and most powerful.

Budget Travel: See photos of the lakes

Forests of towering evergreens and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake, where extraordinarily deep waters -- at 1,943 feet, it's the deepest lake in the United States -- yield an intense sapphire-blue hue.

Crater Lake in Oregon has 2,000-foot cliffs that surround the lake.

If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been plowed and the trails cleared. Rim Drive, a 33-mile road that encircles the lake, has picture-perfect views from all sides.

For a closer look, follow the mile-long Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shore. Brace yourself before diving in: The water temperature rarely rises above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nearby: The laid-back mountain town of Bend, 112 miles away, makes a nice home base for a Crater Lake day trip.

Budget Travel: See photos of the lakes

Canada

Peyto Lake

Alberta's Lake Louise is the famous one, on all the postcards and posters. But Louise's sister lake 29 miles north along Icefields Parkway, a two-laner that winds 142 miles through the Canadian Rockies, is even more picturesque.

Thanks to glacial rock flour that flows in when the ice and snow melt every summer, the waters of Banff National Park's Peyto Lake are a brilliant turquoise more often associated with warm-weather paradises like Antigua and Bora-Bora.

For the most dramatic views of the 1.7-mile-long stunner, encircled with dense forest and craggy mountain peaks, pull into the lot at Bow Summit, the parkway's highest point, and follow the steep hike to the overlook.

Nearby: The town of Banff, the heart of the park, is 62 miles south of Peyto Lake.

Malawi

Lake Malawi

Home to 1,000 species of fish -- estimated to be more than anyplace on earth -- Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa) is Africa's third largest lake at 363 miles long and up to about 50 miles wide in spots.

Located in a depression 2,300 feet below sea level, it's positioned at the crossroads of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, and supports hundreds of local villages with its rich underwater stock (which is, unfortunately, gradually being depleted due to over-fishing).

The lake's southern portion -- as well as a bordering nub of wildlife-rich land, Cape Maclear -- represents the world's first freshwater national park; it was also named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

A star of the waters here is the mbuna, a native freshwater fish known for eating directly from people's hands. Bring your snorkel gear -- as beautiful as the scenery is, the best part about Lake Malawi is what's swimming beneath you in the crystal clear water.

Nearby: Cape Maclear, located within Lake Malawi National Park, is a perfect base for exploring the area.

Budget Travel: See photos of the lakes

Philippines

Taal Lake

This dangerous beauty, situated just 37.28 miles south of Manila, has two distinct claims to fame: It is the deepest lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 564 feet.

Taal Lake in the Philippines is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It is also home to one of the world's smallest but most active volcanoes, the Taal Volcano, which sits within its waters on the island of Luzon.

The lake itself was formed when a larger volcanic crater here collapsed; now seismologists spend a lot of time monitoring this spot for tremors, and sending out frequent eruption warnings through the country's Department of Tourism.

Plenty of tour groups offer trips to the natural wonder -- in spite of the fact that it has been declared a permanent danger zone. A safer way to see the volcano is by taking a drive along the Tagaytay-Taal ridge in nearby Tagaytay City.

Nearby: Adjacent Tagaytay City offers some well-priced accommodations, in addition to the best views of the lake.

Guatemala

Lake Atitlán

Nearly a mile up in the highlands of Guatemala, Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) rests at the foot of three massive conical volcanoes. Small Mayan villages line its shores, which are set off by steep hills draped with oak and pine trees and nearly 800 plant species.

There's no single, must-see view of the lake, so try several vantage points: from up high on Highway 1; from the town of Panajachel, the buzzing market hub that juts out into the water; or aboard a lancha, one of the many small boats that ferry visitors from village to village.

We're saddened to note that the lake has built up high levels of blue-green algae over the years (in October and November 2009, a film of green scum began periodically marring its surface; since then there have been ambitious efforts to solve the problem).

Nearby: Panajachel is about 2.5 hours by car from Guatemala City.

Scotland

Loch Lomond

With a backdrop of windswept rolling hills and medieval castles, Loch Lomond feels like it's straight out of a Victorian romance novel.

The 24-mile-long lake is dotted with islands, some so small that they disappear when the water levels are high, and others large enough to be (sparsely) inhabited.

Most ferries stop at the largest island, Inchmurrin (population 11), so visitors can get a look at the remains of a 7th-century monastery and the 14th century Lennox Castle, used often as a hunting lodge for kings.

Nearby: The lake is 24 miles north of Glasgow and 66 west of Edinburgh.

Italy

Lake Garda

If the shape of Italy is a couture boot, think of the imprint of Lake Garda as a design from the funky sister line -- long and skinny at the top, opening up toward the bottom.

Garda is the country's largest lake and one of the most popular vacation spots among Italians. The southern shore is home to hot springs, resort towns with pastel villas and terra-cotta-roofed hotels, and most of Garda's 28 miles of serene, pebbly beaches.

To the north are the jagged peaks of the Dolomites, a magnet for hikers and bicyclists who want to test their endurance. In Malcesine, an adorable speck of a town with cobblestoned streets and a medieval castle, you can board a cable car up to Mount Baldo for one of the best aerial views of the lake.

Nearby: Lake Garda is about halfway between Milan (89 miles away) and Venice (109 miles away), but to get the full, relaxing effect, stay in one of the south shore's many small towns.

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France

Lake Annecy

This alpine lake in the heart of the French Alps is a looker, but don't expect to spend your visit gazing over the water in quiet reflection. Lake Annecy is all about activity -- particularly in August, when Paris shuts down and the French take extended holidays.

Sailors, kayakers, and water-skiers crisscross the water; bikers and hikers hit surrounding nature trails; and refugees from the city fill the outdoor tables at the lakeside restaurants and bars.

Repeat visitors know to plan their trip for the first Saturday of August, when a staggering, nearly two-hour-long fireworks display illuminates the water.

Nearby: The closest major city is Geneva, 30 miles north, in Switzerland, but most people stay right on the lake.

Croatia

Plitvice Lakes

These 16 blue-green lakes, hidden by thick vegetation and connected by hundreds of waterfalls, could be the set for the next Jurassic Park.

For adventure as well as killer views, start at one of the lower lakes and work your way up following the sturdy wooden planks that turn what could be a treacherous trek into a fun hike.

Take a detour along the 10-minute loop that leads to the region's tallest fall, 230-foot-high Veliki Slap ("Big Waterfall"), a breadth of streaming white water that collects in turquoise pools.

While hiking, keep your eyes peeled for deer, wildcats, boars, wolves, and bears -- a more likely sighting than a T. rex.

Nearby: There are four hotels in Plitvice Lakes National Park, but most people drive in for the day from Zagreb, about 2 hours by car.

Kenya

Lake Nakuru

The water is blue enough, and the backdrop -- grasslands and rocky hillsides -- has the makings of a nice photo, but neither is what sets this lake in central Kenya apart.

The real draw here is the mass of pink on Nakuru's edges. Flamingos are one of the few species that can withstand the lake's hostile conditions -- the water has so much sodium carbonate that it burns nearly everything that touches it -- and they flock to the lake en masse.

There can be as many as a million birds feeding on algae in the shallows at one time, wading side by side.

Nearby: The lake is in the heart of Lake Nakuru National Park, a sanctuary for black-and-white rhinos, three hours by car from Nairobi.

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New Zealand

Lake Matheson

Alternately known as Mirror Lake, this South Island lake is famous for its reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.

Visiting just after dawn is ideal, when the water is at its calmest and mirror images are impossibly perfect.

The lake itself is well worth exploring, too. Park near the Clearwater River suspension bridge and follow the 1-mile loop past kahikatea and rimu trees, which have extra-tall trunks and fanciful bushy tops and look like something from a Dr. Seuss book.

Nearby: Fox Glacier township, a village that serves as a base camp for trekkers, is three miles east of the lake.

Slovenia

Lake Bled

Why not get to the good stuff right away? To take in this Slovenian lake's most breathtaking vista, head immediately to Bled Castle, at the edge of a sheer, 460-foot-high cliff.

You'll see mountains in every direction -- the Julian Alps and the Karavanke range -- and below, the Alpine lake and its main attraction, Bled Island, a tiny forested circle that's home to the 17th-century Church of the Assumption and its prominent baroque clock tower.

Down on the lake's shore, board a pletna boat (similar to a gondola) to the island. Be sure to ring the church bell and make a wish before returning to the mainland.

Mountains shield the water from icy northern winds, so Lake Bled is warm, relatively speaking (79 degrees Fahrenheit). If that's still too chilly, head to the lake's northern section, where three hotels have built pools around natural thermal springs.

Nearby: The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is an easy 35 miles away.

World's 10 most exotic wellness retreats

World's 10 most exotic wellness retreats

By Anthea Gerrie


Forget plain old spas, wellness is the buzzword now. Retreats that give you a medical overhaul while you sun, swim and scoff healthy gourmet fare.

Here are 10 of the best:



1. Terme de Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort

This Tuscan idyll probably has the world's most exotic facial treatments, using diamonds, gold and Antarctic ice as ingredients.

Also on offer are Craniosacral Attuning, Micronized Nasal Showers and Physiokinesiotherapy. It all sounds very technical, but the effects are pure bliss.

The spa sits beside an ancient thermal spring said to have healing powers, and is also awash in waterfalls, pools and impressive Roman baths. There are two restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and 53 treatment rooms.

Rate: Room and breakfast from €210 (US$302) per person per night, treatments extra.

58014 Saturnia (Grosetto), Italy; +39 0564 600888/9; http://www.termedisaturnia.it/it/

2. Sha Wellness Clinic

The world's only macrobiotic spa is a favorite of Kylie Minogue and Naomi Campbell.

Supremely serene, this white temple of minimalism brings an oriental style and philosophy to Spain's Costa Blanca. You'll be offered reiki -- a treatment which aims to balance your energies without the therapist actually laying hands on you -- and a session in a private "floatarium" -- a dimly lit room taken up by a shallow pool of salty water.

Despite the gourmet chef fresh from elBulli, expect a lot of brown rice and absolutely no meat, eggs or dairy.

Rate: Room and all meals from €200 (US$288) per person per night, treatments extra. Double that for a two-day package including access to classes and three treatments.

Verderol 5, El Albir, 03581 Alicante, Spain; +34 966 811 199;http://www.shawellnessclinic.com/

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3. Clinique La Prairie

Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland provides relaxing yoga-based massages.

This secretive clinic on the shores of Lake Geneva came to fame for its sheep embryo injections, said to have rejuvenated scores of the rich and famous.

Happily, the painful shots have been replaced by an extract which is now drunk after a comprehensive medical -- this must be the only spa in the world with 60 in-house specialists and its own MRI scanner.

Also expect out-there treatments like Lomi-Lomi, a Polynesian healing massage, and Sat Asanas, in which you're massaged while performing different yoga positions.

When not receiving treatments, you can walk round the lake or enjoy busy Montreux. The spa cuisine is superb.

Rate: Weekly programmes only, inclusive of six nights and full board, full medical check-up and a tailored program from CHF 10,370 (US$12,177) per person.

Chemin de la Prairie 2, 1815 Clarens, Switzerland; +41 21 989 3311; http://www.laprairie.ch/en

4. Como Shambhala Begawan Giri

Como Shambhala Begawan Giri has plenty of options, from mountain biking to meditation.

The flagship wellness retreat in central Bali has become a blueprint for a whole raft of Como properties. But it would be hard to beat this original, set among the rice paddies outside Ubud, where an osteopath, chiropractor, physio, psychologist, nutritionist and Ayurvedic doctor are all on hand to sort out your chakras.

Energy healers, life coaches and "influential thinkers" visit some weekends, but at all times there's yoga, pilates, meditation, aquatherapy, mountain biking and hiking, plus sublime spa treatments and outstanding cuisine.

Rate: Three-night minimum package including room and all meals, wellness consultation, massage, classes and return airport transfers from US$1,400 per person.

Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar, Ubud 80571, Indonesia; +62 361 978 888; http://www.cse.como.bz/

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5. La Quinta

La Quinta specializes in rarefied spa treatments.

The desert resort of Palm Springs may not seem compatible with bone density scanning equipment used by NASA, but beautiful, colonial-style La Quinta has that gear and much more.

Rarefied spa treatments include a rose-quartz facial, a massage with "sacred stones," a body polish with the seeds of wine grapes from the Napa Valley and an oxygen "power lift" for the complexion. There's even a kids' spa -- where young athletes can get a sports massage -- golf and tennis, and 41 swimming pools.

Rate: Room rates start at US$109, room only. WellMax check-up including skin laser treatments as well as full diagnostic package US$3,500.

49-499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253, USA; +1 760 777 8772; http://www.wellmax.com/ / http://www.laquintaresort.com/

6. Carmel Forest Spa

Some of the world's best massage therapists are on staff at Carmel Forest Spa.

This eyrie high above the Med near Haifa was once a center of emotional healing for Holocaust survivors.

Now it tends to the aches, pains and stresses of their descendants. The world's best massage therapists deliver divine salt, vanilla and lavender peels or shiatsu. Reiki, physiotherapy and reflexology are all on tap.

A wine bar dispensing fine Israeli vintages distinguishes this place from most wellness centres, but in spite of the alcohol and abundant cuisine, the food is very healthy. And you can walk it off in the forest, on the tennis courts or with a swim in expansive indoor and outdoor pools.

Rate: Double rooms from US$435 including room, full board and activities, treatments extra.

PO Box 90 000, Haifa 31 900, Israel; +972 (04) 830 7888;http://www.isrotel.com/

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7. Carnac Thalasso @ Spa Resort Hotel
Thalassotherapy -- the harnessing of seawater and seaweed to improve health -- was invented more than a century ago in the westernmost French province of Brittany.

One of the best thalasso spas is at Carnac, with a huge indoor-outdoor seawater pool and new age waterbeds which beam out color therapy as they gently rock you.

Other treatments include wraps in warm seaweed, floats in a salty hydrotherapy bath, and massages delivered while tepid seawater drips on your back. Don't miss the passive but deeply therapeutic experience of staring out at sea and sky from a sybaritic relaxation room.

Rate: Double rooms from €85 (US$122) including access to therapeutic baths. Treatments extra.

6 Allee Fleur de Sel, 56343 Carnac, France; +33 (0)2 9752 5354;http://www.thalasso-carnac.com/

8. Blue Lagoon

This full-service indoor-outdoor spa is built atop the largest of the country's many natural hot springs, and lies conveniently halfway between the airport and the capital, Reykjavik.

Research shows bathing in geothermal seawater offers significant benefits to the skin as well as the psyche. You can slather on the rich mix of minerals, silica and algae provided in buckets along the sides of the huge outdoor pool, or get a professional massage, but there is also a clinic for psoriasis sufferers.

The Blue Lagoon has its own hotel, restaurant, superb shop and great line of skin care products; it's worth paying extra for access to the VIP club as a day visitor.

Rate: Double rooms including breakfast and Lagoon access from €140 (US$200); entrance-only €28.

240 Grindavík, Iceland; +354 420 8800; http://www.bluelagoon.com/

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9. Chiva Som

Chiva Som claims to offer a "total lifestyle transformation."

This exotic Thai resort offers a "total lifestyle transformation." After 16 years, Asia's first dedicated wellness resort is still winning multiple awards for its blend of Western diagnostics and Eastern philosophies served up in ritzy, but vernacular, style.

A new anti-aging doctor can ferret out triggers for disease and prescribe bio-identical hormones or herbal medicine. Also new are a biofeedback test to monitor response to stress, facial acupressure and a kinesthetic assessment to identify spine alignment imbalances.

But don't expect a guitar lesson if you sign up for a Heavy Metal Profile; it's a test to seek out lead, mercury and other toxins in your system.

Rate: Rooms from US$305 per night.

Hua Hin, Thailand; +66(0)32 536 536; http://www.chivasom.com/

10. Lifehouse

After half a century of health farms, Britain finally has its first true wellness retreat in Lifehouse. This contemporary, light-flooded spa set in gorgeous gardens once beloved of Queen Mary, offers traditional treatments like facials, pedicures and both western and eastern style massage.

You can get cranio-sacral therapy, acupuncture, personalized flower remedies, reiki, kinesiology, spiritual and psychic healing and even a virtual gastric band.

Food is healthy, innovative and excellent, there are yoga and exercises classes, and as with every great wellness spa, just hanging out in beautiful, tranquil surroundings is a major part of the experience.

Rate: Two-night package including all meals, transfers from railway station, access to classes and two treatments from £290 (US$474) per person.

Lifehouse, Frinton Road, Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex CO16 0JD; + 44 1255 863468;http://www.lifehouse.co.uk/

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The airline boarding debacle

Bin space and the airline boarding debacleBy Brett Snyder

People like to complain about all aspects of the flying experience today, but there's a particular part of it that seems to draw anger from just about everyone: boarding.
It may be surprising, but airlines put a lot of thought into this process, and American and United have both recently made changes to try and tweak their systems. The reaction to the changes? United saw so much anger that the airline has already reversed a part of its move.

Now, you would think that with so many people unhappy about the state of flying, they wouldn't want to board until the last possible minute. Of course, that's not the case. Go to any gate area and you see people hovering, waiting for their chance to race on to that airplane and ... sit there for several hours.

For those in coach, there's really only one reason to get on board quickly. To use my father's mantra, it's all about bin space. Even though many airlines have installed larger overhead bins that can accommodate a standard roller bag straight-in, it's still not enough room. The sooner you get on board, the better chance you have of finding bin space near your seat.

Checked bag fees have exacerbated the situation. Passengers have gotten more and more creative at stuffing all their worldly belongings into a carry-on bag just to avoid the cost of checking. With this trend, it's not uncommon to see bin space full before "general" boarding even begins. That means people have to check their bags at the gate, something that doesn't cost anything yet but does cause an incredible amount of outrage.

Much of the discussion lately around boarding hasn't been about the "general" boarding process but rather the much-loved "pre-boarding" process.

When newly merged United and Continental aligned their policies, the combined airline went primarily with the Continental boarding method. This gives priority to uniformed military members, those traveling in the premium cabins and elite members in the frequent flier programs. On some flights, that can be more than half the airplane right there, leaving only the few random stragglers to board at the end. American has also recently moved to a similar pattern.

Some of this is due to the fact that gaining elite status with an airline is pretty easy these days. You can even buy the right to board early on some airlines if you'd like for as little as $9 each way. That has caused the process to become so top-heavy that airlines usually now board the top tier elites first while the lower tier elites board after. Talk about creating a serious hierarchy here.

Whatever happened to the good old days of just boarding by row from the back of the aircraft? Well, airlines got fancy trying to find out ways to speed things up. The faster they can board, the quicker that airplane can get back to where it makes money: in the air. They tried things that sound like cheerleader moves -- the reverse pyramid, for example, which fills people in starting with windows in the back, then moves on to the middles in the back and windows in the middle, then aisles in the back with middles in the middle and windows in the front ... and so on and so on. (The seat map looks like an upside down pyramid as people get on the airplane.)

But when United made its recent changes, it actually went back to boarding by rows, because that was how Continental did it. The move was so unpopular that it recently had to backtrack on that policy. It will now board by "zones." This is easy because people can just look at their boarding passes and board when their number is called.

This is easier for the gate agents to use because they don't need to know exact row numbers for the type of aircraft. And United can dynamically try putting different seat types in different zones if it wants to do testing without needing to make any real changes to the process from a customer perspective. Continental will continue its row method for the near future and then will move to zones.

But in the end, it's not going to prevent people from huddling around the gate, clutching their enormous bags, hoping to find a coveted spot in the bin above their seats. That, apparently, is just human nature.

Dive deep for these five getaways

Dive deep for these five getaways
By Katherine Dorsett

Instead of getting away from it all, go underneath it, and escape to some of the world's unique underwater restaurants and hotels.

You'll have to wear scuba gear and a bathing suit or use a boat to get to some of these undersea retreats.

Jules' Undersea Lodge

Feel like a superstar at this resort. Celebrities such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Jon Fishman of Phish and former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau have visited this underwater lodge in Key Largo, Florida.

To reach Jules' Undersea Lodge, you must scuba dive 21 feet down. You'll enter through a 5-foot-by-7-foot opening at the bottom of the lodge, where you'll be greeted with amenities you'd find at an above-ground hotel: a cozy bed, a telephone, books and a VCR/DVD for movies.

You'll breathe easy inside this air-conditioned lodge, which is filled with compressed air to prevent water from flooding the rooms.

Visitors must scuba dive 21 feet beneath the water to reach Jules' Undersea Lodge.

The living quarters include two private bedrooms, a wet room where divers leave their gear and take a shower, and an 8-foot-by-20-foot multipurpose room for dining and entertaining.

One couple named their baby Jules after discovering that their recently conceived child had accompanied them to the underwater hotel. Another couple's visit inspired them to change careers and open a dive shop, according to the owners.

A night's stay costs $400 to $500 per person, depending on the package.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant sits 16 feet under the Indian Ocean.

Watch sea life swim around you as you dine in this underwater getaway.

Set in a picturesque corner of the Maldive Islands, Ithaa Undersea Restaurant claims to be the world's first all-glass underwater dining establishment.

This luxury restaurant, which has welcomed thousands of diners since 2005, sits 16 feet deep in the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by sea life and a coral reef.

The six-course dinner menu often features French dishes from executive chef Nicolas Boutin and is priced at $320 a person. A lighter three-course lunch menu is available for $195 a person. Both meals include one glass of bubbly champagne.

If you're dining at lunch, don't forget to bring your sunglasses. The sun's rays illuminate the water and make the restaurant so bright inside that diners and the wait staff need eye protection.

Utter Inn

The Utter Inn is located on Lake Mälaren in Sweden.

If you're looking for a simpler underwater experience, consider the Utter Inn in Västerås, Sweden, which is a single-room hotel containing just two twin beds and a table.

This underwater spot, which looks like a small red house above the water, lies nearly 10 feet below the surface of Lake Mälaren and can be accessed only by boat. Panoramic windows in all directions allow guests to watch fish and other aquatic life swim by.

During your stay, hang out on the above-water deck to sunbathe, read or fish. Guests are also invited to use an inflatable canoe to explore a nearby uninhabited island.

No cooking is required at this getaway. Instead, order dinner and have it delivered.

A typical night's stay at the Utter Inn costs $212 per person.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Poseidon Undersea Resort is scheduled to open in late 2012, according to the developer.

Sleep next to exotic sea life at Poseidon.

This underwater five-star luxury hotel in Fiji, set to open in late 2012, has been marketed as the "world's first sea floor resort."

The 24-room Poseidon Undersea Resort will sit 40 feet below the crystal clear waters of a Fijian lagoon, next to a coral reef.

Guests will be required to spend two nights in the underwater hotel and four nights at a more traditional beach resort and over-water bungalows on a 222-acre island called Poseidon Mystery Island.

The high-end hotel will feature an underwater restaurant, library and theater area.

Above the water, visitors can check out wine-tasting classes and a nine-hole golf course, or be pampered with spa treatments.

Be prepared to open your wallet wide at this resort. The cost for this exclusive experience is $15,000 per person (when sharing a room) or $30,000 a couple.

Forbes Island

Forbes Island in San Francisco offers dining both above and below the water.

Reachable only by boat, Forbes Island off Pier 39 in San Francisco offers above- and below-water dining.

Featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," the island was once home to millionaire Forbes Kiddoo.

On the menu are French culinary classics like coq au vin or filet mignon with a truffled Bordelaise sauce, local seafood such as halibut or Pacific Coast salmon, and a large wine list.

In the underwater area, guests can peer through several portholes while dining in a dark wood-beamed room accented by a giant gas fireplace and a large collection of nautical antiques.

Above the water, dine outside or in rooms with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The price range for an entree is about $20 to $39. Wines by the glass start at $9.

Floatels: New Kind of Cruise Vacation to Try

Floatels: not your mother's cruise ship

by Chris Owen

Cruise ships have so many onboard amenities that they have been called "floating hotels" by some. Carrying over 3000 guests along with fine restaurants, health spas and more, that's probably not totally inaccurate. A new concept called "Floatels" launched recently and involves renting luxury houseboats that remain securely docked.

"Floatels are an ideal choice for families, multi-generational groups, gatherings of friends or couples seeking lake accommodations and an introduction to the houseboating experience," saysForever Resorts in a press release.

Each 67-foot Floatel sleeps ten guests, is climate controlled, includes a living area, fully equipped kitchen, four bedrooms, a sleeper sofa, TV/DVD player, outdoor barbecue grill and a top-level sun deck featuring a wet bar and hot tub.

They make it sound good too and far from a cruise ship experience. "Houseboat vacations are all about charting your own course. Your schedule is quickly reduced to the calm quiet of sunrise, and the colorful sunset over the lake. Days again become your own. Night skies return to the way we all remember them away from the cities - glittering with stars and inky black

Introductory prices for Floatel rentals start at $190 per night for the first four passengers.
Additional passengers are $20 per person up to 10 total passengers. Pets are welcome; a $10 per night pet fee will apply. Contact Echo Bay Marina at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area's for more information.

Bingo not available.