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Embrace the season with music, food, flowers, and fun. These five spring festivals promise unforgettable experiences and something for everyone.
Let the museums, parks, and skylines from your travels inspire your next creations. These art supplies are convenient to tote, allowing you to sketch, doodle, and paint wherever the mood strikes.
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U.S. Festivals Worth Planning a Trip Around > Artful Travel Journaling > Flavors of Fort Myers > Magic on Earth > Find Your Next Change of Scenery in These California and Arizona National Parks >
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Culinary Globe-Trotting Through the Sonoma + Napa Valleys > Dear RCI > Benefits of All-Inclusives > Cultural Excursions in Cape Town >
RCI Magazine is published quarterly by RCI. ©2025 RCI, LLC. All rights reserved. CORPORATE OFFICE 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32821 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kylee Krizmanic PROJECT EDITOR Allison Vancura GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ruby Pierce CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Austin Cannon, Erin Gifford, Gary Thompson, Tree Meinch COPY EDITOR Diane Penningroth RCI EDITORIAL TEAM Anna Reinert, Leslie Johansen, Jenny Rains To Our Subscribers: The annual subscription cost of RCI Magazine is $109USD or $143CAD for RCI Weeks® members and $134USD or $176CAD for RCI Points® members. Send your renewal together with your name, address, telephone number, email address, and RCI member ID to: RCI Magazine Subscriptions, P.O. Box 2099, Carmel, IN 46082-2070. For address changes, subscription inquiries, or cancellations, call an RCI Travel Guide. RCI Weeks members, please call: United States: 317-805-8000 or 800-338-7777 Canada: 800-338-7777 (English) 800-527-5219 (French) RCI Points members, please call: United States: 317-805-9941 or 877-968-7476 Canada: 877-968-7476 (English/French) No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from RCI, LLC (or its affiliates). RCI Magazine® and Design and RCI® and Design are trademarks of RCI, LLC (or its affiliates), and are registered in countries throughout the world and may not be used without permission. For editorial and advertising inquiries, email magazine@rci.com. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial advertising matter and accepts no responsibility for advertising content or the damage tht may arise from these advertisements. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the return or unsolicited manuscripts or art. Unsolicited manuscripts and art will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage and envelope. In no event shall such material subject this magazine to any claim for “holding fees” or similar charges. Merrill #022022400.
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Meet RCI’s Packaged Travel Experiences. Whether you're craving a vibrant fall escape, indulging in the finest food and wine, or setting out to explore the breathtaking landscapes of the West, there's an experience for that.
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Meet RCI’s Packaged Travel Experiences. Whether you're craving a vibrant fall escape, indulging in the finest food and wine, or setting out to explore the breathtaking landscapes of the West, there's an experience for that. No more guesswork. No more hassle. We handle all the details of your journey, so you can soak in every moment without a second thought. When travel is this effortless, all that’s left to do is make memories that last a lifetime.
From the sun-kissed beaches of Cancun to the dazzling lights of Las Vegas, our resorts offer spacious villas, private kitchens, and resort-style amenities designed for your ultimate getaway. There’s no time like now to turn your vacation dreams into reality— book your next adventure today!
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Embark on a Norwegian cruise to the world’s top destinations. Whether it’s exploring sun-soaked islands, historic sites, or coastal villages, there’s a summer cruise for that.
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Sail the way you want with RCI Cruise or Cruise Exchange. Best of all, get everything the cruise lines offer on top of our exclusive up to $1,500 to spend toward specialty dining, spa services, cocktails, and more.
Wherever your wanderlust leads you, RCI is your ultimate vacation companion. Our spring issue is packed with inspiration to elevate your next getaway. Discover ways to connect with your destination through art, cuisine, and cultural experiences. Find the perfect escape for any occasion – RCI has you covered.
Coastal cuisine meets laid-back charm amid the beaches, islands, and neighborhoods of Fort Myers, Florida. Discover diverse dining options that bridge the gap between everyday and elegant.
Our planet is aglow with beauty. Many of its most novel features require venturing beyond the city or into the dark. The following natural experiences and destinations call to those with a sense of wonder and hunger for mystery.
We could all use a little time to disconnect, and luckily, there’s a collection of parks in Arizona and California that can help us find a moment (or two) of zen. You just have to choose: Towering cacti or plunging waterfalls? Wildflower meadows or multihued deserts?
With a heavy concentration of Michelin-rated restaurants, plus farm-to-table and international dishes made with utmost care, the Napa and Sonoma valleys have all the ingredients for a flavor-packed escape.
Cape Town, South Africa, welcomes travelers with a captivating medley of living history, native culture, and thought-provoking art. During a visit, walk in the footsteps of anti-apartheid leaders, survey the coastline from the top of a former grain silo, and be immersed in African traditions.
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Step into a flower-filled wonderland at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT near Orlando, Florida, for topiary sculptures of beloved characters, lush mini gardens, and live music from acts such as Rick Springfield and Air Supply. Outdoor kitchens serve farm-fresh bites as part of this annual celebration of spring. The Garden Graze food stroll lets you sample sweet and savory small plates across the festival.
March 5 – June 2
This three-day music festival in Napa Valley, California, blends chart-topping acts like Justin Timberlake and Noah Kahan with icons like Green Day and Ice Cube. Beyond the music, unwind at a spa, sample varietals in the wine cabanas, explore a culinary garden, and sip craft cocktails at the Botanical Bar for a complete experience.
May 23 – 25
Bring your lawn chairs to Piedmont Park and experience the Atlanta Jazz Festival, one of the country's largest free jazz festivals. This Memorial Day weekend tradition fills the air with soulful sounds from legendary musicians and rising stars. Pack a picnic, relax on the grass, and let the music move you.
May 24 – 26
The Portland Rose Festival,a tradition more than a century old in Portland, Oregon fills three weekends with parades, dragon boat races, waterfront fireworks, and carnival rides. Don’t miss the Rose Festival Court, featuring outstanding local high school students, or the lively CityFair Ukulele Jam. It’s a vibrant celebration of flowers, music, and community.
May 23 – June 8
Each June, New Orleans hosts this culinary festival, serving up world-class flavors while supporting local nonprofits focused on culinary education. Sip top-tier wines, chat with chefs and winemakers, even judge the best blush in the Tournament of Rosés. This five-day feast includes wine dinners and hands-on experiences like decorating cakes with edible flowers.
June 11 – 15
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This may look like a greeting card at first glance, but it’s actually a pocket-size booklet with 16 highly pigmented paints that come to life with just a hint of water. The set includes a mini mixing palette too. It’s pretty and pragmatic.
There’s no need to carry a giant portfolio or easel on excursions (unless you want to, of course). This linen-clad journal includes 30 cold-press sheets for creating tiny watercolor masterpieces along your journey.
Annotate, doodle, or add dimension to watercolor works with these fine-tip pens made with quick-drying, single-pigment ink. Three cheers for no smears! (We see you, lefties.)
When you’re traveling light, this round-tip brush trio rises to the occasion. Color your world with three popular and versatile sizes: #4, #8, and #12.
Use this packable cup for hydrating paints or rinsing brushes when a sink is nowhere in sight. Two handy design features: built-in holders to cradle brushes when you need a break and a bristle cleaner to keep tools pristine.
Vintage motor vehicle memorabilia revs up Ford’s Garage in downtown Fort Myers, located less than a mile from automotive pioneer Henry Ford’s winter home. Fuel up on their famous burgers (like the spicy High-Octane) and a tower of Jumbo Piston Onion Rings stacked on an oil funnel. Servers dress like mechanics.
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Explore RCI resorts in Fort Myers, Florida
At The Veranda in downtown Fort Myers, tuxedoed waitstaff deliver entrees accented by sumptuous sauces, including a lemon beurre blanc for scallops and a velvety béarnaise for filet mignon. Also downtown, The Silver King Ocean Brasserie uses fresh seafood and produce in entrees like black grouper served with a ratatouille containing local squash.
Get your morning mojo on in Fort Myers Beach. MoJoe’s Coffee Cafe's beachside spots are beloved by locals and visitors alike for its brews and breakfasts. Pair an espresso, latte or other perk-me-up with an omelette, scramble, or extra-thick French toast. Order from the trailer and dine outside for an alfresco brekkie.
Bon appétit in Bonita Springs. Survey Cafe, with its wraparound deck surrounded by live oaks, Spanish moss, and palms, exudes casual Paris sidewalk bistro ambience. Order French classics like beef bourguignon and duck à l’orange, or try their signature Mongolfiere of the Sea, a cassolette packed with lobster, shrimp, cod, and scallops.
Keep it casual at Doc’s Beach House in Bonita Springs. Eat in a beach-level dining room with an open-air patio, or grab a table in the sand and order from the take-out window. A specialty is Chicago-style thin-crust pizza (yes, not deep-dish), made from scratch and tavern-cut into small, squarish pieces.
Have a carefree, car-free experience at Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, accessible only by boat and reminiscent of another era. Enjoy million-dollar water views, a dining room decorated with dollar bills, and a menu anchored by shrimp in the shell and stone crab claws. Save room for house-made frozen Key lime pie.
You don’t have to stay at the historic Shangri-La Springs hotel in Bonita Springs to dine at Harvest & Wisdom, its organic restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. Seasonal produce from an on-site organic garden flavors menu items like the Shangri-La Sunrise Smoothie Bowl and the Black Bean and Oat Vegan Burger.
The Veranda
The Silver King Ocean Brasserie
Survey Cafe
Doc's Beach House
Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant
The viral photos barely scratch the surface. You have to glimpse the raw spectacle in person to grasp the many faces of the northern lights. In one moment, they’re pulsing like flashes of sleepy lightning. Then they might resemble a cosmic green blow torch scorching the blackness of space. Sometimes they display columns of light shooting out of the horizon, or they rain down shimmering ribbons and sheets of color when directly overhead. The key to a successful encounter is patience and persistence, while you hope for coronal mass ejections and ideal solar winds. When optimum conditions strike, your odds of spotting the show increase the farther north you go. Finnish Lapland has become a mecca for aurora hunters. Here, the heavenly display is visible nearly every other night between August and April in this remote northern terrain. To make it extra unforgettable and cozy, warm up in a laavu. These wilderness huts are often equipped with firewood; bring fire-starting essentials and roast Finnish sausages or marshmallows over an open flame while you wait for the lights to emerge. WHERE TO STAY: Resorts in Finnish Lapland
With more than 2,000 documented structures, Arches National Park claims the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. They also happen to sprawl out under some of the darkest skies in the contiguous U.S. states. Plenty of short trails, such as Double Arch, The Windows, and Skyline Arch, lure road-trippers for mesmerizing pit stops and day trips. But the true reward captivates those who stay late under the glimmering canvas above. After dark, the namesake geological features throughout this landscape form massive picture frames for constellations, the moon, and other celestial bodies. Sunrise and sunset also paint the land in stunning tones of red, pink, and orange. Consider booking your visit around one of the ranger-led star parties or stargazing events announced on the Arches National Park website. Or gather some friends and chart your own after-dark adventure. Local tip: The farther north you drive in the park, the farther you get from Moab and the darker the skies become. WHERE TO STAY: WorldMark Moab
In the summer, hundreds of colorful pools near Osoyoos contain one of the world’s highest concentrations of Epsom salts, calcium, and other minerals. The watery craters form like colorful dimples on a golf ball as the lake water evaporates under intense heat. For hundreds of years, the Syilx Okanagan People has considered this a sacred site (called kɬlil̕xʷ) that many tribes visited for medicinal purposes. The Okanagan tribal chiefs explain that countless ceremonial cairns line the perimeter of the lake, some of them placed so long ago they have mostly sunk underground with only their tops remaining visible. Most visitors today can only marvel at the private site from a distance, parking on the side of Highway 3 northwest of Osoyoos. WHERE TO STAY: The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort And Conference Centre
You’ve likely witnessed a crowd of fans coordinate the wave in a packed stadium. If you thought that was impressive, imagine a similar movement executed by hundreds of fireflies drifting through a wild mountainside forest. That’s how some viewers describe the seasonal dance of the synchronous fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains. Each year in early summer, the mating ritual of the Photinus carolinus firefly draws scores of tourists deep into the woods of Tennessee — the winners of the limited lottery or attendees that tens of thousands enter yearly. For those who land a ticket, right around dusk, they hike until the first glimpse of a beloved bug flickering like the first star of the night. Then more and more join the pulse until an army synchronizes for a night of amorous connection. The attraction is part of a globally growing movement, now with some 1 million people traveling to select locations each year to participate in firefly tourism. WHERE TO STAY: Bent Creek Golf Village, a Hilton Vacation Club
Step aside, sunshine. On Holbox Island and other beaches, sunny days can take a back seat to dark nights when it comes to ocean novelty. During moonless nights, shimmering magic often emerges for those who resist the urge to use artificial lights on a nighttime beach walk. Ocean bioluminescence is the other-worldly phenomenon when the sea lights up with blue and neon sparkles. The source: tiny bioluminescent plankton that glow like fireflies when disturbed. The crashing of waves or simply running your hand through the water can activate the organisms. In mass, the effect can resemble a sparkly snow globe. For a truly spectacular encounter, try swimming through bioluminescent water and take a peek below the surface with a mask or goggles. Some tourism destinations offer kayak tours through the waters where this magical plankton is known to congregate. WHERE TO STAY: AI Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
Melting snow makes spring and early summer the ideal times to witness Yosemite National Park's awe-inspiring waterfalls. In Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls is one of the world’s tallest, sending water down 2,425 feet, while Sentinel Falls on the south end of the valley tumbles down rock faces for roughly 2,000 feet. Keep your eyes skyward as you head to the southern part of the park, where scores of giant sequoias reach immense heights in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. WHERE TO STAY: Fairfield Inn & Suites Oakhurst-Yosemite
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The rugged Sierra Nevada mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for Tahoe National Forest in northeast California. With over 100 hiking trails to choose from, be immersed in a forest of fir, aspen, and pine trees. (Keep an eye out for the sugar pines and their gargantuan pinecones!) Discover more flora in clearings like Loney Meadow, where an interpretive trail snakes past fawn lilies, violets, and other wildflowers that begin blooming in June. WHERE TO STAY: Red Wolf Lakeside
In the middle of Arizona’s Painted Desert, this park’s namesake are logs more than 200 million years old, transformed into rainbow-color deposits of quartz over the millennia. Get an up-close look at those fossils during a hike through the park, and budget time for a stop at Devil’s Playground. Its eroded towers of rock, colored in hues of blue, gray, and purple are a natural masterpiece. WHERE TO STAY: Club Wyndham Bison Ranch or Club Wyndham Pinetop
Outside Tucson, Saguaro National Park is named for the nation’s largest species of cacti, the Sonoran Desert’s sky-scraping saguaro. These quintessential symbols of the American West — which can grow up to 50 feet tall and require a unique balance of heat and rainfall — exist only in this stretch of desert extending from central Arizona to Sonora, Mexico. You’ll see plenty at the Gates Pass overlook, the ideal spot to watch the sun descend beneath the mountains just east of the national park. WHERE TO STAY: Club Wyndham Starr Pass Golf Suites
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The historic 8-acre Sonoma Plaza was designed by Mariano Vallejo, a military leader and politician who was instrumental in helping California become a U.S. state. Today, it is the state’s largest plaza, filled with trees, gourmet shops, restaurants, tasting rooms, and stately buildings like the stone-clad City Hall and the Mission San Francisco Solano. Park and drink in your surroundings for an hour or two before lunch.
You’ve just arrived in Sonoma, but La Salette, a lively restaurant right in the square, will whisk you off to sunny Portugal. Tuck into steaming helpings of cod cakes and Portuguese fisherman’s stew, and sit on the outdoor patio for the full ambient effect. After lunch, head about an hour north to take in one of Sonoma Valley’s most glam cities, Healdsburg. You could devote your afternoon to its downtown tasting rooms and boutiques, but then you’d miss a chance to observe the area’s rippling topography. During a guided tasting amid the verdant gardens and redwoods at Flowers Vineyards & Winery, you’ll learn how the Sonoma Coast lends a distinct minerality to the vineyard’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
MORNING
AFTERNOON
Flowers Vineyards & Winery
Michelin-starred Barndiva inspires European-style romance in a rustic-minimalist setting. The barnlike events space, restaurant, and adjacent gardens spread out over a half-acre in the middle of Healdsburg. Plates large and small revolve around Sonoma’s seasonality and local purveyors, and garden-inspired cocktails nod to the property’s lush vegetation. One must-order app? Croquettes with Laura Chenel goat cheese, tomato jam, and lavender.
Evening
With a heavy concentration of Michelin-rated restaurants, plus farm-to-table and international dishes made with utmost care, the Napa and Sonoma valleys have all the ingredients for a flavor-packed escape — and we haven’t even mentioned the wine! You’ll only scratch the surface of Northern California’s culinary landscape on this three-day extravaganza, but it’ll be *chef’s kiss* good.
The Charter Oak
Chef Philip Tessier’s refined modern-American fare, top-notch cocktails, and a 10,000-bottle collection of Napa Valley wines — the largest in the world — draw patrons to PRESS restaurant, an expansive venue enveloped by neighboring vineyards along CA-29 in St. Helena. Its seasonal menu reflects Napa Valley’s bounty at any given time; in spring, prepare your palate for ingredients like peas, trumpet mushrooms, and mustard blossoms.
By now you’ve worked up an appetite, so head about 22 minutes south to The Charter Oak in St. Helena. Shared plates and a seasonal menu showcasing ingredients from its 3.5-acre culinary farm are a focus at this family-style spot from Christopher and Martina Kostow. After lunch, first-rate shopping awaits in historic downtown St. Helena. Browse giftables and paper goods at Pennyweight, clothing at elysewalker, garden tools and accessories at Acres Home & Garden, and more.
Rise and shine! A 30-minute drive southeast of Healdsburg near the Sonoma County line in Calistoga, the Petrified Forest is a fascinating place to commune with nature. Take a self-guided, 40-minute hike amid fossilized redwood trees that date back 3.4 million years. Or, if a spa day is more your speed, refresh your body for another day of exploration during a mud bath at Indian Springs in Calistoga. This famous (and famously healing) treatment consists of volcanic ash from the grounds and thermal mineral water from local geysers.
Sonoma + Healdsburg
Calistoga + St. Helena
Scala Osteria & Bar
Shun — a Japanese word for experiencing seasonal food in its freshest state — is an integral part of the dining experience at Kenzo, an intimate 27-seat restaurant helmed by Kenzo and Natsuko Tsujimoto, partners in business and life. Seafood is flown in daily from their native Japan, then transformed into artistic platings that pair beautifully with sakes and wines from around the world — a fitting finale to your globe-trotting culinary journey.
Pick up provisions like wildflower honey, Meyer lemon oil, bacon-onion jam, and cheese at Oakville Grocery, a hip roadside general store that dates back to 1881. You’re headed to a hands-on food or beverage class CIA at Coppia, next to Oxbow Public Market. (Book in advance — spots fill up fast!) Once class is dismissed, explore more of the market for wine-country souvenirs, or venture beyond its walls to pop into shops and tasting rooms along First Street. When your stomach is rumbling again, decadent, Southern Italian-inspired pastas like Ravioli al Limone (spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan-stuffed pasta in a lemon cream sauce) await at Scala Osteria & Bar, a stylish sister restaurant to Bistro Don Giovanni.
Chef Thomas Keller has several outposts in Yountville — including The French Laundry and Ad Hoc + Addendum — and a breakfast of colorful macarons and espresso at his boulangerie-inspired Bouchon Bakery is a fine way to start your morning. You’ll also be tempted by luscious pain au chocolat, fruit-filled tarts, and flaky croissants, but be careful not to spoil your appetite: The Bacon + Wine Experience tasting at Priest Ranch Winery, just a 5-minute walk down Washington Street, is next on the agenda. This unique pairing includes a sampling of four cuts of pork belly and curated wines.
Yountville + Napa
What are some great alternatives to travel to for spring break other than the beach?
Endless possibilities await for your next vacation! Consider destinations like Orlando; Shenandoah Valley, Virginia; the Carolinas; Las Vegas; and Wisconsin. From a wide array of activities, including water parks, lakes, historical sites, hikes, and relaxation spots, there’s something for everyone. Get in touch with your Travel Guide, let us know your vacation preferences, and we’ll recommend locations that cater to your ideal getaway.
Getting answers about your benefits is easy: just ask! Arm yourself with advice from RCI’s expert Travel Guides so you can travel smoothly — and memorably.
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— Jennifer Daniels, RCI Travel Guide Since 2017
— Bryce Lacher, RCI Group Reservations Travel Guide Since 2005
RCI has partnered with several all-inclusive resort affiliates in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America to offer our members an exciting new way to book an all-inclusive vacation through RCI. With this exciting new booking process, you can select any day of the week as your check-in day and stay as long as you like. In addition, you can also choose any available room type and even the view. RCI members who have eligible Trading Power or Points can also use these to discount or buy down the cost of these all-inclusive vacations. So, what are you waiting for? Call today and book your ocean-front swim-up suite today!
My family has been wanting to take an all-inclusive vacation, and I heard RCI now offers flexible lengths of stay. What does this mean exactly?
— John Roberts II, RCI Travel Guide Since 2012
That’s a great idea! Here’s why booking a cruise with your RCI membership is the way to go. First off, we have prices that can’t be beat, period. And with our 110% Best Price Guarantee, you can book with complete confidence. If you happen to spot a lower price online within two days of booking (same ship, itinerary, and dates), we’ll take care of refunding the difference. The best part: You’ll also get exclusive offers like up to $1,500 to spend at sea on just about anything you want. That’s extra cash in your pocket to use toward specialty dining, fancy cocktails, a shopping spree, or a relaxing spa day. Plus, you’ll still get all the deals the cruise lines give you and even credit toward your loyalty status. Have more questions? Give us a call or feel free to message us through chat. We’re here to guide you along the way.
I’m considering booking a cruise through my RCI membership. What are the benefits and what does the Best Price Guarantee afford me?
Have you always wondered about all-inclusive vacations but never booked one? Here are five benefits that will perhaps persuade you to finally make that reservation.
Food. Entertainment. Activities. It’s all on-site at an all-inclusive resort. Play a round of golf in the morning or lounge by the pool. In the afternoon, receive a facial or a massage at the spa before dinner at one of the resort’s restaurants. Cap off the day with a nightcap in the lounge.
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In this regard, all-inclusive is synonymous with convenience. Your price covers nearly everything at your resort — food, drinks, activities, and, of course, your room. Sometimes, your fee will even cover transportation to and from the airport. Just remember, each resort offers its own all-inclusive packages, covering their own specific amenities.
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The beach is an all-inclusive staple, but there’s more than just sand and sun. At Al Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, snorkeling is part of the all-inclusive package, while anyone staying at Allegro Cozumel can enjoy windsurfing, powerboating, or even scuba diving out in the sea. (Then again, there’s nothing wrong with a breezy afternoon under an umbrella on the beach.)
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So, where are you headed? RCI’s all-inclusive offerings span Mexico, including popular destinations like Cancún and Riviera Maya. Or stay in the Caribbean, where the options feature the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana and Montego Bay, Jamaica. If you’d like to branch out even farther, consider resorts in Brazil or the Canary Islands. Still can’t decide? Comb through RCI’s directory to find the resort best suited for your interests.
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With swimming pools, playgrounds, and beaches to explore — not to mention endless snacks — your kiddos are bound to enjoy their all-inclusive vacations. Some resorts offer childcare or Kids Clubs, where children can play games, craft, and listen to music. Both options are ideal for parents looking to carve out some alone time.
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Browse the RCI All-Inclusive Resort Directory
Centuries of sobering history await at Robben Island Museum, just a short ferry ride from Cape Town’s V & A Waterfront. The 5-square-mile island served as the destination for a variety of unwanted people, a troubled story you can trace during the island’s immersive tour experience. You’ll witness what remains of the island’s leprosy colony, including a cemetery for those who succumbed to the disease from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. You’ll also see the house where Robert Sobukwe, the leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, was held in solitary confinement. His dedication to return South Africa’s governance to its Indigenous people led to his imprisonment on the island for six years in the 1960s. The same decade, Nelson Mandela also arrived and began his 18-year incarceration on the island. When he and thousands of other anti-apartheid activists weren’t being forced to work in the limestone quarry, they were locked in the island’s maximum security prison. The tour concludes at Mandela’s cell, which he revisited years later as South Africa’s president.
In the 17th century, rock mined on Robben Island was installed as the paving for the Castle of Good Hope. The pentagon-shaped compound, the oldest colonial structure in South Africa, has lived many lives over more than 300 years, operating as a fort, slave port, and a seat of government. Visitors who cross the castle’s moat and enter its bastions will find exhibits that explore the castle’s marginalized histories. With a collection of artwork and artifacts amassed over 25 years, The Cape Heritage Museum offers insight into the myriad cultures who called the cape home: the Khoikhoi, Xhosa, Malays, and eventually European colonists. Part of the William Fehr Collection also resides in the castle. The decorative artwork and oil paintings depict life under colonial rule, a perspective visitors are encouraged to reflect on as they examine each piece.
The floor-to-ceiling windows at Norval Foundation allow natural light to illuminate the contemporary African art inside, including works from South Africans Dumile Feni and Alexis Preller. One of the foundation’s current exhibits, We, the People: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa, explores the country’s post-apartheid history through photographs, prints, and multimedia installations. Outdoors, native plants surround the artwork in the sculpture garden. You can’t miss Holderstebolder, a giant figure of granite, steel, and concrete that sculptor Angus Taylor comically positioned as if he’s tumbling down a hill. The garden borders a scenic natural wetland, home to the endangered western leopard toad. You may even find some of the amphibians in the sculpture garden; the foundation built underground culverts so the toads could travel to the Norval land beneath the roadway.
The architectural design of Zeitz MOCAA, overlooking Cape Town’s waterfront, is as striking as any of the artwork it houses. The atrium inspires awe with its abstract, tubular structures — remnants of the building’s past as a grain silo — and the building’s bulbous windows are segmented into triangles to resemble ancient cathedral ceilings. Consult the museum’s audio tour and comb through hundreds of paintings, garments, and sculptures, pieces of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Be sure to check out One Must Be Seated, an exhibit by Ghanaian American artist Rita Mawuena Benissan. Using a royal umbrella and stool, it centers on the installment of the Akan people’s sacred chief. When you’ve progressed through the exhibition’s enstoolment ceremony and wandered through the rest of the galleries, step into the sixth floor’s Ocular Lounge for a cocktail and dramatic views of Table Mountain and the harbor.
