Whether you’re looking for built-in friends and fun for your first trip to a lifestyle resort, or you’re looking forward to meeting up with old friends while meeting new friends to your favorite resort, a Shoes Only Travel resort takeover week may be just what you’re looking for. 

As the name implies, a takeover happens when Shoes Only books all the rooms in a resort or on a cruise giving them full, exclusive access to all the resort has to offer.   All the personal attention results in a more luxurious vacation for you and your partner! Another takeover plus is that with the resort all to Shoes Only guests for the week, all your fellow guests are there for the duration, unlike at other times during the year when check ins and check outs happen daily.  All your new friends will be staying just as long as you are!

For newbies to lifestyle travel, filling a hotel with others traveling with Shoes Only Travel may seem to mean only that everyone in the resort booked through the same travel agent- but that’s not the only perk of having booked for a takeover week.  When Shoes Only takes over, there are fun filled activities designed to get you mingling with your fellow Shoes Only travelers.  The first night is usually spent at a get-to-know-you reception where new lifestylers meet one another and experienced travelers reunite. Listening to returning guest regale their stories and pass along tips can help those newbies decide how to make the most of their first experiences. For the rest of the week, the activities are tailored to the Shoes Only crowd offering more fun and excitement.

Returning guests to a resort can have fun with the special activities planned exclusively for Shoes Only guests during a resort take over as they take in past favorites of the resort.  They can also enjoy familiar activities with a new level of service with the increased staff to guest ratios. 

Because take over weeks are 100% Shoes Only guests, bear in mind that there have to be enough guests registered to fill the resort requirement for take over.  This means you have to book ahead and pay in advance early enough to ensure a commitment to the vacation.  It also means it’s a great time to talk your friends, either real life or online, to join you. What a great way to meet friends from an online site such as Couples Touch or other social networking sites.  Even if you don’t click as well as you did online, there will be more playmates for you to meet in the course of your stay!

Shoes Only Travel has a variety of resort takeovers & group trips planned for 2009 at Desire, Hedonism, and Hidden Beach resorts as well as an exclusive Lifestyle Luxury Cruise, giving you 9 chances to give in to the private pleasures of an exclusive Shoes Only experience.  The first planned trip for 2009 is a holiday recovery in Desire, Los Cabos.  What could be a better gift than a get away in the sun with a nice group of  friends right after the stress of the holiday season?  It might be hard to put a bow on, but it is one gift you’re certain to remember forever! 

As one of the few single women I know that goes to swinging clubs, parties and holidays, I’m probably more qualified than most on the rules of engagement. I got into the scene, quite by accident, with a boyfriend who wanted to have lots of casual sex on his birthday. I wasn’t shocked. He was a sexual guy and we’d had the occasional threesome with friends of his or guys he used to pick up for me in bars. I’d heard of a local club that held a weekly couples night and with no more knowledge than that in mind, we set off. That night we ended up meeting a gorgeous Spanish couple and a few others. He had a great birthday and I haven’t looked back since. Going into that swinging club was quite an eye opener but it took me over a year from our first experience until I was confident enough to go on my own.

If you’re thinking of going to Hedonism or one of the other clubs offered by Shoesonlytravel on your own, be prepared for lots and lots of fun! Single girls are very much in the minority and it takes a special kind of woman to be able to deal with all the attention, some of it unwanted. It pays to be clear from the start with prospective sex partners what you will and won’t do. Touching, unless requested, is completely forbidden and I’ve had guys thrown out of play spaces for putting their hand somewhere without asking me first. There is no point in being shy and frankly, it’s pretty unusual to find a shy, single woman in a swinging club. Most of the gals I meet in clubs are forthright and frank. We’re there for sex, after all. Guys know this but often don’t realise there’s a difference between wanting sex and wanting them.

Nine times out of ten, if you ask, you will receive. The swinging world is full of very generous people. Set the rules and you’re sure to find plenty of men who are happy to play by them.

Perhaps closeted celebs are reading the Shoes Only blogs and caught the last post about fidelity and true happiness.  Today in two not-so-surprising twist, Clay Aiken and Lindsay Lohan have finally admitted their attraction to members of the same sex.

Aiken came clean to People magazine in a not-so-hard-to-see decree. “’It was the first decision I made as a father,’ Aiken, 29, tells the upcoming issue of People, on newsstands Friday. ‘I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.’”  Bravo Clay!  However, it’s not like Aiken did not set off our gaydar in his early days of American Idol.  The only thing that made this outing notorious was the length of time spent skirting the issue.

Lohan, on the other hand, has been dating her partner, 31 year-old DJ Samantha Ronson “for a very long time” to the tongue wagging of paparazzi and reporters. Lohan finally went public to a radio talk show host yesterday confirming the long time speculation after numerous public displays of affection including a kiss in Cannes aboard the yacht of P Diddy, Shawn Combs.

Hurrah for both of them. Perhaps it will encourage other closeted music makers and Hollywood starlets to embrace their true sexual identity.  And maybe we’ll see Lindsay and Samantha on the next Shoes Only Travel cruise where like all trips male/female couples and single woman or female couples are always welcome!  Why should Diddy be the only one having fun in the sun with the new couples?

There is a lot of talk about marriage lately.  Parade, the insert found in many Sunday newspapers across the country, had a report on the current state of marriages that was enlightening.  Oprah had a highly controversial show about why men cheat last week that got so much attention that it had to have a follow up.

The subject isn’t so new, though. In fact, Oprah was covering the topic of swinging, dubbed “Secret Sex in the Suburbs” back in late 2004.  On the show, a church going, PhD married suburban wife says “swinging has improved her sex life.  ‘What you find out is that it just enhances the experience with your life partner,’ she says. ‘Some of the best sex we’ve had is after we’ve been with somebody else.”

Oprah’s latest relationship and family expert, family counselor M. Gary Neuman, gave tips on how to affair proof your marriage.  The one that seemed most important was communicate your feelings.

Even in an open relationship, communication is a cornerstone.  In fact, it may be more important.  Being able to tell your partner what happened, how you felt about it, and what you learned from a swinging experience can help improve your relationship.

A blog on Thoughts.com about open relationships speaks to the various types of swinging, voyeurism, and other types of open relationships. Again, the main topic is openness with your partner.  It recommends that you “take a good long look at yourself and truly know yourself in and out, before engaging in a long term commitment or relationship with your partner, you would have been up-front and honest with them when first meeting. Telling someone about yourself and your likes and dislikes happen in every single relationship. Do you have the ability to be honest with yourself and potential partners…”

While the post goes on to be more specific about swinging relationships, this seems to be good advice for any long term relationship one would engage in.  The Parade report on marriage found that when it comes to sex,

31% have sex less than once a month
48% of men don’t have sex more often because their spouse isn’t interested
33% of women don’t have sex more often because they’re tired
25% describe marital sex as either tolerable or terrible

Those who responded online to the findings questioned the accuracy of them.  Still, these are high numbers for sexual dissatisfaction.  Maybe the people on Oprah’s Secret Sex in the Suburbs have truly found the right way to stay happy for the long term.

Eastern Europe may not strike you as the most likely place for naturists but surprisingly, it features one of the oldest naturist resorts in Nove Mesto nad Vahom - Zelena Voda. Nevertheless, and certainly from looking at the websites promoting Slovakian naturism, the Eastern European perspective is solely about the health benefits rather than for sexual satisfaction. The Slovakian Naturists Club is a good place to start for more information about locations and types of naturists beaches that appear to be scattered along the shores of the various lakes.

I particularly loved their description of naturists:

“Naturism is not about looking on naked bodies and spying - these are left behind to voyeurs. Naturists are not exhibitionists. Naturism is only about enjoying of splendid freedom achieved in naturist environment. Clothes restrict this freedom. Naturism accepts human body in real appearance - with all beauties and shortcomings. There is nothing to shame for. Naturists do not know the person ranking like too fat, lean, low, tall, hairy, bald…. Nobody will comment the shape of your breasts or the dimensions of your penis. If you have some scar, simply ignore them like others do.”

Somewhat challenging this belief, a lover of mine recently returned from the country where he spent most of his time sunbathing naked and, being a bit of a perve, having sneaky solo fun behind a tree whilst looking at the beautiful Eastern European women lying naked all around him. He said the beaches were full of families, singles and couples. Naturist beaches were everywhere and often he fell asleep naked at night, only to wake up the following morning. As he told me, ‘You can do whatever you want. No one pays any attention.’ With Eastern Europe still one of the few relatively cheap places to visit in Europe, now is the time to make a visit as the beginning of October signals the end of the season.

This time you’ve really nailed your vacation plans.  Shoes Only found you the perfect au naturel resort  in the sun, you’ve made friends, enjoyed fun activities, drank maybe more than your share, eaten countless delicious meals, and stayed in a room that was always clean and had everything you asked for almost before you asked. 

Now the trip has come to a sad end and you’re getting ready to say goodbye.  On most Shoes Only trips, one thing you won’t need to bother looking for is a tip envelope.  And no, don’t take your own either- tipping is not allowed.  Whew!  Glad we got that off our to-do list.  (Yes, you may now re-visit the gift shop for a last minute souvenir.)

Despite the popularity of tipping in the States, tipping is not customary in other parts of the world.  The no tipping policy will help to prevent  embarrassment at the end of your stay regardless what your tipping traditions are.

Besides not having to worry about incurring the extra costs, no tipping resorts ensure that each of their guests receives top notch service regardless of who they are and how much they tip.  Top shelf alcohol is served, fine food, and prompt room service is yours without anything else being asked of you.

With that said, while tipping is not expected, past guests have said that tipping especially helpful staff has been appreciated.  A past guest says “All-inclusive is supposed to include tipping. However, we’d read that tips were very appreciated, as opposed to Sandals, where they were turned down flat. We tipped maybe $25-30 the four days we were there (total). We gave our maid a buck each morning, tipped the bartenders if we stayed at a bar for while and tipped at the nice restaurants. We didn’t really notice it improving service or anything and never felt like we were required to tip (and didn’t see it done that often). I would say you’d be fine either way–tipping or not. However, you will notice these people work VERY hard (we would see the same lady behind a hot stove at breakfast, lunch and dinner), so it’s nice to give them a few bucks if you want to.”  So feel free to give that bartender who knew your love of Long Island Iced Teas and started making you a double every time you walked or swam up to his bar a buck or two as a thank you.  If anything, put it on the staff to refuse the gratuity.  Also, bear in mind that porters and drivers at the airport as well as salon and spa services at the resort are considered outside services and want to tip according to custom.

Also, the no tipping policy is not always in place. This mostly speaks to Shoes Only’s on-shore vacations. High seas adventures tend to follow traditional cruise tipping trends of $2.50-$3 per day for your room steward and also to the maitre d’.  Half that amount can be given to the bus boy and any other staff who’s services you’ve found helpful. 

The best bet is to ask Shoes Only what the tipping policy is on your vacation while you’re in the planning stages. Not only will this save you from potential embarrassment, but it will also help you to budget accordingly and have the most memorable stay imaginable without worrying about how you’re going to reflect the service level of the staff who take care of you.  As the Super Clubs FAQ states, “Your courtesy, respect and a sincere ‘thank you’ are all we ask.”

For those of you worried about your co-workers checkin’ in on your browsing habits while you’re trying to decide which Shoes Only adults only destination to choose, the anxiety level just dropped a bit with the help of Mozilla’s Firefox browser.  The new version is reported to allow more privacy for online viewing with it’s new “private mode” rivaling Apple’s Safari, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and Google’s Chrome browsers.

While Firefox 3.1 is still in beta testing mode right now, it should be released to the public in the next few weeks.  Once it is, users will be able to open a new browser in “private mode” which will not keep a record of your online browsing history.  This is a certain disappointment to your IT geeks looking to capitalize on your fun!  Guess they’ll have to spend time researching their own trip! 

This is not only a win-win for those looking for adult entertainment, it is also a great way to keep personal information private in the public sector.  You will be able to check the web cam at your children’s schools, bank info, and even office email from any public computer- without having to worry that the person following you will be able to find his way to where you just were. 

Yeah, yeah.  The practical is great and all, but it’s the porn we’re excited about!  Even better, you’ll be able to save all kinds of money by eating lunch in the office- with the door closed!

Technology, making the world a better place one great beta test at a time!

Casting my mind way, way back, I remember one of my first sexual experiences that took place on the small Greek island of Ios. I must have been about twenty-three when I went went there with a girlfriend from London. We caught a cheap flight to Athens, then hopped on a boat at Pireaus to Ios. The place was a clubber’s paradise but even back then, I preferred the sound of the lapping of waves to a thumping bass in my ear. We discovered a boat that left once a day for a quiet beach on the opposite side of the island and departed for there early one morning with nothing more than a towel and a bathing costume. When we arrived, we discovered the bathing costume was unneccessary.

The little beach was completely naturist and we happily removed our clothing to get an all over tan. There were not more than a dozen people on the beach, many of them Italians and we struck up a conversation with them. Well, it wasn’t so much a conversation as hand signals mixed with the few words I knew from my college Italian classes. There was one taverna on the beach and for a couple of Pounds we could have fresh fish washed down with a beer. Then we both fell asleep, missing the one boat back to the main part of the island. Thankfully, the local taverna had one spare room left and gave it to us for the night. I seem to recall it was £2. These days it would be more like £20, if the place was there at all.

The next morning, we woke up, went back to the beach and lay back down on the warm sand. I fell asleep again only to feel drops of water on my toes. I lifted my head up slightly to check if it was raining but instead found a tanned, naked, attractive, slim blonde man dropping water on my feet. ‘It’s raining,’ he said with a faint Dutch accent.

I sat up and looked at him. I hadn’t noticed him the day before. We sat and chatted for the rest of the afternoon, making plans to meet up in the evening. That night he took me to the top of a nearby mountain and lay his foam mattress on the ground. We had sex under the stars. I left the beach that night, taking a boat back to the main town with a local fisherman. I never saw or heard from him again. I wonder whatever happened to that beautiful, deserted naturist beach.

If the daytime was relatively sedate, at night the streets turned into a glamorous parade of beautiful, and not-so-beautiful, people dressed in fetish gear and the kind of clothing that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Hollywood Boulevard streetwalker.  There were some surprisingly ordinary-looking people amongst the crowd, attired in their day clothes of comfortable trousers, flat shoes, and loose blouses.  Yet the atmosphere was electric, because the people all seemed free and liberated and nonjudgmental.  Yet just like in any other resort, people wandered from one shop to another, shopping for souvenirs. Except here the focus was on the sexy clothes for sale, much of it, I was happy to discover, at prices that were quite reasonable by London standards. Yet a lot of it was gear suitable for a naturist/swingers resort, not the streets or even clubs of London.  Crotchless, bell bottomed white lycra trousers, micro mini skirts, sky 6” high lap dancing shoes.  I came back empty handed.

I came to Cap d’Adge prepared - - with my favourite pulling outfit, a leopard-print halter neck dress and some sky-high slut shoes.  Rachel looked dynamite in thigh-high red lace-up boots and a micro skirt and top, whilst Nishka wore a pair of cut-off shorts topped with a green and black brocade corset. More than once we heard people say of us, ‘Les anglais. Ze are crazy, no?’ No crazier than anyone else, so we considered their appraisal a compliment.

The highlight of the trip came after midnight, when the couples clubs came to life.  We found our bulls-eye, a club called Tantra, after popping in and out of a number of doorways. It was dark and atmospheric and filled with good-looking people of all ages. We sucked and fucked our way around the play spaces and dark rooms until early morning.  Most of the French couples wanted to watch more than play, but being exhibitionists on holiday, that didn’t bother us.  Rachel took on a twelve guys, stopping only because she was tired and feared a thirteenth man might prove her unlucky number.  Lying down in a group playroom, blindfolded, I let a man fuck me before he reached into my pussy and slid his hand back and forth until I gushed.  It was my first time - - a memorable finale to what was a most amazing holiday.

Getting started in “the lifestyle” has fascinated you for awhile now.  You’ve decided to book a trip to an adult playground but are unsure of which one and how to behave there.  C’mon, Shoes Only Travel does more than get you to your destination, they are there to help you make the best choice for you.

 To get started, take the Traveler Personality Profile to find out which is the right destination for you.  Hedonism may sound like fun, but maybe a bit more than you’re ready for.  Let Shoes Only help you plan a vacation for you that is a better fit.  You can always go back for more- it is, after all, a lifestyle, not a vacation style!

Once you have your itinerary booked, you can start looking up information about what to expect on your trip.  In on-line resort forums, the best, most informational posts are from experienced vacationers; ones who have been to the resorts multiple times and probably make an annual visit.  They know the staff by nickname, they have their room all picked out, and they can tell you how wild and crazy things can get.  It sounds like fun for them, intimidating for you.  This is your first time.  Not to worry.  Everyone has a first time.  All the regulars remember their first time and are happy to welcome you into the family.  Running naked to the beach after dropping your toothbrush off in your room might be too fast for you.  Read up and find out the best spots to people watch.  Plan a day to warm up to the whole scene, and be ready to throw all expectations out the window too!

But still, you don’t want to go in totally clueless.  Continue reading.  A great first step regardless of where you’ll start your swinging experience is to learn swinger etiquette.  There is no better way to stand out like a sore thumb than to not know how to handle yourself.  Remember things like the importance of talking to people regardless of how nervous you are.  A drink may help ease the tension. Dress sexy.  It will help boost your confidence as well as get you noticed.  Above all else communicate with your partner.  You are always in control and always have the right to say no.  Browsing might be the easiest first step you can take before jumping in head first.

Beyond the internet, there are some helpful books to consider.  One that gets high reviews is Swinging for Beginners: an introduction to the lifestyle.  It helps open up communication between you and your partner about conversations you might not know enough to have, offers tips, and tells real world stories from people who started right where you are. 

Regardless of how you learn about the lifestyle, remember to keep an open mind.  The best way to let yourself go regardless of where you go is to go with the flow.  You might find yourself in a situation you never dreamed possible that will blow your mind and have you panting for more.  All the studying in the world is useless unless you get yourself out there and experience it for yourself!