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Miami (9)
MIAMI
Miami is a great place to add on to a holiday in Orlando. The drive from Orlando to Miami is about 4 hrs if you go the direct route, but if you choose the coastal route there are lots of places to stop and explore on the way. It is easy to arrange flights so that you fly to Orlando and return from Miami or visa-versa and car hire with different collection and return airports can also be arranged. Flights to Miami from the UK are often cheaper that those direct to Orlando and so the money saved can go toward the cost of a night or twos accommodation. There is a wide range of accommodation ranging from motels on the outskirts, through apartments on South Beach to luxury villas on the water side, and of course a huge number of hotels with prices to suit all pockets. We have always stayed in self catering accommodation as we find this easier with children and shopping for food for the BBQ is easy.
There is a great contrast between the Disney area of Orlando and a city like Miami and it is good to experience a different side of the U. S. You will return home feeling you have seen more than just theme parks.
Miami is a great city for both young and old. There are miles of white sandy beaches and in South Beach you will find all night life you could want. The Ocean Drive area of South Beach has numerous street cafés where you can sit and people watch while you have a very reasonable breakfast ($4 or $5) or a full evening meal. Many of the cafés also have live entertainment in the evenings and you will find night clubs behind the cafés.
Along the length of the ‘beaches’ – a long off shore sand bank, you will find miles of white sand beaches. This beach is so long you will always be able to find a quite spot although the most popular areas such as South Beach do become very busy at the height of the season.
If you enjoy water sports then again Miami is a great place for these and you can arrange a boat trip to see the houses of the rich and famous from the water much like the bus trips around Los Angeles. Even driving over one of the many road causeways between the main land and the ‘beaches’ is quite an experience – as long as you don’t mind heights, with spectacular views of both land and sea.
Miami is a good base to visit the everglades and their wildlife. Driving due west from Miami you are in the everglades in well under an hour – as soon as you leave the cities outskirts. There are numerous airboat rides you can take into the everglades to watch the local wildlife.
Miami is also a good starting point for a drive down the Keys if you want to add this to your Florida holiday. The first of the Keys are within a day’s drive of Miami although you would probably want to spend a few days doing the full drive to the most westerly key – Key West.
Miami is a great place to visit at any time of the year although you might want to avoid the autumn hurricane season.
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