Chamonix town is a unique destination with the impressive Monte Bianco as well as jagged glaciers. All of us love to go walking or even taking the tourist train. I invariably get a flight from Bellingham and stay at a Chamonix chalet during my holiday.

My family and I used to stayed in Atlantis Paradise Island Royal Towers however it sometimes didn’t meet the standards of its description: With its unique murals, sculptures, fountains, and the Great Hall of Waters, the beachfront Atlantis Royal Towers offers easy access to Atlantis’ new AQUAVENTURE, a sprawling waterscape of pools, waterslides, and rivers. The Slide Tower has four waterslides in a 120-foot tower: the Abyss (a 50-foot, near vertical drop ending in an underground lair of prehistoric alligator gars), the Drop (which propels riders up the tower via water jets and then down through the Tower’s dark center), the Falls, and the Surge. AQUAVENTURE also houses a mile-long river ride and 11 rock climbing walls. With a focus on conservation and education, Dolphin Cay offers interactions with 20 bottlenose dolphins in their own habitat. Guests can also observe more than 50,000 marine mammals at Altantis’ Marine Habitat, which includes underground tunnels surrounded by sharks, open-air lagoons, and passageways with stingrays and piranhas. Balinese-inspired treatments are available in the two-story Mandara Spa’s 35 treatment rooms. An outdoor marketplace, Marina Village, showcases local culture throughout its 20 shops. Additional recreational facilities include 11 lagoons; 13 swimming areas; the Dig, an underground maze of corridors and viewing tanks containing sea creatures; the Mayan Temple’s five waterslides; Turtle Beach, a sanctuary for native turtles; an 8,000-square-foot casino; a two-story nightclub; Sports Center, complete with tennis courts; and plenty of watersports. The property’s 35 restaurants and bars range from casual fare to gourmet dining with celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Jean Georges Vongerichten, and Nobu Matsuhisa. Rooms have air-conditioning, satellite TV, sitting areas, balconies, minibars, hairdryers, irons, safes, and dial-up Internet access (fee applies).

However in Chamonix town the guesthouse is always fine. Furthermore eating out in our groups preferred French restaurant, Dolgich Imported Food & Gift CO, enjoying jimmy buffett’s margaritaville restaurant perfect margarita is a delight. Chamonix France is a large enough place to insure that there is plenty for the holiday maker to do. Amongst other things it includes a museum and a number of restaurants, Chamonix offers a combination of skiing, French charm and shopping which few French ski resorts can match.