 Many visitors to Puerto Rico never leave the streets and plazas of San Juan, and that’s understandable, because this most beautiful of Caribbean cities can charm you in a way few tropical getaways can. Walk along the narrow cobblestone lanes and gaze at the wrought-iron balconies, archways, and plazas, and you are in an 18th-century Spanish colonial city, alive with antique shops, art galleries, and small cafés. By night, this is a city that lives by its after-hours diversions, set to the rhythms of hip-swiveling Salsa.
But there are also other, less familiar Puerto Ricos. Sun-and-sand love...
|
 Islands of Fiji An unspoiled corner of Fiji, Kadavu is a beautiful mountainous island with waterfalls, rounded hilltops, outstanding beaches and high rocky cliffs. It offers interesting bush walks, charming rockpools, luxuriant native trees and fascinating birdlife, particularly the famous red and green Kadavu parrots.
Kadavu (pronounced Kahn-da-voo), has a population of approximately 8700 and lies only 88 kilometers south of Suva. Kadavu is approximately 48 kilometers in length and varies in width from 365 meters to 13 kilometers. Its area is 411 square kilometers, just a bit less than Taveuni. Kadavu ha...
|
 Mu Ko Similan National Park: Similan is a Yawi or Malay word, which means nine or a group of nine islands. This is located in Tambon Ko Phra Thong, Amphoe Khura Buri, occupying an area of 32,000 acres. It was declared a national park on 1st September 1982.
Similan is a small group of islands comprising nine islands stretching from north to south, respectively, namely: Ko Bon, Ko Bayu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (two adjoining islands), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Huyong. The National Parks office is located on Ko Miang. Similan is highly praised for its beautiful scenery, both onshore and...
|
 Jamaica is greater than the sum of its parts. But for many visitors, the only part they see is one of four major resort areas. There's always-lively Montego Bay, with its beaches, golf, shopping, and nightlife and Ocho Rios, known for its beaches and upscale resorts, while Negril, aka Beach Party Central, pulls in the younger set, and Port Antonio is a lush, quiet getaway.
Visitors who explore find a beautiful island, a vibrant culture that goes far beyond reggae, and endless opportunities to play under the sun. You can golf, horseback ride, or dive (on wrecks and among the ruins of a ...
|
 The words on the license plates are a clue: "Diver's Paradise. " From fantastic snorkeling just off the beach (just imagine being dropped into a tropical fish tank) to deep wall dives, Bonaire offers what is arguably the best diving in the Caribbean. Much of the credit goes to its visionary Marine Park – the island waters have been protected since 1979.
Yet Bonaire is no one-hit wonder. Sure, other watersports are popular (windsurfers find steady tradewinds and a conveniently shallow sandy bottom at Lac Bay) and it's not hard to find a secluded beach (the black sands of Boca Cocolis...
|
 The Perhentian Islands are a small group of beautiful, coral-fringed islands off the coast of northeastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu, not far from the Thai border. The two main islands are Perhentian Besar ("Big Perhentian") and Perhentian Kecil ("Small Perhentian"). Kecil, the more popular of the two, has cheap accommodation and a bit of a backpacker party scene, while Besar is slightly more expensive and caters more to families.
The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara, Seringgi and Rawa lie off Kecil. All the islands belong to a protected marine park, which means that fishing...
|
 South Africa Ask any surfer about the curls at Jeffreys Bay - J-Bay to anyone who ever waxed a board - and watch their eyes frost over with delight at the thought of that swell, those tubes and the most consistent wave formations in South Africa, a place that knows about surf.
J-Bay is in Eastern Cape, an area with some of South Africa's wildest coastline, which is backed by some of Africa's most spectacular sub-tropical rainforest. Once a sleepy hollow, J-Bay is now a flashy town with rampant development: low-rise apartment blocks, beachside resorts and chrome-benched cafes are becoming the nor...
|
 Islands of Fiji In a world where even small remote islands have become popular tourist destinations, it's increasingly rare to find a sizable South Pacific isle that has remained largely undeveloped. And therein lies the basic charm of Vanua Levu, the second largest among Fiji's 300 or so islands.
Just over 100 miles long Vanua Levu (pronounced vah-NEW-ah LAY-vu) is a good base for adventurous souls who prefer rainforest hikes, bird-watching, and snorkeling to, say, golf, tennis, and spas. The interior of the island is rugged, and green fields of sugar cane cover the north and west coasts like a s...
|
|