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The sound of an Irish fiddle in a cozy village pub warmed by a turf fire and lively conversation. Scenes straight out of the movies. Literary, poetic, gifted in the art of conversation, the Irish extend their love of language even to the names of counties and towns, which roll off the tongue like music: Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Kilkenny. For a taste of Irish culture, from the Abbey Theatre to traditional music, proceed directly to Dublin, where Joyce, Shaw, and Yeats all worked – and U2 still does. Shoppers may want to stroll Grafton Street for traditional tweeds and newfangled knits,...

If the wilds of coastal Alaska seem a little tame for you, head west to Unalaska. Set in the heart of the 1,000-mile-long Aleutian chain, this rugged outpost was a Russian fur trade outpost in the 18th century and a U.S. military stronghold in WWII. Today it’s home to Alaska’s largest commercial fishing fleet. Nearly all of the island’s residents are tied to the fishing industry in the town’s working port of Dutch Harbor, but visitors can hike amid fields of wildflowers, pick wild berries, go mountain biking, climb several volcanic peaks, kayak along wilderness coastlines (sea otters and whales...

BIOLOGY The Hawaiian Islands have a wide variety of plant, marine and animal life. Vegetation zones include: coastal, dryland forest, mixed open forest, rain forest, subalpine and alpine. More than 90 percent of the native plants and animals living in Hawaii are found nowhere else in the world, and a greater variety of fish exist in Hawaiian waters than elsewhere. The humuhumunukunukuapuaa is the official state fish. Hawaii is sometimes called the Endangered Species Capital of the World. At least one third of all the endangered species in the United States are found in Hawaii including the...

Sunday is the perfect day to go to the beach in Tonga – if you're a visitor; an islander found swimming on the Sabbath is subject to a fine. Yes, they do take their religion seriously in the "Friendly Isles." Tonga, like its neighbor to the west, Fiji, is not just one island, but an entire archipelago of far-flung isles. In Tonga's case, the islands number about 170 (only about 45 are inhabited), geographically divided into four distinct groups. Tongatapu, with the capital of Nuku'alofa, is the hub of this island chain in western Polynesia. Two of every three Tongans live here...

General Profile Area 103,736 sq mi = 269,000 sq km Population 1988 3,343,000 Population Growth 0.88 % Population Density 32 /sq mi GNP 1988 (millions) $25,856 GNP per Capita $7,734 Capital City Wellington Banks 8:30am to 4:30pm - can vary slightly Business Hours Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Late night for shopping is either Thursday or Friday. Most shops open Saturday morning, with some shops and markets remaining open all week-end, in certain...

New Zealand, if you didn't know, is actually two islands. Generally speaking, the North Island equals beaches, and the South Island equals mountains. There is, as you might guess, a bit more to it than that, but the formula does reflect the great Down Under passion for the outdoors. The unmatched scenery includes rain forests and glaciers, rivers and lakes loaded with trophy trout, alpine mountains with superb skiing, and the kind of hiking found on the Milford Track, touted as “the finest walk in the world.”. Yes, these Kiwis are an active bunch: They invented bungy jumping, believe there...

Traditional Mai Tai: Recipe from The Royal Hawaiian hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu 1 oz dark rum 1 oz light rum 1 oz orange curacao 2 oz orange juice 1/2 oz lime juice dash orgeat dash simple syrup Painkiller: The official drink of the BVI; recipe from Pusser’s Rum 2, 3 or 4 oz of Pusser’s Rum 4 parts pineapple juice to one each of cream of coconut and orange juice grate fresh nutmeg on top Rum Swizzle: Traditional cocktail from Bermuda; recipe from Swizzle Inn, Bermuda’s oldest pub and home of the Rum Swizzle. Serves 6. 4 oz Goslings Black Seal Rum 4...

Long Island is not only long (60 miles), it is also narrow--no more than 4 miles at its widest point. It is indeed a land of eloquent contrasts in geography, architecture and enterprise. One of the most scenic hideaways in The Bahamas, it is divided by the Tropic of Cancer and bordered by two very different coasts, one with soft-white, broad beaches and the other rocky headlands that descend suddenly into the roiling sea. The terrain varies from sloping hills in the northeast to low hillsides in the south fading into stark white flatlands where salt is produced; from swampland to beautiful...

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...

Grenada's greatest natural assets are, well…its natural assets. Beach lovers have their pick of more than 40 ribbons of sand. Grand Anse, with two miles of white sand and sheltered waters, is the best known, but secluded strands abound within easy reach along the east coast – if you have a 4-wheel-drive. And you'll want one on this island of tropical rain forests, waterfalls, mountain lakes – and some of the most rewarding hikes in the Caribbean. One of the rewards? Take a deep breath: The scent of spices – nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and clove – is always in the air. Grenada,...