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 On this Indonesian island, the hills are alive with the music of gamelan - By Mary Roach The telephone directory for Pengosekan, Bali, is short but confusing. Of 200 listings, almost all contain a Dewa, the name of the person I'm looking for. Dewa is a much used Balinese caste name, and while not everyone chooses to be called by their caste name, that's still a lot of Dewas.
"Better you just go there," says a waiter at my hotel, in the neighboring town of Ubud. I mention that the Dewa I am seeking is a gamelan musician.
"Walk down the street and listen," says the waiter. "You are sure to find him."
The advice is astute: Bali is an island best navigated by the senses...
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Location: Articles |
 Captivated by the island he named Hispaniola on his first voyage to the New World in 1492, Columbus returned here the following year to build the first Spanish city in the Americas. Five centuries later, the natural beauty that attracted the explorer is still evident in the D.R.'s magnificent mountains (including the Caribbean's loftiest, 10,414-foot-high Pico Duarte), rivers, waterfalls, and flawless white-sand beaches.
What Columbus couldn't have envisioned are the upscale resorts that line some of those beaches and the 20-plus golf courses (including some of the Caribbean's..
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Location: Caribbean Islands |
 Micronesia The Spanish may have once ruled this Micronesian island for more than three centuries, but the modern world has definitely left its stamp here. Consider this: With nearly a dozen golf courses (some designed by Nicklaus and Palmer), Guam has become a favorite golfing holiday for Japanese unable to find playing time on the exclusive and pricey courses at home. Or this: Islanders boast that the world’s largest K-Mart store is located here near Tumon – and is open 24 hours a day.
The Second World War was the turning point for modern Guam, and for a little history primer of this U.S. Territory,..
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Location: Hawaii |
 Canada The hills are alive with the sound of music. And so are the concert halls, parks, and pubs, because traditional Celtic music is the very heartbeat of this scenic slice of Nova Scotia. Scottish and French immigrants settled this island of forested mountains and valleys, and their musical heritage can be heard in festivals throughout the summer. The fiddle rules here (a savvy traveler would listen to CDs from Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIssac to get in the proper spirit before arriving), and dances can last well into the night.
But save some energy for the daylight hours, because this island..
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Be the first to RankLocation: North America |
 Greece Crete could certainly fit into a leisurely, ferry-hopping beach holiday through the Greek islands, but that's giving short shrift to a place that is so rich with history, archaeological treasures, and an intrinsically Mediterranean landscape. Greece's largest island, it has seen burgeoning tourism (and the companion development of major resort areas, particularly on the north coast), but remains a land of remote villages where Zorba the Greek would feel right at home.
In summer it's very hot and the number of visitors can be overwhelming in July and August, but a sense of timelessness..
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Location: Europe |
 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 scene..
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Location: South Pacific > Islands of Fiji |
 Islands of Fiji Taveuni is sometimes called Fiji's "Garden Isle," and while it has spectacular landscapes, the island is best known for its diving – some of the finest in the South Pacific.
But this is not diving for the novice. Sites in the Somosomo Strait, a narrow channel between Taveuni and the larger island of Vanua Levu, are renowned for their amazing walls of soft corals – and for the strong currents that can unsettle beginning divers. For the experienced, the rewards of diving the famed 20-mile-long Rainbow Reef include tropical fish beyond count (one site that lives up to its name: The Fish Factory,..
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Location: South Pacific > Islands of Fiji |
