summer - Search Results

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....

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...

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...

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...

Longing for the bygone, uncrowded days of the Cote de Azur? Look no further than offshore, to Iles d’Hyeres, a trio of islands that still proffer the best of the South of France: long days of sun, warm water, and Provencal cuisine. The largest and most popular of the group is Porquerolles, which in 1912 was purchased as a wedding present by a wealthy Frenchman – who promptly planted a large vineyard. Today the island and its small village remain a place where the good things in life (food, wine, sailing) are still the cornerstones of day-to-day living. A 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland...

Each of the four San Juan Islands that mark the watery border of the Pacific Northwest has its own character, but Orcas – the largest at more than 55 square miles, is the most spectacular scenically – and has the widest range of ways to play. Car ferry lines can be several hours long in summer, so if you're the active/outdoors type, the best bet is to arrive not in an SUV but on a bike. B&Bs are the mainstay here, but there are a couple of noted resorts, even a nicely maintained 9-hole golf course. Still, this is an island nature-made for hikers, kayakers, and campers. There's really...

Four decades ago, Cozumel, Mexico's largest island, was a quiet fishing hamlet that received only a handful of visitors each year. Today it's one of the world's top diving destinations – thanks in part to Jacques Cousteau, who introduced the local reefs to the diving world. More than 70 dive shops cater to those who come to enjoy the myriad reefs (including renowned Palancar, which lies just offshore), the more than 200 species of fish that inhabit them, and visibility of up to 100 feet. Not to mention the island's amazing water-filled caves called cenotes. From April through...

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...

A favorite summer resort for more than a century, New England's largest island attracts the rich and famous, from movie stars and presidents who arrive by private plane, as well as legions of day-trippers disembarking from the ferry. Chances are they will all find what they’re looking for. Want a postcard-perfect whaling village with immaculate 19th-century homes? Go to Edgartown. Gentle hills leading to the sea? Try Chilmark. Woods and pastoral farms complete with stone walls? Head for West Tisbury. A day at the beach? Plenty to choose from (and if you’re renting a house, you’ll likely...

your idea of vacation fun starts with sand, sun, sea, and nonstop action, then you'll love Cancun. It wasn't always that way. In the 1970s Cancun was just a long sandspit and a small fishing village. The Mexican government, however, had a different future in mind for those white-sand beaches and that turquoise water, and now the resort island is dotted with about 100 hotels that can handle some to 2 million visitors a year. Much of the Cancun experience has been crafted to reflect popular American tastes. If you want to party till dawn, it's no problema. You can also shop till...