islands travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

The Republic of Cape Verde is located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of West Africa. Cape Verde is a former Portuguese colony, comprises ten inhabited and several uninhabited volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Their population is of mixed African and European descent. The group of Cape Verde islands includes: Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Sao Tiago, Brava, Fogo and Maio. This new holiday hotspot is so exotically unusual, coming here is one big magical mystery tour. The Cape Verde islands are opening up to tourists, especially holiday makers searching for a rich blend of fresh holiday experiences. Even the Cape Verde people are unique, being a cultural mix of their two nearest neighbors – Senegal and Brazil, this combination is most obvious in the ever-present Cape Verde music; a scintillating hip-swinging fusion of Samba and Salsa sprinkled with tribal African. It’s the destination for those in the know. Some reasons to visit The Cape Verde: * Glorious sandy beaches and clear waters
* Rich history and culture
* Fantastic water sports
* Excellent for walkers of all levels
* Deep sea blue water fishing Ten barefoot island paradises wait to whip your breath away. Each one is dramatically different, from bounty-like blond sands backed by jungle-like scenery to volcanic monochrome landscapes peppered with pastel-painted towns. The beaches are mind-bogglingly gorgeous and the colorful blend of cultures from Africa, Portugal and Brazil will have you charmed from the moment you arrive.

Some of the world’s most beautiful underwater environments are located in Sulawesi, Indonesia. There’s the Bunaken Marine Reserve with white sandy beaches, a dense population of fish, coral and deep underwater gullies and valleys; Lembeh Straits and its WWI shipwrecks and unusual black sand bottoms; the Togean Islands which host all major reef formations (fringing, barrier, patch and atoll); Wakatobi in Tukang Besi Archipelago and its fascinating fossil reef formations and a myriad of marine species, such as sperm and pilot whales, spinner, bottle-nose dolphins and dugongs; the sea garden of Takabonerate National Park, southwest of Selayar Island, which is the third largest coral atoll in the world, as the Banggai Archipelago, the Makassar Straits, Kapoposang, Bira and Selayar islands… the list of amazing location is endless.

The Lariang River, which runs for half its length of the Lore Lindu National Park, is a world-class venue for white-water rafting. Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi is largest habitat for Sulawesi’s endemic mammals, such as the anoa, babirusa, deer, tarsius spectrum, cuscus, civets, squirrels, rats, and over 55 types of bats and more than 230 species of birds, including the maleo and red knobbed hornbill. See the ancient culture and ceremonies of Tana Toraja. Apart from the wonderful scenery of lush valleys and rice fields sheltered by rocky cliffs, Torajan villages are architectural masterpiece, consisting of the beautifully decorated Tongkonan houses. Coffins containing bones and skulls are kept in the cliffs and cave graves. These unique burial sites are a typical Torajan ritual. At Lemo, carved-out cliff balconies hold tau-taus, wooden effigies of the dead. A pre-historic cave at Miasa Te’ne (Leang Lompoa Cave) has finger painting depicting men and pigs. The cave was once inhabited by the Toalaean indigenous people some 5,000 years ago. In Bada Valley of Central Sulawesi, see mysterious megalithic statues. While the south which is home to the seafaring Buginese, see traditional boat-building techniques at Bantaeng and Bulukumba.150 species of rare butterflies are found at Bantimurung. Known as Turtle Island, Pasoso Island has a high population of green turtle. Between the months of September and October, the turtles lay their eggs in the island’s sandy beaches.

As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia comprises some 17,508 islands that stretch across the equator. There are five main islands and 30 smaller archipelagos. The main islands are Kalimantan(Borneo), Sumatra, Papua, Sulawesi and the most populated island, Java. More than 480 ethnic groups display a rich variety of customs, religious, languages (approximately 583) and dialects. Welcome to Indonesia and enjoy a wonderful journey of discovery. SUMATRA From the north to the southern tip, the island offers vast attractions to see and do. Go trekking at Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the largest parks in Asia and a trekker’s paradise in Sumatra, or try river rafting on the Alas and Wampu River, an exhilarating experience that offers the rare chance to see local wildlife. Avid climbers are sure to find the 100 meters vertical cliff wall at Harau Canyon a challenge. In its semi dormant phases, climb the child of Krakatau, right up to the ridge. Water lovers may experience the exhilarating feeling of swimming or fishing in famous Lake Toba, the world’s deepest lake, and lake Maninjau with warmer and cleaner water. For world professional surfers, look out for Sorake Beach on the island of Nias, which stretches along a perfect horse shoe shape bay, Teluk Lagundri, and offers the best surfing challenge. Other locations to challenge 3-4 meter waves are around the islands of Mentawai. See some of the island’s most famous inhabitants, the Sumatran tigers and elephants, at Lebong Hitam and Sebokor, South Sumatra. On January and February every year, see giant turtles in Bengkaru Island, Aceh. Get up close to orangutans at the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Station, Bukit Lawang village, North Sumatra. Admire the beauty of the world famous giant flower, Rafflesia arnoldi, blooming between August and November at Pelupuh Village, 16 km north of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. The biggest ever recorder had a diameter of 120 cm.Sumatra is rich in cultural heritage. An animist religious ritual is still observed by a small group at Laguboti, in Balige, North Sumatra. Batak traditional houses and relics are still carefully preserved in the Siallagan village in Ambarita. On Mentawai islands, isolated communities still retain ancient customs and a megalithic way of life.

Venetian Islands are a chain of artificial islands near by Miami, Florida. The islands from west to east are Biscayne Island, San Marco Island, San Marino Island, Di Lido Island, Rivo Alto Island and Belle Isle.

The islands form a slice of tropical suburbia that extends eastward almost to Lincoln Road in South Beach, with its proliferating shops and restaurants. They stretch west to the mainland and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the $461 million downtown complex that opened in 2006.

Their centralized location has helped the islands very much. They are positioned comfortably between extremes: on the one hand, downtown Miami, with falling prices and climbing inventories that have placed it at the leading edge of the nation’s real estate crisis, and on the other, the strenuously hip environs of South Beach, where prices continue to climb, albeit slowly, keeping waterfront properties out of the reach of most buyers.

The Venetians are hot. There’s still an upside here; you can get luxury properties at under $10 million. That’s true nowhere else on Miami Beach.

The nature of the Hawaiian islands is hardly incredible. Jungle-smothered volcanic peaks loom around every highway switchback, verdant plants sprout flowers as brilliant and meaty as hallucinations, and surrounding you always is the Pacific Ocean.

There travellers could visit Blue Room, which is a monstrous cave filled with swimmable spring water. While Hawaii’s natural will clear your soul and charge your spirit, its restaurants, hotels and attractions can, almost empty your pocketst.:)))

For example a Vacation Costs Survey, a family of four could expect to spend $650 a day there on food and lodging, making it the least affordable state in the country — and that doesn’t even take into account Hawaii’s gas prices, consistently among the nation’s highest.

Very popular is to stay at the town of Hanalei on Kauai with a lot of restaurants and shops, including a farmer’s market. Coffee beans there picking on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. Some cafes on the island charge $2.95 for a 12-ounce cup, versus $1.85 for a non-Kona version.

As well as for $65 for a 90-minute lesson, plus use of the board, visitors can take surfing lessons with the Titus Kinimaka Hawaiian School of Surfing.

So my advice is: staying close to nature will help travelers stay within their budgets as well as help them develop personal relationship with the this never seen nature.

Tokyo is one of the largest cities of the world and it is capital of Japan. The population is 12,64-million. Tokyo had a long history archive. At the time, Tokyo was called Edo, which by the 18^th century had grown to a huge city of over a million people. Today it’s Japan, center for political, economic, cultural and various other activities.

From east to west all along the city there are hills, plateaus, and mountains. Small as it is, Tokyo’s geographical features are rich in variety, comprising low lands of only four meters above the sea-level, meantime mountainous area of over 2000 meters. It’s important to add that volcanic islands in the Pacific, Izu and Ogasawara Islands also are part of Tokyo.

Tokyo attracts many tourists not only from abroad, but from all over the country, because the city provides many points and places of interest to visit, well-developed traffic networks, facilities for business enterprises that are linked together. Tokyo is a really charming city, with sightseeing spots, full of history and tradition.

The Isu Island are situated southeast of the city in the Pacific Ocean, ranging in order from those closest to the Metropolitan Government Office: Shima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kouzushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, and Aogashima. Each island is unique and offer sport such as swimming, scuba diving, surfing, fishing and etc.

Ogasawara Islands are about 100 km away from Tokyo. The islands consist 20 islands in the subtropical zone but only Chichijima and Hahajima are inhabited. The whole area is full of beautiful nature, and it is known for whale watching.

The Best Islands and places in Oceania and Australia