TOP 5 RESORTS

FOR FAMILIES
P. 66

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS

Inside a Megaresort in Jamaica?

THE BEST VIEW

(WITH A ROOM)

P. 52

P. 62

E nthusiast Travel Since 1981

WINNER!
BEST TRAVEL
MAGAZINE
2014 Lowell Thomas
Award

25

OF THE WORLDS

GREATEST
ESCAPES

THE

CLOSER YOU LOOK

AT WHAT WE INCLUDE FOR FAMILIES
THE

BET TER WE LOOK

FREE WEDDING

ROOMS & SUITES

LAND SPORTS

WATERPARKS

WATER SPORTS
ONLY BEACHES RESORTS INCLUDES MORE

At Beaches all-inclusive resorts, absolutely everything you

could think of for the ultimate family vacation is included
and unlimited. The most thrilling waterparks and land
sports in the Caribbean. Fabulous water sports including
unlimited waterskiing and scuba diving ,even for the kids.
Superb dining at up to 19 gourmet restaurants. Authentic
island entertainment for everyone. A free wedding for
X
newlyweds . Up to 13 bars serving unlimited premium
drinks for adults. Cool hangouts for teens and Sesame
Street fun and games for the kids. And beautifullyappointed rooms and suites, some even with butler
service. Take a closer look at Beaches and see why we
were voted the Worlds Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort
Brand at the World Travel Awards for 16 years in a row.
V

s for Everyone
Resor t

by Sanda
ls

Jamaica Turks & Caicos

1-800-BEACHES BEACHES.COM
or call your Travel Agent

GOURMET DINING

More Quality Inclusions

Than Any Other Resorts In The World

Activities vary by resort. VScuba diving included for certied divers. PADI dive courses,
night dives and kids dive programs additional. XA Beautiful Beginnings wedding is free
with stays of 3 paid nights or more in all room categories. All weddings are subject to
mandatory marriage ofciant and government documentation fees, which vary by island. All
fees subject to change at any time without prior notice. Beaches is a registered trademark.
Unique Vacations, Inc. is the afliate of the worldwide representative of Beaches Resorts.

SESAME STREET

TM/ 2014 Sesame Workshop

ENTERTAINMENT

-SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION-

A TRIO OF TREASURES
From white sandy beaches and
crystal blue seas with colourful
coral reefs, in the Cayman Islands,
you wont have to go far to find
your smile. In the Cayman Islands,
y o u won t h a v e t o g o fa r t o f i nd
your smile. Set in the warm Western
Caribbean Sea just an hour
s ou t h of Mia mi , t he d es t i na t i o n
i s c omp ris e d o f t hr ee uni q ue
islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman,
and Cayman Brac. Soak up a day
along Grand Caymans famous
Seven Mile Beach before perusing
duty free shops. Explore the
unique caves of Cayman Brac
or birdwatch throughout the day.
Sneak away on serene Little
Cayman for a swim in a secluded
lagoon. And with 365 different
dive sites to discover, its as clear
as our waters where you should
plan your next getaway.

feel a welcoming warmth that

doesnt just come from the sun.

Tha t s C ay m an k i n d !

EVERY EVENT IS AN
EXPERIENCE
TASTE OF CAYMAN
February 7, 2015
Sample local fare with gourmet flare
from the areas best purveyors.

BATABANO
Junior Parade & Family Fun Day
April 5, 2015
Adult Parade
May 2, 2015

GIVE YOUR FIVE SENSES A

FIVE-STAR STAY
Paradise is served year-round at
over 200 restaurants that range
between beachside grills to fine
dining. Kicking off the annual culinary
calendar each January, Cayman
Cookout draws celebrated chefs
such as Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain,
and Jos Andrs. All it takes is a taste
to realize why the Cayman Islands
are touted as the Culinary Capital
of the Caribbean.

The local carnival is a vibrant celebration

of Caymanian culture and charm.

FLOWERS SEA SWIM

June 15, 2015
Heres an open water competition for all
strokes of life, from Olympians to novices.

PIRATES WEEK
November 12-22, 2015
Take a trip with the whole crew
to an island-wide invasion.

INTERTRUST CAYMAN ISLANDS

MARATHON
December 6, 2015
This races scenic route through George
Town is definitely worth sprinting for.

THATS CAYMANKIND
There are around 135 nationalities
that call the Cayman Islands home.
From the moment you arrive, youll

For more information and to book, visit www.caymanislands.ky.

WHEREVER YOU FIND YOUR SMILE, YOULL FIND OURS.

THATS CAYMANKIND.

A WORLD AWAY JUST ONE HOUR FROM MIAMI.

www.caymanislands.ky

MOON PALACE JAMAICA GRANDE. EARLY 2015.

The FlowRider Double Wave Simulator. The Playroom Kids Club. The Awe Spa. Its a
total reinvention of all-inclusive, and now its all here, at the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande
in Ocho Rios. You may have seen the Caribbean, but youve never seen it like this.
1.888.494.1184 PalaceResorts.com

CONTENTS
MAUI P. 42

SANTORINI P. 49

Giving up the cell

phone on a trip is
smart. But showing up for a fourday stay with just
toothbrushes and
swimsuits ... thats
kinda weird.

TASMANIA P. 76

A house for less

than $200K. Tire
swings and mango
trees. Potholes seen
as blessings. This
place is worth a
deeper look.

Fijians have 15
words for heaven.
One look at this
photo and you have
to wonder why they
even use words.

18

G ET H E RE
Well never look at picnics the
same way after a fish lunch
on Yasawa Island. The
best place to go next week:
Tobago. Our five favorite day
trips include epic drives in
the Keys and Kauai.

28

L I F E H E RE
The most unusual bridge
weve seen is on an island
in Cambodia. What happens when you move to St.
Thomas with $500 and no
job? Eating eggs is scary in
the Philippines.

36

OU R 25 FAVORI T E
ESCA PES
We spent as little as $80 and
as much as $4,000 a night
to find our top 5 escapes
for: Over the Top (p. 38),

45
10 ISLANDS

In an issue that
showcases our favorite escapes, how
did writer Amanda
Jones wind up in a
prison cell?

ROATAN P. 88

FIJI P. 18

OMG! They call

this suite a cave in
Greece? Someone
in Tennessee needs
to show them our
idea of a cave.

FEBRUARY

Simplicity (p. 48), Awe

(p. 62), Families (p. 66) and
Off the Grid (p. 74).

42

U N PLUG G E D M AU I
With no suitcase, the author
finds vintage Maui at the end
of an unnerving drive.

18

57

Executive Editor
When I said I was
going to work at a resort
in Jamaica, I meant it.
Lets just say there were
problems (p. 52).

52

A N I NSI DE JOB
Do you know what really
goes on behind the scenes at
an all-inclusive resort?

68

BEYOND THE ROCKS

Weve always gone to the
Seychelles for the boulders
and beach. This time Jon
Whittle went a lot further.

85

HOW TO ...
Tick off a local with no effort.
Make $1,000 go a long way
on three Caribbean islands.
Find signs of life, and fire, in
the hills of Montserrat.

51

ON THE COVER The view from Santorini, Greece. Photo by Brown W. Cannon III/Intersection Photos.
ISLANDS.COM

Exclusive Meets Inclusive:

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WITH PRIVATE TERRACES
PERSONAL WHIRLPOOLS

WHAT IS

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your Secret?

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TOP-SHELF SPIRITS

Ours is Unlimited-Luxury

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LAND AND WATER
SPORTS
LIVE SHOWS NIGHTLY
WORLD CLASS SPA

Additional fees may apply

Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid are adjacent fantasy worlds for adults only. Guests at one may play at both.
Secrets St. James offers a sophisticated interpretation of Jamaicas Victorian soul. Secrets Wild Orchid has a hip,
vibrant ambiance and swim-out suites. Providing innite pleasure is our Secret. How you enjoy it, is yours.

Visit SecretsResorts.com for more details.

PEACEFUL. SOPHISTICATED. PARADISE.

STYLISH. RADIANT. FUN.

EXPERIENCE UNLIMITED-LUXURY FOR ALL-ADULT ROMANCE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: PUNTA CANA | JAMAICA: MONTEGO BAY
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2015

WEST INDIES

BRAND DIRECTOR

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GROUP PUBLISHER

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Welcome to St. Kitts, an enchanted

island of expansive rainforests,
stately Great Houses and remnants
of sugar plantations when
Sugar was King. This is St. Kitts.
Unspoiled Sanctuary of Inner
Beauty All yours to discover.

Only 3 hrs from MIA &

less than 5 hrs from JFK

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL
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I S L A N DS I S A D I V I S I O N O F

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ON ASSIGNMENT

2015

STAND HERE. TAKE

Come sail with Islands staff photographers and Sail Windjammer to

remote Caribbean islands. Find our favorite spots and learn our best
photo tips on location. This is your dream trip ours too.

PICTURES LIKE THIS.

M AY 10-16, 2015
WHOS INVITED
Anyone. No photo
experience is
required. Use any
camera, or just
come and enjoy the
rare sights. This is
about the experience, not the gear.

HOW MUCH
A limited number
of passengers can
sign up for $2,479+
(your guest sails for
just $1,779). Only
a handful of cabins
were unclaimed
when we went to
press with this issue.

WHO LEADS
The Caribbeans
most fun boat crew
takes us to the best
locations under sail.
Islands photographers Jon Whittle
and Lori Barbely
show you how to
shoot epic photos,
even with an iPhone.

ST. VINCENT

WHERE
Its a seven-day
cruise through the
Grenadines on a
classic schooner,
Mandalay, one
of our favorite
boats and favorite
itineraries.

C L A I M A S P O T: I S L A N D S .C O M / I O A

BEQUIA

MAYREAU
UNION

TOBAGO
CAYS

CARRIACOU

GRENADA

LY
N
O

W
FE

T!
F
E
SL
T
O
SP

ISLANDS NOW

WARMING YOU UP

Escape

to Arubas coveted Eagle Beach

 
 Z d  
    
^
   

:



^    &
  d  D  

 d < d  t






NEVIS When the septuagenarian owner of the Montpelier Plantation Inn asked if I
wanted to join her on a bike
ride down to the beach, my
only concern was whether I
should wear flip-flops or go
barefoot. Perhaps I shouldve
noticed her clip-on shoes and
padded cycling pants. Past
ruined sugar plantations and
old stone churches we rode.
And rode. And rode. Two
hours later wed cycled halfway around the island. And,
mercifully, finally reached
the beach. Contributor
David Lansing

INSTAGRAM

follow us: islandsmag

#notgoinghome
Tahiti. The Brando.
Nothing else required.

#rumpunchforlunch
Carlisle Bay uses cinnamon and local rum.

#stcroixfall
Snorkel offshore of the
Carambola resort.

#watchyourstep
The Big Islands version of Jurassic Park.

James Groves: Youll

need about six months
of expenses saved up,
and be prepared to
work two part-time
jobs before finding
that one full-time job.
Donna Woydziak: Do
not move to Hawaii
if you are white and
still have to work; they
do not like us there.
Finding employment
is next to impossible! I
lived there for six years
and never made more
than $11.50 an hour.
Becky Lynn Cavin
responds: I couldnt
disagree more! If you
have aloha in your
heart, an education
and a career, life is good
here. Weve never felt
as you do. Sorry you
havent been able to
embrace the spirit
of living aloha.
Clarence Piilani Jr.
responds: Donna, not
all Hawaiians are like
that. It is unfortunate,
and let me apologize
for your experience.
Believe me, aloha still
lives in Hawaii.
Got the itch? Visit
islands.com/bitlo.

GIVE BACK

BRING BACK
At the Maria del Mar ceramic shop in the Canary Islands,
artisans craft serving vessels by hand, just as the aborigines did 1,000 years ago. I spy a platter, its rough backside
evoking volcanic soil, the ancient symbol on its basin from a
local cave. Simple. Authentic. Sold. Melanie McManus

42

BASEBALLS FIT INTO A

BACKPACK. TAKE THEM
TO THE DR FOR THE
KIDS. RAWLINGS.COM

P L AT E: M E L A N I E M C M A N U S

DISPATCHES

HAWAII I flew 19 hours to

see lava, and now Im back in
the air. From the helicopter,
I see smoke in the distance
as we buzz past the sleeping
giants Mauna Loa and Mauna
Kea. Volcanoes, yes, but I
want to see the flowing red
stuff. Black, hardened lava is
everywhere miles and miles
of post-apocalyptic wasteland
that looks like a pan of burnt
brownies but the orange
magma is a rare sight. The
pilot swoops low, hovering
directly above the smoke. I
look down into the boiling,
neon-red lava lake of the
Halemaumau Crater. This is
the coolest moment of my life.
Or hottest, I should say.
Digital editor Cami Webb

Moving to an island is
a dream within reach.
Weve always got our
finger on the pulse of
which islands are the
best for what type of
move, and our How
to Move to Maui post
got you talking.

UP
TO

35% OFF

THE REAL DEAL

Tap into ultra-chic luxury from the originators of rock star

decadence. Get up to 35% off, load up on endless amenities, and
use $1800 Limitless Resort Credit on golf, spa, tours, and anything
else you want. Get your thrills straight from the source at the
all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana.

HARDROCKHOTELPUNTACANA.COM
1.877.601.0935
*35% off promotion applies to US residents only. Book now and travel before December 23th 2015. Applies to new reservations only and is subject to change without prior
notice. Combinable with $1,800 Limitless Resort Credit, a 20% service fee will apply over the nal price of all transactions using the Limitless Resort Credit promotion on all
services or products available at Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana. $1,800 Limitless Resort Credit based on a 7-8 night consecutive stay per room. Bookings of 3 nights receive
$500, up to $750 with a 4 night stay, up to $1,500 with a 5-6 night stay, up to $2,000 with a 9-11 night stay and up to the equivalent of $2,500 with a stay of 12-13 night stay
and up to $3,600 with a stay of 14 nights or more. Service fee can only be paid with cash, room charge and credit card. Service fee cannot be paid with the remaining Limitless
Resort Credit promotion balance. Other restrictions may apply.

Yasawa Islands, Fiji

The Yasawas comprise

20islands that, until
recently, were visited
primarily by backpackers.

18 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

DOUGLAS PEEBLES/ROBERT HARDING

GET
HERE

PHOTO BY DOUGLAS PEEBLES

PICNIC
STRIP
IF YOURE CURIOUS
This is Yawini Beach, a
lunch option for guests
at Fijis Yasawa Island
Resort (see page 26 for
another Yasawa day trip).
An umbrella, a fish sandwich and a boat drop-off
are included. All guests
need to provide is a
pickup time. That part is
easy. Getting back in the
boat and leaving isnt.

11 BEACHES
ARE ON THE
LUNCH MENU

IF YOURE SERIOUS
Beach picnics are
complimentary at
Yasawa (yasawa.com),
which helps explain
guest reviews like this:
Seven days, four beach
picnics. To claim your
own, Air Fiji offers
seven flights a week
from Los Angeles to
Nadi. From there, the
resort is a 35-minute
flight to the north edge
of the Yasawa Islands.

THE FIJIAN
L ANGUAGE
HAS 15 WORDS
FOR HEAVEN.
YASAWA IS
THE FIRST.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 19

GET HERE

Trip Planner
WOULD YOU RATHER:
Take a nonstop flight to
a familiar escape
or

Take multiple flights to

a new escape?

55%

SAID: MULTIPLE FLIGHTS,

NEW ESCAPE

Why not a nonstop flight

to a new escape?
Wayne E. Bridges
Ill take any flight that
gets me to a beach.
Vicki Bodell

Englishmans Bay, Tobago

WHERE WED GO ...

MAY

JULY

TOBAGO Its a sneaky steal in January.

The holiday rush is over, and Carnivals
craziness (read: February) looms. This
month is the calm before the crowds,
when Tobagos quaint charms are at their
quaintest. As a bonus, January trips land
in the heart of dry season. ALSO CONSIDER
Bonaire. Its overshadowed by Aruba
and Curaao, and has smaller crowds,
decent deals, no traffic lights or highrise hotels. Sidestep the masses here.

FLORIDA
KEYS
Snowbirds are
headed north,
spring break is
done, and Floridas
summer steam
(and hurricane
season) have yet
to arrive. Cheap
rooms and perfect
weather mix now
(more Keys tips
on page 24). ALSO
CONSIDER Greece.
Great weather, no
tourists, and the
island ferries are
all in operation.

SRI LANKA
This is the island
travel writers
pitch us most.
Elephants walk
the sidewalks, stilt
fishermen balance
over the surf and,
in July, cultural
festivals climax.
Soak them in or
head for sunny
beaches along the
northeast coastline. ALSO CONSIDER
Sleepy Isla Holbox,
just north of Cancun. Whale sharks
are arriving.

Greece
Florida Keys
Isla Holbox
Tobago
Bonaire

20 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

Sri Lanka

WHY TRAVEL?
Its a big question. In this
e-book, the travel questions
only get bigger. Do our mouths
ever really leave home? Do we
fear the wrong things when we
travel? Will traveling save our
souls? The answers are largely
photo-driven: A Pizza Hut
shown by Egypts pyramids.
Traffic imagery (and stats)
that trump terrorism fears.
Photos from the worlds most
extreme pilgrimages. Travel:
The Guide, just $4.99, offers
more takeaways in its free
preview pages than most
novels. Author Doug Lansky
has hit a home run. lookbook
digital.com Eddy Patricelli

SHOTSHOP GMBH/ALAMY

NOW

Make a New Years Resolution

youll want to keep

Experience the vacation youve always dreamed of. With an

onboard captain and gourmet chef, youll enjoy a getaway in
paradise thats simply, and exclusively, about you.
U N F O R G E T TA B L E M O M E N T S

on the water

Call 877.796.1283 or visit www.moorings.com/islands

Haena
State Park
ark
GET HERE

Hanalei

KAUAI

Kapaa

Wailua River
Lihue

Hanalei Valley, Kauai, Hawaii

GET TO WHERE YOURE

GOING AND STAY PUT?
MAYBE. BUT WE LIKE TO
VENTURE OFF. THESE
ARE FIVE OF OUR
FAVORITE DAY TRIPS.

22 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

1.

KAUAI NORTH SHORE

A friend promises this is the best
drive on the island (best in Hawaii, actually), and Ive been warned by a policeman
not to speed. Kauai takes it slow, he says.
Heeding those words, I barely tap the gas
out of Lihue, where the airport and WalMart reside, and take Kuhio Highway (aka
56) up toward the farms and waterfalls.
Approaching the Wailua River, the difference between the north and south takes
shape. Here its mountains, cliffs and folds
of green no resorts or crowded beaches.
Past Wailua, stop at Pono Market in
Kapaa for a container of fresh poke (chunks

of marinated tuna). It travels well, so snack

on it as the road winds toward Hanalei,
where the mental picture of roadside stands
and grills and blenders that encompasses
Kauai emerges. Grab a papaya, carrot and
wheatgrass juice before heading through
the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge on a
one-lane road that narrows across bridges
and through working fields of taro.
Feel as small as the mythical, dwarf-size
Menehune people of Hawaii as the giant
landscape of Haena State Park comes into
view, the last point of civilization before the
Na Pali coast begins. Feel even smaller as
the sun goes to sleep. Matthew Miller

MONICA & MICHAEL SWEET/MAXX

ALL IN A DAY

OVERSEAS HIGHWAY,
FLORIDA KEYS
Spanning 113 miles and outfitted with
42 bridges, the southernmost stretch
of U.S. Highway 1 has been transporting previously landlocked travelers
from Miami to the Keys since 1938.
Drive it in four hours or four days. All
that is iconic and loved about Florida
is found along this cut of concrete
from roadside stands hawking kitschy
souvenirs to stands of mangroves
playing home to roseate spoonbills
to dive bars that wont let you in if
you have shoes on. Dont miss the six
spots below, but dont be afraid to get
lost either. Audrey St. Clair

FLORIDA

Miami

Key West

STOPS ON OVERSEAS HIGHWAY

KEY LARGO

An hour south of
Miami, stop to Instagram the 100-yearold steamboat The
African Queen, seen
in the 1951 movie of
the same name.

24 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

ISLAMORADA

LONG KEY

MARATHON

BIG PINE KEY

KEY WEST

This is where the

water starts turning
that Caribbean blue,
so get out of the car
and into the ocean.
Snorkel offshore,
or if youre feeling
adventurous, try a
Florida Keys Jetpack
at the Postcard Inn
(holidayisle.com).
You can fly over the
water how gracefully is up to you.

Pass pine trees,

silver buttonwoods
and water-rooted
mangroves as the
Middle Keys usher
in some of the prettiest undeveloped
spots in this region.
At mile marker 67.5,
pull over at Long
Key State Park to
hike the 1.2-mile
Golden Orb Trail.
Wear sneakers.

Stop for stone crabs

at Keys Fisheries
before hitting up
the Old Seven Mile
Bridge; only parts of
it are still open, and
you must be on foot
or bike. If you have a
fishing license (easy
to get at myfwc
.com), try for a snapper off the bridges
west end, and stay
for the sunset.

The pace gets a little

slower as Seven Mile
Bridge runs into Big
Pine Key, home of
the endemic and
very small Key deer.
Dont speed.

This is where the

weird go pro. Fantasy Fest in October
is like Magic Mike
meets Mardi Gras.
The Running of the
Santas pub crawl
rings in Christmas.
And Hemingways
six-toed cats are always here. Our pick
for beachfront digs:
Casa Marina (casa
marinaresort.com).

C LO C K W I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: J O N W H I T T L E ; Z A C H S TO VA L L ;
F R A N S L E M M E N S /A L A MY; Z AC H S TOVA L L ; J O E F OX /M A X X

2.

3.

INTERISLAND
CARIBBEAN
IN THE AIR Hows the doughnut look this morning? is
what I overhear while eating
granola at Julianas Hotel on
Saba, a rock of an island just a
15-minute, grip-the-armrest
flight from St. Maarten. The
doughnut is not a breakfast
choice. Its how locals refer to
the ring of fog hanging round
the 3,000-foot-tall Mount
Scenery. Hiking the peak is a
must, and the reward is a clear
view from the Netherlands
highest point. Typically, the
doughnut burns off by noon,
but today its fat and stubborn.
I opt for the Sandy Cruz Trail,
a lesser incline but past more
interesting sights: banana
groves and mahoganies hosting orchids in party-dress
hues. Mount Scenery the
name doesnt lie.
ON THE WATER Stretching the legs
is also reason to wave goodbye
to Tortola, the main hub of
the BVI, and ferry to Virgin
Gorda for a getaway day. From
the dock on Virgin Gorda, its
a $5 cab ride to The Baths,
the tangle of boulders that
has become a postcard staple.
Scramble over the rocks. Play
in the natural pools. Reach a
summit with a to-forever view.
Be a kid. Brooke Morton

4.

PUERTO RICO TO
CULEBRA
The sign on a little shop-onwheels nails it: Open some
days. Closed others. Seventeen
miles from San Juan, Puerto
Ricos bustle, tiny Culebra is
in full snooze. Unbidden, a
driver stops in the middle of
the road to offer a ride to Playa
Flamenco a mile-long stretch
that regularly makes the Caribbeans best-beaches lists. No
picnic? No problem. Kioskos
offer pinchos: grilled meat or
fish on a stick; try the tiburn
(shark). Before heading back to
Puerto Rico on the 45-minute
ferry or the barely quicker
puddle jumper, sundowners
at Dinghy Dock are the ticket,
and live entertainment is a
given: The kitchen staff tosses
scraps to the tarpon below.
Ann Vanderhoof

TRIP ADVICE
Pay attention to mile markers. Numbering
starts in Key West at 0 and increases along
the east and northeast path through the
Keys. Businesses list their addresses by mile
markers, adding decimal points to indicate
more precise locations. Outside Key West
and Marathon, street addresses are based
on the mile markers, using a four- to six-digit
number, but without decimals. Take the No
Name Pub, whose street address is 30813.
The first three digits signal the mile marker
(30.8), while the last two digits indicate a
specific address. Since the last digit is odd, its
on the ocean side; even indicates bay side.

Airplane approach to Saba

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 25

GET HERE

GO HUNTING FOR ...

SOMETHING SWEET

Join farmer Alex Brute on an ox

cart in Guadeloupes out island,
Marie Galante. Sonia and Shiny
will haul your cart into the sugarcane fields, where youll learn to
swing the machete and wring a
stalk for a sweet drink.

THE PAST

Explore Dominicas eerie ruins

at Fort Shirley with curator Dr.
Lennox Honeychurch. Hell
tour you around the restored
fortress, infamous for a 19thcentury mutiny, and show you to
the ruins draped in strangler figs.

MYTHICAL SERPENTS

YASAWA ISLAND, FIJI,

TO NACULA ISLAND
The sky doesnt look right. Its blue seems
the trick of a filter. Beneath it, all around
me, the cerulean water is unlike anything
Ive seen anywhere else. Thats a mystery
about Fiji: Its so bright. On this longboat
with a small group heading toward the Blue
Lagoon Caves of Nacula Island, I recall
what James McCann, director of Yasawa
Island Resort & Spa (more on page 18), told
me when Id arrived. Its all the rain it
washes particles from the air.
The 30-minute ride from Yasawa
Island Resort carries us past volcanic
spires and folds of hillside, now claimed
by a net of electric green climbing higher.
When we reach our destination, its a
three-minute stair climb to the first pool,
completely sheer-walled in, save for the
mossy steps that were easy work. The
water is Gatorade turquoise and just as

refreshingly cool. Then Rusi, the guide,

asks our group if we want to snorkel in a
second cave. He tells us that the duck dive
(bend at the waist, kick legs into the air)
isnt worrisome because of how much
water you must cover, but rather, because
you must come up slowly to avoid a lowhanging stalactite. One just-minted wife
opts out. I spit in my mask and go first.
The swim is too quick to release my
adrenaline, but then the guide disappears
to help the next person. Im alone in pitch
blackness. There is no sound. Now cue the
adrenaline. Before I get too worked up, the
rest of the party resurfaces. Rusi shines a
light at a ceiling two stories above, and into
view shoot rows and rows of stalactites,
like teeth in a sharks maw. Its beautiful.
Calming. Just as I settle in, floating face up
and carving angel patterns into the water,
its time to turn around and swim back
toward the colors. yasawa.com BM

FACEBOOK POLL:
WHATS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO ARRIVE AT AN ISLAND?

26 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

GHOSTS

Await the specter of La Diablesse

at the silk cotton tree near
Runnemede on Tobago. Sit
beside the tree on a dark night,
and you may meet an enchanting
woman in a silk hat. But dont
follow her or youll wake up beside her in the nearby cemetery.

NATURES CURE-ALL

Go pharmacy shopping in the

forest, on a bush medicine tour
in jungly Grenada. Youll learn to
identify local herbal remedies
and can even try some bois
bande (hard wood) mixed with
rum but only if you run out
of Viagra. Jad Davenport

63% WATER 37% AIR

F R O M L E F T : S H E L LY S T R A Z I S ; I S T O C K ; O P P O S I T E : R I C H A R D E L L I S / A L A M Y

5.

Locals say that Lusca the

half-shark, half-octopus denizen
of the Bahamian blue holes on
Andros is real. If you hit the
holes at tidal change, you may
see them bubble with her fury.

Try Not Getting Stuck In ...

A PARTY IN
THE STREET
BY ROBERT STEPHENS

WHERE:

OLD SAN JUAN

I PARKED ILLEGALLY.

CONFESSION:

Its a sunny Thursday in January and my

flight out of San Juan doesnt leave for four
hours a perfect slice of time to jump into
my rental car and head to El Morro for
lunch in the grassy park. As I make a final
turn toward paradise, traffic halts. All of
Puerto Rico squeezes in on me. A barricade is set up behind my rear bumper. My
side-view mirrors almost touch a pincho
stand on one side and a snow-cone cart on
the other. A band starts playing down the
street. Two police officers lean on my hood
to relax. I stick my head out the window
and ask whats going on. One cop looks at
me as if Ive just appeared out of thin air,
which is how I feel too.
San Sebastian Festival, he says.

Oh, yeah. Ive heard about this. Puerto

Ricos biggest festival, capping the long
Christmas season with food trucks,
cabezudos and a hundred thousand celebrants. It starts, like, now. Theres only
one move for me to make. Turn off the
car, get out and order a guanabana snow
cone. Ill be taking a later flight.

DO Take a taxi into

the area around
Old San Juan. And
bring an appetite.
This is a confluence
of the best Puerto
Rican foods.

DONT think of
it as Mardi Gras
or Carnival. Public
drinking is restricted to specific places
and times. Its rated
PG during the day.

Give us your body for a

week and well give you
back your mind. Of all the great
beach vacations and spas in the world,
only The BodyHoliday offers you the very
best of both in beautiful Saint Lucia. Tailor
your vacation to your wishes and choose
from a menu of wellness options, sports
and gourmet pleasures. Its all a body
could ask for. To find out more about our

exclusive reader offer call +1 888 877 4706

or visit www.thebodyholiday.com/islands.

The bridge is stable underfoot,

and costs $1 to cross. Time your
visit to the dry season (OctoberApril) to nd out for yourself.

28 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

MARIO WEIGT/REDUX

LIFE
HERE

Koh Pbain,
Cambodia

PHOTO BY MARIO WEIGT

BAMBOO
BOTTLENECK
IF YOURE CURIOUS
This is rush hour leaving
Koh Pbain island in
Cambodia. The horse
carts carrying dried
tobacco leaves are
headed in the same
direction because the
bridge is too narrow for
two-way traffic, and
because its sunrise:
The market opens soon.

600 METERS
LONG, REBUILT
ANNUALLY
IF YOURE SERIOUS

Koh Pbain is a river

island of tobacco fields,
drying houses and
villages of the Cham
people, a culture of
fishermen and artisans.
Fly into Cambodia via
Bangkok or Singapore.
At the Phnom Penh
airport, daily buses
depart for the city of
Kampong Cham. Look
for the bridge.

THE BRIDGE IS
SWEPT AWAY BY
THE MEKONG
RIVERS RISING
WATERS EVERY
WET SEASON
(MAY-OCTOBER).

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 29

LIFE HERE

Taste

MOMENT
OF BALUT
BY NATHAN MYERS

WHERE:

PHILIPPINES
EGGS OVER UNEASY

THE FIND:

30 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

RECIPES 1-2-3

LOCO MOCO (KAUAI)

Servers at
Lihues Tip-Top
Cafe dont carry
trays. They push
breakfast around
on carts because
the specialty is a
1,300-calorie hot
mess: fried rice
under a burger
patty, a fried
egg and (to fill
hidden cracks)
gravy. Fifteen
minutes later Im
licking the plate
clean. Robert
Stephens

cooing yet it makes my heart skip a

beat.Baaaaa-luuut.
Its just a friendly elderly man on a bicycle. I watch from a distance as he stops
under a street lamp. A cabbie leaps from
his car and hurries across the street as if
he doesnt want the man on the bike to
get away. I ease up behind the two of them
and watch the transaction.
The eggs are wrapped in a blanket in
the basket of the bicycle. A careful little
nest. The cabbie hands over some loose
cash, scoops up an egg, cracks it against
the lamppost and gobbles it down. So
strong this will make me, he says. I have
to wake up again at 3 a.m. 3 a.m.!
He grabs another, sprinkling it with
salt and vinegar from the mans basket.
The outside looks like a normal egg, yet
inside it has come too far. Seventeen days.
Just shy of a cheep. The cabbie chomps it
down. Soooo strong! he says again.
Motivated, I drop a coin in the basket
and remove a shell. Its just a hardboiled
egg, I tell myself. The beer wasnt strong
enough. The dark isnt dark enough. I
crack my egg and imagine television
cameras my team cheering me on
fabulous cash and prizes.
I look up and see the cab driver. He
senses me, a rookie, about to take my first
swing at balut. He stays to watch.
The bones crackle in my mouth. A dry,
eggy pulp sticks on my tongue. Feathers
tickle my throat. For a moment I gag, and
then it goes down, conscience and all.
There. I ate balut. I proved nothing.
The cabbie slaps me on the back. So
strong. But I just feel limp. I need a beer.
natural cures: islands.com

For some Filipinos,

balut snacks provide
protein that might
otherwise be lacking in the diet. For
visitors its almost
always a dare.

TO P, F R O M L E F T: M A R C F. H E N N I N G /A L A MY; B O A Z R OT T E M /A L A MY; S I D E B A R , F R O M TO P : Z A C H S TO VA L L ; I S TO C K ( 3 )

Ive come to eat duckling still in the egg.

Dont get the wrong idea. This is not
something my tongue or my conscience
want to do. But Ive traveled all this way
to the Philippines to prove some highminded idea about cultural relativity
and psychosomatic taste buds. And
now, with my food staring back at me
with the cutest little embryo eyes, I have
no idea what those words even mean.
You might recall balut from such
shows as Survivor and Fear Factor, where
contestants choke down the infamous
Filipino street food for cash and prizes.
But in Manila people choke em down for
pure pleasure. Like cupcakes, except with
bones. My taste cant be that much more
discriminating than theirs. Can it?
On the road out of the airport, I
engage my cab driver in the usual happy
to be here conversation. Married? Kids?
Have you ever tried balut?
He swerves to the side of the road and
stops beside a row of food carts. How
many do you want? he says.
No, no, no, I say. I was just asking.
Keep driving, please.
I ask the doorman at my hotel the
same question. I just ate three, he
replies. You want one?
No, I mean yes, I say, but not just
yet. There was supposed to be a quest,
but its too easy. Its becoming just
another Fear Factor. The doorman nods,
understanding that Im scared. Best to
wait till after dark, he says, and to drink
some beer. Balut is good with beer.
So I wait. I drink beer. And I channelsurf the TV in hopes of stumbling upon
reality-show hosts to taunt or bribe me
into the nasty task at hand. Darkness falls
with no such luck. I step into the streets
feeling alone and very far from home.
I wander aimlessly along the busy
streets, peering at various foods like a
moth seeking flame. I talk to strangers.
I drink more beer. And then I hear this
voice rolling down the street, soft and

LIFE HERE

My Island
Pololu Valley
Lookout

WHERE MORE
VISITORS
SHOULD GO

Mauna Kea
Summit

Hilo

Roys at Waikoloa

Kailua Kona

HAWAII

Amy Greenwell
Ethnobotanical
Garden

Hakalau National
Wildlife Refuge

Hawaii
Volcanoes
National
Park

KULA KAI CAVERNS:

Tour lava tubes; true
insider Hawaii.
AMY GREENWELL ETHNOBOTANICAL GARDEN:
Showcases both
native plants and
canoe plants.
QUINNS ALMOST BY THE
SEA: Recharge with
the Lo-Cal Plate.
ROYS: We love this
bar in Waikoloa
for drinks and its
seafood. Always a
fun crowd.

Milolii
Honomalino
Bay

Kula Kai
Caverns

BIG ISLAND EVOLUTION

I grew up beekeeping and
came to Hawaii to work just
one season. Id never visited
any Hawaiian islands and
had zero expectations. But
Java sparrows and mynahs
greeted me at the airport, and
I thought, This is going to be
cool. That was 20 years ago.
I dont call myself Hawaiian.

But I share a perspective on

life nurtured by Hawaii nei
(love). It didnt hurt that I met
my wife here too.
Leading hikes for a living
can be tiring. My best nap

ROB PACHECO
AGE

51
OCCUPATION

Owner, Hawaii
Forest and Trail,
hawaii-forest.com
FORMER LIFE

Beekeeper

32 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

was on a misty day in Hakalau

National Wildlife Refuge. The
photographer I took there
set up to shoot an Akiapolaau
bird. I dozed off in the Kikuyu
grass. Birds came and went as
I drifted half asleep for several
hours. Raindrops fell from the
leaves, and birdsong filled the
forest around me. I felt guilty
I was getting paid.
First-time visitors should feel
no shame hitting places like
Hawaii Volcanoes National

Park and sunset at Mauna

Kea summit wow and wow.
Theyre famous for a reason.
There are places I never take
guests. The drive down to the

village of Milolii is breathtaking. And the salt-and-pepper

beach on nearby Honomalino
Bay is worth the short hike.
These spots arent for van
loads of tourists, but theyre
perfect on your own.
Real Hawaii? Check out the
Kohala summit. Bogs make
it tough going but if youre
willing to get a little lost and
totally soaked, the rainforest
is as real Hawaii as it gets.
Folks visit and want to stay.

Life-forms arrive here, take

root, and then change. A
friend of mine says, Were
who we are because of where
we are. I love that. We have
all the mainlands modern
trappings, but Hawaii is different. Its not paradise; the
trials of life can find you here.
Let aloha guide you. Over time
youll find youre different too.

Visitors say
poi tastes
like glue. I
tell them its
the islands
nectar. If you
love Hawaii,
you learn to
love poi.

WHEN IT
RAINS ...
Dont complain.
This is the Big
Island. Weather is a
matter of geographical choices,
and perfect
weather is always
nearby. Too hot?
Go makua (inland).
Too cold? Go makai
(to the sea). RP

M A P : O L I V E R W I N W A R D ; P O R T R A I T: J O N W H I T T L E ; P O I : I S T O C K

A NATURALIST
SHARES HOW
THE ISLAND OF
HAWAII CHANGES
/,)()2506
EVEN YOURS.

Do you have the

App?

With the Islands Magazine app,

you can access all the latest issues and subscribe to Islands.
Search Islands Magazine in the App Store.

ISLANDS 26TH ANNUAL

ENTER BEFORE

APRIL 15
ISL ANDS .COM/
FAC E B O O K

Last years Grand

Prize-winning
image. Taken off
Maui with a GoPro.
See more previous
winners: islands
.com/photocontest

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT. WIN YOUR DREAM TRIP.

Prizes will include: Two tickets to Oahu on Alaska Airlines and four nights at the Aston
Waikiki Beach Hotel Three nights on Little Palm Island (see page 38) The new
Micro HD+ underwater camera from SeaLife And more great travel prizes

ITS EASY TO ENTER!

GO TO: ISLANDS.COM/FACEBOOK
PREMIER PARTNERS

LIFE HERE

Live the Lifethe Life

STRETCHED TO THE MAX

BY DA N I E L A P E T R OVA

Q: But things got better.

A: My husband began work as the as-

Jennie Green teaches fitness classes on a

beach in St. Thomas. Her students wear
outfits she created. This is a happilyever-after chapter. But ask Jennie about
her intro to St. Thomas, when she landed
here nine years ago at age 41, with $500
and a 10-year-old daughter in tow. I was
hoping my husband would arrive soon.

sistant manager of the marina store, and

I got a job that I could do remotely. The
hardest part was finding good friends.
Q: When did it start to feel like home?
A: It helped when I started a beachwear

company [Tryad]. I couldnt find an

outfit for exercising on the beach. Never
did I imagine Id move to the USVI, learn
how to sew and make swimsuits.

Q: So where was your husband?

A: He was waiting out hurricane season

to sail our boat down from New York.

COURTESY JENNIE GREEN

Q: You were living on a boat?

A: My husband lost three jobs in four

years during the dot-com bust. Wed

bottomed out financially. So we swapped
our Brooklyn apartment for a 37-foot
sailboat in New York Harbor.
Q: Howd you wind up on St. Thomas?
A: A dock mate was moving to St.

Thomas to manage a marine store and

Q: Is the ending always happy for expats?

A: Truthfully, the island is limited.

we tagged along. I thought getting out of

New York would eliminate our money
problems. But moving required money.
Then my husband had to leave the boat in
New York and borrow money to fly down.

Entertainment is sparse, and you may not

find edible tomatoes at the store. Many
transplants leave after a few years.

Q: You got him, but lost your home.

A: We rented an apartment. Thats how

Q: But none of that fazed you.

A: After living on a boat for four years,

it began, in two rooms atop a pile of borrowed money overlooking Magens Bay.

we were proficient at the art of adapting.

meet more expats: islands.com/bitlo

More Open Road.

Less Open Wallet.
See more and save more with Thrifty.
Car Rentals / Corporate Plans
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Curacao: ......................+599-9461-3089
Dominican Republic: ......... +809-333-4000
Ecuador: .................... +5932-2-228-688
El Salvador: ..................+503-2263-7799
French Guiana: ...................0590-892803
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Panama: ........................+507-204-9555
Paraguay: .................. (595)-21-5197310
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Puerto Rico: ...................+787-253-2525

St. Barts: .......................... 0590 52 34 06

St. Kitts: .........................+869-465-2991
St. Lucia: .......................+758-451-6150
St. Maarten: ...................+599-545-2393
St. Thomas: ....................+340-776-1500
Tobago: ..........................+868-639-8507
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Worldwide Reservations: 1-800-367-2277 To book online, please visit

FAVO

Z AC H S TOVA L L

OUR

36 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

2015
RESORT
ISSUE

RITE ESCAPES
The spot youre looking at here is only
3 miles from a U.S. highway. Its an escape,
trust us (or turn the page if you dont). So
are an $80-a-night beach cabana in the
Dominican Republic (p. 51) and a shelter with
frozen food to go with the frozen landscape
in the Falklands (p. 75). Our 25 picks prove
that you dont have to y to Tahiti and spend
$4,000 a night on a villa to escape,
but you can if you want (p. 62).
WHERE TO GO
BEST OVER-THE-TOP ESCAPES P. 38 | UNPLUGGED MAUI P. 42
BEST ESCAPES FOR SIMPLICITY P. 48 | INSIDE AN ALL-INCLUSIVE P. 52
BEST ESCAPES FOR AWE P. 62 | BEST ESCAPES FOR FAMILIES P. 66
THE HIDDEN SEYCHELLES P. 68 | AND ONE PRISON ESCAPE P. 76

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 37

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

OUR TOP 5 PICKS

FOR OVER THE TOP

LITTLE
PALM
ISLAND
Florida Keys
Q WHY IT S OVER THE TOP :
Disconnect from the world and
reconnect with yourself, reads
a note in our bungalow, urging
my ance and me to drop off
our cell phones at the welcome
station for the entirety of our
stay. Our thatched-roof, waterfront digs with a bamboo-lined
outdoor shower seem more
betting of the Maldives than
an American archipelago. Not
to mention that the islands
signature drink is named the
Gumby Slumber because it
makes stiffs like me as pliable
as the green clay TV character.
When the Keys endangered
miniature deer take the time to
swim over from neighboring
Big Munson Island to stroll
down the beach and settlee
near the bar, there can be
little doubt about the islands
charms. Lifes encumbrances
are nowhere in sight. Though
I still cant believe being this
far removed is possible when
my car is parked less than 3
nautical miles away. littlepalm
island.com Zach Stovall

38 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

Z AC H S TOVA L L

$690+

Florida
Keys

THE DRIVE TO
Driving the Overseas Highway
above Caribbean-hued water is
Americas most colorful interisland road trip. From Miami its
three hours through Key lime
pie territory till you reach Little
Torch Key at mile marker 28.5.

AT THE FERRY DOCK

Trade your car keys and
overnight bag for a rummy
Gumby Slumber, and slip into
a Zac Brown Band song on the
outdoor patio. Disconnecting
begins here. Theres no rush to
board: The boat leaves hourly.

THE RIDE OVER

Youll spend only 15 minutes
aboard The Truman, an elegant
1930s replica wooden motor
yacht nely polished for a rst
lady, or your only lady. And
yep, the resort has hosted
presidents, and celebrities.

FIRST IMPRESSION
The only reminder youre still in
America: the waving Stars and
Stripes above a ve-acre jungle
paradise, where thatched bungalows hide amid thick palm
fronds, and prehistoric-looking
birds guard the beach.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 39

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

SONG SAA RESORT Cambodia, $1,117+

C A Y O E S P A N T O : L O R I B A R B E LY

QWHY IT S OVER THE TOP : This villas innity pool is merely a toe dip. Ive just been handed a scuba breathing
regulator, and Im not going diving, nor am I a certied diver. For the underwater meditation experience at Song
Saa Private Island resort, it doesnt matter. I sit on the seaoor under 3 feet of water, wearing a weighted vest. Stars
sparkle overhead, visible through the waters surface. The moon shines over the mountains of Cambodias Koh Rong
archipelago. A voice guides me through a breathing sequence via ear buds. Surreal relaxation, and this is just one of
the resorts wellness offerings. Private beach picnics, Khmer cooking classes, rainforest encounters, monk blessings
theyre all on tap. QHOW I LANDED HERE : A 45-minute ight from Siem Reap landed me in Sihanoukville, where a
speedboat awaited for the hour-long ride to Song Saa (champagne ows throughout). songsaa.com Holly Kapherr

40 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

3
NAMALE RESORT
Fiji, $989+
QWHY IT S OVER THE TOP : It
never occurred to me that a
villa atop a palm-treed paradise would change our lives.
But it is tugging hard at my
wifes heart mine too. The
pull happens in our plunge pool
overlooking a coral reef, glass
of shiraz in hand. It pulls just as
hard when we leave the villa
for a private picnic at a nearby
waterfall. When the romance
continues as we play like kids
in the resorts Kava Bowl (its a
game room), I realize a deeper
force is also coming into play.
Maybe I sold the resort short.
Because it sure seems to be
changing our lives.
QHOW I LANDED HERE: After an 11hour ight from Los Angeles
to Nadi, its a half-hour ight
to Savusavu, and a 10-minute
taxi to Namale. namaleji.com
Jad Davenport

up your towels to save laundry

soap, and the planet. Yesterday
the resort biologists had me
planting live coral colonies at
sea. Today Im going to swim
with a giant manta friend, just
outside the door to my villa.
QHOW I LANDED HERE : From the
Maldivian capital of Male, its a
30-minute seaplane ight over
stunning Indian Ocean water.
fourseasons.com JD

5
CAYO ESPANTO
Belize, $1,695+
QWHY IT S OVER THE TOP : I like
the older movie stars, says
my masseuse at this extremely
private island resort in northern Belize. She shines up my
shoulders with peppermintinfused eucalyptus oil and
adds, Theyre more relaxed.
I cant get anybody to name
names on the tiny cay, but a
houseman keeps referring to
Casa Aurora, my villa, as Mr.
Connerys room. The rest is

LANDAA GIRAAVARU
FOUR SEASONS
Maldives, $1,550+
QWHY IT S OVER THE TOP : The
phone rings in my room. I know
what it means. A manta ray
has shown up in the snorkeling
garden of Landaa Giraavaru
(Ive signed up for the mantaon-call program). Theres no
reason for decorative sh tanks,
not in the heart of a far-ung
atoll in a UNESCO World
Biosphere Reserve. This isnt a
place where you simply hang

left to imagination. I wonder

if the shoulders of the stars
smelled like mint too.
QHOW I LANDED HERE : Its 19
minutes by helicopter from Belize City. aprivateisland.com JD

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 41

UNPLUG
MAUI
MAUI IS MANY THINGS,
BUT ON ITS QUIETEST
COASTLINE THERE IS
SOMETHING MOST VISITS
LACK: PURE ALOHA.
STORY BY MICHAEL BEHAR
PHOTOS BY ZACH STOVALL

42 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

GED
Red Sand Beach
near Hana, Maui

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 43

or more than three decades my parents

have wintered on Maui. In that time
they have witnessed their once tiny community of Kaanapali transform. Traffic
lights, strip malls, construction what
surrounds them today isnt what originally brought
them to the island. And it isnt what attracted my
wife, son and me here for a two-week visit.
Dad, lets go to Hana, I suggest on day 10.
Your mom gets carsick.
I turn to Mom.
No, thanks, she says. Were ne here.
She knows about the 620 switchback curves
and 46 single-lane bridges. The Road to Hana, a

Travaasa offers quiet cottages

and coastline classes. In this
case, throw-net shing with
Andrew Park, a Hana local.

three-hour stomach-churning drive that separates

Mauis tourism boom from its empty beaches, is just
too daunting for my folks. So my wife, son and I depart,
opting to travel bare-bones, packing little more than
toothbrushes, bathing suits and cellphones.
THE CELLPHONE Would you like me to check that in?
Jonnie, a receptionist at Travaasa Resort in Hana, is
pointing to my wifes phone. Ashley is an attorney.
Her cellphone might as well be epoxied to her hand.
Check it in? The proposal smacks of an amputation.
We call it cellphone baby-sitting, Jonnie explains.
Ashley looks pale. Weve just spent six hours on
the Road to Hana with Simon, our 3-year-old. We

stopped at every waterfall, 18 named, countless

unnamed, and he kept begging for more. But now
that weve arrived at Travaasa, Simons patience is
fading. Ashley is holding up check-in.
If you leave your phone with us, well answer it
when it rings, Jonnie tells her. Well take a message.
Do guests really do this? Ashley asks.
Absolutely, she says, pointing to a shelf cluttered
with smartphones. Well get you if its important.
Ten minutes later, Simon and a cellphone-free
Ashley have crashed out on the king-size bed in our
ocean-view cottage. For the rst time since we arrived
on Maui 10 days ago, we can hear Hawaii. The only
sound: mynah birds squawking somewhere far away.

WHAT TO BRING
; Toothbrush
Necessary after
smoothie-making
classes. Travaasas
locally sourced
fruits are good for
your body, but their
acid isnt any better
for your teeth.
; Undershorts
Wet baggies and
beach walks are a
recipe for rashes
especially keeping
up with Andrew
Park. Nylon undershorts keep the
glide in your stride.
; Denim
Hawaiis cowboys
(paniolos) predate
their mainland
counterparts.
Joining one for a
horseback ride
doesnt require riding experience, but
youll want jeans.
WHAT TO DO
Soar
Helicopter tours
on Maui are old hat.
Hopping in a glider
ying up and over
Haleakala is not.
Travaasa offers it.
Strum
Pluck each ukuleles
string from the top
down and youve
learned My Dog
Has Fleas. Lessons
start at 10:30 a.m.
daily. Imagine what
youll play by 10:35.
Sew
Leis can be strung
with a needle, or
braided or twisted.
But in a lei-making
class, the lesson is
not in the making,
but in the giving.

THE LESSON Im belly-deep in the Pacific Ocean

wearing the only pair of board shorts I brought to

Maui. A 10-foot-wide nylon throw-net is wrapped
around my torso, and Im uneasy. Head-high swells
have been rolling into Hana Bay every few minutes.
Id be a sitting duck for a rogue wave if it werent for
the man standing next to me.
Turn perpendicular to the surf.
Andrew Park, 51, is my human breakwater: 5-foot11 and 270 pounds. He is a master throw-net sherman and the activities director for Travaasa, which
bills itself as an experiential resort.
Fling the net like youre tossing a Frisbee and
put your weight into it! Andrew instructs me.
I do so, expecting the net to splash down in a tangled heap. Instead it unfurls in a near-perfect circle.
Good, says Andrew. He points to a gap between
coral heads where glints of moi (Pacic threadn)
dart through the shallows. Now throw there.
Getting schooled by Andrew here in Hana (population 1,235) feels like going to Wharton to get an MBA.
Travaasas cultural courses include ukulele playing,
hula dancing, lei making and surng. All are taught by
Hawaiians who share a Hana lineage. Andrews family
has resided in Hana for seven generations.
We stand in the shallows, throwing and bundling
our nets, utilizing life-sustaining techniques rened
to their essentials and passed down over centuries.
Andrew promises me hell grill whatever I catch
today. Im determined to make good on the offer. My
only distraction is a wish that wed come to Travaasa
sooner. Perhaps I wouldve packed more board shorts.
There they are again! Moi, just a few feet away. I
toss my net true. Andrew is smiling. So am I. Forget
the board shorts. Everything Id ever need is with me.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 45

Bridges on the Road to Hana

date back to 1910. Travaasa
Resorts offerings are more
modern, but the propertys ties
to Hana span centuries.

THE KID Where are the toys? Simon asked us this

question the rst morning he woke up at Travaasa.

We didnt pack any toys. So we told him and held
our breaths. Ever since, Ive been holding his hand,
leading him to a new friend.
Lets go find Andrew, demands Simon. Their
friendship began when Andrew gave Simon the green
light to set halved coconut shells adrift in the hotel pool.
In that moment, my fears about Simon whose
manic energy prompted a friend to describe him as
a dwarf on LSD disappeared.
I have Andrew to thank for this. Since we have
arrived, he has been indulging Simons obsession with
Hawaiian ora, even helping him invent games with
seeds from the pods of African tulips.
Today, Simon and I nd Andrew leading a class on
how to properly choose ripe coconuts, husk them on
a pickax blade, extract natural cotton candy from
the esh, and fashion the dried shells into various
functional objects, including drinking mugs, candle
holders and a puniu a Hawaiian knee drum.
All of that is impressive. But my eyes are xed on
Simon. Watching him sit calmly listening to Andrews
120-minute coconut brain-dump is enough to make
me want to remain at Travaasa forever.
THE ROOTS Folks born in Hana stay in Hana. Thats

an easy conclusion when strolling Travaasas grounds

with Danny Mynar, Travaasas general manager.
My grandma was in housekeeping. My mom
bartended here for 30 years. My grandpa was the
gardener. My stepdad still works here.
He adds that of the resorts 84 employees, 90
percent are locals, nearly all with kin who toiled in
the sugar-cane elds that once ringed Hana, where
Hawaiis rst plantation was established in 1849.
Its easy to imagine Hana back then amid Travaasas
quaint cottages and suites (70 total). The propertys
landscaping blends seamlessly with the rainforest
that girdles the slopes of the adjacent Haleakala
volcano. The scent of plumeria in full bloom
permeates the damp air.
A squall rumbles in, and with it a stiff wind that
makes the palm trees dance. Danny and I part ways.
On my way back to our cottage, I bump into Andrew,
watching the palms sway from under an awning. He
points to a string of palms and tells me he has had to
scale every one of them 222 at last count.
I ran the landscaping here for 20 years, he says.
When I was a kid, Id surf all day and get hungry, so Id
climb palm trees to get the coconuts. I had to ght off
the rats and centipedes that lived up there.

HER LAW PARTNERS TAKE XANAX

IF AN EMAIL GOES UNANSWERED
FOR 10 SECONDS. ASHLEY HASNT
TOUCHED HER CELLPHONE
FOR THREE DAYS.

Kaanapali
Kahului

MAUI

Hana
Highway

Hana

He was also a lifeguard and a dishwasher for the

resort. And, no surprise, Andrew is related to several co-workers. His uncle, now retired, did grounds
maintenance beginning in 1947, the year Hotel
Hana-Maui, Travaasas predecessor, opened.
See that banyan tree? says Andrew, pointing to a
30-foot-tall goliath. My uncle planted it.
Of course he did.

IF YOURE CURIOUS

Taking on the drive

to Hana is a tall
order. But its also
what keeps Hana
pure. And for those
who make a day of
the drive by stopping at waterfalls,
its pure fun. But
there are options to
avoid the road trip
entirely (see below).
IF YOURE SERIOUS

The three-hour
drive from Kahului
to Hana is just a
20-minute ight.
Yep, 20 minutes.
And guests of
Travaasa who stay
for more than
three nights can
y for free.

THE RESULT God help Ashleys law partners back in

Colorado. They start gulping Xanax if an email goes
unanswered for 10 seconds. Ashley hasnt touched
her cellphone for three days.
Pass me the pineapple.
I hand her a pineapple. Her palms are dry. Her face
is relaxed. She exhibits no signs of cellphone withdrawal during this smoothie lesson held poolside.
In fact, its me thats beginning to sweat. Today
well make our way back to my parents place in
bustling Kaanapali. The traffic, the construction,
the noise all of it looms. So does the thought
of retrieving our big suitcases, full of items we
thought wed need for a trip to Maui. In Hana, and at
Travaasa, weve needed none of those things. And of
all the things weve learned, thats easily the greatest
lesson. From $350 per night. travaasa.com
10 must-dos on maui: islands.com/top10maui

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 47

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

OUR TOP 5 PICKS

FOR SIMPLICITY

CANEEL BAY
St. John (USVI)

$459+

Q WHY IT S SIMPLE : The concierge at Caneel Bay Resort, like most people
on St. John, is speaking plain English. But his offer to help me get up early
tomorrow morning doesnt make sense. One of his words throws me.
Would I like a wake-up what? I ask as he walks me to a waterfront room.
Would you like a wake-up knock, he repeats matter-of-factly.
After I take a look around, his words start to register. In a place so very
connected to its pristine national-park surroundings, anything but a gentle
morning tap on the door would create the unthinkable: noise.
Caneel Bay was founded in 1956 by one of the pioneers of ecotourism,
Laurance Rockefeller. In keeping with the resorts unplugged pedigree, Ive
ditched my mobile device. With it went any chance of waking up on my own
to snorkel the reefs near Honeymoon Beach one of seven slices of sugarwhite sand on the sprawling 170-acre property. Rooms at the low-key luxe
resort have no television, alarm clock or hard-wired phone. The concierge has
a solution, and it sounds like a smart one. caneelbay.com David LaHuta

48 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

The resort hides inside the

Virgin Islands National Park, as
do deer and donkeys that tend
to show up out of nowhere.

St. John

THE FLIGHT TO ST. JOHN

There are no airports on St.
John, so you take a nonstop
ight to St. Thomas from one
of seven U.S. cities. When you
see cruise ships in the harbor,
youll be glad that your itinerary
is about to take you far away.

AT THE AIRPORT
After downing a few Cruzan
rum samples, claim your bags
at the open-air carousel and
take them to the resorts airport lounge. This is where you
check in, and it might be the
last time you use your phone.

THE ROUTE TO CANEEL BAY

A 10-minute taxi ride takes you
to a private ferry on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront. Sit on
the sun-splashed deck, grab
a rum punch and enjoy views
of the other Virgin Islands
(belonging to the British).

FIRST IMPRESSION
Its almost impossible
to look away from the turquoise Caribbean and its white
sand. But entering Caneel offers a distraction: the welcome
gift of a cool lavender-scented
towel for the face.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 49

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

Riviera Maya
$785+

Q WHY IT S SIMPLE : Who would dare describe Cancun as peaceful? I

would, from this 29-room hideaway nestled within a jungle sanctuary. Crisp, all-white rooms include private plunge pools. Empty
beaches include clairvoyant service. Even the ceviche is customized
to each guests personal tastes. All this, and I still feel like somethings missing. Perhaps its that I have yet to see another guest or
hear a single thump from a discotheque. Or that my worries melted
off me during the Maya sweat-lodge experience (the temazcal)
I had earlier. All thats left is to bask in the basics beach, sleep,
eat and ponder visiting the Maya ruins of Tulum, just a half-hour
away. The thought of leaving Esencias 50-acre estate doesnt go
far. Ill see Tulum tomorrow ... maybe. Q H O W I LAN D ED H ERE : From
the entrance, a golf cart whisked me to my room deep within a
garden. The rst thing I noticed was the silence. Then a question:
This is Cancun? hotelesencia.com Cami Webb

LOS GRINGOS: JON WHITTLE

ESENCIA
CANCUN

5
BOARDWALK
SMALL HOTEL
Aruba, $185+

3
YEMAYA ISLAND
Little Corn Island,
Nicaragua, $400+
Q WHY IT S SIMPLE : Cabanas
on a palm-shaded beach, an
open-air exercise studio, fresh
tropical fruit its a recipe
for bliss, no need to stir. The
island, just 1 square mile, has
no cars and no roads to drive
them on. There are footpaths
and thriving coral. Meditation
sessions, daily yoga classes
and the use of snorkeling
equipment are as free as the
sea breezes. Too simple? Its a
half-hour walk to the downtown side of the island for a
slice at Mangos Pizza. Q H O W I
LANDED HERE : We got soaked,
passengers say after the open
panga-ferry ride from Great
Corn Island. Wear a raincoat,
even if its sunny. littlecorn
hotel.com Matthew Miller

afternoon eating snapper and

nding conch shells in the surf.
The restaurants chef, Patrick
Verleije, asks if we want to stay.
For dinner? I ask.
Overnight, he says, pointing to a cabana sitting in the
sand as if it washed up under
a pile of thatch. For the past
three days weve been spoiled
in a hilltop villa, with massages
and appetizers on the veranda.
So as we stand in this little
cabana, my wifes words cling
to the humid air: This is exactly
what I imagine when I think of
staying in the Caribbean.
Q H O W WE LAN D ED H ERE : The
turn off Highway 5 to Playa
Magante seems wrong. Through
overgrowth and over potholes.
Pay dirt is in the form of a sand
parking area and the smell
of broiling sh. losgringos
dr.com Robert Stephens

QWH Y IT S S IM P LE : My quiet
place is away from the crowd
of festive jet-setters who have
arrived at the beachfront bar in
front of Arubas sprawl of highrise resorts. I nish my drink
and follow a path to the threshold of Arubas untouched north,
crossing a road and returning
to my casita at Boardwalk Small
Hotel, one block from the
beach. So peaceful.
In my casita I reach into a
wooden treasure box. These
boxes are found in all the
casitas, and theyre stuffed
with suggestion cards written
by the hotel staff and previous
guests. One card guided me
to a paddle-board excursion
into mangrove-lined waters.
Another led me to a seafood
shack and a beach no one else
seemed to know about. This
card says: Walk to the docks
and buy fresh snapper for your
patios barbecue.
I put the card down and
write my own tip for the box:
Lie in the hammock outside
until the moon is visible
through the rainforest canopy.
And then I go outside and follow my own suggestion.
Q H O W I LAN D ED H ERE : Drive
15 minutes north from the
airport toward resort row
on Palm Beach in Oranjestad.
Boardwalk Small Hotel isnt
on the beach, and thats a
good thing for anyone looking
for a real quiet time. boardwalk
aruba.com Noah Lederman

4
LOS GRINGOS
Dominican Republic, $80+

Local herbs provide a special

touch in Esencias kitchen
(top left) and in the spa.

QWHY IT S SIMPLE : An expat

told my wife and me to come
to Los Gringos for lunch. Best
food on the north shore,
he said. So we spend the

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 51

TO FIND THE REAL SECRETS BEHIND THE ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPER

52 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

IENCE, WE GO WHERE NO GUEST WANTS TO GO: TO WORK.

In four hours there will be

180 people at this pool. For
now its just Errol (page 58).

S TO RY BY R O B E R T S T E P H E N S P H OTO S BY M AT T D U T I L E

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 53

< AINSLEY

BUTLER SUPERVISOR

and a hunger to nd out what its like on this side, the

serving side, of the all-inclusive experience.
As I slide my dirty tray over to the dishwashing
team, I take another long look at one of the many
mottos on the walls behind the scenes: Watch your
attitude. Its the rst thing people notice about you.

he busiest restaurant at the Sandals Resort in

Whitehouse, Jamaica, is nowhere in sight. To
get there I have to pass the crowds at Giuseppes,
Jasmines and Eleanors, and nd a foot-worn
path that none of the resorts 720 guests will
ever notice. At the end of that path is a humid cafeteria with small windows near the ceiling desperately
directing air in and out. The place is called Nyammings,
slang for eat, and eat is just what the resorts 650
employees, or team members, do here in privacy.
Todays special is a Nyammings exclusive: rice and cow
heel. Team members are eating, resting and occasionally looking up at the guy who must be lost: me.
Understand, resort guests have eight places to dine,
and Nyammings isnt one of them. And lets just
state the obvious: The tall white guy sure looks like
a guest. But for the next four days Im crossing the
line. I am at Sandals to work. Six uniforms, six jobs

A landscaping job
during the construction of Sandals
Whitehouse led to
an interview with
the resort manager
in 2005. He saw I
was easygoing and
asked if Id heard
of butler service. It
wasnt what I had in
mind, but jobs were
scarce. This one
changed my life.

ima butler. no, that is not a typo. it was the

maiden name of my dads mother. My family always
thought it was so unique. Ima Butler. Little did I SAREIKA
know that one day (today), I would make an effort CONCIERGE HOSTESS
to live out grandmammas name: Im a butler.
My supervisor, Ainsley, is all business when I meet
him in uniform at 9 a.m. Hes phoning in an order for
papaya and champagne that he will pick up for a guest
in exactly one hour. Ainsley gives me a visual MRI.
Wheres your belt? he asks softly.
Funny story, I meant to bring one
Worked in her
grandmothers
Whats that, a bracelet? he asks.
restaurant while
Oh, yeah. My daughter made it for me.
growing up. She
Put it away. And lose the bow tie. Its too hot.
greets new arrivals. Long travel
Its going pretty well so far.
days
can make
Like most Jamaicans, Ainsley speaks in rst gear.
people grumpy.
He has no crease in his brow or anxiety in his step. But But I learned from
I do notice that while he instructs me, hes constantly grandma that the
looking around. Never say yes maam or yes sir. We guest is always right.
Theres no one here
want the guest to relax. Its most denitely or cer- to ght with.
tainly. And there is no such thing as a problem. There
MR. MILLER
are only opportunities to make things better.
GENERAL MANAGER
No problem. They are the most common words Grew up in Kingsspoken in Jamaica, and at a venue where people ton learning hard
work from his mom
from around the world will complain about waiting (catering) and dad
for their beach umbrellas to be raised, the best way (farming). No one
can fake a smile
to keep ones cool is to say it out loud: No problem.
every day. We hire
Ainsley pulls out a lighter. You have a re starter? attitude and train
skill. My grandThats a problem. It must be next to my belt.
mother taught me
A bottle opener?
a proverb that I
Ima Terrible Butler.
think about often:
Real butlers go through 2 months of training. A gentle word
turns away wrath.
Im trying to get this in four hours.
Very important, says Ainsley, who was looking for
a landscaping position in 2005 and wound up almost
as surprised to be a butler as I am. We want maximum contact, minimum intrusion with the guest.
Can you be more specic? I ask.
Oh, yes. Yes, he can. OK, for example, this

IT MUST BE OBVIOUS I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING BECAUSE THE

HUSBAND ASKS, ALMOST OUT OF SYMPATHY, DO YOU WORK HERE?
54 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

Butler is a coveted
job because tips are
openly accepted. It
isnt what you think,
though. Were like
swans, one butler
says. On the surface we glide, but
underneath were in
constant motion.

SHANICE

>

PASTRY SPECIALIST

morning I know that you walked from the tness

center to the coffee shop. You carried two cups of
coffee out. You talked with Errol at the side of the
pool. And then you went back to your room.
My smile is now held in place by nerves. I dumped
one cup of coffee in the grass. I might have picked my
ear too. Ainsley knows everything.
His phone vibrates. One of his guests wants a haircut. Its Sunday. Ainsley calls his personal barber and
asks him to open his shop in the village as a favor, then
turns me over to shadow another butler, Damion.
Ainsley is gone before I can ask: Who goes on vacation and asks a butler for a haircut?
I follow Damion up three ights of stairs for a better view. I love this part of the job, he says. From up
high we can turn and look in the general direction of
Whitehouse, where typical wages are $50 to $90 a
week. Or we can face the beach and see two of Damions
guests in the distance. He can tell their drinks are half
empty, and from the color he knows theyre dirty
bananas. Five minutes later were delivering another
round of dirty bananas to the surprised couple.

Helps her father at

the familys farm
store on her days
off from Caf de
Paris. The proximity
of the pastry shop
to the resorts giant
pool bar makes this
the busiest place
on the property at
midday. We know
how to have fun
instead of getting
ustered. It isnt in
our blood.

DAMION
BUTLER

When he wasnt
shing or milking
cows growing up,
he was learning
how to host feasts
with 40 or more
people at his aunts
home. When I rst
meet a guest, Im
looking for a scar
or a tattoo or any
permanent physical
characteristic, so I
always remember
their name.
KARALEE
ENTERTAINMENT

Was hired when

she came to the
resort as part of
a visiting dance
troupe. Home is 90
minutes away, so
she lives in housing
on site thats set up
for team members
who work split
shifts. The most
challenging time
is right after lunch,
when were trying
to get guests into
activities, away
from the pool bar.

Theyll be occupied for a little while, says Damion.

Which means we have time to go to their room and
shape their bath towels into dogs. I found out they
have a dog at home, and they miss her.
Maximum contact. Minimum intrusion.
You were made to be a butler, I say to Damion.
Actually, he says, I started in pastry. I worked
there for two days before this job came up.
At the end of my shift, not quite red and denitely
not hired, Damion asks where Im headed next. I look
at my schedule. Caf de Paris, I say. The pastry shop.
every so often i wake up from a dream where
Ive shown up to work in my underwear. A stress
dream, my wife calls it. The moment I walk into Caf
de Paris, I feel like Ive forgotten my pants.
A midday crowd has formed in front of a display
case of individually portioned pecan rolls, blueberry
cheesecakes ... a buffet of buzzes. The cafe serves 500
plates a day, more than any restaurant on the property (not counting Nyammings) because dont we all
crave sweet snacks after spending six hours drinking
at the pool, especially when theyre free?
Denese, one of the young ladies maintaining control behind the counter, motions me over to a hot
circular griddle. Have you ever made a crepe?
Let me think. No. In the audience of four hungry
resort guests, Denese gives me a two-minute lesson
on ladling, massaging, ipping, lling and
Excuse me, could we get two Italian coffees?
A lady and her husband are looking at me. It must
be obvious that Im no more versed in Italian coffee than I am in crepe making, because the husband,
almost out of sympathy, asks, Do you work here?
During this humbling exchange, Denese has nished the crepe and now she has horric news. My
shift is over. The stress dream begins. I stand behind
the crepe machine to hide my groin.
For the next four hours sunburned guests ask for
more than they should (really, two cheesecakes and
three chocolate puff pastries?) and order ice-cream
drinks that sound like LinkedIn contacts youll never
actually meet (Alexander Freeze).
The pastry kitchen team of 13 will go through
120 pounds of sugar and nearly 200 pounds of our
today. When I ask my new teammate, Shanice, if she
can take any leftovers home, she shakes her head as if
Ive asked whether we can eat off our shoes.
We can eat in the back, away from the guests.
But everything thats left goes into containers. She
means the garbage. I dont like to see food thrown
away, but I love to make people happy.

THE MINUTE I WALK INTO THE CAFE, I FEEL LIKE IVE FORGOTTEN MY PANTS.
FOUR UNHAPPY AND HUNGRY PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR CREPES.

Four unhappy and hungry people are waiting for

crepes. A lady from Ukraine studies my technique and
looks up at my name tag. Have you ever done this?
Ive been doing this since 3 oclock, I say.
Any hint of humor is lost in a light smoke lling
the shop. Its coming from the griddle. My crepe. I
use a long spatula to pull the blackened dough off the

griddle and hold it at arms length like a dirty diaper.

Then comes the walk of shame. Around the display
case. Past the guests. To the trash. Feeling very naked.
im running late for work. not that anyone
will notice. The man raking the beach at sunrise it
has to be the loneliest job at the resort. By the time I

More than 10,000

eggs and 600
pounds of melon
hit the loading dock
weekly. About 1,000
pounds of our
go to the pastry
kitchen. Leftovers
nd a special place.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 57

The beach has to

be manicured and
rid of sand ies
by 9 a.m., when
guests claim their
territory. The main
pool (until recently
the biggest one in
Jamaica) will need
600 towels neatly
rolled and stacked
so they can be
yanked back out.

THE NEED IS SO GREAT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IT CAN BE PARALYZING.

WE HAVE TO SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP.
< ERROL

POOL MAN

Never knew his

father growing
up and wants to
provide for his wife
and three daughters. He wakes up
every morning at
3:30 to get to work
and clean the pool
(and has never been
late in nine years).
The pool is like a
plant. It needs to be
nurtured with TLC.

SHAMONEY
BARTENDER

The job came at a

great time in her
life. Five years ago,
at 17, she had to
start taking care
of her brother
and two sisters.
Working here has
allowed me to
provide for them
and to set a good
example in a tough
family situation.
O.B.
WATER-SPORTS MANAGER

Started at another
Sandals property
raking the sand,
where he once saw
a beached whale.
He now coordinates an average
of 60 snorkeling
guests and 60 dive
guests daily. Know
what? I still like to
pick up the rake
when its quiet.

arrive down near the ocean, my trainer, Dwayne, has

been beautifying the sand for two hours.
Its the best time of the day, he says.
It will stay this way, quiet, until 9 a.m., when all
of Dwaynes turf has to be as perfect as a vacuumed
rug. And then it will be trampled.
Im not sure I get this, Dwayne, I say. Truthfully,
I can think of few places where Id rather be than in
the shade of sea-grape trees, 10 feet from the sleepy
Caribbean Sea. But still, raking sand?
We want it to look nice, he says. But its also the
sand ies. Their larvae are under the surface. We rake
them to the top so the sun will bake them away.
Some of the guests will get baked too. And thats
when the most serene job at Sandals has its moments,
after the bars open. Alcohol can change people,
Dwayne says, calm as the surf. But its no problem.
We dig holes to bury the leaves and seaweed. Rake
and dig. Rake and dig. Im not sure how much time has
passed when I hear a voice coming from the walkway.
Mr. Miller wants to see you. Uh-oh. Courtney
Miller. The general manager. My boss.
honest, i didnt take any leftovers from the
cafe. And even though my alarm didnt go off, I
made it to the beach on time. It turns out Mr. Miller
doesnt want to re me, yet. He wants to make sure
I understand a few things about where Im working.
What you see here? At the resort? It is natural for
us. Serving. It is what we do in our homes in Jamaica.
I mention how hard it is to make sense of that
when the only thing standing between indulgence
and poverty is a long entrance drive.
Sometimes its hard, Mr. Miller says. The need
is so great in the community, it can be paralyzing. We
have to see it as an opportunity to help.
Courtneys heart is as soft as his voice. Ive heard
stories of his personal giving in Whitehouse, so much
so that hes sometimes referred to as the mayor.
There are letters on my desk from people asking
for jobs or help. We do all that we can possibly do.
One last question. What do I need to work on?
Mr. Miller looks at me. Your Jamaican accent.
true story. a lady walks up to neptunes bar.
Orders a mojito. Watches the new bartender look for
mint or a glass or anything related to mojito making.

Are you from here? she asks.

Everyone at the bar is privately asking the same
thing. Ive been seeing it in faces all week. Is he from
here? Does he really work here? Its OK. The quizzical responses are due to my not being Jamaican (more
than 95 percent of the team is hired from the area)
and not being competent (whats a Jamaican Smile?).
So while my bar supervisor, Shamoney, balances a
stack of 40 cups on her nose for entertainment, Im
drawing nothing but foam into a beer glass.
Its a mystery to me how Shamoney keeps her cool.
Guests at the resort consume 130 kegs of Red Stripe
and 200 bottles of Appletons Rum every week. And
there she is, walking around the bar with a bottle on
her head and mixing icebergs and coconut kisses.
This job changed my life, she says while we prepare 30 rosemary gin zzes in back of the bar. I have

Montego Bay

JAMAICA

Whitehouse

THE REAL WHITEHOUSE

Kingston

to keep my cool, and my job, so I can provide for my

Whitehouse is still a
sleepy shing village,
but now it has other
career options.

siblings. My boss believes in me. Im taking leaderThe settlement

of Whitehouse
ship training classes so I can be a manager someday.
is an hour south
A guy from Ohio calls out for something special.
of Montego Bay,
Shamoney
looks at me. You do it. I believe in you.
with a population
of about 4,000.
With that I start speaking uent Jamaican. No
Because Sandals
problem.
I draw Red Stripe into a glass, no foam, and
does not hire from
slide it over. Its called Bubbly Jamaican Honey.
abroad (except for
certain chefs), the
Shamoney still has to guide me through the mixteam is virtually all
ing
of Miami Vices and Bob Marleys, but Im taking
Jamaican. Sandals,
founded in Jamaica, the advice that Mr. Miller gave earlier when I asked,
is the largest
How do you make 720 people feel special?
private employer
One at a time, he said.
in the Caribbean
(more than 13,000
team members).
the picnic basket feels pretty good in my hand.
< KENOI

JUNIOR CONCIERGE

Only 22 years old,

he has worked here
for four years and
is paying his way
through pharmaceutical school. I
have to work harder
because I dont
want a student loan.
My mother had it
tough. When I get
married, I want to
be debt-free, and
to have a better
situation for my
wife and kids.

THE NEXT TEAM

Funds donated by
guests at checkout
have helped build or
improve nine area
schools and clothe
the kids. Every
Thursday, guests
have an opportunity
to take a ride into
the community with
school supplies. The
trip usually includes
loud singing and
ends with louder
soccer games.

Much more stable than the silver platter I carried

around during butler duty (by the way, champagne
makes a stain when it spills onto the sidewalk). On this
night Im a concierge. Its one step down from butler
service, so Ive had a little training. When I take bottled
waters to one room, the man and wife are grateful, curious, and not entirely satised. Actually, we wanted ice.
Certainly, I say. Please accept the water as well.
On the boardwalk a couple from Quebec asks if I
know where they might nd some chocolate. Most
denitely. Caf de Paris is that direction. You can get
Nutella in your crepe. Dont overdo it, though.
Thats one problem I cant overlook at an allinclusive: waste. The endless breakfast buffets. The
never-ending fruit tarts. Whatever goes uneaten
will go down the corridor past Nyammings, across
the loading dock where 3,000 pounds of chicken and
900 pounds of pineapple will arrive this week, and
land behind a wall with the most appropriate motto
of all painted on it (Give the customer more than he
or she expects), at the feet of Robert Carpenter.
The resort saved my business, Robert tells me
during a break on the Venetian Plaza. Hes a pig
farmer. When the price of feed went from $276 a bag
to $1,500 in nine years, all but one of Roberts friends
had to give up their farms. He thought of getting out
too, until Sandals offered its leftovers.
My pigs arent picky, Robert says. Pecan rolls, cow

heels, burnt crepes. Four times a week, 200 pounds a

load. The resort saves on disposal costs, and Robert
has the best-fed pigs in the Caribbean. Its been a
blessing. I can now stretch out my hands to the community and give meat to friends in need.
A problem recycled into an opportunity.
a day off. for the first time all week i pull on
a swimsuit. Its early. Guests havent yet struggled to
their feet. I say hello to Errol cleaning the pool and
to Veron, one of 28 landscapers on staff, and continue toward the ocean, pausing to drape a towel
over a beach chair. Leaning against a nearby lifeguard stand, in total solitude, is a rake. I cant help
myself. This is an opportunity too good to waste.
best family all-incs: islands.com/beaches20

ONE PROBLEM I CANT OVERLOOK IS THE WASTE. LEFTOVERS

LAND BEHIND A WALL AT THE FEET OF ROBERT CARPENTER.
FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 61

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

OUR TOP
5 PICKS
FOR AWE

THE BRANDO
Tetiaroa

$4,000+

Q WHY IT S AWE - INSPIRING : No overwater bungalows? How could Tahitis newest privateisland resort be awe-inspiring without them? Perhaps Marlon Brando knew better. Privacy
and preservation were so paramount to him that he banned overwater bungalows here
on Tetiaroa, a 12-island atoll he fell for in 1960 while lming Mutiny on the Bounty. By 1967,
hed purchased the atoll for $270,000. On a boat tour of the islands lagoon, I applaud
his decision. The resorts 35 villas leave virtually no footprint drawing energy from solar,
biofuel and seawater seawater Im standing in right now. Sharks dart harmlessly around me
in the shallows of a lemon-shark nursery. My boat driver suggests I try something the Brando
family still loves to do, even today. Im told to scoop handfuls of clay from beneath the sand
and spread it over my skin to make it softer. He tells me that long before the Brando resort,
Tetiaroa was the summer home of Tahitian royalty. I look at the motus around us, untouched
for centuries. Pure Tahiti. On the boat ride back, I can barely spot my villa behind palm
trees. Overwater bungalows? This might be better. thebrando.com Lori Barbely

62 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

AT THE AIRPORT
Air Tetiaroa, the islands private
airline, has its own terminal at
Tahitis international airport.
Perks include arriving at the airport a mere 30 minutes before
my ight, no security line and
free snacks in the waiting area
no day-old sandwiches!

THE INTERISLAND FLIGHT

The 20-minute ight to
Tetiaroa is uneventful until the
atoll appears in front of our
eight-seat plane. Twelve palmtree-dotted motus ring a lagoon
that has more shades of blue
than painter Bob Ross would
know what to do with.

THE ROAD TO THE BRANDO

After a welcoming Tahitian
serenade at the airstrip, a golf
cart ride reveals a rare sign of
infrastructure on the island. My
driver has to stop and point
it out to me. Its the islands
cell tower, disguised as, you
guessed it, a palm tree.

FIRST IMPRESSION
This is my favorite moment, the
concierge says as he opens my
villa. Hes there to catch my jaw
before it hits the oor. Something sits between me and the
ocean, but Im not complaining.
Its my plunge pool thats
obscuring the view.
Tetiaroa
20 min.

Papeete

L O R I B A R B E LY

TAHITI

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 63

2
IVERLOCHY CASTLE
Scotland, $600+
Q WHY IT S AWE - INSPIRING :
Theres no door. Im in the
great hall of this imposing
retreat in the Scottish Highlands, trying to gure out how
to get into the library for dinner. The hostess feels around
near an oil painting. Click. The
wall opens to the glow of a
roaring re and a table set
with whisky and venison. The

the voice of an older woman,

explaining how she makes
the local paratha bread in the
herb gardens of the exquisitely
remote Shanti Maurice. She
attens the unleavened dough
with a coriander fairy dust, and
my synapses backip. Her voice
is from a happier life, a crackling accent, muffled in waves
and salt wind. I open my eyes
and Im fully conscious on the
resort property, making bread
in grandmas kitchen.
Q HOW I LANDED HERE : The
bread served on the 27-hour
plane ride from Los Angeles
was the worst. Along the
coastal road to the resort, I
stop for a sandwich that costs
$35. This is when I decide to
make my own bread. shanti
maurice.com Nathan Myers

4
castle that Queen Elizabeth
called the most romantic
spot in the world is still full of
secrets. Q HOW I LANDED HERE :
Its a pretty three-hour drive
from Edinburgh. inverlochy
castlehotel.com Jad Davenport

3
SHANTI MAURICE
Mauritius, $500+
Q WHY IT S AWE - INSPIRING : I
close my eyes, inhale and Im
gone. Scents of spiced rum,
ginger and tamarind. Salt air
and fresh dough. Im denitely
not sitting at an open window
in my office. The air here is
ripe with living scent and

ROSEWOOD
LITTLE DIX BAY
BVI, $650+
Q WHY IT S AWE - INSPIRING :
Ms. Venita, a longtime server,
gives me a hug. Weve just met
and, somehow, the hug feels
genuine. Im told its because
the resorts guests are so loyal
some have visited through
three generations that the
staff is regarded as extended
family, and the feelings are
mutual. Here, its impossible
not to feel a part of it. Q HOW
I LANDED HERE : A 45-minute
ight from San Juan to Tortola,
then a two-minute van ride
to a dock. There, the resorts
catamaran sailed me across the
Sir Francis Drake Channel. rose
woodhotels.com Zach Stovall

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

ICONIC SANTORINI Greece, $617+

Q WHY IT S AWE - INSPIRING : Breakfast is sitting on the private terrace outside my cave: strong Greek coffee, freshly
baked croissants and the chefs jam made from the roses in his garden. Wait, cave? Yes, its a cave. Views of distant
islands and neighboring cliffs are reminders that the hotel wasnt just built, it was sculpted into the side of a caldera wall.
I draw my gauzy robe around me and pad over the cool tile to a seat above the rooftops and the Aegean Sea. My eyes
are wide open, and not just because of the coffee. Q HOW I LANDED HERE : The 45-minute ights from Athens run about
every two hours. Late-afternoon ights can be delayed go earlier. Taxis are scarce, so arrange a transfer through
Iconic Santorini. (Note: The resort closes from November to late April.) iconicsantorini.com Michelle M. Winner

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 65

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

OUR TOP 5 PICKS

FOR FAMILIES
5

PETER
ISLAND
RESORT
British Virgin Islands
Q WHY IT S FOR FAMILIES : See
that white villa on the hilltop
across this bay? Its called
the Crows Nest. Its one of
three villas on this 1,800-acre
private island. It offers four
private suites, each with private
veranda, private whirlpool and
private entrance. Its perfect
for, well, my family. We get
along great when all we have to
share is a seamless-edge pool, a
view of the Virgin Islands, and a
personal butler and chef. Dinner? Taken care of. Activities?
We take our pick: sailing, snorkeling, diving, conching and
more. And tomorrow? Well
picnic on one of the islands
eight empty beaches. Here, my
family is functional. Q HOW I
LANDED HERE : Easy. The Peter
Island staff picked me up at the
Beef Island Airport on Tortola
and dropped me off at the ferry
dock. The boat ride to Peter
Island is 30 minutes and costs
$60 a person, round trip. Helicopter y-ins are available too.
peterisland.com Jon Whittle

66 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

PETER ISLAND: JON WHITTLE

$3,780+ (Four-bedroom villa)

two-bedroom villa, eat conch

fritters like gumdrops, and act
like were the only ones on
the beach. Its OK. Fernandez
Bay is light years from Nassau.
Really. Just look at that freewheeling Milky Way overhead
at night. Q HOW I LANDED HERE :
Cat Island is a one-hour ight
from Nassau. fernandezbay
village.com Jad Davenport

4
HARBOR VIEW HOTEL
Marthas Vineyard, $189+
2

2
JEAN-MICHEL
COUSTEAU RESORT
Vanua Levu, $1,580+
Q WHY IT S FOR FAMILIES :
When the worlds most childloving people Fijians sweep
my kids off upon arrival, its
clear they get that Im here
for a holiday too. While my
husband and I dive on pristine
reefs, the girls are outside
our two-bedroom beachfront
villa racing crabs or learning
to dance. Best part: Children
under 5 get a dedicated nanny
for free. When was the last
time my husband and I had a
midday nap? Q HOW I LANDED
HERE : From Nadi, Fijis capital,
Vanua Levu is a scenic one-hour
ight. The resort is a 20-minute
drive from the Savusavu airport.
jiiresort.com Amanda Jones

3
FERNANDEZ BAY
VILLAGE
Bahamas, $271+
Q WHY IT S FOR FAMILIES :
Dont get me wrong. Nassau
is great. Atlantis is a blast.
But a 140-mile hop farther
east takes my wife and two
daughters to Cat Island, where
our shoes will come off and
stay off. The kids make noise.
They run in and out of the

Q WHY IT S FOR FAMILIES : Drive

east on Water Street until you
cant anymore, and youve
arrived at this grand 1891 xture
in tony Edgartown. Come in fall
(fewer crowds and lower prices),
and watch from rockers on the
front porch as the kids run out
to the lighthouse and skip rocks
on the water. You know, like
you used to do, before there
were iPhones. harbor-view.com
Q HOW I LANDED HERE : The
car ferry from Woods Hole,
Massachsetts, brought me to
a place more affordable than
I thought. Cottages on the
Vineyard rent for $800 a week
in shoulder season. Pack the car
with groceries before boarding
the ferry. Audrey St. Clair

5
TURTLE BAY
Oahu, $279+
Q WHY IT S FOR FAMILIES : If
your family is anything like my
family, sitting by a pool during
multi-generational vacations
just doesnt cut it. There have
to be activities, and Turtle Bay
has them galore. For my husband and me, theres surng.
For the kids, there are calm
beaches, horseback riding,
kiteboarding, hula lessons
and snorkeling. And for the
grandparents there are scenic
helicopter rides and, well, sitting
by the pool. Q HOW I LANDED
HERE : Turtle Bay is on Oahus
north coast, just a one-hour
drive from the Honolulu airport.
turtlebayresort.com AJ

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 67

The Seychelles
is home to the
worlds oldest (and
hardest) granitebased islands in
the world.

BEYOND
THE
ROCKS
THIS GRANITE FLANKS THE WORLDS MOST ICONIC BEACHES. IT
DEFINES AN ISLAND CHAIN. BUT ASIDE FROM THESE STONES,
W H AT D O W E K N O W A B O U T T H E S E YC H E L L E S ?

P H O T O E S S AY B Y J O N W H I T T L E

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 69

69

SLOW CROSSINGS In the Seychelles, the beaches beckon. And for good reason. But on the island of La Digue, one of 155 islands in the
archipelago, odd collisions stand out. When I order a sh platter, its joined by macaroni salad, spaghetti, coleslaw and pakora vegetables.
There is not one identifying feature to my meal, and the dynamic is echoed in the islands 90,024 residents. Their roots go 500 years
back blending European, African, Indian, Chinese and Arab ethnicities. When I ask locals about their race, most answer simply, I am
Seychellois. And on La Digue, the Seychellois move slowly. Only a few roads are paved, and ox carts like this are how locals get around.
CURIOUS:

Lying 994 miles east of Kenya, the Seychelles boasts a 100 percent literacy rate and is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Neither involves beaches. The rst is a fertile valley where giant seeds (coco de mers) grow to resemble the human buttocks. The second is
the worlds largest raised coral atoll. SERIOUS: The best time to visit is May to November, when cooling trade winds kick in. seychelles.travel

Seychelles

70 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

URBAN MIX These images are from Victoria, the Seychelles capital. Most visitors skip past it ying on to the sand-fringed islands
of La Digue or Praslin. But walking a single block in this city of 25,000, I pass a Hindu temple, a store run by Rastafarians, a Catholic
church and an Arab sheik with an entourage. I dont get a sense of any one groups dominance. Its no different in an outdoor market,
where scents of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg mingle. Agriculture, once this nations main industry, now employs just 3 percent of the
workforce. Tourism drives todays economy, thanks to those iconic granite rocks. Theyre worth a visit. But theyre just a starting point.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 73

25
FAVORITE
ESCAPES

OUR TOP 5 PICKS

FOR OFF THE GRID

1
Q WHY IT S OFF THE GRID :

Entertainment comes not from

TVs (there arent any) but from
lazing in a wicker chair on the
veranda of a 200-year-old
thatched teak hut and watching armies of hermit crabs
shuffle out of the ocean, and
schools of small blue sh jump
out of the lagoon like popcorn.
QHOW I LANDED HERE : From
Espiritu Santo a small boat
navigates a narrow channel in
the Coral Sea past small huts
on stilts and copra plantations.
ratua.com David Lansing

QWHY IT S OFF THE GRID : Sea

snakes nap on the resorts bar
oor. Cousteau dubbed the
island an underwater nirvana.
And my best dive wasnt off a
boat, but off the resorts pier.
Topside, decadent villas and daily
meals smack of triumph far from
civilization. QHOW I LA N D ED
HERE : Via Bali, where Wakatobis chartered plane awaited.
wakatobi.com Erin Quigley

ANANTARA
MEDJUMBE ISLAND
Mozambique, $646+

KANDUI RESORT
Mentawai Islands, $290+

QWHY IT S OFF THE GRID :

Untouched by nearly half a

century of war (now over) and
totally forgotten, Medjumbe is
a Shangri-La. An evening cruise
in a traditional dhow is trumped
only by the hospitality in another (very warm) world.
QHOW I LANDED HERE : A ight
to Johannesburg, a ight
to Pemba and, lastly, to this
outpost. medjumbe.anantara
.com Jad Davenport

74 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

WAKATOBI
Sulawesi, Indonesia, $315+

QWHY IT S OFF THE GRID : The

local language has no past or
future tense. Shamans are the
regions healers. And waves,
the best in the surng world,
abound. But the resorts draw
is luxury cabins, a rarity in this
area of Indonesia. Food, drinks
and surf trips are included.
QHOW I LANDED HERE : Kandui
helps arrange travel (two
days). One wave ride made it
all worth it. mentawaiislands
.com Eddy Patricelli

Believe it or not, this rookery

of rockhoppers is rather empty.
Bird populations spike in the
summer (December-February).

FA L K L A N D S : J O N W H I T T L E

RATUA PRIVATE
ISLAND
Vanuatu, $460+

FALKLANDS
Saunders Island, $111+
Q WHY IT S OFF THE GRID :

Modest digs. Reheated meals. And I

dont dare ask for turndown service. Instead, Im handed folded
linens with a mandate: Make your own bed. And thats ne. Just
outside are rockhopper penguins (some 6,900 pairs), blackbrowed albatrosses (11,000 pairs) and gentoo penguins (6,400
pairs). This island, one of 770 lesser islands in the region, is their
home. If I sit still, they do their thing. Rockhoppers hop over my
lap. Albatrosses with 11-foot wingspans soar inches overhead.
Gentoos peck at my camera lens ... on my iPhone ... that Im
holding. Q HOW I LANDED HERE : Flights to the Falklands operate
once a week via LAN airlines. Interisland ights access Saunders
Island, where Im instructed to stock up on frozen lambsagnas
(sheep farmers own the island). Then I, my lambsagnas and the
freshly folded bedsheets were driven 40 minutes from civilization to the Rookery, a lonesome cabin. That is, till I met the
neighbors. saundersfalklands.com EP

76 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

AMANDA JONES

The fragile Painted

Cliffs have stood
through time
partly because so few
people are here to
disturb the landscape.

MARIA
TWO LONG SKIPS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MAINLAND IS AN ISLAND OF THE
HARD (TOWERING ROCK), SOFT (RARE ANIMALS) AND JUST RIGHT (BASIC
BEDDING). ITS AN ESCAPE TO THE AUTHORS FAIRY-TALE SPOT.

STORY BY AMANDA JONES PHOTOS BY JON WHITTLE

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 77

THE BOAT BEACHES A FEW FEET FROM THE SHORELINE,

waves slapping the hull. Might be a wet landing, the captain says. I look down. Theres
no might about it. I ing my boots onto the sand, hoist my backpack overhead and lower
myself into thigh-deep water. See you guys in four days, the captain yells. He and the boat
disappear. Wading beside me are two guides, Ben Dawe and Louisa Stredwick. We are alone.
Welcome to Stinking Creek, says Ben.
Stinking Creek. This is how my dream escape
starts. Wringing out my pants and looking over a wild
outback. For years Ive been intrigued with this tiny
speck on the map known as Maria Island (Maria is
pronounced like the name of the pop diva, Mariah
Carey). It sits about 10 miles off the eastern coast
of Tasmania, which itself would qualify as a distant
escape, being 150 miles south of the Australian
mainland. But Maria is the far outback, the wayward
bush, the backabeyond, as the Aussies say. There
are no hotels, no restaurants, no bars, no spa tables,
no swimming pools, no cell reception, no Internet,
no man-made entertainment. The only residents
are park rangers, wombats and the occasional
Tasmanian devil. Maria is 100 percent national park
now, its breathtaking nature spliced by hiking trails
and the sound of your own breathing. Around the
island are some of the oddest, most random sleeping
arrangements Ive ever encountered.
This is exactly what my hectic life needs.
Come on, says Louisa, a bonny redhead, wearing
fashionable shorts and massive hiking boots that she
didnt bother taking off when we had to jump in the
water. Lets get going.
The four days and three nights begin. For the rst
2 miles Im grateful that neither Ben nor Louisa is
a gabber. They seem to enjoy the quiet of the outdoors as much as I do, and only speak when I ask a
question. What sounds like small talk back in the U.S.
carries a deeper meaning on the island.
Where were you raised? I ask.
Tasmania, Ben says about the two of them.
Simple answer. Translated, it means they were
raised to cope, bred to never complain. I decide to
say nothing about my wet boots.
As if to prove the meaning of tough, we divert from
the trail to a place called Robeys Farm, or whats left
of it. Louisa tells me the former landowners, Viv and

Shelter, with
beds, appears
in the bush with
the guidance
of Louisa (left).
Wombats are
the only neighbors, and their
cuteness can
be deceptive.

Hilda Robey, farmed here alone for 40 years. The

abandoned homestead stands out in the empty surroundings. So do the farm equipment and a pile of
hobnail boots. Hilda died in 1964, and the next year
Viv left so suddenly that the table was still set with
tablecloth, crystal, cutlery and a pudding in the oven.
I guess when youve had enough isolation, you
know it, says Louisa.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 79

But we will not be eating pudding or sleeping at

Robeys Farm. We pick around the place for a while
and continue on the trail, which takes us up cliffs,
through gum-tree forests and onto red, rocky promontories. Close to sunset I see our lodging through the
bush: the concealed Casuarina Camp. It has a simple
curved-roof canvas sleeping tent on a wooden platform. Inside are twin beds and a clean sleeping bag.
The dunny (toilet) sits in another tent, and toward
the beach is the dining tent with an outdoor deck.
Still in their shorts and hiking boots, Ben and
Louisa rattle around in the kitchen tent over a gas
stove, calling out answers to my questions as they
work. Then, in the light of a hurricane lantern, they
emerge with a dinner that seems impossible considering the surroundings and the size of their gear.
Scallops. Wild greens. Duck and kangaroo sausages.
Crispy-skin salmon. It keeps coming. Shitake mushrooms. King Island cheeses. Organic wine.
Where did this come from? I ask.
From our backpacks, Louisa says matter-of-factly.
As darkness falls, the camp is as quiet as a cave.

he sound of wattlebirds wakes me at the rst sign

of daylight. Not that theres much of a sign. Outside
the tent is a sky heavy with fast clouds, likely rainladen. I pull on my eece and a ski jacket, and begin
the morning exercise of rubbing my hands together.
Louisa and Ben show up in shorts and T-shirts.
Lovely day! Ben says.
I let his words, and my mission, burrow into my
mindset. Lovely. Never complain. Dream escape.
The trail is not at all rugged. Its wide in most
places, and aside from our wet landing in Stinking
Creek yesterday, everything is dry. Actually, it really
is lovely. I unzip my hood and walk next to Ben and
Louisa, who seem to bound with every step. We barely
pause at two beautiful beaches and then head inland,
up a ridge. The gusts increase. Kangaroos stand gazing at the sky. A gaggle of Cape Barren geese stop
their grazing to ponder options. A wombat and her
baby shuffle hurriedly nearby and dive under a bush.
I dont complain about my hair whipping into knots.
Louisa leads us up to the top
of a blustery hill where a series
Colorful rocks
and abandoned
of empty shelters awaits. We
shelter are
step into a 10-by-4-foot cubicle,
among the
made of brick, as a respite.
curiosities on
Maria. So are
Was this a stable? I ask.
the wrapperSolitary confinement,
less meals that
Louisa says, handing me a
emerge from
Bens backpack.
pesto chicken sandwich.

AU S T R A L I A

Ta s m a n i a
IF YOURE
CURIOUS:

Sporadic remnants
of civilization on
Maria make you
wonder what went
on here. Two centuries back, the island
housed prisoners
from overcrowded
Tasmania, but only
for a while. An Italian investor planted
50,000 vines for
winemaking and
built a 30-room
hotel in the late
1800s. The plans
were scuttled
because of the
isolation. Efforts
to bring a cement
industry here had
the same fate.
IF YOURE
SERIOUS:

The journey with

Maria Island Walk
(mariaislandwalk
.com.au) starts on
the east coast of
Tasmania. With
guides, you take
a 40-minute boat
ride to Maria. The
transportation,
four-day hike, food
and accommodations cost $2,062
per person.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 81

some water. I gure its for coffee or tea. He hands

me a cup and a bucket, and sends me behind a bush.
Thats your bath, he says. I take the supplies and
disappear into total freedom. When I return, clean,
Ben has set up tea and bruschetta canaps. The tent
is similar to the one at Casuarina, set back in the wild
growth with two beds, a sleeping bag and a ashlight.
Any chance I could get a vodka tonic? I ask.
Ben grins. Goodonya. Good idea, but unlikely
to be fullled from his backpack.

The trail on the

Like much of the main
45-square-mile
island of Tasmania, Maria
island passes
Island has a history of housgum trees,
beaches and
ing convicts. How ironic that a
old buildings
former prison cell is, right now,
that serve as
part of my escape.
reminders of a
community that
Rain begins to fall, and Ben
came and went.
and Louisa finally don thin
windcheaters as I huddle in my
lab-tested extreme-wear layers. Raindrops and birdcalls are the loudest sounds Ive heard in days.
Do you see any Tasmanian devils out here? I ask.
A devil is about the size of a skunk, and the pictures
Ive seen make it look like a hyena crossed with a
rat. It is endemic to Tasmania, the name coined by
settlers referring to its chilling screams and habit of
attacking predators, or even its own.
We almost never see em, but theyre here, Ben
says. Last month a hiker had his boot taken at night.
Found it shredded on the path. Work of the devil.
When we depart the prison cell, I stop using the
term hike. This is a walk. Lots of quiet. Lots of cute.
Lots of lovely. Until we arrive at White Gums Camp.
Inside another tentlike structure, Ben boils up

82 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

ornings on Maria are lazy. Sitting under the

trees. A gradual glow lling the sky to the east.
Fresh-pressed coffee. Watching for wombats. Phone
batteries long ago drained. Theres no reason to rush.
But eventually we do pack up and move slowly
through primitive forest and up the coast to the
Painted Cliffs. We pause in the shadow of striated
ochre and cream sandstone bluffs, concave and seaworn unlike anything Id ever seen. To our backs is
an innite horizon, the rest of the world.
We also see something for the rst time in three
days: other people. Theyre wandering around
Darlington, the only settlement on Maria. Tourists
come out for the day before catching a boat back to
Tasmania, reattaching themselves to a schedule, a
mental cellblock. A few people might stay overnight,
rolling out sleeping bags in yet another prison thats
been converted into a bare-bones bunkhouse.
No more prisons for us, Louisa says, walking
through a gate, past a rose garden, and up to a settlers cottage. We lease this place.
Its the old postmasters house, a relic from when
Darlington was a colony, or an attempt at one, with
limestone quarrying, a hotel and a population of
human beings. But just as for the Robeys, isolation
proved to be too much.
The cottage is furnished with polished antiques
and four-poster beds, frozen in place from a century
ago. Ben lights a re and, before preparing a quail
dinner, he points to something out of modern times:
a bathroom. I step into the shower and remain there
for what feels like an hour. Soaking in the most simple
form of backabeyond indulgence: hot water.
Before dinner, I take a stroll into the hills,
refreshed. Spokes of light sluice through the foliage
as if penetrating stained-glass windows. The trees
stand as grand pillars in a high-end hotel lobby. The
wind in the leaves shushes like gentle waves on a
beach. Im alone in natures cathedral, perhaps the
nest resort Ive ever checked into.
60 seconds in tasmania: islands.com/videos

WHAT TO BRING
For the body: The
weather is a stew
of unpredictable
forces (dont believe the forecasts).
When theres a 0
percent chance
of rain, be armed
with rainproof and
windproof jackets.
Fleece is a must
because evenings
in the dining tent
are more chilly than
formal. mountain
hardwear.com
For the head: Behind

the clouds is a hot

sun ready to burn
through thus the
wide-brimmed hat
seen in some of the
pictures with this
story. tilley.com
For the feet: Boots
made for walking
are an obvious
need. But instead
of clomping around
the camps in boots
at night, wear
sandals (remember,
everything you
arent wearing goes
in your backpack,
so keep it light).

WE SEE SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME

IN THREE DAYS: OTHER PEOPLE. THEY
WANDER AROUND BEFORE GOING BACK
AND REATTACHING TO A SCHEDULE.

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For more informations visit www.myoutislands.com

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ABACO

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Shaman, Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

ASK A TABOO QUESTION

GHOST STORIES

HOW TO
TICK OFF A LOCAL

BROWN W. CANNON III/INTERSECTION PHOTO

PERFECTLY
HORRIBLE
MISTAKES
HAPPEN.
HERE ARE
A FEW YOU
CAN AVOID.

1 HAND

2 BOAT TOASTS

3 HEAD TAPS

GESTURES For

Off the coast of

British Columbia,
aboard Canadas
oldest tall ship,
I offered a toast
and to the horror
of the captain and
crew clinked
wine glasses with
a woman seated
beside me. Clinking
glasses aboard a
ship means a sailor
will die. Ive since
run into warnings
that bananas and
women on board
cause bad luck. Is it
really any wonder
that sailors are a
lonely bunch?
Jad Davenport

In a Fijian village,
Im invited to play
soccer. The game
includes kids
whose parents line
our field in smiles.
A child scores the
winning goal. The
two of us celebrate
with high-fives
and hugs. The
crowd cheers, and
then abruptly goes
silent. A mother
wags a finger at
me. Others point
to their heads.
While celebrating,
I had touched the
boys head. In Fiji,
the head is sacred.
Eddy Patricelli

five days Id been

photographing
Indonesian locals
motioning for them
to move closer to
me with my palm
turned up and my
four fingers curling
back and forth. The
gesture sparked
looks of contempt
(like those pictured above). I was
later told the hand
gesture is akin to
showing someone
the middle finger,
and simply to turn
my palm down for
the desired effect.
Zach Stovall

Zombies? We dont have zombies on Cat Island. The sharp

answer to my question, often
whispered, is always the same.
Ive come to this remote
island in the Bahamas because
Ive heard that a real-life zombie
is loose. Cat Island is a bastion of Obeah West African
witchcraft and driving around
Ive seen spider-filled bottles
dangling from trees and homemade charms hanging on doors.
The zombie story had come from
locals on a nearby island who said
two sisters were feuding on Cat,
and one paid an Obeah man to
curse the other. The Obeah man,
the story went, summoned up a
deceased islander but then somehow lost control. Cat Islanders, I
was assured, were living in fear.
Obeah is a delicate subject in
the deeply Christian Bahamas,
and Ive spent a week gently
prying. So far, the sum of my intel
is Dont go out after dark, avoid
the cemetery, and never go inside
the ruins of the 18th-century
Deveaux Plantation. When I ask
why, Im greeted with closed lips.
Near the end of my stay, I
return to my rented coral-stone
cabin and find the threshold
sprinkled with a line of salt.
There are also small salt cones
in each corner of my room. And a
Bible under the bed. Exasperated, I ask the landlady again if its
for the zombie. I told you there
were no zombies on the island,
darling, she says. But as I turn
to walk away she whispers, Its
to protect you from the manwho-comes-a-rushing.
It turns out I was asking the
wrong question all along. JD
REAL ZOMBIES?
On Guam, the Chamorro people
believe zombies have haunted the
island for centuries. Mysterious
stone pillars are said to be proof.

LESSONS LEARNED IN AREAS OF BORNEO, NEWLYWEDS MUST GO THREE DAYS WITHOUT RELIEVING THEMSELVES.

FEBRUARY

ISLANDS 85

HOW TO

STRETCH A DOLLAR

WHAT YOU GET FOR

$1,000 A WEEK
All Caribbean islands are not the same, especially when it comes to costs. Often, the
name of the saint gives it away: Thomas vs. Barth. Who sounds swankier?
Daily bike rental

3 lunches

1 night in
luxury villa
S T. B A R T H
1 four-course
French
dinner for two

4 nights
in budget
hotel

S T. T H O M A S

2 taxi rides
a day

Flight from Miami

5 nights in
rental condo

1 half-day
snorkel trip

1 half-hour
helicopter tour
P U E R T O R I CO
6 authentic
mofongo lunches

1 bioluminescent
kayak tour

2 fancy dinners
Weeklong car rental
Ferry to Culebra
for family of four

2 local beers a day

Barefoot Cay
Roatan, Bay Islands

Want to stay on a budget and leave the island

better than you found it? Join a volunteer trip
to the Caribbean, and get to know the landscape and the locals (human and reptilian alike).
Working Abroad: Hike through the elfin forest
on tiny St. Eustatius, clearing trails, improving
signs and helping control
erosion. Or hit the beach in
Grenada for night patrols
on nesting sea turtles. Even
snorkel and dive to do water
surveys. Four-week programs start at $1,000 and
include food, lodging, gear,
etc. workingabroad.com
Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions: Spend one
to four weeks in Jamaicas Blue Mountains
making new friends: Help local kids with
homework, teach music, coach football,
impact a life. One-week trips kick off at
$450 and include two daily meals and lodging to start. jamaicavolunteerexpeditions.com

RELAX in a beachfront bungalow on our private island,

DELIGHT in sumptuous dining, indulge in a massage,
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US Toll Free 1-866-246-3706 Info@BarefootCay.com

ISTOCK; OPPOSITE: JON WHITTLE

WHAT YOU GET FOR

$1,000 A MONTH

STRETCH YOUR LEGS

CHEAP RIDES
B Y LY N N F R E E H I L L- M AY E

A Seychellois woman rolls out two used mountain

bikes when we arrive on La Digue. This is a place,
like the islands below, where cars are nonexistent.
You can walk, but to really fit in you pedal from place
to place. Do you have locks? I ask our innkeeper.
You will not need locks, he says, laughing. At the
market, rows of bicycles are secured only with kickstands an entire island on the honor system.
LA DIGUE, SEYCHELLES

MACKINAC, MICHIGAN

CULEBRA, PUERTO RICO

Ox carts have just recently

started to fade away here. Now,
1,000 miles off Madagascar,
bikes wheel by so often its
like Africa meets Amsterdam.
The local bike: You can
tell a Seychelles bike by the
colorful grocery basket on the
handlebars. At rush hour,
just before school starts, its
common to see kids riding in
each others baskets.

Its either horse and buggy or

bicycle out here in the middle
of Lake Huron. The bikes are
not the ones leaving messes
on the network of trails.
The local bike: You can tell
if a bike belongs to one of
the islands 400 residents or
to one of the thousands of
tourists by the basket. Bag of
fudge in it? Tourist. Bungie
cords and tools? Resident.

Cyclings appeal on this

Spanish Virgin lies in
its seclusion. Ride out to
beaches so untouched, you
can skinny-dip at noon.
The local bike: You can tell
a bike lives on Culebra if
its the hardy sand-dusted
mountain type. There are no
steep, rocky climbs on the
island, but there are potholes
and lots of beach.

E
DO NOT follow the local
habits when riding bikes in
isolated destinations. Carrying kids on handlebars? Riding
with no helmet? Accidents
will happen. This is one activity
where you should do as you do
at home not as the locals do.

HOW TO

LIVE ON

ROATAN: EXPAT ISLAND

BEST FOR:

STARTING OVER WITH NO SHOES (BUT WITH LOTS OF NEW FRIENDS)

One of the worlds largest barrier reefs lives in my neighborhood. You know what else
lives around Roatan? Connections. I can have 24 expats to
our Barefoot Cay Resort for a
reception tomorrow partly
because the coconut telegraph
still works. A nurse from Ohio.
An architect from Canada.
Theres even a mostly expat
church. Transplants like me
sprinkle ourselves into the
Latin and Caribbean culture
because we dont want to
change the charms that drew
us here even a dusty, bumpy
road can be charming. DAILY
SNAPSHOT Visitors sometimes
wonder why we go to bed early
on Roatan. Its because we

look forward to waking up in

the morning. We might start
a day by swimming to the reef
and showering outside. There
are adults on the island who
dont have TVs, and kids who
dont have PlayStations. Our
entertainment comes from
snorkeling gear, tire swings
and mango trees. I know a
woman whose wardrobe is a
weeks worth of bikinis and
four sarongs. Shoes? We wear
them to the bank or grocery
store, and otherwise were
barefoot. One friend who
moved to Roatan before the
first road was paved (its still
one of the only paved roads)
says in the early 1990s we
had to travel with two spare

tires and provisions, including

rum, in case of a breakdown.
The side roads are still rough,
doing the favor of slowing you
down. And there are reminders that you arent in Seattle
anymore, like when vendors
go through neighborhoods
selling tortillas and brooms.
MOVER BEWARE Dont believe
the negative hype about Honduras. Were 30 miles away in
the friendliest place Ive ever
known. So when people have
conversations in the middle of
the road, be patient. Theres
dust. There are roosters. Mail
from home can take forever.
Even with expats, Roatan is
still Roatan. And thats why
were here. Milesse Kennedy

Homes on the east are cooled

by sea breezes, not Freon.

ERIC ANDERSON
THE ORIGINAL EXPAT

Landowner, Dad
YEARS ON ISLAND

44

MY 3 CENTS
1. Its good for
expats to provide
jobs. It might be
sweeping a patio
or tending a garden, but that small
wage will support a
local family.
2. A 15-mile drive
can take 45 minutes
along our unspoiled roads on
the east end. Its
still more enjoyable
than a commute in
Washington, D.C.

TO BUY OR
TO TRY
A NICE HOME
THATS LIVABLE
FOR EXPATS
WILL START AT
.%($&+
FRONT RENTALS
*2)25
$4,000 WEEKLY
DURING MAY.

BEST ISLANDS FOR INSTANT FRIENDS: ST. JOHN, VITI LEVU (FIJI), VIEQUES, IRELAND (CHECK YOUR ANCESTRY)

88 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

JON WHITTLE

3. I have to explain
to puzzled visitors the fireplace
in my house. A
strong wintertime
norther can send
temps down into
the high 60s.

Best
its a TOUGH life.
But someones got to live it ;-)

to Live on

Quit your job.

Move to an island.
Be happy.

800.227.3483 | 954.929.0090 Mention code ISL15

info@anthonyskey.com | anthonyskey.com

We show you how on

islands.com/BITLO.

All suite, ocean front Royal West Indies Resort

is nestled on beautiful Grace Bay beach.
This amazing resort offers studio, 1 & 2 bedroom suites.
With exciting activities and sights nearby to enjoy
its the perfect place for a wonderful vacation!
Welcome to Royal West Indies Resort.

Roatan Bay Islands

Honduras

reservations@
royalwestindies.com
1-800-332-4203
www.royalwestindies.com

FREE TRAVEL INFORMATION!

Free brochures, catalogs and other advertiser information. Simply mail the attached Reader Response Card, FAX tollfree to 888.847.6035, or visit islands.com/freeinfo for direct access to each Advertisers website and free information.

CARIBBEAN & BAHAMAS

1.

Bimini Big Game Club

Bahamas PAGE 84

2.

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3.

4.

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8.

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PAGE 35

MULTIPLE ISLANDS
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CENTRAL AMERICA
17. Anthonys Key Resort

Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras - PAGE 89

18. Barefoot Cay Resort Bay

Islands, Western Caribbean

- Our private island resort is
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31. Catered To...Vacation Homes

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32. Cayo Espanto Belize
PAGE 95

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FIND

one rockfall and one volcanic earthquake tallied the previous week
Montserrat isnt exactly deluged with
tourists. The reminders are hard to
ignore. A government pamphlet advises
island kids that when the volcanic
activity increases always try to carry
an ash mask with you. Im told one of
the biggest eruptions occurred just a
sobering four years ago.
Annie pours a healthy (I use the term
loosely) sample of Volcano Rum and
gestures toward a dish of longish, flaccid
animal parts slathered in sauce.
Barbecued pigtails, she says. You
have to taste. No, respectfully, I dont.
I stick to the rum, which is no easy
task either. I take a very tentative first
sip and gasp. Its fiery. Likely volatile.
Accurately named.
My husband does the rum, Annie
says, waving off questions and payment,
and pointing the way to Howe headquarters. Youll find Mr. Howe there.
Half a mile up the hill, back the way
I came, I spot the small, dark rum shop.
Inside, bottles, jars and unruly stacks of
paperwork spar for space on lavenderpainted shelves. Seventy-year-old
Robert Howe holds court behind the
counter, entering orders by hand into an
old-fashioned ledger book.
Montserrat. It has been that way since
My wife does pepper sauce and chutSoufrire Hills woke from a 400-year
neys and tings, he says. Thats ladies
nap in 1995 and turned two-thirds of the
work. I take care of the rum.
island uninhabitable. Nearly 40 feet of
But when I pry about the recipe, he
mud covered Plymouth (Brades became
clams up. Family secret, he says firmly.
the de facto capital). Most Montserratians have left. Today, the remaining
Distilled through volcanic rocks? With
4,922 people, squeezed into the islands
water from a vent deep in the islands
safe northern third, seem remarkably
crust? Mr. Howe merely smiles.
upbeat. Cheerful, even. Along one of the
There is one detail hes happy to reveal. I am The Mighty Ash, he confides.
few still-navigable roads, I spot a vehicle
I put out the warning to leave. When
named Never Give Up. The phrase
carries weight here. Maybe the local rum the volcano started erupting it blew 76
times during one 30-day
helps. It cant hurt.
period in 1997 he and
Behind the Volcano
Mrs. Howe wrote a calypso
Rum sign, I enter a turLANDING HERE
quoise and canary-yellow
called Run to the North.
After the airport
bar. Would you like a
The song (excuse the term)
was destroyed in
taste? Mrs. Annie Howe
caught fire.
1997, island access
pulls out a bottle with a
The audience went
was by helicopter
tidy home-printed label
wild, Montserrats newsor boat only. A
paper reported later that
newer 2,000-foot
on it. She seems pleased
runway opened
year when The Mighty
to see a stranger. Even
in 2005.
Ash performed the song
though Soufrire Hills
is in a quiet phase only
in Geralds Bottom (no

B Y A N N VA N D E R H O O F

WHERE: MONTSERRAT
THE DISCOVERY: REAL

FIREWATER

What Ive seen of Montserrat so far

is a landscape of, how do I describe this?

Nothing. From the top of Jack Boy Hill,
high above the eastern Caribbean, Ive
watched the infamous Soufrire Hills
Volcano belching sulfurous steam over an
eerie monochrome land of ash. Its dotted with the occasional volcano-spewed
truck-size boulder. In the distance there
appears to be a chimney poking through
the ground here, and the top of a tower
rising there, but thats about it. The
international airport marked on my map
is nowhere to be seen with the naked
eye. Neither is the official capital city
of Plymouth. So on the hike back down
to sea level, its no wonder that I stop in
my tracks at the sight of a sign: Volcano
Rum. This I have to try.
The word volcano has become the
first thing that leaps to mind whenever
a conversation turns to the island of

THE MOST POPULAR SOCA SONG EVER IS HOT, HOT, HOT BY ALPHONSUS ARROW CASSELL, BORN IN MONTSERRAT.

92 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

STEVE MANLEY; OPPOSITE: ZACH STOVALL

WHERE THERES SMOKE

laughing; it really is an island village) at

an outdoor concert attended by more
than half the population. Things got real
interesting when Annie dusted them
with powder to simulate an ash cloud.
The Mighty Ash pours himself a finger
of his own rum, swallows it in one go
to loosen up the voice looks straight
into my eyes, and starts to sing.
Listen to de update, listen to de latest,
and hear what theyve got to say, Oh God/
When de mountain crash, and you see de
ash, just run, run, run to de north ...
His voice trails off with an extravagant flourish of his arms and an electrifying smile for his audience of, well, two:
me and a local customer, who knew the
lyrics and sang along, sotto voce.
Alas, The Mighty Ash has no CDs left
to sell, so I leave with the next best thing:
a bottle of made-in-Montserrat Volcano
Rum. After you drink the rum, keep the
bottles, he says as I tuck them into my
backpack. Its a sign youve been on the
volcano island. Without a doubt.
win free trips: islands.com/newsletter

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OUTRIGGER ON TAHAA

The breakfast is familiar on any

island: eggs and fruit. The delivery
method is unique at Le Tahaa:
a shirtless guy rowing a woman
wearing a flower crown and holding your meal on a tray. She leaves
the food at your bungalows
deck, which becomes a perch for
watching them paddle away.
MINI MOKE ON PETIT ST. VINCENT

If you get thirsty on this Caribbean outpost (no phones or TVs),

raise a yellow flag and leave a note
outside your villa. A staffer hustles
over by Mini Moke (a cross between a dune buggy and golf cart).
Theres something special about a
rum and Coke by Mini Moke.
ZIP LINE ON SAINT LUCIA

ROOM SERVICE
The Tahitian islands of Tahaa and Bora
Bora are among those places where you
dont want to be in the shower when breakfast is delivered you need to be wide
awake, with the video camera rolling.

You might have seen it on The

Bachelor: an engagement ring
sent via zip line at Cap Maison to
a deck made slippery by a puddle
of tears. On a halfway normal evening (i.e., sans camera crew), the
staff will use the same zip line to
send guests champagne. See the
Moet literally fall from the trees.

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T H E 2015

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FROM THE EDITORS OF ISLANDS MAGAZINE

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ISL ANDS M AG A ZINE

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U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF
OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT,
AND CIRCULATION
(Required by 39 USC 3685)
1. Publication Title: Islands; 2. Publication No. 0745-7847; 3. Filing
Date: 10/1/2014; 4. Issue Frequency: Jan/Feb, Mar, May, Jun, Jul,Aug/
Sep, Nov, Dec; 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 8; 6. Annual
Subscription Price: $24.00; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known
Office of Publication: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave.,
Suite 200,Winter Park,Orange County,Florida 32789;8.Complete
Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of
Publisher: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200,
Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789; 9. Full Names and
Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing
Editor: Publisher: Laura Walker, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200,
Orange County,Winter Park, FL 32789; Editor: Robert Stephens,
460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Orange County,Winter Park, FL
32789; Managing Editor:Audrey St. Clair, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite
200, Orange County,Winter Park, FL 32789 ; 10. Owner: Bonnier
Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200,Winter Park, Orange
County, Florida 32789; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees,
and Other Securities: None; 12. Tax Status (for completion by
nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates): Has
Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months; 13. Publication Title:
Islands; 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Aug/Sep 2014;
15a. Total Number of Copies: 212,147 (Aug/Sep 2014: 202,359);
b. Paid Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions:
176,136 (Aug/Sep 2014:158,253);(3) Paid Distribution Outside the
Mails Including SalesThrough Dealers and Carriers, StreetVendors,
and Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside the USPS:
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2,011); (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 13
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h. Total: 212,147 (Aug/Sep 2014: 202,359); i. Percent Paid 98.92%
(Aug/Sep 2014: 98.82%). PS FORM 3526: a: Requested and Paid
Electronic Copies: 9,298, (Aug/Sep 2014: 8,333); b. total Requested
and Paid Print copies & Paid Electronic copies: 192,904, (Aug/
Sep 2014: 176,674); c. Total Print Distribution & Paid Electronic
copies: 194,917, (Aug/Sep 2014: 178,690); d. Percent Paid and/or
Requested Circulation: 99.0%, (Aug/Sep 2014: 98.9%).

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96 ISLANDS

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Watch the humpback whales from

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Margot and Matt and Associates have been helping Roatan investors
in all price ranges since 1998. Beachfront land is available with 100 of
frontage for $150,000. A 2-bedroom home on a white sand beach can
still be found for $239,000. If golf is part of your Caribbean dream,
a 3-bedroom beachfront home on Roatans Pete Dye golf course is
available for $875,000. Call 011 504 3358 3191 or visit our website to
see all property available on the Roatan MLS.

Elegant Island Style bracelets available in your choice of solid sterling

silver, the popular two-tone gold & sterling silver, or custom 14K solid
gold. All bracelets are handcrafted, cuff style, and sized to fit your wrist
measurement. View all designs online, including The Nantucket Bracelet
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ISLANDS 97

W H AT N O B O D Y T E L L S Y O U A B O U T ...

OV E R WAT E R H O M E S

OVERWATER PERILS

OV E R WAT E R ACC E N T S

Tahiti hashuts. Fiji has

houses. Made with native
woods, these bures are
built solid to withstand
a 6-foot tidal change.
Its why Likuliku resort
has the only overwater
offerings in all of Fiji. Its
also why I never heard
honeymooners honeymooning here.

SNORKEL OFF
YOUR DOCK AND
YOU MAY FORGET
WHICH HOUSE IS
<2856:$/.,16
ON NEIGHBORS
HAPPEN LOTS.

Yes, there are glass floors.

But see the small window
at the right on each home?
A giant bathtub sits on the
other side. Even dual sinks
feature a window straight
to the sea. Take a bath,
wash your hands overwater reminders surround
you. From $935 a night.
likulikulagoon.com

STORY BY EDDY PATRICELLI

ISLANDS, VOL. 35, NO. 1, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 (ISSN 0745-7847), is published 8 times a year (Jan./Feb., March, April/May, June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct., Nov., Dec.) by Bonnier Corporation, P.O. Box 8500, Winter Park, FL 32790; 407-628-4802. One year (8 issues)
$24 in the U.S. For Canada, add $9 for postage per year. All other countries add $18. Copyright 2014 by Bonnier Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the written consent of Bonnier Corporation. Periodicals postage paid at
Winter Park, FL, and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ISLANDS, P.O. Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593. Printed in USA. PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40612608 CANADA RETURN MAIL: IMEX, P.O. Box 25542, London, Ontario N6C 6B2

98 ISLANDS

FEBRUARY

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TA H I T I | F R E N C H P O LY N E S I A | F I J I | S O U T H PAC I F I C