HERITAGE/ Island Nations: Hidden Paradise

Mention a vacation in Grenada (pronounced gre-nay-da), and most people think you are visiting a city in Spain (gre-nah-da) even if you pronounce the difference very carefully. That is how unfamiliar this three-island nation is, located in the southeast Caribbean Sea near Trinidad. Since a government overthrow and brief occupation by US and Caribbean forces that ended in 1984, Grenada has rested peaceably in the deepest shadows of global tourism, a repeat destination mainly to those who would ...

With inflowing mass tourism, and FITs starting in July 2011, from mainland China, Taiwan has become a sought-after tourism destination. Today a number of islands make up the Republic of China’s rump territory, which although sovereign is still claimed by China. Besides the main island, once called Formosa (the “Beautiful”) by the early Portuguese seafarers, some volcanic isles emerge off the east coast: Lu dao (Green Island) and Lan yu (Orchard Island), the latter one inhabi...

Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. While it is the perfect place to sit on a beach and watch a sunset with a cocktail balanced on your hand, it is also a geographical marvel, knowing that there are thousands of fish swimming around the vivid corals just a few feet away from where you sit. Coral Reefs The Maldives lies in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, just across the equator. The country is made up of 1,190 coral islands formed around 2...

Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) is an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, located in the central Pacific Ocean, about 4,000 km (about 2,500 mi) southwest of Hawaii. It is part of the division of the Pacific islands that is known as Micronesia. Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands divided among three island groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands. Kiribati is for travellers – those who have a passion for exploring and discovering, people...

Saba is ideal for the traveler looking for a secluded haven, in peaceful and friendly surroundings. Rising steeply from the azure sea, the tiny island in the Caribbean is a magical experience far away from the cares and worries of today's hurried world. Four small villages are as quaint and charming as the gentle, friendly manner of the Saban people, descended from hardy 17th century pioneers. Visitors feel they have stepped back in history, yet many modern luxuries are here to be enjoyed. Sa...