Ryan de Jongh, shown paddling with a guest in an area he hopes to preserve. By Matthew Miller
As noted in an earlier post, Ryan de Jongh plans to paddle from St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean around to Curacao in the south, island-hopping the whole 1,600 kilometers (close to 1,000 miles), by kayak — alone. His original November lanuch date has been moved back to December 5. We’ll try to confirm when he’s on his way and ask him a few questions about the experience when he’s finished. Ryan undertakes such challenges in support of his Ryan de Jongh Foundation and NatureIsLife.org, which in turn support the non-profit foundation CARMABI (Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity) as well as underprivileged children in Curacao and other causes. This particular kayak challenge will raise funds to help Carmabi buy and maintain lands in western Curacao currently under pressure from development. Ryan expects to complete the journey in about three weeks — Merry Christmas! — but the sea is unpredictable and no end date is set. Best luck and calm seas, Ryan!
For this week’s “Best” list, I want to showcase the beautiful island places we featured in the “Best Rooms with a View” list. The photo of the view from the Viceroy Bali alone is scenery that made all of us here at ISLANDS say, “I need to go there now!” This Best list is from the all-new “Dream Big” issue of ISLANDS magazine that hit newsstands everywhere this week. (Or read it in the ISLANDS Store right now.) Take in these stunning resorts and hotels and put your favorite — or all 10 — on your wish list.
If the story doesn’t appear in your browser, go directly to our ISLANDS archive on Scribd. Islands Mag Best Resort Rooms With a View
I’m buried. Literally. Under a mountain of fantastic photo contest entries. They’ve taken over my office. Send help! And chocolate. I’m kidding! It’s so much more fun to get the day’s mail when envelopes from as far away as Alaska arrive containing images from Bora Bora to Iceland to Lizard Island. I love sharing in all your wonderful trips by looking at all the great photos. Keep them coming!
You can’t be on every island at once — but you can feel like you are. Here are the latest links with useful information about island travel from around the world.
Judging the Best Blurb Books Contest was a blast. After voting narrowed the travel books down to the top 15, I had the pleasure of selecting the Grand Prize Winner and the Runner Up. It was difficult to choose but J.C. Ecrement and O. Remualdo’s book Sadhus of Benares took home the grand prize. Not only were the black and white portraits of Sadhus in the Holy city of Varanasi stunning, but the book itself was well designed. Coming in a close second was Mediterranean Images by Susan Holmes.
Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. People agree about this. A first trip here can feel like an exercise in cataloguing places to come back to and spend more time: Waimea Canyon, Kalalau Trail, the hidden and possibly unnamed beaches around Kapa’a on the east coast. However long you have to visit won’t be long enough, but save at least one day for the signature Na Pali coast.
Outrigger Waikiki is one of Hawaii's "Green Leaders" Photo courtesy: Outrigger Waikiki
You can’t be on every island at once — but you can feel like you are. Here are the latest links with useful information about island travel from around the world.
You can’t be on every island at once — but you can feel like you are. Here are the latest links with useful information about island travel from around the world.
Extraordinary waves and ordinary surfers — not always an ideal mix. But not all of us possess all-star surfing skills. So where’s the best place for average Joes to safely push themselves, enjoy world-class waves, and relax in comfort? My pick is the Kandui Resort, located in the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra. Here’s how it delivered for two middle-age surfers from Florida:
Last weekend, I camped on Indonesia’s most remote islands. I was embraced by a small village community. I built a well that provided them fresh water. The kicker? I did all this from Cocoa Beach, Florida, losing myself in what I thought was a surf movie. It starred waterman Rob Machado, though surfing wasn’t his primary focus. Below Rob, and the film’s director, Taylor Steele, offer a taste of why their movie The Drifter is different.
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