Island-Sity

The vanishing sands could ultimately decimate Hawaii's economy. Tourism is the largest employer, with visitors spending more than $11 billion (£6.6 billion) a year. It will also mean many animals and plans losing important habitats, including the Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtles.

Hawaii is already trying desperately to bolster beaches in the tourist mecca of Waikiki, joining with hotels to spend $3 million (£1.8 million) pumping sand in from offshore.

Another option being considered is for the state to buy up properties along the sea front, tear them down and allow the beaches to shift inland.

Lush and mountainous, it's one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands I've seen. The beaches are public; there are no high-rises; the locals seem genuinely friendly and speak English, albeit with an engaging accent; and one of our loonies buys two and a half Eastern Caribbean dollars, the local currency.


Grenada will soon be easier to reach. Starting Nov. 23, Sunwing will fly there non-stop from Toronto on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Belize, in Central America, is another interesting addition to Sunwing Vacations' catalogue.

Divers are lured by the world's second largest barrier reef. Others are drawn by Mayan ruins and an emphasis on eco-tourism.

English is widely spoken -- Belize was once a British colony -- and our dollar is worth nearly two of theirs.

Sunwing will start flying there from Toronto via Roatan Island, Honduras, in December.

Club Grand Bahama, a new program in which WestJet Vacations is participating, is worth a look.

It's being promoted as an all-inclusive concept that allows vacationers to not only choose where to stay on Grand Bahama Island, but where to eat and what to do, all for a fixed price.

Depending on whether you buy a silver, gold or platinum package, you get a choice of five hotels for accommodations, meals at up to 18 restaurants as many as 50 destination activities and three golf courses.

But Club Grand Bahama isn't really all-inclusive. It doesn't provide lunch, just breakfast and dinner. And, except for the drinks served at a welcome reception and a beach party, it doesn't include alcohol.

WestJet flies to Grand Bahama Island from Toronto twice weekly. Visit website or call a travel agent.

Vacationers interested in Central and South American resorts can find several in Nolitours' catalogue, including Cartagena, Colombia, Margarita Island in Venezuela, and El Salvador.

Air Canada Vacations has packages in such less-visited islands as Bermuda and Anguilla.

Sunquest has targeted some resorts for baby boomers, with such features as shade areas at beach and pool and local or on-site medical attention. Well, the boomers are getting older too, you know.

The all-inclusive crowd likes it hot, but mild is just fine for many wanting longer winter stays. Here are a couple of areas to consider:

- Portugal's Algarve coast, which has been attracting Canadians, mostly seniors, for decades.

Canadian Travel Abroad (CTA) has a large selection of apartment packages in it's 2010 brochure. CTA's new owner, Rhonda Stephenson used to be national sales manager for JM Vacations, a company that specializes in Portugal and Spain. She's considered an expert in the Portugal long-stay market.

- North Carolina's Brunswick County coast, where Merit Vacations is offering a 29-night holiday at Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort for $1,990 per person, double occupancy. That includes round trip airfare from Toronto to Raleigh/Durham or Myrtle Beach, car rental for 30 days, accommodation in a one-bedroom condo. Packages are available through March 1. Phone 1-866-341-1777

Two major tour operators will be making non-stop flights from London International Airport this winter.

Both Sunwing and Sunquest will fly to Cancun/Mayan Riviera and Varadero on Mondays, starting Dec. 21.

While the mysticism of Machu Pichu draws thousands of visitors from around the world to survey the splendour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, other areas of Peru are definitely worth exploring.

The islands of Lake Titicaca, which straddles the border between Peru and Bolivia, are as varied as they are beautiful. Ranging from tiny uninhabited islets to densely populated islands, by far the most unusual are the artificial Isla Flotantes, or floating reed islands.

The Uros people — the islands are also called the Uros Islands — began their unusual existence centuries ago in an attempt to flee from the aggressive Incas and Collas.

Now, several hundred people continue to inhabit the islands and harvest the totara, or reeds, plentiful at the bottom of the lake, to construct their islands. It’s a constant battle to keep the approximately 45 islands in repair since the reeds are always shifting.

The people are eager to show you the inside of their simple thatched homes, sell handicrafts made of reeds or take you on a tour around the islands in one of their fanciful gondolas. Be prepared to give them a tip.

The floating islands are about a half-hour by boat from the port of Puno, Peru. The nearest airport to Puno is at Juliaca, the region’s largest city and a 30-minute drive along a recently paved highway. Another way to get to the area is by bus from Cusco, which offers spectacular vistas winding through the Andes Mountains.

At 3,812 metres above sea level, beautiful, mirror-like Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and also the largest in South America.

If you’re arriving from Lima, it’s a good idea to take it easy in Puno for a day or two so that your body can adjust to the high altitude, which can leave you nauseous and lightheaded.

An opportunity to stay with an indigenous family on one of the remote Lake Titicaca islands is another highlight of a visit to the Puno area. At Isla Amantani, a three- to four-hour boat ride from Puno, visitors are greeted by genial hosts, who thankfully insist on carrying the travellers’ overnight bags to their homes. The barren terrain is hilly and the air thin, leaving tourists who re unaccustomed to the altitude winded.

The rustic homes, set in terraced hillsides, have been approved by the tourist board and are sparse yet clean and the beds have plenty of brightly coloured woven blankets, needed in the chilly night air at the end of May.

The people speak Que­chua and perhaps a little Spanish, so an English-speaking local guide translates; but once in their hosts’ homes, visitors are on their own.

There are no sleek stainless-steel appliances or flush toilets here. Crouching by a hearth, women cook an evening meal of assorted potatoes, beans and mint tea and a breakfast of thin pancakes over a smoky fire by candlelight. Guests are given a basin of steaming water in which to wash in the morning. There is a basic outhouse.

Gifts of fresh fruit and vegetables for a host family can be purchased at the Puno dock before boarding your boat and are greatly appreciated. The people don’t have much in the way of worldly goods and are paid roughly $8 per person for an overnight stay.

Good to know
• Many companies operate tours of the islands from Puno, Peru. The islanders do not speak English, so it’s best to travel with an English-speaking local guide who can arrange for you to stay overnight with a family.

A phenomenal place, the Big Island begs to be explored, and it should easily impress anyone who visits it. Plenty of Big Island travel deals are out there if you're willing to look for them, and these deals will help free up room in your budget for a range of fun things to do.

The Big Island, which is also known as the Island of Hawaii, is the biggest land mass in the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks to the still-active volcanic crater of Kilauea, it continues to grow on a daily basis. While planning a vacation to the Big Island, most visitors look to include a volcanic experience on their itineraries. You can hike, go horseback riding, or even mountain bike up and down the slopes of a volcano here, and you can also journey into the Kilauea Crater for a closer look. Some travelers who are enjoying Big Island getaways will prefer viewing the volcanic action from afar, which is understandable, and there are plenty of lava fields here that you can take in from a safe distance. The Kilauea volcano is found in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is an attraction you won't want to miss on your Big Island trip.

When you're not exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park during Big Island vacations, hiking to the summit of Mauna Kea is always an option. This mountain, which is the tallest mountain in the world when you include its subterranean mass, tops out at 13,803 feet above sea level. From December through May, its peak is covered in snow, so if you visit during this period, you can add snow skiing to your list of things to do on a vacation to the Big Island Hawaii. There aren't any ski lifts, resorts, or equipment rentals on Mauna Kea, so you'll have to take a 4x4 vehicle to the summit if you want to go skiing or snowboarding. High winds often keep would-be skiers off Mauna Kea, but when the conditions are right, there are few ski-related experiences that can match it.

If skiing or snowboarding isn't your thing, there are many other activities you can enjoy on Big Island getaways. Some of the more popular Big Island activities include deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and whale watching. The leeward side of the Big Island is one of the top places in the world to go deep-sea fishing, and you will do well to head to the Kona and Kohala coasts when looking to do some angling. These coasts are also ideal for snorkeling, scuba diving, and whale watching, thanks to the relatively calm water conditions. Because the leeward side of the Big Island experiences an average of 350 sunny days each year, those who are visiting it can also look to stop at the beaches.

The Big Island might not be known for having the best beaches in Hawaii, but there are still some wonderful ones here. On the Kohala Coast, the beaches at Spencer Beach Park and Anaehoomalu Bay are soft and sandy, not to mention ideal for a range of water sports. On the eastern side of the island, black-sand and green-sand beaches wait to be discovered. While not the best locations for swimming or water sports, these east-side beaches still deserve a look when in the area. You can easily access them when visiting Hilo, which is the largest settlement on the Big Island. When you find yourself in Hilo on Big Island vacations, trips to both Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls are strongly recommended. These waterfalls are stunningly beautiful, and they benefit from the fact that the Hilo area is the wettest in the United States. In other words, don't forget your waterproof gear when planning to explore the Big Island's eastern, or windward, side.

There's so much to enjoy when it comes to Big Island getaways, and you should have no problem keeping busy during your visit. You should also have no trouble finding good Big Island travel deals, especially if you explore the options for Hawaiian vacation packages. There are plenty of fantastic resorts to choose from on the Island of Hawaii, and they tend to offer Big Island travel deals of their own. Should you be planning a Big Island honeymoon, for example, some of the resorts and other hotels here offer an extra night for free. The Big Island is an ideal honeymoon destination, and it can be equally ideal for family getaways and trips with friends. So start planning your Big Island vacation, and come enjoy everything that Hawaii's Island of Adventure has to offer.

Prices start at $225 per golfer, based based on four golfers staying in a two-bedroom villa. This is a pretty good price. Similar Myrtle Beach golf vacation packages at Legends for the same time of year start at $260-$300.

“In addition, those on the package have the option of playing a fourth round for free and pre-booking their replays. “

This just means if you play three rounds on any of the Legends courses, you can play a fourth afternoon round for free on the Heathland, Moorland, or Parkland. Not sure why this wasn’t lumped into the package — 3 nights, 4 rounds certainly sounds better than 3 and 3, doesn’t it? Being able to pre-book replay rounds is nice, too, and they cost just $25.

“The stay and play special package is not available online. It can only be booked by calling Legends at 800-990-8991 or 843-236-9318, and requesting “Winter Special Code WS.”

While I did find this Myrtle Beach golf vacation package online, it’s true that it’s not available at the Legends website (yes, I checked).

“The package enables golfers to play any of the three courses on-site at the resort or the two other Legends courses, Heritage Club and Oyster Bay Golf Links.”

At the Legends resort, the experts at Golf Odyssey recommend Tom Doak’s Heathland Course, P.B. Dye’s Moorland Course, and the Parkland Course, in that order. Note that Oyster Bay (which they say, “has a little bit of everything” including the “need for a facelift,” is toward the far north end of the Grand Strand, while Heritage, featuring “dreamy surroundings” is in the Pawleys Island area to the south.

Did you know? Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey are the world’s only golf publications that conduct “secret shopper” site inspections and do not accept advertising from golf courses, resorts or restaurants in order to provide you with expert, unbiased, and trusted advice.

Not already a subscriber to Golf Vacation Insider? Stay in the loop with our free tips and expert advice on which golf courses, golf resorts, discount golf vacations, and golf vacation packages are truly worth your time and money. As a bonus, we will send you a free copy of Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation, a 40-page book filled with some of the best golf travel secrets from the editors of Golf Odyssey.

•Newsom got engaged to Jennifer Siebel while in the islands nearly two years ago, so it's a romantic getaway;•Jennifer Siebel Newsom's parents, Ken and Judy Siebel, have a house in Hawai'i (apparently on the Big Island, judging by phone listings), so it could be an inexpensive visit;

•Mayor Newsom reportedly owns a small percentage of the 4,400-acre Hana Ranch, on sale for the last year for a mere $65 million, so it might even be a tax-deductible trip.San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has surprised many in the city by beating a retreat to Hawai'i, where his wife and baby daughter were already on vacation, with no warning. But it can't be a surprise that Hawai'i would be his escape of choice, considering:

•Newsom got engaged to Jennifer Siebel while in the islands nearly two years ago, so it's a romantic getaway; •Jennifer Siebel Newsom's parents, Ken and Judy Siebel, have a house in Hawai'i (apparently on the Big Island, judging by phone listings), so it could be an inexpensive visit;Mayor Newsom reportedly owns a small percentage of the 4,400-acre Hana Ranch, on sale for the last year for a mere $65 million, so it might even be a tax-deductible trip.

The all-suite Breezes Grand Resort & Spa Negril is an idyllic escape for couples with two miles of private white sand beach and 22 acres of manicured grounds. Formerly Grand Lido Negril, the Jamaican resort’s doting staff will continue to pamper guests with their renowned service, and those staying in the one-bedroom, luxury and Presidential accommodations can indulge on complimentary 24-hour room service. Guests can also still enjoy the resort’s au naturel side as well as the full service à la carte Blue Mahoe spa, which will now offer its signature manicures and pedicures for an additional fee.

Breezes Resort & Spa Rio Bueno, formerly Grand Lido Braco, will continue to be a perennial favorite with its traditional Jamaican village style, complete with gingerbread-cut buildings and cobblestone streets. New to the hotel is the launch of Braco Village at Rio Bueno, a transformation of the resort’s au naturel side into a private hideaway featuring 52 beachfront suites and a clubhouse open 24 hours serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full-service bar. Breezes guests not staying in the “hotel within a hotel” who would like to make use of the Village’s beach or clubhouse can do so for an additional fee. All guests enjoy Rio Bueno’s Super-Inclusive amenities including complimentary rounds on the resort’s Executive golf course, a selection of fine dining options including French standout Piacere, room service in suite accommodations, cooking classes with the award-winning culinary team and access to the sauna as well as the fitness center with floor-to-ceiling views of the beach.

With the re-branding November 1, has come the changeover of Starfish Trelawny to Breezes Resort & Spa Trelawny, SuperClubs’ newest Super-Inclusive Jamaican resort. Now offering all guests a host of complimentary amenities, including airport transfers, motorized watersports and Kids Club activities, the vacation playground is a sports enthusiast’s heaven. Breezes Trelawny beckons guests of all ages with its four pools, rock climbing wall, four tennis courts lit for night play, trapeze lessons, kayaking and windsurfing. After a long day of frolicking, guests can unwind at one of five bars or with a massage at the à la carte Blue Mahoe Spa.

On October 1, Breezes Panama, located on the southern Pacific coast of the Coclé province in the beach resort community of Santa Clara, opened its doors with 274 rooms and 20 suites. The new property, which is nestled between the beach and tropical gardens, is an ideal getaway for couples and families seeking sun, sand, and rainforest adventures. In easy driving distance to some of the country’s renowned sites, the resort’s tour desk can arrange day trips to Panama City, the Panama Canal and Anton Valley/El Valle. Also for vacationers who love to explore as well as take in some sun Breezes Costa do Sauipe offers singles, couples and families a taste of Brazil through optional excursions, including a visit to Project TAMAR’s sea turtle conservation beaches, horseback riding in the jungle, and day trips to Salvador.

The three resorts that put the Breezes brand name on the map have all undergone recent refurbishments. Located on beautiful Cable Beach, Breezes Bahamas completed a US$10 million upgrade outfitting rooms with plasma TV’s, new mahogany furnishings, renovated bathrooms and soundproof balcony doors last year. Breezes Curaçao, the only Super-Inclusive property on the island, also underwent a US$2 million renovation including building an outdoor playground for its 12,000 sq. ft. Kids Club; revamping guestrooms with 32-inch LCD TV’s and reappointed bathrooms; refurbishing its swimming pools and expanding its beach grill. And Breezes’ flag-ship property, Breezes Runaway Bay completed a US$20 million renovation two years ago, which added verandah suites with private plunge pools, two new freshwater swimming pools and misting pool, as well as a wedding chapel on the beach with carved pews to accommodate up to 40 guests.

If you want some action, go to the popular Long beach. Try Coral Bay [on Kecil island] or the other island - Besar - for smaller, calm beaches like Flora Bay. Try to arrange accommodation well in advance if you travel during the high season, June-August. Best time to go is March-Sept, April-May are the best months to go scuba diving. Avoid going there from Nov-Jan for it could possibly be wet and gray with rough seas.

When I got to the shallower water I looked down to see four black spines hanging out of my thigh! Apparently, I had found my first sea urchin. I pulled out the spines, and immediately started to bleed out of the four little holes. Nico said we should go to the bungalow and use tweezers, but I seemed to remember a similar story told by former Peace Corps Volunteers about an old local man fixing the very same urchin spine problem with a rock and some moonshine. It was something like that. In retrospect, I think I may have dreamed that.

I limped over to the two ladies that run the hotel and showed them what happened, explaining my situation very badly in Malagasy (I said something like “I was swimming and then there were black things here and now my leg is sick”).

They knew what I was talking about, and told me to sit down while they got a needle, and I sent Nico to get a lighter to kill the germs, and some old dude came up and tried to sell me a wooden canoe until he saw the blood, and then he was all about helping too.

So there are now four people crowded around my leg, not including myself, with some strange canoe-selling man poking a needle into one of the holes, and one of the ladies trying to squeeze another one, and then they’re saying that Nico should do it because it’s OK if he hurts me but it’s bad if a stranger causes me pain.

After a few more minutes of poking and bleeding, the ladies decide that there’s actually nothing left in there, that the spines bruised and poisoned the muscle a little but all the parts are out. That’s where we stand now, and I do have four little raised bumps and it sort of hurts, but there’s no sign of paralysis or death. So far.

Yesterday, a lady asked which of my parents is Malagasy. I was walking to town to get some water and rum and coke, because everything is way more expensive in the hotel, and she was walking along too, trying to sell some wooden carved whales and boats and stuff.

I told her I couldn’t buy any right now because they would break in my luggage and that would be sad. I guess she was so surprised to hear me speaking ‘Gasy that she assumed that my family must be from here.

I felt bad about not buying something from her plastic bag because she told me the cyclone last year destroyed her family’s houses, and they still haven’t gotten the money to rebuild. Then I remembered how much the hotel is overcharging and figured out that I couldn’t afford to buy her stuff even if I wanted to.

We’ve had a lovely time here, very relaxing, with some excellent food. I’ve eaten fish for almost every meal. Nico says I am made of fish. Well there are worse things to be made of. Like McDonald’s hamburgers.

This morning we went with Romeo on a canoe tour around the island. He came by yesterday to arrange a time, and showed up early while we were still eating breakfast. He has a bright blue canoe (lakana in Malagasy) that only leaks water a little.

It was a nice trip, albeit a little hot, but I had my trusty hat. Romeo is around 20 years old, has spent his whole life here on Ile aux Nattes, has gotten Malaria several times, and dropped out of school to give canoe tours to pay the school fees for his younger sibling, who is so smart that he hasn’t had to repeat a grade yet (that’s unusual here).

He says his family owns some land on this island, and what he really wants is for someone to build a house on it and then rent it out or live in it, which would give him the money he needs to go back to school so that he can finish his education.

There have been so many times on this trip that I’ve wished I was really rich, and this was another one. Imagine, having a house on this beautiful island that you could live in during part of the year, then rent out to tourists for a week or so at a time, and help this nice kid go to school and do what he wants to do in life. Oh, pipe dreams. We leave tomorrow to go back to Sainte Marie, to stay with some Belgian friends in their lovely studio hotel room and see what we can see on the main island.