Tropical Island Vacations: Palm Trees, Clear Skies, and Saltwater Escapes

It’s easy for visitors to equate paradise with the thousand islands that make up the Maldives. Incredibly, each of the 90 resorts in the Maldives is situated on its own island.

• From the remarkable undersea restaurant of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island to the Four Seasons Maldives annual surfing championship on KudaHuraa, there is plenty to see and do.
• Maldives visitors will find terrific diving and snorkeling around scads of coral house reefs inhabited with colorful marine life.
• Powdery white sand beaches and translucent turquoise waters beckon beachgoers.
• Honeymooners, eco-travelers, and those who can’t get enough of the earth’s natural beauty will find their Shangri-La here in the Indian Ocean.

The Bahamas is a coral archipelago with 700 islands and more than 2000 cays scattered over 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles off the coast of Florida.

• The population of the Islands range from deserted to packed, and the most visited are Grand Bahama and Paradise Island.
• Home to the Andros Barrier Reef, the Bahamas are a scuba divers paradise and some of the best tropical islands to visit in the Caribbean.
• Diving Thunderball Grotto, immortalized in the James Bond movie Thunderball, and the black coral gardens of Bimini are not to be missed.
• The crystal clear waters of the Bahamas are the clearest in the world and offer fantastic visibility of up to 200 feet or more.
• It is a great family vacation spot, with something for everyone: From fascinating historic tours and lavish resorts for ultimate pampering, to fishing, boating, kayaking, diving or doing nothing at all on one of the spectacular white beaches.

Known as honeymooners’ paradise, Bora Bora is a small South Pacific island getaway northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

• From above, it looks like a green jewel dropped into an azure expanse of the ocean, surrounded by tiny islets bordered with bright white sand and a turquoise lagoon ringed by a coral reef.
• It is no less beautiful once you land, with posh resorts in which tiny thatched-roof bungalows are perched over the water, each with a private pool.
• Bora Bora is also a divers’ paradise, with healthy unspoiled reefs rich with sea creatures of all kinds.
• The dormant volcano rises to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point being 727-feet high and offering spectacular views and great hikes.

Oahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kauai are just a 6-hour flight from the West Coast of the United States. If you are looking for tropical getaways in the U.S., Hawaii is an amazing destination, featured in countless movies and offering a diverse range of experiences. There are many luxury resorts in Hawaii, as well as more affordable condo rentals and B&Bs. The most expensive part of the trip is airfare, so it’s a good idea to look for low season prices. If you decide to go during spring break, Labor Day or Memorial Day, don’t wait until the last minute or you may not get a seat. Fly to Oahu where you can spend a night on the famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, or directly to Maui or the Big Island. Many Californians keep a second home on one of the islands, getting away for Christmas, Thanksgiving and other major holidays.

The smaller Turks and large Caicos Islands combine to form the two archipelagos which make up this breathtaking location. These islands are British Overseas Territories, known world over for their fantastic reefs, magnificent beaches and gentle welcoming people.

• Located in the North Atlantic Ocean and about 620 miles from Miami, the islands are an incredibly popular vacationing spot which offer excellent snorkeling, diving, fishing and water sports.
• Most accommodations are located on the island of Providenciales, located in the Northwest Caicos Islands, which offers 12 miles of hotels along the sparkling white Grace Bay Beach.
• This island is known as a party island and features luxury resorts, fancy shops and fine restaurants.
• Other noteworthy islands include North, South and Middle Caicos, Salt Clay and Grand Turk, home to the capital city of Cockburn Town.
• No matter where you choose to spend your relaxing vacation, rest assured it will be spectacularly beautiful and a perfect piece of paradise.

Seychelles is an archipelago made up of 115 islands off the coast of East Africa, located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and about 990 miles east of Kenya. Most of these islands are uninhabited, and many are protected as nature reserves.

• Full of color and beauty, the white sands and turquoise sea create a tranquil setting for a relaxing vacation.
• Seychelles was granted independence in 1976 and quickly became a popular playground for jetsetters, movie stars and honeymooners.
• The biggest and most developed islands are Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Mahe is the largest and arguably the most beautiful, with a dramatic mix of rugged mountains densely covered with tropical old growth rainforests and 65 brilliant white sandy beaches.
• The island is full of small hidden coves and bays to provide solitude, and has a range of excellent hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, cafés and casinos.
• The capital city of Victoria, one of the smallest capitals in the world, is the Seychelles business and cultural hub and can be easily explored by foot in less than a day.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles west of South America and 1,100 miles away from any neighboring island, there is a small Polynesian volcanic island called Easter Island, also known by its indigenous name of Rapa Nui, part of Chile. It is a World Heritage Site, famous for its archeological park containing 900 enormous statues known as Moai.

• These statues, which average 13 feet in height and weigh about 14 tons, were created between the 10th and 16th centuries by the early inhabitants of the island.
• These monolithic stone heads are baffling to researchers who cannot figure out why the Rapa Nui people went through such enormous efforts to create them or how they carved them with primitive tools.
• Another lingering question is what happened to the Rapa Nui people? Rapa Nui’s early inhabitants came from other Polynesian island to this one to build a unique culture away from any influences.
• One theory is that they may have built these statues to honor their ancestors but had to leave once they had completely depleted the island resources.
• Once a thriving culture, Rapa Nui is today almost barren, with no trees and most of its soil being washed away in erosion. All that is left are these enormous monuments as a reminder of human achievement and resilience.

The Cook Islands is a 15-island archipelago nation in the South Pacific, halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, southwest of Tahiti. The islands are scattered across 2.2 million square kilometers of the ocean and 240 square kilometers of land. The Islands’ ancient volcanic peaks, covered with dense vegetation, slope to brilliant white sands and quaint palm-fringed blue lagoons.

Some of the most relaxing vacations mean finding a secluded spot where you can unplug from the stress of modern life. The Cook Islands is a secluded paradise with welcoming people, great dancers, drummers and singers, with strong Polynesian traditions and culture that make visiting the islands so memorable. The largest island and the home of the capital Avarua, is Rarotonga. Avarua is famous for its fascinating churches made of white coral, and don’t miss the islands Saturday market. Northeast of Rarotonga, visitors to Atiu may want to learn about the local “moonshine” known as tumunu at a local bush beer school. Neighboring Mitiaro stands in water 14,750 feet deep and has white coral streets lined with bright orange Pumarumaru trees. Although it is surrounded by coral reefs and is home to many underground caves and lakes, Ma’uke is known as “the garden island.” Finally, the second largest and oldest island is Mangaia, a beautiful location known for its fossilized coral, otherwise known as “makatea.”

This beautiful island is by far the most popular holiday destination in Indonesia. It combines fine sandy beaches, powerful surf, exotic temples, luxurious palaces, miles of verdant rice fields and stunningly beautiful nature. If you get tired of lying on pristine beaches or diving colorful reefs, go inland and visit huge volcanoes and untouched jungles, or pay respect at the Cliffside Uluwatu Temple. Bali resorts are world famous for their opulence and luxury.

For those interested in practicing peace and serenity, Bali is known for its meditation and yoga retreats. For those looking for more action, beachside villages such as Kuta offer a lively night scene, great restaurants and packed dance floors.

Beloved by divers from all over the world, Cebu Island is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations for adventurous tourists. Long and narrow, Cebu Island is located in the Visayas archipelago, more or less in the center of the Philippines Islands. It has a narrow, sandy coastline, limestone plateaus and fertile coastal plains. Rugged mountain ranges soar 3,300 feet at the highest point and a number of hills cut across the island from north to south.

What makes Cebu so attractive is its beaches, spectacular coral atolls, smaller surrounding islands and rich fishing. The best beaches are expanses of white powder-fine sand and the best diving is off the northern tip of the island at Bantayan and Malapascua islands. If you ever get tired of having fun in the sun and frolicking in the emerald clear waters, explore the metropolitan, densely populated Cebu City, with lively bars, diverse restaurants, the fascinating Museo Sugbo, spectacular Basilica Minore del Santo Niño or mesmerizing Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary.