Words that come to mind when referring to the island of Mo'orea include ethereal, mysterious, remote, undeveloped and exotic. I've long built up the mystique of this island in my mind based upon stories my mother related from a several month trip she took to the South Pacific in the 1960s. Mo'orea was by far her favorite island in the French Polynesia. While Mo'orea has certainly changed since those days, a visit to the island is like walking … [Read more...]
Budget Things To Do In Sydney, Australia
Sydney is a city people save up to see, and spend years waiting for the opportunity. With great culture and beautiful scenery, it's no wonder why Sydney is so popular. However, it's also a large city that can be daunting to visit if you haven't planned on how to save for the trip or how to budget for the expense that Sydney can bring. No matter how long you're staying, however, you can enjoy a wonderful time in Sydney on a budget by enjoying … [Read more...]
Capping Off a Journey ‘Down Under’ in The Cook Islands
As winter quickly sweeps in and we bid farewell to another magical summer, Australia and New Zealand are gearing up for the start of their tourist seasons, and with them millions of visitors who will make the long journey to discover their wonders. But if you’ve already come this far, cap off your vacation in style with a short eastbound flight over the blue waters of the South Pacific to the magical Cook Islands - where your visit to paradise … [Read more...]
Winding the Watch of Island Time
I was in such a hurry to get to the Micronesian island of Kosrae, such a hurry to see its isolated beauty, such a hurry to begin my first year of teaching—in such a hurry to be out of my old life and in this new. After arriving, I wanted to jump right in, get my new house settled, fill it with food, set up the computer, arrange my classes and office, drive the length and breadth of the landscape and snorkel my fool head off in the island’s … [Read more...]
Fiji: Still the Cannibal Isles
My strange fascination with cannibalism began while I was studying history in graduate school. In a book whose title I have since forgotten (which might indicate why I quit grad school altogether), I read that Nelson Rockefeller's son Michael Rockefeller disappeared when he was 23 years old and that he was possibly cannibalized in Melanesia. At the time, I didn't know which came as a bigger surprise: that the young Rockefeller was most likely … [Read more...]
Club Med: An Unpaid Advertorial Paradise Lost: A Travel Survivalist Kit
Crashing a Club Med in French Polynesia, nonpaying guest intruder John M. Edwards discovers life is no picnic. . . . I awoke on the rooftop of Tahiti’s international airport with a heavy jackboot nudging me in my ribs--! “Monsieur, Monsieur, allons-y!” All of the other sleeping backpackers, alerted by a piping yelp evocative of a vicious French poodle being savagely rogered insensate, rubbed the sleepy seeds from their eyes and gloomily … [Read more...]
Through Death and Sky
“Welcome to Fiji”, announced the captain of the Atlantic Pacific, Boeing 747-400. It had been a 10 hour and 45 minute flight from Los Angeles to Nadi, the third largest municipality on the Viti Levu Isle. Fiji was the first stop of a Cultural-Volunteer Expedition Lead by Carpe Diem followed by, New Zealand, and Australia. Our purpose was to live, learn, and aid, to fully acclimate ourselves in the spirit of Fiji. As the team left the plane, we … [Read more...]
Baggage Handlers Don’t Lie: 20 Tips from The Frontlines
Article courtesy of Travel Just 4U, an Australia Travel Agency that specializes in tailored tours of South America. We Australians tend to have to travel long distances just to get anywhere. So much so that we like to think of ourselves as wizened travelers who know the tricks of the trade. Here are some of our favorite travel tips from the frontlines of baggage handlers at airports. When we travel it’s easy for us to take for granted some … [Read more...]
Fiji Islands, Hot Weather and Warm Hearts
The humid, sugar cane sweetened air hit me with force as I moved from the airplane and into the small airport in Nadi. It made me smile with anticipation. This was my third trip to Fiji and I was determined not to let the almost suffocating weather be an obstacle this time. My previous visits had taught me to forget wearing make-up or styling my hair. Neither would last more than 20 minutes in the wet, high humidity air. In my travel journal I … [Read more...]
Trekking in Remote Papua New Guinea: Kokoda Homestay
Kokoda Homestay was set up by several villages around Kokoda with the help of Bruce, his wife Rosemary and her son Mark (who lives in Australia) as a way for travelers to experience the authentic lifestyle in the area and as a way for travelers to immerse themselves within the local culture. Rosemary taught school in the 1960's here and much later reconnected with some of her students. Bruce will help arrange your homestay and answer any … [Read more...]