The pearls of praise for the place called Cancún often sheen to dizzying effect. There is no refuting that this stretch of soft sand caressing the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean is the acreage of paradise, a dazzling tropical necklace that evokes powerful, even passionate imagery. The acclaim is true….the beaches, the resorts, the sun, the sports, the shopping, the clubs and bars are laced in lavish profusion, and all so close to a host of … [Read more...]
The South Pacific Cargo Cult of “John Frum”
Dispatch: Coconuts and Campbell's: John M. Edwards traces the origins of the wackily hybrid South Pacific cargo cult of “John Fromm” (or “John Frum”) from the world’s most useful conversation starter. . . . “Where are you from?” “United States.” “What is your name?” “John.” “Hey, I am John, too!” Although the polite fisherman was dressed like a native, in imported out-of-date garb straight out of “That Seventies Show,” I … [Read more...]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...]
Palau Tops Scuba Diving Awards
(January 17, 2013) --- Considered by industry experts and scuba diving enthusiasts as “the best of the best,” Scuba Diving Magazine’s Top 100 Gold List is a “popularity contest” where rankings are based on a total number of responses from global readers and divers. The Top 100 Gold List features operators, resorts, live-aboards, underwater experiences (i.e., best wall, shore and wreck sites), dive bars and more. Here are some of the highlights … [Read more...]
LA Travel & Adventure Show Returns in 2013
The 8th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show Returns to the Long Beach Convention Center January 12-13, 2013 Jean-Michel Cousteau, Rick Steves, and The Bachelor's Chris Harrison among featured speakers LOS ANGELES - November 19, 2012 - California's largest travel show will return to the Long Beach Convention Center on January 12-13, Unicomm has announced. Named as one of Southern California's top 10 trade shows or conventions by … [Read more...]
The Halong Bay Monster
Like Scotland's Loch Ness Monster, Vietnam has its very own sea serpent legend-one which resembles a prehistoric escapee from "Here There Be Dragons" on the edges of Age of Exploration mappa mundi. Trapped in lovely Ha Long Bay ("Where the Dragon Descends into the Sea"), "The Tarasque" is not only a version of Nessie but purportedly just as camera-shy. Featured in the 1997 James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Knows," Ha Long Bay is now a UNESCO … [Read more...]
David Stanley: Traveler & Guidebook Author
David Stanley is a well-heeled travel writer who has written a number of books about the South Pacific for Moon Handbooks. We have admirably followed his career for a number of years. He has been writing guidebooks for over 30 years and has maintained his South Pacific website since the late 1990's. We recently had a chance to ask him about his career, travels and advice in regards to travel writing. Q. You are a prolific writer how … [Read more...]
A Bicycle Built for Two
While I was house-sitting a 15th-century farmhouse in historical Gascony, with a backyard view of the snow-capped Pyrennees, I decided one bracing morning over a cafe du lait to hire a bike and make a pilgrimage to one of France's oddest pilgrimage sites: "NOTRE DAME DES CYCLISTES." Looking decidedly uncool in my fuzzy Patagonia jacket, Tintin T-shirt, Gap shorts, white athletic socks, and Rockport walking shoes, I pedaled like a madman, … [Read more...]
South Pacific Films by David Stanley
Over the past eight decades the paradise isles of the legendary South Seas have provided a backdrop for many Hollywood productions. French Polynesia has been the most popular location by far, followed by Fiji and Samoa. Both Hollywood films set in Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal Diary (1943) starring Anthony Quinn and The Thin Red Line (1999), were about the Pacific War. Easter Island features in Kevin Costner's Rapa Nui (1994) while The Other Side … [Read more...]
Tourism in the Pacific by David Stanley
Tourism is the world's largest and fastest-growing industry, accounting for 10 percent of world economic activity and one in 15 jobs worldwide. Some 750 million people a year currently travel abroad compared to only 25 million in 1950, and each year over 100 million first-world tourists visit developing countries, transferring billions of dollars from North to South. Tourism is the only industry that allows a net flow of wealth from richer to … [Read more...]