Best Time to Visit The Galapagos Islands

Galapagos experiences a Tropical climate. Consequently, you can plan a trip to this Pacific Island at anytime of the year, provided, you are prepared for some unexpected rainfalls.  January and May is the best time to explore this Island.

How to Get to Galapagos Island

There are two airports in Galapagos Islands. These are on the Baltra Island and the San Cristobal Island. There are daily flights to the Island of Galapgos from the Quito, the Capital of Ecuador and from Guayaquil.

Galapagos Islands Tourist Attractions

The Island of Galapagos is unique as it is still evolving, courtesy the active volcanoes here. The Fernandina Island and the Isabela Island are the youngest of the Islands of Galapagos but have volcano erupting as recently as 2009. The lava adds to the Island’s land.

The Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mostly because of its flora and fauna.  Of the many plants, more than 200 species are endemic.

The Island is rich in marine life too. Among the animals and marine life, you have the frigates, the chaffinch of Darwin, terrestrial and marine iguanas and the booby blue legs.

The Island of Galapagos has some fine beaches where you can have some good time sunbathing, swimming or enjoying the cool sea breeze. One of them is the Gardner Bay on Hood Island. Some Islands that’s worth exploring and making a trip to here are the Santa Cruz Island that has the Charles Darwin Scientific Island, the Tubos de Lava – lava tunnels that have solidified and the lookout point of Crocker Hill satnding 860 meters tall.

The Island of Plaza Sur is home sea lions and terrestrial iguanas. In Santiago, you have scenic terrains like volcanoes and beaches like the Sullivan Bat, the Espumilla Beach and the Bucanero Creek – where you can spot seals, sparrow hawk and flamencos.

The Island of Islabela is the largest one here and is still evolving.  At Floreana Island, you can go diving at the La Corona del Diablo Site. For bird-watching, tour the Island of Espanola – home to birds like albatross.  San Cristobal is another Island worth touring.

A rich marine life that include the king angel fish and turtles, and shallow waters give the Islands of Galapagos some of the fine diving and snorkeling sites. Some of the dive and snorkel sites here are the Roca del Pinaculo and the La Corona del Diablo.

There are some good hiking sites here such as the Bartolome summit that’s about 340-foot high, off the Island of Santiago.

A vacation in Galapagos is by all means a treat for nature-lovers and eco-tourists and also those who are really passionate about wildlife. This Pacific Island is surely an adventurous place to be in.

Best time to visit

This tropical Island is good for a tour in the comparatively drier and cooler months of May and November. Nevertheless, the Island is pretty throughout the year, just that you need to be prepared for rains.

How to reach

The Nadi International Airport is the main entry point to Fiji Islands for tourist from most of the International destinations. In the Island’s Capital –Suva, is the Nausori International Airport and serves domestic flights.

Getting around the Island is convenient with local buses and rental cars and cycles available fairly easily.

Viti Levu Attractions

For most of the tourists, the Island of Viti Levu is a base from where they explore other Islands of the Fiji. By doing this, they of course are missing out on a lot of things Viti Levu itself has to offer.

Spend some days at Nadi, a pleasant town with attractions like the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple – a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, the golf courses, trekking sites right outside the city – the Koroyanitu National Heritage Park and the Highlands of Nausori, the Natadola Beach and horse-riding tours, diving and snorkeling tours to Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands, mountain biking tour at the foothills of the Mountain of Sabeto, the jet ride around the River of Nadi and the Garden of Sleeping Giant.

Nadi has some attractions a little away from it as well. Areas worth exploring around are the Viseisei Village, the dive camp and surf of Uciwai Landing and some offshore Islands like the Naisali Island.

In southern Viti Levu are some of the best areas of the Island such as the Momi Bay – a good surf and dive spot, the Island of Robinson Crusoe or Likuri Island good for water-activities like surfing and boating, the secluded beach of Natadola – again a good water-sport site, Yanuca Island – famous for the 14 kilometers long Coral Coast Scenic Railway, the surfing destination of Sigatoka Valley also famous for its sand dunes and its pottery and the offshore Islands such as Beqa – know for its dives sites such as Side Streets  and Vatulele – known for some archaeological sites.

The Fort on Tavuni Hill and the Korotogo and the Kula Eco Park are some other sites worth touring in southern Viti Levu.

Suva is another interesting area to explore on Viti Levu. This is a city of historical sites from the colonial era. There are gardens such as the Thurston Gardens, Colo-i-Suva Forest Park –good for hiking with hikes to Mount Korobaba and sailing in the Korovou Harbour.

Also worth visiting here are the Fiji Museum, the South Pacific University, the Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple and the Suva Municipal Market.

Explore the small Island of Nananu-i-Ra, a getaway destination for Viti Levu – great for water sports, the Rakiraki Village where you have historical sites like Ratu Udreudre’s tomb, the 1917-built Naiserelagi Catholics Mission and the Wananavu Beach Resort.

A good and entertaining way to know the culture of Viti Levu Island is by watching the meke – a story telling dance and drinking kava from a coconut shell!

One of the oldest of about 400 of the Fiji Islands, the Island of Viti Levu is a great vacation destination. The lack of beaches are taken care of by some offshore Islands,  scenic routes to hike, snorkeling and diving sites, cultural centers and of course, the Kava!

When to go

Samoa Islands experience a tropical weather and hence can be visited anytime in the year. The wet season from December to April is when nature is at its best here.

Getting there

The Falelolo International Airport, about 35 kilometers from Apia, Upolu has flights from international destinations like United States of America, Australia, Tonga and Fiji.

Taxis, rented cars and buses are means to get around the Islands. Ferries and ships connect the 13 islands of Samoa.

Attractions

All the Samoan Islands have a characteristic charm.

Upolu Island is known for its beaches such as the Lalomanu Beach. In the interiors here are rainforests you will enjoy walking through. The Capital City of Apia is a metropolis with attractions like food market of Fugalei Street, beach resort and the flea market where you can shop for souvenirs and authentic music of Samoa. Apia also enjoys footie – cricket’s local version and a vibrant nightlife.

The Lotofaga Lagoon is a marine reserve and home to a variety of fishes. You can dive and snorkel here.

Further north of Lalomanu is the Island of Namua where you ca spot the endangered species of Green Turtle. The Nuutele Island south of this beach is the nesting place of seabirds. There is an extinct volcanic crater around that serves as a habitat for flying foxes.

Another Island worth exploring in Samoa is the Manono Island, off the southeastern coast of Upolu by 4 kms.  The Island is home to four pristine fishing villages, archaeological sites such as the 12-point ancient star on Mount Tulimanuiva – the highest peak here measuring 110 meters high and the Grave of 99 Stones in the Village of Lepuiai. These stones represent the 99 wives of Chief Vaovasa.

You can take a 2-hour circular tour of the Island and snorkel in the lagoon here. Another activity that’s also practiced by the locals here is sleeping on beach fales.

Locals here, help organize a guided tour of the Island.

Visit the Savaii Islands for its wetlands sanctuary in the Village of Satoalepai and swim with the turtles here raised by the villagers themselves. Once the turtles grow up, they are left back into the ocean.  Savaii is next in size in Polynesia after the Tahiti Island and New Zealand.  Apart for the sanctuary, the Island is known for scenic features that range from waterfalls, rainforests, caves and beaches. Particularly attractive is the fields of Saleaula Lava that has lava over 50 sq kms that blasted out of the Mount Matavanu some 102 years back.  Other activities you can enjoy in Savaii include diving, snorkeling and surfing or sleeping in the beach fales.

Worth visiting in Samoa Islands are the Falealopu Rainforest Reserve of Savaii and the Uafato Forest Reserve of Upolu. The Tafua Peninsula Rainforest Reserve in Savaii is where you can spot tooth-billed pigeons.

Diving is great in Samoa with about 200 coral species and about 900 species of fishes such as whales and stingrays beneath the waters around. Some of the best diving in Samoa can be experienced around the Island of Aleipata. Fishing is an activity you can take up throughout the year and the Islands of Apia and Savaii offer ample scope for the same.

The archipelago has some excellent surf such as the Lano beach, Ananoa Beach and the Manase Beach in the Savaii Island. Other good surfing spots of Samoa are in Upolu, on its southern coast from Matatufu to Matautu.

A historical landmark of this Island is the home of Robert Louis Stevenson and now a museum in Upolu Island. Of the natural sites, the Alofaaga blow Holes are particularly interesting.

On your vacation to Samoa, you certainly will not have time to waste!

This island got its name courtesy Captain James Cook in 1774.  He was on his second visit to New Zealand and was amazed at the sight of the tall native pine trees and hence the name Isle of Pines.

The New Caledonia Barrier Reef surrounds the island.  A major city is Noumea, which is the capital of the New Caledonia region. The island is just 30 miles from Noumea. The Isle of Pines measures just 15 km by 13 km.  The inhabitants of the land are mostly Melanesian Kanaks with a population of around 2,000.

Another aspect of this tourist destination is it possesses a wonderful animal life. Some of its unique residents include grecko Rhacodactylus leachianus, which is termed as the world’s largest to be found here and Rhacodactylus ciliatus.

Some of the major activities of the place are windsurfing and diving.  The place is guaranteed to take your breath away as seen during the windsurfing Worlds held in 1999 at Caledonia.  It was a sight to see when board sailors, unexpectedly stopped, dropped their sails just to admire the beauty of this island.  This goes to show what the place has and to many it is definitely the ‘Most beautiful place on earth.’  Well, only time will tell, whether this fact comes true, nevertheless, the island is rich in beauty and will definitely rank amongst the world’s most beautiful places.

Traveling to Isle of Pines

Tontouta International airport is the place you need to get into and is around 50 km from Noumea.  Later you need to drive into the Magenta domestic airport.  Hence, it will take some time before you actually reach the island.

As regards to accommodation, you will find various options.  Some of the more popular landmarks are Kou Bugny and Kou Gny.

Which is the best time to visit?

The island is worth a visit throughout the year.  The climate is generally broken into 2 seasons.  The climate is warm during the months from November through March and is followed by cool temperatures from April to October.

The period from November-March sees temperatures in the range of a respectable 22-31 degree Celsius bracket and this is the time when people tend to visit the place in huge numbers.  However, if you are unable to visit the place during these months, you will not be disappointed if you visit the place at some other point of time.

Some of the popular activities on the island are swimming, diving and sailing.

Diving is very popular here, and the unique feature is the inland limestone cave “Satan’s Cave.”  The crystal clear waters only add to the charm here.

In conclusion, the Isle of Pines is a fabulous place to visit.  The best part is there is no particular season during which one can travel to the place.  You can experience the beauty of the place throughout the year.  Also, there are some 20 flights per week operating from Isle of Pines; hence, you can comfortably get a ticket to visit this beauty.  So go ahead and book your tickets to this island.

Best time to Visit

The climate of Whitsunday Islands is tropical and hence has tourists coming in throughout the year. The drier and cooler months from November to April are when tourism peaks here.

Getting there

The Whitsunday Islands are at a distance of about 900 kilometers from Brisbane, Australia and you can cover the distance between the two in about one-and-a-half hours by flight.

There are two airports here – the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine Island and the Great Barrier Reef Airport in Hamilton Island.  These are served by direct flights from Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.  From Sydney, it takes about 2 hours to reach Whitsundays.

You can also take the roadways – the Bruce Highway that connects the Queensland towns, as well as railways.

Getting around the Islands is fairly easy with boats, ferries, planes and cars available for the same.

Attractions of Whitsunday Islands

The 74 Islands of Whitsunday region have some of finest beaches of the Pacific. Among the top rated beaches of the world is the Beach of Whitehaven on the eastern coast of the Island of Whitsunday. Other vibrant beach of this Island is the Airlie Beach, the beaches in Bowen, Proserpine and that of Laguna.

Some of the attractions of the Whitehaven Beach are is small coves and inlets like the Hill inlets. The Tongue Point here is a trail that takes you to a lookout point, offering a view of the 7-kilometers Whitehaven Beach. The white silica sand is protected under a national park. You can always see people coming here on day trips.

Diving and snorkeling is of course, the main attraction of this Island, courtesy the Great Barrier Reef – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Beneath the waters here are about 1500 fish species and 400 coral species.  The marine life here includes dolphins, turtles, manta rays and others.

In the nesting season of July to September, you can see humpback-whales who migrate here.

Some of the dive and snorkeling sites here are the Manta Ray Bay to the north of Hook Island, Stepping Stones and Cathedral Reefs among many others. There are alleys under the water and many other interesting formations.

For those who like it unplanned, the Whitsundays have a number of camping sites, one of them being the famous Whitehaven Beach.

Sailing along the Islands of Whitsunday leaves you with a mesmerizing experience. The archipelago has more than 120 anchorages to dock the yachts, ships, boats and ferries. Cruising to the Whitsunday Island, the South Molle, the Getaway Island of Hayman, and the resort Island of Hamilton and the Backpackers’ Island – the Hook Island is something all tourists include in their itinerary of Whitsundays.

Hiking is another activity tourists enjoy here. In fact, walking through the Islands is the best way to explore them. There is a hike to a lookout point the Hill inlet that offers spectacular view of the Island of Whitsunday and the beach of Whitehaven. You can also hike through the forests and national parks here.

If you have quite a lot of money, you must take helicopter or a seaplane tour of the Island that gives you a view you will remember forever.

All the Islands of Whitsunday region have something peculiar to offer to the tourists. The white silica sand of the Whitehaven Beach and other pretty beaches, the national parks, the vibrant and rich life beneath the waters around the Island, the Great Barrier Reef and the snorkeling and diving sites, the scenic hikes and the cruising and sailing experience around the 74 Islands of Whitsunday, all of these and the Island’s ambience – offers a trip that’s worth making.

Best Time to Visit Kangaroo Island

The Kangaroo Island, with a tropical climate, is a destination for all seasons.

How to Get to Kangaroo Island

The Kangaroo Island is fairly accessible. Ferries bring you here regularly from Adelaide and the Peninsula of Fleurieu.  The Kingscote Airport here is served by a regular 30-minute flight from Adelaide. To get around the Island, you can bring your own car by ferries, rent one here or use the coach services that operate here.

Kangaroo Island Tourist Attractions

These are some of the activities you can enjoy at Kangaroo Island.

• Get to know the wildlife here. The Kangaroo Island is home to a rich wild life in its National Parks and Conservation areas. Some of the major parks here are Flinders Chase National Park known for its remarkable rocks, Admiral Archs and walking trails; Kelly hill Conservation Park known for its caves and hikes, Seal Bay Conservation Park that’s the only accessible colony of Australia Sea Lions and the Cape Willoughby Park that has the first lighthouse built in South Australia.

• Hike through the Island’s scenic terrain. Some of the walks and treks worth treading on are the Cliff-top Hike at Cape Borda, the Hanson Bay hike at Kelly Hill conservation Park that is 18 kilometers in all, the Ironstone Hill Hike, the Fish Cannery Walk, the Weirs Cove Hike, the walks in the Murray Lagoon and the Kangaroo Island Circum Navigation that includes about 509 kilometers of coastline.
• Relax at the beaches here. The beaches of Kangaroo Island are some of the finest ones in Australian Islands. Some good ones are Vivonne Bay, Antechamber Bay, the Baudlin Beach, Browns Beach, Island Beach, Flour Cask Bay, Pennington Bay, Kingscote, Emu Bay, Stokes Bay, Scott Bay, Hanson Bay and the Bales Bay to name a few.
• Indulge in water-sports. The waters around the Kangaroo Island are great for snorkeling, swimming, diving, surfing and sailing as well.  Beneath the waters are some beautiful marine creatures like the Blue Devil and Harlequin. There are about 50 shipwrecks here of which only few are accessible. While cruising around, you can see dolphins pass you by. Fishing too is popular here.
• Take a historical or educational tour. The Island has some historical sites and cultural centers that are worth a visit. Some of these are the historic Reeves Point, Hope Cottage Folk Museum, Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, Frenchman’s Rock at the east end of Penneshaw Beach, Parndana Soldier Settlement Museum, Penneshaw Maritime and Folk Museum and the many lighthouses such as the 27 meters high lighthouse at Cape Willoughby that was the first one to be built in South Australia in 1852, the 1858-built Cape Borda Lighthouse and about 50 shipwrecks, few of which are great diving sites.

• Explore the cave systems of Kangaroo Island. Worth touring is the Kelly hill Caves in Flinders Chase National Park.
• Rent a bike or cycle and tour the Island.
• Try sand-boarding. In the center of the Kangaroo Island is Little Sahara – a bush land where you have magnificent sand dunes arising and forming the slopes.
• Enjoy the cuisine of Kangaroo Island, which centers on the very famous Litgurian honey, artisan cheeses, fresh oysters, lobsters and wines.

This Australian Island offers you a complete tour package. There are beaches to sit by, water sports for an adrenaline rush, hikes through scenic routes, historical sites to give you a glimpse of the past, museums to tell you more about the Island, a rich wildlife and national parks over one-third of the Island and some good food to enjoy at the end of the day!

Best time to visit

Island of Rarotonga along with other Islands in the southern part of Cook enjoys a tropical climate. You can plan your trip here at anytime of the year, though it sees maximum number of tourists in the months of April-May and September-October.

How to reach

The Cook Islands are easy to access and in fact, tourism is an integral part of their economy. The Rarotonga International Airport is the main entry point to any of the southern Cook Islands. It is connected to the neighbouring Islands and to the neighbouring countries too. From Los Angeles, there are weekly flights to Rarotonga.

Other means of getting here are ferries or yacht. In the Island, you can get around by taxis, rent a car, or rent scooter or a bike to get around by yourself. The 15 of the Cook Islands are also connected by boats and cruises.

Rarotonga Tourist Attractions

There is an interesting a unique way of touring Rarotonga and that’s taking a circular tour of about 32 kilometers around the Island on what is called the Marine Drive. It’s a pretty Island apt for a holiday. Here’s a list of what you do when in Rarotonga.

• Sit by the sandy-beaches, lined up by palm trees or enjoy water-sports like snorkeling and diving in the clear waters that surround the Island with reefs and are a habitat of a huge population of fishes.
• Hike the mountains and the nature trails here – passing through the wild flora like vanilla, orchids, shampoo plants etc. There is an ancient pool supposed to be used by the warriors once, where now people take a dip as a ritual. The nature walk requires about 4 hours from you.
• Visit the church here, like the Islanders. A simple pleasure! The Cook Islands Christian Church here, built in 1855, is a historical structure here. On its main entrance is the grave of Sir Albert Henry, the late Prime Minister of Cooks Island. Another grave nearby is that of American-born writer-Robert Dean Frisbie.

• Get a sense of the culture of this Island. Talk to the locals to know about eastern Polynesian lifestyle and visit the Cook Islands Cultural Village that gives you a glimpse of life here. It also organizes a half-day and full-day circle island historical tour that you need to pay for.
• Visit the landmarks here. These are the Takamoa Theological College established in 1842 by the London Missionary Society that still has the Takamoa Mission House. A must visit historical place here is the Sir Geoffrey Henry National Cultural Centre (or the Te Puna Korero). This was built in 1992 for the South Pacific Festival of the Arts and also houses Civic Auditorium, the National museum and the National Library- both worth visiting for their collections. Some other places worth a visit are the Banana Court – once a watering hole, the Tupapa Sports Ground where rugby flourishes and Taputapuatea marae – a 19th century palace of Queen Makea Takau Ariki.
• Explore the Punanga Nui Market and the Beachcomber Ltd. for souvenirs. The latter was built in 1843 and restored in 1992.
• Stroll at the waterfronts and the two harbours of this Island – Avatiu Harbour that is the commercial port and the Avaru Harbour that’s meant on for small boats.

• Relax. The rainforests, mountain peaks that reach 653 metes and the shorelines help you do so.

With these eight activities and much more, this Island definitely is a perfect destination for you if you are seeking a happy and a well-spent vacation.

Best time to visit Cozumel

The Island of Cozumel experiences a sub-tropical and humid climate and the average annual temperature here is about 27 degree Celsius. Summers are when most of the tourists land up here, though weather here is fine all through the year for a trip.

How to Get to Cozumel

The International Airport at Cozumel is connected with some major international carriers like Continental and US Airways. In the peal season though, you need to fly to Cancun and then get on a flight to Cozumel – a journey which takes about 15 minutes. You can also take a connecting flight from Merida and get to Cozumel in about 40 minutes.

If you are choosing the waterways, ferries for Cozumel start off from Playa del Carmen or Puerto Aventuras and bring you to Cozumel in about an hour or two.  From Cancun, there are hovercraft services as well to this Island.

Cozumel Tourist Attractions

The Cozumel Island is home to some good beaches, well-equipped with all the required facilities. Of these, the significant ones are Playa Mia, Mr. Sancho’s, Paradise Beach and Playa Bonita among others.

Cozumel is the diving paradise of Mexico and the best diving destination in the western hemisphere, courtesy clarity of the waters and the reefs here. Most of the Island comes within the Reefs National Marine Park. The Palancer Reef here is one of the best diving site in the world, along with other sites like Balones of Chancanab, the Francesca Reef, the Santa Rosa Reef, the Paradise Reef, the Columbia Reef, the Maracaibo Reef and the Virgin Wall.

Snorkeling in the Island’s west side, boat tours, glass-bottom tours, fishing and sailing are other water-related activities you can enjoy here.

Life beneath the water include coral mountains, cliffs, caves with stalactites and stalagmite formations, tunnels, sponges and sea fans as well as a variety of fish like the giant groupers and the angel fish.

The Chankanaab National Park, with its dolphin pools, an underwater tunnel connected to the sea, a beach where you can sunbathe and snorkel and a botanical garden, should definitely be on your itinerary. The Punta Sur Ecological Reserve is another attraction of Cozumel, on the south of the Island. Along with an information centre, the Reserve has its own beaches where you can enjoy snorkeling among other activities.

The Island has attractions off the waters too. You can take an excursion tour to San Gervasio, to the significant site of the Maya ruins, which though are not here on a very large scale. To get a closer look at the Island, you can visit the Museo de la Isla de Cozumel – a museum dedicated to the history of the Island. On display here are illustrations on endangered species, Cozumel’s origin, flora and fauna of the Island, artefacts that tell the story from the Colonial era such as swords and there is also a rooftop restaurant here.

Cozumel Carnaval is another pull for tourists here.

The pristine beaches, calm waters with a beautiful life ready to be explored underneath, some ancient ruins – all this creates just the right, soothing ambience that people take a vacation for.

When to visit

Porquerolles has a temperate Mediterranean climate. Tourism here picks up in the summer months from May to September, though winters too are not a bad time to visit this sunny Island.

How to reach

The best and most convenient way of reaching Porquerolles is via its waterways. You can get on one of the ferries departing from port of Giens-La Tour Fondue on the provinicial coast, close to the Gulf of Hyeres. This is a 15-minute trip. You can also catch the ferries to this Mediterranean Island from the port of La Lavandou, which takes about 40 minutes of journey time.

The Island has no airports and interestingly, the main mode of transport on this small Island is the Bicycle.

hyeres Tourism Attractions

Porquerolles is home to some beautiful sandy-beaches, especially on its northern coast. Some of the beaches here are the Plage de la Courtade, the Plage de Notre-Dame in the east and other smaller beaches in the coves. These are also the good sites to go for water sports like underwater diving, surfing and sailing.

In the south, the waterscape includes vertical cliffs rising out of the sea, calanques, rocky points, gorges and hills. The southern coasts are inviting for snorkelers and the divers keen to see wrecks.

The Porquerolles Village is a resort, complete with yacht harbour, port and eating-joints. Worth a look here is the St Agatha’s Fort that dates back to the 16th century – it was built on the ruins of a former castle and the village church, on the top of a hill.

There is also a lighthouse here built in 1837.It gives a fantastic view of the Island and the Sea.

This Island is a perfect place to walk through or cycle around with some botanical gardens, natural pines, eucalyptus hugging the way you take and also the 200 hectares of vineyards – the Cote de Provence wines. The Conservatoire Botanique National de Porquerolles protects the vineyards and the Island. The National Mediterranean Botanique Conservatory has some interesting variety of fruits. The cicadas enchant you with their songs in summers.

You can even go fishing and fishing gear can be rented here.

It’s perhaps the greenest Island of this region with lush vegetation and come under the Port-Cros National Park.

This is the place for you if what you are planning for a vacation that’s relaxing and a rejuvenating.