isl ands.

com/discover � see more editors’ picks � book resorts and tours � search our archive

b r u n o m o r a n d i / g e t t y i m ag e s
Sailing Away and Away In Indonesia, Bali has the mystique, Komodo has
the dragons and Sumbawa now has the islands feature article (page 56). But tucked away in the
world’s largest island nation is Rutong Island — and this beach. The quiet location is perfect for a
picnic lunch that’s bookended by morning sailing and afternoon snorkeling. To find your
get here
way here, start with the 17,508 islands. Fly to Bali for your pick of many tours that explore
the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. One such 14-day excursion by Komodo Flores
Rutong Travel heads east by ferries to Sumbawa, then on to the wonders of Komodo National
Park, of course. While other travelers often turn back at that point, pushing farther east leads to
Flores island, an adventurous, little-developed island with a 1,500-foot-deep volcanic-crater lake,
15-foot-long pythons and miles of green mountains. There, a drive past rice fields and rivers to
the north shore of Flores leads to Pulau Tujuh Belas marine reserve, a small archipelago known
as 17 Islands. Sail to Rutong, and you’ll finally be on this white sand, a peaceful sliver in those 17
islands that themselves are a sliver in the 17,000-plus. And you won’t find any dragons or tourists
nipping at your heels. Tour rate starts at $2,930. komodoflores.com — chris tauber

14
S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
 discover

400 Years in the Making

travel to bermuda this fall, and you may notice
something’s different: Drumming echoes through the island’s
narrow streets as a wave of gyrating colors and headdresses with
peacock feathers parades past. From the cap-
go now
ital city of Hamilton to charming historic St.
George’s Island, dotted with pastel-­colored
Bermuda buildings, nautical pride and cultural heritage
fill the crisp, fresh air. It’s all part of a yearlong, island-wide cel-

F r o m Top : g av i n h e ll i e r / co r b i s ; co u r t e s y S UBI O S ; r e b e cc a e m e r y /
ebration of Bermuda’s 400th anniversary.

j u p i t e r i m ag e s ; co u r t e s y S a lt sp r i n g i sl a n d a ppl e f e s t i va l
Learn more about those centuries with a visit to the Bermuda
National Gallery in Hamilton. Fine-art exhibitions showcase
the island’s history visually — from furniture made by the first
English colonists to black-and-white photography of people and
architecture at the turn of the 20th century to abstract modern
art that reflects the island’s vibrant present. The story unfolds
further at the annual Gombey Festival (Oct. 4). Dancers per-
forming 18th-century rituals with rhythmic drums, whistles,
whips, masks and mirrors reveal the island’s African influence.
Ride the bus on winding roads, or take a small ferry over tur-
bask in history at the Granaway Guest House & Cottages, quoise waters to Bermuda’s west end. Visit the Royal Naval
an 18th-century manor with cedar beams and antique ­silver. Dockyard and enjoy the Bermuda Tattoo (Oct. 22), a mili-
watch a colorful (and musical) military parade during the tary event that combines world-class armed units, ceremonial
Bermuda Tattoo at the Royal Naval Dockyard. take an uniforms, music and dance.
artistic journey through the island’s history at the Bermuda There’s no better time to let
National Gallery. Learn more at www.bermuda2009.bm Bermuda’s history wash over
you. — lola akinmade
also this month
-
» Marine Movies » Conch Crazy » Apple a Day
Meet hundreds of fish dur- Crack, string or simply Challenge yourself to try
ing the Seychelles’ SUBIOS eat your food at the eighth more than 120 varieties
(Sub Indian Ocean Sey- annual South Andros Conch of apples at Salt Spring
chelles) Underwater Film Festival (Oct. 10-12). Held Island’s Apple Festival
and Image Festival (Oct. in Mars Bay, on the south (Oct. 4). Salt Spring is the
2-4). Created to promote end of Andros Island in the organic gardening capital of
marine-based tourism to the Bahamas, this extravaganza Canada, and this 11th annual
islands, the festival is cel- of all things conch plans celebration of its prized crop
ebrating its 20th anniversary. to attract more than 500 (favorites are the apples
By day, explore some of the revelers this year. They’ll that are red on the inside) is
world’s oldest underwater celebrate the different full of activities. Base camp
granite formations on diving ways to prepare and eat is at Fulford Hall, where
and snorkeling expeditions. this tasty mollusk. If you go, you can chat with apple
By night, watch films and be sure to try the popular experts, watch historical
presentations by local and Conch Fregagie, made with re-enactments and buy a
international guest speak- coconut and fresh veggies. homemade pie. The island’s
ers at hotels on Mahé Island. And see how your conch- 15 apple farms will also be
Cheer for your favorite fish ­cracking skills match up open and waiting for your
film or photo on Oct. 4 when to the local pros’ in the arrival — with tasty samples,
the competition winners are cracking contest, a festival naturally. ­­­saltspringmarket
announced. subios.com highlight. bahamas.com .com/apples ­— amy cassell

16 S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
 discover
A zesty jaunt
Zanzibar Island beckons with the
sweet smell of spices. The aroma
is so important that schools and
offices shut down
tour
twice a year so every-
one may climb trees
Zanzibar and fill coconut bas-
kets with piles of cloves. Explore
the island’s legendary mingling
of African, Arabian and Asian
cultures with a walking spice tour
in the village of Kizimbani. At
Bahama Spice Farm in the center
of the island, a local guide named
Hamadi (which literally means
“spice”) peels cinnamon from the
bark of a tree, digs up the under-
ground stems of turmeric, reveal-
ing its golden-hued insides, and
displays nutmeg resembling an
art object. Fragrant scents waft
through the air as your guide
shares folk-medicine factoids:
Lemongrass repels mosquitoes
and heals headaches, while clove
oil relieves muscle pain and sore
gums. Go home with remedies
— and maybe a spicy packet of
cloves. From now on, your spice
cabinet will always conjure up the
delicious scent of Zanzibar. Four-
hour tours start at $25. zanzibar
tourism.net — iris brooks
18
Mist Matters
carved by lava and rich in
minerals, natural hot springs are
a fresh-air retreat and a sacred
place of healing. In
Taiwan, they’re also stay
a quick dash out of
the city. Just a half- Taiwan
hour train ride north of central
T’aipei, Beitou is like any other
bustling suburb — with steam
rising from the sidewalks.
Stay among the rising mist
at the five-suite Villa 32. The
silence in the peaceful, muted
rooms leaves only the sound of
trickling water in eight pub-
lic baths lit by submerged lan-
terns or the geothermal-fed tub of
your suite. Sit on the spa terrace for
Beitou’s best view of Hell Valley. At
dusk, switch to the terrace of the hotel’s
clockw i s e f r o m l e f t: r o b flocc a / j u p i t e r i m ag e s ; co u r t e s y v i ll a 3 2 ( 2 ) ; co u r t e s y l e m É r i d i e n r e so r t b o r a b o r a
Italian restaurant and devour fat French
oysters while watching the layered
mountains slowly blend into the dark-
ening sky. Come morning, see Aborigine artifacts in the Ketagalan Culture
Center, get a hybrid spa treatment that merges Chinese meridian therapy with
Western massage technique or hire a cab to Yangmingshan, the nearby national
park. Wherever you find yourself, turn your gaze — and your camera — down
into the swirling mist. Rates start at $480. www.villa32.com — jean tang
More hot hotels in the hot-springs region � Bask in your mineral-rich
soaking tub (not your bed) at the Whispering Pine Inn, a resort that actually
features a moat. 886-2-2895-1531 � Enjoy hot-springs comfort laced with
big-city style at the Spring City Resort. www.springresort.com.tw
Swim Out of Your Shell Seeing turtles
at the Le Méridien resort on Bora-Bora
isn’t luck. Dozens of green sea turtles
cruise an inner lagoon here,
activity
and snorkelers are welcome
to join them — or even adopt
Bora-Bora them. The pool serves as
the ­resort’s Turtle Sanctuary, a refuge in
which young and injured turtles remain
protected from predators and p ­ oachers.
Once you’ve gotten to know your shelled
“godchild,” follow its growth online and see
it released into the wild. You’ll both feel
lucky. boraboraturtles.com — eddy patricelli
S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
 discover

coinage
This year, the U.S.
Mint is releasing
five commemora-
tive quarters for
the nation’s
did you
know island ter-
ritories of
American Samoa,
Guam, Puerto
Laced with Details With all its winding roads and changing Rico, ­Northern
landscapes, Tenerife in the Canary Islands begs for a closer look. And so
does its most beloved handicraft: open lacework. The designs are created Mariana Islands
by pulling threads from a piece of cloth attached to a wooden and the U.S.
gift
frame. Watch the abstract patterns take shape at La Casa de los
Balcones in the northern town of La Orotava. The three-story ­Virgin ­Islands.
Tenerife house, built in 1632, is now a museum and workshop that mirrors
Each of the ­designs
the lace itself with ornately carved wooden balconies that open to a cen-
tral courtyard. Wander through the museum, which showcases Tenerife’s ­reflects that island’s
craft-work traditions, and see artisans mastering the art of open lacework, ­language and
weaving white doilies and tablecloths rimmed with intricate borders. Stop
by the gift shop, but don’t just browse inside. Each of these pieces was ­culture — all for
meant to be seen up close. casa-balcones.com — adrienne egolf only 25 cents. Talk
about a bargain.

Tending to Tradition
On Hawaii, everything has meaning —
from off-the-airplane leis to hotel hula
dances. But even traditions this popular

F r o m l e f t: z ach s t ova ll ; j o n wh i t t l e ; b o b b y h a as / n g s i m ag e s
need safeguarding. Help
eco-tourism
preserve your favorite
Hawaii custom at the
Big Island Big Island’s Volcano Art
­Center. The art gallery, learning center Panamanian Giant
and performance space in Kilauea All of the adventure associated with Panama’s largest island, your visit to this dungeon-turned-paradise, bargain with any
have protected Hawaii’s best for 35 Isla de Coiba, used to involve getting off it. Today, the thrill of a dozen local lancha speedboat operators for a day trip,
years. Sit fireside while listening to of this island is in getting to it. For 85 years, snakes, croco- including visits to 100 percent wild neighbors Isla Jicarón
ancient folktales; weed non-native kahili diles and sharks deterred prisoners from and Jicanita. The abandoned prison cells of the colony sport
ginger in an old-growth forest; give secret island
escaping this infamous penal colony off the brightly painted graffiti and can be viewed at one’s leisure
the ukulele a go; or watch Na Mea southwest coast of Panama. In 2004, the since no official tour exists. Stay overnight in one of the few
Hawaii (“Things Hawaiian”) Hula Isla de Coiba colony closed and Coiba (along with 38 cabins. The basic accommodations are conveniently located
Kahiko performances on a sacred pa other islands) became protected within a marine preserve. next to the ranger’s building, so you’ll feel secure on this
hula platform. Your next lei ceremony Suddenly, Coiba’s untrammeled beaches, verdant wilds and otherwise undeveloped island. But make sure to watch out
will mean even more. Classes start at copious freshwater streams seemed more like prizes than for the island’s old security system, Tito, the 12-foot resident
$35. volcanoartscenter.org — kelly lack punishments and caught the eye of island travelers. To plot crocodile. He bites. ­coibanationalpark.com — rdw

20 S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om 21
 discover
Stellar Slack Key
Think the ukulele is the only instru-
ment with aloha spirit? Try Hawaii’s
other sound: slack-key guitar. Wednes-
day nights at 7:30, Maui’s
listen Napili Kai Beach Resort
Maui showcases the music created
by painolo, Hawaiian cow-
boys, in the 19th century. It involves
de-tuning or “slacking” the strings
of a classically tuned guitar until
the six strings form a single chord.
“Uncle” George Kahumoku Jr. hosts
the Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar Concert Series. His resume
— singer, songwriter, farmer, former
high-school principal — gives him
plenty to talk story about in between
performances by slack-key masters
and up-and-coming strummers. As
you mingle with the artists and ease
into the mostly local audience, you’ll
feel like a guest at a family gathering.
Pick up one of the Grammy-winning
albums recorded at past shows, such
as Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar. The softly twanging sounds
are anything but “other.” Tickets are
$47. napilikai.com — lori barbely
22
Gourmet Cruising Forget buffets. Here are some
of our favorite, unexpected dishes to look out for on
your next island-hopping cruise. – ashley fraxedas
Alaska’s islands
with All Aboard
Yacht Charters
ON THE MENU There’s noth-
ing frozen or farm-raised
aboard this ship. Dinners
of salmon, halibut and
Dungeness crab taste
better since you’ll be the
one reeling them in. But
don’t worry — the crew
will provide the tackle,
bait your hook and net the
fish. Then the resident
chef will happily create
something magical with it.
CHEF ON BOARD For more
than 10 years, Albert J.
Coppula has worked on
private and commercial
yachts in Seattle and
Alaska. He knows his
way around a crab.
island itinerary Among
the many island high-
lights, visit the beaches of
Prince of Wales Island, get
up close to the resident
bears of Admiralty Island
and watch for whales off
the coast of Mitkof Island.
next sail date Ketchikan
to Juneau departs May 20,
2010. alaskacharters.com
Greece’s Islands with
Silversea Cruises
ON THE MENU This cruise
is all about authentic
Greek cuisine. Start your
feast with a cheese-pie
­appetizer of tyropitakia
and soupiorizo, like ­risotto
with squid. Switch to your
second stomach for pork
souvlaki and pasticcio, a
meaty baked pasta. Still
hungry? Dessert is a
traditional baklava.
CHEF ON BOARD Laurent
Austrui has traveled the
world, mastering the
kitchens of renowned five-
star resorts. He balances
his global knowledge with
recipes straight from
Greek chefs and locals.
ISLAND ITINERARY ­Sail from
Corfu to Crete to Rhodes
to Míkonos, with main-
land stops in between.
next sail date Rome to
Athens aboard the Silver
Wind departs Oct. 30.
silversea.com
Caribbean with
Star Clippers
ON THE MENU Thiscruise
combines the best of the
Caribbean — beautiful
S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 isl a n d s . c om
clockw i s e f r o m l e f t: lo r i b a r b e ly; e . ja n e a r m s t r o n g / j u p i t e r i m ag e s ; w i ll i a m r e av e ll / s t ockfoo d ; r oss d u r a n t / j u p i t e r i m ag e s
beaches and fresh, spicy
food. When moored off
islands like Jost Van Dyke
or the Tobago Cays, guests
go ashore on Zodiacs for
a beachside barbecue.
Chefs grill up fish, fowl and
produce purchased that
morning from local markets
— think chicken and chutney
with Scotch-bonnet chilis,
thyme, fresh mango and
allspice, all grilled in steel-
drum charcoal pots. There’s
even a mobile bar, so the
rum punch never stops.
CHEF ON BOARD Devon
Hodges lives for beach
barbecues so he can inter-
act with guests.
ISLAND ITINERARY ­Hit some
less traveled Caribbean
locales like the Grena-
dines (including Bequia),
Grenada and Martinique.
next sail date Round-trip
from Barbados on the
Royal Clipper departs
Nov. 14. starclippers.com
 discover

hiking on history Sea of Poppies

Sure, you can see as the title implies, most of this book by amitav
pottery carbon-dated Ghosh takes place at sea. But it’s the places that aren’t pres-
1,590 B.C. in Suva’s Fiji ent, the islands in the distance, that really drive the spirit of
Museum. But Sea of Poppies. For the motley crew of passengers
art
take a bushwalk read
on board the Ibis, a ship traveling from the banks
on Robinson of the Ganges River to Mauritius, their destina-
Fiji Crusoe Island, tion represents dread and hope, promise and punishment.
also called Likuri, and Much of this book, the first in a trilogy set during the 19th-
you may find a piece at century Opium Wars, serves to introduce the collection of
your feet. After a short coolies, convicts and sailors who find themselves together on

boat trip from Viti Levu,
step onto ground that’s
been considered sacred
for thousands of years.
Walk humbly and you
may discover a fragment
of rust-colored pottery called Lapita. Named after
Fiji’s earliest settlers who came to the islands
3,000 years ago, the shards of ancient basins and
water jugs lay on the ground in the place where
they were last used. So tread carefully: History lies
underfoot. Bushwalk tour starts at $45. robinson
crusoeislandfiji.com — sherry ballou hanson
f r o m l e f t: s t e v e a lva r e z / n g s i m ag e s ; j o n wh i t t l e
the Ibis. And Ghosh’s exhaustive re-
search is evident; the historical details
— from the dank, hypnotic air outside
an opium factory to the sailors’ mys-
tifying pidgin — are woven ­expertly
throughout this tale. It all sheds new
light on island paradises like Java,
Bali and, of course, Mauritius during
a time when the Indian Ocean was
better known as the Black Water and
when to many “the West” referred to
India. It’s a gripping journey that any
traveler will appreciate. — ae

Join ISLANDS editors for

the trip of a lifetime
Departing March 1, 2010

Enjoy this cruise specially tailored for ISLANDS readers, with immersive
experiences in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and much more.
Ê ÝVÕÈÛiʈ̈˜iÀ>ÀÞÊUÊ >ÀÞ‡LœœŽˆ˜}Ê`ˆÃVœÕ˜ÌÃÊUÊ-«iVˆ>Ê>ˆÀv>ÀiÃÊUÊ-
-ʺ ÕiʈÃÌ»Ê܈˜˜iÀ

For more information or to win your way aboard, visit islands.com/tripofalifetime

To book your trip, call 877-ORION-US (674-6687)
Special code: 0301172010