As a kid I stared at maps and read books about pirates. I spent many barefoot summers on an island in Canada. As a high school student in the late 60's, I hitchhiked across the USA and Canada - hey, it was the only way I could afford to get around. Then I became responsible and kept relatively dormant until I was about 34. First Mexico, then Europe, then my first job overseas. Since then, I have never looked back. Almost 30 years later, I have lived in eight different countries on five different continents. I only say this to explain my obsession. At times I have been asked when I am going to settle down. My answer is, "I have."
Steeped in history, dominated by towering volcanoes and dotted with national parks, coffee and tea plantations, East Java has a lot to offer in a small area.
There I sat on the porch of my Robinson Crusoe-styled beach shack perched on a small bluff under towering Kenari trees, looking out at the Banda Sea. I smiled. Not a normal smile, but an ear-to-ear smile, big enough to snap off the top of my head. I had made it…
The Maldives are dreamy. There are about 1,200 islands in the Maldives and about 200 are inhabited. We went to Mirihe, an island only 350 meters long out in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Out in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, dreamy is the word, no shoes required, only flippers.
The Mola Mola, often referred to as the Ocean Sunfish, is the heaviest fish in the ocean. They typically reside in very deep water, too deep for divers. However, every year between August and October the molas, get within 30 meters of the surface off the coast of Nusa Penida near Bali. These magnificent creatures can grow up to five meters long. Since they are almost perfectly round, it’s kind of like watching a Volkswagon Beetle go by. Check out this video!
Raja Ampat is the Holy Grail of dive spots in Indonesia, if not the world. See the video.
A chain of hundreds of islands of jungle-covered islands, stringing off the “bird’s head” coast of West Papua, Raja Ampat is home to some of the most biodiverse reefs on the planet.
WHERE2? 