photo credit: Shayan (USA)

Welcome to Dominica – Land of the Sisserou Parrot!

Eco-tourism in Dominica

Did you know- One of the most attractive natural wonders for visitors to the Island is the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from being home to abundant rainforests and wildlife, this park boasts the second-largest boiling lake on Earth. However, the Island has other amazing landscapes: for example amazing beaches, waterfalls, rivers, old towns, and spectacular mountains.

The coastline of Dominica is also rich in marine life. Finally, about 70 percent of the Island consists of protected rainforests, one the highest of the world’s developing countries, along with Suriname and Gabon.

Democracy in Dominica

Did you know – The Island has had more than 30 years of democratic governance, a great example in the Third World, where there are few democratic states. In the meantime, it also has one of the most peaceful societies in the Western Hemisphere.

Geography of Dominica

Did you know – The Island of Dominica, shaped like a tobacco leaf, is located in eastern Caribbean (Americas). The Commonwealth of Dominica, has an area of 300 square miles ( 754 km2),making it the 188th -largest country on the planet (between the Netherlands Antilles and the Kingdom of Tonga).

This English-speaking country is made up mainly of mountains and rainforests, while much of the rest of the Island is covered by spectacular beaches. There are many lakes and rivers. Finally, Dominica should not be confused with the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking country in the Caribbean.

Rosseau

Did you know -  Rosseau is the capital city of the Caribbean Island. Most of Dominica’s population lives in the capital.

Wild Birds of Dominica

Did you know- The Island is home to one of the continent’s greatest varieties of birds, including bananaquits, grey kingbirds, red-neckeds, frigatebirds, siffleurs, barn owls, brown pelicans, yellow warblers and plumbeous warblers. The Sisserou Parrot – Dominica’s national bird– is one of the several species of exotic birds that can be found in the tiny island of Dominica. This exotic bird is one of largest parrots on the planet.

Human Development in Dominica

Did you know- The year 1997 was a great year for Dominica. Why? Because of its exemplary democratic system and its education and social welfare this English-speaking Island ranked 41 of 175 countries and territories in the United Nations Human Development Index. Since then, it was a great victory for the developing countries, especially those in the Caribbean.

Jerome Romain – A National Hero

Did you know- By the mid-1990s, surprisingly, Dominica’s athlete Jerome Romain won the bronze medal in the triple jump -with a fantastic jump of 17,59 metres- at the IAFF World Championships in Sweden (Goteborg). He also earned a silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

International Organizations in Dominica

Did you know- At the end of 1978, the Island joined the United Nations. In addition, Dominica is one of the 53 Commonwealth countries. On the other hand, it also belongs to the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Population of Dominica

Did you know- The Commonwealth of Dominica has an estimated total population of 72,660 people (as of July, 2009).

The Margaret Thatcher of the Caribbean!

Did you know- By the early 1980s, Mary Eugenia Charles made international headlines when she became the first woman to be elected Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, at a time when women could not expect to win a democratic election in the Third World. During this period of time, only had four female leaders on Earth: Iceland ( Vigdis Finnbogadottir), India (Indira Gandhi), Margaret Thatcher (Britain) and Dominica.

At the same time, she was the first black female to win a democratic election in the world (by the mid-1970s, Madame Elisabeth Domitien had been named Prime Minister by Centroafrica’s dictator Jean-Bedell Bokassa). Under her leadership, Dominica became a democratic state on the Caribbean, a region which has been plagued by dictatorships. Throughout most of the next decade, she was a campaigner for the environment on Dominica.

Historically, the Island’s Prime Minister Charles was one of the Caribbean’s most influential leaders. After Charles became a leader, more than five women have been elected leaders on the Caribbean: Barbados (Nita Barrow, 1991-95), Bermuda (Jennifer Smith, 1998-2003), Haiti (Ertha Pascal Trouillot, 1990-91), Jamaica ( Portia Simpson-Miller, 2006-07), Netherlands Antilles (Maria Liberia Peters,1984-86 & 1988-94), and Puerto Rico (Sila Calderón, 2001- 2005).

Author: Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women’s rights, among them “History of the Women in America” and “Famous Americans”.

photo credit: quintanomedia

photo credit: robertpaulyoung

Pacific Islands

The Pacific Ocean consists of more than 25,000 islands. Those lying south of the tropic of Cancer but excluding Australia are traditionally grouped into three divisions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Inhabitants of these islands are referred to as Pacific Islanders.

Micronesia means small islands. These include the Islands of Marianas, Guam, Palau, the Marshall, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Most of these lie north of the equator.

Polynesia means many islands. These include the islands of New Zealand, the Hawaii, the Midway, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook, French Polynesia, and Easter. It is the largest of the three zones.

Some of the famous islands in this region are:

1. Cook Islands
2. Tahitian
3. Samoa
4. Tonga
5. Ile des pins
6. Fiji
7. Vanuatu
8. Solomon
9. Papua New Guinea

There are also many other islands located within the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean, but these are not considered part of Oceania. These include the Galápagos of Ecuador; the Aleutian in Alaska; the Russian islands of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; Taiwan; the Philippines; those in the South China Sea; most of them in Indonesia; The inhabitants of these places are not considered to be Pacific Islanders and are usually identified with their nearest continent.

There are so many to mention but this page is not enough to explain them all.

So, get ready for one good, once in a life time experience in these islands. Remember you have more than 20000 islands to discover and spend your valuable time with the nature and with your loved one.

Hope you have a nice time!

Author Praveen Nata

More inspiration for travelling to Pacific Islands

photo credit: robertpaulyoung

photo credit: NeilsPhotography

Selayar Island is Maybe One of the Few Remaining Exotic Diving Paradises in the World

Selayar Island lies in the flores sea between Sulawesi Island and Flores Island. A mountain range runs along the eastern side of the island rising to about 600 meter and dropping to over 2500 meter below the surface. There is a chance to see everything that the tropical under water world has to offer at Selayar Island. The Selayar Island is a narrow Island which is rising 4000 meter from the Banda sea. The interesting highlight diving site is about 3,000 meter long house reef consist of pristine coral slopes and walls are thickly covered with hard and soft corals,where drift diving can be done.

Marine Life can be sighted here include reef fish, turtles, barracudas, reef shark, pelagic fish, etc. Just southeast of the Island is largest coral atoll/Taka Bonerate Atoll in this area. The atolls rise abruptly from a deep oceanic trench and offer an amazing wall diving. Here has variety of coral growth and sea grass on this atolls, fringing and barrier reef. The reefs that surround east side of Selayar Island are mostly steep walls that are full of overhangs and small caves.

Since 2000 this area has been put under protection by Indonesia Government as marine park to preserve island’s natural resources on land and in the surrounding sea. Selayar Island can be reached either by boat from Bira cape, which lies at the southeastern tip of South Sulawesi Province and about 5 hour drive from Makassar/ capital of South Sulawesi Province or by plane. Interesting. So Come here and discover it yourself.

Author: Anto Kasan – EzineArticles Expert Author

More inspiration about diving during island vacation here.

photo credit: NeilsPhotography

photo credit: yaph

Whilst most other European sunspots have long since put away the sun loungers for another season there’s still one group of islands basking in temperatures of 20C plus.

Although in fairness they’re not really European at all – as the Spanish owned Canary Islands sit just 70 miles off the coast of West Africa on the same line of latitude as parts of Mexico and Florida.

Thanks to their relative proximity to the UK and reasonable four hour flight times the Canaries have become well established as a popular winter sun destination. And the eastern most link in the chain, Lanzarote, offers visitors much more than just sunshine and bucket and spade beach holidays alone. As this tiny volcanic island boasts incredible natural beauty, high quality accommodation and some of the most unique tourist attractions to be found anywhere in the world.

Unlike many other Spanish sunspots Lanzarote remains relatively unspoiled. Despite the fact that island has been operating as a hugely popular holiday destination for British and Irish tourists (attracting over one million visitors from both counties last year alone) for over thirty years.

The three main resorts are well contained, high rise buildings are banned and advertising hoardings are outlawed. Creating a pleasing overall aesthetic harmony that enhances the island’s considerable natural charms.

Much of the credit for this must go to an island born artist and architect called Cesar Manrqiue. Who fought tirelessly against the excesses of over development during the 1970´s – just as package tourism was really starting to take off in Spain.

Manrique was lucky enough to have friends in high places – such as Pepe Ramirez – who sat on the island’s governing council at that time and who was sympathetic to Manrique´s views. Together the pair sought to ensure that Lanzarote wasn’t buried beneath a sea of five star hotels. Whilst also working to create a unique set of tourist attractions that fused art with nature.

The greatest manifestation of this philosophy today can be found at the Jameos del Agua, in the north of the island. Where Manrique transformed a collapsed lava tube into a breathtaking underground grotto – beautifully planted and with a pool containing blind albino crabs as its centrepiece.

So impressed was visiting Hollywood actress Rita Heyworth that she declared the Jameos the 8th wonder of the world. And as news of Manrique´s creations spread so the number if VIP visitors increased – attracted by the novelty of this new destination and the architectural plaudits garnered by Manriques work.

Amongst these visitors was Omar Sharif – fresh from the making of Doctor Zhivago and with money to burn. Sharif commissioned Manrique to create what must still be the most unusual property in Lanzarote – which he had built into the side of a volcano, featuring elaborate secret gardens and pools.

Legend has it that Sharif lost the house in a high stakes game of bridge not long after taking possession. But today his old home – now called LagOmar – is still open to the public – as it now plays host to one of the most upmarket restaurants in Lanzarote.

Thanks to the work of Manrique, Lanzarote was declared a UNESCO protected biosphere in 1993 – and large swathes of the island are now officially designated national parks. Such as the incredible Timanafaya Volcano Park – which was the epicentre of the eruptions that engulfed the island back in the 1730´s for over six years. And which today are the most popular tourist attraction on the island.

See also about other Spanish speaking islands for vacation HERE.

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photo credit: chicadelatele

South America holds a staggering array of travel wonders both natural and cultural. Boasting the greatest rain-forest, the most spectacular waterfall, the highest waterfall and the greatest river in the world along with cosmopolitan cities and remarkable ancient cultures, there is something in this great continent for everyone.

It is near impossible to nominate a top ten travel wonders list without omitting a number of “must see” sights. Here is my list. How many have you seen?

1. Machu Picchu and Inca Trail (Peru)

Surrounded by thick forest and sitting atop a mountain, the precision crafting of the Incan stonework and the grandeur of its religious sites makes Machu Picchu a truly significant ceremonial center.

2. Iguazu Falls (Argentina / Brazil)

The sheer scale of the greater than 250 cascades and its surrounding lush tropical rainforest ensures that Iguazu Falls are the most mesmerizing waterfalls in the world.

3. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

The broad variety of wildlife that has adapted to the warm seas and volcanic islands offers one of greatest wildlife shows on Earth.

4. Amazon River and Rain Forest

Providing around half of the rainforest, one-fifth of the oxygen and home to ten percent of the variety of fauna and flora on the planet, spending time on the river or walking the forest trails is one of most treasured experiences in life.

5. Easter Island (Chile)

The mysterious stone statues (moai) cut from the local volcanic rock stand in testament to an isolated past civilization on this remote Pacific island.

6. Patagonia / Torres del Paine (Argentina / Chile)

Rugged mountain peaks, sapphire-blue lakes, thunderous waterfalls and icy glaciers provide a seductive outdoor experience to those spending time in the far south of the American continent.

7. Andes

Snaking around 8000 kilometres (5000 miles) as the backbone of South America, the Andes are the second highest mountain range in the world.

8. Angel Falls (Venezuela)

The tallest falls in the world are remote but remain unchanged changed from when an American pilot landed near the falls in a stranded plane.

9. Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

The sun-drenched beaches, the enchanting Carnaval festival and the great city vistas from the Christ statue and Sugar Loaf mountain makes Rio the most rewarding city in South America.

10. Nazca Lines (Peru)

Mysterious geometric designs and giant animals (100 to 200 yards across) including a spider, a hummingbird and a condor were marked into the dry and dusty Peruvian desert by an ancient culture.

South America has a tremendous variety of attractions, travel wonders and experiences from natural wonderlands of forests, glaciers and waterfalls to rich cultural cities, both historic and in the present. Travel with an open mind and enjoy this remarkable and diverse continent.

Author Mark H is the author of the popular travel blog Travel Wonders of the World. He has traveled extensively to all seven continents and believes that travel is the greatest education anyone can have.

Read more about The Galapagos Islands here

Read more about Easter Island here

Out of a long list of its tourist attraction, mentioned below are some of the best places to visit when holidaying in the Maldives:

Male

Capital city of the Maldives, Male is a remarkable tourist attraction and is situated near to the airport. Often, tourists and visitors holidaying in the Maldives travel to Male to shop for local handicrafts or visit the magnificent national museum that holds a collection of beautiful artifacts, including Palanquins and Sultanese thrones and various mosques.

Grand Friday Mosque

Biggest mosque in the whole of the Maldives, Grand Friday Mosque is a major tourist attraction due to its architecture and design of bygone times. Constructed in the year 1656 by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar, the mosque is worth visiting on a holiday in the Maldives. With a popular Islamic centre and a capacity for 5000 people, the Grand Friday Mosque is a prideful attraction. Even if you are not very religious, you must visit this mosque for its unique coral engravings and tombs of national heroes.

Esjehi Art Gallery

This tourist attraction is an art gallery situated in the capital city, on the eastern side of Sultan Park. Located in one of the oldest buildings, the gallery is quite a treat for art lovers as it preserves, promotes and presents artwork (traditional and modern)of local people. In spite of being a small gallery, the place holds various workshops for Maldive artists and has a decent collection of art, which makes it worth visiting during your holiday in the Maldives.

Maldives Fish Market

Situated on the north side of the Male waterfront, The Fish Market of is a crowded tourist attraction. Tourist, visitors and locals are found shopping for vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fish, tuna and many other such fish variety. The uniqueness of the market is its cleanliness. When holidaying in the Maldives, do visit this market for its commercial activities.

Beaches in the Maldives

No holiday in the Maldives is complete without its beaches, which is why lots of tourist and visitors head first to its exotic and vivid beaches. The Maldives has numerous beaches with breathtaking beauty and lots of water activities. Most of the Maldives tourism depends on its beaches and resorts. Some of these beaches are the beaches of Sun Island, Paradise Island, Royal Island Resorts, Fuammulak and many more. When on a holiday in the Maldives, the best way to enjoy a vacation is to go for its beaches and activities such as parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and windsurfing.

Best time to holiday in Maldives

The Maldives is a year round holiday destination, but the ideal time for a holiday would be December to April.

Author: Simon Johnson

I hope you found this article of interest, if so, you can find out more at http://www.last-minute-holidays.me.uk . At this site you can watch a variety of holiday videos as well as learn more about holiday destinations and get a Last Minute Holiday. You are free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site – .

To a considerable extent Boracay turns out to be just another busy city, with a charming beach and a crisp sea air, and not a retreat for city dwellers to escape the bustling metro. Not in the island’s northeastern tip though.

Shuttered in from the rest of the island by flamboyant greens and great hills, the Newcoast Beach at Boracay’s edge remains one of the best-kept secrets of Boracay where the old ways of enjoying the island are pretty much left untouched.

Few resorts and hotels have their addresses at Newcoast Beach in Boracay, which makes the place quiet and where it is still possible to find an isolated stretch of beach, but choices are can be as varied.

The golf hotel in Boracay of Fairways and Bluewater Resort is located at an exclusive beach north of the island. Called Mulligan Golf Hotel, this Fairways and Bluewater property has a Graham Marsh-designed golf course, a complete-amenity family hotel in Boracay Island, and two stretches of exclusive white beach.

Each room at the Boracay Hotel of Mulligan Golf is, spacious, tidy and unpretentious, equipped with a well-appointed interior and supplemented by the intimate, friendly vibe of the hotel’s tropical island design.

Designed and built for golf vacations, family getaways, and watersports and beach holidays, the Mulligan Golf Hotel in Boracay offers a different way of enjoying Boracay.

Author: Jojo Robles.

Jojo Robles is head of the editorial department of Tour Philippines, a web publication specializing on Philippine travel, resorts, holiday destinations, hotels, and island adventures.

The Cayman Islands located in the pleasant and picturesque Caribbean, are a paradise spot for vacation travelers, honeymooners and even celebrities across the world.

Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman and its sister islands are three English- speaking islands that are tiny communities on the south of Miami, isolated in the unspoiled Caribbean Sea. You can find the local weather as tropical; with rainy and warm summers and dry, cool winters. Cayman Islands provide the warmth, cool comfort and absolute serenity for a romantic honeymoon get-away.

The sister islands are famous for their snorkeling and diving and are rated as one of the five popular destinations in the world. The islands are host to coral reefs with beautiful aqua life and hence are a favorite location for underwater photographers.

The unspoiled waters and isolated locale leave your body and mind refreshed and rejuvenated. You can find a year-round recreation from a range of boats for Island water sports offering plenty of entertainment.

You can relax in a luxurious sea-facing hotel, condo or private villa. The Cayman Islands also have rich and exciting attractions and have a pleasant climate for golf, bicycling, cricket, running and horseback riding enjoyable.

The nightlife becomes alive with glittering Caribbean color when the sun sets. The Cayman Islands are host to events and hot spots like nightclubs, gritty jazz sessions, Pirates Week festivals, local theater, steel band concerts, refined cultural events and fine dining

The following information will help you to know more about Cayman Islands before you plan for a honeymoon vacation

Accommodation: You have a choice of hotels, villas and apartments from budget ones to ultra-deluxe.

Telephone Calling: Area code is 345, beginning with 94 and followed by 7 digits. International direct dialing is available and by dialing 976-4638, you can access the Internet. You don’t require log on or password.

Credit Cards: Travelers’ checks and all major credit cards are widely accepted (except the Discover Card)

Currency: The CI dollar is the currency of the Cayman Islands and has a fixed US dollar exchange rate.

Drinking Water: All Hotels and resorts provide adequate supplies of fresh water for showers and potable drinking water, which is supplied from desalination plants.

Electricity: As in the United States, the current supply is of 110 volts, 60 cycles AC power.

Time: The Cayman Islands maintain Eastern Standard Time all round the year and do not shift to Daylight Savings Time during April.

Dress Code: Casual, Neat and tropical dress is appropriate for the day and some good dress for the night to dine out is suggested. Beachwear and Bathing suits are to be used only on the beach or aboard a cruise line. You should remember that topless sunbathing and nudity are prohibited by law and hence should cover up in public areas.

Some Popular Cayman Island Resorts are The Reef Resort, Grand Cayman, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, The Westin Casuarinas Resort and Spa.

Author: Lesley Lyon.

http://www.exotichoneymoonspots.com discusses the most popular honeymoon destinations in detail.

Hawaii is called The Big Island, and there is big fun to be had on a family vacation to Hawaii. Here are some not-to-be-missed Hawaiian destinations.

Waipio Valley
This state seems to have panoramic vistas around every corner, so it can be easy to miss the breath-taking views across Waipio Valley. Located along the Hamakua Coast on the northeastern coast, this is the largest of the 7 valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains. This is nature at its finest, having carved, over time, this massive valley filled with amazing cliffs and spectacularly beautiful waterfalls. The road down to the valley is very steep and narrow, and driving is not encouraged (and certainly not without 4-wheel drive), but walking and hiking are great alternatives.

Akaka Falls State Park
Amid a setting of tropical foliage and flowers, just a mere 20-minute drive from Hilo, you will find the gorgeous Akaka Falls which plunges a sheer 442 feet down black volcanic rock. As a bonus you’ll also enjoy the neighboring Kahuna Falls which tumbles about 100 feet. The falls are best viewed in the morning around 8 to 10 a.m. when the sun will hit them exactly right. If you arrive too late or too early, you’ll find the falls to be in complete or partial shade which will make taking a great picture (which of course you must do( difficult. For the absolute best photographs of the falls, take your photos on a cloudy day when no sun is directly hitting anywhere on the falls.

Kaimu Black Sand Beach
There are many other black sand beaches in Hawaii, but Kaimu, a shimmering obsidian sand beach, is very picturesque and is probably the most impressive. It may also be the blackest, and if you walk along the beach you may want to wash your feet before getting back in your car to resume your trip. Bring your camera of course.

Crater Rim Drive
This is an 11-mile road that circles the edge of the Kilauea Caldera (large pit crater) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Scenic vistas and hiking abound! If you are visiting this national park and can only do one thing, choose this scenic drive and you can’t go wrong. Depending on how many times you stop, this tour can take between one and three hours to complete. This is definitely a drive well worth making if you have the time in your itinerary.

Hiilawe Falls
Located along the Hamakua Coast, this is the most famous waterfall in Waipio Valley. It is also the tallest of all falls in the state, one of the tallest in the entire world, and plunges over 1000 feet. This waterfall shares the same cliff as the Hakalaoa Falls which is currently dry. You can see this amazing spot by helicopter, a very popular way of viewing the falls, or by hiking or riding down (4-wheel drive) to the floor of the valley. I would call this one of the do-not-miss spots of your family vacation to Hawaii!

Hilo
Located on the Hilo Bay, this charming historic city is the island’s largest city and boasts beautiful orchid gardens, quaint shops, open-air markets, parks, museums, festivals, fairs, farmer’s markets, and many more interesting places to visit. This is known as the wettest city in the US, and is always lush, green, and pretty.

Kamuela Museum
This family-owned museum and popular tourist attraction looks like someone’s home! It is a privately-owned museum and contains a delightful assortment of items collected over many years. This museum is full of Hawaiian artifacts and is well worth a visit.

Add these interesting and scenic stops to your family’s next vacation to Hawaii and don’t forget your camera for some spectacular photo memories!