What do you think is the perfect vacation to escape from it all? Some think it is going to an all-inclusive hotel to relax and being pampered with cocktails and good food. Others think that the perfect vacation is to go deep into the jungle and experience wildlife first hand. A good handful of people think that escaping the heavy and dense city life is going to paradise islands. Better yet, islands where you can have an adventure and have it all to yourself and really forget you live a normal, 9 to 5 working life surrounded by concrete and people.
Here are 3 adventure islands around the world and some activities that can be done to feel you are really getting away from it all.
Image courtesy of John Finn at Flickr.com
- Aitutaki Cook Islands:
it is located in the Central-south Pacific Ocean. A beautiful Polynesian Atoll where you can get lost among the chain of islands that are close to one and other. Also snorkel or scuba dive in the reefs. The smiling locals, pink ukuleles and translucent lagoons will greet you when you arrive. The adventure part is to go on two different types of plans. First, you can kayak or paddleboard on the 7 mile long lagoon. You can leave your boat or paddle on a deserted island and then go snorkelling around the reef to encounter cobalt blue starfish, giant clams and yellow barrel sponges. The other plan is to go biking along the back roads to feel the fresh air and the constant freedom of hot summer winds. It is mostly flat but on occasions you will have a small uphill. Remember to hydrate yourself and stop every now and then to take pictures and to rest. There are bike rentals with baskets so you can go into town and stash your fridge with the necessary things for your stay. - Cayos Cochinos, Honduras:
ever thought about going to Honduras? Cayos Cochinos (or Cochinos Cayes) are a group of two small islands, Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande, which are located 30 miles off the northern shores of Honduras. It as an area of 2 kilometres and with a population of only about 120 people. The islands are a marine protected area and it has a scientific research station in Cayo Menor. The coral reef that you will find here is part of the world’s second largest coral reef system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef. According to national geographic “”The waters around this collection of coral cays are a marine biologist’s dream: protected by the government, off-limits to commercial divers and fishermen, and busy with creatures that may not yet have names.” You can stay at the scientific research station and share bare-bone wooden bungalows. But if you are looking for a more tourist style trip, you can stay at the Plantation Beach Resort in Cayo Grande. Take a hike through the jungle and reach the lighthouse at the very top of the island and enjoy the fine native kitchen that has to be ordered in advance to yachts nearby. You are obliged to do some snorkelling around reefs and corals that are allowed to visit. Be amazed with the ocean wildlife and some animals that you have never seen in your normal TV shows.
Image courtesy of USFWS – Pacific Region at Flickr.com
- Santa Lucia. St. Lucia:
the adventure comes in the form of bike riding. You ride through the jungle. As Michael Allard, owner of Bike St. Lucia says “ it is jungle biking, not mountain biking” and David “tinker” Juarez two time Olympian states “ This is probably the sweetest bike ride in the Caribbean”. Many people stay by the beach and don’t adventure into the jungle. Much of the island’s central and northern interior is part of the St Lucia Forest Reserve. St. Lucia has many jungles, forests and natural parks that only the adventurous ones dare to see. Many bike routes for pros and rookies as well are part of this adventure island designed for bikers. Again, according to Michael Allard, jungle biking is not just for experts. “The pros come for the higher trails, but we also have people who arrive here barely having been on a mountain bike before”.
Image courtesy of Jean-Pierre Chamberland at Flickr.com
What are you waiting for? Book your holiday trip, take your bike out of the dusty garage or rent a kayak and hit the islands of adventure.
Escape from it all by doing something really different in the middle of natural parks and untouched reefs. Swim aside rare animals and Bike down hills and around islands. Always remember to be safe and not go beyond your limits and skills. You want to have a vacation to remember not an injury that you will never forget.
