As Insider's travel reporter in Singapore, I've backpacked in four countries across Asia and have stayed in a dozen hostels.
21.07.2023 - 08:18 / roughguides.com
Experienced surfers looking for a pristine break are heading to a remote archipelago somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines. The Marshall Islands are hard to find and even harder to get to – and of course, that’s part of their appeal. Most of the 29 coral atolls that make up the Islands are unknown to western travellers, only one – Bikini Atoll – stirs a look of recognition.
The islands have good surf pedigree – their surfing potential was discovered by legendary surfer and boat captain Martin Daly, who put more than 100 breaks on the map, including One Palm Point in Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, first surfed in 1983, and now one of the most renowned surf breaks in the world. Daly is credited with popularising the Mentawais with travellers worldwide.
Thinking of visiting Indonesia ? We can help! Try our new tailor-made travel service and enjoy a fully personalised trip planned just for you.
Having sailed around the world for years on his Indies Trader charter boats, leading small groups of surfers to the best waves from Indonesia to Brazil and beyond, three years ago Daly finally decided to put down roots. He decided on the Marshall Islands after first coming across them on a 6-year round-the-world ecological research/surf promoting voyage with the surfwear company Quiksilver. Several years of hard work later, Daly has launched Beran Island, an 8-room private island luxury villa getaway for keen surfers and kiteboarders – or at least those with the budget to fly halfway across the world for the chance to surf a pristine break.
The 45-acre Beran Island, somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines © Damea Dorsey
Beran Island is 45 acres of sandy scrub and palm trees and hardwoods, surrounded by pristine ocean and world-class surf breaks that appear from October to April. Beyond surfing, both the kitesurfing and diving opportunities are also world class.
The rooms are barefoot luxury in style — some with panoramic views over the island from private decks, others arranged into family-style spaces. While the accommodations are comfortable, the main attraction here is the possibility of daily surfing in the company of only a handful of other people. As Daly says, “Privacy is becoming harder and harder to achieve, and a private island in the middle of nowhere ticks a lot of boxes.”
This privilege comes at a price – the cost to rent the villa in its entirety (for up to 16 people) is a cool $50,000. And that’s before you factor in the location – 2,000 southwest of Hawaii. Travellers must fly to Majuro (the Marshall Islands’ capital) via Honolulu before transferring to a boat to reach Beran.
Snorkelers check on the health of the coral around the island © Damea Dorsey
Aware of the contradiction of creating a
As Insider's travel reporter in Singapore, I've backpacked in four countries across Asia and have stayed in a dozen hostels.
Carefree days lounging on the sand are a hallmark of an idyllic vacation for many travelers. But beaches themselves are a commodity, vulnerable to retreat that’s exacerbated by climate change. In fact, nearly half of the Earth’s sandy beaches could be extinct by 2100, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.
Enter the Hallmark Channel “Summer Nights” sweepstakes by August 29, 2016, for a chance to win one of two grand prizes: 1) a seven-day Virgin Islands cruise for two, including air and hotel before and after the cruise; 2) or a four-night trip to Victoria Island, British Columbia, to visit the set of “Chesapeake Shores,” including air, transfers, and hotel.
The Christmas travel season is upon us. While perhaps not as narrow and intense as the Thanksgiving holiday, Christmas is nevertheless an extremely busy time of year at airports across the country. In addition to an influx of travelers, late December is infamous for throwing weather curveballs that can further snarl already maxed-out airline operations.
Dream tips like sailing around the Greek Islands or along the Amalfi Coast are only for the rich and famous, right? Not anymore.
Want to visit the United States’ hottest destinations this summer, but don’t want to pay crazily inflated prices? TripAdvisor (our parent company) just released its 2018 Summer Vacation Value Report which gives you the low-down on the best places to visit and the least expensive week to go. Surprisingly, Memorial Day week (May 28) was the cheapest time to go for more than half of the destinations, so if you want to save time and vacation days, you’re in luck.
The esteemed Dr. Beach has released his annual list of America’s top ten beaches, and you’ll want to visit all of them this summer—doctors orders.
AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).
America’s newest wicked-long flight is the Boston-to-Honolulu route from Hawaiian Airlines, which is now the longest flight in the country at 5,095 miles. And it’s not a fluke—the new Hawaiian flight is the longest nonstop route in the United States ever. The journey takes a whopping 11 hours 40 minutes when flying to the islands, but it will only take 10 hours and 15 minutes to get back to reality.
As travel continues to soar towards—and past—pre-pandemic levels, air travelers are once again getting familiar with busier skies and more crowded airports. In fact, 1 out of every 4 flights landing at New York City’s Newark airport arrives more than 15 minutes late.
Ah, college spring break. The noblest rite of passage for our nation’s future leaders. With March around the corner, college students across the country are preparing for a week of fun and relaxation (much of which their parents will hopefully never hear about). From traditional party destinations to destinations you may not think of as typical spring break locals, here are the best spring break destinations.
Tucked between Vancouver Island’s pristine waterways, lush forests, and rugged wilderness is some downright delicious coastal cuisine. Chefs, distillers, and purveyors here rely on locally grown ingredients to infuse their creations with the flavors of the destination itself.