Islands tips

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators is determined to increase Indian arrivals to the island destination and is taking steps to achieve this.

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In 1971, Glen McLaughlin came across a strange map in a London map shop. Americæ Nova Descriptio, produced by Anne Seile (1) in 1663, showed California as a big, carrot-shaped island, floating off the coast of North America.

If you search for the hashtag Zante or Zakynthos on Instagram, almost half of the images of this Greek island are of a sandy bay dominated by the wreckage of an old ship.

There are plenty of vacation spots around the world that are known as destinations favoured by the rich - the Amalfi Coast, the Maldives, Dubai.

Scotland’s Orkney Islands have become a popular destination for cruise ships, but residents are growing frustrated.

It’s a milestone anniversary for a popular Caribbean island airline, and they are celebrating with deals for passengers.  Cayman Airways, the flagship airline carrier for the Cayman Islands, discounted several international flights to celebrate its 55 years in business. Some of the top flight deals as part of the promotion include:

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.

Enter the Paul Gauguin Cruises “Soul of the South Seas” sweepstakes by May 31, 2016, for a chance to win one of four grand prizes: each a seven-night cruise for two of Tahiti and the Society Islands, including air, onboard meals, and ground transfers.

“Irma was a bad woman.”

I’ve stayed in so many Airbnbs over the past decade—upwards of 150, including an off-grid Earthship Biotecture in New Mexico and a barebones treehouse in rural Sri Lanka—you might just call me a super-user. I’ve met fascinating Airbnb hosts from all over the world along the way but none who have embraced unfettered hospitality quite like fifth-generation sheep farmer Harriet Olafsdóttir av Gørðum and her husband John, co-owners of Hanusarstova, a thoughtful little bed & breakfast in the Faroe Islands.

A vacation to the Cook Islands is guaranteed to be heavy on “pinch me” moments. Made up of 15 tiny islands and atolls dotting the South Pacific waters some 2,000 miles northeast of New Zealand, the Cooks has managed to escape crowds, chains, and skyscrapers, causing many to say it feels like Hawaii — 70 years ago.

The Galapagos Islands are about 1,000 km from continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago comprises 127 islands, islets, and rocks. Its remote location has allowed many species to evolve in isolation from other parts of the world and is one of the most exciting places to visit if you are interested in fauna and flora. The biodiversity here has attracted brilliant minds of scientists such as Charles Darwin and Sir David Attenborough and is often considered so special that visiting would be out of the question. This is not the case. It is very expensive, to go, but you can stay on the Galapagos, and if you plan your trip in advance, you can find ways to keep costs at a minimum. One of the best ways to do this is to opt for an Airbnb Galapagos rental. Not only will you be able to live out a The Wild Thornberrys fantasy adventure, but you can cook at home and have a more comfortable, local experience. Here are some of the best Airbnb options on the islands for families, couples, and solo travelers.

The Uros Islands are a group of over 60 floating grass islands located in the middle of Lake Titicaca, Peru. The 1,200 or so people who inhabit those islands, the Uru people, have lived here for centuries. They started building islands out of totora reeds they harvest from the lake to protect themselves against the Incas and have preserved this lifestyle ever since.

There’s only one place on Earth where you can see swimming iguanas, lava lizards, and giant tortoises: the Galápagos Islands. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, the archipelago off the shore of South America is a must-visit destination for anyone with a passion for fauna and flora, and their protection. 97 percent of the land was designated as a national park in 1959, and over 51,000 square miles of ocean around the islands have been a protected marine reserve since 1986, making for a destination where you’re a guaranteed to be immersed in nature and observe unique wildlife.

There are few tourism destinations out there that have avoided the scourge of high-rise condos, Quarter Pounders, and traffic lights. And if that destination happens to be our planet at its most beautiful? Forget about it.

The moment the motor turned off, I was hooked.

SAG-AFTRA members are currently on strike; accordingly, union actors are not promoting their film and TV projects. This interview was conducted prior to the strike.

Spain’s islands – from the Canaries to the Balearics – are some of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, and travellers keep returning to them again and again. As their popularity grows, however, so do the crowds, and visitors are increasingly looking for alternatives. It's time to look beyond Tenerife, Ibiza and Mallorca, Spain has so many other special islands to explore. Here’s our guide to Spain’s secret islands that you never even knew existed. Shhh… don’t tell everyone they’re here.

Graced by dazzling beaches, year-round sun and numerous opportunities for diving, island-hopping and surfing, the Philippines has long attracted a steady stream of foreign visitors. Yet there’s far more to these islands than sand and snorkelling. These are a few of our favourite islands in the Philippines.

Everybody knows the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Skye. But what about the other 6000-odd British Isles? Yes, we did say 6000. From the chunky Shetland Islands in Scotland’s far north to the sunny Isles of Scilly slung out from the coast of Cornwall, the British Isles are made up of islands of all shapes and sizes. Pick the right one and you could even have it all to yourself.