Islands are associated with summer, sunshine, something bright, fabulous and alluring. These are the ones collected in this article – here are six options that are characterized by unique features of flora and fauna. I chose them based on ratings of travel sites, tourist reviews and personal experience of an avid traveler: where it is best to surf, look at the underwater world, engage in spiritual practices and just rock out at parties.
I will tell you which islands are the most beautiful in the world, which are the best for different types of vacations.
Maldives – diving
The Maldives are tropical islands in the Indian Ocean that include 26 coral atolls. The atolls are archipelagos of volcanic origin, which have made the Maldives one of the best diving destinations. A nutrient-rich current runs between the underwater channels, which allows the water to circulate throughout the islets. This process attracts a large number of fish and other ocean inhabitants: the underwater inhabitants enjoy a “feast” in the waters of the Laccadive Sea (the Maldives’ Indian Ocean waters).
When diving, you are sure to meet turtles, napoleon fish, parrot fish, reef sharks (they are small and not dangerous, swimming with large sharks – a separate type of entertainment in the Maldives). Photo from personal archive
Here you can explore various recesses and underwater caves with soft corals, colorful sponges and other invertebrates. Stingrays live away from the reefs – they are harmless but should not be touched.
A dive usually costs about $40-50 per person. Photo from personal archive
You can dive in any atoll in the Maldives. Tourists and agencies have their own rating of the best dive spots:
- Kanduma Tila is a dive spot in South Male Atoll. It is characterized by rare species of coral and fish.
- Broken Rock is a site in South Ari Atoll where there is an underwater canyon 2 meters wide and 10 meters deep.
- Hanifaru is a bay on the eastern side of Baa Atoll where hundreds of manta rays and whale sharks congregate from August to November. Hanifaru is part of a nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only 60 people can dive at the site at a time. Applications are made directly on the atoll at the PADI 5 Star agency. Diving will cost about $60 per person.
Best time for a vacation: the islands are located close to the equator, so there is no sudden change of climate here. Traveling in the Maldives is pleasant all year round, but the months from May to October are considered the calmest and least windy. The off-season is from November to February. During this time the islands experience heavy rains.
Bali – spiritual practices
Bali is an island in Indonesia, washed by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Bali Sea to the north. Tourists most often come here not for the beach and juicy fruits, but for yoga, practice and self-discovery. No other island in the world is imbued with spirituality as much as Bali. This is due to religion. Locals preach a special kind of Hinduism Agama Hindu Dharma – a mixture of Shivaism and Buddhism. Hence all the ceremonies, rituals, rites.
You can start your journey to positive energy and enlightenment at Tirtha Empul. This is a water temple where purification rituals are performed. There are three baths in it, tourists are allowed to use only one of them – a pool with 13 springs. It is necessary to approach each of them and dip your head three times under the stream of water, once to drink water from the palms of your hands. During the process it is important to free oneself from thoughts and concentrate on the sincere desire for energetic and karmic purification.
The second important step in Bali is to find your place of strength. You can go to a guide (at a travel agency, for example) and ask for help, or you can drive around the beautiful spots on your own and choose the one that fills you the most. My advice is the Canto Lampo waterfall near the town of Gianyar.
Lastly, check out the Pura Besakih temple complex on the slope of the Agung volcano. Here the famous Balinese clairvoyant Manku Jati receives consultations. He gives blessings from the gods of the island, guidance, and answers questions. The session consists of two stages: prayer and meditation in the temple, personal dialog with Jati.
At the end it is necessary to leave a gratitude of at least IDR 100,000. Tourists are advised to come in an organized group, as Manku is not always “at work” and meeting him is a matter of chance. If you come and don’t catch the clairvoyant, his wife will feed you local food.
Best time for a vacation: Bali is comfortable all year round, with an equatorial monsoon climate. This means that the weather is divided not into four seasons, as in our country, but only two: dry (June – October) and wet (November – March). Rains are most common in January and February.
Maui surfing
Maui is a Hawaiian island in the United States, where surfing is so popular that it is included in the school curriculum. And the fact is that the archipelago is always windy and you can catch a wave all year round.
If it’s your first time on a board, it’s better to sign up for a course and get an instructor. Such sport costs about $200 per day. Renting equipment costs about 20$ for a whole day.
You can surf on your own at any beach, but it’s best to head to the world-famous Hookipa and Jaws spots.
Best time for a vacation: Hawaii is also warm all year round. The hottest month is August, with temperatures hovering around +24-31 °C. The coldest month is January, with temperatures dropping to +18-21 °C. From June to November is the hurricane season. But they originate off the coast of Mexico and do not always reach the islands.
Tenerife – hiking
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. It is located near the northwest coast of Africa and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. People come here not only to laze by the ocean and sip sangria without a care in the world, but also to go hiking.
Hiking and trekking are popular activities on Tenerife because the island offers over 50 marked and equipped trails with varied terrain. There are mountain ranges, valleys, tropical or subtropical forests, volcanic deserts, gorges and sand dunes.
The most famous and popular tourist route is a trip through the national park “Teide”. It is attractive, firstly, because of the volcano of the same name, to the crater of which you can climb (3718 m), and secondly, the summit of Pico Viejo (3135 m) – the second highest point of the Canary Islands.
To climb Teide, just pay 20€ and take the cable car to the top. You can also walk to the top:
- From Montaña Blanca you walk to the Altavista campground.
- From the campground to the La Rambleta cable car station along trail #11.
- From the station – up to the summit along trail No. 10.
All paths are marked with arrows and identification signs. Be prepared that hiking is not an easy task. The total length of the route is 8.31 km and the altitude is 1188 meters. It takes about five to six hours to climb and about four hours to descend.
At the top, you can take a brilliant panorama of the island, where you can take memorable photos. You can also go up to the volcano crater itself, but with a special permit. It is not difficult to obtain, but you need to apply for it several months before your trip: go to this website, choose a free date, fill in the data and print it out.
The route to Pico Viejo is even more difficult. It takes about eight hours one way: 15.5 km, 3135 meters. The route starts from the Mirador de Chio lookout near the parking lot. On the edge of this parking lot hangs the identification sign of the S9 route. You should follow it, the arrows will help you not to lose your way.
Do not try to turn off the marked paths and cut through the forests: there are lava rivers, cavities, underground caves – you can fall through. If you get on the trail early in the morning, you can take the cable car back down. The last funicular goes at 16:40.
Best time for a vacation: the Canaries are nice at any time of the year. In winter, the temperature does not fall below +20-22 °C. But, according to the experience of the author of this article, the ocean is quite cold in February (water temperature – about +19 °C). The most comfortable temperature is from July to October (+29 °C – air, +23 °C – water).
Galapagos Islands – beach safari
The Galapagos Islands are 19 volcanic islands of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. It is a place with unique flora and fauna. And no, “unique” here – not for a red word, the nature of Galapagos is really exceptional. Only here you can meet the elephant tortoise – the largest species of land tortoise in the world, marine iguana – the only remaining marine lizard on Earth, Galapagos penguins – one of the smallest individuals in the world and 11 more species of animals and birds that are not found anywhere else.
The most island is Fernandina. Here live sea lions, iguanas, pelicans, elephant turtles, sea iguanas of large sizes, penguins (here and on the west coast of Isabella Island), flightless cormorants. Fernandina Island is uninhabited, but everyone is taken on safari. From Santa Cruz Island it costs about $88.
Another option for a beach safari is the island of Española. It is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, some four million years old. Travelers stop here to see albatrosses and blue-footed boobies. Red-footed boobies, Darwin’s finches, red-billed phaetons and buntings fly over Henovesa Island.
Best time for a vacation: the islands have two climatic seasons – rainy (December to April) and dry (July to October). January to June is hot, with temperatures reaching up to +31°C. September, October and November are the coldest months, with temperatures as low as +27 °C.
Cyprus – partying
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that sits at the intersection of Asia Minor, North Africa and Europe. Many people call it the Turkish Ibiza. It is not inferior in beaches and partying, but it is easier and cheaper to get there.
The party capital of Cyprus is definitely Ayia Napa. It has its own “Dumskaya”, which occupies a whole block on Louka, Ayias Mavris, Grigori Afxentiou streets.
If you don’t know where to start, come to the Castle Club. The place is among the best clubs in the world. There are three dance floors with different music, 14 bars, and a summer area with a sliding roof. Famous DJs often come to the club.
The Rock Heaven Garden Club is suitable for rock music lovers. It’s open-air. River Reggae hosts Mexican-style parties. The club is open until the morning, and organizers arrange contests and shows.
Best time for vacation: tourists like to go to Cyprus in May or in August. The average temperature is +31 °С. Summer is also good on the island, but the heat can be up to +40 °С. Winter is cold, the temperature does not go into minus, but it drops to +15 °С.
Travel Tips
1. It is forbidden to damage or break coral or to collect coral fragments from the bottom while diving.
2. When hiking or trekking in the mountains, do not turn off the route, do not try to shorten it. It is dangerous: you may fall into lava rivers, quicksand, fall into a gorge or underground cave.
3. Always take at least two liters of water per person, a snack, a portable charger, and warm clothes.
4. Remember, you can’t touch wild animals, no matter how cute they are. Neither should you photograph them with a flash.
