Where is Castaway Island?

Castaway Island is a small island to the west of Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji. It forms part of the Mamanuca Group of islands. The island’s area covers 170 acres and is largely made up of inhabitants who are staff of the one and only resort on the island. It’s known traditionally by the Fijians as “Qalito”.

I was fortunate to have a little holiday there some time ago. It was a Fijian holiday with extremes! Five days was spent on Castaway Island in a five star resort with adults only, followed by 5 days backpacking along the Coral Coast and staying in either Youth Hostels or cheap holiday houses! It was a lot of fun and a great way to mix with the locals.

Castaway Island was beautiful. Surrounded with white sandy beaches, pristine warm waters of the South Pacific and jungle like vegetation covering the hilly island. It was possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours. In doing so, I spied a water snake slithering across the top of the nearby beach waters. I didn’t take a dip!

Lonely Planet Fiji (Country Travel Guide)

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Castaway Island

One Great Reason to Visit Castaway Island

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for some adult quiet time and South Pacific pampering!

Castaway Island Fiji

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Guide to Castaway Island

Where to Party in Greece?

What do Kos, Faliraki and Malia all have in common? That’s right; they have for a number of years been the top places for young and lively crowds to head to for some fun in the sun. But what are they really like? Where is the best place to visit if you have to choose and which one is more suited to your needs?

Once these three destinations are put side by side and compared in terms of the main needs and wants for people aboard, it becomes clear that they each have their own stand out features.

Best Beach: Malia

All three destinations have their fair share of beaches, most of which are busy and bustling full of people usually recovering from the night before. For these reasons, if you want a bit of peace and quiet it can become a bit of a challenge. However, Malia has a stretch of beach which is largely free from the commercial side of things and offers visitors the perfect place to laze in the sun. Potamos Beach is around 500 metres from the bigger beach where the vast majority of holidaymakers and travellers spend their time. If you want a quiet afternoon, Potamos Beach is the place to head to is you want a bit of peace on holidays in Crete.

Best Nightlife: Faliraki

All three of the destinations can claim to have the best nightlife, but many would agree that Faliraki just about comes out on top thanks to the fact that it has actually become less rowdy as it was back in the early 2000’s. The local authorities clamped down on the over the top antics which once upon a time were common place, with these days the bars being frequented by slightly older patrons just looking for a good time. Club Street is the aptly named strip of bars and clubs which most people head to and there is plenty to keep you entertained throughout the night and into the early hours.

Best Backdrop: Malia

There is a belief that these types of resorts are all the same, and let’s face it, a bit bland. But visitors to Malia may be a bit surprised when they drop by as the Old Town is a fantastically traditional place which offers an insight into how the area looked before mass tourism took over. The tight winding streets lead to all sorts of unexpected sights including hidden churches and small taverns. You could easily get lost here for a day or so – even if you spend the majority of your time elsewhere, make sure you head to the Old Town at least once on your visit.

Best Food: Kos

If you manage to drag yourself away from the local McDonalds, the resorts of Malia, Kos and Faliraki have some lovely restaurants with dishes made from the freshest ingredients on offer. The pick of the bunch are found on Kos though, where there are plenty of options open to you. Tigiaki has a number of budget friendly but vey well respected restaurants where you can try the local cuisine, which in typical Greek fashion centres on fresh fish, local vegetables and lugs of olive oil. The best thing to do is to avoid the restaurants which are geared towards the tourists and take to the side streets. Here you’ll find locals eating for usually a fraction of the price and in much more traditional surroundings.

All three islands have their attractions and in many instances it is hard to separate them. If you want a holiday destination where you can get all of the luxuries from home, you’ll be hard pressed to find places better than Kos, Malia and Faliraki. All three have their good bits – it is just a case of deciding whether you value beaches, nightlife, food or places of interest higher when on cheap holidays to Greece!

Guest post written by Ricky Durrance for Beat the Brochure.

Where is Reunion Island?

Reunion Island is a French colony in the Indian Ocean. It lies roughly between Madagascar and Mauritius, off the east coast of Africa. It has a population of approximately 800,000.

Reunion Island has one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It’s also home to the highest mountain in the Indian Ocean, lush subtropical rainforests and pristine beaches. Reunion Island is the perfect holiday and travel destination.

The centre of Reunion is dominated by three cirques, or natural amphitheatres, which were previously the craters of volcanoes but long since dormant. These jagged outcrops and waterfalls found amongst them, make for some spectacular scenery.

The Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island were declared an UNESCO World Heritage site during 2010.

Lonely Planet Mauritius Reunion & Seychelles

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Reunion Island

One Great Reason to Visit Reunion Island

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for no ‘one’ reason! There are far too many contrasts and something for everyone – here on Reunion Island.

Reunion Island

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Official Tourism Site

Travel Photos of the Week: Sand Scuptures held on the Frankston Foreshore, Australia

Frankston has now hosted the Sand Sculpting Australia exhibition three years in a row. Frankston is a southern, bayside suburb of Melbourne and an easy drive on Eastlink. I’d been keen to visit in previous years but it never eventuated and so was determined not to miss it this year!

The theme was ‘Toytopia’ and delighted not just the kids but the grownups also! Twenty-three sculptures from all over the world participated to create a total of 16 solid sand exhibits or ‘piles’ as they were referred to in the Program Guide. Below you will see examples of the workmanship that goes into creating these sand sculptures with so much detail and the height of a couple of them was truly amazing.