Rottnest Island lies 19km off the west coast from Fremantle, Western Australia. It’s more affectionately known as ‘Rotto’ by the locals and is a favourite destination for day trips. The island is 11km long and roughly 4.5km wide and much of it is sand! A popular activity on Rotto includes hiring a bike and that’s just what I did when I visited. I grabbed myself a bike, had my day pack filled with water and a picnic, and took off.
Riding around Rotto with the warm spring sun on your back is just heavenly. Stopping at the small island bays to laze in the sun. There’s also opportunities to go boating, fishing, diving and snorkeling. The waters off Rotto have some of the world’s most southerly coral. You also can’t go to Rotto without spotting the quokkas or rather dodging them when on a bike!
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!
Lake Garda in Northern Italy is the largest lake in the country and one of the most popular. Its turquoise waters are ringed with mountains, beaches and ancient cobbled towns, lying halfway between Venice and Milan. The northern part of the lake is quiet and serene, while the southern section boasts a theme park and sandy beaches, so Lake Garda holidays offer something for every kind of traveller.
1. Explore ancient towns, castles, and hot springs.
Holiday resorts share waterfront with ancient towns all around Lake Garda. Start off with the picturesque cobblestone lanes of Sirmione, a fortified Roman spa town in the south. It is situated on a peninsula in the centre of the lake, offering unrivalled views and photo opportunities. After a morning visit to the healing sulphur springs, explore the 13th century Scaliger Castle and stop into the many restaurants and bars for a bite to eat. If you have more time, catch a ferry to explore the islands in the lake and spend a day at the popular Gardaland theme park as well.
2. Eat well.
The best part of holidays to Italy is surely the food and wine. The shores of Lake Garda are famous for their produce, particularly wine, olives and lemons. Catch a ferry to the colourful hillside resort of Limone, which is named for the yellow fruit. Stroll the waterfront promenade and stop into a café for a meal of fresh fish from the lake, or a hearty polenta dish cooked with local olive oil and a glass of Bardolino red wine which is grown in the area. Finish off with a tipple of limoncino for a totally local experience.
3. Get outdoors!
Lake Garda is a fantastic place to be active and get outside. The northern part of the lake is perfect for windsurfing and sailing due to the steady breeze coming out of the mountains, and there are many watersport centres that offer lessons and rentals. Explore miles of trails on foot or with a mountain bike, and you can even go rock climbing. For families, peddle boats are available to rent in marked areas with lifeguards.
4. Take in the view.
The best view of the area is from the village of Malcesine in the northern section of the lake. Take the cable car 1750 meters up Montebaldo, a peak in the Italian Alps, for stunning views of Lake Garda below and the Dolomites behind. After taking pictures drop into the mountain-top restaurant or rent a mountain bike to explore the area.
Travel Photo of the Week: Historic Banyan Tree, Vanuatu
Whilst on a day trip around Efate in Vanuatu, we stopped by this historic Banyan Tree. As you can see, it was too big to be able to fit it into the whole photo! They grow up, up, up and out, out, out. They are massive and old. During the cyclone season, they’re used by the locals for shelter. Climbing into the tangled, above-ground root system, the Banyan tree can withstand the most violent of winds and offer protection for the people.
The Traveler IQ challenge ranks geographic knowledge of cities such as: Punta Cana, Willemstad or Columbia by comparing results against 5,473,834 other travelers.
Rottnest Island lies 19km off the west coast from Fremantle, Western Australia. It’s more affectionately known as ‘Rotto’ by the locals and is a favourite destination for day trips. The island is 11km long and roughly 4.5km wide and much of it is sand! A popular activity on Rotto includes hiring a bike and that’s just what I did when I visited. I grabbed myself a bike, had my day pack filled with water and a picnic, and took off.
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