If I close my eyes, I can still feel the warm, tropical breeze blowing across my face as our cigar-shaped motorboat purrs down the brownish, silt-laden Cuyabeno River, heading for the remote Siona Lodge in Ecuador’s Amazon region. Our two-hour boat ride into the heart of the 2300 square-mile Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve exposes our small…
We can’t get enough of Fiji
Our second trip to Fiji in less than a year confirmed my belief that Fijian hospitality and amenities are second to none. Fijians often say, “Senga na lenga,” which means “no worries” and during our week-long stay, we were as stress-free as we could be. (Hear more about our first trip to Fiji by following…
Close encounters with South America’s penguins, glaciers and Cape Horn
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –St Augustine A surprisingly cold wind swept across the desolate beach at Volunteer Point, one of the Falkland Island’s most popular tourist destinations, but the throngs of king, gentoo and magellanic penguins didn’t seem to mind. This sight made the…
Unrivaled WWII history and pristine waters in far-off Solomon Islands
This is a hallowed area, for in World War II thousands of young men gave their lives here—in the air, on the ground, and on the surrounding seas…. They gave their lives that peace could come to these islands and to the world. –Memorial at Guadalcanal war museum If a remote South Pacific destination with…
There’s always something new to do in Catalina
“Catalina reminds me of a Greek island with its golf carts, clear blue ocean water and laid-back European atmosphere,” a Norwegian visitor told me while we waited in line at Avalon’s only grocery store. I nodded in agreement because Catalina is a pretty unique place, accurately labeled “California’s island escape.” The truth be told, my…
Discovering Guatemala’s Ancient World of the Maya
“I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” –Walt Whitman Sitting atop the largest pyramid in the world in northern Guatemala’s ancient Maya…
Summer action in Big Bear Lake
My first experience driving a badass Jeep Wrangler 4×4 over impossibly rugged terrain near Big Bear Lake, California, can only be described as “crazy fun.” Being a novice driver in such an ungainly and powerful vehicle, it took a while for my confidence to reach a point where I could loosen my death grip on…
Ecuador’s Shangri-la of the South
A growing number of travelers from around the world have begun an exodus to a tiny town in southern Ecuador—Vilcabamba—that sits tucked away in a green valley surrounded by a series of undulating mountains. Some, like my wife and myself, are drawn to its scenic beauty and mild weather for a brief getaway, while others…
Is Cuenca, Ecuador, Still the World’s Top Retirement Place?
Back in 2008 and 2009, three influential magazines published highly complimentary articles about the relatively undiscovered Ecuadorian town, Cuenca, that set off an explosion of foreigners moving there. Choosing a city rather than a country for the first time ever, International Living rated Cuenca as the world’s #1 retirement destination. Germany’s influential Stern magazine rated…
Ecuadorian Nature Reserves Provide Dazzling Bird Displays
(This story has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlanta Journal and San Diego Union Tribune, as well as in The Week magazine) In 1998, a small group of birdwatchers stared intently as a diminutive bird darted along the ground and soon they realized that they had discovered a Jocotoco…