Return to Utila

Return to Utila

Others have written about not returning to a place where they had a great time – a place where they fell in love with a country or a culture or they lucked into meeting amazing people who remained friends for years afterward. Some worry that returning will tarnish the experience because it’s never the same when you go back. So they leave it in their memories, a shiny joyous moment

Beautiful El Nido: a far cry from the peace of Port Barton

Beautiful El Nido: a far cry from the peace of Port Barton

The Bacuit Archipelago is considered one of the highlights of any visit to the Philippines: limestone cliffs jutting out of the sea as in HaLong Bay but without much litter and with great snorkeling. El Nido, at the northern end of Palawan, is the best base for exploring the area and the tour industry is booming.   There are four standard island hopping tours with tours A and C reputed

Paradise Found: Port Barton

Paradise Found: Port Barton

Getting to and from Port Barton on the island of Palawan requires time on a terrible road or forking over a fair amount of cash for a boat. The road into town is under construction and will, almost certainly, increase tourist numbers when complete. But for now, Port Barton is a tranquil respite from the crowds of Puerto Princesa’s Underground River and El Nido. For me, it was nothing short

Underwater in French Polynesia: Diving and Snorkeling

Underwater in French Polynesia: Diving and Snorkeling

Hammerheads, silver tips, gray reef, black tip, white tip, nurse, and lemon: the sharks of French Polynesia I was lucky enough to see while diving. We missed the tiger sharks of Tahiti and Jen missed the hammerheads on Rangiroa but I think that means we’ll need to come back here.   Sharks aside, the underwater world in French Polynesia is incredible. Visibility is almost always unbelievably good, the water consistently