Beaches and Islands

White Island, in the Bay of Plenty 30 miles off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand’s North Island, is an active volcanic site. On a December ’07-January ’08 tour, my wife, Eva, and I arranged for a helicopter tour to the island with White Island Volcano Adventure (Box 10, Waimana, Whakatane, North Island, NZ; phone/fax +64 7 308 4188 or, toll free in NZ, phone 0800 804 354, www.vulcanheli.co.nz).

This is a “must see”! You walk about, and the scenery and colors are fantastic.

My husband, Ray, and I took a tour of Greece and the Greek Islands, June 13-27, 2007.

by Nancy Tardy, Henderson, NV

Forget the stories you may have heard about the difficulties of traveling to Easter Island. Though one of the most remote inhabited spots in the world, it is neither hard to reach nor outrageously expensive to visit.

It’s easy to understand why the Azores, lying in the Atlantic about 800 miles off the coast of Portugal, has never been a stop on any grand tour of Europe. These Portuguese islands boast no great art or museums, have no must-see sights and aren’t known for their beaches or nightlife.

by Susan Benton, Hermosa Beach, CA

It’s not often when something that seems too good to be true really is that good. In the case of my most recent layover, in Fiji, it was.

My partner, John, and I, were on Easter Island, Feb. 6-11, 2008, attending this year’s Tapati Festival. In Hanga Roa, the island’s only town, we found that restaurants often serve only one item.

My Florida cousin, Beverly, and I returned March 18, 2008, from a 2-week trip to the Azores, where we visited four of the nine islands. This was arranged by Abreu Tours (New York, NY; 800/223-1580, www.abreu-tours.com) and cost $3,002 per person, including airfare.

Accommodations, sightseeing, etc., were very good. Breakfast was included with every hotel as was a half day’s sightseeing on each island. On Pico Island we got lucky and our private tour lasted almost the entire day.

Jeju, a tiny island paradise just 55 miles south of mainland Korea, is a paragon of peaceful relaxation. Truly away from the madding crowd, it is a place where anyone can simply listen to the quiet. Many couples choose to honeymoon there.

by Nancy Tardy, Henderson, NV