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Category Archives: Islands

Seychelles’ Main Islands, Mah, La Digue and Praslin – Each a Paradise of Their Own – Video

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Seychelles #39; Main Islands, Mah, La Digue and Praslin - Each a Paradise of Their Own
115 gorgeous islands comprise the Seychelles, an island country situated in the Vanilla Islands of the Indian Ocean. Mah is the largest and the capital city of Victoria is located there....

By: Bea Broda

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Seychelles' Main Islands, Mah, La Digue and Praslin - Each a Paradise of Their Own - Video

Galpagos Islands see an evolution in luxury with Pikaia Lodge

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An expedition to the Galpagos Islands to view the wildlife and scenery that inspired Charles Darwin is, by almost any measure, a trip of a lifetime. But despite the time and expense involved in getting there, travelers in search of luxurious accommodations have had, until recently, to settle for less than fabulous.

The Ecuadorean government is tough on development in this remote, ecologically fragile archipelago some 600-plus miles west of Ecuador's mainland. But last October, Pikaia, a 14-room lodge, opened its high-end, eco-friendly doors on Santa Cruz Island, quietly transforming the landscape. I booked a weeklong stay for December, keen to discover how it might be possible to revel in hedonism while immersing myself in the legendary treasure chest of the natural world.

Darwin spent five weeks in the Galpagos in 1835, and it was during that time that he noticed how the islands, each with its distinct topography, supported distinct species of animals as well. Those observations inspired him to ponder the mystery of how those species evolved, leading, eventually, to his theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest. The rest is science history.

It's not easy to get to the Galpagos from California, but I kept reminding myself that its off-the-beaten-path location has ensured that the islands remain pristine and inhabited by the likes of blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, Darwin's finches and land iguanas.

My journey took me first to Miami, where I connected for a 41/2-hour flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There, I overnighted at Hotel Oro Verde, one of the few five-star hotels in the country's largest city and main port.

Early the following morning, I took a 90-minute flight to Baltra Island, the primary gateway to the Galpagos. I was met by Veronica Maruri, my sporty Pikaia guide who would accompany me for the rest of the week. We were driven from the airport to a ferry, which we boarded for a 10-minute ride to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. There we were met by a van and driven one hour to the Pikaia Lodge, which sits on the edge of an extinct volcano and offers sweeping views of the cerulean Pacific Ocean.

My spirits soared as the van snaked up the tree-lined driveway to the hilltop lodge. Although Pikaia, designed by Ecuadorean architect Humberto Plaza, is considered too modern by some local old-timers, I loved it. Its aesthetic is unlike anything else in the Galpagos. Set on a private, 77-acre property, the buildings were created from concrete, glass, recycled steel, bamboo and sustainably grown South American teak.

When I asked at the front desk about Plaza's influences, Andrew Balfour, the general manager, said, "Evolution was the main influence, and we wanted to use recycled and ecological materials, knowing how priceless the environment here is and the desire of the owner to have the lowest impact. He wanted a minimalist design so that nature would be the predominant art."

Pikaia features an infinity lap pool with a 180-degree view over the now-forested crater, a spa, a gym, the Evolution restaurant, the outdoor DNA Bar and an inviting library where nature documentaries about the Galpagos are shown nightly.

Guest rooms are all large. The 880-square-foot Pool Suite comes with its own plunge pool, sitting room, terrace and breathtaking view of the ocean. The non-suite rooms are 650 square feet, and the upstairs Terrace Rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass walls on two sides that give you the impression that you are floating between earth and sky. It's a spiritual awakening every time you open the blinds.

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Galpagos Islands see an evolution in luxury with Pikaia Lodge

Faeroe Islands and Svalbard get ready for total solar eclipse

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People wait for the start of a total solar eclipse from a hill beside a hotel overlooking the sea and Torshavn, the capital city of the Faeroe Islands, Friday, March 20, 2015. For months, even years, accommodation on the remote Faeroe Islands has been booked out by fans who don't want to miss an almost three-minute-long astronomical sensation. Now they just have to hope the clouds will blow away so they can fully experience Friday's brief total solar eclipse. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)(The Associated Press)

A visitor waits for the start of a total solar eclipse on a hill beside a hotel overlooking Torshavn, the capital city of the Faeroe Islands, Friday, March 20, 2015. For months, even years, accommodation on the remote Faeroe Islands has been booked out by fans who don't want to miss an almost three-minute-long astronomical sensation. Now they just have to hope the clouds will blow away so they can fully experience Friday's brief total solar eclipse. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)(The Associated Press)

People watch as a solar eclipse begins over the Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall, England Friday March 20, 2015. An eclipse is darkening parts of Europe on Friday in a rare solar event that won't be repeated for more than a decade. (AP Photo/PA, Ben Birchall) UNITED KINGDOM OUT: NO SALES: NO ARCHIVE:(The Associated Press)

The total solar eclipse seen from Svalbard, Norway Friday March 20, 2015. An eclipse is darkening parts of Europe on Friday in a rare solar event that won't be repeated for more than a decade. (AP Photo/Haakon Mosvold Larsen, NTB Scanpix) NORWAY OUT(The Associated Press)

People wear protective glasses to watch the solar eclipse at the Kalemegdan citadel in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, March 20, 2015. Clouds moving over the city allowed only brief views of the partial eclipse. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(The Associated Press)

TORSHAVN, Faeroe Islands Thousands of sky-gazers on the Faeroe Islands are hoping for the clouds to part so that they can get a clear view of a total solar eclipse.

The tiny island group in the North Atlantic and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard are the only places on land where the sun will be completely obscured by the moon during Friday's eclipse.

Clouds are covering the sky over the capital, Torshavn, but with the sun occasionally breaking through, as the big moment nears.

More than 11,000 tourists, eclipse chasers and scientists with telescopes, cameras and glasses for safe direct solar viewing have invaded the Faeroes for the almost three-minute-long astronomical sensation.

The phenomenon will later be seen in Svalbard, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,270 miles) to the northeast.

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Faeroe Islands and Svalbard get ready for total solar eclipse

Madeira Islands Open Suspended for Bad Weather for 2nd Day

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Bad weather disrupted the Madeira Islands Open for a second straight day on Friday as organizers were forced to suspend the first round again.

Play was stopped after heavy rain flooded the greens on the Clube de Golf Santo da Serra course, with Denmark's Joachim B. Hansen holding the clubhouse lead after a 4-under 68. He was one shot ahead of England's Andrew Marshall and French pair Adrien Saddier and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet. The four were among roughly half the field able to complete the first round.

Play is scheduled to resume on Saturday.

On Thursday, heavy winds sweeping the Portuguese archipelago kept play from starting and led to organizers reducing the event to 54 holes.

Last year, heavy fog during the first three days of the event forced organizers to reduce it to 36 holes.

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Madeira Islands Open Suspended for Bad Weather for 2nd Day


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