Beach side lounge chairs waiting for you to relax…. (c)Sonne

To the Caribbean without a passport!  White sandy beaches, 80 degree sea water, and lots of good eating – welcome to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands! The US bought islands from Denmark in the last century, and these tropical vacation spots are steeped with European and African influences, but English is the main language, the mail is delivered via the US Postal service and there’s even an US  “National Park” there with hiking travels not far from an underwater marked snorkel trail.

You can be a tourist- see the childhood home of Impressionist Painter Camille Pisarro, the Western Hemisphere’s second oldest Synagogue, the Caribbean’s first Buddhist Temple, and miles of restaurants and shops. You can also just sit until you feel like immersing in the warm waters.

Glide on in with open eyes or a face mask, snorkel and fins.

Underwater world of St Thomas

Float over an endless aquarium or hold your breath, and dive a few feet  to get eye to eye with tropical fish, urchins and corals that look like sculptures. The light shimmers and plays. The water gently rocks you.

No crabby people found topside, but underwater….

Sometimes there are surprises…

On a popular beach of Megan Bay, food shacks will deliver to you on the sand for barefoot dining. A few hundred yards away, underwater the fare is fresher and more lively.

This brain corral is a yard wide.

Your brain can relax as you take in dozens of different corals- from purple and orange fan corrals to large brain corrals.

And then look up………

Looking up is part of the fun of snorkeling in St Thomas. Schools of blue fish swim by. Sonne

Would you add St. Thomas to your “bucket list”?

-Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photos (c)  Lisa TE Sonne

Papua New Guinea is a bucket list best for anyone who wants to explore cultures and nature, not homogenized by chain stores, cookie-cutter tourist attractions, and popular media. Over 800 languages are spoken amidst 300 islands, in a varied realm promoted with the tag “ a million different journeys.”

Known as “PNG” to more savvy travelers, the country lies south of the equator and North of Australia.  Tribal village ceremonies, giant purple clams, and tropical orchids are just part of the alluring diversity.

Amazingly, “remote” and “roughing it” are not synonymous in chosen pockets of PNG. Travelers with a sense of adventure can still enjoy great comforts while gathering indelible memories and authentic mementos, instead of staged photo opportunities and factory made souvenirs.

The Luxury Picks

*The Sepik Spirit Lives up to its claim as “ A floating luxury lodge” that takes people up rivers to remote Papuan villages famed for word carving, Spirit houses, and tribal dancing.  Birders, photographers, art collectors, and amateur anthropologists- sign up now!

*Lissenung Island Resort: A private island with contextually classy R & R–great food, snorkeling, diving and culture.

*Karawari Lodge – A real tropical beauty set on a ridge above dense jungle; a great home base to experience Highland cultures and festivals.

*Malolo Plantation Lodge on the Bismarck Sea – A short paddle from this cozy north shore sanctuary, Tadwai Island offers corral cays, ancient reefs and views of paradise

Click here for more information on travel in Papua New Guinea

Click her for more on high-end PNG tours.

Click here for Check Lists Before going on any International Travel

and for Luxury Travel Mavens top  tips on Long Distance Air Travel 

-Lisa TE Sonne, Luxury Travel Mavens

© Lisa TE Sonne