July/August 2009

islands.com

Tm St n Ston

You may have seen this bouler-strewn beach in the British Virgin Islans beore. But to see the BathsNational Park like it’s picture here, n the right spot — at the righttime. Start your journey towar this orest o granite by makingyour way to San Juan, Puerto Rico. From there, it’s just 45 minutesto the islan o Tortola on boar one o American Eagle’s regularfights. Skip the 30-minute erry to Virgin Gora’s southwest coast,an instea arrange or a chartere sailboat to take you the long way.Have your captain stop at a ew o the countless picturesque moorings — rom thecharming mariner’s village at Soper’s Hole to the resort-chic scene on Peter Islan.That way, when you o arrive at the Baths, the sun (an crows) will be aing. Withthe Caribbean’s most iconic beach all to yoursel, crawl through sany grottoes, swimin sheltere lagoons, climb onto house-size boulers an snap perectly lit photos likethis one. The harest thing to time will be your exit.

bvitourism.com

—

adrienne

egolf

get here

VrgnGorda

July/August 2009

islands.com

J E N J u d G E

July/August 2009

islands.com

discover

also this month

Pack Your Paddle

summer in maine’s casco bay islands looks a bit

o-fhoe potcr. Brght-re obter ecorte

pcc-er pte; towerg evergree tree t og rocky horee; coorfu ber y from mte

vee; d boomg dffod d hydrge ptrog hde. There’ o better wy to become 

prt of the potcr th ummer th  three-y kyk trp,  there’ o better orgzto to gue you

th Me’ bet-ove outoor outtter, l.l.Be.

strt t the Outoor dcovery schoo hequrter 

Freeport,   you he towr the rt ght’ cmpte,

py gret bue hero tkg ght from the how, gtoprey perche  treetop et  curou by e bob-

bg mog obter-pot buoy. iduge  uccuet obter

pue trght from the e  cooke over  cmpre;

the eep uer the tr o the Gog,  pr of prvte,uhbte   the orther prt of the by. O y

two, pe to the Chebegue i i, where ce te

d adrodck chr wt o  hrbor-frot w. Pddebck to home be o dy three, mkg top for uch, pc-

ture  bkg  Me’ wrm ummer u  coocot breeze. no pot-

cr c cpture t . —

go now

Man

BOOK

your islan-hopping trip now. Trips are availableor July 10-12, Aug. 21-23 an Sept. 25-27.

cOme

withyears o kayaking experience or none at all. L.L.Bean’sexpert guies will provie necessary paling instructionan tailor the trip to the group’s nees.

see

an interactivemap o this trip’s itinerary an rea the eitor’s blog at

islands.com/maine

Learn mOre

llbean.com

Bg Och Saood

Sure, there’s dancing andmusic and a Jamaicanbeach. But the

Little OchieSeaoo Carnival

(July 12)

is all about the ood. Oncea one-man grilling machine,the Little Ochie restauranthas gained internationalrecognition. Local ches,including owner Evrol“Blackie” Christian, serve upevery sh and crustaceanimaginable: smoked lobsterbrushed with butter sauce;steamed snapper servedwith

bammy

; and roastedturbot and

escoveitch

. It’sall seasoned with onions,Scotch bonnet pepper, vin-egar and

cho-cho

. Need wesay more?

littleochie.com

Swt Sgar

Held along Kauai’s scenicsouth coast,

Koloa Planta-tion days

(July 18-26)

cel-ebrate Hawaii’s deep rootsin the sugar industry. In1835, people rom across theworld — the Philippines, theAzores, Japan, Korea andEurope — came to work atthe Koloa Sugar Plantation,the island’s rst. Today thatsame plantation, now idle,reconnects these culturesthrough ethnic cookingdemonstrations, Hawaiianluaus, nature walks alongthe Hapa Trail, re dancingand even a cowboy rodeo.Sugar or no sugar, thearming liestyle carries on.

koloaplantationdays.com

Many Masks

Masks in Papua New Guineaare as varied as its land andpeople. Proo: the

NationalMask Festival

(July 15-18)

inRabaul. From colorul andornate to dark and mys-terious, each style, shapeand size refects islandtraditions and representspower- and knowledge-giving spirits. To begin theestivities, Tolai Dukduksand Tumbuans in ull bodymasks sail in canoes alongthe beach. Later, BainingFire Dancers and re eatersperorm to

kundu

. Shop orwooden carvings and eat lo-cal grub — just don’t orgetto don a mask.

pngtourism.org.pg

—

ashley

fraxedas

F R O M T O P : S T E V E d u N W E L L / G E T T Y I M A G E S ; J O H N E R I M A G E S / V E E R ; d A V I d C O R N W E L L / P A C I F I C S T O C K ; W O L F G A N G K A E H L E R / A L A M Y