Tourism Review Online Magazine - Small Islands with Distinctive Character

8/7/2019 Tourism Review Online Magazine - Small Islands with Distinctive Character

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Th sands f islands a ractt rists with their pris nenat re and nsp ilt envir n-ment. Discover several smallislands where the travelers feetd nt tread very en Les lesde la Madeleine, Caldey Island,C Islands and many m re.


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ADVENTURE s al l i lan w th d t nct ve Character

march, 2011

In the me of early dinosaurs , Q ebec's Lesles de la Madeleine (the Magdalen Islands inEnglish) started a very l ng Atlan c migra nfr m the Eq at r t wards the n rth, event -ally se ling in Canada's G lf f St Lawrence.Lying in a s thwest/n rtheasterly direc n,they consist of a dozen volcanic islands thatf rm a 64- il meter-l ng shh -shapedarchipelag . Six f th se islands are interc n-

nected by l ng, thin d nes f ne cream-c l-red sand, all j ined by paved r ads and pic-t resq e bridges.

Most of the hardy 13,000 residents have cen -t ries- ld r ts with an Acadian French heri-tage q ite di erent fr m b t j st as hist ricalas the Q bc is heritage. H wever, there areals a few c mm ni es with Bri sh r Ameri-can heritage, mostly the descendants of mari -ners washed ashore from some of the 400

shipwrec s rec rded ver h ndreds f years.English is widely sp en, and warm h spitalityt visit rs is part f the Madelin t character.

only in the past few decades have Les lesbeen accessible for more than a handful of m nths a year, and even then nly by shingboat or freighter. All that has changed withreg lar c mmercial ights fr m M ntraland Q bec City and a ve-h r ferry trip t /fr m Prince Edward Island, als in the G lf

f St Lawrence. H wever, the m st sa sfying

way t reach these bea f l isles is ab ard awhite-h lled 450-passenger cr ise-ferry c p-era vely wned and perated by the islandersthemselves.

B arding the CTMAVacancier (Ctma.ca),

in the p rt f M ntral, sailing f r tw days

d wn the St Lawrence River and acr ss the G lf is an advent r s, sa sfying way t bserveabundant marine wildlife and historic shore -line c mm ni es al ng the r te, and t sam-ple s me excep nal c isine far m re t be

expected n a l x ry cr ise ship. Between J ne

disCover The AuThenTiC world ofles iles de lA mAdeleine

Formerly a residen al convent school for girls, Domaine du Vieux Couvent has been me culously restored as aheritage guest accommoda on. Photo credit: Peter Gardner


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and September, the CTMAVacancier ersr nd-trip seven-day pac ages with a breain the middle of two nights and three days toexpl re the islands r ne-way trips t Les lesf r l nger stays. Visit rs may then y t rta e the CTMA ferry t Prince Edward Island

r enj y a wee n the islands and b ard thenext cr ise-ferry as it sails bac t Q bec Cityand M ntral. Flexible pricing all ws f r manyp ssibili es.

M st travelers visit Les les de la Madeleinebetween J ne and September, with the 300

il meters f sandy beaches and warm shall wwaters par c larly appealing t families. H w-ever, if sampling the dis nc ve c isine, enj y-ing l cal m sic fes vals and expl ring the richhistory and culture of the islands have higherpri rity, sh lder seas ns er even q ietercharm and -seas n rates.

Sleeping with hist ry is an excellent wayf r visit rs t immerse in the atm sphere.on the s thernm st island, le d HavreAubert, where many tourism interests arecl stered, there is a c zy B&B mansi n,A berge Chez Denis Fran is (A bergeche-zdenis.ca) a perfect l cati n f r expl ring the

pict resq e village f Havre-A bert and itsseaside s rr ndings. It is a str llable placet immerse in the arts, c lt re and deep his-t ry with art galleries, ne- f-a- ind artisansh ps, a marine m se m and l cal-speciesaq ari m.

Island-h pping half way p the archipel-ag t the third largest island, the imp singD maine d Vie x C vent (D mained vi-e xc vent.c m) is the islands' nly st ne

building with its own fascinating story and

a gourmet eatery with more gastronomicdelights. In the early 20th cent ry, liter-acy and education were scarce commodi -ties with most students having to leave theislands to get any education. So a residen -tial convent school was built to train younglocal women to be teachers in tiny commu -nity sch ls thr gh t the archipelag . Ithas been impressively rest red as a s peri r

class accommodation with ten elegant roomsffering breathta ing views f the sea.A morning drive north to the farthest island

allows visitors to witness the returning lobsterboats that go out to sea well before dawn tochec their traps. A drive past wide cream-sand beaches, narr w bridges and dimin ve

shing and farm hamlets ends at a b stlingcommercial marina, home to hundreds of lob -

Only a few years old, a freighter wreck along the shore is a reminder of the current dangers of the archipelago

seas. Photo cred it:Alison Gardner


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march, 2011

ster boats. Teams of women wait to unload thelobster catch into refrigerated trailers to go torestaurants and local canneries or to be freshpac ed f r ights t w rld mar ets.

Les les de la Madeleine (T rismeilesdelam-adeleine.c m) share their hist ry and c lt regener sly with many high-q ality m se msand a then c a rac ns incl ding an hist richerring sm eh se and a l cal cheese fac-t ry. Let it be n wn that the Madelin ts eatli e ings and q eens and serve their hearty

rganic s ps and herb-laden sav ry disheswith the same panache as they play the ha nt-ing Acadian m sic and paint their h ses. If j iede vivre is to be found anywhere in this world,it m st s rely be n these ill sive islands at-ing l w n the h riz n in the G lf f St Law-rence!

By Alison Gardner

Editor/journalist, Alison Gardner, is a global experton nature-based vaca ons and cultural/educa onaltravel. Her Travel with a Challenge web magazine, is arecognized source of new and established operators,accommoda ons and richly-illustrated feature ar clescovering all types of senior-friendly alterna ve travel.h p://www.travelwithachallenge.com

Lobsters are a signi cant part of the local economy,served fresh in a variety of dishes aboard the CTMAVacancier and in restaurants throughout the islands.Photo credit : Le Qubec mari me/S. Larose
http://www.tourism-review.com/


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Many visitors to Florida get their rst impres-si ns f this state fr m watching m vies r TV.They see the ash f Miami (s th Fl rida) insuch iconic television series as Miami Vice andCSI: Miami . Or on the wide screen in Marleyand Me. or they catch glimpses f the orlandarea (central Fl rida) in s ch ic s asSilent Night: Agent Down and Oceans Eleven .

B t nless they happen t catchLonely Hearts , it is nli ely that the silver screenwill give them a glimpse f n rthern Fl rida.Which, if y tal t s me f its residents in thePanhandle, the n rthwest part f the state, isj st ne. Beca se a er all the lm crews m ve

n t their next Fl rida l ca n, these pr dresidents will s ll be living and l ving the samelifestyles theyve had f r genera ns.

And they may d this m st pr dly in Fran -lin C nty, l cated al ng the G lf f Mexic

80 miles s thwest f Tallahassee, FL and 85miles s theast f Panama City, FL. The c ntyis b rdered by the G lf f Mexic t the s th,and by three c n es t its n rth, east andwest.

Within its 545 sq are miles Fran lin C ntystw m nicipali es Apalachic la and Carra-belle c ntain ev ca vely- tled c mm ni es with names li e Alligat r P int, D g Island,Eastp int, St. Ge rge Island and St. Vincent

Island. Their tles re ect the c ntys Na ve

American hist ry, its resident p p la n f alli-gat rs, and s me f the m st pris ne wildlifeenvironment that can be found in the south -east part f the united States.

Much of its historical and environmentalpreserva n is d e t the fact that m re than87 percent f the C nty is either state rfederally pr tected land. This pr tec n has

A nATurAl esCApe:frAnklin CounTys BArrier islAnds

Patricia Kutza


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enabled Apalachic la Bay, a n rsery area f rthe en re G lf f Mexic , t remain a pris neand pr d c ve est arine system.

This fact is not lost on anglers who visit theC nty f r the chance t catch s ch prized G lf

f Mexic sh as snapper, amberjac , tarp n,and sheepshead. others prefer inland fresh-water pp rt ni es and b th types f trips areavailable from local tour guides.

Family heritage means a lot in this region.Even the m st cas al f bservers n tes that,

what ther ci es may have discarded in theirr sh t pgrade their t rist-w rthiness,Fran lin C nty has made a c ncerted e rtto retain and sustain. Which is why visitors canj st as easily nd npreten s cafes as well asswan ier resta rants serving l cally harvested

ysters, clams, shrimp and bl e crabs.B t, li e their c mpe t rs, Fran lin C nty

b sinesses als eep their nger n the p lse.Which is why when c llege spring brea

twenty-s methings head t the Panhandle

this year J rneys f St. Ge rge Island, a l calsp rts i er, ers paddleb ard less ns t

eep the y th in t wn and happy t spendme als in its bars, resta rants r sh pping

and sightseeing in the bea f lly-rest redc mm nity f Apalachic la.

Its als why the Fran lin C nty T ristDevel pment C ncil pr m tes n t nly largert r g ides b t als small t r perat rs whserve aya ers, hi ers, and birdwatchers ins ch areas as Tates Hell State F rest and Bald

P int State Par . The C ncil has als beefedp pr m n f its l dging p ns in an ci-pa n f t rist interest in its recently- penedLEED-cer ed Apalachic la Na nal Est arineResearch Reserve which houses both a visitorcenter and research labs. Acc mm da nsrange fr m h ses and c nd nits, primar-ily rented thr gh vaca n rental c mpaniesand local rental agencies, to historic inns, localh tels, bed and brea fast inns as well as RV

and campsites.

With its big expanses f s y, g rge s s n-sets, locally sourced seafood, abundant wildlifeand c l rf l residents, Fran lin C nty seemsli e a n -brainer des na n f r indie lm pr -d cers. Its a nat ral escape n an epic scalethat n deep-p c eted H llyw d pr d c nc ld a rd t repr d ce. And a des na nno adventurous tourists should ignore.

VIDEOs: Discover Apalachicola BayOyster Harves ng o of St. George Island

Tate's Hell hiking tour with Lesley Cox, Cer ed Green GuideBy Patricia Kutza

Patricia Kutza is a U.S travel, business and technologyjournalist based in the San Francisco Bay region. Shecra s features for such outlets as Bay Area Kids Maga -zine, , Acura, Journeys, Execu ve Traveler, Terrain, PortO Call and San Joaquin Magazines. She invites readersto visit her Vallejo Community Issues Examiner blogwhere she chronicles the compelling people, places andevents that make the Vallejo area such an interes ng

place to visit and to live.

G tt g TBoth Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlinesservice Northwest Florida Beaches Interna onal Airport, which is approximately one hour and 30 minutes away by car from Franklin County.

f m i atFranklin County Tourist Development Council www.anaturalescape.com1-866-914-2068 (toll free)

Patricia Kutza Franklin County TDC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12jC5ejROb0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zDAdSKwn4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zDAdSKwn4http://www.examiner.com/community-in-san-francisco/patricia-kutzahttp://www.examiner.com/community-in-san-francisco/patricia-kutzahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zDAdSKwn4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zDAdSKwn4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12jC5ejROb0


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The Andaman and Nicobar in India are a gr pf pict resq e islands, big and small, inhabited

and uninhabited, lying in the Bay of Bengal.They lie al ng an arc in l ng and narr w br enchain; appr ximately N rth-S th ver a dis-tance nearly 800 m. M ther Nat re has beenvery generous to these islands in endowingthem with rich bi diversity which is displayedin vari s f rms f ra and fa na n land andin water surrounding the islands.

prisTine nATure And GreenforesTs

Their niq eness lies in high degree f ende-mism, par c larly, in avifa na. F rests c verm re than 84% f the islands ge graphicalarea. A clean and p ll n free envir nmentand lush green forests surrounded by bluesea water ma e A & N islands ne f the m stfav red des na ns f r ec -t rism.

The t tal n mber f islands/islets is m rethan ve h ndred, s pp r ng a p p la n f 356,152 (2001 cens s) and pr jected p p -la n g re f r 2011 is ar nd 489,000. Theislands er a l t f r ec -t rists.

A glance over the tourist data indicates grad -al increase in t rist arrival (b th d mes c

and f reign) d ring last thirty years except d r-ing 2005 when deadly Ts nami waves str cthese islands in the last wee f Dec, 2004.

AndAmAn & niCoBAr islAnds:An emerGinG eCoTourism hoTspoT


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march, 2011

The islAnds: sCuBA divinG,fishinG And CAmpinG

J lly B y & Red S in islands l cated inMahatma Gandhi Marine Na nal Par , ab t30 m fr m capital city f P rt Blair, er abreathta ing nderwater view f c ral andmarine life.

Cinq e island is fam s f r nsp iled beachesespecially a sand bar j ining tw islands. It is as perb place f r sc ba diving, swimming, sh-ing and camping. Havel c Island, ab t 54 mfr m P rt Blair, pr vides idyllic res rt in the lap

of virgin white silver sand Radhanagar beach

and np ll ted envir nment. Time Magazinedeclared this beach as the nest beach f Asiain 2004. A g esth se f T rism Department

D lphin Res rt and a l t f ther privatecamping facili es are available here.Chatham Island at P rt Blair has the privi-

lege of having one of the biggest and oldestsaw mills of Asia. Besides mill machinery, thereis a m se m depic ng islands f rest wealthdetails and c llec n f f rest pr d cts espe-cially b rr and c t pieces fr m Anda-man Pada (Pterocarpus delbergiodes ).

The lush green mangroves forest cover with

the area f 1190 sq. m ers an eye catching

view on tours around the islands by local boats.The t rists can have a glimpse f ne f theprimi ve tribes (Jarwas) f these islands in the

f rests f S th Andaman adj ining AndamanTr n R ad and ar nd Baratang Island. othercateg ries f s ch Negrit race tribe li e GreatAndamanese (at Strait Island), onges (at Li leAndaman) and Sen nalese (at N rth Sen nalIsland) are pr tected fr m tsiders by thel cal administra n and special permissi n isneeded to visit them.

Sen nalese are the m st vi lent type f tribes wh d n t li e tsiders and a ac

s ch pe ple with b w and arr ws p n seeing

Tour st Arr val data theA ama & n cobar isla s

(19802009Year Domes c Foreign Total Year Tourist s Tourists Tourists

1980 7500 2096 95961985 20291 1264 21555

1990 27019 6697 33716

1995 64490 3849 68339

2000 81432 4684 86116

2001 85866 5249 91115

2002 90629 4707 95336

2003 93899 4281 98180

2004 105004 4578 109582

2005 30225 2156 32381

2006 118648 9051 127699

2007 136015 9045 145060

2008 123914 12512 136426

2009 142042 13684 155726 Source: Department of Informa on, Publicityand Tourism, A& N Islands.


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them. They are t tally c t fr m main streams ciety and depend n h n ng/ shing in andar nd N rth Sen nal Island f r their s rvival.In fact, they need t be pr tected fr m tsid-ers by administra n. E rts f bringing Jar-was to main stream have not been very fruit -ful as their status has been reduced to beggars

bef re t rists and l cal se lers f the islands.eCoTourism poTenTiAl And

ChAllenGes

These islands have all the necessary ingre -dients f r ec -t rism ind stry i.e. t rq ise

bl e sea, talc-li e beaches and shear richnessf tr pical ra and fa na. Principal a th r

carried out a research study to assess tourismval e f these islands bef re and a er ts -nami disaster f 2004. It has been f nd thatannual tourism value has increased to Rs. 75milli n (1.2) d ring 2007-08, which is alm st

three mes than the t rism val e bef retsunami.At present the crea n f ec -friendly infra-

str ct re is req ired. Water scarcity pr blempar c larly d ring the m nths f Jan ary tMay, every year, needs t be res lved. Village

based ec -t rism has tremend s p ten alin the islands. Raw material f r c nstr c n

f ec -friendly t rist h ts in the c c n t andareca nut orchards in and around Port Blair isavailable in plenty.

L cal pe ple and se lers having farm andorchard lands can be encouraged by localadministra n f r this vent re by pr vidingappr priate s bsidy f r a rac ng d mes cand f reign t rists f r staying palm gr vesand to have a feel of sincerity and serenity of village life in the islands. L ca n f s ch h tsadj ining tr pical rain f rests w ld pr videa w nderf l pp rt nity t nat re l vers f rstudying rare endemic birds, animals, insects,b er ies etc. f the area. Th gh t rism

val e f these islands has increased a er ts -nami f 2004, s ll administra n has t c vera lot for achieving sustainable tourism in theislands.

By Dr. Pradeep Chaudhry & Deepak Bairagi Dr. Pradeep Chaudhry ( [email protected] ) is asenior forest o cer in the Indian Forest Service andpresently posted as Director, State Forest Research Ins -tute, Van Vihar, Chimpu, Itanagar-791111, ArunachalPradesh, Indiah p://sites.google.com/site/drpradeepchaudhry/Mr. Deepak Bairagi ( [email protected] ) is a youngman having special interest in the nature conserva onand explora on, presently working as Junior Inves ga -tor in the Directorate of Economics & Sta s cs, PortBlair, A & N Island, India.


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Caldey Island lies cradled in the South Pem -br eshire c ast n the western fringes f Wales, 3 miles Tenby. Derived fr m theVi ingKeld-Eye meaning C ld Island, Caldey is

ne f Britain's h ly islands.

The world of sereniTyM re than a th sand years f prayer and

q iet living has made this rem te and bea -f l island a haven f tranq ility. Believed

to have been inhabited since the Stone Age,

Caldey was h me t m n s since Cel c mes.Small b ats ferry every 15 min tes (M nday-Sat rdays fr m May-September) fr m Tenbyharbour in 20 minutes to this sacred sanctuary,a small w rld apart.

The landing sp t is the magni cent expanseof sandy beach at the Priory Bay, one of thebest in Wales. From here a short stroll leads tothe village and m nastery. Set amidst peace-f l w ded s rr ndings sl ping gently intthe bay, the beach is ideal to laze on sunnya ern ns with the crashing s rf r lling by reven wal ing, s nbathing, swimming r b ild-ing sandcastles. Since it is accessible only onreaching Caldey, it never gets t cr wdedeven during summer.

ChoColATe from The ABBey

The Caldey Abbey is presently a w r -ing m nastery with the Cistercian/Trappistm n s ne f the m re asce c f the m nas-

c disciplines. C nstr cted in 1910 by J hnC ates-Carter in n s al tradi nal Italianatestyle, this Grade 2 b ilding is Caldeys m stpr minent landmar cc pied since 1929.

The present f rteen m n s f ll w the rigi-nal p rity f the R le f St. Benedict with v wsf p verty, chas ty and bedience. Dev ngtheir lives to the service of God, they live asper an a stere set f r les set t a demanding

metable f prayer, st dy and w r , a endingseven services a day in the simple dignity f them nastery ch rch (the rst at 3.15 a.m.!) and

bserving silence (7 p.m.-7 a.m.). Their r nesh ws that m nas c life is n t f r the faint-hearted b t f r th se with a gen ine v ca n

f r spirit al life.

CAldey islAnd: wAles'sislAnd monAsTery


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The m n s c ntrib te in farming with the50- dd islanders. If l c y, ne can catch aglimpse f them maintaining a prime beef herd r ba ing sh rtbread in the m nastery

ven. They pr d ce myriad h me-gr wn itemsincl ding t mat es, ch c late, ice cream, mil ,b er, cl ed cream and y gh rt.

The refectory for communal meals is animp sing a paneled hall with mbered r f.The cl ister f r c ntempla n is set ar nd acentral garden the girth. Alth gh m nasterytours are available only for men anyone cana end the ch rch service.

CAldeys lAndmArks

The village gi sh p is well st c ed withitems fr m the Abb ts kitchen besides s ve-nirs and b s n island life, p etry c llec nsand plains ng CDs. The n s al design f theCaldey Island P st o ce (1913) by J hn C atesCarter blends with the Abbeys extravagantarchitect re. It sells p stcards and special c v-ers. Th se p sted here receive a Caldey Islandimprint. The Vide Centre displays a 20-min-

te lmThe Monks of Caldey Island eringinsights n m nas c life. Enj y an nh rriedsnac in the Tea Gardens r a leis rely picnic.

J st tside the islands main se lement isthe medieval st ne chapel f St. David, theparish ch rch f Caldey n a small hill with itsimpressive r nd-arched N rman d r. P ssi-bly, the f nda ns and nave st new r datet a 6th cent ry Cel c chapel. In the ch rchc rtyard lies the simple graves f m n sand islanders mar ed with weather-beaten,

w den cr sses n a p ssible Cel c b rial site.

The Vict rian land wners rest red the ch rch

a er the Diss l n f M nasteries (1536)and the Benedic ne m n s added the niq estained glass windows. The most unusual FishWind w has the ancient Chris an symb l witha c ntemp rary feel in a 1920's design byThe d re Bailey. The m st impressive is Tree

f Life Wind w depicts a threef ld tree, p s-sibly symbolizing the Trinity and three crosses

n Calvary. Ill minated by the a ern n s n, itgives a st nning sense f the Creat r breathinglife and light into the world.

AnCienT ChurCh

The village signp st directs ne past thef chsia hedges t the St. Illtyd's Ch rch, a c n-secrated R man Cath lic Ch rch s ll sed asa place f w rship with its ancient st ne wallsand pebble rs w rn sm th by me andgenera ns f w rshippers. The ldest part isthe Pri r's T wer, b ilt as a f r ed h se byR bert Fitzmar n t wh m Caldey was given byHenry I. Fitzmar n in t rn gave it t his m therwh d nated it t the Benedic ne m n s f


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St. D gmael's wh retained it ll the Diss l -n.

Fitzmar n's h se was m di ed between the13 th- 15th cent ries. The riginal va lted chapelforms the sanctuary of the larger church with a14 th cent ry spire. Entering thr gh the west-ern tower, one observes the gatehouse withst rage r ms, d rmit ry, itchen, refect ryand shp nd tside the cl ister. Medieval

etchings n walls depict s lls and cr ssb nes.The 12 th century historic Priory is one of them st interes ng b ildings aband ned in 1536and restored in the 20 th cent ry. C nstr ctedfrom limestone and sandstone, indigenous toCaldey it is believed t cc py a 6th centuryCel c m nas c site where the Caldey St neinscribed in the Cel c ogham script was exca-vated t be displayed in the ch rch f r visit rs.

The Caldey Lighth se perched high ab vethe brea ers n Chapel P int was b ilt by Trin-ity H se, the lighth se a th rity f r Englandand Wales in 1829. It w r s with the L ndyN rth Lighth se t aid naviga n in the Bris-t l Channel. on either sides f the t wer arethe erstwhile dwellings f resident eeperspri r t its c nversi n t a t ma c pera n(1927). As the last lighth se p wered by acet-ylene gas n l c nversi n t mains electricity(1997), it pens p spectac lar views f thePembr eshire C astline, Preseli Hills, L ndyIsland and G wer Penins la.

perfumes from The islAnd

The principal inc me f r Caldey is t rism

in addi n t l cally pr d ced items d ringwinter. H wever, the m st interes ng b si-ness venture is the manufacture of the famousrange f Caldey Island perf mes and t iletries(c l gnes, bath essences, hand l ns, a er-shaves and s aps) inspired by the pr f si n f l cal wild wers and herbs.

Since the 1950's lavender b nches fr m themonastery garden were dried and sold to visi -t rs giving the idea f crea ng perf mes c m-

mercially. An island building was convertedint a perf mery and expert perf mers helpedthe m n s f rm late s phis cated high q al-ity fragrances f the Caldey brand. With thep p larity f perf mes tstripping s pply,the c mplex c mp nding pr cess was t-s rced t the Belgian perf mer Iv Jac bs tpainsta ingly re-create the classic fragrances

f Caldey.

The lavender perf mes acclaimed "sim-ply the best lavender s li re n earth" byperf me cri c L ca T rin are s ld in Caldeyssh ps, in Tenby, thr gh mail rder and nline,

sing the islands website.

Tour The CAldey islAndCaldey pr vides a spirit al retreat in limited

self-catering pr per es between Easter oct ber f r th se wishing t a end m nas cservices and experience spirit al life in s li-t de. A re engine, amb lance and C astg ardteam exists. Free g ided t rs er insights

n Caldeys hist ry, ch rches and daily life. orexpl re y rself eeping t the f tpaths f rsafety. Caldey is als d g friendly. A sharp eye,

l c and pa ence en reveals grey seal p psbas ing in the cean swells r nes ng seabirdc l nies n the cli s.

While ac n wledging the imp rtance f t rism in Caldey, its nat ral bea ty, hist ri-cal signi cance f the m nastery, limi ng visi-t rs, impr ving the je y and c astal defenseare iss es f c ncern. C pled with breath-ta ing nat ral bea ty and the c mmercialismin Tenby, a day t in the enchan ng, tranq il

asis can leave a th gh l h liday ma er withmem ries f a deeper, las ng ind.

By Dr. Ilika Chakravarty Academy of Business Management, Tourism andResearch, Bangalore, India27, Hazeltree Cro , Acocks Green, Birmingham, B277XS, [email protected]


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At the very centre of the Polynesian triangle ,

the C Islands c nsist f 15 islands scat-tered ver s me 2 milli n sq are il metersf the Paci c ocean. It is b rdered t the west

by T ela , the Sam as and N ie and t theeast by Tahi and the islands f French P ly-nesia.

The islands n rth t s th, are Penhryn, Ra a-hanga, Manihi i, P ap a, Nassa , S warr w,Palmerst n, Ait ta i, Man ae, Mi ar , Ta -tea, A , Ma e, Rar t nga and Mangaia. With

a land area f j st 240 sq are il meters, the

islands range from low coral atolls to the moun -

tain s majesty f Rar t nga, the largest islandf the gr p and h me t the capital, Avar a.

mAuke islAnd

Ma e ta es its name fr m the legendaryf nder u e wh came t the island in search

f a peacef l place t live. By t days standards,he certainly ch se the perfect island. H wever,pri r t the arrival f Chris anity Ma e was

d minated by the A ans wh w ld en

descend n m rder s cannibal raids ta ingmany slaves.

T day, Ma es peacef l existence belies itsnse led past and visit rs will nd a real Paci c

haven n this infreq ently visited island. It isen referred t as the garden island f the

C gr p and can be f nd 40 min tes by airnortheast of Rarotonga.

N n-c mmercial and with a relaxed pacef life, Ma e ers peace and secl si n '

the beaten trac '. Three villages Are ra,Nga ar a and kimiangata are cl se t thewestern coast of the island, leaving the ara -ble inland area f r a variety f f d cr ps and

ther farming ac vity.Visit rs sh ld n t miss a visit t the oliveta

Ch rch at kamiangata , the divided ch rchb ilt where the villages f Nga ar a and Are rameet. The ch rch has tw separate entrancesand si ng areas f r each village. The reas nf r this is at the me f c nstr c n a c n ictarose between the two villages. This is evidentin that the interior design clearly shows twovery separate ar s c expressi ns and styles.The p lpit railing is als inlaid with Chilean d l-lars.

miTiAro islAnd

Of the cluster of islands in the SouthernGr p called Nga P T r (A , Mi ar andMa e), this island w ld be the least visitedby t rists. N t beca se it is any less bea f lthan sister islands A and Ma e, b t simplythat it is pr bably the least n wn.

Mi ar is s mewhat di erent t its sisters inthat it has tw large freshwater la es in its inte-

Cook islAnds: CAves,Cliffs And mAkATeA


14/14

52


march, 2011

ri r, R t n i and R t i . These are f ll f I i

(freshwater eels) that are c nsidered a deli-cacy in the C Islands and a p p lar dish nthis island. Renowned as one of the friendliest,village life rev lves ar nd the C IslandsChris an Ch rch Betela where visit rs canexperience the r sing hymns at S nday Ser-vice.

There are caves n Mi ar and s me delight-f l s bterranean p ls which er a refresh-ingly c l place t swim. A sma ering f smallsandy beaches and coves can be found alongthe coastline.

The small ght- nit c mm nity sh ws itspride in the neatness f the villages, Ta a eand Arai. There is a small p p la n f appr x-imately 300 pe ple and private gardens in the

village are bea f lly ept and neat. Life nMi ar is refreshingly nc mplicated.

ATiu islAnd

A the island f birds and legends is thethird largest in the gr p, f rming part f theS thern sec n f the C Islands. A is asmall v lcanic island, with central elevated at-t pped mass f v lcanic r c s rr nded by araised c ral limest ne reef called a Ma atea.The ma atea r ns ar nd the island rangingin width from anywhere between 50 to 100meters. L w cli s, 3 t 6 meters high s rr ndthe island, but there are many recesses inwhich small sandy coves are found.

It is a fascina ng des na n, riddled withcaves, ma etea, raised c ral at ll, cli s, andwhite sand beaches. Orovaru Beach is whereCaptain James C landed in 1777. The bar-rier reef lies close to the shore and the fourmain villages Arer a, Tengatangi, Map maiand Teen i are gr ped t gether n a cen-tral platea s me 71 meters ab ve sea level.A r ad extending 20 il meters ar nd theislands is the best means by which t expl re.

Learn the legend f l vers In t t and Tan-gar a and their ass cia n with Anata ita iCave, which is spectac larly ad rned withstalagmites, stalac tes and als h me t thek pe a bird. Visit Ra as Cave with its eendi erent chambers and y r g ide will tell yab t the many genera ns f the Ra an i

family wh have lived and died in this magni -

cent hideaway, inside the islands l sh rain f r-est.A small resta rant trade is devel ping in A

s when visi ng as the l cals ab t any neweateries k ra's kitchen which is f nd n l ca-

n at A Villas is w rth a visit. k ra's kitchenand bar is pen every day f the wee exceptS nday. Visit rs sh ld change m ney in Rar -t nga bef re travelling t A . Sh pping is lim-ited but there are a few small dairy stores, and

l cals sell cra s fr m h me. An ther l cal c s-t m t ta e part in is trying b sh beer, T man ,a l cal brew made fr m imp rted yeast, s garh ps and malt.

h p://www.cookislands.travel

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