Maldives
The Maldives are the islands we drew in childhood, the quintessence of the idea of a tropical island. Geographically, they are a double chain of 1,190 tiny islands and atolls, sinking under the weight of palms and flowers in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Their height above sea level is 15 cm; any islet can be walked across in five minutes. This is their special charm, and this is also the catch: whichever haven you choose, you find yourself on a trap island from which there is no escape. That is why you can only go to the Maldives with a very loved person. Not just a loved one, but a very loved one! At the airport, people who have spent a week or two in this paradise often sit with their backs to each other because they have managed to get bored with each other.
It is best to save the Maldives for a honeymoon. For newlyweds, it is simply an ideal option: no one disturbs you, the only entertainment is the sea and a bungalow with a large bed. The island is small, all yours. It is hot during the day, you cannot sunbathe, but you can do everything else quite well. It turns out to be a heavenly vacation. For a change, you can take a seaplane and fly to a neighboring islet. Each islet holds just one thing: a hotel, an airport, a shop, or a restaurant. Exotic! When going to sea resorts, do not forget to visit a beachwear store. After all, fashionable pareos and beautiful swimsuits are an integral part of any woman's wardrobe when she goes on a trip abroad.
Mauritius
The recognized world standard of luxury is considered the king of the Indian Ocean - the island of Mauritius. Mark Twain said of it: "Mauritius existed before paradise, and God created paradise in its image and likeness." Apparently, the writer was not mistaken; that is exactly how it was. And then people supplemented the natural masterpiece created by God with luxurious hotels, yacht piers, and excellent restaurants.
On Mauritius, there are places to sunbathe, swim, dive, play golf, hunt deer, and go sailing. There are beaches with high waves for surfing enthusiasts, lagoons, and reefs. On land, there are whimsical mountain silhouettes, dense forests, waterfalls, and emerald valleys overgrown with sugarcane. In Casela Park, there are two thousand birds, including the famous pink pigeons; in Domaine du Chasseur Park, there are deer, wild boars, monkeys, and rare birds. In the capital Port Louis, besides spice markets and jewelry stores, there are the Pamplemousses botanical garden and the Orchid garden. Very popular on the island are romantic carriage rides to colonial estates.
People go to Mauritius with two goals: to indulge themselves in hotel luxury and to engage in sport fishing. Fishing here is when, out of purely sporting interest, they kill blue marlins, which are not eaten, or red tunas, which are brought with pomp to the hotel restaurant. Mauritius is recognized as one of the best places in the world for this very sport fishing; international competitions are even held there.
Seychelles
The 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean are a place for inveterate romantics. The Seychelles were long a haven for pirates, and still the surf sometimes washes golden piasters ashore. There are more interesting treasures here: clear sea, stunning beaches, and a rich underwater and terrestrial wildlife. Its most worthy representatives are giant tortoises, blue pigeons, and black parrots. Together with a lewd-looking nut, the "coco de mer." A liqueur is made from the nut, which is considered the best souvenir.
Entertainment in the Seychelles is varied: underwater swimming in coral thickets, surfing, casinos, paragliding, yachts. And if we are to recall Robinson Crusoe, the film about him was shot exactly in the Seychelles. The most beautiful island of the archipelago is recognized as Praslin, where the lewd nuts grow. Although La Digue with its black volcanic rocks is also capable of striking the imagination. Motor vehicles are banned there, and tourists are taken in ox-drawn carts. Each cart is equipped with a real license plate, like a respectable car.
Hawaii
The Hawaiian archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean and also happens to be the fiftieth state of the USA. It comprises 24 islands. On them are mountains up to four thousand meters high, which also happen to be volcanoes. There is even a special Volcanoes Park on the Big Island. Collecting lava there is categorically not recommended. It is not that tourists' bags are subjected to a total check on this matter, it is just that, they say, the volcano goddess Pele sends big troubles upon the thieves, which continue until the lava returns to its place.
For this reason, Hawaii's mail is flooded with parcels of lava that tourists send from all over the world. Hawaii is a cult place for surfers and the birthplace of surfing. The islands have 1,600 beaches, almost all of them very beautiful.
Australian Bounties
If you make it your goal to spend as much money as possible on a trip and at the same time enjoy a truly heavenly place, you need to choose Australia. And not just Australia, but small coral islands in the Coral Sea off its coast: Hamilton, Hayman, Dunk, and others. First, just the tickets will cost $3,000-$4,000. Second, truly luxurious hotels, ideal for a romantic trip, are not cheap in Australia. Some cost as much as the tickets, and for one night only.
The most fashionable island in Australia is Bedarra. There, among pristine tropical forest, 15 chic villas have been built, rated at "5 stars super." This is a magical place where time is measured only by the position of the sun in the sky. There you can do anything you wish - an almost complete absence of people is guaranteed.
One of the most prestigious islands is Hayman. This is a place for the golden youth; the photo of the pool on the island has become a symbol of leisure for European and Australian high society. The island is picturesque, elegant, and romantic to the utmost. One reaches it by boat from Hamilton Island or by helicopter from Proserpine airport.
Lizard Island is the most northern and closest to the equator. It is a special place because it is part of the Great Barrier Reef. The five-star island resort is located in the very center of the reef, near Cod Hole - a place where giant potato cods, relatives of cod, live, which can be hand-fed and petted. Children under 10 are not allowed on this island resort.
Fiji
The Fiji archipelago consists of three hundred small islets and is located in the Pacific Ocean right opposite Australia. This is the highest class of vacation, the quintessence of the best that can be found elsewhere.
Vacationing in Fiji is like driving a "Rolls-Royce": just as expensive and prestigious. It differs from all other expensive and prestigious islands without exception, as "Veuve Clicquot" differs from the products of craftsmen of a domestic champagne factory. On the small islets of the archipelago, there is only one hotel, like in the Maldives. Only the nature there is more divine, and the bungalows are more luxurious. For example, on the private island of Qualito, there are only fifteen "native huts" with a thatched roof "bure" and amazing interior, which stand in the jungle on the ocean shore, surrounded by as many as 14 magnificent beaches of amazing beauty. As "Voyage and Leisure" rightly asks, is this not paradise?
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