Dominican Republic
Sunset on the north coast.
Fishing boats in Las Terrenas.
Freshly prepared passion fruit juice.
A beach in the SW, near the border with Haiti.
Bahia de Los Aguilas.
Fisherman about to go out to the sea.
Virgen river in southern Dominican Republic.
Las Galeras, Samana, Dominican Republic.
Dominicanos love their horses.
Surf pounding rocks of Samana peninsula.
Cooling off at Limon waterfal.
A leaning palm tree on one of many deserted beaches of Dominican Republic.
South Pacific
There are many beautiful tropical islands in other parts of the world too. French Polynesia is one such place. It offers everything a beach-lover could dream of - prestine water, white-sand beaches, solitude and great seafood. When I came across a great deal on airfares to Tahiti, I couldn't miss the opportunity. Air Tahiti sells a pass for cross-island flights, often cheaper than ferries. In one month of island-hopping, I used ferry only once. Flying also offers best views of the numerous atolls. Besdies breathtaking beaches and clear waters, what I found unique about this place was a complete lack of other tourists. Only one few islands did I come across other travelers. Most of the time, I had beaches and accommodation all to myself.
Crystal-clear inner lagoon of Maupiti island - my favorite.
No internet, no phone, no people - just the way a tropical paradise island is supposed to be.
A true island paradise.
About to land at Bora Bora.
Enjoying clear water off Bora Bora.
Waiting for the sunset.
Fakarava atol with no tourists at all.
The pier from tourist brochures.
With new friends after watching Polynesian dance.
Hammock time on Fiji.
Southeast Asia
With Philippines' 7,000+ and Indonesia's 17,000+ islands one could spend a lifetime exploring these islands and still not scratch the surface. Add an amazing mixture of cultures, cuisines and religions to the picture and it can easily be the most interesting part of the world to explore.
Koh Phi-Phi in southern Thailand - paradise on earth, but destroyed by the mass tourism.
Ha-long bay - an amazing place to visit but destroyed by the mass tourism.
Similan islands in Andaman sea.
Island hopping in an archipelago off Palawan, Philippines.
A small, picture-perfect island off the coast of Palawan.
Cooling off in a jungle in Borneo's highlands.
Romblon - Not as pretty as Boracay but no crowds.
Sunset drink on Negros island, Philippines.
Crystal clear waters of Malapascua island (near Cebu).
Malapascua.
The other side of Malapascua island - I shared more than 1 km of white sand beach with just one other couple.
Koh Larn island, Thailand.
Pulau Pisang or Banana island, off the coast of Sumatra.
Hangign out with the locals on Pulau Pisang.
Zanzibar and Pemba - White sand heaven
Some of the most amazing islands are off the coast of east Africa. Zanzibar is the most famous, but there are other islands just as beautiful and even more deserted. Unless you are on an organized tour it may be a hassle to get to these islands. But the effort is well-rewarded.
Dazzling white sand beach of Pemba.
Traditional east African sail boat.
The knee deep water of this reef-protected beach extended for at least 1 km.