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Beach & Water Sports

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Whale Watching and Swimming with the Seals in Kaikoura, New Zealand

How do you catch New Zealand's best marine life? By flipper, boat, plane and helicopter.

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Island-Hopping in South Eastern Thailand

The Gulf of Thailand is blessed with beautiful tropical islands that offer travelers superb weather, luxurious accommodations at reasonable prices, fine food, shopping and plethora of…

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Can You Do the Maldives on a Budget?

You've seen the turquoise water, white sand and houses on stilts, and thought, 'I could never afford to go.' Don't give up: the Maldives can be affordable if you know where to look.

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Exuma Island Escape in a Quiet Corner of the Bahamas

This long chain of 365 islands is an under-the-radar favorite private escape of celebs and business honchos. But while owning an island here requires a very fat paycheck, an escape to…

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Spas Go Native: Relaxing with Local Treatments and Ingredients

Spas are incorporating local goods -- everything from salt from the Red Sea to Vermont maple sugar -- into their treatments, making a day of 'sightseeing' as easy as an hour nap.

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Exploring the Secret Side of Myrtle Beach

Discover the Myrtle Beach of peace and quiet, of hammocks on green lawns, of gorgeous gardens and lazy afternoons.

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Park of the Week: California's Channel Islands

These five islands off the California coast are only 30 or so miles from Santa Barbara, but they are not easy to get to. But they do offer a glorious vista of matchless beauty and a…

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On the Waterfront: The Best Spots for 4th of July Fireworks

Sick of fighting for a spot to lay your picnic blanket on Independence Day? Hit the water in these six cities for shipboard firework displays.

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Australia's Marine Playground -- the Great Barrier Reef

'Great' is an understatement when it comes to the worldÂ?s largest coral reef system. Sure it's great in size, but it is also a spectacular vacation destination whether you are a dive…

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Exclusive and Reclusive: Escape to Georgia's Sea Island

Sea Island, one of Georgia's Barrier Islands, offers the rare chance to to isolate yourself in a luxurious beach surrounding without straying too far from the U.S. mainland.

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Puerto Escondido's Experiment in Sustainable Tourism

The coastal towns of Oaxaca State remain much as they did some 30 years ago, when North American and European counter-culturists discovered the sands and set up cabins and hammocks to…

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For the Next Perfect Island Getaway, You're Going to Have to Fly a Bit

If you are looking for a remote tropical island surrounded by coral reefs then the small island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean may be just the destination.

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Find the Perfect Beach on Vietnam's Pacific Coastline

The beach towns of Vietnam's Pacific Ocean coastline have come a long way since the post-war guesthouses, huts and bars. The 2,000+ mile strip is now an epicenter of world class…

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Park of the Week: See Sea Swells at the Cape Cod National Seashore

The Outer Beach of Cape Cod consists of mostly unspoiled sandy beach, marshes, ponds and hillocks where visitors can swim, walk, bike and hike -- or just contemplate a vast swath of…

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Three Maui Resorts that Mix the Best of New and Old

Maui is the essence of romantic, old-school retreats, but its resorts also know how to hew to new environmental standards, promote indigenous culture and network with the local…

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Get Up, Stand Up, Book Ahead: Bahamas Bob Marley Resort, Atlantis Expansion

Two new high-end resorts create unique experience for visitors who are looking for something completely different, indulgent and private.

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Solomon Islands: To Go or Not to Go Post Tsunami

Natural disasters often draw the worldÂ?s attention to otherwise remote travel destinations. So is the case with the beautiful Solomon Islands, one of the last bastions of unspoiled…

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Like the Islands Used to Be: A Quick Trip to Kosrae

Although I've been writing Frommer's South Pacific since 1986 and have visited most of the Pacific islands south of the equator, I had never been to Micronesia and didn't know exactly…

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More Spring and Summer Flings to Mexico

Things are heating up south of the border and if you like it 'caliente,' then the coming few months offer the best possible prices for trips to Mexico -- whether you choose the…

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Good Things Come to Those Who Wait, Like Steep Caribbean Discounts

If you are prepared to hold off a few weeks or even months, you'll get a lot more Caribbean bang for your buck as package prices plummet in the spring and summer seasons.

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Sardinia: Steeped in History and Sensational Culinary Experiences

On one hand, Sardinia is a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous-type exclusive location with billionaire's yachts moored at the marinas along the Costa Esmeralda. On the other hand it's a…

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You Won't Waste Away on Isla Margarita

This island outpost is the complete antithesis of Caracas' urban unrest, providing weekends in paradise to adventurous tourists and seemingly wealthy locals.

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How to Have Old-School Fun in Key West

Key West gets more gentrified every year. But it's still a fun place for visitors, who don't have to worry about the long-term changes that drive locals crazy.

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Paradise Not Lost: Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

If seclusion, tropical rainforests, low prices and miles of untouched beaches are what you crave, this is your dream locale.

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Spain's Canary Islands Give Visitors Something to Chirp About

Bypass Spain's other sunspots -- such as wild Ibiza or crowded Costa del Sol -- in favor of seven islands' worth of rugged adventure routes and lazy beach landscapes.