FLORIDA KEYS string of small islands (Keys) stretch into the Gulf of Mexico like a necklace of uncut bejeweled stones. A fitting description considering all the Spanish and other treasures known to have sunk off the coasts of the area! The ten Keys of the string start with Key Largo, Marathon, Tavernier, Bahia Honda, Islamorada, Big Pine, Long Key, Little Torch, Grassy and Key West are interconnected by a series of bridges including the famous ‘Seven Mile Bridge’ facilitating excellent access to the mainland.

Subject to tropical storms and hurricanes, early warning centers provide residents with ample time to make preparations or leave the area to avoid damage or discomfort. Visitors are advised to spend time touring and stopping at the upper, middle and lower keys to experience all of the best on offer. Fishing, diving and jet-skiing are encouraged under controlled conditions that will ensure ecological and practical survival of the only living coral reef off the US coast, as well as licensed commercial fishing. Apart from the mainland Everglades National Park, there are ten parks and beach sites on the Keys, where boating, swimming, viewing, hiking and sometimes camping is available, from Key Largo to the end of key West.

Travelling from Miami (US 1) naturally the fist stop would be at Key Largo, a haven for fishing, ‘diving capital of the world’ with coral reef and boating, with lots of hotels, motels and resort and camping accommodation, restaurants, attractions, tours and night life.

The central Island of Marathon is known as the ‘sports fishing and water activity Mecca’ of the Keys, where you can swim with dolphins or bask on Sombrero Beach. ‘Boatels’ are a popular accommodation experience and an airport provides flights on national carriers.

Tavernier is known for its Bird Park and as a choice to stay in a ‘quiet community’ with easy access to the rest of the islands and entertainment areas.

Islamorada Island is considered the ‘Sport Fishing Capital of the World’ with almost as many boats as fish! That can guide to the big game or numerous wrecks to explore in shallow waters. Overflowing with restaurants, entertainment and nightlife, it also offers stunning sunsets off the waterfront.

Big Pine key is home to two small State Parks, where the rare White Tailed Deer roam, and the Marine Sanctuary where you can go off shore or ‘flats’ fishing and afterwards relax to some island music in a local (Tiki) Bar.

Long Key is where the State Park accommodates campers and nature lovers who like seclusion yet easy access to neighboring keys.

Little Torch Key is known for being a quiet location, close to the corals of the marine sanctuary and its exclusive, off shore, Palm Island Resort.

Grassy Key hosts the Dolphin Research Center which offers tours and swims with these delightfully friendly ‘cousins’.

Key West has a historical significance as one of the first visited by Spanish explorers and was until more recently, a staging point for travelers to and from Cuba. Writers like Hemingway lived here, and many festivals and occasions still honor his memory. After a day of rides and attractions, visitors and locals still have big fascination to visit many of his old ‘watering holes’ that lure boaters, divers, fishermen and visitors to explore the night life, musical vibrancy or watch sunsets over the island, while listening to pipers playing “Amazing Grace”, is an emotive experience not to be missed.

PALM ISLAND a barrier island, some fifty miles south of Sarasota is a small privately owned paradise with resort facilities for quiet, family and romantic holidays, taking in all that natural environment (and man) can provide for relaxation and pleasure.

Virtually a ‘car free zone’, strolling, biking or canoeing are the popular means of perambulation around miles of beach, coast line where seabirds and marine life continue their ageless rituals and palm trees whisper in the breeze. For the overactive, there is golf nearby, photography, hiking, fishing, ecological excursions, and for the kids – an in-house giant of a pirate that will entertain. A little bit of exclusive heaven!

SARASOTA and her islands, beaches and facilities are world class. A cultural hub of the ‘Rich and famous’ – Politicians past and present, Artists and Musicians, Media Moguls and many more luminaries visit the islands from mainland Florida to speak, perform or attend cultural events. As part of a premier Resort area the Islands have excellent infrastructure, access from the mainland via the Ringling Bridge and waterways.

With more than a dozen beaches and keys to choose from, the islands are a ‘beach comber or loungers’ dream. Siesta, Longboat, Lido and Casey Keys and seven other island (Keys) offer many venues for fine dining and wining. Over four million visitors annually, testifies to the magical attractions that lure tourists, corporate meetings and weddings & functions to the ambiance of ocean, pristine beaches and sumptuous hotel and resort locations, and within the County, more than one thousand golf tees to choose from.

In October alone are more than a dozen Festivals to celebrate; Pumpkin, Latino, Hungarian foods and music of Jazz, Blues and for kids and parents the enjoyable Halloween, haunted House and Shark-fest. The Cultural Fests offer Arts and Crafts, Oceanic Evening, Ballet and Opera and Waterfront Pub Crawl to cruise the ‘Watering Holes’ in style.

Not for nothing has Sarasota been named “The best small city in the USA”.

SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA are barrier islands off Florida coast and also the site of the ancient Calusa Indians civilization. It is speculated that this is where the explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon met his end at the hands of the warlike tribe.

Today the natives are much more friendly! Tourists are welcomed to the area’s National Wildlife Refuge which annually draws almost a million visitors. Eco-tourists bask in the Florida sun, island beaches, the Everglades jungles and waterways, swamps, exotic views and skies, recreational adventures fishing and aquatic pursuits, marine life and one of the best shell collectors sites in the world.

With both International and local Resorts and Inns on the islands, accommodation is available from Luxury to budget – if you can get in! More than a dozen Restaurants offer the freshest seafood available to tickle the taste of the most discerning of culinary fundi’s!

The great visual draws are the cream colored beaches, the azure seas and the spectacular orange sunsets. The sports fishing is legendary, the sailing and boating exhilarating and the primeval forests and waterways of the Everglades, a glimpse into natural pre-history. Awesome, don’t you think?

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Tourists today are unaware of the thousands of years of occupation by the (now extinct) Colusa Indians, except for remnants in the local museum. The largest of the “Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades”, modern tourist facilities have spread yet maintained much of the indigenous Everglades and pristine beaches.

As a consequence of the abundant natural resources, the Colusa Indians had the opportunity to develop a much greater social and political complexity and a larger population density than is typical of hunters and gatherers.

Tourists and holiday makers, the new breed of ‘Hunter – gatherers’ now explores, experience and enjoys the comfort and natural beauty that has been preserved. Magnificent beaches, high-rise apartments with stunning views, quaint inns, much to do – boating facilities to cruise, fish or visit the thousands of islands with their marine, birdlife and wildlife in the unique Everglades environment, laze away on the beach or compete on the golf course.

Tourists are entertained by events specific to the area – Arts and Crafts, Marine Festivals, Cultural Events and Annual National and State Festivals. Restaurants offer the finest of sea and other foods and night life entertainment.

If you want satisfying activity or simply rest and relaxation this jewel among the everglade islands will lure you back, again and again.

Longboat Key, Lido Key and St. Armand’s Key
are year round attractions. Between Sarasota Bay and the Mexican Golf, the perfect temperate weather draws tourists and mainlanders alike. The miles of beaches, sports like tennis and golf, fishing and a wide range of resorts, hotels and holiday apartments, shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues, cultural and events, parks, bird and marine life offer a fulfilling holiday vacation for all.

GASPARILLA ISLAND – is small but unique to fishermen and tourists. Situated in the Gulf of Mexico, off the south coast of Florida and the Bay of Charlotte Harbor, this ‘sun-kissed’ island has the small town of Boca Grande in the center and an old world charm of rustic homes, miles and miles of lazy beaches, bike paths and of course boast to be, “The Tarpon Fishing Capital of the World”.

Fishing off this coast is what made this island popular in recent years. Outside of the Tarpon Season, grouper, snapper, mackerel and kingfish and inshore snook and redfish offer year round fishing fun.

Accommodation is available from quaint Inns and home vacation rentals in many of the grand holiday homes and restaurants cater for the most discerning of sea foods. For perfect relaxation for the whole family to ‘unwind’ and for fisherman to chase that trophy or simply to ‘bring home the bacon’ of a fine days catch – Gasparilla Island is hard to beat.

REUNION ISLAND is a French overseas Territory. East of Africa and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, it has become a favorite to travelers wanting to visit a thriving community, and a ‘volcanic hotspot’ of great natural beauty. Tourism is fast overtaking Sugar as the chief economic generator. It boasts the highest per capita income in Africa. A short hop from Mauritius it’s coming into its own as a holiday destination.

The infrastructure is good, with busses linking major settlements. Accommodation establishments and other tourist facilities abound. From the ‘cote d’azur’ like coastal resorts to the towering volcanic peaks, deep gouged valleys, this tropical paradise offers a mixture of nature and luxury, and ‘French Charm’ pertaining to the South of France.

Vulcanists and nature lovers can drive through primary forests to reach the worlds most accessible and active volcano of Mt. Piton de la Fournaise (as in furnace!) and may be rewarded by seeing the fiery red lava flow.

An International Airport near Capital of St. Denis serves overseas flights and a secondary airport at St. Pierre which accepts flights from Mauritius. The Capital is home to one of the worlds most fascinating Botanical gardens, French Renaissance architecture (outside France) an Art Gallery and Seafront Park. The yacht harbor of St. Paul is reminiscent of the Mediterranean ports clustered with leisure and sailing craft, below a charming town and miles of pristine beach.

Tromelin Island is well to the north of Mauritius and barely is worth a mention – except that it is basically an island sandbar, is also owned by France and although uninhabited has an airstrip for access by meteorologists from Reunion, to monitor and warn of approaching cyclones.

Seychelles Achipelago has become a tourist’s legend before and ever since the famous South African artist Wren Sergeant (and others) displayed his stunning Impressionist art in the early 1960’s. The islands landscapes, seascapes and its indigenous peoples featured strongly in his brilliant works. Capturing the brilliant colors in dawn and sunsets has lured many an artist and photographer since. Naturally development followed close on the heels of the first ‘adventure tourists’ and today three of the major islands have a fine infrastructure to please the most discerning of tourists.

The two groupings of islands consist of the Inner and the Outer islands.

Of the 43 Inner islands, 3 of the major destinations or stepping stones to visit the surrounds are Mahe’, Praslin and La Digue.

Mahe’ hosts an International Airport at the Capital of Victoria and a Port and the majority of the population of about 72,000 persons. The 28 x 8km island is also the transportation hub to visits elsewhere in this vast area of many smaller islands. I0 large Resort Hotels and over 65 smaller Hotels, B&B’s and Self-catering businesses provide accommodation for many thousands of monthly visitors. Other services available in the three major islands are; Boat tours & hiring’s, Dive sites, fishing for ‘Big Game’, Scenic Drives, Walks and guided tours and Horse Riding or cycling.

Praslin is about 40km2 and is renown for its UNESCO – World Heritage Site, the ‘Valle’e de Mer’ where the unique and extra large, feminine,  ‘Coco de Mer’ fruit originates, and two of the ‘Top Ten Beaches of the World’! The history of harboring 18th Century Pirates and the founder by the French, ‘Duc de Praslin’ add spice to an already exotic location. A small port and airport offer access to the surrounding archipelago. Accommodation is catered for by over 50, large and small Hotels, Guest houses and self-catering enterprises. Other attractions are Art Galleries, Specialty Shops and Museum.

La Digue has a small population of only about 2,000 on the 10km2 island. It is home to some of the rarest and indigenous birds in the world, forests and exotic flora – almonds, vanilla, takamaka and coconuts and stunning beaches, diving and snorkeling opportunities. The small harbor offers a shuttle to surrounding islets and great fishing opportunities.

Outer Islands – the 72 are widespread – as far as 1,000km from Mahe’ and consist mainly of cays and outcrops. Alphonse and Desroches are the only two offering accommodation, sailing, fishing and diving – A sailing explorers dream.

Events – The monthly calendar is full of events and competitions during the cooler months from April to November. August 2009 has the Catholic Celebrations, Boat, Sail and Wind Surfing races, and Fishing Competitions. September has the Indian Religious Celebrations and Tourism Day. October has a Diving Competition and cultural – Festival Kreal. November hosts the great Marlin Tournament. December seems slumber time. January 2010 opens with a Marathon and February with a French cultural ‘Fete’, and a Rotary Fishing Competition. April introduces the Arts Festival of local visual delights. New, May, June and July activities are still to be announced. I can’t wait to hear – as these are some of the best (cooler) months to visit.

Bazaruto Archipelago is a National Park belonging to Mozambique, consisting of six main islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magruque, Banque, Santa Carolina (also known as Paradise Island) and Shell Island. Situated in the southern Mozambique Channel between Madagascar, it is one of the most accessible and popular to South African tourists.

Bazaruto and Benguerra are particularly known for their beaches, diving, fishing and horse riding facilities, forests, fresh water lakes, wetlands, savannah and crocodiles. Benguerra Lodge is a renowned divers habitat.

The island of Magruque is privately owned and the other three are apparently unoccupied with little infrastructure, but certainly worth a visit for their natural unspoilt beauty. Bazaruto Island has the major infrastructure with five Resort type Lodges – all very expensive. Across on the mainland are a number of resorts and more affordable lodges.

To the north lie the Quirimbas Archipelago of 32 undeveloped coral islands and the renowned Seychelles group, 480-1,600km off the East Coast of African/Indian Ocean.