World Tourism Blog

A new interactive Google Earth map showing the impacts of a 4 °C warmer world was launched today by the Government, in partnership with the Met Office.

Pushing the barriers with Google Earth technology, the multi platform, interactive map highlights some of the changes that may occur if the global average temperature rises by 4 °C above the pre-industrial climate average.
 
The Google Earth layer lends a human face to climate science by featuring videos of climate scientists from the UK explaining the latest scientific research behind the climate impacts shown.
 
The map also includes videos of FCO and British Council climate change projects currently taking place around the world.
 
Launched by Foreign Office Minister, Henry Bellingham and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker alongside Chief Government Scientist, Professor John Beddington, the map was developed using peer-reviewed science from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other leading impact scientists.
 
The UK Government is committed to keeping global temperatures as low as practical to avoid dangerous levels of climate change and is working to secure an ambitious global deal which achieves this. The Copenhagen Accord already commits countries to limiting average global temperature increases to 2 °C.
 
Foreign Office Minister, Henry Bellingham, said: “The threat from climate change has not gone away and this Government is committed to doing what it can to take action. We are committed to being the greenest Government ever. As the Foreign Secretary set out recently in his first major foreign policy speech, he is keen to engage with new audiences. This Google Earth map supports that commitment to tackling climate change and will hopefully communicate with a bigger audience globally about why the UK Government is being active in championing the transition to a low carbon economy.”
 
Greg Barker, Energy and Climate Change Minister said: “This map reinforces our determination to act against dangerous man-made climate change. We know the stakes are high and that’s why we want to help secure an ambitious global climate change deal.”
 
Ed Parsons from Google said: “This is a great example of the benefits of using the latest web technology to visualise scientific information and promote better understanding of the potential human impacts of climate change. Allowing scientists to talk about their research to the general public is a way to enable the public to fully understand how the process of scientific investigation works.”
 
Vicky Pope, Head of Climate Change Advice at the Met Office, said: “If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, global average temperatures could increase by 4 °C by the end of the century, and possibly as early as 2060. This new mapping onto Google Earth illustrates some of the potential impacts of such a rise. It uses the latest climate and impacts science to highlight the consequences of not reducing emissions.”

By Travelio

Google Earth - Climate Change

Well, are you always ready to take the first road out? Do you love outdoor adventure and thrills: Rock –climbing, Trekking Expeditions, White Water Rafting, Skiing, Nature Trails, Wildlife Safaris and more. Do you believe that there’s an exciting new world waiting to be explored? If, yes, than, you definitely are an ardent traveler and nature lover. But, wait; does that make you an eco-tourist? Read this and find out for yourself!

Just joining tour operators, who promise eco-tourism does not make one an eco-tourist. This is a concept which has to be believed and felt from within.

says Aloke Bajpai, CEO, The Explorers, a Mumbai based Adventure tour outlet.
Going on nature trails and exploring natures’ unexplored and virgin beauty is not enough, practicing eco-friendliness is equally important. Many travellers litter garbage, plastic bags and bottles on the way without giving it a second thought. Keeping the surroundings clean and pure is an important part of eco-tourism.

Besides, paying up a huge some of money to a travel outlet which takes care of all your needs and also plans your trip, it sometimes bars you from a lot of amazing experience. According to the Kiwi travel writer, Heather Hapeta, ‘Eco-tourism is an activity that has minimum impact while providing maximum benefits to the locals.’ He opines that independent travellers are most likely the closest to being real eco-travellers. By staying in cheaper, locally-owned accommodation, eating at small food outlets and using local transport, they leave much of their travel money in the country. Not only this. By doing so, they also get to visit places that are not on the tourist trail and can get to know people and absorb the local flavours. So, are you ready for an actual eco-tour?

Gov. Lingle goes over Legislature’s head, establishes 2 surfing reserves on Oahu.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Wednesday established two surfing reserves on Oahu, weeks after state House Democrats killed legislation to do the same thing.

The governor’s executive order created the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve in Waikiki and the North Shore Surfing Reserve that stretches from Alii Beach to Sunset Beach.

The order is similar to legislation pushed by retiring GOP Sen. Fred Hemmings of Lanikai that the Democrat-controlled House killed on April 29, the last day of the legislative session. GOP lawmakers were furious at the time.

Lingle, a Republican, alluded to the action at a press conference Wednesday. “There are a variety of ways we can approach an issue” if the Legislature refuses, she said. The order “does what Sen. Hemmings was trying to achieve.”

In a statement, House Speaker Calvin Say, a Democrat, said no slight at Hemmings was intended. But House members heard from surfers and others with concerns about the actual impact of the reserves, such as whether they would give commercial surfing operations an advantage over recreational surfers, he said.

“My suggestion was that the governor hold a public meeting in the affected communities before designating surfing reserves by executive order,” Say added.

Hemmings on Wednesday voiced no anger about his bill, calling its demise a combination of miscommunication and politics.

Hemmings, who in 1968 won the world amateur surfing championship and a lifelong surfer, called the sport “Hawaii’s gift to the world.”

When surfers are waiting for a wave and looking back at the shore, “you think we’re the richest people in the world,” said Hemmings, 64. “Money can’t buy the blessings that we’re given here.”

Hemmings said the two reserves will help Hawaii regain some prominence in professional surfing, which he said has been lost to Australia and California, even though the North Shore remains a prime location for competitions.

By HERBERT A.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Wednesday established two surfing reserves on Oahu, weeks after state House Democrats killed legislation to do the same thing.

India is a rich land in terms of both natural beauty as well as cultural heritage, and this is what eco tourists actually look for in their trip. Hence, all those interested in eco tourism have tremendous scope in India. You can visit the ancient cities, hill stations, remote villages, desert areas, wildlife parks to witness the diversity of India as an eco tourists destination. The beauty these places exude and the significance they hold in our lives have made them tremendously charming.

An eco tourism trip in India will not only bring you face to face with the exemplary creations of nature and man but will also cultivate in you an awareness about the importance of all these elements in our lives. It will also arouse in you an understanding of the importance of keeping our environment clean and beautiful.

And all this is not without fun as the eco tourism destinations in India have numerous ways to make your trip entertaining and memorable. All these places have a very different terrain and style of living as such a visit to these places is definitely going to be one of the most enjoyable trip in your life. Nothing else can be a better option for those who love nature and environment as dearly as their own entertainment.

By Indialine

Elephant Safaris in Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

Adventure travel in the Amazon rainforest attracts tourists looking to explore exotic lands and primitive cultures. Stretching from the Andes Mountains in Peru to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil, the Amazon rainforest comprises roughly half of the world’s biodiversity. With so much natural beauty and myriad indigenous cultures, it’s no wonder the Amazon has emerged as a premier ecotourism destination.

Tribal Visits

Witness the ways of life practiced by Amazonian tribes as a highlight of a trip to the region. Numerous indigenous communities exist throughout the dense jungles and snaking rivers of the Amazon. According to Fodor’s Travel Guide, the largest groups include the Korubo and Yanomami clans of Brazil as well as the Matsés of Peru. Some tribes have adapted slightly to better accommodate tourists, but the primitive means of survival and ancient customs remain intact for the most part. Adventure travelers can see how locals have managed to live in harmony with the rainforest over the centuries, free from the development and distractions of the outside world. However, it is not advisable to visit tribes on your own. Fodor’s recommends using a trusted tour company, such as Amazon Adventures of Brazil, if you plan on going to any of the remote indigenous villages in the region. A professional guide will facilitate transportation and cross-cultural communication while taking appropriate safety precautions.

Wildlife

Wildlife abounds in the Amazon rainforest. Tourists will find national parks and nature reserves in many of the countries spread across the Amazon Basin. Professional guides take visitors to popular spots where large concentrations of exotic animals live in their natural habitats. From monkeys and frogs to jaguars and parrots, the Amazon boasts an immense array of wildlife for tourists to discover. Jaú National Park in Brazil and Manú National Park in Peru are two of the best-known places for ecotourism and wildlife observation. Fodor’s suggests wearing boots and pants if you plan on trekking to see wildlife in a park or nature reserve. This will help protect you from bites, stings and rashes.

Canopy Tours

Canopy tours are one way to see the jungle from a new perspective. Travelers move across rough terrain via treetops connected by rope bridges and zip lines. This elevated approach to trekking allows you to spot animals from above and quickly traverse dense patches of the jungle. Canopy tours are also an eco-friendly way of traveling. Much of the environmental impact that would be caused by cutting paths or roads through the forest is eliminated thanks to the raised networks of bridges and zip lines in canopy tour zones. This is an exhilarating way to see the Amazon for adventurous individuals that don’t mind heights. The Canopy Walkway, operated by Explorama, is a prominent option located in the CONAPAC Biological Reserve near Iquitos, Peru. Brazil also has many ecolodges that offer canopy tours, including the well-known Ariaú Jungle Towers resort facility.

Boat Trips

Boats provide the primary means of transportation in the Amazon. The massive Amazon River and hundreds of tributaries connect the various cities and villages in the region. A lack of roads and airports due to the dense jungle makes it necessary for most travelers and residents to get around by boat. Tour companies offering short cruises and long-distance river transportation can be found in most cities. You can take quick trips on smaller vessels or go between villages on larger ships. The G.A.P (Great Adventure People) tour company offers comfortable cruise services out of the Amazonian village of Nauta in Peru. According to Fodor’s, some oceangoing cruise ships also ferry passengers to the Brazilian cities of Manaus and Belém with most trips taking place between October and May. Fodor’s recommends companies such as Princess Cruises and Royal Olympic Cruises for tourists who want to travel with oceangoing ships along the Brazilian portion of the Amazon River.

by David Thyberg

rainforest motorboat image by Sophia Hendrick.

Overview
Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing travel industries in the United States. The aim of ecotourism is to provide a fun, relaxing vacation while protecting the surrounding ecosystem. Ecotourism also often works to educate and immerse the participants in an eco-friendly lifestyle and has brought thousands of people to some of the most beautiful regions of the United States, while preserving and protecting these natural wonders.
Definition
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as a system of travel and tourism that promotes ecological preservation while educating the travelers about sustainable living. There are no mandatory certifications, but there are several national and international voluntary certifications. The major factors to consider when planning an eco-friendly vacation are these: The hotel or resort must adhere to all local and national safety standards, there must be a high degree of quality service, and the environment must be sustainable and all efforts should be made to maintain ecologically responsible protocol.
What to Look For
Because of the lack of US regulation, the ecotourism industry is left to police itself. Travelers should be pro-active in researching and asking questions. Ask the tour agency or resort what steps it takes to sustain the local environment. At a minimum, it should recycle as much as possible, use local resources and organic foods when possible and offer an educational program. The traveler should expect to find simple policies, such as washing linens and towels only between guest visits, offering filtered water instead of bottled, and encouraging walking and bicycling instead of automobiles. Most responsible US eco-tours also will focus the agenda around outdoor activities and education of the region.
Interaction with Nature
US ecotourism activities vary depending on region, but most will focus on interacting with natural surroundings. Florida EcoSafaris offers nighttime horseback riding and canopy zip-line tours that educate as well entertain. Bison Quest, on the Wild Echo Bison Reserve in Montana, strives to give guests an interactive experience with bison to promote their preservation. Interweaving Native American bison tradition with contemporary scientific conservation methods, Bison Quest provides a balance of education and fun.
Family Fun
A number of eco-tour providers cater to family vacations. Deep Creek Lake Tours in western Maryland will custom-design an eco-friendly vacation for family members of all ages, including offering farm tours, Toddler Tuesdays and guided hikes. Natural Habitat Adventures features a Family Glacier Adventure tour that includes rafting, hiking and camping in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Extreme Ecotours
For those looking for more adventure and a challenging tour, there are many options. Arctic Wild provides eco-tours to the arctic of northern Alaska that include backpacking and rafting in remote areas. Bike Hawaii, near Honolulu, offers biking trips through the mountains and coasts of Hawaii to give travelers a unique perspective of the island.

By Catherine Rayburn

hike scene image by Galyna Andrushko

A plan to save Guatemala’s Mayan cities with a park and a posh eco-lodge has enviros and locals boiling.

DEEP IN THE RAINFOREST of northeast Guatemala’s Petén state, within earshot of El Mirador—one of the largest of the ancient Mayan ruins—UCLA archaeologist Richard Hansen believes he’s found the perfect spot for a tourist attraction. “I envision a high-end eco-lodge,” says Hansen, an internationally respected scientist who since 1978 has excavated sites in the Petén’s sprawling Maya Biosphere Reserve. “There would be hot water for showers, clean sheets on the beds, and ice for your drink.”

Hansen isn’t kidding, and his plans are notable both for their grandiosity and his professed motives, which are to protect El Mirador and other sites from looters, who cart off an estimated $50 million in Mayan artifacts from Guatemala every year, and to safeguard one of the biggest remaining tracts of intact forest in the country. After decades of watching the plunder, Hansen is convinced that the only long-term hope for preservation is to make El Mirador a paying concern and secure its borders with armed Guatemalan park guards trained by the U.S. Park Service.

The development would be the centerpiece of a proposed Mirador Basin National Monument, an 820-square-mile plot of jungle that Hansen hopes to model on Tikal National Park, another Mayan site and Guatemala’s top tourist attraction since the 1950s. He pictures a lavish wilderness lodge, complete with gourmet dining and an airstrip—enough infrastructure to accommodate 80,000 visitors a year. Though it all sounds far-fetched, in the past 16 months Hansen has nailed down the support of Guatemala’s president, Alfonso Portillo, and other key government officials, rounded up close to a million dollars to dig major ruins out from under tons of dirt and get them ready for tourists, and kicked off a campaign to court international investment. It’s far from a done deal, but he’s made surprising inroads, and he’s not letting up. “This is the pivotal year,” says Hansen, a bullish 50-year-old who made his name by proving that the Mirador Basin yielded Central America’s earliest societies. “If I fail, the forest is gone and the sites will be destroyed.”

Hansen’s plans put him at odds with local loggers and powerful green groups, who have their own ideas about preserving the region. For the past 12 years, the Petén has been the setting for a sustainable-forestry program launched with investment dollars from the United States Agency for International Development, a federal office that funds economic growth in developing nations. The goal was to give rural communities a stake in long-term forest health by granting them logging concessions. A number of U.S. environmental groups pitched in, among them the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), spending some $40 million to teach locals about responsible forestry and promote their certified green timber on the global market.

But Hansen argues that the program has only hastened the destruction of the Petén and that new roads have made it easier for looters to transport Mayan treasures to market. “The grave robbers used to bushwhack in and cart out the artifacts on their backs,” Hansen says. “Thanks to logging roads, they’ve switched to pickups.”

In April 2002, after years of getting nowhere with his own idea, Hansen invited Portillo to the Mirador Basin and convinced him to nullify logging concessions that approach the archaeological sites—a critical step toward gaining national-monument status. This spring, he drummed up $880,000 from donors like the Global Heritage Fund, a California-based preservation group, to restore four buildings in the 2,500-year-old city of Nakbé. As of June, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Latin America’s largest lender, was considering Hansen’s proposal to help finance a 13-year, $35 million investment plan to refurbish and guard the rest of the Mirador Basin sites. If the IDB commits, Hansen will be positioned to convince developers to invest in a lodge.

Not surprisingly, the plan has fierce detractors who, while conceding that the forestry program may facilitate looting, counter that Hansen’s scheme would destroy years of successful collaboration between Petén communities and international nonprofits. “It reeks of neocolonialism,” says Darron A. Collins, 33, the Latin American and Caribbean forest coordinator for the WWF. “The gringo comes down, wraps up large chunks of forest, and builds a fence around it without considering the lives of local people.”

“Ninety-five percent of the people here are against him,” adds Israel Giron, the 46-year-old vice-president of Gibor SA, a logging company that lost 40 percent of its concession to Portillo’s decree.

As inflamed Guatemalans see it, foreign investors will fatten up on tourist dollars while locals will be stuck cleaning hotel rooms. Hansen, who says he’ll take no part in the financial operation of the development, insists they’re wrong, claiming that tourism would contribute up to $20 million to the economy by 2020. But his macroeconomic arguments fall flat in the lawless Petén, where locals may be ready to take control of their future by whatever means necessary. After learning of an alleged plot to assassinate him, Hansen doesn’t set foot in the jungle without four heavily armed Kaibiles—the Guatemalan equivalent of Green Berets—provided by Portillo.

Whatever happens next, the melee sounds painfully familiar to Arthur Demarest, director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Mesoamerican Archaeology. In the late 1990s, he supported an IDB-funded tourist development at Mayan sites in Guatemala’s Petexbatún region, and says the whole thing was a disaster. Roads were built and sites were restored, but locals were left out of the loop. Disillusioned, many returned to logging.

“People want the wood too bad,” says Demarest. “You’d have to put a wall around the entire Mirador Basin, and that’s not going to happen.”

By Dan Buettner

Housecleaning: Nakbé site being restored (Dan Buettner)

Tiny Tokelau declares South Pacific ocean zone as region’s 11th whale sanctuary.

The three-island territory of Tokelau declared itself a whale sanctuary Wednesday, adding a huge patch of sea to the total protected area of more than 7 million square miles that is off limits to hunting in the Pacific Ocean.

The isolated group of coral atolls with a land area of just 5 square miles (12 square kilometers) has outlawed whaling in its 116,000-square-mile (290,000-square-kilometer) exclusive economic ocean zone, spokesman Foua Toloa said.

Sanctuaries have only moral force, but are seen by supporters as helping support the recovery of decimated whale populations like the humpback and southern right whale.

Toloa made the announcement at a conservation meeting in New Zealand that condemned continued whale-hunting by countries such as Japan.

“Whales don’t recognize national boundaries, and Tokelau would be remiss if we failed to support our Pacific island neighbors in the quest to help recovery of the whales in our region,” Toloa said.

About 1,500 people live in Tokelau, a U.N. protectorate that remains a colony of New Zealand and lies about 300 miles (500 kilometers) north of Samoa.

Tokelau’s new whale sanctuary takes the number of protected areas in the Pacific to 11, and together they cover some 7.2 million square miles (18 million square kilometers).

The territory’s declaration came as whale researchers and conservationists began a meeting of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium in New Zealand. The grouping was formed by independent scientists to investigate the status of humpback and other whale species in the region.

The group noted that despite a global moratorium on commercial whaling being in force since 1986 and an international whale sanctuary established in 1994 in the oceans around Antarctica, more than 3,000 whales are hunted and killed for their meat each year.

Japan alone kills hundreds of whales each year in Antarctic waters.

A humpback whale in New Zealand's Cook Strait is seen in this file photo.

The Mediterranean was heaving as the 68-year-old Italian stood in the cruise ship lounge. A moment later a monstrous wave shattered the windows and sent shards into her head, leaving her bleeding on the floor and calling out for her husband.

Torrents of water gushed into the Louis Majesty, pouring through several floors of the ship.

“I thought I would end up in the sea, drowned,” said Anna Lita, who had a black eye and bandages on her head and hand Thursday.

The three waves that struck the Cypriot-owned ship Wednesday claimed two lives off the coast of northeast Spain. The vessel was carrying 1,350 passengers and 580 crew members, from a total of 27 countries.

Lita’s husband Carlo, 69, who had been beside her on a sofa, was thrown in the air and ended up with five stitches in the head and a leg injury.

Another Italian, Giovanni Zanoni, said that after the waves blew out the windows of the lounge, the ceiling caved in and pandemonium broke out.

“People were screaming, panicking. They were grabbing life vests,” Zanoni said. He said he saw one huge shard of glass hit a man in the face, killing him. It took a while to find the body because he was under the wreckage of the ceiling, Zanoni said.

The ship’s owner and operator, Louis Cruise Lines, said the vessel was struck Wednesday by three “abnormally high” waves more than 33 feet (10 meters) high that broke glass windshields in the forward section on deck five, which is one of 10 used by passengers. Two people died and 14 were slightly hurt, the company said.

Large waves are not rare in the Mediterranean, but ones that size occur only once or twice a year, said Marta de Alfonso, an oceanographer with the Spanish government.

This accident happened in an area of the Mediterranean called the Gulf of Leon, which is known for big waves when storms hit.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise from the ports of Genoa and Marseilles in the western Mediterranean, calling at Tangiers, Casablanca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Cadiz, Cartagena, Barcelona and had been due to return to Genoa on Thursday.

Passengers said the weather was terrible as they left Cartagena in eastern Spain Wednesday, and the captain announced he was skipping a planned stop in Barcelona and heading straight for Italy.

“I remember when the wave hit,” Lita said. “It broke all the windows and I was rolling and rolling and did not stop calling out for my husband.”

Amateur video footage taken by a passenger and aired on Spanish television showed a huge, foamy wave hitting what appeared to be the lounge area, sending water gushing in and people scurrying for safety.

“Suddenly we saw a wave that went up above our level, and I said to my husband, ‘tonight we will not have to wash the windows,’” said Claudine Armand of France, who was in her cabin at that point. “Right then we heard we heard a loud noise, and it was the wave that hit us.”

“When we came out of the room we saw the wave had flooded everything,” she told Associated Press Television News.

Pierre Languillon, also of France, said damage was extensive and he saw many people with superficial injuries.

“They called for doctors, as many doctors as there were. Luckily nothing happened to us, but I think we averted a catastrophe.”

Louis Cruise Lines spokesman Michael Maratheftis said 14 passengers who suffered only minor injuries were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Arrangements have been made to fly all passengers home Thursday and the ship will carry on with its normal schedule later this month after repairs are completed, he told the AP from Cyprus. By the end of the day most will have left the ship.

Maratheftis said the two dead passengers — a German and an Italian — suffered fatal injuries from the glass shards and ripped-out window frames and furniture.

“It was three waves, one after the other. The damage was done by the second and the third waves. We are talking about waves that exceeded 10 meters in height. This was unforeseen and unpredicted because the weather was not really that bad,” Maratheftis said.

De Alfonso said there was in fact a big storm in the area at the time and the waves might have been stirred up by fierce winds. Waves often come in threes, she said.

Another passenger, Jean Claude Fery, of Marseille, said he was in his cabin looking out the porthole at tremendously turbulent seas. “I have never seen waves so big. It was unbelievable.”

A Louis Cruise Lines statement said the waves smashed windows in a public area on deck 5 on the forward part of the vessel.

Louis Cruise Lines’ Web site says the ship is 680 feet (207 meters) long, and features 10 passenger decks and 732 staterooms along with various bars, pools, restaurants and shops. Commercial Loan Workout.

While we tend to think most of romance around Valentine’s Day, our favorite romantic getaways are guaranteed to rekindle a long-standing romance, or kick a new one up a notch, all year long.

Whether you choose to cuddle up on a gondola ride in Venice; snuggle under a blanket on a caleche ride in Quebec City; dance cheek-to-cheek in Buenos Aires; spend long days canoodling on spectacular islands like Bora Bora, Santorini, and Nevis; cruise magical Halong Bay; or discover breathtaking Dubrovnik together, you’re bound to feel a renewed (or new) sense of intimacy with your partner.

Of course, no list of this sort would be complete without a nod to Paris, the epitome of romantic getaways (and site of countless marriage proposals), but dear Santa Barbara, closer to home, is just as ripe for a tryst, with countless spas and vineyards in the vicinity that are sure to help you and yours relax — and lose your inhibitions.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango — and there’s no better place to practice your moves with your partner than on a romantic getaway to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of this incredibly sexy dance.

Watching expert tango dancers spin around the dance floor at one of the local venues here is already hot stuff — women dress the part in fishnet stockings, heels, and high-slit dresses, while men doff tailored suits and cravats — but taking to the floor with your honey can make the temperature go higher still.

Play the voyeur at neighborhood spots like Bar Sur, or, put on your dancing shoes and trot your stuff at Centro Cultural Torquato Tasso, which also offers lessons for first-timers.

When you need to rest your feet, this Paris of South America has a lot more to tempt visiting lovebirds, from elegant turn-of-the-century mansions and tree-lined boulevards reminiscent of European cities like Paris, Rome and Barcelona, to cozy bistros in trendy neighborhoods where diners linger over long meals.

Plus, with the peso so low nowadays, this city — which once rivaled Manhattan in terms of price — is extremely affordable.

Bora Bora

If there’s one destination to blow your savings on in the name of love, this tiny, pricey South Pacific island is it.

Novelist James A. Michener described Bora Bora as, “the most beautiful island in the world” and visitors to its far-flung shores rarely disagree.

So small that the island road is a mere 19 miles long, this Polynesian idyll sits 143 miles northwest of Tahiti and boasts the best that nature can offer: a high-mountain center cloaked in jungle, a superb cobalt lagoon, a colorful coral reef, and pristine stretches of bone-white sand dotted with fallen coconut husks.

When you’re not discovering the many bounties of this island paradise, hang out at the local watering hole, Bloody Mary’s, where Pierce Brosnan has been known to woo his leading lady, or send off the sun with a sunset catamaran cruise.

Come nightfall, few can resist bedding down at a lavishly appointed over-the-water bungalow.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Couples in search of romance are flocking to this wondrous city on the southernmost stretch of Croatia’s coast, as enchanted by its beauty today as the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, who once proclaimed, “If you want to see heaven on earth, come to Dubrovnik.”

The city has been magnificently restored to its former glory to emerge as one of the most fashionable vacation spots in all of Europe.

Dubrovnik’s resurgent popularity should come as no surprise, however — this “jewel of the Adriatic,” as the coastal resort town is often referred to in tourist brochures, is breathtakingly beautiful and a magnet for dreamy-eyed lovers in search of a romantic getaway.

The city’s fortified old town overlooks the dazzling Adriatic from a shelter of limestone cliffs and its marble-paved streets are lined with marvelously preserved churches, stately palaces, squares, and terracotta-roofed townhouses.

Meanwhile, down below, along the seaside coast, fine beaches beckon — as do a slew of offshore islands — making Dubrovnik uniquely appealing to just about any taste.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Now that you’ve found your knight in shining armor, put his dragon-slaying skills to the test in this ancient dragon’s lair near the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

Indeed, “Ha Long” means “where the dragon descends into the sea” and, once you’re sailing the enchanting emerald-green waters here, you’ll easily understand why the bay is believed to have been formed by the thrashing of a dragon’s tail.

It’s a sight that confirms this corner of Vietnam’s status as one of the most romantic getaways in Asia; undoubtedly the country’s most mesmerizing natural setting, this UNESCO-protected area is dotted with grottoes, some 3,000 limestone islets (only one of which is inhabited), and often shrouded in mist, which only adds to its mystique.

While day trips are available, we strongly recommend booking an overnight cruise to experience the bay’s phenomenal sunset and sunrise, as well as more of its splendid landscapes.

Our favorite agencies for 2-day cruises are Emeraude Classic Cruises and Buffalo Tours.

Nevis

If you’re craving a Caribbean getaway that’s just as high on romance as it is on R & R, look no further than darling Nevis (pronounced n-EE-vis), the sister island of St. Kitts.

A quiet, old-Caribbean charm reigns on this 36-square-mile patch of land that famously produced Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States.

Nowadays, cocooning lovers can hole up on romantic getaways in converted plantation houses — rather than sterile high-rise beach resorts — where atmospheric verandahs, louvered windows, and four-poster beds guarantee your hours, if not days, will be spent canoodling.

Should you decide to leave your room, the island’s scenery is equally entrancing: disused stone sugar mills are now overgrown with vines, lush island paths invite hiking and horseback riding, and sugarcane fields lead to remarkable restaurants serving fine Creole fare.

Add in the fact that Nevis is still relatively difficult to get to (you have to change planes in Antigua, St. Maarten, or Puerto Rico), and you’ll be looking at spending serious quality time with your sweetie — without having to share him or her with other vacationing sun worshipers.

Paris

Parisian culture seems inherently designed for romance, with countless settings tailor-made for those only-in-the-movies-type kisses: manicured gardens with perfect make-out benches lie around every corner; lamp-lit pedestrian quays along the Seine invite stolen smooches; and majestic plazas and tucked-away squares like Place des Vosges offer storybook backdrops for marriage proposals.

A perch atop any of the city’s famous ponts (bridges) are also sure to get your heart racing: linger on Paris’s oldest bridge, Pont Neuf; check out the animated arts-and-music scene of Pont des Arts; or take in the phenomenal views of the Eiffel Tower from the elaborate Pont Alexandre III.

Undoubtedly, for some, the height of romance can be found at the top of the Eiffel Tower itself; coordinate your viewing with one of Paris’s lovely sunsets, and the city will blush pink right along with you.

Quebec City

With its homegrown French language, colonial architecture, and horse-drawn carriages, Quebec City is inherently designed with romantic getaways in mind.

Encircled by ancient stone ramparts, and speckled with lovely squares, quaint cafes, and striking historical buildings, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is also blessed with a phenomenal natural setting above the mighty St. Lawrence River, with plenty of vantage points from which to view the coursing waters.

Each season brings its own special charms, too: While summers encourage late-night lingering over wine at outdoor cafes, the chilly winters give lovers all the more reason to snuggle up under a blanket in a horse-drawn caleche or get cozy with a delectable fondue for two at a first-rate French restaurant.

No matter what time of year you choose to visit, stay in a quaint 17th-century auberge (inn) complete with wood-beamed ceilings and exposed brick walls to complete the otherwordly experience.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Bona fide beach town, the Santa Ynez wine-producing region next door, and loads of spa retreats within driving distance … it’s no wonder California’s Santa Barbara gets our nod in the romantic getaways department.

Its splendid location, between palm-fringed Pacific beaches and the ever-green Santa Ynez Mountains, quaint Spanish- and Mediterranean-style architecture, gourmet fare, and posh hotels have attracted West Coast residents for quiet weekends for decades.

And no wonder: From wine-tasting in the country’s largest wine-producing region and supping on sublime organic foods, to enjoying massages for two and strolling barefoot on the beach at sunset, a visit here is an undeniably heady experience.

Tack on an outing in a hot-air balloon — a favorite local activity — and you’ll be guaranteed to swoon over the scenery, as well as your companion!

Santorini, Greece

Some may think island romance is overrated, but then they’ve probably never been to Santorini.

The most visually stunning of all the Greek Cyclades, this beguiling honeymoon spot has all the trappings of a dream vacation: Postcard-perfect cliffside villages, exotic black-sand volcanic beaches, transcendent sunsets, luxurious cave-rock hotels, dramatic striated red-and-gray cliffs stretching to the sky, and the Aegean’s finest wineries.

Built atop volcanic ashes — on the ruins of what some theorize to be the lost city of Atlantis — the resplendent white-washed beauty’s remarkable physical characteristics — its jagged cliffs, dark volcanic rock, and crescent shape carved out by the sea — are manifestations of its eruptive history.

These days, romantic getaways to Santorini are more likely to incite personal passions, whether on a visit to the enchanting cliff-side village of Oia, gazing at mesmerizing sunsets over the Aegean, or simply absorbing the best of Mediterranean romance in all its glory.

Venice, Italy

An extraordinary waterfront wonderland where ancient palazzi seemingly float above water, Venice manages to be both serene and seductive all at once.

While its labyrinthine cobblestone streets certainly encourage lovers to stroll hand in hand, it’s the city’s iconic gondolas that really up the romantic ante.

Picture yourself, a due, tucked in an intricate, hand-carved boat, and punted along dreamlike canals by a young Italian gondolier who serenades you as you glide under delicately-arched bridges — the aptly-named Bridge of Sighs among them — and past flower-laden balconies.

Other Venetian draws sure to set your heart aflutter include sipping Bellinis to the sounds of classical music in the majestic Piazza San Marco or catching a sunset view of spires and rooftops from atop the Campanile di San Marco. Hard money training.