Are Islands "Worth it?"
We've been to a BUNCH in just the past year. Some were worth it, but others??
The Lure of Islands
By Norm Bour
Over the past 12 months we’ve been to many islands, from the very big, ie, the appropriately named Big Island of Hawaii, to the very small, at only four km length, and two km width, and that would be the tiny island of Koh Larn, just a 30 minute ferry ride from Pattaya, Thailand. I started thinking about my personal history of islands I’ve visited, and there is no question about it: Islands offer such a lure, such a mystique, that I think few people are immune to that attraction! But one of the challenges is that sometimes they are just INCONVENIENT to get to!
In 1978, when I was in my twenties, living in Southern California, I visited Oahu, Hawaii with my girlfriend. As a naïve and not well traveled young man, the island drew me in, and even though it was touristy—though not as much as today—it still blew my mind. Ten years later when I was married, my wife and I decided to try a new Hawaiian island, so we went to Kaui.
The “Garden Island” is well named and is as lush and primitive as any place I have been. Many scenes from the Jurassic Park movie were filmed there, so that speaks highly to the nature of the island. But, there was trouble in Paradise as we found out after just a few years.
We were bored.
With just a few choice areas to visit, Princeville to the north, and Poipu Beach (which is where we liked), to the south, we found ourselves restless after a few years of visiting, so made the jump to Maui, the Valley Island. Which we loved, especially the west side, the Kaanapali beach area. We went so far as to buy a very reasonably priced timeshare, and every September 17-24 was our designated getaway. Our entire year was focused on our annual island holiday, and I still own that unit which we bought in 1999.
Fast forward two decades, and in 2019 I left Orange County, California, and the United States, and have been living nomadically ever since. Among those 43 different countries we’ve visited, many were islands, and we loved almost all of them! There is something about the isolation of being unattached to a land mass, and knowing you are THERE, unless you take a flight or boat to your next stop.
For many west coast Americans, Hawaii is probably the most likely island destination for them to visit. The five hour flight is very quick, and it’s almost equal to flying to the East Coast, but such a different experience! I found the East Coast and Middle America peeps gravitate to Jamaica or the Caribbean.
September of 2023 Kat and I started a very long journey that started in California and took us to Maui on September 17. Our timeshare was our home for a week, followed by ten days on the Big Island, which was my second time, Kat’s first. Our stay there was more than a vacation, and was actually a “filler” (for 10 days) until our next major undertaking: A one-way Repositioning Cruise from Hawaii to Australia.
This was a huge step for us since neither had been on anything close to 18 days at sea, but aside from delivering us to the (island of) Australia, we also stopped in French Polynesia and visited Tahiti, Raiatea, and Moorea. Those are as exotic a destination that I could imagine, and the prospect of flying there and getting a hotel was outside of our budget. But stopping in for a day at each was perfect!
Australia was a short 11 day visit and then it was time to leap to our current region: Southeast Asia.
Because we are temperature and budget driven, we knew we had to check out Asia, and after five countries here (and more than half a dozen islands), we have truly enjoyed it. Here is the list of our islands since last year:
1. Hawaii: Maui (Sept 17, 2023)
a. Big Island
b. Oahu
2. French Polynesia
a. Tahiti
b. Raiatea
c. Moorea
3. New Zealand
4. Bay of Islands (NZ)
5. Australia
6. Indonesia
a. Bali
b. Nusa Lembongan (where we will return in December)
c. Nusa Penida
7. Philippines (Palawan)
8. Phu Quoc (Vietnam)
9. Koh Lan (Thailand)
10. Koh Samui (Thailand)
11. Lombok (Bali)
What is it about islands that make them so appealing? Not all are “pristine” and beautiful, and we have seen our share of island beaches that were filthy and discouraging to swim in. But with 17,000 islands in Indonesia, 1400 in Thailand, and 4000 in Vietnam, we have many options.
When we first started traveling, one of our first stops was Croatia, and with “only” 49 permanently inhabited islands, we have already been to half a dozen—and loved them all. Sicily, also an island, has been one of our favorite places, and we are going back next May.
(Keep reading…I’ve structured a one week cruise of the Croatian islands for next spring…)
We— you— can live anywhere. If island life is interesting and intriguing, check them out! When we initially went on a six week holiday in 2018, six months before our Final Leap into the unknown, we spent that time in Spain and Portugal. Our very last stop was in Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands that is the least well known between Mallorca and Ibiza. I called Menorca, “the island that time forgot,” since it seemed to be mired in the seventies, with no timeshares, high rises, or masses of tourists. We had many talks while we were there, including the “Can we do this?” conversation. (Can we leave the US and become nomads).
Menorca sold us and we put the wheels in motion which got us to where we are today.
What lies in your future?? It all starts with the first step!
Ok, that cruise I teased you about.
The most common question that we've been asked during our 6 years of nomadic travel is, "What is your favorite country?" Even with 43 countries under our belt since then, our #1 has remained the same: Croatia. We have seen it from the north to the south, along with many of the islands, and we invite you to do the same.
Over the years we developed a relationship with a small cruise company in Croatia, and we’re looking to offer two cruises. The larger boat, the Aretha, would depart May 18 (tentative) and is literaly a floating five-star hotel! That price will be about $3200 per person with a 30 person max. The smaller ten (10) person cruise date is undecided, and that would be about $1600 USD. Both depart from Split and arrive in Dubrovnik one week later, after stops on the islands of Brac, Hvar, Šćedro, Korcula, Mljet, Šipan, and Lopud. I have seen some of them and they are breathtaking!
Those prices are based on euros, which may fluctuate, and you will get a chance to see this magnificent country as few have. Port fees and two meals daily are included; dinner is on your own at nightly ports, and alcohol is additional.
More details and photos are available, please send me a note if you are interested, and we'll send you some info. I posted this on a friend’s Facebook page for Digital Nomads over 50, and already had a great response.
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Talk soon!!
Have you visited my island? . . . Great Britain?