Beautiful Places On Earth

Bora Bora or better known as “Pora Pora” means “First Born” in the Tahitian language. Bora Bora is a volcanic island in the Society Islands archipelago of French Polynesia. The island is located some 230 kilometers northwest of Papeete, Tahiti which is the capital of French Polynesia. The only way to get in Bora Bora is by plane from Papeete and a few other islands of French Polynesia.

The island of Bora Bora is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef, making it a perfect spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. One can also swim at Matira Beach, the most famous beach on Bora Bora which is located at the southern tip of the main island. In the center of the island are extinct volcanoes, namely Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. One can hike up these 2 peaks to get panoramic view of the lagoon looking down.

The tourist peak season on the island is during its dry season running from May to October. Avoid going to Bora Bora during these months if you dislike crowd. One special souvenir to bring back home from Bora Bora is black pearls. But do keep in mind that everything on the island is expensive! Prepare to bargain!

Bora Bora – French Polynesia

There is a group of beautiful sea islands scattering around in the southern Pacific Ocean. This group of islands is called the French Polynesia. At the size of approximately 1,045 square kilometers, Tahiti is the largest and most populated island of French Polynesia. The island consists of two roughly round portions, namely Tahiti Nui (Big Tahiti) and Tahiti Iti (Small Tahiti) connected by a short Taravao Isthmus. The capital of the French Polynesia, Papeete is located on the Big Tahiti.

Tahiti Island is said to be a place on earth closest to heaven. It is an untouched and beautiful piece of land. The most popular activity on Tahiti is unarguably diving. The island of Tahiti offers some of the best scuba diving sites including the Tahiti Wall, Shark Cave, The Vavi Area and Underwater Fresh Water Springs, just to name a few. Tahiti also serves as a jumping off point to Bora Bora, Huahine, Moorea, Raiatea, Rangiroa and other islands in the archipelago. Other activities besides scuba diving are snorkeling, surfing, deep sea fishing, kite surfing, hiking, golfing and many more.

Tahiti Islands

The best way to get in Tahiti is by air. Tahiti is served by Faa’a International Airport, which is located close to the country’s capital city of Papeete. One can visit Tahiti anytime throughout the year, but it is best to avoid the rainy season from November to April.

Panama Canal remains one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken in the 20th century. The Panama Canal is a ship canal joining the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Before Panama Canal was constructed, a ship had to travel all the way south to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America in order to sail across the 2 oceans. The concept to build a canal in Panama was first proposed by King Carlos I of Spain in 1524. However, it was the French who first attempted to construct the canal in 1880. The attempt failed and was taken over by the United States in the early 1900s, then completed and opened in 1914. By the time the Panama Canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are expected to have died during the construction.

A trip through the Panama Canal is highly recommended if you are visiting Panama. The cruise will take you from Panama City on the Pacific Ocean, traveling some 80 kilometers to the Colon City on Atlantic Ocean or vice versa. Along the way, one can enjoy sceneries along the canal as well as passing through several artificial lakes and 3 sets of locks. The following video shows a time lapse journey through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean onboard a cruise ship.

Panama Canal time lapse

The best time to visit Panama Canal is from December to April each year, when it is the dry season in Panama.

The Cook Islands is an island country consisting of 15 small islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The Cook Islands are located northeast of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji. The 15 major islands are divided into 2 groups, namely the Southern Cook Islands and the Northern Cook Islands. Aitutaki is one of the islands in the Southern Cook Islands and is listed in some books as one of the 50 places everyone should see before they die!

Aitutaki is an atoll having 15 small islets. The barrier reef in Aitutaki forms the shape of an equilateral triangle with 12 kilometers in length for each side. What is so beautiful about Aitutaki? Aitutaki is well known for its stunning, turquoise blue central lagoon which has been the location for the “Survivor Cook Islands” television series. It is said that the beauty of this lagoon can rival Bora Bora in French Polynesia. Aitutaki also has beautiful palm fringed beaches and is relatively quieter than Rarotonga, the most populous and the most visited island in Cook Islands. One should also not miss out on the Tapuaetai (One Foot Island), a small islet on the southeast of the lagoon. One Foot Island boasts a beautiful white sandy beach and is regarded by many as providing the best views of the Aitutaki Lagoon. Besides sightseeing, other popular activities on Aitutaki include scuba diving, fishing and windsurfing, just to name a few.

Aitutaki, Cook Islands, South Pacific

There are daily flights to Aitutaki International Airport from Rarotonga which take only 45 minutes. The best time in a year to visit Aitutaki is from November to February.

Acapulco is a famous sea resort town located within the state of Guerrero on the west coast of Mexico, some 386 kilometers southwest from Mexico City. The town is located on a deep, semi circular Acapulco Bay, facing the Pacific Ocean. Over the years, Acapulco has become the number 2 Mexican spring break destination among United States college students behind Cancun.

Beaches are of course the main attractions in Acapulco. Most popular beaches are those located inside the Acapulco Bay such as Hornos, Papagayo, Tamarindos and Icacos. Another beach, given the name Playa Revolcadero, which is an open water beach, is famous for surfing. Playa Revolcadero can be reached from Acapulco Bay in about 35 minutes. Besides surfing, other forms of water sports such as water skiing, parasailing, scuba diving, fishing, sailing and snorkeling can also be found at Acapulco. No visit to Acapulco is complete without watching the cliff divers performing at La Quebrada. These divers dive 45 meters from the top of the cliffs at La Quebrada into the shallow sea below. You can watch them in action in the following video clip.

Acapulco Bay, Mexico

Acapulco can be reached from Mexico City by bus. One can also take a 35-minute flight from Mexico City to Alvarez International Airport at Acapulco. Acapulco is suitable to visit throughout the year due to its tropical climate all year round.