News That Matters

Next Island

Exploring the new tropical spot for the Next Island

MENJANGAN ISLAND

Next Island
This uninhabited tiny island is 8 km wide and surrounded by hectares of beautiful coral reef. Menjangan Island is part of the West Bali National Park so the area is protected under Indonesian law from environmental abuse. The marine scenery here is spectacular and the island’s reef is Bali’s first internationally recognised dive zone. Famous for its wall diving because of great visibility the reef has some of the best coral growths of dive spots to be found off Bali. Noted dives around the island are Garden Eel Point, Underwater Cave and Pos II. Here turtles, eels, sharks and complex coral gardens are on view.   With turquoise clear water and very calm sea, snorkelling is also a popular pastime from Menjangan Island.  Snorkellers get to view extravagant areas of coral with th...

Krabi

Next Island
Experience a True Paradise In This Tranquil Sliver of Thailand I always enjoy Phuket but on this occasion I continued my travel from there to Krabi Province on the west coast of southern Thailand. Enticed by the promise of beaches and the natural beauty of unspoiled scenery I was certainly not disappointed on arrival and looked forward with relish to my stay, a stay that could be either relaxing or full of adventure activities.   On recommendation I had chosen to stay  with Amari Vogue Krabi. This is a plush boutiqueI resort on  Tub Kaek Beach just 30 kilometres from the town of Krabi. Here the elegant structures are styled along the distinctive lines of Thai Lanna architecture. The resort offers all the modern facilities today’s holiday makers would expect. &n...

Koh Chang Island

Next Island
Situated on the Eastern end of Thailand, Koh Chang is Thailand’s second largest island with a population of approximately 5,000 permanent residences. Tourism sectors have been growing rapidly for the last 5 years and the island has become one of Far East Asia favourite tourist destinations. The name of Koh Chang means Elephant Island, the name comes from the elephantine shape of its headland.  As one of Thailand’s most astonishing tropical islands, Koh Chang presents long white sandy beaches and if compared with Phuket or Pattaya is blessed with a relatively untouched natural environment.   It took me approximately an hour of flying from Bangkok before touching down at the airport of this charmingly peaceful island. I went directly to the hotel located about 30 kilo...

CAMIGUIN ISLAND

Next Island
Anyone looking for an island holiday destination with all the classic tropical island attributes such as stunning views, rich coral reefs, beaches and an ambience of tranquility for lazy days need look no further than Camiguin Island. Why; because the island offers all this and so much more. Beaches and crystal clear water are byword expressions for any tropical island that has made it onto the holiday resort list but there are extras not common to other holiday resort islands to be had here. Camiguin Island is situated 10 kilometers north of Mindanao Island and is regarded as one of the most beautiful islands of the Philippines.   To get there one needs to fly to Manila and from there fly on to Cagayan de Oro City where a 3-hour ferry trip will take the traveler to Guinsiliban Fe...

KARIMUN JAWA

Next Island
Karimun Jawa Untouched Virgin Paradise Some may not be familiar with Karimun Jawa, however the secret of this place is starting to leak out due to the sheer beauty of the area. Coconut stands on the islands meet virgin, white powdery-sand beaches that spill into the clear blue ocean of  this archipelago. The Karimun Jawa is an archipelago of 27 small islets divided into protected and accessible areas. Five of the islands are inhabited, mostly by fishermen and their families. Some of the islands are classified as wilderness zones and some of these are protected from human incursion while others in this same zone allow access to visitors. A buffer zone has been established to absorb the increasing number of visitors. The largest two islands are Karimum and Kemujan respectively. He...

RAJA AMPAT

Next Island
Raja Ampat Uncover the Immense Wonder of the Four Kings Raja Ampat or the Four Kings is undoubtedly one of Indonesia’s evolving destinations for visitors wanting to experience some of the worlds’ most spectacular and beautiful areas Planning my first trip here was one of the most anticipated experiences I can remember. To get to Raja Ampat, one needs to take a flight to Sorong, a coastal city and regency in the eastern Indonesia province of West Papua. From there a 2 to 3 hour trip by fast boat to Waisai brings one to the capitol of the Raja Ampat Regency.   The name Raja Ampat or the Four Kings refers to the four main island of the group, namely Salawati, Batanta, Misool and Waigeo. It is Waigeo that is the largest of the islands and home the region’s capitol. Raja Ampat is an ar...