Deb's Detours

06/05/2019

This is a group of Woodstock Seniors who recently flew to Hawaii and took a 7 night cruise on the Pride of America. It would seem, from all reports, that they had an enjoyable time.

08/10/2015

HERE ARE 12 TRULY MESMERIZING PLACES:

Chateau de Versailles in Versailles, France

Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, Italy

Pulpit Rock in Rogaland, Norway

Plitvice Lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Moraine Lake in Alberta, Canada

The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef in Ambergris Caye, Belize

Catehedral Cove in Hahei, New Zealand

Ilulissat Icefjord in Ilulissat, Greenland

Taj Mahal in Agra, India

Strokkur in Geysir, Iceland

Salar de Uyuni in Uyuni, Bolivia

24/12/2014

We at Deb's Detours want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

06/11/2014

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TripNews-a_ctr.fairytalesEN

10 real places that look like they belong in fairy tales

30/10/2014

10 Hotels Where You Can Truly Get Away
http://www.smartertravel.com/photo-galleries/editorial/10-hotels-where-you-can-truly-get-away-from-it-all.html?id=884

When you say you want to get away from it all, you mean it. These hotels are so remote that no one's likely to wind up at them by accident. If you take your solitude with a healthy dose of natural beauty, these incredibly isolated hotels are worth the trek.

04/09/2014

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TripNews-a_ctr.crystalclearbeachesEN

12 beaches with crystal clear water

28/08/2014

This weeks vacation package deals:
http://www.debsdetours.com/vacation-packages.html
For other deals: www.debsdetours.com
or call 706-692-0210 and ask for Deb

Valid If You Book Your Trip By August 25 , 2014

12/05/2014

Best Ways for Travelers to Prevent Identity Theft
May 12, 2014 by Dara Continenza, SmarterTravel Staff

Beware Of Public Computers
The days of the Internet cafe are waning, as Wi-Fi-enabled tablets and ultra-light laptops have become the norm for many tourists. But if you're not packing a lot of technology on your travels, or your computer dies on the road, or you just need to print a boarding pass in the hotel lobby, remember that public computers are hotbeds for identity theft. Never autosave information on forms, especially if you're typing in your passport or credit card number. Select "no" if you are asked to save any passwords. Delete your search history afterward. If possible, use the Google Chrome browser and open your windows in "incognito mode" (Ctrl + Shift + N, or click on the menu bar in the upper right-hand corner). Your search history, passwords, and cookies will automatically not be saved. Finally, avoid checking bank-account balances on public computers, if you can. Use your bank's smartphone app (most major banks have one), or simply limit your balance check-ins to secure ATMs.

Use Secure Wireless Networks
Wireless Internet makes life on the road convenient, but it can also make your private info vulnerable. The free Wi-Fi networks at cafes, in hotel lobbies, and in other public places are notoriously not secure because they often lack data-encryption protections that closed networks have. All it takes for someone to do damage is an elementary knowledge of computer systems and a simple plug-in like Firesheep, which allows a user to spy on others' browser activities.
Whenever possible, stick to more secure WEP, WPA, and WPA2 networks, which require a password to log on. If you must use an open (non-password-protected) network, immediately log out of banking, social media, and email accounts when finished with each session. To prevent your data packets from being plucked from midair, use only encrypted websites (such as those with "https" in the address) when on free Wi-Fi networks. If you see a warning that a site you are entering is not secured, is risky, or contains malware, don't proceed.
Also, don't forget about your phone. When traveling, turn off your smartphone's settings that allow the device to automatically connect to nearby Wi-Fi hot spots.

Lock Your Smartphone
Most of us store an alarming amount of data on our smartphones: emails and text messages with personal information; photos of our family, homes, and cars; and important travel information, such as boarding passes or itineraries. While it's nice to have a digital backup of everything important, leaving this information unprotected is like rolling out a welcome mat for hackers and identity thieves. Be smart and protect your phone with a home-screen-locking password. Depending on your phone model, this may be a numerical code, a unique swiping pattern, or a fingerprint scan. Avoid obvious numerical codes such as "1111" or your birth year, and remember to change your PIN frequently; it's not that difficult for someone looking over your shoulder to guess what you're typing.

Don't Give Out Your Phone Number
You will likely need to provide a home or mobile phone number for your airline and hotel reservations, but beyond that, avoid giving out your phone number while on the road. Having your digits gives an identity thief instant access to you via spammy calls; often they'll be able to look up your home address and personal information as well. A popular scam involves the caller claiming to be a representative from your bank and requesting your credit card number, so if you ever receive a phone call from someone asking to verify your credit card or bank-account number, hang up immediately. Then call your bank. Another scam that often hits hotel guests is a call reportedly from the front desk, requesting a new credit card number to secure the reservation. Never give that information out over the phone; instead, hang up and visit the front desk in person.
Use Cash Whenever Possible
In terms of secure payment, cash is still king. If stolen, it can't be replaced (unlike a credit card), but it won't put you at risk of identity theft. When traveling, always keep a combination of cash and cards on hand. Use credit cards at airports, major chains, and shops that clearly use secure payment systems. Use cash whenever there is the slightest doubt about the security of a seller's methods (for instance, if they want to take the card to a mysterious "back room" for payment). Avoid using your debit card whenever possible; while U.S. law requires protection against unauthorized debit card purchases, those protections may not be as instantaneous or as broad as those offered by your credit card company. You may also be hit with immediate overdraft fees that could drain your savings account before you even know you are a victim.

Use ATMs Carefully
If the only theft you associate with ATMs is the astronomical "convenience" fees some charge, think again. As this video from The Today Show and security expert Jim Stickley demonstrates, ATMs can be fake. Disturbingly, ATM kiosks are available for purchase online. All it takes is a bit of capital and some clever hacking, and voila, that seemingly safe street-corner ATM has now stored your credit card information. (This exact situation happened in Brazil last year, in fact.)
So be very wary of ATMs on the road. Carry as much cash as you feel comfortable having and store it in different locations on your person and in your luggage. If you do need to use an ATM, stick to bank branches during normal banking hours, or, better yet, use cash-back options at convenience stores, pharmacies, and shops. Take your travel partner to the ATM with you and have him or her stand behind you to block other people's views of your screen or hidden cameras pointed toward you. Tear up ATM receipts immediately.
If you want to be absolutely secure on the road, you can purchase a prepaid Visa card that allows you to withdraw money from ATMs with a temporary PIN. Simply destroy the card when your travels are over.

Check Your Credit Card Statements
Jewelry, passport, luggage, cash—you know you need to protect these items while traveling. Add your credit history to that list. All it takes to ruin your credit is someone running up your credit card balance or opening unauthorized accounts in your name. The easiest way to nip any credit-score disasters in the bud is by monitoring your credit card statements and credit score like a hawk before, during, and after your travels.
Federal law requires the three major credit-reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to provide you with a free credit report every 12 months. Retrieve yours through AnnualCreditReport.com. Other providers, such as FreeCreditReport.com or CreditKarma.com, offer a monthly credit statement for a small fee; if you're traveling internationally or if you've been a victim of identity theft before, signing up for monthly notifications may be a small price to pay for peace of mind (and squeaky-clean credit). Otherwise, the free yearly report should serve you just fine.

Clean Out Your Wallet, Pockets, And Purse
You may be the master of web security, but identity theft can still happen the old-fashioned way: by sticky fingers. Imagine the following scenario: You leave your wallet on your beach towel to go for a quick swim, smug with the knowledge that there's no cash for would-be thieves to take. Yet you've left a doctor's prescription, your business card, and your expired driver's license behind. Any of these documents could do surprising damage to your credit (and your livelihood) if exploited. The thief or impersonator would know which medications you're on (and perhaps your health insurance information), your work address, your phone number, and your job title. It's a good idea to always clean out your wallet or purse before travel. Discard old memos, appointment reminders, expired IDs, and even to-do lists. Shred any confidential documents such as bank statements or pieces of mail that contain your address. Not only will you travel lighter, but you'll minimize the risk of someone scavenging for sensitive information.

Lock Up Valuable Documents
Hotel safes aren't perfect (yes, even they can be hacked), but they're much more secure than simply tossing every ID card and travel document into your purse or wallet. When you arrive at your hotel, lock up any unnecessary valuables such as passports, jewelry, and gadgets. This includes boarding documents and travel confirmation emails (or go paper-free by using a service like Tripit that stores reservations, confirmation numbers, and itineraries).

Stop Your Mail
Thieves don't steal mail because they like to browse your Victoria's Secret catalogs. They do it because of all the juicy personal information it contains: bank-account and Social Security numbers, even health information. Before you depart, place a hold on your postal delivery or, better yet, ask a close neighbor to collect the piles of bills, cards, and letters each day. Shred all personal mail, even credit card offers in which you're not interested. Go paperless with as many accounts as you can; not only does it cut down on waste, it makes your personal data more secure. And if you'll be away for an exceptionally long period—say, several months or more—consider renting a P.O. box at your local post office and placing a forward on your mail.


Use Smart Identification
While abroad, don't use your passport as your primary identification. If it is stolen, you could find yourself in a world of trouble. Not only will you be ID-less and unable to board a flight, you'll also be at risk of identity theft. Stolen passports are often sold on the black market to criminals who use them to open new bank accounts, get jobs, or participate in human trafficking. Although the local embassy can help you secure a new passport fairly quickly, you'll want to avoid putting yourself at risk in the first place. Lock up your passport and use a driver's license or an international ID for nightclubs, bars, and other places of admission.

03/04/2014

Here are pictures from our recent visit to Kauai:
http://www.debsdetours.com/kauai-2014.html

Deb's Detours 706-692-0210

12/02/2014

WHY NOROVIRUS CROPS UP ON CRUISES
It has not been the best season for cruise ships. By the time the Explorer of the Seas docked at Bayonne, N.J., late last month, more than 600 passengers and crew members were sick to their stomachs; the Caribbean Princess arrived in Houston the same day after an outbreak sickened at least 192 people onboard.

Over the past five years, an average of about 14 cruise ships a year have had outbreaks of diarrheal illness, and the culprit is almost always norovirus, as it was on these two ships.

So if you go on a cruise, are you putting yourself at risk for this illness? Well, not exactly, but the answer is complicated.

Norovirus infects 20 million Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thriving in closed areas like dormitories, summer camp cabins, health care facilities and other places in addition to cruise ships. It spreads through contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces. In addition to loose stool and vomiting, it can cause weakness, muscle aches, headache and fever. There is no treatment, and most people recover in a few days.

The best way to avoid it is prevention, and the best prevention is hand washing. The agency recommends that cruise ship passengers wash before eating or any other action that involves bringing hands near the mouth. And it recommends washing your hands after using the toilet, changing a baby’s diaper and coming into contact with communal features like railings.

Though cruise outbreaks make news, Jan Vinjé, head of the National Calicivirus Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that widespread illness occurs on only about 1 in 200 voyages. The cause is not necessarily cruise line maintenance. “The food served on ships is usually of excellent quality, and food preparers are well trained,” Dr. Vinjé said. And when illness appears, he added, crews clean quickly and effectively. The problem, he said, is passengers. “If Grandma is sick when she gets on, she’s going on the cruise anyway,” Dr. Vinjé said. “And that’s how the virus gets onboard. Then it lands on handrails and doorknobs, and the transmission continues.”

Dr. Philip C. Carling, a clinical professor of medicine at Boston University, said that regardless of the origin, once onboard, the illness spreads widely. He says the reason is failure to clean restrooms properly. In a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in 2009, he marked toilet seats, flush handles and other objects in restrooms on cruise ships with an easily removed substance, visible only under ultraviolet light. Then examiners returned the next day to see if the substance had been wiped away. Only 37 percent of the 8,344 objects marked were cleaned daily. On three ships that had baby-changing tables, none were cleaned at all during the three-year study period.

“Of course they’ve been doing a good job with food,” Dr. Carling said. “And if a person vomits, they soak everything in bleach. But they’re not doing any routine examination of cleaning processes.”

The C.D.C. does inspect ships but not every changing table or bathroom even. “We inspect some bathrooms, and we don’t inspect for norovirus,” said Bernadette Burden, an agency spokeswoman.

Its inspection reports typically cite ships for inadequate chlorine in swimming pools, food stored at the wrong temperature, dirty cookware and other problems that could provide a breeding ground for the virus. The C.D.C. did 231 inspections and issued 17 failures — scores of 85 or less on a 100-point scale. The inspectors awarded perfect scores of 100 to 27 ships, and most others scored in the mid- or high 90s.

Explorer of the Seas has been inspected twice a year since 2001, and has never failed, although it reported one previous outbreak in the past five years. In July 2013, its latest inspection, there were a few minor violations, but it received a 98. Its operator, Royal Caribbean, has reported five outbreaks in the past five years on other ships. The Caribbean Princess has been checked 18 times since 2004, with 12 perfect scores of 100, and a 98 on its last inspection in September 2013. Still, it reported an outbreak in 2008, and its operator, Princess Cruises, has reported eight outbreaks in the past two years on its ships.

If it helps put your mind at ease on your next excursion, bear in mind that cruise lines do their best to avoid outbreaks, and the unflattering attention that they can bring. Michael McGarry, senior vice president at Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade group, said that cruise companies take careful steps to control illness, including asking passengers as they board if they are or have recently been sick, sanitizing frequently touched surfaces, and implementing response plans in case of illness.

28/01/2014

TOP FIVE NEW ROLLER COASTERS FOR 2014

Nothing gets the heart racing like a new roller coaster, and theme parks keep building them higher, faster and, well, just cooler than ever before. Here are five hot new coasters opening for the 2014 summer season.

Thunderbolt
Coney Island, New York
The first new roller coaster built in New York City in more than 80 years demands attention. Thunderbolt marks the triumphant return of the eponymous classic that stood on the site since 1925. This modern, re-imagined Thunderbolt will be an out and back steel coaster with a 125-foot-lift hill and inversions, and reach speeds up to 65 mph.

Goliath
Goliath, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill.
Tallest! Steepest! Fastest! Chicagoland's Six Flags Great America is constructing a wooden coaster called Goliath with a near vertical 85-degree, 180-foot drop (both records) and not one, but two inversions. This future lumberyard legend will reach speeds of 72 mph, and set three world records for wooden roller coasters.

Banshee
Kings Island, Mason, Ohio
Kings Island's Banshee is billed as the first female-inspired theme park ride – whatever that means. Regardless, when Cedar Fair (parent company of Kings Island) announces a new coaster, ears perk up. The 15th Kings Island coaster will be the longest inverted coaster in the world, feature seven inversions, reach speeds of 68 mph on 1,424 feet of track, and have a fantastic color scheme to boot.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
This new Disney attraction may not be particularly tall or fast, but the family-style coaster represents the culmination of the largest expansion in the history of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be the centerpiece of the "New Fantasyland" expansion, and take guests on a musical journey both inside and outside the gem-filled caverns via mine cars swinging back and forth throughout the ride.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Universal Studios Florida, Orlando
The most anticipated new roller coaster for 2014 will be in Universal Orlando's expansion of its incredibly popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The new Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon Alley will be a London-themed Harry Potter land featuring a Gringotts Bank attraction with an indoor roller coaster based on the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride will take guests through the vaults of the famous Goblin bank.

27/01/2014

THE 10 BEST EPIC SKI AND SNOWBOARDING EXPERIENCES

Snow sports are an addiction. You start with a taste – most often, a family trip where you ski-wedge your way down a bunny slope. One day becomes two, the seasons start to multiply, and then you realize that the first trip was your gateway drug into a life-long affection for snow-covered mountains. It's a ravenous, intoxicating appetite that may never be fully quenched. But these ten trips, the apex of skiing and snowboarding, may offer a bit of tantalizing solace — or at least a defined goal to achieve.

10. Tuckerman's Ravine, New Hampshire
An icon of New Hampshire backcountry skiing, this bowl in Mount Washington nestled in the White Mountains doesn't get the most snow when it comes to backwoods locales. But at an average of 50 feet each year, it boasts enough snow for epic yo-yo loops through its gullies and chutes. Come spring, it's both a party and an East Coast rite of passage — more than 1,000 people have been known to carve it up on a March weekend. It's a group worth joining.

9. Snowcat Skiing at Baldface Lodge, British Columbia
A ten-minute helicopter ride out of Nelson, British Columbia, delivers you to Baldface Lodge, home base for three- and four-day all-inclusive, guided snowcat skiing and boarding. The stats — 500-plus inches of snow each year carpeting more than 32,000 acres of skiable terrain — tell the tale. The cats run in almost any condition, delivering skiers and riders fresh turns through open bowls, vertiginous peaks and evenly-spaced glades for as long as your legs can muster.

8. Corbet's Couloir, Wyoming
While this is a single run rather than a multi-day getaway, Corbet's still populates most extreme skiers' must-conquer list. To be fair, most of the runs off Jackson Hole Resort's famed Aerial Tram could qualify for this list, but Corbet's is special. Sitting skier's left after exiting the tram, you'll find a ten-foot-wide opening carved into the mountainside, with a cornice drop that can stretch to 30 feet leading to a narrow, 50-degree-pitch slope that eventually, mercifully, opens out into a wider bowl. Those who dare are best off waiting for when it's packed with forgiving powder.

7. Japan's Mount Yotei
Skiers and riders who hit Japan's famed island of Hokkaido typically plant themselves at the resorts around Niseko, which is why the daring skiers and riders branch out to skin up and ski down Mount Yotei. At 6,227 feet, this volcano is the highest peak in the region, proffering the most vertical feet on the island. Only the most experienced backcountry explorers need apply.

6. McConkey's, California
Looming like a silent dare at the top of Squaw Valley's famed KT-22 Mountain, this singular run traverses an extreme 120 vertical feet on a 68-degree pitch, one of the steepest in the country. Once called Eagles' Nest, it was renamed in 2009 in honor of Squaw legend and extreme skier Shayne McConkey, and it remains just as formidable as it did when the resort first opened.

5. Snowwater Heli-Skiing, British Columbia
Heli-skiing offers easy access to unlimited terrain and a quintessential James Bond experience, unless you get stuck in base camp waiting for the weather to turn so that the birds can fly. Thankfully Nelson, British Columbia-based Snowwater has you covered. Their HQ, nestled in the snow-choked Selkirk Mountains, provides plush lodging, amazing food and two guest copters. And if the conditions ground them, you can hop into one of their snowcats and head into the expansive backcountry to access countless powder turns rather than wait for Mother Nature to cooperate.

4. La Grave, France
As its ominous name evokes, this resort isn't for the faint of heart. It's positioned on a steep hillside facing the glacier-encrusted slopes of La Meije, with a pitch that exceeds 50 degrees for more than 3,000 feet. Only one "run" is marked. The rest is an expert's humbling, off-piste playground.

3. Silverton Resort, Colorado
This one-of-a-kind resort near Durango, Colorado, offers access to more than 1,800 skiable acres — plus another 22,000 acres of hike-in terrain — all of it accessible by a single lift. The amenities are bare-bones, including a yurt-style lodge and a truly convivial, we're-all-in-this-madness-together vibe. And the terrain is 100 percent expert-only: All skiers are required to have an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. Better still? With more than 400 inches annually, the snow never quits.

2. Hut-to-Hut in New Zealand
More than 62 huts dot the expansive landscape of New Zealand's Southern Alps, offering countless options for DIY backcountry skiers and riders to connect the dots to as many huts as one's itinerary allows. Cross high-mountain passes, polish up your mountaineering skills, ski unfettered lines and then appreciate the plush, heated confines of your perfectly rustic accommodations each night.

1. A Ski Expedition in Antarctica
Deemed the last snow-covered frontier by most extreme skiers and riders, you can make this intimidating world slightly more accessible (and live out your millionaire dreams) by signing up for a 13-day yacht-and-ski expeditions with Adventure Consultants. Cross the Drake Passage, camp on the snow-covered, glaciated Wiencke Island and spend each day exploring new lines in the astounding, unforgiving terrain of Antarctica.

23/01/2014

EUROPE'S BEST HIDDEN BEACHES

Es Trenc, Mallorca
With the mercury tipping a sweltering 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months, it’s not surprising that people flock from far and wide to top up their tans on the Balearic island of Mallorca. Our tip is to head far from the madding crowd to the blissed out beach of Es Trenc. You can’t drive to it, which makes it tricky to get to, but it's completely worth the journey. The natural coastline is protected from development and its two miles of white sands slope down to the water. Picnicker’s seeking shade should head for the pine forests, where smugglers used to hide out in pits between the trees.

Formentera, Ibiza
Another Balearic beauty in the warm waters of the western Mediterranean is the idyllic isle of Formentara. Little sister to the party island of Ibiza, and one-time hangout of Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan, Formentera is the perfect chill out spot for those on the hippy trail looking for some R&R. Check out the horse-shaped red rocky bay of Cala Saona; the snorkeler’s haven, Playa Mijourn; or the teeny north eastern bay of Tramontana. And if beach life is getting a little too Robinson Crusoe for your liking then you can always hop back on a boat to the white isle (there are more than 12 half-hour crossings per day in the summer) to party from dusk til dawn.

Arrifana, Portugal
Over the years the battering waves of the Atlantic have worn deep secluded coves into the honey-hued cliffs of the Algarve and created some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Arrifana is relatively small at just half a mile long, and is a surfer's paradise. Head to the northern end of the bay with your board to pick up some of the long waves, (that reach up to six feet) which, combined with shallow barrels, makes it a world-class surf spot. Not active? Don’t worry; there are whitewashed Moorish ruins to discover and little restaurants dishing up delicious fresh-off-the-boat seafood.

Calanques, Provence
Celebs are always papped lounging around some superyacht or other in the French Riviera, (usually one that’s just docked off the Plage du Martinez in Cannes), but if you’re looking to ditch the glitz and glamour, we’d recommend the lesser-traversed Calanques. The 10-mile stretch of coastline between Cassis and Marseille is utterly beautiful. The steep-walled inlets or coves are cut from limestone and scored with deep valleys that are teeming with wildlife, from peregrine falcons to wild boar and over 900 types of plants. For the most secluded stretch, lapped by azure waters, head to the Blue Coast just west of Marseille. Bliss.

Vouliagmeni to Sounio, Athens
We couldn’t plump for just one hidden beach near Athens, so we’ve gone for a stretch of coastline, where you’ll find any number of secret spots to soak up the beating Grecian rays. Take the hour’s drive from Vouliagmeni to Sounio (making sure to stop off along the way at Temple of Poseidon Sounion) and hit the secluded Thymari Beach. Build up an appetite swimming in the perfectly calm waters, then duck into one of the local tavernas dotted along the seafront to refuel.

El Saler, Valencia
El Saler, with its three miles of fine sandy dunes is located in Valencia's Albufera National Park. The sheltered bays are hidden from the western winds, perfect for topping up golden tans, while out to sea, windsurfers can make the most of the stronger Garbi winds. Active types can take the eight-mile cycle ride from Valencia to El Saler and cool down by Albefura Lake, a freshwater lagoon that’s separated from the sea by dunes and Mediterranean pine trees.

Pinarello Beach, Corsica
With a mile of soft white sands, lapping waves and a backdrop of rugged mountains, Pinarello Beach in Corsica is the sort of place you’ll never want to leave. Its warm shallow turquoise waters sweep in from the gulf of Pinarello, fragrant clusters of pine trees give off the most delicious scent and you can pad bare foot over the boardwalks across secluded lagoons. Take your pick from one of the six restaurants to the north of the beach, or from the scattering of rustic beach bars.

Vis Island, Croatia
Declared a military zone in 1944 due to its isolation from the mainland, Vis Island only opened up to visitors in 1989. Its clean, clear beaches make it a haven for sun seekers who hop on speedboats from either Split (or Pescara in Italy). On the south side of the island there’s the pristine yet bijoux Stiniva Cove, which has been created by a collapsed cave ceiling. While the northeastern side is home to the beautifully secluded Stoncica beach with its verdant Mediterranean vegetation and emerald waters, home to loggerhead turtles and bottlenose dolphins.

Kelebekler Vadisi (Butterfly Valley), Turkey
Reached only by taxi boat or by walking the (extremely sheer and rocky) Lycian Way Trail, Butterfly Valley is a hidden gem of a beach and one of Turkey’s best-kept secrets. Its namesake comes from the rare species of more than 60 different types of butterfly that were, up until fairly recently, the valley’s only inhabitants. The steep sided valley is filled with rich flora and fauna and lush vegetation that shelters the white-pebble coves; from here you can take a dip in the azure ocean and splash around in two small waterfalls.

Kynance Cove, Cornwall
You’d be hard pressed to believe that you can find a little slice of the Caribbean on the British Isles, but it’s true. In fact, Cornwall is home to its fair share of idyllic stretches of coastline, but by far the prettiest is Kynance Cove. Located in the most southerly part of the U.K. on the Lizard peninsula, it’s a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and for good reason. The golden sandy bay is encircled by rugged wild and woolly headlands, clear blue waters and plenty of islands and caves to explore.