I think that people who have never been to the Caribbean often times think each of the various islands are pretty much the same. To some point, this can be true. They all have beautiful beaches. They all have palm trees with iguanas watching everything from the fronds. All of them are fantastic destinations during the cold and snowy winters in the United States during long winters. 

However, some of the islands can be incredibly different too. For instance, there is a huge difference between the arid climate of Aruba with its sparse vegetation and the lush rain forests and hilly terrain of Antigua.

What makes the Caribbean fun, is that most of the islands have unique characteristics which makes it intriguing to visit all of them.

For instance, when someone thinks of Jamaica, they may think of Dunn's River Falls and Jamican rum with plenty of places to party.

The Cayman Islands are known for their snorkeling and scuba diving destinations, as well as a sand bar in the middle of the sea where you can stand up and pet sting rays.

Curacao, for its own intrigue which can be read in one of my Deseret News articles from years ago. You can check it out here Celebrating in Curacao: A couple's anniversary trip to the Caribbean island - Deseret News

For this blog, I want to share some of the special attractions on the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. (Saint Martin on the French side of the island and Sint Maarten on the Dutch side of the island)

First things first. Many people who have never been to the Caribbean, or to Saint Martin specifically, still have heard of the airport. Magazines, travel articles, newspapers have dozens of pictures of people who stand at the end of the runway, on a beach, while jetliners fly overhead within a stone's throw straight up. 

Let me testify it is really very exhilerating to experience it live and in person.

The beach is Maho Beach on the Dutch west side of the island and is only separated from the airport by a chain link fence and a few dozen feet from the runway. Because it attracts so many visitors, there are hotels and places to eat right in the immediate area.

Flying in over Maho Beach when Kim and I arrived on the island of Saint Martin. Top right of the picture is where we had lunch a couple of days later.

 

Kim and I really enjoyed eating at Sunset Beach and watching the craziness of people try to hang on to the fence while planes took off without tumbling over the rocks and into the water. We didn't try this ourselves, and signs recommended that it not be done, but still there were plenty of participants.

I mentioned jets taking off, but there were also lots of regional turboprop planes that were just as close to the ground, if not closer, as they went over Maho Beach.

Maho Beach, even without an airport attraction, is quite scenic and beautiful. We took a taxi to the beach from our hotel. On this journey, we saw several swamped or damaged boats from hurricane Irma in September of 2017. We visited in April of 2019.

As I mentioned earlier, the island is divided between Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin, with the airport being on the Dutch side. Both sides have their own flavor, but we stayed primarly on the southern Dutch side near Philipsburg on the Great Bay. We were lucky, our room was changed to an ocean view room (more expensive) because our original had not been cleaned properly.

Holland House Beach Hotel where we stayed. There is something to be said about having a beach front property.

View of the beach from our hotel room.

View of cruise ships from our hotel in Philipsburg.

Of course, the St. Maarten Hard Rock Cafe was in easy walking distance from our hotel.

One of the best things we have done in several locations around the world, is rent bicycles and ride around, either by ourselves, or in a tour group. In Sint Maarten, it was an organized group. We walked a short distance to the cruise terminals to catch our tour. I think what made the experience so special was a combination of the sights we visited as well as being caught in a downpour. The rain was actually quite invigorating and, since we were already sweaty from the humidity and exercise, quite refreshing.

Kim enjoying the rain, the sky, and the beautiful island of Sint Maarten.

Kim and I with our bicycle tour group after the downpour. This ride was only about a couple of miles but did consist of some hill.

Kim in downtown Philipsburg pointing out where we were on Sint Maarten.

   

See? I wasn't kidding about iguanas in trees.

I honestly never expected to see mountain goats near the cruise line terminal on our walk back to the hotel.

Marigot is the capital of the French side of Saint Martin. Even though the two countries share the island, the culture, architecture, and ambiance are completely different. I recommend if you want to see the French side, there is a bus people can catch that is much more economical than a taxi or some other means of transportation, and it's very reliable.

There may not be as much to see and do in Marigot, but it is very quant and colorful. On a hill overlooking the town is Fort Louis with spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Fort Louis, a short hike passed some beautiful homes

Kim looking out over the Caribbean Sea from Fort Louis in Marigot, Saint Martin.

Panaramic shot of Kim at Fort Louis overlooking Marigot, Saint Martin. What a naturally beautiful place that has only been enhanced with the quaint and colorful architecture. The north side of the island escaped much of the destruction from hurricane Igor.

If you have never been to the Caribbean, you should make it a point to go if possible. The water is so easy to swim in because of the salt content and much warmer than the Med. Once in the water, you just never want to get out.

Kim had never experienced the Caribbean Sea prior to our trip to Curacao. Now it is one of her favorite destinations which I will write about in future blog posts.

The largest of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea is Mallorca. Although it is not as well known as Ibiza, it is a very popular vacation spot for tourists from both Germany and England. (As I will mention a little more about later in this blog) Even though maybe not as well known, it is one of the most scenic places I have ever been and a perfect travel destination for Europeans and Americans alike.

Even though we didn't get to spend much time in the capital city of Palma, we did walk through a portion of it when we first arrived on the island. Probably the most recognizable structure is that of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Palma, which really is pretty cool with its Gothic Architecture exterior. Unfortunately, we didn't go inside because of time constraints, but the exterior is incredibly impressive, and also just a stroll from the Mallorca Hard Rock Cafe. (And by now, everyone knows about my desires to go to every HRC I can.)

Kim and Logan enjoying the Hard Rock Cafe in Mallorca Spain. Actually, the food is the same at all of them, but the ball caps are quite unique to each location.

A front view of the the Cathedral of Santa Maria Palma. In September, the weather was totally beautiful and pleasant. Most people view and take pictures of the cathedral from the side which has a portion of the Mediterranean Sea in the foreground. (We didn't walk that far) 

 

This picture of the Cathedral actually taken through a car window while going to the airport for our flight to Madrid.

View of the harbor with crew ships taken from nearby the HRC. Flowers and Palm Trees virtually everywhere we looked.

Our hotel was located on Platja de Palma Beach; an extremely long beach with British families on one end and German families on the other. I'm not sure I would recommend staying on this beach because of how crowded it was and so many better options available. But it was a good place to rent electric bicycles and explore.

Also, it was pretty central to some of the other things you may want to do. The main drawback however, as told to us by people who live there, is the Germans were always drunk and the British were falling from balconies trying to jump from one balcony to another. (probably drunk also. one individual fell to his death while we were there)

I will suggest different places to stay later which I wish I'd known about prior to booking our hotel.

Located in Palma, and one of the coolest things we did while we were in Mallorca, is the Ferrocarril de Soller. (Railway of Soller) it departs from the Palma railway station. This historical train's one-hour journey is through olive groves and beautiful scenery to the town of Soller on the northern coast with one scenic stop to take pictures.

How many people still get to ride on a wooden train? This was my only time.

 

Kim and Logan both on the train, and the scenic stop where we could disembark and take pictures. Honestly, this train was so cool, and so relaxing, it alone would have made our trip. But then, the destination of the train, even added to the experience.

Soller is absolutely historical and beautiful at the same time. After disembarking from the train, we found a place to eat lunch and experience Soller life by watching wooden trolleys pass our outdoor dining experience within feet of our table. Lunch was good, and then taking one of these trolleys to the Soller Beach was fantastic. 

Kim and Logan on the far right of this photograph. What a truly European experience. And then, the beach!

Church of Saint Bartomeu as seen from our table when the trolley was not in our way. Doesn't this look like so much fun?

Several years ago, I had a melanoma on my back. Because of this, I don't always get in the water when Kim and Logan go swimming just to protect myself. This was the case in Soller. But

Kim and Logan sure had fun in the picturesque town on the beautiful beach.

Much less crowded, and more pleasant, the beach at Soller.

Kim and Logan enjoying the Mediterranean Sea.

Just taking pictures in my sun hat for protection. I wish I'd gotten in now, but at least I did go swimming a day or two later on another beautiful beach.

Lighthouses, both old and new, in Soller, Mallorca.

The trolley passing me by to the train station of Soller.

Panoramic view of Soller Beach.

The train to Soller makes for a long day, but so rewarding! I would recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I could see Kim and I retiring someday in Soller, or maybe one of the other beautifully scenic beaches in Mallorca.

If you like to visit caves, Mallorca has their own tourist attraction to see. Drach Caves tours are available with hotel pick up and enjoyable to see. Honestly, I've been inside so many caves or salt mines, they all look the same to me and so I would probably pass on it myself at this point. Don't all caves look alike?

One cool thing about the Drach Caves was that at one point on the tour, if you wanted to, you could take a subterranean cruise on a boat to deeper inside the caves

All in all, the cave tour can be quite enjoyable if spelunking is your thing.

I mentioned prevously that you could rent electric bicycles or scooters on Platja de Palma Beach. (the most popular and crowded beach in Mallorca) The beach is so long, the electric assisted bikes are really quite fun. The scenery along the beach is spectacular, but keeps in mind it is a European beach and sometimes swimsuits may be missing.

The beach, while we were there, had several sand artisans and their work was really quite detailed.

Kim and Logan on their electric bikes, and two beautiful sunset pictures, one with a parasailer.

Really, isn't this beautiful?

On our last day in Mallorca, we rented a car so we could drive around the island. The rental process was quite easy and not really too expensive for the day. Being mobile, we were able to discover the Calas beaches which encircle the entire island. From Palma, we drove in a counterclockwise direction and were able to see a few of these unique beaches. What makes them unique, is they are generally a small beach area at the end of an inlet from the sea. They are very excluded and usually require a little hike down to them from the surface streets. Also, some of them are bathing suit optional. 

Our ride around the island of Mallorca. Pretty tight little Fiat 500 built much better than Kim's Fiat at home.

One of the many Calas we came across, but I don't remember the name of this one. It was clothing optional so we didn't stay.

Cala D'Or, a fantastic, and family oriented, Cala. We did go swimming here and the water temperature was perfect and easy to stay afloat in.

View looking back at the beach of Cala D'Or. It would be so easy to live here. The beach was surrounded by homes. 

All in all, Mallorca was a wonderful experience. I can't wait to return. Even though it is part of Spain, the island has its own identity. I don't know how it compares to other Spanish islands, but if I have the chance to visit again, I most certainly will.

For more information on my trips, or on my writing in general, visit www.chrisahale.net. There you will find Deseret News travel articles and also information on my novels and non fiction works.

    Before traveling to Vietnam three years ago, I wondered what kind of a reception we would get from the people there. I had heard the Vietnamese people liked Americans, but was skeptical because of the military conflict in Southeast Asia that ended just forty plus years earlier. After our experience, I am convinced the Vietnamese love Americans.

    A poll was taken a few years ago that asked citizens from Vietnam how favorably they looked at fifty different countries. The United States was sixth out of these fifty. It was explained to me this was because of our common adversary; China. 

    I'm sure another factor is they love Americans to spend their dollars there.

    Whatever the reason, our experience in Central Vietnam was truly awesome!

    Logan, Kim and I arrived in September in Da Nang on an Asiana 747-400 from Seoul, South Korea and stayed in the cultural mecca of Hoi An.

Our chariot to Da Nang, Vietnam 

Kim and Logan at our hotel swimming pool. The hotel was called the Orchid Garden Hotel along the banks of the Thu Bon River.

If I have any complaints about Vietnam, it would be the oppressive heat/humidity. Other than that, it was the perfect vacation in a foreign country. Just be sure to take enough clothes for a change or two during the day.

The first thing we did, on the very first day, was to take a river cruise in nearly personal basket boats. Kim and Logan with their guide, and me with my guide, were just two of seemingly hundreds of tourists heading down the river. 

These boats were so much fun, literally! With paddles in the hands of the right person could spin in circles at a very high rate of speed. My guide allowed me to do this and, just like the teacups at Disneyland, probably went too fast for the person with me. She appeared to get light-headed and had to sit down. This is a video of Logan and Kim being spun by their guide.

While in our basket boats, we came across a fisherman that taught tourists how to cast a fishing net from his boat. Logan gave it a shot and did very well. The man was very friendly despite having half his foot missing. Apparently, according to our guides, he was the victim of an aerial bombing during the Vietnam conflict. No idea which side was responsible, and I didn't want to ask. Da Nang was just south of the division between the communist North and South Vietnam.

The city of Hoi An has a fantastic "ancient town" section that everyone who visits Central Vietnam must see. There are several spots plotted out on an available map to help tourists or other visitors navigate the attractions. Here are just a few of the spots we were able to hit. Ancient town covers just a few blocks so everything is within walking distance if you can stomach that same heat and humidity. The entire section is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kim and Logan in front of the Japanese Covered Bridge

Fujian Assembly Hall Gate

Fujian Assembly Hall

The cool thing about Hoi Ann ancient town is the Chinese and Japanese influences that have lasted for centuries and are virtually untouched. There are houses, temples and bridges you can photograph or explore. There are also shops to purchase genuine souvenirs from or places to buy a bowl of Pho.

Hoi An is also the site of a fantastic cultural show on a small island in the middle of the Thu Bon River. This show, which celebrates the origins of the city, has all the pageantry of a 4th of July celebration at home. It was incredibly enjoyable. The production is called the Hoi An Memories Show.

Vietnam has fantastically organized tours that will pick you up and bring you home after. One of the tours we took was to the My Son Hindu temple complex. The well-preserved buildings and temples were interesting to walk through and photograph. Here is a sampling of what is there.

Kim with tourists from around the globe exploring My Son.

Kim appreciating not only the temple she is admiring, but also appreciating where she is at the time. 

Kim and Logan in front of one of the temples.

In addition to seeing the temples, we were treated to musicians and singers performing traditional songs.

The other tour we took was to Ba Na Hills which is basically Disneyland in the mountains. Because of the altitude, actually much cooler.

To Get to Ba Na Hills there are several gondolas to take above the plush vegetation.

The amusement park was spotted with European like castles and various rides and attractions.

One of the biggest attractions is the Golden Bridge, which is held up by two giant stone looking hands. Here Kim and Logan pose on the bridge.

Picture showing how the bridge is suspended by the 'hand' supports.

There are several statues and artists depictions that you can climb on. Kim whispering sweet nothings into a rock.

Does this look like Vietnam? I don't think so.

A buhdha on the mountain at Ba Na Hills.

Da Nang Vietnam has several attractions worth seeing. It was relatively easy to get around by hop on/hop off busses and we took advantage. Here are just a few of the things we saw.

China Beach, just like in the television series, is on the South China Sea. Logan was the only one that went in, but described it as very nice.

Kim put her feet in, but that doesn't really count.

Logan will go into the water no matter where it is. Unfortunately, on this day he was the only one to have a swimsuit.

China Beach. We were there in September and the beach weather was beautiful.

The Zone 5 Military Museum in Da Nang is probably not for everyone. Kim and Logan were affected by the poignant displays and photographs from a war we spent nine years fighting. I enjoyed it for the military aspect, but was still bothered by some of what I saw. The museum is easy to get to by bus and very interesting to visit.

There is quite a collection of USA military vehicles either abandoned or captured by North Vietnam. 

The museum is actually on an active military base and we were watched closely the entire time we were there.

This blog is just scratching the surface of what one can see in Da Nang, Hoi an Vietnam. Overall, the people were incredibly friendly although communication was sometimes strained. In conclusion, a few more pictures with brief explanations. All of these things can be found on the web and worthy of further investigation and visiting if possible.

Dragon Carp Fountain in Da Nang near the Love Bridge. We saw it during the day, but at night it is lit up with alternating colors and actually acting as a fountain.

We happened to be in Hoi An during the time they celebrate their Chinese Lantern festival in a local garden/park. They had interesting food available that I personally was not brave enough to try and the most colorful lanterns both hanging and floating on water. It was really a treat to see and really not far from our hotel.

On the way to the Da Nang airport for our flight to Seoul, we stopped at the Da Nang Caves. It is a mixture of beautiful outside gardens and intriguing caves with all kinds of artwork and carvings. Here Kim and Logan pose for a quick picture.

Kim at Da Nang Caves.

Inside one of the caves at Da Nang Caves.

A picturesque temple at Da Nang Caves.

One of the larger caverns inside Da Nang Caves.

   All in all, central Vietnam is spectacular, and I feel we only scratched the surface of what there is to see and do. And this is just central Vietnam. 

To the north is the city of Hanoi, and from what I understand, it is equally impressive. In the future, we plan to visit Hanoi also.