Island Profiles. Plan your escape.

The Islands of Venice

September 22, 2021 John Comments 1 comment

The islands of the Venetian Lagoon are an archipelago of history, art and color. In all, there are around 118 islands, covering 160 square miles. They vary widely in size, function and population. Transportation between the major populated islands is regular and convenient by means of the water bus known as the vaporetto. There is also a plentiful amount of water taxis to be found. Cars are allowed only on the Lido di Venezia and Pellestrina. The causeway from the mainland takes…

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The Doges of Venice – A Short History

October 21, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

On March 25, 2021, Venice will celebrate its 1600th birthday. Legend has it that Venice was founded at 12:00 noon on that day in the year 421, when St. James church, the first in the city, was dedicated. The first inhabitants of Venice were fishermen and salt workers known as “lagoon dwellers”. An influx of refugees fleeing from cities occupied during the Germanic and Hun invasions, led to the permanent establishment of a settlement. The settlement, which was to become…

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Venice – La serenissima

August 6, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

Called “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man” by the New York Times, our next destination at Island Profiles is built on over 100 small islands in the northwestern part of the Adriatic Sea. Once the center of a sprawling maritime republic, Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a city of canals, gondolas, bridges, marble palaces, frescoes, domes and towers. Among the many names that have been given to this remarkable city, Queen of the Adriatic, City of Masks, City…

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Goat Water, Guava Cheese, Cook-Up and Batik – Eating, Drinking and Shopping in St. Kitts and Nevis

July 16, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

St. Kitts and Nevis is known for its excellent local, Creole and West Indian cuisine. Chinese, Western and Indian dishes are also popular food options on the islands. Visitors can find fresh fish sold from boats, fresh fruit from market stalls and road side barbecues where vendors cook meat over oil drums. On Nevis, the villages traditionally have cookouts on weekends where people gather, eat, socialize and play games together. The national dish of the island nation is salt fish…

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The Sugar Train, Canopy Tours and the Gibraltar of the Caribbean – What to See and Do in St. Kitts and Nevis

June 24, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

With easy accessibility to sights, activities and beaches as well as luxury resorts and a thriving restaurant scene, St. Kitts and Nevis is the perfect destination for couples or families. So what are some of the most popular sights and experiences that await the visitor to these beautiful islands? The small size of this two-island nation offers the possibility of seeing and doing it all. And, as a result, really getting to know the wonderful people and culture. St. Kitts…

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The Mother Colony – A Short Journey Through St. Kitts and Nevis’ History

April 10, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

Before Christopher Columbus visited St. Kitts and Nevis on his second voyage in 1493, the islands had already been inhabited for thousands of years. Various groups may have reached the islands from Florida in the north or from South America. Some accounts tell of “Archaic” people, others, the Ciboney as being the earliest to arrive, followed by the Arawak, or Taino. The people who Columbus found when he arrived, were the Island Caribs, also known as the Kalinago, who migrated…

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St. Kitts and Nevis

January 10, 2020 John Comments 0 Comment

St. Kitts and Nevis, a nation of two islands in the northern Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean, is our next destination at Island Profiles. The formal name of the country is The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. It is a part of the commonwealth, is English speaking and recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Separated by a channel called The Narrows, the islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin. St. Kitts is…

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Spirit Poles, Kabangs and the Sea Gypsy

November 19, 2019 John Comments 0 Comment

There are many factors that make the islands of the Mergui Archipelago an unusual and fascinating destination. The islands are for the most part unknown and unexplored. The Moken people-sea gypsies who are the main inhabitants of the islands, number only around 3,000. The restriction of tourism until 1997 and the limited commercial development of the islands. All these unique conditions contribute to an experience like no other and also guarantee a true escape from the hectic and stress of…

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Reclining Buddhas, Dugongs and Shark Caves – Exploring the Mergui Archipelago

October 30, 2019 John Comments 0 Comment

A visit to the Mergui (or Myeik) Archipelago is a completely unique experience in so many ways. Because the islands are almost completely undeveloped, are remote and were restricted to visitors until 1997, one can experience the thrill of being true explorers in an unknown world. The islands and the sea around them are strikingly beautiful, with unparalleled white sand beaches, the clearest water imaginable and lush tropical forests with abundant and rare plant, animal and bird species. To visit,…

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The Jewel of Burma – Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago

September 23, 2019 John Comments 0 Comment

Next, we go completely in the opposite direction and explore one of the least visited places on earth – Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago. This group of about 800 islands in the Andaman Sea, off the southernmost coast of Myanmar has been called ‘earth’s last paradise’, ‘the lost world’ and ‘the jewel of Burma’. Mergui is the name the islands were known under during British colonial rule, and is generally the name used when referring to the islands. Myeik is the…

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