WHERE I’D RATHER BE . . .
SHORT HAUL
Continuing my Dry July month of health and wellness, I’m keen to explore the world by water. Kayaking Fiji’s Kadavu Island with Tamarillo Active Travel sounds like a good start. tamarilloactivetravel.com
Eating: Fresh fish I’ve caught myself, with the help of Kadavu locals who’ll show me how to use hand lines while I bob about in my sea kayak, as part of the Tamarillo tour.
Drinking: The juice from a fresh coconut to help refresh and rehydrate.
Staying: At Matnaava and Papageno resorts on Kadavu Island. Unlike many other Fijian kayaking operators, Tamarillo’s tours stay exclusively in resorts not campsites so you can have some luxury after a hard day’s paddling.
MID HAUL
Taking in the golden beaches, dramatic cliffs towering 900m high, and ancient ruins of the Napali Coast on Hawaii’s beautiful Kauai island, also known as the Garden Isle. kayakkauai.com
Eating: A poke bowl — fresh raw fish on a bed of rice — at Pono Market, a local institution that has been around since 1968. eatkauai.com
Drinking: A freshly ground organic flat white from Small Town Coffee Co, an old-school shop with a casual island feel. smalltowncoffee.com
Staying: At the St Regis Princeville Resort, a 3600ha ocean-front resort with views of Makana Mountain and Hanalei Bay. stregisprinceville.com
LONG HAUL
Paddling my way through three of Costa Rica’s hotspots on a nine-day kayaking adventure from San Jose, through Lake Arenal and the canals of Tortuguero. gadventures.com.au
Eating: At antiques shop-cumrestaurant Park Cafe, which Travel +
Leisure described as being close to a Michelin-starred experience. parkcafecostarica.blogspot.com
Drinking: A refreshing frappuccino at San Jose’s Cafe del los Deseos, an arty cafe with a huge following. cafedelosdeseos.com
Staying: At Hotel Grano de Oro, a Victorian home transformed into a boutique hotel whose name means “grain of gold” after the country’s beloved coffee bean. hotelgranodeoro.com