Welcome to Daydream Nations

This blog was born out of collecting many places I've wanted to visit over the years. With scraps of articles here and notebook scribbles there, I've finally decided a blog would be a good repository for me and a nice way to share it with others who dream of being in far off locales as they slug through the daily grind at home.

So I'll start with the holy grail...the Tui Tai. Located in the glorious South Pacific islands of Fiji, Tui Tai Adventure Cruises takes a small group of travelers to remote beaches, snorkeling/diving choice spots, kayaking jaunts up lush rivers -- all while providing a rather luxe journey on their boat with good food and, no doubt, good cheer without being remotely cruise-like. It's hard to imagine a better way to experience the dream of isolated, untouched island life than by boat and I can't imagine a better boat than this. Five days would be great, but if you make it to this remote corner of the world, I would definitely do seven.

In one of my many plane trips of the past, I struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger (no...I'm not one of "those." In fact, I hate plane chat so much that I always board the plane with headphones on & reading material firmly in hand to bury my nose in once I'm settled.) But I have had a few memorable conversations over the years -- all of which have been with people over 60 and mostly men.

This particular salty dog had logged journeys to many daydream nations over the years (he was a certified member of the travelers' century club.) After many stories about the South Pacific, Africa, Europe and his lovely wife who doesn't share his enthusiasm for the road, I asked him his favorite. He said, without a doubt, it would be Fiji. He had been traveling there for more than 30 years and, while it gets more expensive all the time, it's still rather affordable and "un-stuffy." And while the fishing is great (he was an enthusiastic angler -- even wrangling catfish by hand, but that's another story), he said for him it was really all about the people. He felt Fijians are the most friendly, welcoming people on earth and a genuine pleasure to be around.

Well, who doesn't look for exactly that when you're traveling? The sites and natural wonders are the draw, but isn't it always the people that truly bring them to life?

So here's to the dream of Fiji, the Tui Tai and meeting my old salty dog again on the beach to share more stories. I hope to see you there, too.