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Volcano hike
Meet... JASMINE MURPHY Travel Specialist, ITC Travel
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
The call of the Cook Islands
Banishing a dreary December for island life, a group of nine agents visited the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki on a fam hosted by The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation. A lagoon trip in Aitutaki rewarded agents with Instagram-worthy white sands and clear turquoise water while a cycle tour across Rarotonga showcased volcanic peaks and rainforest. They also visited a number of properties, including Etu Moana Beach Villas, Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Little Polynesian and Royal Takitumu. cookislands.travel
Luxury living in the Caribbean
The Dominican Republic delivered blue skies, white sand and turquoise waters on a trip hosted by Palladium Hotels. A group of 19 agents spent two nights in the adult-only TRS Cap Cana Hotel, enjoying front-row views of the marina, before spending one night in Dominican Fiesta Hotel and then four nights in Grand Palladium Punta Cana. Whilst on the island they were treated to a tour of the historic capital Santo Domingo, wowed by a Las Vegas-style show at legendary night spot Coco Bongo and whisked across to the diving hotspot Catalina Island by speed boat. palladiumhotelgroup.com
I'm handed a leaf known locally as Cattle Tongue and encouraged to smell it. Gingerly I inhale and I'm hit with the familiar menthol smell of Vicks Vaporub. "Have it as a tea and it will cure any cough or cold," I'm told by our local guide, who seems to know every leaf and twig by name. We've managed to make it to the second of three stages on the three-hour round-volcano hike, and as the path gets steeper, the views only get more impressive. We pass prehistoric-looking trees, climb over (and under) roots and are stopped in our tracks by what looks like a meerkat - It turns out to be a rather curious brown mongoose! As we climb further, the peak of Mount Liamuiga starts to edge closer. We push forward towards the summit, motivating each other through each final step until we reach the top. Stood at 1,156 metres above sea level, overlooking the volcanic crater, I feel like I've conquered the world!
NATURE'S REMEDY After enjoying a well deserved rest we start our descent, only stopping as we pass locals who are harvesting medicinal plants to take back to the village. I take the opportunity to collect some myself, just in case, and before long we're back on flat ground. That afternoon we share our experience with our hosts at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. It's only then that they tell us that only the fittest reach the top - I suspect it's just flattery but I'm certainly not going to argue!
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24/01/2020 16:55 16:53