Spanish colonizers christened it Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) for the glow given off by swarms of fireflies at night. In the past century however, the island province of Siquijor in the Philippines has gained a reputation for its folk healers. More notoriously, stories about sorcery, witchcraft and spirit beings have added to its mystique.

The Philippines often lies in the path of typhoons in the western Pacific which means we’re often prepared for the worse. But a month ago three consecutive cyclones struck the country within a span of 18 days, one of them the strongest in the world this year and among the strongest in recorded history, a streak of calamities unparalleled in the country’s history.

Although two-piece bathing suits were being used by women as early as the 1930s, the bikini is commonly dated to 1946, when partly due to material rationing after World War II... De Arte Natandi (‘The Art of Swimming’), by Sir Everard Digby, published in England in 1587 but written in Latin, was the first treatise on the topic published in Britain. Written in an age when many people could not swim and drowning was a regular cause of death, it features advice on different swimming techniques.

As the brutal heat of summer assaults our lives as if we were a roast in an oven, FAVORITE BEACH DESTINATIONS has been selected for our new T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s poll. Research revealed that the origin of the word “beach” is somewhat ambiguous, ranging from the Old Norse bakki (bank, as of a stream) to the Old English baece (stream) to “beach,” a mutation of “bleach” (as stones are bleached by the sun and water).

Disembarking from our motorized outrigger boat, we crossed over the wooden pier spanning the crystalline turquoises waters of the cove and into an island of colossal karst rocks and cliff walls. Just slightly beyond the white sand beach of verdant Pangabangan Island where we landed we encountered one of the most remarkable sights we’ve come across in all of our island-hopping adventures.

Visiting the beach has always been a social hour for me with close friends. (It has also been a test of how fair skinned people can outmaneuver sunburn.)

For decades the province of Masbate has been the cattle capital of the Philippines with its well-stocked ranches spread out over gently rolling hills. Cattle-raising here is so extensive that an annual rodeo festival in the provincial capital of Masbate City was launched beginning in 1993. But during our two visits to this province we discovered that Masbate offers so much more.

Inkaterra, Peru’s leading hotel group in sustainable tourism and hotel development, has succeeded in making Machu Picchu Pueblo the first city in Latin America to manage 100% of its solid waste... Karnika, the first cruise ship to be operated by Jalesh Cruises, itself the first-ever domestically owned mainstream cruise line in India, has made her maiden port call in Dubai.

British Airways has used facial-recognition technology to streamline the boarding process for more than 250,000 passengers traveling internationally from US airports... When flying, the following seven behaviors should be avoided at all costs... The Loro Parque Foundation warns that there are increasingly more inhabitants and endangered species whilst the forests and animal populations decline...

Will you be visiting Holland in spring? Then be sure to visit Keukenhof, where you will experience the gorgeous views of blooming Dutch tulips and other flowers for which Holland is famous... There’s always a good reason to come to Québec City!... If you want a jaw-dropping shoreline without the sunburned tourists and splashing masses, head for one of these lesser-known gems that are just as dazzling.