Netherlands is known for tulips, dykes, windmills and such, its beaches are not usually one of them. And yet, north of the mainland is a string of islands fringed with ribbons of the most pristine sands. These are known as the Wadden Islands and they are separated from the mainland by the Waddenzee, or Wadden sea. The word ‘wad’ means wetlands and this region, shaped by the dynamic interplay between strong tidal currents and the wind, is considered to be the Netherlands’ last true wilderness. This rich natural diversity …

Bonaire is an island without even a single set of traffic lights. Here, fish and flamingos outnumber people. Bonaire has largely avoided the kind of development that blights other Caribbean islands, the glitzy resorts and malls, jet skis and beach-side discos. This island, the least populated of the so-called ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles (the others being Aruba and Curacao), prides itself on pioneering sustainable tourism, the first nature reserve and marine park in the Caribbean were founded here exactly 40 years ago. It helps that the beaches aren’t …