Just another day of infinite wonder on the sea, sailing from one exotic port to the next. Imani struts her stuff in Ua Poa, Marquesas of French Polynesia.

June 18, 2004 had our family of four sailing our 33-foot catamaran, inbound under the Golden Gate Bridge, hugging and kissing each other, our hearts filled to the brim with all we had seen and done. Our circumnavigation was over. Once tied to the dock, four and a half years to round the globe suddenly shifted into the day-to-day of being back home, still living aboard, but back among community and friends. Since our return, the question we are most often asked is: What was the best place in the world that you visited? That answer is never easy—"Do you mean favorite city, best lonely beach, great people, or eye-popping scenery? For the Imani crew "one" best place does not exist, but we do have a favorite 11, which we will share with you in the order of our journey.

1. Ua Poa, Marquesas, French Polynesia Ua Poa is a beautiful island with spire-rock formations that touch the clouds. The anchorage is not large but anchoring bow and stern easily allows room for 10 cruising boats. The town of Hakahau is right off the beach, where one can enjoy beautiful walks under a canopy of breadfruit and mango trees. Fruit is growing everywhere and getting to know local folks usually reaps more fruit than you can eat. Pamplemousse—the Marquesan grapefruit—is is incredibly sweet and refreshing. We found ourselves returning to this island many times during our four month stay to enjoy its very gentle rhythm.

Wild Nuie, where the pounding shore surge carves the rock into graceful arches.

2. Nuie Nuie is a one island nation between Rarotonga of the Cook Islands and Tonga and is an amazing adventure playground. The only anchorage is a deep--90 feet--open roadstead in Alofi. Nevertheless the Nuie Yacht club offers well founded and cared for moorings which cost only a few New Zealand dollars a day. To protect dinghies from the shore surge, a power-operated crane is available to hoist your tender out of danger and on to the dock wharf. Once ashore, serious adventuring begins. The limestone pinnacle rocks beckon one to climb while 100-foot crevices dare you to descend deep into the bowels of this incredible raised coral island. Exploring caves bring one to cool freshwater springs and there are others that are where you least expect them are all over the island. All this while frolicking humpback whales await your return to the anchorage. Just jumping off the boat is magical as well in the 100-foot visibility waters let one see all manners of sea life--including sea snakes twisting and swiveling around. We all really loved this stop. The entire family felt at home with the very hospitable people and intriguing surroundings. If you’re sailing around the Pacific, it’s a must stop!

3. Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji. The eastern end of the Fiji archipelago is great introduction to Fiji culture. "Bula, Bula" is heard all over this very friendly port. The Copra Shed here rents moorings at a very reasonable rate and the clearance into the country and attaining a cruising permit is without headache, and all is arranged by the Copra Shed. The town is small and personable, and all the essentials are easily found. The smaller islands, including Taveuni with its countless waterfalls, are a delight to visit. This eastern end of Fiji is very lush and green compared to the more dry and arid west. Friendly villages mark the way as one wanders from one beautiful cove to the next. Making Sevusevu (presenting kava root to the village elders) is a great opportunity to interact in a traditional way and brings the visitor directly into a different culture.

The highest mountain in Southeast Asia is on Borneo and offers alpine relief from tropical heat.

4. Kosrea, Federated States of Micronesia, is a lush and majestic high island with a mountain that resembles a woman in repose. Mandarin trees and abundant fruits and vegetables are found everywhere. Kosrea was a wonderful discovery for us, especially after moving through the low-lying atolls of Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshalls Islands, where coconuts and the odd banana are the only fresh food grown. A pristine reef lies off part of this island and gives refuge to countless species of fish and coral. Snorkeling and diving is definitely recommended here, especially on the western reef by the airport. In the anchorage of Lelu, the men and women canoe teams earnestly race each other as they prepare for inter-island competition as the sun sets behind the sleeping lady. This is a very cruiser-friendly port with easy opportunities to meet and get to know the local people. The owners of the Ace Hardware will arrange for the officials to come and clear your boat into the country. We found ourselves easily falling in-step with the gentle nature of these very kind people.

After a long ocean passage in the tropics, nothing hits the spot like a cascading freshwater waterfall.

5. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia on Borneo, is a great melting pot Asian city, with Malay, Chinese and Indigenous peoples everywhere. The restaurants are fantastic—even the mall food-courts are top notch. We took a mooring at the Gaya Island Eco-Resort, where we jumped off the boat to snorkel the reef at will. The Resort runs a free ferry to KK almost hourly until about 11 or midnight. KK is a gateway city to all of Borneo. All travel, including planes, trains and bus excursions can be arranged there. The great Mount Kinabalu, a granite topped peak is the highest mountain in all of Southeast Asia. It is an easy bus ride away and is a fascinating area to explore. Much of the flora and fauna is unique to Borneo and the crisp alpine air is a welcome relief to the sea-level tropical heat. Many of Borneo's rivers are not difficult to navigate and provide access to so much indigenous culture. The mysteries of Borneo await the adventuresome cruiser.

So much of cruising is turning a corner and there you are, amongst people and places that one has only read about. But soon that myth shifts into reality and a lasting impression is made.

This first five "best places" list is just that—our impressions of places that were very good to us. Stay tuned for our next installment.