Christmas Island, Kiribati

Lying 1,300 miles south of Hawaii, Christmas Island is a small tropical Eden far off the beaten track for tourists. Once a place of whalers or coconut oil and copra harvesters, today, Christmas Island is a protected wildlife haven. Its barrier reef pulses with colorful sea creatures and its bird life draws devoted birdwatchers from around the world.

Nature lovers will appreciate the wildlife sanctuary being nurtured here. As home to nearly 20 species of birds and surrounded by water teeming with marine life.

In 1777, the famed explorer Captain Cook named the island after spotting its landmass on Christmas Eve. Formerly a British colony, the island is now part of the nation of Tuvalu — a collection of islands spread over some two million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, although Tuvalu's total landmass is but a mere 280 square miles in area.