The Route: Eight days of quality time with spinner dolphins, which congregate in record numbers near this 100-square-mile south Pacific atoll. You'll snorkel with the spinners daily, spot migrating humpback whales, hike the rainforest, and explore ocean caves.

When to go: August

Difficulty: Easy

Travel advisory: If you're a woman and the spinners pay extra attention to you, see your ob-gyn when you get home. Dolphins can identify pregnancy as early as three weeks with their advanced sonar capabilities.

High/low points:

• Getting the ultimate gesture of affection from a dolphin: a friendly push on the butt that'll send you sailing all the way out of the water.
• Being stuck in a steerage-class seat for 14 long hours on the nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Auckland.