Ann Jones makes regular sojourns to Africa, then kicks back between trips on the New Hampshire farm that she shares with her horses. Her book about her travels in Africa, Looking for Lovedu, will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2000; in the meantime, you can read about her favorite safari spots (pages 104 and 106) and a horseback journey through Navajo country (page 110).

Honolulu–based Alex Salkever divides his time between writing for such publications as Wired, Aqua, and Brides, and surfing, diving, and windsurfing. In this issue he reveals some of the lesser-known hideaways on Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai (page 78), along with some new adventures in the Islands that even frequent visitors haven't yet tried (page 81). He also explores the dive sites of the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand (page 116) as well as deep-sea fishing in Seven Spirit Bay, Australia (page 115).

When he's not tracking bicycle couriers or French beheadings for literary journals, veteran mountaineer Dan Newman of Seattle likes to climb the challenging peaks of the world. His extensive travels throughout Asia have fueled his accounts of sailing in the Whitsunday Islands (page 114), hiking Rinjani volcano in Indonesia, and rock climbing in Thailand (page 100).

Minneapolis-based Stephanie Gregory, a former Outside editor and current contributor, also writes for Metropolis, Sports Afield, and Photo Insider. Her favorite activities include canoeing the Boundary Waters, skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. In this issue she covers a handful of whitewater adventures (page 75) as well as a Minnesota cross-country ski retreat, Bearskin Lodge (page 66).

Granville Greene of Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes frequently about adventure travel and culture for Condé Nast Traveler, American Way, and other magazines. He just completed a screenplay about calypso music in Trinidad and is currently working on a novel. For this issue his travels took him to three adventure-oriented resorts in Belize (pages 46 and 47) and on a river trip amid the ancient Mayan ruins of Guatemala and Mexico (page 44).

Based in Key Largo, Florida, on a lagoon she shares with a crocodile, Stacy Ritz is a regular contributor to Travel & Leisure, Brides, and the Washington Post. She's also the author of The New Key to Belize and Hidden Carolinas. In this issue she reports on her favorite resorts in Key West (page 21), Guatemala (page 45), and Belize (page 47).