A raised hand from a passing truck, a warm good morning from a roadside porch, a stranger who stops to ask where you are headed. Greetings come first on this island, and gatherings follow, in village squares, on beaches and around kitchen tables, with green rainforest rising behind the last house.

The climate is tropical, warm all year with plenty of rain, so showers pass quickly and the green stays deep. Pack light layers and shoes that can get wet. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, sharing the trails and the neighbours they know, so a short hello turns into an invitation to stay for the afternoon.