98 days, 8 countries, 38 cities, 25 flights, 4 car rentals & endless amounts of buses/trains rides.
This trip was called the RoverlyFriendshipTour as we indeed met friends along the way in every country minus New Zealand.
My last big trip was Sept-Oct 2019. I am so grateful I was able to do it because no one knew what the following 2.5 years would encompass due to the pandemic. This trip had been in the works for such a long time.
This is the most ambitious and longest trip I have planned extensively. My friend Beverly, who is a teacher, had said to me a few years back “Hey Ro, I don’t know where I’m going but you are coming with me on a big trip one day”. Finally in 2023 it was time.
I had asked Beverly where she wanted to go as this was her once-in-a-lifetime trip and she started naming places – Australia, New Zealand & Japan were top contenders. I normally wouldn’t try to put expensive countries together but for this trip, we sure did. Luckily, with my friend Winnie, who I went to Europe with back in 2019, we had made an extensive alternate itinerary for a potential 3-month Australia & New Zealand trip if we just so happened to catch a flight deal (which we did not hence we went to Europe instead). I used this 3-month itinerary as my starting point.
The only section I didn’t plan was Philippines and Bali, Indonesia.
With semi-budget in mind and comfort as a top priority as well as compromise, this trip was planned and booked. I started working on this itinerary as early as March 2022 with it coming to fruition as of October 2022 when we booked our main one-way flight to Auckland. Lots of trial and errors but hey, we did it.
If you didn’t already know, when I travel, I don’t go away for a laid-back vacation but rather to absorb and experience as much as I can in a reasonable timeframe. This one, was a whirlwind.
To begin with, the countries we went to: (Layover in LA, USA & Nadi, Fiji) New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan & I added on South Korea (my friend Jenn joined for this leg) for myself with a stopover in Vancouver before heading back to Toronto. 81 days for Beverly and 98 days for myself.
I have previously been to New Zealand, Australia & Japan (parts of it) so I wanted to make sure Bev & her partner Eric (who joined for Japan) were able to experience the quintessential things the first timers should experience but also expansive to the things I wanted to see and do that I have been intrigued with and never accomplished in my past travels.
We booked and paid for majority of the trip before we left for the trip. This definitely made it less stressful to not be planning and booking things during our trip. Especially being such an intricate trip with so many countries, it had to be planned ahead of time. Biggest pet peeve is wasting time while travelling trying to figure out what to do during the trip.
Tours
Majority of the tours booked were through Klook. A Hong Kong based online booking platform connecting travellers to local operators. The perks of using Klook is there are usually discount codes floating around so you can purchase your booking cheaper than booking directly sometimes. You also accrue credits for future bookings.
We also used Viator for many of our Tours in Oceania. If you can find the tour companies on your own, you might actually find a better deal directly.
This is a long section but here is info I gathered for each country I went to. I hope this helps your planning!
The itinerary will be below all of this. Good luck.
New Zealand – NZD – NZD$
Visa – Download the NZeTa app and apply for your NZ Visa – cheaper via the app as opposed to applying online. – 17NZD + 35NZD tourism levy
-Credit card over cash but cash is still accepted
-Tipping is not common – Tour guides – 5% or $5 if you do decide to
-Need to go up to the register to pay for meals
-They are all about being more sustainable/eco/green although their garbage system isn’t as advanced in public – we saw general waste or glass bottles but not compost nor paper products.
– Words with wh would be pronounced as f/ph sounds
-Besides downtown Auckland, there weren’t many places where we saw high rises. Basements aren’t a thing there. Insulation doesn’t really exist either as the weather fluctuates a lot but you also don’t want to trap the heat in as the sun is no joke.
-Homes don’t really have “yards” as space is more utilized with homes being built closer together and one in front of the other type of deal.
Driving – Left side of the road.
-Outlets – Type I plugs have three flat pins, with two angled to form an inverted ‘v’ at the top and one running straight down underneath
Australia – AUD – AU$
-Download Australian Eta App – apply for your Visa – 20AUD
-Opal Card – Sydney Transit – but you can also pay with credit card. Perks of Opal card is discount for seniors and it will tell you your transit history. The final total gets adjusted every few weeks.
-Credit Card over cash but cash is still accepted at majority of places.
-Credit card use in Sydney – If you are eating out on a weekend or a public holiday – there is an additional charge. There are also extra surcharges when using credit card.
-Tipping is not common
-Need to go up to the register to pay for meal
-You can scuba dive however it is called a Discovery Dive
-Driving – Left side of the road. you can go 5-10KM over speed limit but that’s about it. If driving on the highways, there are cameras that will calculate your average speed from point A & B so be careful and don’t speed!
– Insulation doesn’t really exist (double brick build with no insulation + metal roofs – great advantage to have solar panels) as the weather fluctuates a lot but you also don’t want to trap the heat in as the sun is no joke. You also won’t find basements here.
-Perth was a dry heat but no humidity.
-Hobart was cooler than I thought it would be but ranged from 8-25C.
-Sydney came in hot with humidity and high rises in the city.
-Outlets – Type I plugs have three flat pins, with two angled to form an inverted ‘v’ at the top and one running straight down underneath
Singapore – SGD – S$
–SGArrivalCard – free and can apply online 72 hours before arriving to Singapore.
-EZ Card – Metro card – max a day for rides is 2-3SGD – top up at convenience stores but only with CASH
-No Uber in Singapore – Download Grab or Gojek
-Credit card over cash (BUT cash for smaller food stalls/local vendors especially hawker stalls)
-Tipping is not common as (10% service charge + 7% GST is automatically included)
-Cheers! – Yum Seng!
-Outlets – Type G has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern
Philippines – PHP – ₱
-Cash over card – credit card can be used in certain places but the infrastructure isn’t the best for it.
-Tipping – If you do decide to, between 50-100 pesos; high end – 200 pesos. If you are tipping a specific service provider, tip directly. 10% to Taxi drivers, restaurants (check if SC appears; if it does service charge is added), tour guides.
-Cheers! – Mabuhay!
-2 Prong outlets
Indonesia – IDR
-Visa – On arrival – $35USD
Use this QR code for faster customs
-Download Grab and/or Gojek – scooter rides will be cheaper and faster to get around if you are in a rush.
-Cash over card in smaller areas (local vendors/food stalls); in more touristy areas card is better.
-If bringing cash to do currency exchange with, USD & AUD will get you the best exchange rate. Trying to exchange smaller bills like $1-5, they will charge you a lower rate.
-Stay away from Semenyak as it’s over run by foreigners. Canggu (Chang-goo) is still the “hidden” spot and great surf spot. Ubud (oo-bood) is more central in the island and where yoga enthusiasts can retreat to.
-Outlets – Type C & Type F – 2 round pin prongs
-Use bottle water to drink and wash your teeth with as
Taiwan – TWD – NT$
-Easy Card – you can order online via Klook for Airport pick-up – you can add TWD on it as well, TWD400 for a week is a good start to gauge – must pick up before 11PM!
-Easy Card – Can also purchase card from any convenience stores but top up only with CASH. If you re using it strictly for transportation, 500TWD goes a long way. You can use your Easy Card to purchase things as well
-Uber is available
-You can also purchase via Klook a Train ticket from TPE Airport to Taipei Main Station for a discounted price – you can purchase one way or round trip – You will receive a purple plastic chip as your token to tap for the train – Must pick up before 11PM
-Bring cash – especially for many of the food establishments or LINE Pay or wechat
-Cash is still pretty necessary especially buying smaller items at stalls/ shops.
-Easy to withdraw money from ATM’s – we found we didn’t get charged foreign exchange fees. Take out money from local banks rather than international banks like the companies you have back home for a cheaper rate.
-Tipping is not common. Tour Guides – 10%.
-Cheers! 乾杯! (kan poe/pe!) 呼乾啦! (ho͘ ta là!)
-3 prong outlets
-Mix of squat and western toilets
-toilet paper goes into bins not the toilet
-Cars drive on the Right side of the road
-There are mosquitoes
Japan – JPN – Yen – ¥
-2 prong outlets
-Travel – Customs – When flight attendants are handing out papers on the plane, grab it. Ours were waving them very nonchalantly and then when we arrived, we had to go find them and fill it out on paper. There are QR codes but you might need to download the app. I had registered online before arriving however the website wouldn’t load at the airport.
-Haneda Airport is closer to the city than Narita. From the airport you can take the JR train into the city which is the cheaper option.
-You need your Passport on you if you are using the JR Pass OR at least a photocopy / digital copy including your visitor visa stamp
-Keeping your Passport on you while in Japan is great for Tourist discounts. Spending $50CAD or over for tax free.
-When purchasing items, it will show you the price before tax but also in brackets price with tax included.
-There are tons of smoking rooms/areas as people still smoke cigarettes.
-Garbages are hard to find – should not eat and walk around.
-It is rainy season in June & September – try to avoid these times to visit
-¥2000 isn’t taken in many machines outside of Okinawa
-Japan Travel by Navitime – Use the app to figure out train times although I found Google Maps to work better overall for navigation.
-JR Pass – If you are planning on purchasing a JR Pass, you should purchase before leaving your home country – maximum 3 months prior to your trip. It can only be purchased by non-Japanese citizens. You can purchase 7, 14 or 21 day passes. it takes a bit a time to get the passes delivered and must be activated within the 3 months. You can calculate the fares per trip and figure it out if the JR Pass is worth it for your travels. There are 2 versions of the JR Pass – Ordinary & Green Class Premium. Purchasing in Toronto, for pick-up or delivery – JTB & Kintetsu. I found Klook to the be the cheapest option. *As of October 2023 the price of the JR Pass will increase 77%*.
-Reserving JR Shinkansen seats – individual/group. You can reserve one of your tickets at the desk where you got it activated. Otherwise, you can goto the Shinkansen ticket machines and reserve seats there if you want to reserve. You will need to know your passport number every time you reserve a ticket. At the machine, press english then bottom left will say JR Pass Rail. Then it will ask how many ppl you are travelling with. Click how many – this saves you time from individually trying to book the same train if booking for multiple people. Just make sure you know your departure location and arrival location – it will try to auto fill. Choose a timeframe and search. Many options will appear. Choose your timeframe then you can choose the car type and even see the seat map if you are reserving. You can book in advanced as well.
-To use the JR lines/Shinkansen, you will need to insert your JR Pass into the gate. If you have reserved a seat, when you go through, put both your ticket and JR pass in together. The ticket for the ride will disappear after the ride is complete. REMEMBER TO GRAB YOUR JR PASS after going through the gate.
-If you do decide to take the shinkansen bullet trains, those are the only trains you can technically eat on. make sure to leave some time to explore the station and grab an ekiben (meals that you can take onto the train to eat and they are usually made to highlight local regional ingredients.
-There are plenty of luggage lockers at the train stations to store your luggage for the day or a few hours. Comes in S, M & L sizes.
-Suica / Pasmo Card – Can be used for transportation but also used to pay for other things – luggage lockers, convenience stores – top up with CASH only
-Public Transit – If you are buying individual tickets, look at the big map above the ticket machines and wherever the stop is that you want, there will be a number with it and that is the cost to get there
-Each station in Tokyo will have a letter and number indicated the stop. the number under it when you are on the train if you see 2,4,6 is the amount of time it will take to get to it. A plus is that the trains announce each stop in Japanese and English and sometimes Mandarin.
-Drive on the left side of car and road
-Can flush toilet paper
South Korea – KRW – WON – ₩
-Credit card can be used in majority of places however cash is key for markets and smaller food establishments as well as topping up your metro card
-Google Maps doesn’t really work in Korea – You will need to use/download Naver Maps
-Uber doesn’t really exist in Korea however you can download Kakao T.
-Cars drive on the right side
-Outlets are the 2 round prong
-Korea’s transportation system is good and offer fee Wi-Fi. The Metro system is the fastest and most affordable way to get around Seoul. Subway fares start at W1350/ride and rates go up after the first 9.97KM. You are allowed up to 4 transfer to another subway line or a bus for free within 30 minutes.
-T-Money card – W2500 and can add W1000, W5000 or W10,000 – can be used for trains & buses but also used for taxis across Korea. – If you don’t want to keep your T-Money card, you can get refunded for your card at Incheon International Airport when you leave the country. Top up at convenience stores/Metro stations but only with CASH
-Tipping is not common
-Cheers! – 건배 [乾杯] (geonbae)
Congrats, you’ve made it all the way to the itinerary. If you thought that info above was a lot then hold on to your seats as I’ve been told my actual itinerary is very overwhelming to look at.
Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Week 6-7Week 8Week 9Week 10Week 11Week 12Week 13Week 14-158 Countries in 98 days
The Pandemic had cancelled many of my travel plans over the past 2 years. It’s been 3 years since I have left Canada (at least it was an epic 36 Eurotrip that I did in Sept/Oct 2019) and first stop was to Boston & Rhode Island to participate in the 77th NACIVT (North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament) that took place at Rhode Island Convention Center.
To make the most of it and of course because there was no direct flight to Rhode Island from Toronto, I travelled with my teammate Esther to Boston for less than 48 hours before heading to Rhode Island via Porter Airlines.
Especially with the lack of travelling, I needed to get that spark of building an itinerary up and running and oh boy we sure did that.
If you are up for it, I created a walking itinerary that will cover majority of the downtown Boston area and it covers some touristy spots but also some interesting gems along the way. We lucked out to have 2 days of perfect weather. I imagine with some reworking, you might even be able to combine both days worth of my itinerary into one if you are that ambitious. I’ll leave that up to you.
09/01/22
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – 11AM-5PM – $20
9 min drive / 16 min bus / 30 min walk
Boston Public Library – Copley Branch – Central Branch – 9AM-5PM
Boston Marathon – Finish Line – outside of the Public Library
1 min walk
Luke’s Lobster Back Bay
8 min drive / 17 min bus / 20 min walk
Beacon Hill – neighbourhood – roam the streets – row houses on Beacon St & Acorn St
2 min walk
Public Garden & Boston Common
10 min walk
Brattle Book Shop – 9AM-530PM
6 min walk
Boston Bricks – Winthrop Lane – between Otis & Arch – 100 bronzed bricks telling the story of the city’s past and present
7 min walk
Chinatown Gate
2 min walk
Rose Kennedy Greenway – Chinatown Park, 34W Lincoln St, Boston, MA 02111, United States
4 min walk
Reggie Wong Memorial Park
17 min walk
Steaming Kettle – Giant Kettle above a Starbuck – homage to the Oriental Teashop
The original plan was to go to Australia & New Zealand for Sept/Oct 2019 with my friend Winnie. We were hoping for a flight deal to come along. Unfortunately no deal came by the deadline we gave ourselves so we decided to go to Europe together instead. Our itinerary is all over the place zig –zagging all over Europe. We narrowed down our top 10 countries we wanted to visit in the time period we had and researched where we could fly to for a bargain. From there, we chose to go to the warmer destinations first to extend our summer. The last leg of the trip was originally going to be staying in London/UK but we decided during the trip to go somewhere warm because let’s be fair, the heat makes things happier especially being in chilly and wet weather for awhile.
Now, before you get to the itinerary (all the way at the bottom), I am posting some (hopefully) helpful tips and information that came up during our trip.
Money – STACK (Pre-paid Mastercard)
36 days of travelling to multiple countries with different currencies takes a lot of organizing. When I travel, I usually carry a good amount of cash on me and pay that way so I don’t incur high conversion fees using my credit card. I made sure I knew what countries I was going to and calculated roughly how much I would be spending per day and got cash for certain countries I knew I would be in for a longer duration.
I tried to average about $60CAD/day. Prior to setting off on this trip, we tried to book our Airbnb’s, car rentals and flights in advance so at least those costs were covered.
My brother told me about this card called STACK, which is a conversion fee pre-paid Mastercard. With this card, you Interac transfer money from your bank account to the card account via the app using the special custom question and answer the app provides you with. Say you decide to transfer $200 to the card, if the card gets stolen, the card is not linked to your actual bank account and if say only $200 is on the card that is the limit that can be used. This card comes as a physical card but is also a virtual card via the app.
What I liked about using this card is that it was a very fast and secure way of paying for things abroad and the app also notifies you when a transaction has been made and will convert it automatically to your main currency so you don’t have to calculate the conversion yourself. And it is conversion fee free!
I used this card more so in the Scandinavian countries because they have started to adopt the cash-less transactions method but I still used cash in many of the other countries we travelled to.
Use my referral link and you’ll get $5 in your account when you activate your card.
Download STACK now: https://getstackco.app.link/fuqEmfMNH1 (this link only works on your phone via the app once its downloaded)
Ryanair
Yes Ryanair has super cheap flights BUT many hidden costs or steps. We decided to go to many countries because of how cheap the flights were (12£ one-way to go from London (Stansted) to Copenhagen (CPH) is a real good price). We also booked early. These cheap tickets have many drawbacks. First off, many of the airports you fly out of or into are not usually the main airports and are usually smaller airports outside of the city centre which adds more travel time.
More recently, Ryanair changed their luggage requirements from what use to be a free carry-on (still smaller than regulation size on other airlines) and now the only free luggage you can have must be 40x20x25CM. Depending on the airport and the staff, they don’t really check the size of your bag. I got the size compliant bag (Swissgear – https://www.shopbentley.com/en/escape-collection-travel-tote-swiss-gear-1016684.html) and it sits under the seat no problem with room to spare. The staff didn’t really check so you could get away with a slightly larger bag or a bag that can squish.
REMEMBER TO ALWAYS CHECK IN ONLINE. You can do this up to 48 hours. For non-EU passengers, you must print your documents, as they will not issue you a boarding pass. I found that with flights not connected to the UK, the boarding pass will be issued to your Ryanair App however, if you are flying out of or into UK, you must print your boarding pass to get a Visa check and stamp. I have heard that if you don’t print it and ask at the check-in desk, there is an expensive fee for them to print for you.
Easyjet, Air Europa, Norwegian and Vueling are also other cheap airline operators and their restrictions are not severe as Ryanair for luggage or protocol. I usually use Momondo or Skyscanner to help me check for better deals on flights.
Car rentals – International Driver’s License
As a Canadian, you are required to have your International Driver’s License to rent a car in Spain.
Sim Card
Travelling throughout many countries in Europe for over a month, trying to find a SIM card plan that works in all the countries and for that period of time was a challenge but there are definitely options out there beside “roaming” with your phone plan back home as that can be costly.
For my 36 day Eurotrip, I purchased this 30 day SIM card that works throughout 71 European countries with 12GB + 3000 minutes + 3000 texts. You are also able to top up this plan when in the UK by purchasing in-store.
Photo & Video Storage – SSD & USB – I brought an external to back up my photos from my DSLR and my phone every night. I also bring a USB for back-up to the back-up of the external for peace of mind since my phone internal storage is not large enough to store all the photos from the trip for the entirety of 36 days. I would suggest bringing another USB (64GB should suffice) to be the back up to the back up for the phone photos so you can clear space.
You can also use cloud storage but I am not a fan of that so these are my alternatives.
Hikes
Alltrails is amazing for finding hikes around the world. People review or comment on each hike and also you can see the difficulty and lengths. You can also download the app.
Groceries
To be honest, we ate out a lot this trip. When we could, we tried to make some meals with friends. We also stocked up on snacks like fruit and breakfast (skyr, yogurt, granola etc). You will find that there are many grocery stores but some are superior to others in terms of quality for the price. Budget friendly grocery stores you should be on the lookout for are Aldi & LIDL.
Overview
Spain – Euro
-Tipping is not common but you can tip if you want (5-10%)
Eating times Different times for eating. They take siesta very seriously and will take hour long lunches where the kids will go home as well to eat with family. Dinner usually starts around 8PM.
Desayuno – breakfast – 7-9AM
-a Spanish classic is a toasted baguette with olive oil and crushed tomatoes
-other breakfast foods consist of churros and chocolate or pastries like croissants.
Almuerzo – Mid-morning snack – 1030-11AM – Coffee with a muffin or a croissant with ham and cheese
La Comida – Lunch – 2-330PM – Most important meal of the day.
Merienda – Mid-after snack – 530-730PM – More about socializing – more drinks than food. Churros are popular at this time of day or a small meat and cheese sandwich.
La hora del aperitivo – Tapas Hour – 830-10PM
La Cena – Dinner time – 9-11PM – Dinner is usually much lighter than a standard dinner meal. Traditional Spanish dinners are shared plates.
-Try Clara – beer with lemonade or lemon Fanta
-Try Tinto de verano – Red wine with Sprite or Fanta (very popular in Spain) – very similar to sangria
Common Phrases
-Hola – Ola – Hello
-Adios – bye
-Si – Yes
-No – No
-Pardon or Disculpa – Excuse me
-Por Favor – Please
-Gracias – Thank you
-De nada – You’re Welcome
-Lo SIento – Sorry
-Factura – Bill
-Salud – Cheers
-Camamos – Let’s eat
Portugal – Euro
-Tipping is not common but you can tip if you want (5-10%)
-You need to try some pastel de nata (Portugese Egg Tarts)
-Ola – Hello
-Oi – Hi
-Tchau – Bye
-Sim – Yes
-Nao – No
-Por Vaor – Please
-Obrigado – Thank you
-De nada – You’re Welcome
-Desculpe – I’m Sorry
-Perdao – Pardon me
-Saúde – Cheers
-vamos comer – Let’s eat!
Sweden – Stockholm – SEK – Swedish Krone
-Open drinking on the streets is not allowed.
-Physical cash transaction is not common here.
-Tap and Swish (E-Transfer) is the common transaction types
-Stockholm is made up of many little islands connected by bridges
-Tipping is not common however, it is common to round up the total to the nearest big number as a tip.
-Access is their tap transport card – I got the 72-hour card. You can take all the forms of transportation ranging from bus, train, tram and ferry.
-Fika – an important part of Swedish culture. Fika – coffee break
-Hej – Hello
-adjö – bye
-Ja – Yes
-Nej – No
-Ursäkta – Excuse me
-snälla du – Please
-Tack or Tack tack – Thank you
-Varsågod – You’re welcome
-Förlåt – Sorry
-räkningen – Bill
-Skål – Cheers
-låt oss äta – Let’s eat
Denmark – Copenhagen – DKK – Krone
-Open drinking on the streets is not allowed.
-Tipping is not common however, it is common to round up the total to the nearest big number as a tip
-Biking is taken very seriously and has its own road rules just like driving a car.
-Copenhagen Card – You can use the calculator on their website to see if it is worth it to purchase this card. We purchased it but mainly for the unlimited travel. We purchased the 72 hours card. It’s sort of an honour system in a sense as you have to write in your start date and time on the card. You don’t tap it when boarding trains/buses etc but there may be a fare/ticket checker on some of your rides and must show your card. I wish we used the erasable pen we had instead so we could adjust it as we were in Copenhagen for a little bit more than 72 hours and it would have been nice to not have to purchase a day pass for the last few hours. The card gets you into many attractions and discounts on many other things.
-Make sure you check if certain attractiions are open on specific days
-Expensive country
-Hej – Hello
-adjö – bye
-Ja – Yes
-Ingen – No
-undskyld mig- Excuse me
-Vær venlig (vair-vin-lee)– Please
-Tack or Tack tack – Thank you
-Selv tak (sell tack) – You’re welcome
-Beklager (bi-clay-er) – Sorry
-regning – Bill
-Skål (skuul) – Cheers
-Lad os spise- Let’s eat
Germany – Euro
-Tipping is not common but you can tip if you want (10%)
-Drinking is allowed in public
-Many flea markets on Sundays!
-Many stores are closed
-Grocery stores are closed Sundays however the ones in bus/train stations are exceptions
-Hallo – Hello
-Tschüss – (choose) bye
-Ja – Yes
-Nein – No
-Entschuldigen Sie – Excuse me
-bitte – Please
-Dankeschön– Thank you
-Bitte – You’re welcome
-Es tut uns leid (astudentslight) – Sorry
-Rechnung – Bill
-Prost- Cheers
-Lass uns essen- Let’s eat
London – Pound – £
-Oyster Card – train/subway/bus system is very intricate but can get you everywhere.
-Tip is around 10%
Scotland – Pound- £
-Similar to Quebec to the rest of Canada, Scotland is the United Kingdom’s counterpart whereby at a certain point, they wanted to separate to become a country of their own.
Edinburgh
-It doesn’t really snow here but the temperature remains an average low of maybe 5C
-Edinburgh seems to be a popular for international students to study
Congratulations, you have made it to the piece de resistance – My Itinerary for 36 days in Europe. We did move around things we did on certain days in certain cities but for the most part, this is what we did and they are grouped by areas in each city to maximize your days.
I’m usually not one to travel in the summer due to the fact that for a short period in time, Toronto has great weather and also because I dedicate my summer travels to volleyball (9-Man). It also is prime time for work opportunities. I made an exception this time around as it all started with my friend Lulu trying to convince me to join her and Renee back in Feb/March to goto Hawaii with them. With this being said, it led to us booking a one-way ticket to Maui. With the one-way ticket purchased, it left me to planning a trip that we could do in a 2 weeks span and also island hopping. Once my itinerary was made, I was able to convince (not very hard to) my friend Tiffany to join us making us a group of 4. I have previously been to Hawaii back in 2014 to photograph my high school friends wedding and staying in Oahu for 13 days – it was amazing and I was mistaken for a Kama’aina surfer girl (a local).
Looking at my last few trips, you can probably tell that I am a very ambitious person and my itineraries are jam-packed. This one was no different. For 2 weeks, we made it so we would island hop – Maui to Oahu to Kauai. This itinerary was made 1.5 months before the trip was to happen and a month before, I injured my leg – side note: sprained my hamstring a month before and didn’t let it rest enough – knee irritation during trip.
For good quality poke anytime, anywhere – goto Foodland.
Download the Gypsy Guide – for your most in-depth car ride. It is an off line audio guide that tracks where you are and will tell you where to stop off to get the most of the islands. It is also very informative and fills you in with all the history that makes Hawaii what it is. We downloaded it for Maui especially for the Road to Hana and also for Kauai.
And of course, last bit of advice: Check airport car rental hours before booking your flights to ensure the offices are open when you land. Late late night flights are no good if you can’t actually leave the airport.
Some facts about Hawaii:
Hawaii is one of the only places in the world that I cannot really tell ethnicity apart. That is because it is a mishmash of many ethnicities and of course tanned complexions. The reason for such mix of ethnicities comes from back in the day when the concept for having an owner and workers started. Before that, people believed they could just survive off the land and live well that way. There was a shortage of workers to work plantations once they adopted the owner and workers system. Since there was a shortage, Hawaii took in workers from different parts of the world such as China, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Puerto Ricans, and Portuguese etc.
After each ethnic group started to immigrate to Hawaii for a better life, the locals started to feel like they were taking all the jobs and started to xenophobia them over and over as a new group came in. Sugar cane plantations were a huge source of income however in 1990, 150 years of plantation ended as the introduction of high fructose sugars started being put into food and the demand for real sugar dropped.
100% Kona Coffee is one of the highest qualities however the price that comes with it isn’t always ideal.
Hawaii has also banned non-coral friendly sunscreens.
Now onto my itinerary. To make the most of our time, I tried to align each day to explore certain areas of each island and tried to alternate hiking days with beach days. I think the biggest thing I am happy to have done was reversing the Road to Hana route – Drive all the way to the end of Road to Hana and explore in reverse for optimal time at Pipiwai Trails and less tourists.
Maritimes in a blink of an eye. I had the opportunity to travel throughout the Maritimes with Photographer Regina Garcia for a week as a photo assistant accompanied by James – Account Supervisor from the Agency – Zulu Alpha Kilo.
We started in Halifax, Nova Scotia (with a day trip for work to Windsor & Falmouth) then drove to Moncton, New Brunswick. We continued on the road to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and finally to St Johns, Newfoundland & Labrador. In the short span of a week, we covered quite a lot and outside of working, we tried to get our fill out the East coast experience.
With not too much downtime, we managed to get a taste of each Province. I wish we had more time to explore but at least everywhere we went, we experienced the East coast hospitality that showcases Canadians and amazing food along the way.
If you are heading out East, there are an abundance of English and French speaking people and I have been told (for meat eaters) you need to try the Donair.
What I also noticed when driving in these areas, no one is in a rush anywhere. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick driving is somewhat a desert compared to Toronto traffic. They do however have 2-laned highways where you stay in the left to pass only and NO ONE REALLY SPEEDS – They go the speed limit. PEI was a little different once we made it into town. St John’s also has its cluster of traffic too but not too overwhelming.
I usually jump onto trips because of amazing flight deals but this time around, my friend Sarah alerted myself and 2 other friends about this other special deal on a tour. We had spoken for a few years about going to Africa and twice a year, On the Go Tours runs a promotion of 2 for 1 on tours. Grab a friend and go for the price of 1 person. Regular price for our 12 days Victoria Falls to Johannesburg was $1495CAD. Meaning $747.50CAD per person for the tour.
Our flight we got for a reasonable price at $1283.90CAD. Toronto to France (CDG) (10-12 hour stopover), France (CDG) to Addis Ababa – Ethiopia (ADD), Ethiopia to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (VGA). Return is from Johannesburg (JNB) to Addis Ababa – Ethiopia (ADD), Ethiopia to Dublin, Dublin to Toronto. Originally we wanted to stay for another week to optimize our time but for $500CAD cheaper to return home on a Thursday just made more sense for us.
Would’ve loved to go into a township like the Apartheid Museum and Soweto in Johannesburg but our timing of arrival and departure just didn’t work out. I would recommend the Sightseeing hop on and off tour bus as that would have been the method we would have seen the city if we had time. Otherwise, if not renting a car, UBER is the next best way to get around – cheap and safe.
I travelled with my friends Sarah, Jin and Louisa. #CUTYAdventures #canasianwerewolves
Things to do before you leave:
Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Cholera
Yellow Fever (Required if you are going to an area with high risk or transiting from a country with high risk (more than 12 hours) – please check websites to find out) As of 2017, there is a shortage in Yellow fever shots – certain clinics will only have partial vaccine (1 year validity) some locations have lifetime shots. Technically, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa don’t require it.
Prescriptions (Recommended but not all required)
Malaria Pills (take pill 2 days before and 7 days after trip)
Cinpro/Anthim in case of diarrhea
Ducarel – must be started a week or 2 before you leave
Visa
-Check to see if you need a visa for the countries you are visiting (Canadians are required a visa for Zimbabwe but can obtain on arrival – $75USD – still cheaper than obtaining prior to arrival)
*If you plan on going to Zambia as well, there is a cheaper dual visa for $50USD (For Canadians)
Alcohol
-Beer is roughly $2
Outlets
-Outlets the big round 3 prong and sometimes larger 2 round prong with flat prongs.
Credit Card / Debit
-Credit Card can be used in majority of all the areas minus markets.
-ATM – Better exchange rates than currency exchange with Debit Machine
Zimbabwe
-Zimbabwe adopted USD as their currency (bills only).
-$1USD = 362ZWD (Zimbabwean Dollars) – otherwise, currency is 1:1
-You can drink the tap water and can also ask for tap water and ice at many places.
-No Tipping as Vat is included so tax is included in prices shown. Tip is usually 10%.
-Entry Visa required
Botswana
-$1CAD = 7BWP (Pula)
-$1USD = 10BWP (Pula)
-You cannot drink the tap water
-Carry 2 pulas & toilet paper around for public washrooms
-Language is Setswana
-Du mella ma (female) ra (male) – hello
-LA guy – how are you
-GA taing – I’m fine
-Kea la bogaa ma – thank you
-Kea rata – I love you
-Muntle – beautiful
-Muna – single man
-Buna – 2 or more men
-Botswana people are more reserved but friendly
South Africa
-$1CAD = 10ZAR (Rand)
-$1USD = 13ZAR (Rand)
-You can drink the tap water
-UBER is the best and cheapest way to get around. Door to Door is key for safety
-11 Official languages; 9 of which are African
-Afrikaans – A mix of Dutch, Belgian, French & Flemish.
-Population – 20% is White & 80% is Black & Other (Indian, Korean & Chinese)
Below is my initial itinerary for the trip (not updated to what we did)
11/30 Toronto / France
FLY – 840PM YYZ-> 950AM CDG
12/01 France / Ethiopia
950AM
LAYOVER – 10-12 hour stopover in France
1030-1130AM
TRAIN – CDG term 2 – RER Train to Châtelet-Les Halles. Walk to Centre Georges Pompidou (45 mins – €10.30 – purchased 2 pack ticket – €20.60)
-Châtelet-Les Halles
-Le Centre Pompidou (Opens at 11AM – Place Georges Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France)
-5 euro – panoramic ticket – rooftop view
18 min walk
1250PM
-Le Louvre – Pyramid & Carrousel Arc de Triomphe (75001 Paris, France) – Take photos outside
12 min walk
150PM
–L’ardoise (28 Rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris, France) (Open 12-3PM & 630-1130PM) (Pre-fixe – 38€)
2 min walk
3PM
-Louis Vuitton Maison Vendôme – 2 Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris, France
14 min walk
330PM
-Galerie Vivienne – 5 Rue de la Banque, 75002 Paris, France – mosaic – rustic elegance
4 min walk
345PM
-Jardin du palais royale – 6 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France
-Les Deux Plateaux (2 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France) – Take photos outside
5 min walk
430PM
-Galerie Vero Dodat – 8 Galerie Véro-Dodat, 75001 Paris, France
-Walk La Seine River
530 – TRAIN – CDG Term 2
Châtelet – Les Halles, 75001 Paris, France -> RER BEPOLAéroport CDG Terminal 2 TGV
FLY – 945PM CDG -> 645AM ADD
12/02 – Ethiopia / Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls
FLY – 835AM ADD -> 1215PM VGA
Airport shuttle transfer
STAY – Shearwater Explorer Village (Wifi)
12/03 – Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls
-Victoria Falls
-Biking
12/04 – Victoria falls – Chobe River, Botswana
STAY – Thebe River Safaris Campsite (Wifi available in reception area)
– Kasane – Chobe River – Watch Elephants & Hippos
– Sunset Boat cruise
12/05 – Kasane – Nata Region
STAY – Elephant Sands (Wifi – very weak signal)
-Afternoon/Evening Game drive
12/06 – Nata Region – Maun
STAY – Sitatunga Campsites (Wifi available in bar and weaker signal around site)
12/07 – Maun – Okavango Delta
-Overnight excursion into the Delta
-Early morning to Mokoro Poler’s Station
STAY – Mobile Tented Camp in Okavango (NO WIFI)
-Guided evening bushwalk
12/08 – Okavango Delta – Maun
-Morning bushwalk
-Visit local village via Pole Canoes
-Return to Maun w/ optional scenic flight over the Delta
12/09-10 – Maun – Palapye – Polokwane (South Africa)
-Drive to the small town of Palapye (between Francistown & Gaborone (Bostwana’s capital)
STAY – Itumela Campsite (WIFI – good signal all over site)
-Drive to town of Polokwane
STAY – Boma in the Bush (NO WIFI)
12/11-12 – Kruger National Park
-Morning viewpoints drive – Blyde River Canyon Region – The Three Rondavels, The Pinnacle, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, & God’s Window
STAY Nkambeni Safari Camp near Kruger National Park (20 min free WIFI at reception)
-Visit Kruger National Park
-Night game drive
-Morning Game Drive
-Buffet Dinner (optional – group decision)
12/13 – Johannesburg
-Hazyview – Johannesburg
-7AM-2/3PM
-Joburg Arrival – Mufasa Backpackers (21 4th Rd, Van Ryn SH, Benoni, 1513, South Africa)
3/4PM
-Check into hotel – Hyde Park Villas – 28B 3rd Rd, Hyde Park, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa (WIFI – Complimentary 500MB each day)
-Rosebank Mall – Rosebank Art & Craft Market – Cradock Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa
– Open 9AM-6PM
12/14 – Johannesburg -> Dublin
10AM – Airport Shuttle / UBER to O R Tambo (JNB) Airport
FLY – 210PM JNB -> 825PM ADD
FLY 1130PM ADD -> DUB
12/15 – Dublin – Toronto
FLY – 530AM -> 745AM YYZ
Paris Layover Itinerary
On The Go Tours – 12 days – Victoria Falls to Joburg
This was my second time travelling to Japan. My previous visit was short but sweet staying in Osaka with a day trip to Nara & Kyoto for less than a week. Japan is definitely one of those countries that can and need to be explore multiple times. I travelled to Japan with Mike, Manwai, Cassie, Glenn, John, Karen & Chi with guest appearances along the way. The flight deals were too good to miss out on especially during Hanami (cherry blossom festival). We found our deal on www.nextdeparture.ca for $730CAD roundtrip to Tokyo (1 stopover in Chicago each way). Originally, it was just myself plus Mike & Manwai that booked together. As the next few weeks past and a few meals Mike & Manwai had with friends, our group became 8. During the trip, I mainly travelled with Mike & Manwai. Total of 14 days.
We booked many of our accommodations with Airbnb. If you haven’t joined and booked with Airbnb yet, follow the link and get credits for your first booking. www.airbnb.ca/c/ruu
Included in this Itinerary, I have included some helpful information to know in advance before you go.
–www.hyperdia.com – This is awesome for figuring out your bus and JR routes but you need to know what stations you are leaving from and arriving to.
-Google Maps works well too. If Google Maps does not load/poor connection, enter the directions into the internet browser.
$$$
-100y = $1USD roughly.
-The Japanese use cash over credit for majority of their day to day living and it isn’t unusual to break a 10,000y bill on something small.
-The 2000y bill is actually quite rare in Japan as its been phased out and was started in Okinawa for unknown reasons. When exchanging money outside of Japan, you may receive 2000y bills which a few Japanese collect HOWEVER, not all the machines take 2000y bills.
-For many Japanese, they may or may not accept it at their work establishments but some will keep as a keepsake similar to Canada’s old $2 bill that is now replaced with the toonie.
-You can pay for some meals in coins alone as the largest valued coin is 500y which is roughly $5USD.
-For 14 days, I took out just over $100CAD a day. $1502.45CAD – 123000Yen
Book in Advanced
–Studio Ghibli Museum tickets can only be purchased 1 month in advanced and sells out quickly. The 10th at 10AM Japan time of every month. Much cheaper to purchase from site than through a tour group (service charges are killer). The actual ticket is only 1000y
-JR Pass must be purchased outside out Japan. Maximum 90 days before your trip. JTB Canada is where I purchased mine. For 14 days of travel, my JR Pass was $539CAD
–Sumo Wrestling Tournaments are held 6 times a year. If you have the chance to go see it, tickets will go on sale a month in advanced so be aware they are highly sought after and sell out fast. Another option if you are going during non tournament months is to go visit a Sumo Wrestling Beya (practice) at multiple locations and watch their early morning practice.
–MariCar – Must have International Drivers License (goto CAA – $25CAD (bring your own photo or take one there) + Countries driver’s license to participate in this activity.
WIFI Router & Sim Card
-WIFI Routers are great if you have a large group – You can rent at the airport or various locations. Highly recommend renting or bringing a portable battery pack to keep router and phone charged.
-I highly recommend bringing a portable battery pack to keep your phone charge especially if you are using your phone for directions.
Transportation
-JR Pass holders need to go through the manned gate to get through at each station.
-You need to make reservations on certain trains but if you don’t, there are a few carts where it is first come first serve or you can sit but if the person with the reserved seats shows up, you give them the seats. The reserved seats also swivel to have 2 facing one another if preferred.
-With the JR Pass, if you miss you train, you can easily get the next one without any penalty fees.
-If you plan on reserving seats for trains for peak times, go earlier to reserve them.
-If taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto etc – request mountainside view to see Mt Fuji!
-Make sure to purchase ekibens before your ride (bullet train specific meals that differ per region and have have seasonal regional speciality foods – all cold)
-Eating is not permitted on trains besides Shinkansen
-JR Pass does not cover all train lines – only JR lines (minus Nozomi/Mizuho/Hayabusa (Shinkansen)) and a Suica or a Pasmo card (similar to Octopus card of Hong Kong or Toronto’s Presto) are indeed very useful and refillable
–Pasmo & Suica cards can also be used to pay for other things such as drink machines and whatnot.
-Pasmo can be used in Tokyo, Osaka & Kyoto (from my experience)
-There are women’s only carts depending on time of day
-Trains end around midnight-1AM. There are taxi queues.
-The Japanese are large in numbers but when walking, they don’t necessarily have a sense of urgency and the pace to my standard is slow
-The Japanese do stay in shape by the amount of stairs they need to climb each day while commuting. The train stations are floors upon floors with limited elevators and some floors have escalators while many are just stairs upon stairs.
-You stand on the left side and pass on the right on the escalators. (Although in Osaka, they did opposite)
-Walking is the same – Walk on the left side
Weather (From what I experience this April trip)
-It is normal for Japanese people to stay covered up even it is hot outside as they care about their skin getting dark (similar to Hong Kong) They are more conservative in terms of covering cleavage but will wear short shorts. I wore a tank top because it was hot but got looks.
-April – light jacket/trench coats (Japanese fashion trend) and umbrellas are key.
-Tokyo is humid. April – average temp – high of 20, low of 6 – chances of showers high but muggy.
-Kanazawa – chilly and windy but otherwise warm during the day, can see breathe in the evening
-Takayama – Hot during the day – really hot as in we got slightly burnt but once the sun goes down, cold and chilly.
-Kyoto – Hot! (average 21-26C during the day) but cools down at night.
-Osaka – Just right! Not too hot, not too cold; bearable to walk around in a t-shirt majority of the day.
Misc.
-Carry your passport around for many places you go shopping you can get tax free!
-Outlets are the Western 2 prong style instead of the american 3 prong
-There are a lot of people but they tend to move slower than the average if compared to Toronto foot traffic.
-You don’t tip in Japan – the only time you tip are in fancy high end restaurants or when you see fit.
-There are designated areas for people to smoke but the smoke still billows the streets and still litters the streets
-Smoking is not allowed while you are walking
-Smoking is allowed in certain food establishments
-There are rarely any garbage cans on the streets of Japan – 1 reason – you mainly goto establishments to eat or eat at home. 2 – in the past, terrorist attacks with packages left in garbage bins now detour garbage bins
-non combustibles and combustible garbage separation
-some wear masks but others don’t and when they sneeze or cough, they just let it out so be aware of that. Coming for Canada, where its customary to sneer into your elbow or cover your mouth, this might put you off a bit like it did me.
-Sailor moon make up by Beaute Creer – You can pick this up at Its Demo stores.
-In some cities like Takayama at night, they have flashing red lights outside of an establishment to signal that they are still open as other stores or restaurants close early.
Now onto my actual Itinerary. My itinerary got very extensive and ambitious with things and places I wanted to see and goto. Everyone else built their own itineraries but we made sure at certain aspects, we would all meet up in a different city for certain events such as the Takayama festival in Takayama and Temple running in Kyoto. In the span of 2 weeks, my goal was to make it through all these cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Enoshima, Kawasaki, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya) but of course not all goes to according to plans and we cut out some areas to explore other areas more. This was the itinerary that actually happened. There will always be another time to visit Japan once again to get more accomplished and more land covered.
Some places and things I originally had on my itinerary for the surrounding area but wasn’t able to accomplish were the following:
-Baseball – much different than Western Baseball – Hanshin Tigers VS anybody – the atmosphere is completely something to take in
Enoshima/Fujisawa/Yokohama/Kawasaki
-Enoshima – fujisawa – cute city – view of Mt Fuji in painting
-Ramen museum (yokohama)
-Cup Noodle Museum (yokohama)
-Chinatown (yokohama)
-Kawasaki Warehouse – arcade games
Tokyo
-Tokyu Plaza – escalator & rooftop
-Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan – Tōkyō, Chiyoda, Sotokanda 3-15-5 Gee Store Akiba – 11AM-7PM
Nagoya
-Nagoya Dome – Purchase tickets – ticket booth near gate 1 – 10AM-5th inning
This trip to Peru has been in talks for years with a certain group of people and it finally happened about 3-4 years after our original discussions because a flight deal popped up on www.nextdeparture.ca to Lima, Peru (with stopover in Panama) for only $417 CDN roundtrip including taxes with COPA Airlines. Within a 2 hour span of sharing this deal with my friends, initially 2 plus myself booked the flight egging on others to come join.
I am usually one of the main people to do the organizing and research for my trips but this one all goes to Karen with some help from Chi. My schedule got really busy and I wasn’t able to provide my organizing skills to this trip but Karen is a 1 woman team and does a stunning job of it including her signature little booklet she makes with everything including tips, timing for buses, train, taxis to dinner reservations and other bookings.
After the initial booking, we were able to add on my brother Andrew and then Karen’s friend’s Sofia & Ronan from SF and slowly after that, Andrew’s friends Gayaanan and Partrick joined us making it a 8 person trip with the priority of time focused on the inca trail hike to Machu Picchu. We chose the 4 day 3 night hike in late November and luckily the weather was absolutely perfectly timed for us. I travelled with Karen & Chi the entire time as the rest split off after the Inca Trail trek on other adventures.
11/22
FLY – YYZ->PAN->LIM
-Parque de la Reserva – Water show
-Pardo’s Chicken
-Sleep Lima – 1900 Backpackers
11/23
FLY – LIM->CUS
-Inca Trail Briefing – Alpaca Expeditions
-Lunch – Chicha
-Sacsayhuaman
-Taxi to Urubamba
-Sleep Urubamba – Amaru Valle Hotel
11/24
-Maras Salt Mine
-Moray Ruins
-Ollantaytambo Ruins
-Dinner – El Albergue
-Sleep – Ollantaytambo – Kamma Guesthouse
11/25-28
-Alpaca Expedition – 4 Day 3 Night Hike – Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
My first time actually travelling to Chicago that wasn’t just a connection. I travelled with my friends Crystle & Klarice. We did a 4 day, 3 night short trip after booking a flight and accommodation deal with Expedia.ca. This itinerary is what we intended to do but alas nothing goes according to plan and things changed. I would love to go back some other time to complete what was missed and then some.
03/14
FLY Toronto –> Chicago – 220PM – YYZ -> 307PM – ORD
Hotel – Godfrey Hotel – 127 Huron at LaSalle
-4-430PM – arrival – check-in at Hotel – CTA train to hotel – 55 minutes
-Suite Lounge – 90 hip hop – underground lounge – 1446 North Wells Street – 15 minutes – Dearborn & Huron – bus 22 towards Howard; off at Clark & Burton / OR / The Wit – Roof – 4PM-2AM – reservations are highly recommended – 6PM Roof Live (every Tuesday) – $5 corona all night – live acoustic guitar / OR / Three Dots & a Dash – Hawaiian luau style with cool drinks – 435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654 – http://threedotschicago.com/
03/16
-morning workout
-Target- 401 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60611
-Continue shopping from first day if didn’t complete – Magnificent Mile
-Chinatown – Chicago Riverwalk – to chinatown square – 22 minutes – 100 E Upper Wacker Dr – Lake Subway – red line towards 95th; off at Cermak-Chinatown
-lunch in Chinatown
-walk around chinatown
-West Loop / Wicker Park area
-Glazed and Infused – Donuts (18 W Fulton Market)
-The Publican
-Girl and the Goat for dinner – might not get without reservation – http://girlandthegoat.com/menu/ / Parachute / Longman & Eagle / The Publican / Vera / Avec
-The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge- live – 9PM-1AM – http://greenmilljazz.com/location/ – 4802 North Broadway Street – from Glazed & Infused
03/17
FLY – Chicago -> Toronto – 1250PM – ORD – 318PM – YYZ
-morning workout
-Portillo’s – early lunch before airport / OR / Lou Malnatti’s pizzeria – deep dish
-Check out & head to airport – 930AM – 45-50 minutes to O’Hare by CTA train.
Clark & Erie towards Harrison; off at Clarke & Lake; Clark/Lake towards O’Hare – 10AM
I travelled to Oahu, Hawaii for 13 days for my friend’s (Melissa & Juan) wedding celebration. I did not plan any second of it and just went with the flow of things.
Our main group for the trip was large (15 people – many more joined afterwards). But we managed to stay in Waikiki for a week and then North on the island in Kaʻaʻawa.
081614
We flew with United Airlines to Oahu, Hawaii with a detour in Chicago. The plane ride felt like it was never-ending. The first leg to Chicago was decent but then you get corralled into groups to board the next plane. We took a Boeing 77 so it holds more people. What sucks is that even with this large amount of people and the flight alone being 8-9 hours, no food is provided unless purchased. There was also no outlet or television however they had this United wifi setup so you can view the movies and shows on your electronic devices.
We finally arrived in Honolulu and hopped on the Reliable Shuttle to bring us to our hotel for the week – Aqua Bamboo – It’s a cozy hotel a block away from the beach which lowers costs. After we settled into the rooms, we went straight for the beach and for food. We went to this corner restaurant called Shore Fyre (2446 Koa Ave) and I got a steak and garlic shrimp platter ($14.95USD) which came with salad and brown rice – delicious.
Walked over to the beach and we just took to the water. Palm trees everywhere, bodies everywhere, the salt water was so warm and waves coming in. This is one of the more touristy areas but man this is the life. I could definitely get use to waking up and heading to the beach all golden everyday.
We stayed at the beach on the rocks watching the sun set (which came early and went down quickly) then back to the hotel to rinse off and go for food. There is literally an ABC store on every corner. It has everything you would need but apparently Ala Moana Mall has the items cheaper or head to Walmart (especially if you want the macadamia nuts). We walked to Food Pantry (2370 Kuhio Ave) which is their grocery store but also has a little food court. Right by the main entrance is one steak place called HiSteaks and you can get a steak plate (rice and egg) for $9.99USD. Melissa had noticed they had ice cream mochi but not any ordinary mochi – the have Bubbies (cantaloupe, green tea, pistachio, sakura) which I have been going on and on about. I decided eating only mochi for dinner was a bad choice so I got white truffle oil shoestring fries and 4 ice cream mochi with a small (not small at all) Fanta fruit punch ($9.91USD in total – $1.69/mochi here). Mind you, we ate only an hour or two ago so don’t judge me.
Aqua Bamboo – Looking up from the pool side
Finally arrived in Honolulu!
Steak & Shrimp plate
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki beach during sunset
little surfer
Bubbies Ice Cream Mochi
Lawson
ABC Store
081714
We hit the beach bright and early and stationed ourselves by the beach bistro and police station. There was a surf competition so the water was filled with surfers. The area we anchored ourselves had water that was a little more choppy then the previous day but nonetheless, after you got in it was delightful. Once it rolled around to noon, the became filled with tourists as it was also a Sunday. For lunch, we went to the Hilton Hotel to Mac 24/7 which by the name is open 24/7. Man vs Wild made it known to the world as the manhole cover sized (14 inch) pancakes (3 stacks). Jaira, Melissa and myself attempted it (Pineapple, macadamia nut and coconut with maple syrup and coconut syrup) for $22USD. It was delicious but even though we divided it into 1/3 each, I was the only one able to finish my piece and that was painful to say the least.
Our friends Ronnel and Eric whose flight never left Toronto finally arrived and quickly threw their stuff into our rooms and we all headed to the beach. Took in the afternoon sun and then walked a distance as a whole group to Rainbow Drive-in (3308 Kanaina Ave) and Leonards (933 Kapahulu Ave). Rainbow Drive-in is a good ol’ local eatery – nothing fancy but they sure make some good local comfort food. I had the mixed platter plate with BBQ, chicken and ahi ahi fish with rice and mac salad ($7.95USD). Great food that tasted amazing and best part is that it is cheap! Leonard’s is a Portuguese bakery that specializes in Malasadas – Portuguese donuts with no holes that are usually filled. Even though the walk to dinner was a long one, we decided to go for a night walk and ended up at the Pier and just hung out in the dark. Its amazing how you can see the commercial part of the beach where the hotels are light up the sky but the other side has no lights so its a beautiful chiaroscuro on the ocean and you look up and the stars are so bright. We called it a somewhat early night after that.
You must be logged in to post a comment.