Thursday, November 1, 2007

Quick Trip to Oahu

The trip to Oahu was a short 4 days, 2 days in the north shore and 2 days in Waikiki.

This was my 2nd visit to Oahu, first time was 16 years ago. What a change!!

The north shore is still more peacefull and absolutely beautiful! I went with a very small group of travel agents and a sales representive for one of our favorite wholesalers. We picked a minivan at the Honolulu airport and off we drove to the north shore, on the way I noticed how things have changed. The pineapple fields are thinning and more houses are popping up all over. Its still alot more inviting on the north shore due to the lack of crowds. We just happened to be speeding a little just 5 minutes a way from the hotel and very cute cop pulled us over. He let us go because of a special smile someone had in the van, lucky!! Turtle Bay Resort is absolutely wonderful 880 oceanfront acres to romp on. They offer horseback riding, helicopter tours oh and did I say golf. Wonderful staff, very welcoming and great food! All around perfect property to stay at, you dont even feel like youre on Oahu. Surfs up there!!! You could watch the surfing compititions from your hotel room or villa. Way too much to mention.
On our way to Waikiki I found the west side of the island to be my favorite. Laid back very simple homes and small communities, loved it! Naturally landscaped every color green you can imagine, beautiful Id live there in a second.
Waikiki is busy and fun, its a great palce to go if you love shopping, beach, entertainment and great food. Its seems like all the hotels have renovated so the choices are plentiful. My favorite hotel in the middle of the actions is Outrigger on the Beach, even though I loved the Kahala. That hotel offers the Dolphin experience and is on a very nice beach with a reef which protects you from the big waves. The food was absolutely wonderful!
All in all Waikiki is a great place to visit , play, eat enjoy the beach and shop. The best part is it is very affordable with a package booking.
Thumbs up!!!!!!
Any questions you can call me at 530 244-1400 Thanks****Theresa

Friday, October 26, 2007

CRUSING TAHITI
How about cruising through the isands of Tahiti? I recently had the opportunity to do this. We flew out of Los Angeles directly into Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui, the airline of Tahiti. Tahiti is on the same time zone as Hawaii so just a three hour difference from the west coast. We actually spent the night in Papeete and then went to the ship the next morning. The "Tahitian Princess" is a lovely intimate ship, with a capacity of 630 passengers, it feels almost like your own private yacht sailing to some of the most exotic islands in the world.

The cruise took us to Huahine,Rarotonga,Raitea, Bora Bora and Moorea. With an overnight in Bora Bora, Raitea and Papeete. The scenery is unforgetable with some of the most incredible waters we have ever seen. If you take the excursion off the ship in Bora Bora around the island by water you could find yourself snorkelling with reef sharks or stingrays.

The cruise was for 10 nights, we extended 2 nights in Papeete before and after the cruise. Princess cruises do a wonderful job in the South Pacific, the staff and onboard amenities were exceptional, we are experienced cruisers and felt this cruise rated as the best overall cruise we had ever taken, the ports of call were unbelieveable the water sports incredible and the ship personnel and amenities were five star.

The Tahitian princess will only be doing a limited amount of Tahiti Voyages in 2008 and so book early to make sure you do not miss this incredible trip of a life time.

DisneyWorld 2007

I went to DisneyWorld in February 2007 with my husband and 2 children - ages 11 and 12. We had a great time, but it was very busy during the middle of Feb. Our stay at the Polynesian was really nice. I recommend staying at one of the resorts where you have access to the monorail. The convience factor was a huge plus. The Polynesian is only a couple minutes away from the Magic Kingdom by monorail. The rooms at the Polynesian are comfortable and spacious - even the standard room. I loved the theme here , the food was good at all the restaurants we tried. Try the luau if you get a chance, but reservations are required.

The theme parks are everything you could imagine and more. Try to get there at opening and do the big attractions first. The shows and parades are amazing at all the parks, so take advantage of them. It also helps to get in that brief rest time while watching the shows. A couple of my favorites were It's Tough to be aBug and Honey I Shrunk the Audience.

We had a blast at Epcot Center. If you go to the Imagination and the Innoventions Pavillions, plan on being there a few of hours. You will see the new new gidgets and gadgets, games, and just plain fun! The kids loved all the interactive games. And these are not just sit down in front of the TV games, they can be a little physical - designed to get the body moving- and some challenging the mind, while introducing new technology.

For those more adventurous, you've got to try the thrill rides. Each park offers its own version. Some of my favorites: Expedition Everest, Mission Space -the more intense version - Test Track, and Rock-n-Roller Coaster.

If you have only a few days and want to make the most out of your trip, get the "Pal Mickey". He is a talking Mickey that gives you facts and hints about the parks just by walking past one of the markers. The markers aren't in plain view though. For example, Pal lets you know what line is the shortest. He can be purchased throughout all the parks.

My suggestions when trying to figure out how long to stay is to allow a day and half for each theme park. This allows you to see one theme park each day, then go back to see the things you missed on the other half day. This usually ends up being about 7 days - not including your travel days if you are coming from the West coast. There is so much to see and do, you would be stressed trying to fit it all in one vacation. So take your time and don't worry about what you missed. Enjoy what you can!

Take advantage of the meal program too. Believe it or not, you really do save a little money when you purchase the plan.