2015 Travel Looking back on where we traveled in 2015 we (meaning at least one of us) went to 12 countries; 4 for the first time. Now we can see why our friends think we travel all the time. We, oh so cleverly, tend not to travel to places we don't expect to enjoy so when we do our year-end review sometimes it can be hard to come up with a lot of things we … [Read more...]
5 ways to experience luxury travel without breaking the bank
We are unrepentant lovers of luxury travel, especially when someone else pays for it. But we have occasionally opened up our own wallets for some. It can be a smallish splurge in the grand scheme of the vacation's total cost but have an outsize value in terms of making us feel as pampered as we somehow got the (mistaken) idea we deserve. Here are a few splurges to consider … [Read more...]
Home Exchange – How do I get started?
Fear of home exchange Blonde is planning to exchange her home in Florida for one somewhere that isn't Florida. Ideally she will be able to spend a month or so on another continent in 2016 and not incur any expenses for her lodging. And no, the plan is not to meet people in bars or bus stations and just sleep around. (Why do we have to talk about the 70s anyway?) However, … [Read more...]
How to have a good experience swimming with Whale Sharks
What to do to have a successful whale shark outing We have had two good but different experiences snorkeling with whale sharks so now we are experts on the subject. Luckily for you we are going to share that expertise and for once we may even be worth listening to. Know when the whale sharks will be swimming where you are going. Yes, this should fall under the "duh" … [Read more...]
Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji
When we were young(er) we watched the documentary TV show The Underseas World of Jacques Cousteau and saw Jacques happily bubbling underwater with his sons and his scuba gear. One of those sons was Jean-Michel who, many years later, founded the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji where we were recently thrilled to spend 3 days. We really just went there to have fun and because … [Read more...]
The Bay of Islands, Fiji – #2 in Places Without Postcards
Where is the Bay of Islands? The Bay Islands are part of the remote northern Lau Islands which lie about 200 miles from Fiji's mainland and near the international date line. Interesting factoid: The international date line isn't straight because it was made to sort of wiggle around the Fijian Islands so they would all be on the same side. Otherwise it could have … [Read more...]
How to create your own trip itinerary
The idea of creating their own trip itinerary sometimes overwhelms people. So they just go to one resort, stay there and come home. Or they sign up for a tour and then are unhappy that they spent so much time on a bus and didn’t get to linger in the places that interested them. Or worst of all they don't even go anywhere. We definitely think group travel has a role to play. … [Read more...]
Our favorite destinations for snorkeling (so far)
Ever since we were little girls we have loved water and then somewhere in our early twenties we both began to try snorkeling. That minor change in our water sport interests has entailed a fortune in travel expenses and "resort wear" necessities, but we bravely snorkel on in search of the next best reef! We have a previous post which (surprisingly) has good advice for anyone … [Read more...]
Women’s packing tips for sea, snorkeling and land
Please note that the title of this is “Women’s Packing Tips". It is not “How to live out of a backpack for a year with one pair of whiffy jeans and a T-shirt” or “How to pack for Tahiti with only a bikini and a sarong if you’re a supermodel". This is for grown up women who want to pack the right things to have what they need when they travel on sea and/or land. We will even – … [Read more...]
Unhelpful travel advice we think you should ignore
Eat where the locals/ cab drivers eat We think this is some of the most unhelpful travel advice ever despite it's ubiquity. We mean, seriously? Do you eat where cab drivers and these mysterious "locals" eat in the city where you live? Well, probably yes and no. No, in terms of cab drivers. If you can afford to take cabs and not have to drive one and you can afford to … [Read more...]