I’ve been back from my round the world trip for almost six months. It was a dream I held onto for years, and I’m so glad I was able to make it happen. But it didn’t look like what I imagined it would. I traveled through 13 countries in 136 days, and that taught me […]
When people think of Tahiti, they usually think of a gorgeous tropical setting with palm trees and the sun sparkling over the Pacific Ocean. While this is somewhat true, most people don’t realize Tahiti is just one island in the French Polynesia chain. It’s where the capital city is, the only international airport, and all […]
Exploring Easter Island with a rental car gave us a lot of freedom and flexibility. On day one, we saw so many amazing Moai statues, beautiful landscapes, and possibly the best beach ever. I was worried day two would feel like more of the same, that we might get bored or desensitized from seeing so […]
When we were finally ready to do some serious exploring on Easter Island, Amanda and I agreed to go in on a rental car with Tamir and Susanne, the Swiss couple staying in the room next to ours. Since it’s such a small island, Amanda and I thought we’d only need one day, but Tamir […]
All I ever heard about before coming to Easter Island were the Moai statues. There are several theories of why they were built, but no one knows for sure. The mystery surrounding them just adds to the allure. But once we actually got to the island, we had to figure out how to get to […]
While Amanda and I were in Bora Bora, I worried that maybe I had seen too much. I was feeling burned out and I wasn’t excited by the new places I was seeing anymore. Luckily Easter Island turned out to be so amazing that I felt refreshed and in awe of everything again. Due to […]
After getting settled into our amazing over the water bungalow in Bora Bora, Amanda and I weren’t quite sure how we were going to occupy ourselves. We expected to go swimming and snorkeling and do other outdoor things, but the horrible rain was making it difficult to stay outside for more than a few minutes […]
“I see you’ve booked a garden bungalow.” Amanda and I looked at each other with panic as the concierge reviewed our reservation on his computer. We thought for sure we had booked an over the water bungalow. If you’re going to splurge on a trip to Bora Bora, why not go all the way, right? […]
When I was planning my round the world trip and decided to include New Zealand, lots of people told me to get out of Auckland as quickly as possible. Supposedly it’s not worth staying there for too long. I ended up being in Auckland twice, once right after my time in Wellington, and again after […]
Aside from the colorful thermal pools, the other thing Andy and I wanted to see in Rotorua was Rainbow Springs, a wildlife park and kiwi sanctuary. While there are many other animals and plants to see at Rainbow Springs, the main attraction is the kiwis. Kiwis are endangered birds native to New Zealand, and the […]