Category: Travel
What would normally take a week, has taken 3 weeks to finally get my stamina back up to my baseline of 45-minute runs every other day. I no longer have the luxury of slacking off like I used to in my younger years, and expect not to pay for it. The “bounce back” in menopause … Continue reading Temples and Waterfall
This is it! Andaz Bali is likely our favorite hotel ever. We made the switch over from the Hyatt Regency Bali next door in time for my birthday. This hotel opened during the pandemic, so the hard products are still very much brand new. A surprise birthday cake presented to me by Hyatt Regency Bali … Continue reading Andaz Bali
Off the coast of Bali is a cluster of 3 islands, of which the biggest is Nusa Penida with a permanent population of about three thousand. Nusa Penida is known for its beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, as well as the manta rays along its coastline. Some people opt to spend a few days on the … Continue reading Nusa Penida
Two weeks after arriving in Bali, we’ve finally taken our first steps outside the confines of the hotel zone. Nusa Dua is a gated resort area, highly manicured, heavily guarded, and terribly boring. This is the perfect place for young families and tourists who want nothing more than to spend their vacation on the beach … Continue reading Hyatt Regency Bali
The original plan was to visit Oceania for 6 weeks, but ANA had other ideas. Our inbound flight from Sydney was canceled, and by the time I could reschedule our award flight, the schedule had been pushed out by almost 2 months. Instead of spending all that extra time in Australia, I decided we’d ride … Continue reading Grand Hyatt Bali
Exmouth is a small town of 2k residents located in the northwest corner of Australia. It was founded as a military base during WWII, and in 1967, the US Navy built a communication base in town transmitting very low frequency radio signals for the Navy operating between India and Hawaii. Nowadays the town’s claim to … Continue reading Ningaloo Reef
Warning: This is a negative post, but I need to write it to get it off my chest in order to move on. So we’ve been in Australia for 10 days now, and OMG, I have never felt so uncomfortable traveling in a different country. Most Aussies seem OK, but several encounters I’ve had, especially … Continue reading A Vent
When it comes to Australian itineraries, Western Australia doesn’t factor much into people’s plans. Most focus on the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and the major cities - Sydney, Melbourne, etc. So I made sure we made a trip out here to see what others are missing. The major draw to Perth for me is the … Continue reading Rottnest Island
If you want to visit Oceania, go to Australia first and leave New Zealand for last, because no other country comes close to New Zealand’s stunning scenery. Now in Australia, I wish I had allotted more time for New Zealand. Luckily, Australia has one redeeming quality - its unique animals, notably the kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, … Continue reading Melbourne
Given Queenstown is the birthplace of bungee jumping, it was only natural that bungee jumping would be on our itinerary. Upon further risk/benefit analysis, I determined that the risk of suffering from a heart attack was greater than the benefit of 2 seconds of adrenaline rush. So I abandoned the activity at the last minute. … Continue reading Hooker Valley Track
Back in Queenstown but avoiding the town center because of the horrendous traffic. Instead, we drove back to Mt. Aspiring National Park for a hike. It’s a 2-hr drive from Queenstown, but a word of caution - the pavement abruptly ends and the last 25 miles or so is gravel road with 9 fords, so … Continue reading Rob Roy Glacier Track
Doubtful Sound is another one of the 14 fjords in Fjordland National Park. Unlike Milford Sound, Doubtful is less accessible. To get there visitors must get to Manipouri, a 30-minute drive from Te Anau, take the 55-minute transfer boat to get across Manipouri Lake to the Wilmont Pass, then take a 30-minute bus ride to … Continue reading Doubtful Sound
One last hike before we board our overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound. I wish we had booked a longer stay in Fjordland National Park so that we could hit all the major day trails. Alas, I had to make a decision between the Kepler track and the Key Summit via the Routeburn track. The overnight … Continue reading Key Summit Trail
Perhaps the star of the Fjordland National Park is Milford Sound. It is one of the 14 fjords in the park, and is the most accessible, which translates to more crowds. Milford Sound is actually a misnomer. Sounds are valleys shaped out of river flows, whereas fjords are carved out by glaciers. Both are then … Continue reading Milford Sound
Our fourth national park in New Zealand, the Fjordland National Park, occupies the southwest corner of New Zealand. It is the largest national park in the country, and it is where we’ll be spending the next four days just scratching the surface of this vast and beautiful landscape. Before checking into the Te Anau Lodge … Continue reading Lake Marian Trail
To get from the West Coast to Queenstown, Haast Pass, that cuts through Mt. Aspiring National Park, is likely the most scenic route. It is dotted with waterfalls and viewpoints. There is no signage for Depot Creek Falls, but if you pin it on Google Maps, you’ll be directed to a gravel parking lot, and … Continue reading Haast Pass – Waterfall Hopping & The Blue Pool
The southern alps in New Zealand is where you used to be able to hike up to glaciers. As a result of global warming, the glacier terminal has retreated so far that it is no longer possible to walk up to it. Eighteen thousand years ago, the glacier reached as far as the Tasman Sea … Continue reading Franz Josef Glacier – Robert’s Point Track
The 2AM Cook Strait ferry crossing from Wellington to Picton was not by choice. We were lucky to have even snagged a reservation at the last minute (7 days in advance) as every other time slot was booked…for weeks! The last resort was to return the car in Wellington, fly into Christchurch, and rebook another … Continue reading Hokitika Gorge
The extra day in Wellington gave us a chance to do a short hike along the coast. The view isn’t dissimilar to what we get at home, but instead of the Pacific Ocean, we get a view of the Tasman Sea. The point to point Escarpment trail measures about 6 miles, and you can start … Continue reading Pukerua Escarpment Track
Wellington, the southernmost capital in the world, was originally planned as an overnight stopover between Tongariro National Park and the South Island. However, I had failed to book the inter-island ferry early on because I simply assumed we’d be able to get on the ferry on day of travel. Luckily, the car rental lady in … Continue reading Wellington
Continuing on with our Lord of The Rings circuit, we stopped by the Tongariro National Park for a hike. The most well known hiking trail in the park is the point to point 12-mile Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Unfortunately, the steep decent down gravel was not a good option for Joe’s ankles, so I mapped out … Continue reading Tongariro National Park
New Zealand consists of a North and South Island. Of the two islands, the South Island is reportedly the prettier one with all its natural beauty. We could have spent all 3 weeks in southern New Zealand, but it would have been a shame not to visit half of the country after spending all that … Continue reading North Island – Auckland Day Trips
Thirty-six hours after leaving Osaka, we finally landed in Auckland. A direct flight would have been much shorter, but with the restrictions of award flights and last minute itinerary changes we ended up laying over in Tokyo and Sydney. View of Sydney, with the Opera House seen next to the harbor bridge. The 7-hour uninterrupted … Continue reading Park Hyatt Auckland
Our fourth (and third redemption) business class flight in less than a year was flown on Japan’s ANA. After comparing all of the four airlines I’ve taken, ANA has beat out EVA, Qatar, and Air France. ANA’s service can’t be beat, which is not surprising given how Japan’s emphasis on exceptional service is unparalleled. Another … Continue reading ANA Business Class
The time between late March and early April is Japan’s cherry blossoms season. Unfortunately, this year’s warming trend led to blossoms reaching full bloom a week prior to our arrival. By the time we got to Kyoto, we had missed the spectacle save for a few flowers that had stubbornly clung on. Luckily, Kyoto isn’t … Continue reading Kyoto
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