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One year ago at this time, I recalled the excitement when hubby agreed on our family vacation to Hawaii. It was a dream come true for me. This morning, there was a program on the travel channel and guess what it was all about? It’s the top 10 best places to visit in Hawaii! That show brought me wonderful memories!

sunset in waikiki

It is hard to forget the friendly smiles in this island and the gorgeous sunset at Waikiki. The scenes are still vivid in my mind and I find myself missing Honolulu. Though many have this perception that it’s a commercialized city with lots of branded shopping and high rise condos, I look beyond these and appreciate the ‘hang loose’ spirit and laid back pace. To me, Honolulu has a nice mix of city life and natural beauty. The weather is lovely at most times of the year and you don’t need to go too far to escape from the bustle of the city. This is a gourmet haven where food is concerned. The Hawaiians are exotic in their cooking and tropical ingredients can be easily spotted in their cuisine. Hubby can’t have enough of Eggs n Things and I guess he would need to bring along his hoodia pills the next time we head this way again.

Honolulu… what a lovely city you are…

sunset in waikiki

This morning, I woke reminiscing the excellent moments we had during our last family vacation to Hawaii. Six months had passed and every time we ran through the videos with our preschooler, I would be reminded of the golden sunsets at Waikiki and the superb ocean views from our room. This must be one of our best vacations! Though my other half still complain and nag every now and then about my shopping indulgence and splurge, I know he had a lovely time himself too. He went for surfing lessons for the first time while I spent some quality time with my boy in DFS Galleria Waikiki and the Ala Moana mall – that was nice! Read the rest of this entry →

The chance to vacation in Hawaii is a rare opportunity for some people unless you are Jennifer Lopez or Angelina Jolie but I’m so thankful that I had the chance to do that last December. Nearly everyone daydreams about feeling the sand between their toes while sipping on a pina-colada. Well, we didn’t have pina colada but we did had a great time under the coconut trees – just like what you saw in the movies! So, if given the chance to visit Hawaii, it’s not likely one would pass it up.

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The weather should be warming up by now and some of you may be planning for a beach vacation in the coming months. When it comes to go on your beach vacation, it can be very hard to pick a destination. There are many places you can go, whether you want to explore the beaches of Hawaii or just play golf in Georgia. Read the rest of this entry →

If you are traveling to Waikiki with your family, finding an accommodation that is child-friendly can be a breeze with so many options in the island. From five star hotel apartments to budget apartments, you are spoilt for choices in Waikiki. Do be prepared to pay more if you want to be near the beach or if you like a beachfront view. Read the rest of this entry →

Whenever I check in to a hotel, I tend to notice the reception desk and the service staff, to see if the hotel has lived up to its reputation. My first encounter with Hilton Hawaiian Village had been a pleasant one – the staff was friendly and helpful and most importantly, there were sufficient service staff at the reception to assist the guests. Imagine waiting in line in front of a big reception area but there is only one person to help the hotel guests? Marriott Waikiki reception staff are commendable too. We checked in early on that morning and they were helpful in settling us in though the intended room reserved for us wasn’t ready.

I believe a nice hotel team makes me feel that the rates I paid for is worth the while. Most importantly, it helps to determine if I will be back again.

The nice thing about traveling is that I get to shop for unique gemstone jewelry whenever I find the opportunity. When we were in Oahu, we took a drive to the North Shore and I found this beautiful Mother of Pearl pendant crafted by a local artist. Without any hesitation, I bought the lovely piece to remind myself of this beautiful island. Read the rest of this entry →

I’ve been telling all my friends about the great cruising experience we had with the Norwegian Cruise Line since we returned. Opposed to lots of critics and negative remarks, we thought the Pride of America was a wonderful cruise liner to sail with. We enjoyed the itinerary and various ports of call, the food, service and facilities. One of my favourite things was to wake up in the morning and sit at the balcony whiling enjoying some ocean breeze.

Of all the ports of call, I enjoyed Kona and Maui though Kauai was nice too. Hilo was abit gloomy that day and we didn’t catch any rainbows at the falls. Kona is a nice village to walk around and spend a lazy afternoon with lots of surf shops ready to entice the ardent shoppers.

Here are some of the photos taken in the cruise ship and various ports of call… you can see that our little three year old was having a real good time!

Well, it hasn’t been easy blogging when you are on the road, especially if you are moving about with a little child. It has been two weeks since we left for our vacation and we’ve been moving about in Hawaii in Waikiki, The Big Island, Maui and Kauai. Read the rest of this entry →

It has been an amazing week in Waikiki – lovely sunshine, clear skies, beautiful weather… we had so much fun. We rented a car and drove Oahu island, explored our way in Hanauma Bay Reserve on the first day, then to Kailua and the North Shore on the second. Read the rest of this entry →