World Family Travellers

Ayla Golf Club-Aquabah Jordan

2022-05-01T10:38:00.001-06:00

On our first trip to The Middle East December 2019-2020, we stopped in Aquabah Jordan. We enjoyed our time there so much, that we ended up going back in 2022.

While there, Mason and I got out to play a little golf at Jordan's first all grass golf course called Ayla Golf Club. The course was designed by Greg Norman. Jordan was the first Middle Eastern Muslim country we'd ever visited, so it was an interesting experience to be playing golf with the calls to prayer rolling through the valley.

As one would expect with a Norman designed course, they lay-out was excellent. The course isn't particularly long, but there is a fair amount of wind which is its defense. There were some extemely deep bunkers and even a few water hazards. The course was very well kept and the staff was very friendly. The round was about $100, which included use of the practice facility.

We had a great experience on this course and would recommend it.

Waiʻalae Country Club

2022-04-30T10:22:00.009-06:00

I've been lucky to play Wai'alae Country Club several times thanks to a good friend, Derek Kamm, that is a member. In February, 2021 we went to Oahu where Gwen was going to school. Mason had really taken up golf the year before, so we reached out to my friend and he was kind enough to get us out. It's a great course, amazing vibe, and we had an awesome afternoon together.

Lake Powell 2020

2022-04-30T10:05:00.002-06:00

We did a family reunion with the Chandler side of the family to Lake Powell. We took this trip in June a month before my dad passed away. He wasn't able to join us, but the trip brought the family together and the closeness we gained carried over to working together through the challenges of losing our dad.

We were lucky to stay at Jen and Loyal's houseboat. It was the first real vacation after covid. The kids had a great time and loved hanging out with cousins. Mason took up surfing and Gwen sped through canyons on waverunners. Lake Powell is officially Mason's favorite place on earth.

Hotel Review: The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa

2021-04-11T22:04:00.003-06:00

We drove from the Ras Al Khaimah to Abu Dhabi to spend two nights at Abu Dhabi. The Westin Resort sits next to the Abu Dhabi Golf Club that hosts HSBC Open on the European Tour. We didn't spend much time in the city of Abu Dhabi, we mostly just hung out at the resort and did an excursion one day to go dune busting.

The hotel is very reminiscent of a golf resort in Scottsdale or Palm Desert. It was large with an excellent pool, excellent gym, great restaurants and large lobby. Like the large golf resorts found in the U.S., it was also a bit isolated and not easily accessable to non resort dining. I don't have a bad thing to say about this place. It was lovely. Katie and Gwen got in their groove at the gym and Mason and I had a fun day playing golf. The thought I had multiple times, and I'm not saying it was a bad thing but not ideal either, is "this doesn't feel like I'm outside the U.S."

We did book someone to take us Dune Busting. We took a Toyota Land Cruiser about 45 minutes outside the city to a vast pink desert filled with sand hills. When we left the pavement and entered the desert, our driver let a good portion of air out of the tires and began charging hard up and over the dunes. We rode along some of the dunes practically sideways and I still don't know how we didn't roll over. I ate too much for breakfast and the adventure didn't sit too well with my stomache. I had the driver pull over so I could throw up and he told me it happens all the time. I took a good deal of razzing from the rest of the family.

We'd love to get back to Abu Dhabi and explore more. I don't know that we would pick this same hotel again unless it was just Mason and I going for a hardcore golf vacation. There are still so many amazing properties in the area left to visit.

Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach

2021-04-11T21:33:00.008-06:00

Ras Al Khaimah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is close to the Straight of Hormuz and the UAE's closest point to Iran. The area is quite mountainous relatively remote. It is certainly less traveled than other parts of UAE like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We plan to go back to UAE and Ras Al Khaimah is atop our list of areas we'd like to explore more.

The Ritz-Carlton resort at Ras Al Khaimah is a very unique property. There are only 32 villas at this resort. The villas sit along a narrow penisula facing the Persian Gulf. When we arrived at the resort, after checking in, we were boarded on a water taxi and taken across a small bay to the villas.

Our villa was gorgeous. It was surrounded by high shrubs to allow for privacy. Out the back door was a large plunge pool, outdoor shower, a patio and a covered cabana. We had high intentions for fun when we arrived at the resort including the world's longest zipline in Ras Al Khaimah. But, the villa and outdoor area was so serene and amazing, we hung out there pretty much the whole day. The only thing we did other than lounging around for 5 straight days was one round of golf Mason and I played and going shopping at the mall every morning to buy drinks, chips and fruit to eat as we sat by our plunge pool.

The Ritz-Carlton is pricey. Luckily we had a bunch of Marriott points to pay for the 5 night stay. Next door to the Ritz is a Hilton and next to that a Waldorf Astoria. Both are very reasonable. The golf course next to the property is managed by Troon Golf and was a ton of fun. There were a fair amount of water that required pretty good shots, the greens were in great shape, and bunkers were in perfect condition. It was lit for night golfing and Mason and I finished our round the dark. This was my first night golf experience and it was pretty cool.

Loved this resort and loved this stop on our first Middle East vacation. We'd love to go back to this location at some point.

Hotel Review: JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

2021-04-11T20:11:00.004-06:00

Our family stayed in The JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai for New Years Eve 2020. It was a very memorable experience to stand at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa and ring in the New Year as fireworks rolled up and down the world's tallest building. Like everything else in Dubai, the experience was orderly, clean and over the top.

Katie booked us two nights at the JW Marriott Marquis because we wanted to be in the city for New Years. The hotel itself is in Dubai's downtown, surrounded by gorgeous skyscrapers, close the world's largest hotel and views of the Burj Khalifa. The hotel itself is 2 towers connected by a skybridge and the tallest hotel in the world.

Our room was an amazing suite on the 77th floor, just 5 floors from the top. As far as suites we've stayed in that weren't part of a resort, this room would rank as one of the best, along with Marriott in Bangkok. It had a walk in closet, window seat, gorgeous bathroom. The hotel had several amazing restaurants, but we never ate at any of them because the club lounge was the best we've come across anywhere in the world. There are so many amazing places to stay in Dubai, that I'm sure when we go back we'll want to try a new place. There are certainly hotels closer the beach that have a resort feel. The Palm or the Harbour areas would be fun places to stay. But it will be difficult to not want to stay in this hotel again.

View from our JW Marriott Marquis room in Dubai

Hotel Review: Petra Marriott Hotel

2021-04-11T19:49:00.004-06:00

No trip to Jordan would be complete without seeing Petra. Like many, I was introduced to Petra through Indiana Jones as a kid. When I saw the show, I didn't think the buildings carved into the sandstone were real. I don't think I found out they were real until I was in my 20s. Once I found that out, I really wanted to see Petra.

We drove from Aqaba to Petra. It was an interesting drive that reminded me of Southern Utah. Eventually we arrived at the Marriott Hotel that sits on a bluff overlooking the canyons of Petra. The hotel itself was clearly dated, but as we experienced everywhere in Jordan, the staff was so nice and helpful. They upgraded us to the largest room in the building. Frankly, it was about the size of a standard US hotel room. But the gesture was much appreciated. Our room had a lovely view of the sunset.

The restaurant served a buffet style dinner that gave us a chance to try many of the foods that we wouldn't have otherwise tried and everything was deilicious. The pool was closed, but it was winter time and pretty chilly.

Petra itself was an amazing experience. Taking the final turn through the slot canyon and seeing the Treasury standing in front of us was unforgettable. From there, our guide took us around Petra and showed us the amazing sites built into the sandstone. The guide for the day was about $150, a very reasonable price for his knowledge of the area and how well he took care of us.

We didn't stay in Petra for long. We were there just two nights. The hotel itself wasn't a highpoint. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing special about it either. Like any place, you pay extra for a Marriott to have a predictable stay, and this hotel was alright. But the experience of visiting Petra itself was a 10!

Hotel Review: Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Saraya Aqaba

2021-03-14T21:45:00.002-06:00

From Jerusalem, we rented a car and drove south the town of Eilat. It's a small resort town in Israel that sits on the Gulf of Aqaba. Just south of the city is the border with Egypt. Just east of the city is the border with Jordan. We dropped off our rental car in Eilat and the car rental agency drove us to the border crossing. We took our luggage and walked across the border into Jordan. It was relatively easy. We did stop in a room and answered a few questions, but were quickly on our way.

Once we were back in Jordan, we took a taxi to the Al Manara Hotel. The hotel sits on the water and is just outside the city center. It was a gorgeous hotel and priced well. We booked two rooms, ended up getting a nice suite and wouldn't have needed the extra room, but for some reason, Gwen thought it was nice to have some space.

The hotel would probably be one of the top 10 if not top 5 hotels we've stayed in. The pool was amazing, the gym was nice, the rooms had amazing Arabic architecture. The only thing that keeps me from making it a certain top 5 was the hotel breakfast wasn't as good as we've had.

We spent time in the town center. Aqaba is supposedly the backdrop for Alladin from The Arabian Nights. The town had a great energy to it and many of the shop keepers were quite excited to learn we were from the US. Apparently, US tourism had really slowed after the Arab Spring. Every shop we went into gave us free treats and went out of their way to ask if we were enjoying ourselves.

Jerusalem, Israel

2021-03-14T21:03:00.000-06:00

Just before Christmas in 2019, we spent 4 nights in Jerusalem. It's one of those locations that hang over any traveler but particularly so if you're raised in a religious home. For us, Jerusalem represents the Mount of Olives, the Crusafiction, the Resurrection. Although Christ ministered throughout the surrounding area, it's Jerusalem that respresents the epicenter of Christ's life.

We crossed into Jerusalem through a Palestinian controlled area. The city itself is beautiful and felt more like a European city coming from Amman. Our transport from the border crossing dropped us off in the cetner of the city, close to the old Walled City of Jerusalem. We couldn't really orient ourselves so we grabbed a taxi, later realizing we were only a few blocks away from our Airbnb.

We spent several days just walking and exploiring the city. Our Airbnb was in a great location, just a block away from Jafa Street. Katie and Gwen went on some morning runs around the city and felt very safe.

We did a daylong walking tour through the Old City. So much history in such a small place. It was so interesting to see that depsite Jerusalem beint the center of Judaism, the city is an amalgamation of the three major global religions.

We spent the Sabbath at The BYU Jerusalem Center atop the Mount of Olives. The view over the city was beautiful. After church, we walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane. Along the way we saw the hillside covered in tombs, including the tomb of Schindler.

After our third day, we rented a car and drove south to cross the border back into Jordan. The drive was several hours, a couple of them along the Dead Sea. We enjoyed our time in Jerusalem. We probably didn't dive as deep into the history as many would have. Our time there was quick, but the Old City is so centralized and easy to navigate, you really can take it in over a couple days.

Hotel Review: W Amman

2021-03-14T20:19:00.000-06:00

We started our trip through the Middle East by flying into Amman, Jordan. Because some countries do not allow flights into their country originating from Israel, we decided to fly into Jordan, cross over into Israel, evenutally cross back into Jordan and then fly on to UAE.

We spent two nights at the W Amman. The entry to the hotel was interesting, trying to replicate the narrow passageways leading to Petra. While checking in there were several guests dressed in Star Wars outfits because so much of the recent Star Wars movie was recorded in Wadi Rum.

We had a nice upgrade to a corner suite with an amazing view of the city. The breakfast served by the hotel was absolutly the best hotel breakfast we've had at any hotel we've ever stayed at...period. They had an excellent gym and rooftop pool. Everything about this hotel was great.

Just outside was a very nice upscale street and mall. We went to a movie and ate schwarma at the foodcourt. We also found a place across the street from the hotel to do laundry.

During our brief stay in the Amman area, we took a rental car drive along the dead sea and drove over Mount Nebo.

The only thing that was a bit odd was how little knowledge the conseriege had about crossing into Israel. There are 3 major boarder crossing from Jordan into Israel. The crossing closest to Amman and Jersusalem is The King Hussein Bridge crossing. Very few Jordanians have ever actually crossed the boarder. When we asked the conceriege their advice, they said to just grab an Uber and cross at The King Hussein Bridge. The problem was it's not a very organized place to cross and when we arrived at 3:00, we were told they were done crossing for the day and there was a general sense of chaos. Eventually they found a bus driver and sent us and a couple from Canada across the border. It was a pretty intense crossing with machine guns, long lines, very little English, but a travel experience.

We were on to Israel, but just our brief exposure to Jordan was positive and we were looking forward to our return. Jordan was the first Islamic country we've visited. We'd been to Indonesia, but stayed primarily in Hindu Bali. The people we met were very hospitable, the food was delicious and we felt safe in Amman. We were off to a good start.

Hotel Review: Westin Costa Navarino

2020-05-27T23:15:00.000-06:00

We ended our trip to Greece at the Westin Costa Navarino. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive from the Athens airport to the west coast of Greece and the Westin Costa Navarino. The drive itself was through the center of the country over the tall mountain peeks of the center of Greece. There were lots of tolls along the way, but the drive was one of the highlights of our trip.

The Westin is a massive resort unlike any we've seen in Europe. It would rival some of the massive resorts we've seen in the US like Hawaii, Scottsdale, and Palm Springs. There was definitely a western resort type feel the place that was initially a bit offputting. The resort had a golf course, bowling alley, huge gym, kids splash pad, soccer field, many pools, many restaurants, library, go cart track and more. We were there a week before European soccer players were to report for training and several were staying at the resort including Kevin De Bruyne, Christiano Rinaldo and our friends from the pool, Michael Dawson.

It's probably one of the most over the top resorts in Europe and I'm sure high on most Europeans list to visit. It grew on us over time, but not so much for the resort itself, but for the area itself. Dinners at the seaside town of Gialova (loved the restaurant Elia), eating icecream at sunset in Pylos, hikes near Voufrades, the beautiful bay of Romanos. The vibe was so comfortable for a tourist to settle right in.

Our hotel room was a lovely suite that the hotel manager from Blue Palace called ahead and requested in behalf. It was clean and quite modern. We were close to the lobby which was convenient for the gym, pool and soccer field. It was however, a long distance from the beach.

The beach was a small pebble rock beach with crystal clear water. It was very tidy and not easily accessable for the public. Rows and rows of beach chairs, so we didn't have to wait. It was super hot, but a great place to chill.

Things we liked:

The beach
The little towns just outside the resort
Several nice pools
Great rooms
The golf course

Things we didn't like:

The food at the resort
The resort was a bit oversized

Things we did:

Lots of lounging around
Played golf
Mason played soccer daily

Hotel Review: Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, Crete

2020-05-27T21:47:00.000-06:00

This may be one of the most visually stunning hotels we've ever been to. It was a picture of the Blue Palace from a screensaver that inspired Katie's desire to travel to Greece.

The Blue Palace is on the eastern side of Crete near a town called Plaka. It is built into a hillside overlooking Spinalonga, a fortified island. The beach is a beautiful white rock beach with chairs covered with umbrellas and a dock jutting out into the crystal clear water. Mason thought enjoyed jumping off the pier with a little net, trying to catch fish. It was a fun funicular ride from the lobby down to the beach.

Our room was a gorgeous two bedroom on the far side of the resort. I believe there were only 2 or 3 rooms booked in the entire building. It had a pool that we never once saw another person using. It was also home to the book exchange/library. There was a lovely balcony where we enjoyed a warm summer breeze.

The hotel is fairly large but we never felt crowded. That might be because we were in a distant building not attached to the lobby, but even on the beach or in the lobby it never felt crowded. For dinner, just 1/2 mile down the road were a group of small local restaurants on the beach with delcious food that were very reasonably priced.

It's been awhile since I've put together a list of my favorite hotels and resorts, but this property would be in my top 5.

Crete is an amazing with island with culture, large cities, small quaint towns, perfect little ocean side restaurants, delicious food and friendly people.

Things we liked:

The fun dock on the beach
Several large, uncrowded pools
The views
An amazing breakfast
It's very quiet, enough activity, but very peaceful

Things we didn't like:

We were forced to book a 2 bedroom because the resort wouldn't allow 4 people in a standard room

Things we did:

Visited the Cave of Zeus
Ate dinner in a cute courtyard of a tiny Greek town
Layed around the beach and just enjoyed the vibe

Hotel Review: White Harmony Suites Santorini

2020-05-27T15:50:00.000-06:00

Can you even say you've been to Greece if you don't visit Santorini?

We were very pleased with our stay at White Harmony Suites. So much of the traffic and attention in Santorini centers around the cliff side views. Those views are amazing, but those parts of the island can also be very busy and bustling with tourists.

White Harmony Suites is in a little town called Megalochori. It's such a cute little town with a church whose bell rings on the hour, a nice little town square and some excellent restaurants. It's away from the hustle and bustle where the cruise ships drop off their passengers.

The property is just 4 units. It's only a 3 minute walk to the town square when you're in the mood for an ice cream or something to eat. We bought a few items from the market for our room and packed lunches for our daily activities. The suites have a nice little kitchen if you're in the mood to cook. Rooms were spacious and the AC worked well.

The room was cleaned nicely everyday and the check-in process was simple with a very friendly staff. They helped us arrange a rental car for our time on the island at a very good price. Parking is easy and it was nice having a car to explore the island. We would recommend this property to anyone visiting Santorini.

What we liked:

The cute little town
The friendly staff
The size of the units for our family of 4

What we didn't like:

Our stay was perfect

What we did on Santorini:

Explored the entire island including

Mera Beach
Black Beach
Akrotiri Lighthouse
Oia

Megalochori

Magalochori

Hotel Review: Fresh Hotel Athens

2020-05-27T15:02:00.000-06:00

I'll try to remain unbiased on my opinion of the Fresh Hotel in Athens because I wasn't impressed with Athens in general.

We needed to find a hotel in Athens and options for a family of 4 were somewhat limited. We chose the Fresh Hotel because it appeared clean and rooms were relatively inexpensive, so we could book 2 rooms.

Overall impressions: alright.

Things we liked:

Lobby was pleasant
Front desk workers were friendly
Breakfast was delicious
Rooms were clean

Things we didn't like:

Although the center of town was walkable from our room, it wasn't the nicest part of town
Outside the hotel was dirty
The rooms were extremly small

Things we did in Athens:

Visited the Parthenon
Enjoyed some Greek restaurants

Dune Busting in Dubai

2020-05-27T14:30:00.000-06:00

Hotel Review: Residence Inn London Bridge

2020-05-27T13:46:00.002-06:00

On our trip to Greece, we routed through London and decided to spend a couple days since we'd never been there before.

Hotel rates in London can be quite expensive in the summertime, especially with name brands. After looking at several options, we went with the Residence Inn London Bridge. The hotel is tucked away in fairly nondescript neighborhood a short walking distance from the Shard. It was convenient to a couple little restaurants, a grocery store and public transportation.

The room was sizable, with a bedroom, separate living room with pull out bed and couch, which worked well for our family. The lobby is inviting with a large sitting area for relaxing if you feel the need to leave the room. Breakfast was limited, but very European style in their offerings. I'm not sure I would choose this hotel again if it were just Katie and I, but it suited us well for our family of four.

Pros:

Branded hotel - Marriott Points!
Reasonably priced
Spacious

Cons:

If you want to be in the action, this hotel is a bit out of the way
Price for a taxi to the hotel during traffic - $100

Things we did in London

Went to see the play School of Rock
Ate a delicious pot pie
Saw the Queen

Hotel Review: Kamandalu Ubud

2019-08-25T22:29:00.002-06:00

There are so many great resorts to choose from in Ubud that it's difficult to go wrong. The Kamandalu Resort is ranked #54 of 270 hotels listed in Ubud, but we thought it was one of the neatest little hotels we've ever stayed in.

Infinity Pool at Kamandalu

Yoga studio at Kamandalu

Kamandalu is about 10 minutes up the road from the major shopping streets in Ubud. It is strikes a good balance of being close if you choose to leave the resort to shop or eat, but enough distance that you're not smack dab in the middle of all the craziness of Ubud.

The lobby was large and spacious, with windows overlooking the resorts own terraced rice fields. As we headed to our room, we had to walk across a little a walking bridge over a pond. From there, we opened a large Balinese carved wood door to our own villa, outdoor shower included. The room is surrounded by windows that look over the river below the resort and it feels like you're surrounded by jungle. I was shocked that this villa was less than $200 a night!

The resort had a large pool, but an even better infinity pool tucked away from the rest of the resort with some delicious bar drinks. The only downside was that there wasn't a gym on property. They were kind enough to shuttle us to a nearby local gym.

I would absolutely recommend this hotel!

There is so much to do in Ubud. Our time there was the highlight of our trip to Bali. The city itself is full of so many great shops and art that I felt we could have spent 10 days in Ubud alone. We did a bike tour that went through many lesser seen parts of Bali including a cool bamboo forrest. We also went river running trip and visit to the terraced rice fields.

Katie enjoying the cold waterfall

A neat private waterfall at the end of our bike riding tour

A very cool old Balinese town visited during our bike riding tour

Gwen and Mason preparing for our river rafting trip

Beautiful rice terraces of Bali

Bike riding tour through Bali

2018 Travel Summary

2019-05-05T17:33:00.001-06:00

Places Visited in 2018

Sunset on New Years Eve 2018 in Khao Oak

January

Kuala Lumpur

Siem Reap

Phuket

Las Vegas

San Diego

Indianapolis

Siem Reap

February

Phoenix

Cancun

March

Las Vegas

San Francisco

April

San Francisco

May

San Francisco

June

Phoenix

Bolivia

Fish Lake

Fish Lake, Utah

July

Bali

Lombok

Bali

August

RSL Soccer Game

September

Paris

October

November

December

Bangkok

Vietnam

Christmas Day in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Hotel Review: Sheraton Senggigi Beach, Lombok

2019-05-05T16:50:00.000-06:00

A truck full of kids in Lombok

After spending about 5 days in Nusa Dua, Bali, I was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic and on a whim we decided to book flights to visit the next island over called Lombok, the "unspoiled Bali." We checked to see if there were any Marriott affiliated hotels and found the Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort.

New friends at Kuta Beach

Flights from Bali to Lombok are inexpensive with several airlines to choose from. We took Garuda, a partner with Delta, and found the airline to be quite nice. Wheels up to wheels down was only about 25 minutes, although the taxiing in Bali can be time consuming, for a total flight time of around 50 minutes.

Lombok has recently opened their new airport in late 2011. It's in the central part of the island. The drive to Senggigi is about an hour. However, many of the roads are single lane which can slow down the travel time.

Our initial thought while driving to the airport was "this is more what we had in mind." Lombok is scenic, slow paced and much less developed than Bali. It is still heavily populated with some 3.3 million people as compared to the 4.5 million people in Bali, however it just didn't have that concrete, beach bar, high-rise hotel Waikiki feeling that you find in southern Bali. Much of the island is agricultural. We were there during the season where they burn the rice fields to prepare for the next season plantings, but anywhere we passed fields that hadn't been burned, we caught a glimpse of how green and beautiful the island is.

We got around primarily hiring taxis for the day for a cost of about $60. The drivers were quite friendly and one quickly added me as a FB friend :). Their knowledge of the island helped us with a realistic itinerary. There were several things on the island we considered doing, but since we were only there a couple days, we had to be selective. Two things we missed out on doing were the waterfalls of northern Lombok and the pink beach of eastern Lombok. We did spend a day at Gili Air and another day visiting many of the beaches on southern Lombok, including Mawun and Selong beaches, two of the most beautiful beaches I've seen.

Selong Beach

Gwen on Selong Beach

Mawun Beach

As for the Sheraton Senggigi Resort, it was alright. I've looked at reviews, which are very high, and I don't really get it. Trying to be objective, perhaps my impression isn't totally fair. For instance, the furniture in our room was pretty run down and tired, the beach was fairly dirty and the resort itself didn't have the same level of upkeep and maintenance we would find at a JW or Ritz resort. That said, pictures I've seen of the rooms online leads me to believe there are rooms that have been updated and considering we booked very last minute, I wasn't expecting an upgrade, let alone one of their better rooms. We were there during an epic two weeks of intense waves, so I'm sure that had something to do with the trash on the beach. As for general upkeep, I had to remind myself that the room was about 1/3 the price of most JW or Ritz resorts.

There were two great things about the hotel that stood out. First, the staff was exceptionally friendly. They were quite attentive but not in an obtrusive way. Second, the pool was excellent. It was large with many little nooks for lounge chairs that didn't give the impression that it was super packed.

Things We Liked:

Although busy, Selong beach may be one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen
Gili Islands have a cool vibe. We only spent one day on Gili Air, but enjoyed snorkeling and biking around the island. Tip: Even though we only did a day trip, we paid for a room to store our backpacks, towels and shower off after playing in the sand and beach, it was very convenient
A less commercialized version of Bali
Backpacker feel of Gili Air
The friendly people

Things We Didn't Like:

We were awoken one morning by a 6.2 earthquake. It was unsettling to be shaken out of your bed and not know if the walls might fall down or a tsunami was on its way
Travel time for any of the activities we wanted to do, was a minimum one hour from Senggigi

Mason and Gwen Gili Air

Lunch restaurant at Gili Air

Katie and Scott at Kuta Beach

Katie and kids on Selong Beach, Lombok

Hotel Review: The Ritz Carlton, Bali

2019-04-28T15:48:00.000-06:00

During the summer of 2018 we took a two week trip to Bali. We were able to book the Ritz Carlton using Marriott Reward Points. The entire resort was beautiful.

We passed through metal detectors to enter the lobby, but found the check-in process to be top notch with a friendly staff that took care of everything while we enjoyed an open air view of the ocean high atop a cliff. Only the lobby, a couple restaurants and conference space. You take an elevator down the cliff side to the grounds where the rooms, pools and beach are found.

Lobby view from Ritz Carlton Nusa Dua Bali

We had booked a standard room with points, but because Katie was Gold with Marriott, they upgraded us to a Junior Suite with a pool entrance. This upgrade was perfect because the room had a walk in closet to hide all our luggage, two queen beds and a fun pool right off the back patio of our room. I loved taking a quick dive in the pool every morning after a run.

The hotel itself is part of Nusa Dua, but not on the beautiful strip of sand where most of the other hotels sit (Westin, St Regis, Hyatt). Rather, it's around a cliff which means even if you were up for the 2 or so mile walk to where the other Nusa Dua hotels lie, you couldn't exactly walk there. Because of this, I would say the Ritz Carlton is the perfect hotel for couples or honeymooners, but maybe not the best location if you're with kids and need to fill your day with activities. Every time we left the hotel to do any kind of activity, whether it was surf lessons at Kuta Beach, a day trip to Ubud or even leaving the hotel for dinner, it would generally be at least an hour in the taxi.

One thing that is fairly close to the hotel is Uluwatu Temple. The temple is known for its monkeys who can sometimes be quite aggressive. Occasionally those monkeys will find themselves all the way over on the grounds of the Ritz Carlton. We did have a larger one bare its teeth and scamper toward us blocking our way from the gym to our room one afternoon. Not going to lie, it really scared us. Good news is, I'm still faster than our kids and think the monkey would have been satisfied with two victims. Luckily, it didn't follow through on its threats.

There were a few of the Ritz Carlton touches that were fun. The hotel has a running trail around the resort where they have ice water and chilled towels at several stations along the trail. There is coy pond with fish food for the guests to feed. Complimentary fresh fruit and drinks were often brought by as we sat by the pool.

The surf was absolutely pumping during our stay at the hotel. The hotel beach was exposed to the direction of the surf which means we didn't see the beach at its best and certainly couldn't get in the water. It also made it difficult for the 3 day surf school we had booked for our kids. They went the first day and it was a bit rougher than they were used to. The second day was too much for Mason and rough for Gwen. We didn't go back the third day.

One lovely little find was a restaurant just outside hotel row in Nusa Dua called Raja Bali. It was highly rated on TripAdvisor and with good reason. It was a delicious way to try out Balinese food.

Things We Did

Odyssey Surf School
Raja Bali
Tegenungan Waterfall

Things We Liked

The room was amazing
The staff was super friendly
The food was delicious

Things We Didn't Like

The beach wasn't super nice
The hotel was a little remote

HEFY Bolivia Andes (Cochabamba)

2018-08-20T14:06:00.000-06:00

(Gwen's summary of her humanitarian trip to Bolivia)

Recently I had the opportunity to do a humanitarian trip to the poorest country in South America, Bolivia. I went with an organization called HEFY. We traveled with 23 total people, 3 adults and 20 kids (boys and girls ages 16-18) from all over America. There was a trip coordinator that lives in the area and would choose which restaurants to eat at and things to do. The trip was very well planned and none of us were allowed to have our phones or electronics, so we could focus on making friends and helping others. While we were in Bolivia our goal was to build a house for sexually abused children. The house would be built on a huge piece of land called the “Land of Children” located in Cochabamba, a city of 630,000 people and the 4th largest city in Bolivia. The Land of Children already had many houses, and schools filled with children ages 0-18. We were in Bolivia for 17 days.

Day 1-3

For the first 3 days we did the “adventure” part of the trip. We stayed in a city called Trinidad. Trinidad is a city in north-central Bolivia in a part of the country that is very green and tropical. During our stay we stayed in an animal refugee camp called Chuchini Lodge. This is their website and the video on the website shows the lodge very well https://www.chuchini.org/. I would give Chuchini Lodge a 10/10. To get to there we took a boat through a river called Rio Ibare. Rio Ibare is one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries. The lodge sat on a huge piece of land east on the side of the river. The rooms were clean, and the owner, Ephraim, is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.

The day we arrived we unpacked our things and went back on the boat to go catch caymans. Caymans are basically just smaller alligators. The owner, Ephraim, went with us to help spot the caymans. Within the first 10 minutes, just using a flashlight, he caught 6 caymans. He passed the caymans around and everyone had a chance to hold them.

The next day we went on the boat and drove around the river. The river was very beautiful. While on the river we saw many different types of animals like freshwater pink dolphins, 5 foot long alligators, these weird beaver looking things, and 2 anacondas. While we were on the river Ephraim saw an anaconda, so he made the driver pull the boat up next to it. There were two snakes so he had to wrestle them and grabbed one. It was the craziest thing i’ve ever seen!

Once we were done holding anacondas and looking for alligators we arrived at this little bay. We got off and went onto the beach. Instead of having sand the beach had mud. The mud was very interesting because the water would go under it and create a sensation where felt like a waterbed, and if we broke through the top layer it would turn into a quicksand type mud. It was so fun to play around in it! We played capture the flag in the mud and then ate lunch. When we were going back to the lodge we stopped and caught piranhas. This day was one of my all time favorite days I’ve had on a trip. The next day we went fishing and hiking on the property. Then we flew to the next place where we would be staying for the rest of the trip, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Days 3-17

Once we arrived in Cochabamba, I quickly realized the scenery was quite different than Trinidad, it was a lot higher elevation, very dry and brown surrounded by mountains.

Weekdays:

During the weekdays our schedule stayed pretty consistent. We woke up around 7 and ate breakfast at the hostel we were staying at (http://www.hostellaslilas.com/ ). Then after breakfast around 7:45, we would go on a bus to our worksite. Around noon, we would eat lunch provided by the school. It usually consisted of soup, some sort of meat, and a little dessert. The lunch ladies were the nicest ladies ever. Then we would go back outside to work on the house until around 1:00, then go back to the hostel to get ready for dinner. When we got back to the hostel we would have around an hour to change and get clean. Every night we went out to eat at different restaurants in the city. The trip coordinator would choose the restaurant, and every single restaurant was very delicious and everyone in the group enjoyed the food.

Near the end of the trip our group started to get really ahead on the work project so we got to play with the children that lived there more. Although most of us only had a limited knowledge of Spanish it was still really fun to play soccer, basketball, or color with the little kids living there. We also opened an English school there and got to teach the little kids English with the help of some of the adults.

Weekends:

The weekend schedule was very different. Saturdays we would go and see the tourist sites and Sundays we would go to church, relax and do stuff with the ward.

One Saturday we got up at 2am and drove on a bus for 6 hours to get to a national park called Torotoro. The bus ride was a extremely bumpy on a dirt road, no one had electronics, hardly anyone slept, but the destination was worth it. When we arrived at the national park we went on a 3 hour hike. It was a beautiful hike and also pretty challenging because the elevation was around 10,000 feet. Some people even had a little elevation sickness. We then ate lunch. After lunch we went spelunking through two tectonic plates. We got on the gear and went into the cave. I have been on a lot of trips through the years and I have to say spelunking in Bolivia is probably the coolest and most fun thing I’ve ever done on a trip. The cave was huge, and we were down there hiking for about 3½ hours. At times we had to army crawl through small places and slide down rocks. We also got to see a crystal clear lake that was in the cave. After the caves we got back on the bus and drove the long 6 hours back to our hostel.

The next day was Sunday. We went to church in the morning then got back ate lunch and relaxed. That evening our group split up into about 4 little groups and went with LDS missionaries to help preach the gospel. The missionary splits were another one of my favorite things we did there. We got to walk around the city and really see how the Bolivians lived and their lifestyle. It was also one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve ever had.

Activities:

After dinners we would have an activity. Because HEFY is an LDS organization, we would do some activities with the church members. Those activities included sports night and a youth dance. My favorite activity was on Tuesday night when we played soccer and basketball with the youth. Not surprisingly the Bolivians destroyed us in soccer and we destroyed them in basketball. The local members were excited to meet Americans. They were very welcoming. I was impressed how happy they were despite their humble circumstances. It was a great learning experience.

Other activities we did with just our group included going to a waterpark, going to a supermarket to exchange money and buy food. Another day we went souvenir shopping which was really fun. While shopping I got two sweaters made out of alpaca fur for only $14, the same sweaters in the US would cost at least $90.

Conclusion:

Overall this trip was amazing. I was able to meet and become best friends with kids that were from all over the country. I also became friends with kids that lived in the orphanage. Another thing I loved about this trip is how much we learned about their culture. Unlike most of the trips I’ve been on we didn’t stay in the touristy areas and went into locals homes and got to see the different culture firsthand. I also learned more Spanish in the two weeks I was there than the two years of Spanish I took in high school. The trip was very well planned and was a good mix of culture, work, fun, spirituality, service. I will forever be grateful for this experience and the friends I made in Bolivia.

This is a video of our trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afOYXrR8QTE

2017 Travel Summary

2018-03-18T22:05:00.000-06:00

2017 was a fun year for travel in our family. We put bookends on the year by returning from a trip to Asia and departing for a trip to Asia. In the middle we managed to visit NewYork, Spain and Portugal. I had to do more business travel than years past that included Las Vegas, San Francisco a lot, Denver and Chattanooga. Katie had a few business trips to places like Las Vegas, Chicago and Atlanta. We even managed to take a trip to where Gwen joined our family by going to Austin and San Antonio to celebrate her 16th birthday. We spent 70 days in hotel rooms in 2017

Here is what the year looked like by month.

January:

March:

San Francisco

May:

San Francisco
Las Vegas

June:

San Francisco
New York
Madrid
Porto

July:

August:

San Francisco
Denver

September:

Chicago
San Francisco
Lake Powell

October:

Atlanta
Chattanooga
San Francisco

November:

Austin
San Antonio
San Francisco

December:

San Francisco
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Phuket
Khao Lak

Itinerary: 2017 Asia Trip

2018-03-17T23:47:00.000-06:00

December 24-25 (Los Angeles)

Delta (Salt Lake City-Los Angeles)
Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel

December 25-26

Korean Air (LAX-Seoul-Phuket)

December 26-January 3 (Thailand)

Marriott Nai Yang (26-30)
JW Marriott Khao Lak (12/30-1/3)

January 3-5 (Malaysia)

Air Asia (Phuket-Kuala Lumpur)
JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur
Marriott Prutajaya

January 6 (Cambodia)

Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur-Siem Reap)
Anantara Siem Reap

January 7-10 (Thailand)

Air Asia (Siem Reap-Kuala Lumpur-Phuket)
JW Marriott Mai Khao

January 10

Korean Air (Phuket-Seoul-Los Angeles)
Delta (Los Angeles-SLC)

Hotel Review: Marriott Resort and Spa Nai Yang

2018-03-17T22:33:00.000-06:00

We booked the Marriott Nai Yang Resort because it was a short ride from the airport and we arrived extremely late. The pictures looked nice but we knew it wouldn't be at the same level as the JW Marriott Mai Khao Resort. It turned out to be a pleasant hotel. If not for the tide going way out from the resort, it would probably be an extremely popular hotel. As it is now, outside of Christmas/New Years when everything in Phuket is busy, it can be a very inexpensive property and a very good value.

Marriott Resort and Spa Nai Yang

We arrived super late and they had already made up our room. They didn't realize there would be 4 people and were so attentive about running down to make up an additional bed for the kids. It was a nice gesture and much appreciated after our long trip.

The room itself was fairly standard in size. There wasn't anything particularly special about it, other than the private cabana and lazy river entrance outside our room.

Nai Yang beach is about a 10 minute walk from the Marriott Resort. We walked over there every evening to just get off the resort and go to dinner. We ate some delicious Thai street food and the 5 dishes we shared cost just $11. Mason and I also went and got a haircut at a little salon in Nai Yang, but surprisingly, that cost just as much as it does in the US. The only problem with walking over to Nai Yang in the evening is that after about 8:00 the tide comes back in and cuts off the path to the hotel. We had to take a taxi back which is strangely about a 20 minute ride. The first night we made the mistake of taking a tuk tuk and just missed getting hit by a bus merging onto the highway.


Nai Yang Beach

What We Liked:

Great staff
Excellent breakfast buffet
Convenient location to the airport
The private caban

What We Didn't Like:

The beach in front of the resort

Mason ready to walk to Nai Yang

Gwen and Mason enjoying a sunset at Nai Yang Beach

Mason getting some fresh mango at Nai Yang Beach

Hotel Review: Anantara Angkor Resort

2018-02-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Flying into Siem Reap

We were extremely impressed by our stay at the Anantara in Phuket in 2017 that when we were looking for a hotel in Siem Reap and saw they had an Anantara, we quickly booked it. We were extremely happy we did.

From the minute we arrived, we were greeted by smiles and the most friendly staff. The General Manager was also there to greet us and assist at check in. I tried several times to carry my own bag and eventually gave up. This little boutique hotel only has 39 rooms but over 100 staff who truly feel it is their duty to take care of their guests. They anticipate your every need.

The rooms were amazing. They had it all prepared for the four of us with beds brought up to the room and made nicely. There was plenty of space to spread out despite the extra beds. It included an outdoor shower and even butler service. There were some nice touches like fresh fruit, drinks, bug spray and even a local cell phone for us to use when we were out, this came in handy for communicating with our tour guide.

Dinner at Anantara Angkor Wat

After a day of visiting the temples, it was so nice to spend time around the quiet but lovely salt water pool. Mason and I ordered some drinks and he swam until the sun set. We then ate at the hotel restaurant which was so lovely and had such amazing service.

On the day we checked out, we had a tight schedule between the floating village and when we needed to get to the airport. They couldn't extend our room because they had other guests arriving, but they blocked time at the spa for us to go use outdoor showers and change before our flight. They laid out towels, amazing smelling soaps and shampoos from the spa and we so accommodating. It was so considerate and capped off such a nice stay.

Floating Village

Gwen and Mason at Angkor Wat