Beach Oasis Retreat at the W Retreat & Spa Maldives

Every year when I’m planning my Big Trip I think, “how can this ever surpass last year’s trip?” And somehow, it always does. This year was no exception. I’ve had a few days at home now to reflect on my most recent whirlwind round-the-world adventure and it’s funny how a little time in familiar surroundings can help lend perspective to what was definitely an amazing journey.

It was my longest trip yet, not because it was intended to be but because when you’re dealing with mileage flights, that’s just sometimes how the availability cookie crumbles…and who am I to complain about an extra week or two? I added 10 new countries to my travel resume bringing my current country count to 115 (just typing that number gives me kind of a thrill).

Air France Business Class

Some of the countries I visited this year were new destinations that I’d dreamed of visiting for many years – Easter Island and the Maldives. And some were favorite destinations I can’t help but re-visit anytime I’m in that part of the world, like Bangkok and Auckland.

Thanks to my blossoming relationship with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and the growing popularity of this blog (thanks entirely to all of you), I was able to experience two of their most amazing properties at a media rate that better fit my globe-trotting RTW budget. Starwood’s newest W Retreat & Spa properties in Maldives and Koh Samui were jaw-dropping examples of exactly how I’d vacation if money were no object. They were two of the most luxurious properties I’ve ever visited in the most visually-stunning locations imaginable. Now that I’ve experienced these two, I simply can’t wait to see the others (W Retreat Vieques, Puerto Rico and W Retreat Seminyak, Bali) which are definitely going on the RTW #8 itinerary!

While my Starwood Platinum status has scored me some amazing upgrades on past RTW trips, this year was a new high in luxury digs. Beautiful suites in Malta, Mauritius, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and Hong Kong and villas with private pools in Maldives and Koh Samui had me feeling a little like a princess and have probably completely ruined me for all future business travel. Thank you, Starwood. You still hold the record for leaving me utterly speechless in the greatest number of countries.

An Easter Island picnic, explora-style

Even my five nights on Easter Island quickly went from budget to luxury when I was given the spur-of-the-moment opportunity to review the incredible Explora Rapa Nui resort for ecoluxhotels.com. A two-night stay at explora was a brilliant introduction to how this unique company truly allows guests to experience the authentic culture and native soul of their destination. I absolutely cannot wait for my next trip to Chile to see Patagonia and Atacama through the eyes of explora.

Since arriving home, the #1 question has been, “what was your favorite place?” That’s always a tough one and this year it’s so hard to choose a favorite. For pure luxury and beauty, I’d have to say the Maldives. For cultural experience, definitely Easter Island. And for pure adrenalin, it’s a toss-up between my lion encounter in Mauritius and my three action-packed days in Queenstown. Of course, if you’re looking for the perfect place to relax on a stunning South Pacific beach and not break the bank, it’s hard to top Vanuatu.

In case you missed any of the posts along the way, here they are again:

Jan 10          The Mystery of Easter Island

Jan 18          In Malta, There’s a Reason for Every Season

Jan 24          Mauritius: Lions, Beaches & Peaks…oh my!

Jan 26          The Garden Island of Réunion

Jan 29          24 Hours in Abu Dhabi

Jan 31          Heaven on Sand…The Magnificent Maldives

Feb 3           Sri Lanka: As Peace Prevails, Tourism Thrives

Feb 5           Koh Samui: Thailand’s Next Great Tourism Star

Feb 7           Everything’s Better in Bangkok

Feb 9           High-Octane Hong Kong & Mild-Mannered Macau

Feb 12          Marvelous Melbourne: Australia’s Second City

Feb 14          A Devil of a Time in Tasmania

Feb 15         Vibrant, Vivacious, Vanuatu: The Happiest Country in the World

Feb 19          Queenstown, NZ: Kiwi King of Alpine Adventure

This may have been my longest trip yet but when my friend Susan joined me in Paris and came along for the ride through Hong Kong, she proved that you can circumnavigate the globe in just two short weeks and still have the time of your life. Can’t take a month off from work? Susan is living proof that you don’t have to. So stop letting the realities of day-to-day life get in the way of your own trip of a lifetime and start planning your RTW adventure now. The world awaits.

44 days, 6 continents, 19 cities in 16 countries…I may not have won a million dollars, but I am definitely the winner of my very own Amazing Race.

‘Til next year…

Fit for a Queen, the beautiful city of Queenstown

Still basking in the happy glow of Vanuatu, I landed in one of my favorite cities in the world – Auckland, New Zealand. But on this trip Auckland is merely an idyllic stopover on the way to my true destination, Queenstown. I have one night in Auckland on each end of my Queenstown stop to enjoy my favorite restaurants and the summer energy of this great city. With only a one night stopover, my usual apartment rental was not an option and unfortunately the Westin I’ve stayed at before is no longer a Westin so I had to resort to the hotel I stayed at on my first visit to New Zealand, the Hilton Auckland.

One perfect day in Auckland

Located right at the end of Princes Wharf with marvelous harbor views, the Hilton is beautiful but usually pretty expensive so I’ve avoided it on my last few trips. But thanks to Hilton’s new cash and points redemption option (borrowed liberally from one of my favorite features of the Starwood program) I was able to get a decent deal on a room.

It was a perfect, sunny day and after checking in and dropping my bags in the room I headed right back out to the Viaduct to enjoy the afternoon. I stopped for dinner at my favorite restaurant (Buffalo) for what just might be the best New Zealand green-lipped mussels on the planet – paired, of course, with a deliciously fruity Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Heaven on earth and the best meal I’d had since Thailand.

The next morning I lightened my load a bit by leaving a bag with the bell desk to be retrieved on my last night in Auckland and headed back to the airport for the short hop down to the South Island and the charming lakeside town of Queenstown.

From the happiest country in the world (Vanuatu) to the town voted as the friendliest in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine it seemed I’d just traded island bliss for alpine paradise. From the minute I stepped out of the airport, the clean air and the fragrant aroma of pine engulfed me. It was just a short ride to my hotel, the Kawarau Hilton, situated right on Lake Wakatipu just across from Queenstown. The hotel had just opened a few months prior and everything about it was shiny and new. But the best part was definitely the lake and mountain views from my room.

Originally a gold mining town in the 1860’s and surrounded by a mountain range so remarkable it is actually called The Remarkables, today’s Queenstown is widely considered the adventure capital of the world. The colorful downtown area is bordered by the bay of sparkling-blue Lake Wakatipu on one side and snow-capped mountains on the other making it one of the most visually stunning towns I have ever laid eyes on in all of my travels.

Definitely on the list...a jetboat ride!

Since it was overcast and cool when I landed, I decided to spend the afternoon planning out my adventures for the next day (when the forecast called for sunny weather). Queenstown offers all sorts of adrenaline-inducing activities that I, as a reasonable adult, would likely never attempt: bungee jumping, sky diving, hang-gliding, canyoning and even something called the world’s highest sky swing (whatever that is). There are also less life-threatening, yet still exciting, activities like jetboating, luge rides and river cruises. Both bungee jumping (1988) and jetboating (1970) were invented in New Zealand and they are the two most iconic activities to do while you’re here.

So, since I’d ruled out bungee jumping a long time ago, a jetboat ride was definitely on my to-do list. As well as a ride up the mountain on a gondola to take in the panoramic views over Queenstown. Other than that, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. So, I popped into the hotel’s activity center to check out my options. After talking with the helpful girl in the office and perusing some brochures, I decided to start my day exploring Queenstown with a gondola ride and luge ride at the top of the mountain, followed by an afternoon in the nearby town of Glenorchy to include a nature hike, jetboat ride down the scenic Dart River and a 4WD safari through the countryside that is considered New Zealand’s “Hollywood” due to the vast number of movies and commercials filmed there.

Alpine Paradise – Day 2

I awoke the next morning to much better weather than the day before and was excited to get out and see some of Queenstown. I took the hotel’s free shuttle into town at 8am and spent the morning walking around and enjoying the waterfront area along the amazingly clear lake. Next, I headed over to the Skyline gondola station for my ride up the mountain. It was a beautiful ride up and I was blown away by the panoramic views from the top. I’m not sure I’ve seen a better view anywhere in the world. I could have stayed up there all day.

A luge ride with a view

But of course, adventure called and I hopped on the chairlift even higher on the mountain to take the first of two luge rides I’d bought with my gondola ticket. The luge rides were super fun and got up to speeds that were more than enough adrenaline for me! By the time I finished at the luge, the paragliders had taken over the mountain and there were literally dozens of them flying around me near the top of the mountain. The billowing, colorful gliders managed to make an already spectacular view even more unbelievable. I didn’t want to leave this amazing scene but it was time to head back down the mountain to catch my ride to Glenorchy.

Though I don’t normally care for anything resembling a group tour, the girl in the hotel’s activity center had convinced me that the Dart River trip had enough of a small group feel that I wouldn’t mind it. I met up with a dozen or so others in town that were also on my trip and we got on the bus for the 45-minute scenic drive up to the village of Glenorchy, also known as the “Gateway to Paradise.” This tiny, historic town is the launch point for some of the best hiking in all of New Zealand. Glenorchy and the nearby town of Paradise also served as part of Middle-Earth during the filming of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

From Glenorchy, our large group was split up into smaller groups and we were on our way. Our group of 10 would first be doing a 4WD tour of Mount Aspiring National Park, followed by a nature hike through the forest and finally topping off our day with a jetboat ride down the Dart River.

New Zealand's "Hollywood"

Mount Aspiring National Park is a beautiful expanse of back-country where some of the first Maori people settled. This is the area known as New Zealand’s Hollywood and our guide rattled off a long list of movies and commercials that have been filmed here including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Vertical Limit, the Chronicles of Narnia and many others. (Fun fact: those mountains in the Coors ads are in fact The Remarkables, not the Rockies.) Through much of the summer, this part of the park is rented out to film crews from all over the world. None were filming today though and we had the entire area all to ourselves.

Next up was the nature hike so we climbed out of the 4WD for an educational walk through ancient Beech forests made up of trees that are not actually Beech but were mistakenly labeled as such by British botanists during colonial times. We also learned that there are no native animals to New Zealand other than a few bird and lizard species. All other animals were introduced to the islands mostly by the British and these introductions have wreaked havoc on the environmental viability of the forests. Conservation efforts continue to try to save the Beech forests.

At the end of my jetboat ride

Finally, we hiked our way toward the Dart River to meet up with our jetboat. This was the part of the day I was most looking forward to and our hi-speed ride down the river did not disappoint. It was 90-minutes worth of thrilling twists, turns and 360° spins as we barreled our way through the mountains on our way back to Glenorchy. Yes, we did get pretty wet on the ride but thank goodness they give you rain gear, especially since that’s glacier runoff in the river (i.e. it’s freezing!). It was an action-packed day and I was beat by the time I made it back to the hotel that night.

Alpine Paradise – Day 3

The next day, as predicted, I awoke to gray skies and thickening clouds. I didn’t have too much planned for the day and decided to just take it easy and relax. Besides, I’d spent a small fortune on all the activities the day before and it was time to cut back on the mass cash exodus. I slept in a bit and then took a late morning shuttle into town for lunch at Queenstown’s most famous burger joint, Fergberger.

Created 12 years ago by a young guy who was disappointed with the late night food options after a night out at the bars, Fergberger has morphed into a Queenstown institution and a must visit when you’re in town. The restaurant is open 21 hours a day and you’ll find lines spilling out on the street during most of those hours. The burgers are giant and delicious…and, by the way, that young guy is now a multi-millionaire. Just goes to show that sometimes even a drunk idea is a good idea. Rumor has it he will never expand so the only place in the world you’ll be able to try an authentic Fergberger is right here in Queenstown.

Last meal of RTW #7!

Despite the weather, I wandered around town a bit before returning to the hotel to be productive and get some work done with the rest of my day.

The next morning, it was again time to return to the airport for my flight back to Auckland. I had one last night in the city before my flight home to the U.S. When I landed in Auckland it was rainy and melancholy which sort of mirrored my mood now that this awesome trip is finally coming to an end. I returned to the Hilton to check-in before returning to my favorite restaurant for one last great meal. It seems unreal that tomorrow it will be time to get on that plane and make the long 2-flight haul back to Atlanta.

This has been a truly amazing trip.

A country so friendly even the starfish will pose for you!

By the time my 3-hour flight from Sydney touched down on the island of Vanuatu it was approaching midnight. Despite the late hour and the almost total darkness outside my airplane window, the 30 or so people on our flight were greeted at the tiny airport by live island music played by a smiling group of locals. I love landing on tiny islands where you get a reception like that. No matter how tired you may be after the flight, it always gets you right into that island mood.

Like in Tasmania, I’d procrastinated about booking a hotel in Vanuatu and only in the past few days had confirmed where I would be staying. My top choices were the Erakor Island Resort and the Hideaway Island Resort, both on their own separate islands reachable by jetty. I ultimately decided on Erakor but since I thought it might be difficult to reach at such a late hour, I booked a hotel in town for my first night. After searching the Trip Advisor reviews, I went with the Traveller’s Budget Motel which gets top billing for budget properties. It was close to the airport, walking distance from town and the price was right. The owner, Jack, had arranged an airport transfer for me.

With only a few people on my flight from Sydney, I was through customs and on my way to the hotel just minutes after landing. My driver pulled up to the gate of the tiny hotel and we quickly discovered it was locked. Pretty much all of the lights were off except for the small office but we couldn’t get anyone’s attention and didn’t want to wake up the entire place. After a few minutes of trying to get someone’s attention to let us in, we accidently woke up one of the other guests and he went to wake up Jack. I felt terrible and apologized profusely for waking him up but he didn’t seem to mind.

It turns out Jack had set an alarm to wake up to greet me but never expected me to get to the hotel so quickly. Apparently, it usually takes at least an hour for guests to get through customs, get their bags and make it from the airport to the hotel after landing (I’d managed all that in about 20 minutes, plus the flight had landed a bit early). He was very apologetic but I was just happy to get to my room before being awarded an island name that translated loosely as “she who arrives in the middle of the night and makes lots of noise.”

My room was quaint and all I needed for my first night on the island. It had air conditioning, a private bath and free wifi – my only real musts in a hotel. After a decent night’s sleep (despite awakening a few times to address work-related emails), I awoke late morning and went out to the hotel’s breakfast area to seek out Jack and get some island advice (since I hadn’t planned where I was going to sleep, I certainly hadn’t planned what I wanted to see on Vanuatu).

"B" for bus

Jack was extremely helpful with advice on what to see around the island. And he gave me my most crucial bit of information for my stay, how to use the local bus system to get around. Now, many small islands use kind of a loose bus system that doesn’t operate on any kind of schedule. For example, last year on Rarotonga I mastered the clockwise and anti-clockwise bus system around the island which was cheap and easy to use once you knew what you were doing. But I have to say, Vanuatu’s “B for bus” system really takes the cake for a loose operation.

The “buses” are actually independently-owned mini-vans (7 passengers or so) and you just look for one with a “B” on the license plate that’s going in your direction and flag it down. If it has space, it’ll pick you up. For destinations within the main town of Port Vila, you can get almost anywhere for 100 to 200 vatu (a dollar or two) but for areas further away on the island it might cost as much as 500-1000 vatu ($5-$10). There are hundreds of these buses operating on the island and there always seemed to be one where I needed it. It was extremely helpful that Jack had given me an idea of what to pay for certain destinations because negotiating a price with the driver first is an important part of the process. Not to mention when he said bus I was thinking large 50-passenger bus and was surprised when he flagged down a mini-van for me (pointing at the “B” in the license tag) for my ride over to Erakor later.

After piecing together a loose game plan for my 3-day stay with Jack’s help, I decided to walk into the capital of Port Vila to see a little of the town before transferring out to Erakor Island for the rest of my stay. But before I fill you in on my day, I realize most of you probably don’t have a clue where the South Pacific island of Vanuatu even is…so a little background first.

An archipelago made up of 83 islands, the island nation of Vanuatu is about a 2 ½ hour flight from either Brisbane, Australia or Auckland, New Zealand making it one of the most easily reachable South Pacific islands for both Aussies and Kiwis (and they account for almost all of the visitors). In 2007, it was named the Happiest Country in the World by the New Economic Foundation’s “happy planet index” which has helped to promote their tourism industry (who wouldn’t want to visit the happiest country in the world?). And after just a few hours on the main island of Efate, it’s easy to see why everyone’s so happy here. After all, what’s not to be happy about when you live in paradise?

Vanuatu's lively outdoor market

Vanuatu is blessed with fertile soil and excellent growing conditions which allow the local population (called Ni-Vanuatu or just simply, Ni-Van) to live well off the crops that they are able to grow themselves. Just how much food is readily available on the island is on display daily at the lively outdoor market in Port Vila. After walking along the pretty waterfront of Port Vila and stopping to watch a bunch of happy locals playing with their children in the city park, I made my way over to the market to check out the offerings.

Filled with women in brightly-colored island dresses selling their fruits and vegetables and impromptu restaurants with grills cooking up fresh island treats, the market is a feast for the senses. It was a fascinating look into the daily life of the ni-Vans and I walked around for more than an hour visiting all of the stands.

After that, I changed some money, stopped for lunch along the water and then wandered in and out of a few shops before walking back to the hotel. It was time to change hotels over to the Erakor Island Resort for the remainder of my stay. I packed up and Jack walked me out to the street and quickly flagged down a “B for bus” for me, confirmed the price to the Erakor jetty and I was on my way.

First glimpse of Erakor Island

When I arrived at the jetty, the ferry was waiting for the quick 10-minute ride across the channel to Erakor Island. As we got closer and closer to the island I was blown away by how beautiful the resort was. I felt like I’d stepped out of the boat to a remote tropical paradise. The resort encompasses the entire island so it’s about as private as a hotel gets, yet within easy access of the main island by 24-hour jetty. Remote…yet connected.

I was quickly checked in and shown to my spa waterfront bungalow. It was absolutely beautiful with a big jacuzzi tub and a lovely deck right on the water. The only problem (for me) was that it wasn’t air conditioned and I wondered if I’d be able to sleep (I was, but not especially well). After settling in, I changed into my swimsuit, grabbed my book and headed right back to the island’s main beach where I took advantage of the rest of the afternoon to just relax and swim in the water with the island’s hundreds of resident starfish. I had a full day planned for the next day and wanted the rest of the day to just enjoy doing nothing on Vanuatu.

That afternoon I got a little introduction into the local language, Bislama. The language was developed in the late 19th century when thousands of Ni-Vanuatu were forced to work on plantations in Australia and Fiji. With several languages spoken on the plantations, a form of pidgin English was developed combining English words with grammar typical to other parts of the region. At the turn of the 20th century when these workers began to return to Vanuatu, the language was retained and spread through the islands since it allowed for better communication with European traders and settlers. Over the years, the Ni-Vanuatu added in their own words and pronunciation and the result is a language based 95% on English but with a little French and island language thrown in.

Just "kilim the gong" when you're ready to go somewhere!

A few interesting examples of Bislama:

Water: Wota

Ocean: Solwata

Thank you: Tankyu

Thank you very much: Tankyu tumas

And my favorite, on the sign next to the bell you had to ring on Erakor anytime you wanted to take the boat back over to the main island: “Sipos yu wantem ferry yu kilim gong.”

Love it! I briefly considered adding Bislama to my facebook page under “languages spoken.”

That night I had dinner at the resort’s lovely waterfront restaurant and then headed off to bed. It was still pretty warm in my bungalow and it took me a while to fall asleep but by early morning the temperature was very comfortable so I slept in a little.

Happiest Country in the World – Day 3

I had big plans for my third and last full day on the island. After breakfast it was time to “kilim the gong” and catch the ferry back to the main island. My plan was to catch a “B for bus” to the other side of the island and check out the Mele Cascades waterfalls – one of the island’s main attractions – and then spend the afternoon at the nearby Hideaway Island Resort where they had the world’s only underwater post office.

When I got off the ferry I was swarmed by several “T for taxi” drivers ready to take me to the waterfalls for $10 -$15 but Jack had told me I should be able to get a bus for $3 -$5. So, I made my way to the main road and within just a few minutes I found a bus willing to take me for $5…good enough.

Part of the hiking "trail" up the waterfall

I arrived at the waterfalls, paid my entrance fee and was informed that swimming was safe in any part of the waterfalls. I began my hike up to the top on a nice trail through the rainforest along pool after pool of clear aquamarine water. The water was just too tempting so I did stop a few times to wade in and cool off; it was a pretty hot and steamy day. As I worked my way to the top, the land trail disappeared completely replaced by a “path” through the rushing waters indicated by guide ropes. My flip flops weren’t the best footwear for the occasion – especially since I was carrying camera gear that I didn’t want to get wet – but I took it slow, held on to the guide ropes tightly and carefully made my way to the top.

It was worth the effort as the 115ft falls at the peak were amazingly beautiful. As I was listening to the thundering water, I noticed that on the falls to the right people were actually up there rappelling down them! I had no urge to try that – it looked very scary – but it was extremely entertaining to watch. I stayed at the top for a while and enjoyed the incredible views before working my way carefully back down through the rushing water. Somehow I managed to make it all the way up and down without dousing my camera.

Back down at the entrance to the falls, I caught another bus to the jetty for Hideaway Island – like Erakor, it’s a tiny island just offshore which is home to only one resort. Hideaway is known for two things: great snorkeling around a vibrant coral reef and the world’s only underwater post office. The island was total tropical paradise with clear blue waters and bungalows lining the shores. Unfortunately, the post office had suffered some damage in a cyclone just last week (hooray, my weather timing is good for once!) and had to be brought to the surface for repairs. But the actual mail box was still underwater so it was still possible to mail a postcard.

Swimming out to mail my underwater postcard on Hideaway Island

The post office is a big hit with cruise ship passengers and on days when there are ships in port, the resort’s manager told me that they actually put one of their divers inside the office to greet those who swim down to mail a postcard. How fun is that? But despite the fact that there wouldn’t be anyone in the post office, the postcards come with a unique postmark when you mail one from there so I decided to buy one of their special waterproof postcards anyway and send one to myself. How could you not?

After snorkeling for a while until I ultimately came across the underwater mailbox, I mailed my postcard and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the beach with a book. It was a completely splendid day.

By late afternoon, I made the jetty-B for bus-jetty return trip to Erakor for dinner and a perfect sunset. It was a terrific way to end my 3-day stay on these spectacular islands. Considering how much I loved the main island of Efate, I can only imagine how wonderful the other 82 islands are. Vanuatu just might be the happiest country in the world. One of my favorite parts about it was just how friendly the always-smiling locals were, especially the children who were happy to talk to visitors and to pose to have their picture taken. Not for money (like everywhere else in the world) but I think just because they wanted you to remember them and their smiling faces. There’s little doubt that I will.

The next morning, I was up before dawn to take the ferry back to the mainland for my transfer to the airport. Just one stop left in New Zealand before wrapping up Round the World #7. It’s been an unforgettable month and I can’t believe it’s almost over.

Next stop, Auckland!

Wineglass Bay - Freycinet National Park, Tasmania

After a quick one-hour flight from Melbourne, I touched down on the beautiful island of Tasmania. Just under 200 miles south of the Australian mainland, the country’s only island state - nicknamed “Tassie” - has a unique and compelling history.

For more than 25,000 years, Aboriginal tribes lived here in isolation. The estabishment of a British penal colony in 1803 shattered that peaceful isolation. In the years that followed, more than 700,000 men, women and children were forced to migrate to Tasmania. In addition to the convicts, hundreds of penal administrators, civil and military officers and their families arrived and made a lasting impact on the island. Tasmania’s settlements prospered from the forced labor of the convicts who suffered brutal conditions at Port Arthur. Most of the convicts shipped here worked hard and eventually won their freedom, going on to establish new colonies as free citizens. In 1856, Tasmania was granted self-government and the convict era finally came to an end. A period of economic growth followed, fueled by exports like wool, meat, fruit and timber shipped from the bustling port of Hobart.

Today, in addition to specialized exports, tourism plays a vital role in Tassie’s economy. Visitors come here for the spectacular natural setting, adventure activities and the history. The restored ruins of Port Arthur have been converted into a peaceful visitor attraction and remain a stark monument to Australia’s convict era.

Tasmanian devils at Sydney's Taronga Zoo

For many of us who don’t know the story of the island’s difficult history, the word Tasmania first brings to mind the famous Tasmanian devil. But unless you visit the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, you’re unlikey to get a look at the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. Since the 1990′s, devil tumor facial disease has drastically reduced the devil population in the wild leading them to be listed as endagered. On my last trip to Sydney, I’d learned a lot about the Tasmanian devils and even seen a few at the Taronga Zoo. They’re about the size of a small dog and actually kind of cute…until you see their teeth, of course. 

I’d left a lot of planning for this stop until the last minute including where I would stay for my one night on the island and what I wanted to see. Luckily, fate intervened in the way of alert Tassie reader, Rachel, who saw on my site that I was visiting Tasmania and couldn’t have been more helpful with hotel suggestions and sightseeing advice. For a one-day trip, I really had two options: the Port Arthur Historic site where I could delve into Tassie’s troubled history or Freycinet National Park, one of the island’s most spectacular natural wonders. Deciding I wanted my brief visit to focus on the natural scenic beauty of Tasmania more than its history, I opted for the park.

Views along the drive to Freycinet

Since time was short, Rachel recommended renting a car and making the drive to Freycinet National Park directly from the airport. She wanted to come with me and show me some of the sights but unfortunately she couldn’t get the day off work. So instead she gave me driving directions and even suggested all the best places to stop along the way.

After landing at 9:30am, by 10:00am I was in a rental car and on my way! The drive north to the park wound through softly rolling hills and vineyards and along the coastline. It was incredibly scenic and I stopped several times to get out and take pictures.

Thanks to all the stopping, it took me a full 3 hours to reach the gorgeous Freycinet Peninsula. Dominated by the 1500ft-high granite peaks known as the Hazards, it’s easy to see why Freycinet is so popular with visitors. Once inside the park, I stopped at the Visitor Center, paid my entrance fee and picked up a map. With miles of pristine sandy coves and dramatic rocky outcroppings, Freycinet is a nature lover’s wonderland.

The peninsula is home to abundant wildlife including road-crossing marsupials and a large variety of birds. In addition to numerous camp sites, there are dozens of hikes available ranging from short 10-minute walks to a lookout point to full day or overnight hikes with camping. One of the most popular hikes is up to the lookout point for the perfect arc of white sand known as Wineglass Bay.

Obviously, any bay involving my favorite type of glassware sounded like the perfect spot for me so I started my exploration of the park with the 90-minute roundtrip hike up to the lookout point. I was lucky again with absolutely perfect weather and my efforts to get to the top of the steep trail were rewarded with a postcard-perfect view of the bay…absolutely spectacular.

Cape Tourville lookout

From there, I hiked back down the mountain and drove around to some of the starting points for the short hikes indicated on my park map (since the longer hikes weren’t realistic with my time constraints). I spent the afternoon visiting several of the other beaches and lookout points including Cape Tourville, Carp Bay, Sleepy Bay and Richardsons Beach and then spent a little time in the town of Coles Bay before getting in the car to head back toward the main town of Hobart. I was hoping to get there in time to see a little of Australia’s second-oldest capital city before dark.

With Rachel’s help I’d booked a room at the Salamanca Inn in Hobart which was in a lovely part of the city right near the harbor. Historically home to a generation of whaling clipper ships, Salamanca is lined with a long row of sandstone former warehouses along Sullivan’s Cove. Today, the neighborhood is the trendy home to art galleries, cafés, restaurants and a terrific Saturday market (which unfortunately I would miss).

Sunset over Sullivan's Cove, Hobart

I made it to the hotel and checked in with just enough time to take a walk around the harbor before sunset. Since it was Valentine’s Day, the restaurants along the water were packed and couples walked hand-in-hand everywhere I looked. I walked around the entire waterfront from Victoria Dock to Constitution Dock as the sun set behind the mountains casting a pinky-orange glow over the sailboat-filled marina. It was completely gorgeous.

Next, I wandered into a wine bar near my hotel to sample a little Tasmanian wine since I hadn’t had time to stop at a winery during my sightseeing that day. The bartender let me sample a few varieties before I decided on one and ordered a glass. It was quite good but I was surprised at how expensive Tassie wines are (compared to the nearby New Zealand wine region, anyway). I suppose the smaller number of wine producers – versus larger markets like Australia and New Zealand – leads to the higher prices.

After that, I headed back to my room…I had a big night planned. The main reason I’d selected my hotel from the choices Rachel had given me was because the website said they had washers and dryers on each floor. I really needed a washer and dryer! It’s one of those little things on a RTW trip that can just make your day. So, at the hotel that night I did two loads of laundry and washed every single thing in my suitcase. Now I feel like I’m traveling with a whole new wardrobe.

Breakfast with Rachel in Salamanca

The next morning I met Rachel for breakfast in Salamanca before she headed to work. It was great to finally meet her and we had a lovely time talking travel and comparing notes on places we’d been. She and her boyfriend are planning a two-month tour of Europe this summer (or winter for her) and while she was researching places to stay in Mykonos she came across a link to my blog on Marietta’s apartment site (where I always stay when I’m there). When she realized Tasmania was on my upcoming itinerary, she decided to reach out with an email. And I’m so glad she did! She was so great to help me out with my last minute planning and it’s always so exciting to meet people around the world who are reading and enjoying my little blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 24 hours in Tasmania and I can definitely see why it’s been referred to as “Dazzlin’ Tassie.” There’s plenty to do here to fill an entire week and I’d love to return someday and see more of the eastern coastline and especially to explore the convict trail and Port Arthur. So much history amongst all that natural beauty.

But alas, later that morning it was time to head back to the airport. I had a full day in transit ahead to get to Vanuatu including a 5-hour layover in Sydney. I decided to make the most of my layover in Sydney and hopped on the train to Circular Quay for lunch at Sydney Harbor. It was another beautiful summer day and I couldn’t help but think my lucky streak with weather would have to come to an end soon. Hopefully, it will hold until I get home.

Next stop, Vanuatu!

Federation Square, Melbourne

For the trip from Hong Kong to Melbourne, I was back on my official Skyteam Round the World ticket for the first time since landing in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago. Which also meant I was back in business class…yippee! My flight was on Delta partner China Southern and it was my first experience flying with them. After a quick 30 minute flight from Hong Kong, we landed in Guangzhou where I had a one hour layover before boarding my 10-hour redeye to Melbourne. The short flight wasn’t much to speak of but the overnight flight was pretty good. And the Guangzhou airport and China Southern Lounge were both very nice. I managed a little sleep on the flight before landing in Melbourne around 9am.

As I was greeted with a g’day and a smile by the immigration officer and handed over my passport, I was reminded just how much I love the Aussie accent. In fact, it’s one of my three favorite accents in the world (the other two being New Zealand and hands-down favorite South Africa). Honestly, you people in those countries, I could listen to you talk all day…I don’t even care what you’re saying.

In no time at all I was out of the airport and found the airport express bus which takes you to the main train station – Southern Cross - and from there you transfer to a smaller bus that takes you directly to your hotel. When I arrived at the train station, I went up to the window to ask which bus to take to the Hilton and the guy said to me (in an Aussie brogue that could turn Kermit the Frog into George Clooney), “No worries, love. ‘Ave a seat over there and we’ll get ya sorted out.” I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant but suddenly I was very much looking forward to being, “sorted out.”

Just a few minutes later I was indeed sorted out and on a bus bound for the Hilton. My Starwood streak comes to an end here in Melbourne. Yes, there is a Westin in Melbourne but it was pretty pricey compared to the Hilton and I had some Hilton points to burn. Luckily I still maintain some status with Hilton (just gold) which actually got me an upgrade to an executive suite and access to the lounge. Nice!

It was also nice that at 10am they had a room all ready for me. I took a quick shower, grabbed my map of the city and headed out. With just one full day to see as much of Australia’s second-largest city as possible, there was no time to waste.

Melbourne Cricket Ground (the "G")

Right next door to the Hilton was one of Melbourne’s top sites and the temple for sports-mad Melbournians: the Melbourne Cricket Ground (also known as the MCG or just the “G”). Seating almost 100,000 fans, the G was the site of the first Australian Rules football game in 1858 and the first Test cricket match between Australia and England in 1877. It’s massive and I can only imagine what the atmosphere is like around here on a match day.

From the G, I wound my way over to the Yarra River and walked along the water all the way to the Docklands area and Victoria Harbor. Along the way I passed several of Melbourne’s beautiful bridges. The most interesting of which was the Sandridge Bridge.

Originally an historic railway bridge, the Sandridge Bridge was the first steel bridge over the Yarra River connecting the city to Port Melbourne where thousands of immigrants first reached Australian shores. It was redeveloped in 2006 as a pedestrian and cycle path featuring public art. Along the bridge are giant metal sculptures called Travellers and beneath them are glass panels containing information about each country from which immigrants came to Melbourne. It was fascinating and I spent some time walking the bridge and reading the many panels. 

By then it was almost lunchtime so I stopped for a bite to eat in Waterfront City overlooking Victoria Harbor. Next, I walked back toward the city center along Collins Street; one of Melbourne’s most fashionable. With lots of grand buildings and elegant boutiques, this is one of the city’s most beautiful streets. At night, tiny white lights glimmer like Paris’ own Champs Elysees.

Along the Yarra River

From there, I cut over to the modern steel and glass wonderland that is Federation Square. This is Melbourne’s central meeting place and on a beautiful summer day like today it was overflowing with people. The square is home to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI) and is the site for regular cultural events and sports telecasts. Today there was a band playing on the main stage and every seat in the bars and cafes surrounding the square seemed to be filled. I’d clearly found the heartbeat of this beautiful city. I managed to find a seat in one of the many lounge chairs scattered throughout the square and sat down to soak it all in and people-watch a bit.

Later, I wandered over to Chinatown (just in case I hadn’t had enough Asian food in the past two weeks!). Apparently, I was still in the mood for Chinese food because I ended up grabbing dinner there before heading back to the hotel completely exhausted. It was one of those perfect days I love on my trips, just walking myself silly exploring a new city. I had really lucked-out with the weather; after four days of gloominess in Hong Kong it was nice to feel the sun on my face again.

I’ve yet to find an Australian city that I don’t like but Melbourne just might be my favorite. From the skyscrapers to the museums, Melbourne is clearly Australia’s urban and cultural hub. Once again, I found myself wishing I had more time. One of these days I will come back and drive the Great Ocean Road…that’s definitely on my list. But for now, I’ve decided to spend the next two days in Tasmania so early tomorrow morning it’s time to get back on a plane.

Goodbye for now, Melbourne! Until we meet again…

The nightly Symphony of Lights show viewed from the Sheraton

It had been 6 years since my last (and first) trip to Hong Kong – on RTW #1 – so this year I decided it was finally time to go back! My first visit had fallen over the Chinese New Year holiday and while that was an incredible time to be in the city, it also meant almost everything was closed all three days I was there. I was limited to eating mostly at my hotel and don’t even get me started on the fact that I didn’t get to shop in one of the world’s best shopping cities. So, yes, it was definitely time for a re-visit to the bright lights and skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

After a blisteringly-early flight from Bangkok, we arrived in Hong Kong around 10am and took the supremely-efficient Airport Train to Kowloon Station where there was a free bus right to the door of our hotel. I just love how easy it is to get around most Asian cities. The rest of the world could learn a lot from the average Asian city about how to make airport transportation simple, efficient and affordable.

Within an hour of stepping off our flight, we arrived at our hotel. It was Susan’s turn to book the room (like me, she has tons of points) and she booked us at the Sheraton Hong Kong on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor. Last time I’d stayed on Hong Kong island so I was looking forward to seeing more of the Kowloon side this time. When we arrived at the hotel around 11am, our room wasn’t quite ready yet so we stored our bags and headed out to explore.

First, I wanted to take a walk to the only place I really knew on the Kowloon side, the Avenue of the Stars. Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hong Kong version immortalizes Chinese film stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan (those were the only two I knew but Susan recognized four names). Normally, it’s a lovely walk along the water with picture-perfect views of Victoria Harbor but today it was overcast, chilly and windy enough to sweep an unattended child right into the harbor.

First meal in Hong Kong...delicious!

We quickly tired of battling the bitter wind and decided to duck into a restaurant for authentic local cuisine for lunch. Since I was limited in my dining options last time, I had nothing to offer on the dining subject so we just walked until we saw a menu that looked good at a restaurant packed with locals (always a good sign).

We kicked off our two days in Hong Kong with a relatively safe but delicious meal and then headed back to the hotel to see if our room was ready. It was and we were upgraded to a lovely room with a knock-your-socks-off harbor view (and in Hong Kong, it’s all about the harbor view). We unpacked a bit and I realized I was going to need a little nap if I was going to make it through dinner since I’d been up all night the night before in Bangkok working again.

(Sidebar: I know you all think I’m always on some kind of permanent vacation but I really do work through the night during U.S. business hours more often than not – Susan can now vouch for this. I have clients at home who expect me to answer their emails and, after all, I do need some income to support my ridiculously-absurd travel habit. Not to mention, uploading and editing vast amounts of photos is time-consuming and blog posts like this one certainly aren’t going to write themselves!).

So, Susan bundled up and headed back out into the elements to explore, shop and scope out options for dinner later. I climbed into bed thinking I would just close my eyes for a few minutes, maybe an hour or two …and woke up 5 hours later! I guess I needed the sleep. Honestly, it was a miracle I even woke up then. Susan had left me a note that she was in the Club Lounge if I woke up so I shook off the grogginess, pulled myself together and went up to meet her.

We had a glass of wine or two and then I told her about the nightly Symphony of Lights show over Hong Kong harbor that started every night at 8:00pm. Many of the skyscrapers along the water are outfitted with multicolored laser/strobe lights and the whole show is set to music. It was what I remembered most about my last visit to Hong Kong and I wanted to be sure we didn’t miss it.

Since it was freezing outside by the water (where most people watch the show) and our room had a panoramic view of the harbor, we decided to watch from there. It was a great call because I never realized that the show involved so many lights on top of the buildings on the Kowloon side of the harbor. You can’t really appreciate that from the water’s edge but you sure can from the 23rd floor of the Sheraton! It was an awesome 18-minute show and when it was over it was time to venture out to find a good spot for dinner.

Susan, foodie that she is, had grilled the concierge while I was asleep for the best local spots in the area and she was ready to go with a short-list. We walked just a few blocks from the hotel to a street that was lined with restaurants flashing neon signs and picture-filled menus and within a few minutes had decided on one. It turned out to be a good decision, Susan tried a seafood congee and I chose a Portuguese-inspired Macau dish that was delicious. After dinner it was time to call it a night since we had a full day ahead tomorrow.

Day 2 – Macau (The un-Vegas)

One of the main reasons I wanted to come back to Hong Kong this year was that I also wanted to visit the nearby SAR (Special Administrative Region) of Macau. Known as the “Las Vegas of Asia,” Macau is an up-and-comer on the world gambling stage and there is currently a ton of development happening there by the likes of Steve Wynn and other Vegas moguls. They had recently opened both a Venetian and a Wynn in Macau and I thought it would be fun to check out how Asia does Vegas.

Crossing Victoria Harbor on the Star Ferry on a gloomy day

So that morning after breakfast we headed straight for the Kowloon ferry terminal. Macau is just a 1-hour ferry ride from either Hong Kong or Kowloon and since we had just missed a ferry when we arrived, the next one wouldn’t be for another hour. We decided to hop on the Star Ferry and cross the harbor to Hong Kong and explore the island a little until the next ferry.

I absolutely love the Star Ferry and next to the nightly Symphony of Lights, it’s one of Hong Kong’s best attractions. For just 25 cents, you can hop on a ferry every few minutes that will shuttle you between Hong Kong island and Kowloon in about 10 minutes. The ride across the harbor on a clear day will take your breath away (on my last visit, I may or may not have ridden it back and forth 6 times). Unfortunately, it was not a clear day – still overcast like the day before – but at least it had warmed up into the 60’s. Thank God for small favors.

Once we made it over to Hong Kong island, I thought it might be a good idea to check the ferry schedules to Macau from there instead of traipsing all the way back to Kowloon. By the time we found the Macau ferry terminal, there was one leaving in just a few minutes so we nixed our Hong Kong plan and bought tickets for Macau. It was a comfortable ride for a reasonable price and in just under an hour, we were docking in Macau.

Since Macau is a different administrative region from Hong Kong, you have to bring your passport and pass through customs and immigration again to enter. Like everything else in Hong Kong, the whole process is pretty efficient and in just a few minutes we were through and heading out of the ferry terminal to look for transportation into town. I made a guess that there would be free shuttles to the casinos (after all, they want you there to gamble!) and boy was I right. The parking lot at the ferry terminal was lined with free shuttle buses to every casino you could think of. We found the shuttle for the Venetian and jumped on. I was eager to see what this “Las Vegas of Asia” would be like.

Inside the Venetian, Macau

Now, folks, I know Vegas. My real job brings me to Vegas several times a year, sometimes for as long as two weeks at a time. Combined, I spend at least a full month in Vegas every year (which is significant because I’m not even sure I spend a full month at home every year). It’s a unique city; one that’s not for everyone. But also one that everyone should see at least once. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Vegas. Probably because I always seem to be there to work while everyone else is there to play…loudly…and well after I’ve tried to go to sleep. So – Vegas credentials established – I can say without hesitation, “Macau is no Las Vegas.”

It certainly looks like Vegas. There’s a Wynn, a Venetian, an MGM…all perfect Asian replicas of their Las Vegas originals. In fact, as I walked through the Canal Shops at the Venetian, it was eerily similar to its U.S. counterpart and I had to keep reminding myself I was thousands of miles away from Las Vegas Boulevard.

But, though physically they look the same, what you quickly begin to realize it that something’s missing. And what’s missing is the fun; the energy that Vegas has. Now, maybe that comes from all the drinking but when you walk through a Las Vegas casino, darn it, people are having fun. Loud, crazy – usually drunken – fun.

By comparison, the casino scene in Macau is more like walking into a wake. There is no noise. Everyone is quiet and very respectful. It’s all very refined, with mild-mannered Asians ordering coffee, tea or water from over-dressed (by Vegas standards) waitresses. I’m told that if you do sit down at a table and ask for a beer, they can usually scrounge one up for you. But probably not before everyone at the table looks at you like you’ve got 3 heads. It’s all so very, very un-Vegas-like.

There’s a reason they call Macau the billionaire’s Las Vegas, the people who come here apparently come for serious gambling. Gambling without distractions like booze or scantily-clad women (several of my male American friends have probably passed out from shock after that last sentence. I’ll pause for someone to revive them before I continue. Good? Ok, where was I…).

So, as Susan and I walked through casino after casino, they were all the same. Beautiful, but B-O-R-I-N-G. Now, I will say, we walked through one of the casinos that I’d not heard of before – the Galaxy – and the interior of it was all glitz and glamour and it had a spectacular Crystal Lobby that rivaled anything I’ve seen in Vegas. But, all in all, I was disappointed by Macau, it was not at all what I expected.

The Macau skyline from the Wynn

After visiting the Venetian and the Galaxy, we next headed over to the Wynn. We were starving by this point and figured surely we could at least get a beer in a restaurant if we ordered lunch. So we found a dim sum restaurant in the Wynn and had another terrific meal. We even got to try the local Macau beer and I was relieved to see that at least it was possible to get a drink somewhere in this town. After lunch it was after 3pm so we hopped back on the ferry and headed back to Kowloon. We didn’t get to see much of Hong Kong island but the weather was so lousy it would have been impossible to go up to Victoria Peak anyway so instead we took our time walking back to the hotel and did a little shopping on the way.

Since it had warmed up quite a bit, we figured this was the night to head down to the waterfront to see the light show up close. We bundled up, poured the remainder of our Club Lounge wine into hotel water bottles (after all, anything called a symphony should be a catered affair, don’t you think?) and walked across the street to find a good spot along the railing for the show.

It was nice to be outside and be able to hear the music but I realized after watching from the waterfront that we had the best view of all from our room. When the show ended, it was time for dinner…Susan’s last meal of the trip. We experimented with another local restaurant and were not disappointed. If there’s one thing Hong Kong does well, it’s food. I was beginning to think it might be impossible to get a bad meal in this town.

Day 3 – The W Hong Kong

The next morning it was time for Susan to head to the airport and fly back to Atlanta. We’d had such a great time during our two weeks of globe-trotting that I was really sorry to see her go. I‘m so excited that she was able to join me for this part of the trip (I mean, without a witness, no one would have believed just how amazing the Maldives were) and if nothing else, she has taught me to be more adventurous with my food choices in the countries I visit. It’s a good lesson and one I will try hard to put into practice in my future travels.

After Susan left, I slept for another hour or two and then went out to do a little souvenir shopping. Since I bought nothing on my last visit to Hong Kong, I had my eye on a few things.

My Marvelous Suite at the W

For my last night in the city, I’d booked a room at the W Hong Kong (in case you haven’t picked up on this by now, I’m on kind of a W kick this year). When I arrived at the hotel and surrendered my passport at reception, I got the same reaction I’d been getting at Starwood properties for the past few weeks. It goes a little something like this

Me: “Hi. Here’s my passport.”

Front desk clerk: Types in a few keys and suddenly looks nervous. Picks up desk phone, rattles off something in a language I don’t understand. “Welcome, Ms. McIver, can you please wait right here?”

Next thing I know managers are coming out of the woodwork and handing me their cards. It’s a little overwhelming but such a nice welcome. I didn’t request a media rate in Hong Kong, simply used my points to book the room like anyone else would, so I wasn’t expecting this kind of treatment. But the folks at Starwood who have been following my trip daily this year have been so good to me and they have full access to my Starwood account so they always know where I am.

No less than two managers escorted me up to my room. They’d upgraded me to what W calls a “Marvelous Suite” and that’s about the best way I can think of to describe it. It was a gorgeous suite and by far the best upgrade I’ve ever gotten at a W hotel. Since this was my last night at a Starwood hotel on Round the World #7, I guess they decided to send me off in style. What a lovely surprise!

In addition to my Marvelous room, there was a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries (my favorite) on the table and an elegantly-wrapped gift box on the bed. The manager explained that since they knew I loved to travel, they had put together a little travel-related gift box for me. When I opened it later, inside was a W-logoed beach bag (which I would need to get all this loot home), a W luggage tag with my information already thoughtfully filled in and a W-logoed travel umbrella…awesome! I absolutely loved it and it was such a creative idea.

Since the weather was still lousy outside, I figured this was as good a reason as any to stay in and enjoy the marvelous-ness of my suite. I spent the afternoon finishing the hotel review from Easter Island that I’d been neglecting for the past few weeks and then headed downstairs to the massive shopping center under the hotel to get some authentic Chinese take-out for dinner.

After dinner, I took a leisurely bubble bath with a glass of wine and a view of the harbor and then climbed into bed early. It was time to catch up on some sleep! Just as I was about to drift off, my phone rang and it was the hotel’s Whatever/Whenever Manager. She said they had something for me and asked if now was a good time to bring it up? Never one to turn down presents (not to mention she had piqued my curiosity) I said sure, come on up!

Time to make the martinis!

A few minutes later, both she and the restaurant manager were at my door pushing a cart with all the fixings for lychee martinis! Well now this was a surprise. I’d never mixed a martini before but the martini kit on the table came with all the ingredients in individual bottles and a tiny scroll with instructions. Even I couldn’t screw that up! We took a few pictures and a little video as I followed the instructions and mixed a delicious martini. It was a lot of fun and the logoed martini kit complete with 2 glasses and shaker were mine to keep (I was definitely going to need that beach bag). It was great fun and a terrific example of why W is such a unique hotel brand. What other hotel would roll a martini-making kit with all the trimmings right into your room? So very “W”, indeed.

Since it was the weekend, I was able to sleep all the way through the night without worrying about work and awoke the next morning finally feeling like I’d gotten enough sleep. I had some work to do the next day and since my flight wasn’t until the afternoon and it was still cloudy and grey outside, I decided to enjoy the suite a little more and stay in.

That afternoon, it was time to head back to the airport (which couldn’t have been easier since the W sits right on top of the airport train station) for my flight to Melbourne. Big thanks to the W Hong Kong for making my brief stay such fun! I love my martini set so much that I’ll be checking my bag the rest of the way just to get it home. Now that’s love.

Next up, it’s time to head down under to Melbourne and Tasmania!

Sunset over the Chao Phraya River

Ahh….Bangkok. My home away from home on these RTW trips and the only place I’ve visited on all 7 trips. Why? Because it was love at first sight on RTW #1 and – truth be told – I fall more in love with Bangkok every time I visit. From gleaming temples to exotic markets. The chaos of hot pink taxis dodging rainbow-colored tuk-tuks to the electric hum of the backpacker ground zero of Khao San Road. A winding river lined with 5-star hotels next to ramshackle fishing huts and aromatic street food beckoning from seemingly every corner. Blend them all together and you’ve got one of the greatest cities in the world.

Having long-ago tackled all the main tourist sites in Bangkok, these days I typically use my few nights in the city to wander the weekend market, get daily massages, buy anything I’ve run out of on Khao San Road, do laundry, enjoy true high-speed internet and eat my weight in street food.

But since Susan was with me this year and this was her first visit to Bangkok, I decided a re-visit of the top tourist attractions was in order. Besides, it had been years since I visited the major temples and that was well before I was traveling with a good camera. We would have one full day and one half day to see the city so for our first day, I suggested a trip down the river to Khao San Road for a visit to the heart and soul of this tourist-driven city followed by a full day of temple-hopping. It made sense to combine all the temple visits into the same day since we’d have to adhere to temple dress-code (covered shoulders and knees) on that day.

So we landed in Bangkok at 9:30am and the car from the Royal Orchid Sheraton was there waiting. Normally, I just take a taxi in from the airport but the Sheraton had offered to pick us up and it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Though there are several Starwood options in Bangkok (and I’ve stayed at most of them) I always keep coming back to the Royal Orchid. While it may not be the most exclusive of the Starwood properties, it has a million-dollar location right on the Chao Phraya River next to a tourist boat dock and a terrific lounge with panoramic views over the river. When it comes to convenience for seeing the city, it’s hard to beat the Royal Orchid.

The heartbeat of Bangkok - Khao San Road

By 11:00am we had settled into our suite and were ready to tackle Bangkok. We boarded the tourist boat and 15 baht (about 50 cents) and 20 minutes later were hopping off at the dock for Khao San Road. I had a few items on my afternoon agenda: get my first cheap massage, sell back a paperback I’d finished and buy a new one at a used book store and get some pad thai from a street cart. Sometimes I’m a girl with simple needs.

Susan wanted to try the fish spa experience that I’d tried last year, also get a massage, sample some exotic Thai street food and do a little shopping. We stopped by the fish spa/massage place first and both got massages after her fish spa. Then we grabbed some food from a street vendor and decided to split up for the afternoon. I wanted to head to the bookstore and then back to the room because I’d been up all night working the night before and was looking at another night ahead of more of the same and she wanted to spend the afternoon exploring the shops and food stands.

So after selling my book back and buying a new one (for a net expense of only about 50 cents) at my regular book store, I hopped on the boat and headed back to the hotel. We reconvened later that evening in the Sheraton’s Towers Lounge and rehashed our day over wine and a sunset view of the Chao Phraya.

Perfect Day in Bangkok – Day #2

The next morning we hit the lounge for breakfast and then headed back to the dock to catch the tourist boat for the temple circuit. The beautiful thing about Bangkok is that most of the major temples are located right along the river and easily reached on the tourist boat (which is by far the best mode of transportation in Bangkok). We began first with the striking Wat Arun (or Temple of Dawn). The temple consists of four “stupas” positioned around an elongated Khmer tower all covered in a mosaic of broken pottery and seashells. The colorful mosaic is quite elaborate and can only truly be appreciated up close. On each side of the main tower, daringly-steep staircases invite those without a fear of heights to climb up and enjoy a panoramic view of the river.

With Susan at the Reclining Buddha

Next, we crossed back to the other side of the river to visit Wat Pho. Bangkok’s largest and oldest temple, it is also home to the famous Reclining Buddha – Thailand’s largest. The giant Buddha is 150 feeet long and fills almost every each of the temple’s interior. Exquisite mother of pearl inlays cover the base of the feet. The surrounding temple grounds have a number of smaller temples with huge golden Buddha images and towering statues of Chinese mythical heroes.

Our final stop on the temple tour was the Grand Palace, Thailand’s most famous attraction. Within the grounds of the Grand Palace is Wat Phra Kaew, home to the revered Emerald Buddha. Dating back to the 15th century, the image has been enshrined all over Thailand. The Grand Palace itself is an homage to the ornate eccentricity of Thai temples. The gleaming facades are incredibly grand with vast amounts of gold inlay and glittering, colorful statues of mythical beings.

After wandering the grounds for a while, we pronounced our abbreviated temple tour complete. Since it was our last day in Thailand and Susan still had some shopping to do, we decided to head back to Khao San Road for some lunch and one last Thai massage before splitting up again for the rest of the afternoon; me to work, her to shop.

Later that night we again reconvened for a glass of wine in my favorite spot – the Sheraton’s Towers Lounge – sad that it was our last night in Thailand. I am always so sad to leave this beautiful country. But it was so much fun to be able to share this city that I love so much with one of my friends. I could tell that she loved it as much as I did and totally understood my overwhelming desire to keep returning each year. Thailand is a special place and I’m not sure I’ll ever tire of exploring it.

But for now, it’s on to Hong Kong!

A photo shoot at the W Retreat Koh Samui

After an overnighter from Sri Lanka and a quick change of planes in Bangkok, Susan and I landed on the lovely Thai isle of Koh Samui teetering on the edge of exhaustion. We stepped off the airplane to a colorful trolley car (not a bus, for once) and were shuttled right to the arrivals hall of the charming and seemingly brand-new Koh Samui airport.

Rumor has it Koh Samui is on track to be the next big destination for Thai tourism and the airport might as well be one big pristinely-landscaped, engraved invitation to visitors. With the recent opening of several properties by international hotel chains (like the two Starwood resorts we would be calling home during our stay) it seems Koh Samui is well-positioned to compete with perennial Andaman tourist powerhouse, Phuket.

Before tourism dollars began to trickle into Samui in the late 70’s, the economy of this island in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand mostly revolved around coconuts. With ideal weather and good soil, Samui is home to more coconut-palm varieties than any other place in the world. While the island’s interior is still largely devoted to agriculture, the coast is now lined with high-end resorts and beachfront bungalows with more on the way.

Arrival at the W

As we exited the arrivals area, my fatigue began to fade when I saw our smiling representative from the W Retreat Koh Samui holding a glittering “W” on a stick. Let the W experience begin! Within moments we were ushered into the back seat of a plush, air-conditioned sedan stocked with cold towels, apples and bottles of water and on our way to the resort.

If my consciousness was beginning to return when we got in the car, by the time we took our first steps into the gob stopping open-air lobby of the W Retreat I was wide awake. The lobby was literally a vast infinity pool of blue that seemed to melt right into the Gulf of Thailand. Talk about WOW-factor. It simply wasn’t possible to process this stunningly beautiful scene with so many hues of blue on only an hour of sleep. Several of the management team of the W had gathered to greet us including my PR representative, Apple, who had flown in from Bangkok to give me a tour of the hotel the next day. Like the W Maldives, the regular rates at this retreat were pretty steep (for a RTW traveler like me) and the hotel had been gracious enough to offer me a reduced media rate.

As we sat down for check-in, Apple told me that they had already arranged for complimentary spa appointments for both of us for later that afternoon. All thoughts of a nap immediately evaporated, replaced with visions of luxurious spa treatments dancing in our heads. Next, we were escorted to a golf cart for the ride to our hillside, Ocean-View Escape retreat. Again, just like the Maldives, I was rendered speechless when I got my first look at our spacious digs. Deep shades of reds and charcoals blended with well-placed bursts of sparkle and shine (which carry throughout the hotel’s design) to create a homey, yet über-luxurious villa.

The view from our infinity pool

The expansive deck with its dramatic infinity pool, lounge chairs and daybed beckoned with panoramic views of the turquoise sea. It was absolutely awe-inspiring. From the large bathroom, sliding glass doors led directly into the infinity pool. I immediately decided I never wanted to leave. But then I remembered I had a spa appointment. OK, after that I’m never leaving.

We settled in to the room and then changed to head down to the spa. After an hour’s worth of jetlag-evaporating Thai massage by expertly-trained hands (which I had a lot of trouble staying awake through) we reconnected and headed back to the retreat. Susan had a dive planned for the next day so she headed off for a pre-dive meeting with her dive master and I showered, changed and headed back to the incredible lobby to watch the sunset from one of the awesome seating areas inside the pool.

After sunset, we got a recommendation from the hotel and headed out for some local Thai food for dinner. It was a terrific meal (as Thai food always is) and miraculously we both made it until around 10pm before crashing.

Inside the Extreme WOW Suite

The next day Susan left bright and early for her dive and I had my meeting with Apple to tour the hotel. Again, I lucked out and was able to see the hotel’s Extreme WOW suite. Every W has only one and it’s always one of a kind. The E-WOW suite at the W Koh Samui was the best one I’ve ever seen. At more than 9,600 square feet (you read that right) it was much larger than the E-WOW suite in the Maldives, more like a mansion than a suite. One of the best features of the room is a certain corner of the pool deck – the only spot in the resort where you can enjoy views of both sunrise and sunset. Spectacular.

Next, I got a look at the Ocean Front Haven retreats located just steps from the beach. Though they were also lovely, I immediately decided that I preferred my hillside retreat because it had the same view of the sea as the stunning lobby.

My tour complete, I headed back to the room to enjoy my last few hours before saying goodbye to my new friends at the W and hopping in the hotel car for the ride over to the Le Meridien Koh Samui. I’d decided that I wanted to try out both new Starwood properties while on Koh Samui and since my schedule only allowed for 2 nights on the island that meant one night each. I was sad to leave the beautiful W but excited to get a look at the Meridien on the other side of the island.

At check-in, I was greeted by the General Manager, Tina, and we arranged a time that afternoon for a tour. While the Le Meridien has approximately the same number of rooms as the W, it’s on a much more compact slice of oceanfront with more restaurants and shops surrounding it. Despite the limited real estate, the property still had a very relaxed and spacious vibe. Constructed with consideration for feng shui design elements to enhance balance and harmony, the style of the resort was distinctly Chinese in honor of the island’s earliest settlers.

Le Meridien Koh Samui

Tina and I wound our way through the property and she showed me a few of the other villas, most with private pools and some directly facing the sea. After seeing the rooms we visited the spa and she said that they would be happy to host me for a spa treatment if I had time (I always have time for a spa treatment). After our tour was complete, I called the spa and scheduled a massage for later that afternoon. Though I do get a massage every day when I’m in Thailand, it’s always of the under $10 variety in the more ubiquitous massage places. This was the first time I’d ever had the chance to get a massage in a real hotel spa. My massage at the Meridien was equally as wonderful as the one I’d had the day before at the W and I left extremely impressed with the quality of their spa and the service.

Later that evening after Susan had returned from her dive (which she said was awesome!), we headed to the lobby for the hotel’s nightly Thai lantern ceremony. Tina had mentioned the ceremony to me during our tour and since I’d never seen one I was dying to check it out. As sunset turned to dusk, the ceremony began and I photographed as Susan and other guests participated under the careful direction of hotel staff. One by one the lanterns were lit and then gently released into the sky. Also known as wish lanterns, it is considered good luck to release the lanterns – the belief is that misfortune will float away with the lantern.

The Meridien's beautiful Thai lantern ceremony

It was a beautifully spiritual ceremony and – glamorous villas and decadent spa treatments forgotten for the moment – it was the highlight of my two days on Koh Samui. Amazingly, the Meridien does this ceremony for their guests every night at 7:19pm. After the ceremony we headed into town for another terrific Thai meal.

The next day it was time to leave Koh Samui and head on to Bangkok. Though my stay was brief, it was also fabulous. I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to both the W Retreat Koh Samui and the Le Meridien Koh Samui for their hospitality. I thoroughly enjoyed both properties, each with their own unique vibe, and it was such a pleasure meeting all of the staff. If these two beautiful resorts are any indication, this island has a very bright future, indeed.

At the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

After a quick and painless 90 minute flight from Malé, we landed in Sri Lanka just as the sun was setting. Susan had booked our room in Colombo with her Hilton points and arranged for the hotel to pick us up at the airport.

We had considered renting a car for our 30-hour stay but since we would have had to pay for 2 days, we decided to get to the hotel first and consider the car rental for the next day. The drive into the city took almost an hour and as I peered out the window, I quickly realized that this was not a country I wanted to drive in. I’m generally pretty adventurous when it comes to driving in foreign countries and more than comfortable with driving on the other side of the road. But as I looked around, what I saw outside the window reminded me of my visit to India more than I cared to admit. There were no lanes, no traffic lights and the streets were thick with buses, tuk-tuks, motorbikes and cars. The entire scene verged on chaos and I truly had no desire to be an active part of it.

When we arrived at the hotel, we inquired about hiring the hotel’s car and driver for the next day. We didn’t have a very ambitious itinerary, just wanted to see the Elephant Orphanage and the Royal City of Kandy in the hill country nearby. Since the traffic and roads are so bad in Sri Lanka, the 60 mile drive to that part of the country could take nearly 4 hours. The hotel car with driver was about $200 for the day and we could go anywhere we wanted before being dropped off back at the airport for our redeye to Bangkok. Never one to be afraid to throw money at a situation if it makes the most sense, I decided to go for it. Spending $100 each to have a driver who knew where he was going was clearly the safest and most efficient way for us to see some of the country in a day. So we booked the car, settled into our room, ordered room service and set the alarm for 6am the next day.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, checked out and loaded our bags into the hotel car for our day trip around Sri Lanka. Believe it or not, National Geographic Traveler Magazine recently named Sri Lanka one of the “Top 6 destinations for world travelers in 2012.” Despite this commendable title, the only real reason I’d planned a stopover in Sri Lanka was because all of the flights from the Maldives seemed to go through there. Since it was silly to just connect through the airport without trying to see a little of the country, I decided to spend one night there and take in a few sights.

Sri Lanka put an end to a bloody 25 year-long civil war in 2009 and since then tourism has expanded rapidly. Today, peace prevails and top hotel chains like Starwood and Marriott have announced plans for new construction. The landscape of Sri Lanka has a lot to offer visitors. From white-sand beaches and rolling tea plantations to wildlife parks and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Sri Lanka’s natural resources are likely to draw increasing numbers of visitors now that the political situation has stabilized.

A baby elephant at the orphanage

After a 60-mile drive that indeed took almost 4 hours in traffic and on mountain roads, our first stop for the day was the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. A friend of Susan’s who was from Sri Lanka had told her about the orphanage and it was the #1 thing we both wanted to see while we were here. Thanks to the delay in our arrival, we missed the morning bottle feeding of the baby elephants but arrived just in time to see the elephants enjoying their late-morning trip down to the river.

There were dozens of elephants – young and old – enjoying the cool river on a blazingly hot Sri Lankan day. There were also hundreds of people (mostly locals) who had come out to see them. Since the day of our visit turned out to be Sri Lanka’s national independence holiday, tons of local families were out and about enjoying the day. It was so much fun to watch the baby elephants play in the water and we spent quite a while just taking it all in.

From there, we visited Sri Lanka’s oldest tea factory. Tea is Sri Lanka’s primary export and much of the local economy centers around it. I’d never seen tea made from earth to tea cup before so it was actually pretty interesting. We even got to sample some of the tea at the end of our tour.

Next, we visited the Royal Botanical Gardens. The grounds of the botanical gardens were pristinely landscaped and quite beautiful. There was an elaborate orchid house with orchid varieties I’d never seen before and a restaurant where we stopped for lunch.

Our final stop for the day was one of Sri Lanka’s prime tourist sites, the Royal City of Kandy. Set in the center of lush hills and surrounding a scenic lake, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kandy was the last bastion of resistance to colonial rule. The city is known for distinctive architecture, dance, art and music. Its most famous site is the Dalada Maligawa or the “Temple of the Tooth.” The temple is home to the Buddha’s tooth relic which is an item of great significance to all Buddhists.

A little girl playing outside the temple in Kandy

The temple was gorgeous from the outside but thanks to the holiday it was literally packed with worshipers so unfortunately we couldn’t go in. After viewing the temple from the outside and walking around the city for a while, we decided it was time to start heading for the airport since we figured it would take at least another 4 hours to get there.

As the sun set on our long drive, I rehashed our day in my mind and tried to develop on opinion on Sri Lanka as a destination. The closest thing I can compare it to was my visit to India several years ago. The infrastructure is certainly lacking and there is extreme poverty in some areas but as a whole, I enjoyed my day in Sri Lanka. The natural beauty of the country makes up for a lot of its shortcomings.

The one thing I didn’t like (which is an issue in many countries) was the persistence of the hawkers at all the tourist sites. It seemed someone was always trying to get money from us – either to buy something from them or to hire them as a guide. It’s exhausting to be barraged like that for hours on end – feeling like a target everywhere you go because you are clearly a foreigner. Our driver was pretty good at watching out for us and hovering close by whenever he dropped us off somewhere so I never felt unsafe. But I did feel like many of the locals were determined to get every last dollar out of the few tourists they have and that’s something that often turns me off about a country.

But to Sri Lanka’s credit, they are a new kid in the tourism block and they’re likely to get better at it as the infrastructure improves with the influx of tourist dollars. All in all, I think I’d go back someday. But I’ll give it a few years…perhaps until that new Starwood hotel is finished, ha!

After 14 hours in and out of a car driving all over Sri Lanka, we were beat when we finally arrived at the airport around 8pm. To make matters worse, our flight to Bangkok didn’t leave until 1am and we couldn’t check in until 3 hours before at 10pm. So we had to find a seat and wait for a bit until we could get to the counter. When we finally did, we decided to ask how much it would cost to upgrade our coach seats to business class. Knowing we still had a 3 hour wait for our flight and a 4 hour redeye flight to Bangkok, we thought it might be worth it to have access to the lounge and a bigger seat.

When a price was given, we looked at each other and without hesitation decided to go for it. Ten minutes later, we had business class tickets in hand and were headed for the lounge. The Sri Lankan Airlines lounge turned out to be awesome – complete with massage therapist and free-flowing champagne. We took turns getting free 15-minute massages in the massage room and in no time at all it was time to board our flight. Next stop, Thailand!