I didn’t know much about the Hawaii tide pools on Big Island until I read the information booklet our Airbnb host prepared. Turned out, Pahoa (the area where we were staying) has some of the best tide pools in Hawaii – and they are all easily accessible!
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Nature’s Cottage – Big Island Airbnb
Airbnb and Booking.com are my two favourite travel accommodation booking sites.
I usually start my accommodation search on Booking.com because of its “book now, pay later” and “free cancellation” policies. The beauty with these policies is that you are usually allowed to cancel within a week of your travel time, sometimes even a day before, for free! I love it because it allows me to lock in my top choices as early as I start planning my holidays (and all my friends know I often plan my holidays 6 months in advance) without the fear of losing the accommodation that I like and still have the flexibility to change my plans as I go through my holiday research and planning.
On the other hand, Airbnb has a different calibre of accommodation offered by Booking.com. Airbnb listings often have a good mix of budget accommodation and designer houses style homes; whereas Booking.com listings are more hotel/hostel oriented. What I like about Airbnb is the idea of “living like a local” because you get to have a taste of what the city is like at locals’ spare room or vacant house.
That’s how I found Nature’s Cottage on Airbnb. A unique self-contained wood cabin in the nature with outdoor shower in the rainforest of Big Island.
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Lava hike – WE POKED RED HOT FLOWING LAVA
WHAT?
Yes, you read right. We poked red hot omg wtf bbq flowing LAVA!
(Check out my flowing lava video!)
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Mauna Kea, Big Island .::Sunset above the sea of clouds::.
Mauna Kea is a very special mountain. It is a dormant volcano that stands 4,205m above sea level and it is the only place on earth where you can drive from sea level to 4,205m in about 2 hours. Interestingly, Mauna Kea measures over 10,000m from its base on the ocean floor – that is greater than the elevation of Mount Everest!
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Punaluu Beach (aka Black Beach Hawaii) .::Bah bah black beach have you any turtles::.
Punaluu Beach is known for two things – its pitch black sand and resident sea turtle. If you love turtles and don’t want to leave Hawaii without meeting some, Punaluu Beach is your best bet.
【Hawaii Travel Blog】South Point Hawaii .::The southernmost point of the United States of America::.
South Point is the southernmost point of the United States of America. For the daredevils, South Point is also known for its epic cliff jump. I almost decided to give this place a miss because I thought “why bother if I don’t do the cliff jump” – Boy, was I wrong.
The breathtaking view of South Point turned out to be my top-3 favourite of our entire Hawaii trip.
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Kahaluu Bay – Big Island .::Snorkelling in the nature’s aquarium::.
I highly recommend Kahaluu Bay if you are snorkelling novices like Mike and I. What attracted me most about Kahaluu Bay was the facilities – shower, toilets, snorkel gear rental, locker, carpark, a food truck and lifeguards.
【Hawaii Travel Blog】Kona Hawaii (Big Island).::You, me; sunset and palm tree::.
If you haven’t been to Big Island, you haven’t been to the real “Hawaii”. In fact, the State of Hawaii is named after the Big Island, aka “Hawai’i”, which is the State’s biggest island.
Wait, there are different islands in Hawaii? Yes! I only learned that Hawaii is so much more than Waikiki and Honolulu (which, by the way, are on the island of Oahu) as I started planning our trip. The most difficult part was deciding which islands to visit for our 10-day holiday…Each island has its own charm and so much to see – and holidays are always too short.
【Travel】Bali .::Weekend away at Karma Kandara Resort::.
Bali is a place for relaxing and unwinding, showing off bikini bodies and indulging in the luxurious elite life at an affordable price.
Our family loves holidaying in Bali. We have been there so many times, my sisters and I nicknamed it “our backyard”. Since we had ticked off most of the touristy things years ago (e.g. Tanah Lot, Ubud, Kuta, traditional dances, getting our hair braided, etc, been there done that), we were happy to spend most of our time at the resort this time around.
For fellow Sydneysiders contemplating a weekend in Bali – It’s totally doable and you will not regret it.
【Travel】Yilan, Taiwan .::Picturesque country getaway::.
Mike and I went back to Taiwan for a two-week holiday during Christmas and New Year. The original plan was to just relax, eat and spend some time with friends and family. However, my travel bug caught up to me and I just couldn’t sit still with two weeks of spare time in my hands… I really wanted to go somewhere. And then suddenly…What!? It only takes less than an hour’s drive to get to Yilan from Taipei!?
Thanks to the Hsuehshan Tunnel, it’s never been easier visiting the unspoiled mountains and paddy fields of Yilan.
