Travel 626
Explore exciting travel destinations with a fellow travel enthusiast. The experiences and recommendations are based on my families own travels. What works for us may not work for your family. We are a fun loving family from California who prioritizes fun and travel adventures. This site will highlight some of our most fun adventures.
Aulani Resort - Ko Olina, HI
This resort is truly a home away from home. The resort is one of the Disney Vacation Club properties so there is a variety of room choices to fit any families vacation needs. There are two types of accommodations hotel rooms and villas. In the hotel room category spaces range from a standard hotel room through a gorgeous 2 bedroom Signature suite. The signature suites come with a full sized refrigerator, full sink, microwave, and toaster.
The Disney Vacation Club Villas range from a Studio Suite through a 3 bed room grand villa. The 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas offer full kitchens, multiple bathrooms, and laundry in the units. All include patios or balcony. Views range from Standard - Ocean-view. My family generally chooses the garden view to save and extend our stay.
The resort is so beautiful and we have never had issues finding chairs. Instead of getting up and saving chairs for the day we start with a beautiful walk along the lagoons adjacent to the resort area. This is my favorite part of the morning. The resort offers work out classes next to the beach most mornings and I love to participate in these classes they are a fun way to start the day. At least twice a week they have yoga or exercise on paddle boards this is an activity not to be missed.
Check the Aulani app on your phone for the daily activity schedule, exercise classes, and character meet and greets. The activities schedule is called the 'iwa. Having a garden view sometimes will allow you to over look the Hālāwai Lawn where you can see the characters from your balcony.
Personally a trip to a tropical location is not complete without getting out on the water. Catamaran tours are easy and fun to book. Catamaran Sail and Snokel from Ko Olina is available to book through Viator.
Dining in the resort area is easy and convenient. We frequent Off the Hook for lunch. We generally eat breakfast in our room and make many dinners in the full kitchen. Our favorite stop each trip is a trip to the Monkey Pod across the street from the resort for live music, food and drink.
Luau, yes we have had the opportunity to visit the Luau at Aulani and would recommend going at least once. We sprung for the upgrades premium tickets and I don't regret it at all. We were among the first to enter the Luau area so the kids were able to easily participate in all the pre-show activities. Our seats were at the front tables allowing for a great view and it included drinks for the adults.
The island has a lot of activities to offer and Kualoa Ranch was one of our favorites. We did the UTV tour and it was so much fun. You drive your own UTV around with a tour guide and check out the various movie sites on the ranch. Kualoa Ranch UTV click the link to book with Viator.
He'ela State Park is a great place to get out on to the ocean in a Kayak. We were able to rent kayaks from Kama'aina Kayaking right in the park. It was an inexpensive way to get out on the ocean for the day. This cam be booked direct with Kama'ana
Dole plantation is another favorite visit for our family. If you have a rental car it is an easy drive from Aulani and you can buy tickets for the train and maze on site.
Note: We are members of the Disney Vacation Club and Aulani is our home resort.
Zermatt - Adventure in the Swiss Alps
Nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Zermatt is a picturesque village that offers an idyllic vacation for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. We were amazed by stunning views of the Matterhorn. Zermatt ia a perfect escape for outdoor enthusiasts with a wide variety of adventurous activities to keep families active . The village itself is car-free, contributing to its serene atmosphere and ensuring that visitors can fully immerse themselves in the pristine natural environment. While it is car free the village has quite a number of battery operated vehicles similar to golf carts to transport travelers from the train station to hotels or around town.
We stayed at the family run Hotel Jagerhof during our visit. Since this was a family vacation we opted for the half-board plan which includes breakfast and dinner each day of travel. In the morning the breakfast was a buffet with several choices. Dinner consists of a four course meal offering each night. The dinner offers two choices of main entree, appetizer, salad bar, and dessert. We enjoyed our meals and were happy we choose the half-board option. After a day of hiking, mountain biking or touring the area it was nice to relax in the hotel dining room each night.
The family room was more like an apartment with full kitchen, sitting area, fire place and a huge bathroom with a shower and tub. The room had a huge balcony from which we had a perfect view of the Matterhorn. The staff at the hotel was amazing and they went out of their way to ensure we were having a nice time.
Booking directly with the hotel using their web-site was easy. Make sure you know what fees your card assess for international charges before you start planning. I booked with a card that does not charge international transaction fees. The Hotel Jagerhof will reward you with coupons for their hotel if you book direct. I used these for beverages with dinner each evening.
A Zermatt summer vacation offers a wealth of hiking and mountain biking opportunities. With trails that range from leisurely walks to challenging treks, every visitor can find a path that suits their pace and preferences. Do not miss the Gornegrat Railway which will take you to a higher vantage point to experience this amazing scenery. You can even hike from the top of the rail station.
Remember weather changes quickly in the Swiss Alps so be prepared. We were lucky enough to experience views of the Matterhorn with clear blue skies our first day. We arrived in the rain and the following day taking the Gornergrat railway was cloudy and cooler. About a week prior to our arrival their was some flooding and other weather issues causing damage to the train tracks leading into Zermatt. We had to exit the train and transfer to a bus for part of our journey.
Leaving Zermatt we took the Glacier Express. While I wouldn't do this again with a family, I felt the train was more for people looking to experience the views of the Alps. With two teenagers we would have been better off staying in Zermatt an extra day to take advantage of the outdoor activities and taking a faster train to our destination.
We are just starting out so more content will be on its way soon.