snorkeling Archives

06/19/2018

Add Boating to Your Summer Plans

** This post is sponsored by Discover Boating but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I have shared quite frequently that I love being on or near water. Turns out I am not alone in that: 142 million Americans go boating each year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. And summer is the best time to spend on a boat! There’s just something so relaxing about being on the water. It feels like you’re on vacation, even when you’re not. You get to experience a familiar or new place in another fun way! That’s why Graham and I try to make boating a part of our travels wherever we go.

Examples of how to incorporate boating in your travels:

In Hawaii, you can charter a boat and hire a guide to spend the day whale watching and swimming with dolphins. There’s so much to do on a boat in the state!

In San Francisco you can take in a different view of the city, especially the Golden Gate bridge, while on a sailboat. You don’t need to stay on land to explore a new place.

In Chicago you can take your boat (or boat rental) down the river or spend a day in the “play pen,” where you can interact with other Chicagoans on the water. Or you can cruise in a yacht and soak in the sunset and skyline views. That is one of our favorite things to do in the summer.

You can find ways to spend time on a boat, whether at home in your city or many miles away, by checking out Discover Boating’s Go Boating Today tool that generates local options for boat rentals, classes, charters and more, by simply entering a city or ZIP code. I searched for boating opportunities in Chicago and found many options. Examples in Chicago include renting an island party boat on Lake Michigan! How fun does that sound?!

You don’t need to own a boat to experience what it’s like to have a vacation on the water, but if you’re ready to explore buying your own, Discover Boating’s Boat Selector tool lets you find what type of boat fits your lifestyle and budget. Discover Boating also has information on youth boating programs, classes and lots more!

Do you have any plans to go boating? Let me know in the comments!

5 Boating Activities in Chicago

Chicago Summer Goal: Get On The Water

Connect with Discover Boating:

Discover Boating Website

04/23/2018

Our Stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort in Hawaii

Hilton Waikoloa Resort, Big Island, Hawaii

We’re typically low-key travelers who prefer affordable places to stay that are easy to get to and conveniently located near the activities we enjoy. However, the booking of our Hawaii trip was a bit last minute because we had to cancel our Puerto Rico plans. That meant that almost all the Big Island hotels in the Kailua-Kona area were near capacity and we had to book whatever was left. We decided to venture a bit farther north to the Waikoloa area because we had skipped that part of the island on our honeymoon trip in 2014. We had heard there were some beautiful beaches nearby that we wanted to check out. With the help of Ebates and Priceline I was able to find a deal on a stay at the Hilton Waikola Village Resort, so we went for it despite the slightly higher price tag than we are used to paying. (Use my referral link to get started on Ebates; you’ll get $10.) Today I want to share the pros and cons of staying at the Hilton Waikola Village Resort.

Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort in Hawaii

Waikoloa Village was like a small village. (Actually someone we met in town called it their Disney World.) We had to take a tram to our hotel room tower and walking to the lobby from the room could take up to 20 minutes (if you’re preggo like me). Overall, though, we enjoyed our stay at the resort. This was where we waited in the basement during the false ballistic missile alert in Hawaii, too.

Hilton Waikoloa Resort, Hawaii

Hilton Waikoloa Resort, Big Island, Hawaii

Pros

Activities are plentiful.
Nice views from the rooms.
The lagoon was convenient and perfect for V to swim in. There are plenty of lounge chairs to use and you can rent kayaks, paddleboards and other equipment. You can also snorkel and see fish and turtles!
Just about everything you need is available.
Close to Hapuna Beach.
Spacious, comfortable rooms.
The walkway to lobby was also a museum with incredible artwork.
You can take a tram or boat to your tower.
The resort is gorgeous.
Nice shops.

Hilton Waikoloa Resort, Big Island, Hawaii

Cons

Not convenient to leave the resort.
Parking was $20-something per day for self-parking. Also, parking is far from your room.
Dining prices were higher as to be expected.
Resort fee was $20-something per day.
Construction near our tower was an eyesore.
Waikoloa is a bit of a drive (30 minutes or so) from Kailua-Kona and seems a bit isolated. We didn’t like having to drive so far for more food and activity options.

What kind of accommodations do you prefer when you travel?

Watch our videos:

EXPLORING HILO, HAWAII

PU’UHONUA O HONAUNAU NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN HAWAII

Unforgettable Beach Day: False Ballistic Missile Alert

01/24/2018

Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii

Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii Somehow we tend to luck out when booking tours on vacation. We have at several times arrived to discover we are the only people with reservations, meaning we essential get a private outing! This is what happened with our whale watching tour through Kona Ocean Adventures. I was expecting a small group of six, including us, but we were pleasantly surprised!

In addition to seeing lava, I really wanted to spot some whales during our Hawaii trip. They migrate to the Hawaiian islands from November to about April, so we’ve never seen them during our trips; all of my visits to Hawaii have been in September.

I had no idea what to expect from our whale watching tour. I was told that if we happen to not see any whales we could go back out with them another day, so that made me nervous that the tour wouldn’t be worth the $130 per person price tag.

But we got so much more than we were expecting, though I wasn’t able to capture much of it on my camera. (More on that later.)

The first part of the tour involved heading away from shore for a while. I will say I was not expecting how bumpy it would be, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to ride on a boat while pregnant. You can always ask them to go a bit slower, though.

We quickly spotted a whale and her calf.

Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii

Then we heard a call over the radio that there was a manta ray feeding frenzy nearby. Our captain asked if we were interested in seeing it and we quickly said yes. When we arrived, she asked if G wanted to swim with them, too. He quickly grabbed his snorkeling gear and jumped in the water. The captain gives tips on how to swim with them. The mantas are used to people, from what we were told. I, too, quickly got into the water to peek underneath the surface and see them swim from afar. It’s an incredible sight!

Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii

After a while, we moved on. We next heard a radio call about spinner dolphins and instantly said yes to seeing them, too. Only one other boat had discovered the dolphins, so it was not crowded with people at all. It was amazing! I have never in my life seen so many dolphins at once, and they were quite active!

I had to take the opportunity to swim with them as well. As soon as you pop your head underwater you can hear them. You might even hear whales nearby as well. We spent quite a bit of time snorkeling here, though I only lasted a few minutes. In my current pregnant state I don’t have the energy to swim for as long as before, though using a noodle helps.

After our dolphin snorkel we went back to whale watching. We traveled pretty far north of the coast and even made it to where we could see Maui! This is where we spotted a breaching whale from afar. I was unable to capture photos because it happens to quickly and unexpectedly.

We also saw a shark fin!

As you can see, our whale watching was much more than just whales. It went from a two-hour tour to one that lasted more than three hours! However, had we not also been able to snorkel I would not have thought this was worth the money. But the unexpected adventures made this adventure worth it! It’s one of our favorite memories of the trip!

Have you been on a whale watching tour?

Note: If you’re pregnant you should check with your doctor about what is safe for you to do. Every pregnancy and person is different.

Watch a video of our whale watching and snorkeling tour:

02/04/2016

Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica

If you’re staying on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, a trip to Cahuita National Park is a must. We were in Cocles, outside of Puerto Viejo, so we decided to take a day trip north to the park. We didn’t rent a car in Costa Rica, opting instead to use shuttles, a plane, boats and taxis to get around. On this particular day, we chose to try out the local bus. I had no idea how much it would be or what the schedule was, but luckily our bed and breakfast host had a schedule to offer us and the bus stop was only 80 meters from the B&B. It cost about 2000+ colones (or about $3.75-4) for both of us to ride to Puerto Viejo. When we arrived in Puerto Viejo, we walked around looking for a restaurant called Bread and Chocolate that had been recommended to us. The restaurant was booming at lunchtime; it seemed to be popular with tourists. We were told the mint brownies were to die for and that the sandwiches were cheap. Only one of those statements was true. … We ordered two sandwiches (which came with sides) plus two drinks (coffee and lemonade) that came out to $22. As we waited for our to-go order we also grabbed a mint brownie for the road.

We walked toward the bus stop with about 45 minutes left until the next bus. (It comes pretty much every hour.) We sat on a picnic table next to the beach and ate half of our sandwiches. We also took a short walk on the beach and admired our surroundings.

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

This North Face Recon backpack was amazing to have on our trip. (Affiliate link included.)

We walked toward the bus stop, and I realized other passengers had tickets in hand. When we boarded in Cocles we just paid directly to the driver, but I wondered if we needed tickets in Puerto Viejo. A teen next to me instructed me to buy them at the Boleteria across the street from the bus stop. It was about another $2 for the rest of the ride to Cahuita. The bus took us to the bus station in Cahuita, and from there we walked down the main street until we reached a park. I asked a woman for directions to the national park, and she instructed me to walk east a few blocks. Just after I asked I saw a sign for the national park. Duh!

When you walk into the park office, you sign your name on the register and record your time in. You don’t have to pay anything to enter, though donations are accepted. Also, guides like to hang out by the office offering you a tour of the park. It’s up to you if you want to hire them. We opted for our own leisurely hike. By this point we had gotten better at spotting wildlife in the trees. It doesn’t take long to see the fauna at the park. The trail goes through the jungle directly adjacent to the beach, so you’re surrounded by beauty the entire hike. At any time you can take a break from the heat and humidity to swim in the calm waters of Cahuita.

This momma raccoon is actually yawning. It was not mean at all.

One of the most incredible things I saw was a lizard running on water. Its nickname is the Jesus Christ lizard for its talent.

Cahuita’s calm waters are great for snorkeling, and the park is said to be the best place to snorkel on the Caribbean side, but it had just rained, so we knew we wouldn’t see much.

An old well along the trail.

Watch where you step. We saw a venomous snake just off the trail.

Don’t forget to record your time out when you leave!

We spent about five hours here before heading back into town for to get some snacks. We caught the 6:15 bus back to Puerto Viejo for dinner and then took a taxi to Cocles for $4. It was one of my favorite days in Costa Rica. Have you been to Cahuita? What did you love most?

More on Costa Rica

P.S. I used the Lonely Planet book gifted to us by relatives for planning. I highly recommend it.

*Affiliate links included. I am compensated for clicks and purchases.

10/22/2014

Wedding Day Snorkeling in Maui

Our wedding day came and went much too quickly. I woke up after finally getting enough rest to find Graham was gone. He had woken up early to purchase pineapples for our wedding table and get me an iced Granita from Lava Java in Kihei. There was a beautifully written letter waiting for me on the bathroom counter. I couldn’t believe the day had arrived!

This was actually the first time in a long time I was too nervous to finish my food.

He had also brought back a newspaper, because he knew it was important to me. And he had ordered room service — oatmeal with fruit and a breakfast wrap. His thoughtfulness knows no bounds.

We exchanged wedding gifts that morning. I gave him a card and a watch, and I played for him a video I made of our photos. He was so touched. The day was off to an emotional start, to say the least. His gift to me was my wedding jewelry: a single-pearl necklace and matching earrings. They were exactly what I wanted to wear.

There were some stressful moments after that as we tried to corral friends and family and get them to the beach for snorkeling. Graham is my rock when I start the spiral of anxiety. (Yet another reason I married him.)

Snorkel Bob’s outfitted us with our snorkel gear and gave us recommendations for snorkeling in the area. Their suggestion to go to Maluaka Beach was spot on. The water was clear and calm and we saw turtles!

Graham’s turtle selfie 🙂

Spending some time at the beach with our wedding guests was the perfect way to start the day’s festivities. Before long it was time to start getting ready!

**** Note: My wedding trip/honeymoon recaps have been out of order. I’ve been writing about them as I get inspired or as I get my photos in order. I’ve been holding off on wedding updates because I don’t have my photos back from the photographer yet. I’m hopeful those will come to us this week.

10/20/2014

Kayaking and Snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay

My favorite activity on the Big Island was a kayak tour of Kealakekua Bay. We chose Kona Boys as our tour operator, and we’re so glad we did. When we arrived at their shop for our Midday Meander, as they call it, we were told we’d be the only two people on the tour that day. A private tour? Yay! We were outfitted with our snorkel gear, bought an underwater film camera and set off for the bay, where our tour guide was waiting for us.

It didn’t take long to get on the water and start kayaking toward the monument. Our tour guide AJ told us he’d seen spinner dolphins that morning, so he was confident we’d see them. Along the way he shared the history of the bay, the surrounding cliffs and the Captain Cook Monument. He also told us about himself and his move to the Big Island. We picked his brain about life in Kona.

AJ was right — it didn’t take long for me to spot the dolphins. There was an Ironman competitor training in the water near them; AJ told us the distance across the bay is the distance the athletes swim in the event, so it’s a perfect training site. I can only imagine how amazing it must have been to be in the water with the dolphins.

Before we knew it we arrived at the landing site. AJ went ahead of us to show us where to paddle and land, and then the guys pulled the kayaks out of the water and set our stuff down. We walked the short distance to the monument and prepared to snorkel.

AJ swore by a certain spot that was quite a swim away, but because we are in decent shape he asked if we wanted him to lead us there. Um, yeah! The swim there was incredible; I’ve never seen so many fish. AJ said it was the farthest he has taken a tour before, and we appreciated that.

I worked up an appetite on the swim, so we headed back to the monument for some snacks. AJ had brought along pineapple, banana bread and guava juice. You take home a Kona Boys water bottle, too. There were only two other small tours at the monument, and they headed back before we did, so Graham and I enjoyed having the entire place to ourselves.

We decided we’d like to invest in a GoPro or underwater camera for our next snorkeling trip. It would have been nice to have one that day, but I’ll never forget the incredible sealife I saw.

10/02/2014

Rainy Maui Beach Day

One of the group activities I wanted to do before the wedding was have a beach day with our friends. We loved Big Beach, aka Makena Beach State Park, when Graham and I visited Maui two years ago, so we wanted to take our friends there. Charlsy and I danced for joy, thrilled to be in Hawaii.

The day started out sunny and warm.

But over time, the clouds rolled in.

It was sprinkling before we knew it. We moved to another side of the beach and got in the water, not letting the light rain ruin our time. We figured the rain would move along soon, but we were wrong — it only intensified. It was actually pretty hilarious watching the girls grab our things and sprint toward the lifeguard tower. We huddled underneath, waiting for the guys to get out of the water and head toward the parking lot. The rain had won.

Two more friends joined us, and we decided to try another beach. This time the rain stayed away for the most part so we could snack, swim and snorkel. It was exactly what I wanted.

03/21/2013

How to pack for camping on Maui

** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise.

I am always up for camping, especially when I came up with the idea of camping during our trip to Maui. Once I figured out where to stay (Wai’anapanapa State Park) and where to rent our gear, the next challenge was to figure out what clothing to pack. The east side of Maui was rainy and windy, a stark contrast to the dry, sunny west side.

To accommodate both climes, here’s what I packed for camping on Maui for two nights, plus the rest of the trip’s adventures:

Three bathing suits or more. (This gives you enough time to dry your suits. Save yourself the discomfort of wearing a wet bathing suit all day under your clothes.)
Shorts and jeans. I hiked in the jeans and wore the shorts on the beach on the west side of the island.
A hoodie or jacket. This was enough to keep me comfortable when it was windy or rainy in Hana. This was also a must at Haleakala’s summit. I also wished I had gloves at the summit, though I am from Arizona.
Yoga clothes and long socks to sleep in. That’s just my preference. Plus, I went to an oceanfront yoga class in Kihei one of the days.
Wet wipes and hand sanitizer. These come in handy so often, but especially when camping or going to the beach.
Water backpack. We went on a hike to Waimoku Falls, staying hydrated with a water backpack, which we also used to store snacks for the journey, along with our cellphones, camera, car keys, etc.
A watersafe box. Protect your valuables on waterfall hikes, at the beach, or on rainy days.
Beach towels.
Underwater disposable camera, GoPro or digital camera. Save some cash by buying a few ahead of time. It will likely be cheaper. Or get a digital underwater camera to capture breathtaking shots while snorkeling.
Sunscreen, sunglasses, chapstick and hat.
Extra ziplock bag (or a few) to keep your camping permit dry if you camp at the same park. It must be displayed outside your tent.
Headlamp or flashlight. This was included in our rented camping package, but the flashlight didn’t work as well as we would have liked. It’s best to bring your own.
Lighter or matches and charcoal if barbecuing at the park. Stop at a local grocery store to get them, as you’ll need food for camping.
Flip flops, hiking shoes, and comfortable walking shoes.
Snorkeling gear. While snorkeling-trip operators offer them and you can rent or buy them on the island, if you plan to do a lot of snorkeling or would like to have gear for the future, consider bringing it.
Beach bag.
Pillow, if you can somehow fit it in your luggage.
Car charger (and regular charger) for your cellphone.
Hammock and rope, if you’d like to lounge. It’s only handy if it doesn’t rain.
Water shoes.

Shop camping/travel supplies**:

** This post contains affiliate links.

01/10/2013

Snorkeling at Honolua Bay, Maui

My final day in Maui started in Kaanapali. The first thing on the agenda was to get one last snorkeling session in.

Based on online research, Honolua Bay is one of the best snorkeling locations on Maui. We had to check it out.

We drove north to the remote Honolua Bay, which from what I had read would be a challenge to find. We weren’t sure if we would see where to stop until we noticed some cars parked in dirt on the side of the road. This had to be it, we said.

We walked along the short trail — spotting chickens along the way — to the rocky beach.

A sign along the way offers good advice.

It was a quite cove with calm water, barely a ripple could be seen. There were maybe eight other people in the water with us. I was thankful for my water shoes, as they helped avoid walking on the sharp rocks.

The early morning sun was partially blocked by the trees, which made for a chilly morning, but I felt better once fully immersed in the water. I brought my trusty inflatable tube so that I wouldn’t get too tired from swimming.

The water was clear that day, and we immediately spotted various fish. I wished I had brought a snorkeling guide book to identify our sightings. People aren’t lying about it being an ideal spot for snorkeling.

When it was time to depart, I stayed in the water until it was extremely shallow, mostly to avoid being cold. It was then that suddenly a turtle that had been just a couple of feet below us bolted away, kicking up dirt and clouding our view. I barely missed it, though my companion did not. This was the only turtle sighting I can report from that day, though at this point I was all snorkeled out from the rest of the week. We didn’t explore too far, especially the rocks on the right, where I suspect one would have better luck spotting fish and turtles.

I’d add this Maui snorkeling location to the list next time. I would suggest bringing to Maui or buying your own set of snorkeling gear to avoid paying for guided trips (with the exception of Molokini), unless you’d prefer the professional advice and transportation.

Have you snorkeled at Honolua Bay? Isn’t it just so peaceful?

09/26/2012

Arizonan on Maui: Snorkeling at Molokini

The most eye-opening experience on Maui was snorkeling at Molokini. It is astounding how much you see when you explore the ocean.

We booked a snorkeling trip through Seafire, one of the cheapest companies to go through, at $55 a person for three hours. As we waited at the Kihei boat ramp for it to arrive, another tour operator asked what boat we were going to ride on. When we responded Seafire, he condescendingly told us it would be the boat that would be last to leave Kihei. He was right. But that didn’t mean our experience wasn’t amazing.

View from the Kihei boat ramp.

On the way to Molokini we saw many turtles that had come up for air. My excitement intensified as we approached the crater. Along with the usual safety information, we were instructed to come back toward the boat when they hung a towel from it so that we could “go on an adventure.”

Molokini

Molokini had so many different kinds of fish to admire. I would recommend an underwater camera. A disposable one worked just fine for me, although a digital would give much better quality images.

Once I noticed the towel signal, it was time to swim over the “edge.” The edge is the end of the crater where you can swim over and look down as it drops down hundreds of feet. It was quite unsettling but incredible to see the water go from light blue to dark so quickly.

The edge we swam over was on the right side.

Next, we boarded the boat to go to our second spot, an old boat that sank years ago. I immediately saw a turtle, and when I looked down into the water I spotted another just underneath us, swimming over the boat and two scuba divers already there. This was a quick stop on the way to Turtle Town, which I later learned can mean one of a couple of places. The Turtle Town we went to was near the Kihei boat ramp where we launched. Here we spotted many turtles. I counted nine in the water throughout the day.

Turtles are my favorite animals, so getting so close to them was a dream come true for me. Can’t wait to do it again!

I would recommend Seafire. Though it’s not as fancy as the other boats I saw, the people were friendly and knew a lot about marine life. We were fed muffins and pineapple slices throughout and were offered a marine guide book to look through to identify our sightings. One of the guides was a woman from Flagstaff, Arizona, who was friendly and accommodating. She seemed passionate about swimming with the fish and turtles. She also let me wear her hoodie when I was cold and offered me a towel, and these personal touches were greatly appreciated.

The Seafire.