** 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 ... Read more
Our Stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort in 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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more
Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica
Cahuita National Park was a highlight during our Costa Rica trip. 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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more
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, ... Read more
Rainy Maui Beach Day
One of the group activities I wanted to do in Maui 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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more
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 ... Read more