OT: Summer Travel Plans
I'm headed to Charleston, SC for the first time tomorrow for a wedding and have some free time to spend. Anyone have any recommendations for what to do in the area (besides golf) or places to eat?
Also, the summer travel thread is a popular one every year, so use this thread to get travel advice or what have you. I'm sure people will get pissy when someone humble brags about how they just can't decide which one of their properties to summer at, but whatevs.
I'm going to Hawaii for the first time - wife, 1 year old, inlaws in tote... - and we haven't decided yet on the island/activities...
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Maui. Do Haleakala Crater at Sunset, Io Needle, Any Hotels on Kanapali Beach. SNUBA in Molikini, Zip Lining on the North Shore, Road to Hana with too many things to name that you can see. Stop at Fruit Stands alot. Do a Luau for suresies. Rent a snorkle for the week and go to the best spots. See lots of Sea Turtles. Amen
It's a really enjoyable experience and as close as you can get to diving without going through the training process.
Now I can comfortably tell the wife that our vacation is planned... more time for blogging
GO through the bamboo forest to the waimoku falls. Did this on the ol' honey moon
I second the recommendation for Maui, Ka'anapali Beach, roadside stands (for fruit and handmade crafts). The whole thing. If you're going to be there for several days, I recommend stopping at the Costco by the airport before you get too far away. Not very scenic, but the best prices on the island for necessities (baby stuff, basic groceries, etc.). Then spend your money on fun, not on overpriced diapers in a local shop.
Very end of Kanapali beach(IIRC, Black Rock) has been a great spot to see sea turtles. I'm not sure if I'm lucky or if they are always there, but the last 3 times I have seen Sea Turtles there.
I go to Hawaii almost every other year. Maui is a good choice for a first timer as they really gear towards tourists. For Maui, I prefer Wailea area as you have better weather there than north (Kaanapali, Kapalua). There are some nice snorkeling areas off the public beaches and a lot of turtles hang out there. You can always go on tours to Molokini and a visit to the aquarium is a must.
I prefer the Big Island as it is more raw and climate/terrain is more diverse. The night snorkel to watch the giant rays feed is the single greatest nature experience I have ever had.
Honeymooning on the Big Island in October, what else are the must do's on the island?
I will give you and everyone my #1 advice when travelling to Hawaii. Unfortunately, this only applies to Costco members.
The first thing you should do after you land and get your rental car is to go to the Costco (there is one near the airport on almost every island). You should stock up on your water, juices, breakfast items, fruits, and beer/liquor so that you don't have to pay exorbitant resort prices. If you planning on snorkeling, pickup snorkeling gear there too. You end up spending about the same amount of money as renting gear for the week. It also saves on checking those equipment on airplane which is not cheap these days. Even if you just leave it behind after the week, this will save you money.
You should also stop by Costco on the way out to gas up your car, buy Hawaiian nuts/chocolates, and coffee. By far the best prices on the island.
As to things to do in Big Island, here are my favorites:
-Night snorkeling for giant manta rays. I CANNOT recommend this highly enough. There are two different spots, either works. (go look for manta ray night dives on Youtube - it is JUST like those)
-If you like turtles, stay at Waikoloa Resort. There are resident turtles in its manmade lagoons that you can swim with all day. If you are not staying at the resort, you can go to Waikoloa Beach in front of Marriott. There is a fresh water stream that flows out to the ocean. Every morning, up to a dozen sea turthles hang out there to munch on fresh vegetation that floats out. You can swim with them or just watch them from the beach.
-Have poke at Da Poke Shack and loco moco at Big Island Grill
-Have a Longboard at Kona Brewing Co
-Chill out with the locals at Hapuna Beach
-Go up to Mauna Kea Observatory
-Snorkeling at Captain Cook point is good, not great, but really calm and clear water great for beginners
-Snorkeing is even better out at Waikoloa. You have to swim out about 200 feet into the open ocean, but some of the best snorkeling experiences I've ever had out there with huge school of surgeon fishes and huge parrot fishes, and even rays.
-Drive to the volcanoes was a bust for me as all I saw was some plumes of steam. But the drive to the park is amazing as you go through about 4 different micro climates - and the black sand beach along the way was incredible
-Go visit a coffee plantation
Hope that helps.
thanks for the details; I might just need to go get a costco card...
Great advice, thanks.
I will second pretty much everything on this list.
- We snorkeled at Captain Cook twice during our last visit. Both times we kayaked to the snorkel spot. Day one we saw probably ten dolphins and some of them swam pretty close to the kayak, day two we saw maybe one. Also saw an 8-foot eel, which was pretty amazing.
- There is a second black sand beach way up on the north end that is a little bit of a hike, but cool if you have never seen black sand.
- There is a green sand beach way down on the south end. There are locals that will give rides or you can walk the 2 miles from where you park to the water.
- Kona Brewing Company has some of the best pizza and beer on the island, and the outdoor seating is pretty cool.
If you're into travel books, this one is the best:
http://www.amazon.com/Hawaii-The-Big-Island-Revealed/dp/0981461069
Go to the National Park in the late afternoon and then stay when it gets dark. You'll see the glow of Kilauea. It does get pretty crowded though.
My family took a helicopter ride over the active vents. It was pretty amazing. You fly out from Waikaloa (super-expensive) vs Hilo (less expensive).
Take the trip up Mauna Kea.
Visit Waimea. Get lunch/breakfast at the Hawaiian Style Cafe.
Hang out a bit at the Black Sand Beach .. Pretty unusual place.
"The night snorkel to watch the giant rays feed is the single greatest nature experience I have ever had."
Gonna have to make a note of that.
It is amazing. You are in complete dark, then all of a see you see this HUGE shadow (the biggest one we saw was 18 feet across) that comes within 2 inches of your body as they gracefully do a barrel roll after barrel roll. You can literally see all the way down inside the body through their huge mouth since they are right in front of your face. It is life changing.
If you are going to Oahu i would recommend renting a car for atleast a day and just driving around the outer rim of the island. I went back in February for a week and my favorite part was just driving around and stopping at all the little local beaches around the island.
The Circle Island Tour that ends up at the Polynesian Cultural Center was one of my favorite things when I was on Oahu. You get a really fun touristy experience and get to experience the outer portion of the island. Whale watching was fun, too, but I think their season is over.
Lived on Oahu for 6 years. Which island are you going to?
unless I get some strong arguments against it, but one of the elder members of our party won't participate much in anything physically demanding, so something tourist-friendly is desirable.
Is a nice city, although it has been quite a while since I've been there. Go for a late night walk downtown and on the waterfront / pier. The city is deserted, at least during the week, but well lit and safe.
Shouldn't you be boating this summer?!
I'll take the boat to Charleston. Ever think of that smart guy?
My crew application will be submitted within the hour, Capt. The_Mad_Hatter. I can't tell port from stern, but I can bring a cooler full of beverages.
Roadtrip (by train) from North of Italy to Switzerland to South of France. Any recommendations? Going as a couple, looking for experiences and some destressing.
Which part of the north? Going onto the summer, there are always festivales. The sights are great and there's always something historic you can find.
Don't eat at any restaurants with more than 1 language on the signs or menus and do not put cheese on seafood.
Check out the Lake Como area if you have a chance - breathtaking!
Hell yeah. I'm saving up now to do something similar, except probably starting in Milan, then to Lake Como, and on down Italy and ending in Sicily.
This summer, though: Moab, Vegas, and Michigan for some weddings.
Have fun!
It's easy to find a train from the coast of France to Barcelona, if you have an extra day and want to get a little touristy.
just finished living in lyon for 3 years, had a girl in Aix. It's nice. Go to Cassis and go cliff jumping.
Don't take any night trains. My wife and I took a night train from Nice to Venice and would have been mugged if it wasn't for an old italian guy who wedged our door shut at the last moment. The police boarded and searched the train several times on the trip, so I got the feeling those types of incidents were not uncommon.
Daytime bullet trains are the way to go if available.
My brother traveled a ton through Europe over the years and yes, theft on night trains is definitely not uncommon.
Wife, kid, work mean the seasons ae meaningless.
Unless, of course, you are a teacher (which I am not, but many of my friends are)...in which case, a 3 month vacation is almost here and it's time to brag about it.
I wish it was 3 months - mine is 2 months. But I will brag nonetheless.
I got 6 weeks to travel, but I also have 2 months in the winter. #humblebrag
I'll be visiting home for some time, and I'm choosing between Europe and China for about 2 weeks of travel.
You shouldn't have had kids. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't know if you are a history buff or not, but I would highly recommend checking out Fort Sumter. For those of you unsure of what weight Fort Sumter carries, it's where the Civil War started. Furthermore, I would recommend taking a city tour on a trolly. There's some amazing houses and other things to see.
Outer Banks, NC. A week full of sun, sand, swimming, and drinking Yuengling.
BTW, haven't been to Charleston, SC, but would love to visit.
For a week with the extended family.
Also will be having boozy weekends with the extended family in Ocean City, NJ.
why do people ask for advice for places they've already decided they're going? Shouldn't you do this before booking your trip?
Why do people comment without reading for comprehension?
Reading comprehesion is not a common quality of many interwebz users/commenters.
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