Hands down without even a close second, the Na Pali coast on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. I've been a lot of places in my life including touring around most of Hawaii but on my most recent trip to Kauai I was absolutely blown away with the islands beauty. And then when I finally saw the infamous Na Pali coast line I knew I had found the most beautiful and unspoiled spot on Earth.
We went out of Hanalei bay with HoloHolo charters and just loved each and every minute. They offer a variety of tours and actually the first tour we were booked on was a catamaran snorkel tour out of the opposite side of the island.
I was super impressed when they called me the evening before and honestly conveyed their thoughts on the weather and concerns that the tour may not be all we want due to high winds. They worked with me to swap my tour to a different day and because we were going to be staying on the other side of the island at that point I switched to the snorkel adventure which takes place on a rigid inflatable.
The craft
The boat itself is an inflatable raft in definition but in reality it is much more than that. It doesn't hold anywhere near the amount of people that the catamaran does but it holds far more than you would expect. They are super fast rigid hull boats so nothing like the zodiac type you may be picturing in your head. They seemed quite new and modern and have a fiberglass hull that cuts right through the water. All the boats were locally built as well which is something I always love to support
The boats reach speeds of up to 30 knots. That coupled with the fact that you leave out of Hanalei bay makes it the quickest way to get to the Na Pali coast. I definitely preferred this type of craft because I am someone who tends to get motion sick slowly lolling along the sea, I never felt that at all as we were cruising. Even when we stopped for a bit the boat took the waves quite well so nausea was never an issue, although admittedly 1 poor soul did not get away so easily.
The Crew
The staff is really what the tours are all about. I mean everyone has a good boat right?! Well you hope anyway but the staff and how they compliment a tour is really what helps differentiate the tours. The staff with HoloHolo were fabulous from start to finish. They were courteous and helpful during the booking and when we had to change the tours and the staff on the boat were very knowledgeable about culture, the landscape, and Hawaii in general, not to mention that fact that they were loads of fun!
The Tour
What really could be said here?! Hopefully the pictures are doing it some type of justice but really to get the full effect you need to jump on board yourself. I was repeatedly blown away with the beauty, honestly the prettiest place on the planet! The tour takes you along the entire coastline starting where the road ends on one side all the way to where the road starts again on the other side so you don't miss a thing!
One of the things that was really cool about this tour was the fact that we could get so close. Not only did we get a great view from the ocean of the topography but we were also able to get extremely close and even enter and relax in several caves that are carved out along the shoreline. Some of the caves have open tops while others have deep, long, dark chasms that seem to have no end. Now I don't want to scare you, we didn't go deep inside but with the current and all it was still extremely exciting!
Snorkeling and Lunch
The water was not great the day we went out due to churned up surf from a storm but the crew did their best to look around and find a spot that was as clear as possible. On the way to snorkeling we even stumbled upon a large pod of the resident spinner dolphins, always a treat!
We snorkeled for about a half hour. It is easy to get in and out of the boat due to a sturdy ladder they lower into the water. On board they provide fins, masks and snorkels. There is also a warm fresh water shower you can rinse with after snorkeling and soapy water to keep your mask from fogging up.
After about 30 mins you come back on board and relax with a delicious sandwich lunch, drinks, chips, cookies, etc. There is a tarp that rolls over the top of the boat so you aren't just frying in the sun while sitting in the comfortable and padded seats. Then after another half hour we were off to adventure our way back to Hanalei Bay!
I know I mentioned that the helicopter tour of Kauai was THE thing you MUST do and I stand by that but if there were 2 things this tour would be the other, Here are some tips for making it the best experience you can have:
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 |
| End of the Kalalau trail |
I was super impressed when they called me the evening before and honestly conveyed their thoughts on the weather and concerns that the tour may not be all we want due to high winds. They worked with me to swap my tour to a different day and because we were going to be staying on the other side of the island at that point I switched to the snorkel adventure which takes place on a rigid inflatable.
 |
| The water actually looks just like that! |
The boat itself is an inflatable raft in definition but in reality it is much more than that. It doesn't hold anywhere near the amount of people that the catamaran does but it holds far more than you would expect. They are super fast rigid hull boats so nothing like the zodiac type you may be picturing in your head. They seemed quite new and modern and have a fiberglass hull that cuts right through the water. All the boats were locally built as well which is something I always love to support
The boats reach speeds of up to 30 knots. That coupled with the fact that you leave out of Hanalei bay makes it the quickest way to get to the Na Pali coast. I definitely preferred this type of craft because I am someone who tends to get motion sick slowly lolling along the sea, I never felt that at all as we were cruising. Even when we stopped for a bit the boat took the waves quite well so nausea was never an issue, although admittedly 1 poor soul did not get away so easily.
The Crew
The staff is really what the tours are all about. I mean everyone has a good boat right?! Well you hope anyway but the staff and how they compliment a tour is really what helps differentiate the tours. The staff with HoloHolo were fabulous from start to finish. They were courteous and helpful during the booking and when we had to change the tours and the staff on the boat were very knowledgeable about culture, the landscape, and Hawaii in general, not to mention that fact that they were loads of fun!
The Tour
What really could be said here?! Hopefully the pictures are doing it some type of justice but really to get the full effect you need to jump on board yourself. I was repeatedly blown away with the beauty, honestly the prettiest place on the planet! The tour takes you along the entire coastline starting where the road ends on one side all the way to where the road starts again on the other side so you don't miss a thing!
One of the things that was really cool about this tour was the fact that we could get so close. Not only did we get a great view from the ocean of the topography but we were also able to get extremely close and even enter and relax in several caves that are carved out along the shoreline. Some of the caves have open tops while others have deep, long, dark chasms that seem to have no end. Now I don't want to scare you, we didn't go deep inside but with the current and all it was still extremely exciting!
 |
| The line where the trees start is how high the waves crash in winter! |
The water was not great the day we went out due to churned up surf from a storm but the crew did their best to look around and find a spot that was as clear as possible. On the way to snorkeling we even stumbled upon a large pod of the resident spinner dolphins, always a treat!
We snorkeled for about a half hour. It is easy to get in and out of the boat due to a sturdy ladder they lower into the water. On board they provide fins, masks and snorkels. There is also a warm fresh water shower you can rinse with after snorkeling and soapy water to keep your mask from fogging up.
After about 30 mins you come back on board and relax with a delicious sandwich lunch, drinks, chips, cookies, etc. There is a tarp that rolls over the top of the boat so you aren't just frying in the sun while sitting in the comfortable and padded seats. Then after another half hour we were off to adventure our way back to Hanalei Bay!
I know I mentioned that the helicopter tour of Kauai was THE thing you MUST do and I stand by that but if there were 2 things this tour would be the other, Here are some tips for making it the best experience you can have:
- Wear a bathing suit, don't worry about shoes as they take them upon getting on board, no need on a boat
- Bring a towel, sunscreen, and a change of clothes if you like
- Take sea sickness medication or suck on ginger candies to help alleviate nausea
- Don't worry about your stuff getting wet as they give you a huge dry sack when you check in
- Take pictures, loads and loads of them but put the camera down if you are feeling sick, looking through a viewfinder increases nausea
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All you travel and photography enthusiasts out there know the deal. Not all camera bags are created equally!
There are a million camera bags on the market and if you are like me you've tried a variety of them. I find there is always something off. Sometimes its the size of the bag, too clunky or too small to fit all your belongings, sometimes its the aesthetics, and more often than not its the quality that seems to be the issue.
There are a million camera bags on the market and if you are like me you've tried a variety of them. I find there is always something off. Sometimes its the size of the bag, too clunky or too small to fit all your belongings, sometimes its the aesthetics, and more often than not its the quality that seems to be the issue.
My camera bag takes a beating so I need it to be tough! Between the actual travel days of being crammed in the overhead bin and dragged through airport after airport most bags I have tried just do not hold up. A few months is typically all I get. That is until now!
The Ari Marcopoulos Camera Bag, by InCase, is in an entirely different category when it comes to camera bags. It was exactly what I was looking for. It is multi purpose as it can carry my laptop, Ipad, phone, and camera with all it's lenses and not feel bulky. These are vital components when traveling I think, less is more when traveling!
The bag is a durable canvas material that has water propellant coating, another necessary component to any traveler's bags. How many time have you gotten caught out in the rain, dropped off by a bus with no taxi around, or simply at the beach when a rogue storm or wave rolls in? On top of that this bag comes with a built in rain cover that conveniently stores into a small pouch at the bottom of the bag. The straps are strong, sturdy, and padded with one-handed adjustment slack pull and large side release buckle. Even the buckles are sturdy and honestly look like something that could make it to the moon and back.
The interior is even nicer. Carefully thought out padded compartments and plenty of pockets to keep everything organized for ease of access. Just look at all the storage possibilities...
So what do you think? Ready to take home one of these beautiful bags for yourself? All you need to do is enter below. Leave a comment here with the answer to the question: What do you love most about taking pictures while traveling? I threw in a few more options so you can put more entries in, there are even a few you can do daily so be sure to check back in.
The contest will be open from August 24th to September 7th when it will close at midnight. Winner will be selected and contacted the following week! Good luck everyone!
The Ari Marcopoulos Camera Bag, by InCase, is in an entirely different category when it comes to camera bags. It was exactly what I was looking for. It is multi purpose as it can carry my laptop, Ipad, phone, and camera with all it's lenses and not feel bulky. These are vital components when traveling I think, less is more when traveling!
The bag is a durable canvas material that has water propellant coating, another necessary component to any traveler's bags. How many time have you gotten caught out in the rain, dropped off by a bus with no taxi around, or simply at the beach when a rogue storm or wave rolls in? On top of that this bag comes with a built in rain cover that conveniently stores into a small pouch at the bottom of the bag. The straps are strong, sturdy, and padded with one-handed adjustment slack pull and large side release buckle. Even the buckles are sturdy and honestly look like something that could make it to the moon and back.
The interior is even nicer. Carefully thought out padded compartments and plenty of pockets to keep everything organized for ease of access. Just look at all the storage possibilities...
So what do you think? Ready to take home one of these beautiful bags for yourself? All you need to do is enter below. Leave a comment here with the answer to the question: What do you love most about taking pictures while traveling? I threw in a few more options so you can put more entries in, there are even a few you can do daily so be sure to check back in.
The contest will be open from August 24th to September 7th when it will close at midnight. Winner will be selected and contacted the following week! Good luck everyone!
One of the things I love most about travel and exploring the world is the opportunity to photograph and capture everything in my path. My photography has been a journey that has paralleled my life's path. When I saw the opportunity to showcase it a bit for Thomas Cook in a photography contest I jumped at the opportunity.
Here are my submissions for the contest where I show you how I have explored the elements along my travels! Be sure to click on each image for full effect.
Earth
I chose this photo because I couldn't think of a better way to portray Earth than a photo of Earth actually being made. This old lava flow took out even the most stubborn of buildings and roads on it's gravitational journey to the ocean. Quite the impressive thing to see the inflation of the lava as it cools and creates land.
Water
I choose this water pic from a road trip years ago that took us in to Yellowstone National Park. I picked this photo because it shows all the forms that water takes in just 1 pic, steam rising off the lake, frost covering the grass and trees beyond, and the lake itself still liquid but just barely. It demonstrates the adaptability and flexibility of this element perfectly.
Fire
A few months ago the kids and I were given the chance of a lifetime, viewing the June 27th lava flow on the Big Island of Hawaii! We were able to get up close and personal with fire in the most forceful, spiritual, and moving sense. Locals believe that Pele, the goddess, is alive and well in the lava and dictates where and when it will flow. Here you see a glimpse of the spirit of Pele herself in the flames accompanying the lava.
Air
Most people would never guess this was taken in Hawaii on top of the tallest mountain in the world (measured from it's base deep in the Pacific Ocean). This is Mauna Kea in winter, after a huge snowstorm where we were met with such an expanse of sky that it left us awe struck. There is a freedom that is palpable as you climb through and above the clouds. The sense of good will and cooperation in such a unique environment was thrilling.
Part of the entry to this contest is to also nominate 5 fellow travel bloggers, so I nominate the following:
Josh from Travel With Bender, Talon from 1dad 1kid, Bethaney from Flashpacker Family, Kate from 30 Traveler, Megan from Mapping Megan
Here are my submissions for the contest where I show you how I have explored the elements along my travels! Be sure to click on each image for full effect.
Earth
I chose this photo because I couldn't think of a better way to portray Earth than a photo of Earth actually being made. This old lava flow took out even the most stubborn of buildings and roads on it's gravitational journey to the ocean. Quite the impressive thing to see the inflation of the lava as it cools and creates land.
Water
I choose this water pic from a road trip years ago that took us in to Yellowstone National Park. I picked this photo because it shows all the forms that water takes in just 1 pic, steam rising off the lake, frost covering the grass and trees beyond, and the lake itself still liquid but just barely. It demonstrates the adaptability and flexibility of this element perfectly.
Fire
A few months ago the kids and I were given the chance of a lifetime, viewing the June 27th lava flow on the Big Island of Hawaii! We were able to get up close and personal with fire in the most forceful, spiritual, and moving sense. Locals believe that Pele, the goddess, is alive and well in the lava and dictates where and when it will flow. Here you see a glimpse of the spirit of Pele herself in the flames accompanying the lava.
Most people would never guess this was taken in Hawaii on top of the tallest mountain in the world (measured from it's base deep in the Pacific Ocean). This is Mauna Kea in winter, after a huge snowstorm where we were met with such an expanse of sky that it left us awe struck. There is a freedom that is palpable as you climb through and above the clouds. The sense of good will and cooperation in such a unique environment was thrilling.
Part of the entry to this contest is to also nominate 5 fellow travel bloggers, so I nominate the following:
Josh from Travel With Bender, Talon from 1dad 1kid, Bethaney from Flashpacker Family, Kate from 30 Traveler, Megan from Mapping Megan
There you have it! What do you think of the photos I chose?
