Stories from the Suitcase...Aloha

We're introducing a new idea for Fridays here at Girl With A Suitcase.  Most people have great travel stories that they'd like to share.  We want to know the good, the bad and the ugly!  Inspire other people to see different parts of the world or share what's special in your neck of the woods.

This week we have Alex sharing her Hawaiian adventure.

1. Destination?

Island of Oahu, Hawaii.

2. What time of year did you travel?

We flew from Sydney, Australia to Hawaii.  Jetstar had some great air fare specials and it was really cheap for us to fly over.

We flew to Hawaii in February.  I expected it to be balmy and tropical but it was actually a little bit chilly.  Luckily, we'd all packed a few jumpers to keep us warm.

It was quite windy on the North Shore but Honolulu was warm and we spent most of our time at the beach in Waikiki.

3.  Who did you travel with?

It was our first international family holiday, so it was the husband, myself and two kids.  I was also pregnant with baby no. 3.  Flying for 9 hours on a plane when you are pregnant is not very comfortable. Make sure you pack a pillow or cushion.

4.  How did you get around?

We arrived in Honolulu early in the morning (morning sickness is a great way to get acquainted with the local toilets!) and hired a Hummer.

This is the valley where they film Lost.

We hadn't booked any accommodation because I hate booking from brochures and discovering that you are stuck with views of brick walls or cockroaches.  Don't worry, we're not completely loopy, we had a week of time share for week 2 of our stay.  But week 1 we wanted to explore.

Waikiki is a mass of high rises.  We decided to give that a miss.

Hawaii isn't as big as I expected so we decided to drive around the island until we saw something that we liked.

That being said, we were exhausted.  So we pretty much all passed out as soon as we got in the car.

The husband drove around the island and luckily for us, we discovered the Turtle Bay Resort.

If you haven't heard of it (we hadn't it) it has an amazing golf course and they filmed Forgetting Sarah Marshall there.

Beautiful resort.  Kids loved saying Aloha to everyone, we snorkelled in the lagoon, the restaurants were fabulous and the husband played golf.

Rainbows every morning.  This was the view from our room.

5.  Food?

I have to admit I find US inspired food...disgusting.  Over processed and generally unhealthy.  We were served soft drinks as big as my son's head (medium) and hash browns are a plate of potato slop.

On the other hand we we visited the Polynesian Cultural Centre for the day and stayed for the Luau.

So for pregnant me, this was divine.  Yum.

6.  Trip Highlights?

The husband taking the kids for the day while I went shopping in Waikiki.  I have a GUESS addiction and it was bliss.  Can you tell?

Taking a submarine cruise with the kids.  I get sea sick but I survived and the kids loved the adventure.

We visited Pearl Harbour.  Once we were there, it was one of the saddest placest I have ever been.  The area is so beautiful but you can feel the spirits of all the people who died there.

Visiting the Polynesian Cultural Centre for the day was amazing.  You get to experience so many cultures in one day.  There was so much to do, in a lot of ways it was better than a theme park.  The kids LOVED it.

7.  Trip low point?

Waikiki.  I know for a lot of people it is an amazing destination.  There are boats for you to jump on, straight off the beach and lots of cocktail bars to play in (Duke's on the Beach).  For an Australian girl like me it was just too crowded and the beaches were too small.

We also didn't see any big waves.  Sunset and Waimea Bay were flat.  Pretty, but flat.

8.  What would you like others to know about your destination?

Oahu is a small island.  For a true Hawaiian experience, spend a little more and head to the North Shore. It's a good base to explore the area and the resort is beautiful.

Waikiki is great for shopping and partying.  With kids?  Not so much.

We didn't explore the other islands (pregnancy and volcano fumes don't really mix) but it's something we hope to do in the future.

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TOP TEN TRAVEL TIPS

Well the silly season is upon us and you all know what that means.

The obligatory annual pilgrimage to see the relatives we avoid the other 360 days of the year.  Or for those that are truly blessed, the annual family vacation.

Some people want nothing more than to go home for the holidays, while others are happy to leave tradition behind in favour of a setting that's a little more relaxed, exotic and sun drenched.

One of my girlfriends is flying to London to see her parents (thanks for the strike British Airways that should make that 24 hour plane trip more pleasant) and another has saved for years to take her family to Fiji ( which has just been wiped out by a cyclone).  Yikes!  Another damn good reason to holiday in Australia.

But if you do need to travel overseas, here are a few tips from Smart Traveller.

1. Check the latest travel advice.  Always handy to know if your dream location is in the middle of a military coup or earthquake.  Makes packing easier (camouflage gear? Check.)

2. Take out appropriate travel insurance.  You do not want to be stuck in a hospital in a foreign country after the bungy cord snaps.  Really.  It's inconvenient.

3.  Before travelling overseas register your travel and contact details online.  That's so the loved ones can track you down in case of tsunami, cyclone, earthquake or if the Arab slave traders decide you'd fetch a good price.

4.  Obey the law.  Kind of obvious really.  Don't steal bar mats.  Bali jails are not fun.

5.  Check to see if you require visas for the country or countries you are visiting or transiting.  We've all seen Border Security.  Customs agents are not known for their sunny dispositions.

6. Make copies of your passport details, insurance policy, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers.  Leave a copy with someone at home.  Because people steal stuff.  And then you'll be stuffed.

7.  Check with health professionals about necessary vaccinations and overseas medicines.  Nothing like a few jabs to get you in the mood for a holiday.

8.  Ensure your passport has at least six months validity from your planned date of return to Australia.  Some countries will not let you in.  That would be a tad irritating after a 10 hour flight.

9.  Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home.  So they can find you.  Obviously.

10.  Before departing Australia check whether you are regarded as a national of the country you intend to visit.  If you have dual nationality (and don't even know it) you might be liable for MILITARY SERVICE in that country.  OMG.  Imagine arriving and being drafted into the army! Yikes!

So yeah, The Girl With A Suitcase recommends you follow all of these tips if you are planning on travelling overseas for your holidays.

This year I plan to holiday local.  Bit less stressful in the silly season.  Have a Merry Xmas.

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Beaches (and no, not that movie with Bette Midler)

I have a confession to make. The Girl With A Suitcase is a beach holiday kinda girl. Yes, I know it's a cliche but who doesn't dream of lying on a white sandy beach somewhere, sipping on a daquiri and watching the waves roll in.

Two years ago we bit the bullet and decided it was time to visit the ultimate beach location HAWAII.  I had visions of miles of pristine beaches, the towering waves at Sunset Beach and a whole lot of daquiris.

Reality check.

It took 10 hours to fly from Melbourne to Honolulu.  The flight itself wasn't bad (thank you Jetstar for amusing the kiddies) but sitting still for that long is enough to drive anyone crazy.  And I don't sleep on planes.  EVER.

We picked up our hire car after haggling for an hour with every rental company in the airport (could have used your  help here, Susan!) and set off to explore Hawaii.

Let's just say Hawaii is...um...overrated.

There were places of genuine beauty and the kiddies had a wonderful time.

But the beaches looked like this.

And every spare inch was covered in these.

Not exactly my fantasy beach holiday, fighting for sand space with a million American tourists.

And the view from our pokey hotel room above a nightclub?  Skyscrapers.

So The Girl With A Suitcase has learnt a few things on her travels.

No. 1.  Stay local.  Sitting on a plane for hours can drive you crazy.

No. 2.  Hotel rooms and families do not mix.

No. 3.  Australia has some of the worlds best beaches!

I'm not talking about The Whitsundays.  Too many tourists and backpackers.

This beach has been voted one of the top ten in the world.

Simply stunning.

Wineglass Bay in Tasmania.

When I saw this place, I did a little happy dance.  It ticks all the boxes for a stunning, family holiday.  And look.  No skyscrapers.

Freycinet National Park and Coles Bay is located 202km north east of Hobart and is noted for its spectacular coastal scenery and its emphasis on fishing, boating, bushwalking and swimming.  Apparently Wineglass Bay is so beautiful that on the last royal visit to Australia, the Royal Yacht Britannia anchored there to allow the Queen ashore for an Australian-style beach barbeque.  So if it's good enough for royalty...

Second must have for a family holiday?  Room to move!  No pokey hotel rooms here.

Plenty of room to hide the kids away.

Freyscape is luxury accommodation and has stunning views of the water and coastline.

The kiddies love to be kept busy on their holidays.  Trust me, in Hawaii the activities were very expensive (we're talking US dollars) so it cost us a small fortune to keep them occupied.  Here they can go kayaking, mountain biking, swimming, bird watching, abseiling, surfing, fishing, heck there's even a golf course in the area to keep the hubs amused.

But we all know that The Girl With A Suitcase prefers to take it easy and indulge on her holidays.

All I need is a quick visit to the Freycinet Vineyard cellar door to pick up a few of these...

So I can relax on the pristine beach, sip a vino and take in the amazing scenery.

Only in Australia.

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