Even though you spend every day with your family, there’s something about taking a trip together that just brings everyone closer. Being away from hectic daily life allows you to have more enjoyable quality time, and it’s a great opportunity to try out new activities or foods you don’t have access to at home.

One of the best places to take a family vacation is Hawaii, hands down. The lush tropical setting and sparkling coastline feel like an exotic foreign country, and the welcoming spirit and laid-back atmosphere make it the perfect place for a trip that pleases everyone.

Waikiki Beach, Oahu

We usually start off at Waikiki Beach. It’s a surefire crowd pleaser. There’s a reason it’s one of the most famous beaches in the world, after all. It’s safe for swimming and wading, close to Oahu hotels and resorts, and offers up many opportunities for surfing lessons, snorkeling, canoeing and beach combing.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu

This safe, calm cove is a gorgeous place, and has been a protected marine environment since 1967. The efforts to return the bay to its natural ecosystem have spawned decades of environmental stewardship throughout Hawaii and have enlightened and educated visitors for years. Just 10 minutes away from Waikiki, the curved bay is home to hundreds of species of fish and is perfect for those who are new to snorkeling or scuba diving. Children love to wade with the colorful fish, and everyone will walk away with a deeper sense of respect for pristine nature.

Dole Cannery Maze, Dole Plantation, Central Oahu

Corn mazes are so mainland. Take a tropical twist on the labyrinthine adventure by treating yourself and your family to a puzzling path through pineapple gardens! Actually, the maze is made up of hibiscus, heliconia, croton, panax and pineapple, so it’s not only breathtakingly beautiful but also pleasantly fragrant. Race with your kids to search for the eight secret stations on the way to solving the mystery of the maze, and try to beat the record-holding time of seven minutes. Most people take about an hour to finish, so don’t feel bad if you find yourself sidelined during the floral journey.

Atlantis Submarine Tour, Waikiki, Oahu

You’ve spent plenty of time staring at the water’s surface. Now it’s time to really see the world beneath with a submarine tour. Skim below the water at a depth of 80 to 110 feet past coral formations, sunken tanker ships and plenty of multicolored sea life.

Waikiki Aquarium, Oahu

Situated beside a living coral reef, the Waikiki Aquarium is one of the oldest public aquariums in the United States. More than 500 species of marine plants and animals reside in the aquarium, which is conveniently located near Waikiki hotels and beaches. Come to get a true taste of all the biodiversity unique to Hawaii!

Have you been to Hawaii with your family? What do you recommend?

This is a sponsored post.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) A Hawaiian Family Adventure is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

With the gloomy sky and low temperature we are experiencing in Atlanta, I am yearning for the warm breeze and salty smell of the ocean we had many years ago in Phuket.

It had been over 5 years since we visited Phuket with Miss J when she was just a toddle. Mr. Z has yet to visit Phuket. So our next Summer trip we might try to plan a quick trip to Phuket with him. With many Phuket Flights from Bangkok, visiting Phuket from Bangkok is easy and convenient. No wonder, Phuket is one of top family destination in Thailand.

Even though with many things that had happened since we last visited, Phuket remains in our heart as one of our first family trip to Thailand. Here are our family favorite moments in Phuket.

Lunch at Floating Village

On our way to visit Khao Ta Pu (or more famously known for James Bond Island), we stopped by the Floating Village for lunch. We had a great meal and had some little free time to walk around the village. It amazed me to see restaurants, shops and even school operated solely afloat the Andaman Sea.

Boat Ride to James Bond Island

We bought a boat tour package to visit Khao Ta Pu or more famously known as James Bond Island. I won’t lie but we had more fun on the boat ride than on the island itself. The small boat didn’t seem save to be on the open ocean but in reality we were not worried.

Beach-side Thai Restaurant

One day during lunch after a tour to Phuket’s popular spot at Promthem cape, we stopped at a non descriptive restaurant on the beach. The decoration was simple but the view was priceless. It’s not surprising to see our family favorite moments will have a current theme of food-related. :) It’s part of the culture and upbringing here in Thailand. We love our food!

Fun Night at Phuket FantaSea

A popular attraction in Phuket for family is Phuket FantaSea. Even though Miss J was still too young to remember anything. We could still remember her laugh and giggle as she watched the show at Phuket FantaSea.

Beach Time

Last but not least family favorite moment was the beach time we could enjoy as a family. The long stretch of sand beach, the wind that blow fine hair and the peace we felt as we walk along the beach was some of the moment we couldn’t wait to go back there again.

And Happy Birthday Miss J!! It has been a blast having you in our life.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Phuket With Kids: 5 Family Favorite Moments in Phuket is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

When we travel, one of family activities I love to plan in each city is to find local guided tour whether it was photo walking tour or guided nature walk.

This time in Myrtle Beach is no difference. I combed through list of many family attractions and tours available for families to choose from.

Guided Kayak Eco-Tour with Black River Outdoors Center

The Black River Outdoors Center has caught my eyes. They offered guided kayak eco-tours at various locations in Myrtle Beach area. Plus the tour allows kids of all ages to attend as well. It’s something you don’t find that often with this kind of outdoor adventures.

A quick email and a follow up phone call, we were booked for a 2-hours guided kayak eco-tour of Tupelo Swamp. To get ready for a tour, we checked out their website FAQ which provided great information on what we need to bring – hat, sunscreen, water – just to name a few.

Early Saturday morning, we arrived at the Peachtree landing, our meeting location, to find the Black River Outdoors Center truck was already there loading their kayaks. The guided tour had 2 guides. One is a lead guide, Paul, who provided educational and tidbits information through out our trip. The other is the  guide who makes sure that no one gets lost in this swamp.

Great Activity for the Whole Family

Another reason why I chose Black River Outdoors Center in Myrtle Beach was the family friendly aspect of the tour. There is no age limit on children because you can kayak with your kid. However, children must be 13 and over to be able to paddle their own kayak.

During summer camp, they did kayaking at our local YMCA camp and they were hooked. That’s why they had been so excited to know that I added kayak tour to our trip to Myrtle Beach. Mr. Z and Miss J were pretty bumped that they are not old enough. Nonetheless, they were very excited to get on the water. I will caution parents if their kids want to kayak by themselves because it’s physical. After only 2 hours paddling, I felt like the burn on my arm. Ah! It was the sign of the inactive person in me. :)

Explore, Learn and Relax

We spent the first few minutes on paddling instruction. This was my first time so I was a little nervous. But as soon as we got in the water, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I just had to remember how to slow down and turn.

We started off heading along the water toward the Cypress-Tupelo swamp. Since it was pretty early in the morning, it wasn’t busy at the landing. There was hardly anyone else except our group in the water. Even though it was a busy weekend in Myrtle Beach, we felt completely out of civilization in our own world.

Paul, our tour guide, provided useful information about trees, animals and other knowledge about the swamps. However, due to openness of the space it was hard to hear him talk. So if you are really interested in learning, stay close to him.

He was very good at answering any questions you have about ecology and the environment. At one point, he pointed out the water lily that edible. He even dove under the water to get some for us to try. One word ‘Bleh’.. The taste was horrible. But I was so proud of both Mr. Z and Miss J, they did try it out as well. That’s the thing about traveling. It helps pushing you out of your comfort zone.

The clean air, quiet surrounding with only the sound of birds provided us with the real connection to nature. We cruised along the river, paddled our kayak deep into the river and learned about different types of plants and insects who call its home. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the landing.

It was one of the best experience we had during our fun time in Myrtle Beach. I would highly recommend any family planning a visit to Myrtle Beach who looks for things to do beyond attractions and shopping to check out Black River Outdoors Center. They offer various type of tours and also kayak rental if you want to just explore on your own.

Check out other travelers’ photo at Delicious Baby Photo Friday.

Thank you Black River Outdoors Center for providing us with complimentary tours. As always, you can count on me to disclose when I receive something for free and also to share my honest opinions.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Myrtle Beach With Kids: Guided Kayak Tour with Black River Outdoors Center is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

Myrtle Beach is one of top family destination in the US. So it’s a given that there are plenty of choices for accommodation to choose from. To narrow down the perfect place to stay for your family is a task that can be accomplish by utilizing VisitMyrtleBeach.com, the official site of Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Choosing the Area to Stay in Myrtle Beach

First step is to decide which area of the Grand Strand you want to stay. For family-friendly and less crowded, I will suggest the North end of the central Myrtle Beach area for the proximity to various attractions and yet not as busy with crowd visitors as in downtown area.

We were hosted by Kingston Plantation Hotels and Resorts, the oceanfront Myrtle Beach resorts feature Embassy Suites Hotel and Myrtle Beach Condos.

Ideal Location for Family Beach Vacation in Myrtle Beach

The Kingston Plantation is located on the North end of the Myrtle Beach within minutes from various family attractions and shopping centers. It’s a perfect vacation for family seeking a beach vacation where you stay in a condo that is just steps away from stretch of sand beach along the Atlanta ocean yet only a few minutes drive from all local attractions from aquarium, family entertainment centers like MagiQuest, NASCAR Speedpark or shopping mall like Broadway at the Beach or Barefoot Landing.

Spacious Oceanfront Condo for Family

The accommodation options at Kingston Plantation are plentiful and it’s sure to satisfy any type of families or vacationers. There are over 1,000 luxury accommodation choices from oceanfront room, condos and villas. I think I have found our next family reunion location!

We stayed at the 2 bedroom oceanfront condo. The condo units are individually owned but managed by Embassy Suites Hotel so you have all the amenities of home yet the luxury of hotel services. As soon as we opened the door, the kids couldn’t drop their bags fast enough to check out this 2 bedroom condo. They ran from master bedroom to dining room and bounce back to kitchen and the balcony.

The room that we stayed in has more than enough space for the 4 of us. It includes dining room with the view of the Atlantic ocean, full-size kitchen that we spent every morning enjoying breakfast and washer/dryer that we could wash our clothes from a day at the beach.

Since each condo unit is individually owned, the decoration and furniture will be different from one another. Our unit is adequate for our short stay. Many things seem a bit date but not to the point where you will think you have stayed at the 70s show.

If you plan to cook, I recommend checking before hand to see if you will have all kitchen equipment you need. When we travel and stay at a condo, I always plan a simple meal like spaghetti or rotisserie chicken. Who want to spend hours in the kitchen when the beach is calling your name!

Fun Activities for Everyone

Staying for 2 nights was way too short to explore this resort because there are many things to do in Myrtle Beach with kids. The resort has regular activities for guests ranging from live music, games, craft and sport activities.

We didn’t have time to even participate in any resort activities but we sure didn’t miss spending quality time relaxing and enjoying perfect weather at the Splash! Waterpark. Splash! Waterpark is an outdoor waterpark right on the beach with slides and lazy river for kids and adults. Unlike most pools in the property, the hour of operation is shorter so take advantage when they open.

While the kids ran up and slid down the slides numerously time, I enjoyed relaxing time amidst all the laugh and scream of happy families. It’s easy to see why Myrtle Beach is a top destination for families. I have met a family who celebrate 40th birthday and family reunion at the same time. Three generations in one place and everyone as happy as you can see.

Don’t Forget about the Beach

And we wouldn’t be able to face ourselves if we came all the way to Myrtle Beach without spending time on the beach, right? With our busy schedule, we squeeze in beach time for kids to enjoy jumping the wave and chasing after the elusive white foam crashing to shore. It was a busy time as families try to enjoy their last hooray of summer before kids go back to school.

We would be content to just staying here for the rest of the week but life is calling and we had to pack up and go back to be a responsible adult. Stay tune for more stories about our Myrtle Beach visit in the next couple weeks.

Disclosure: I received complimentary stay from Kingston Plantation Hotels and Resorts. But there is no expectation on positive review from them. This post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence. I always provide my honest opinion on our stays and won’t write about a place we will not stay ourselves.

Myrtle Beach Hotel Review

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Whenever we go back to Thailand for a visit, we plan a vacation trip (within our vacation trip) with the whole families. These include all my siblings and their children and my cousins. We don’t have a large extended family so it was not anything in the size of a family reunion in America. Basically, it was a size of about 15 adults and 7 kids.

Choosing a place to go depends on where we want to go. Last visit, we all went to Hong Kong and Macau. It might seem like a big deal but when you booked everything through the travel agency, it made it all possible. As much as I cringed for using a guided tour, I was thankful for that trip. With the age ranges from 60 years old to 6 months old, we could use some luxury like our own bus to take us everywhere.

The Photo Story: 5 Things We Love About Ko Samet

This time around we chose a quick weekend getaway from Bangkok to Ko Samet. Check out why we loved our time on Ko Samet!

1. Great Destination for a Quick Trip from Bangkok

This trip was a bit easier because Ko Samet is a great weekend destination from Bangkok. With less than 3 hours drive from Bangkok and another 45 minutes boat ride, we were transported to our homeaway from home for the weekend.

Ko Samet might not be as well-known as Phuket or Phi Phi island but it’s a very popular destination for Thais due to the affordable cost and short distance.

2. Family-Friendly Accommodation

We stayed at Sai Kaew Beach Resort on Sai Kaew beach, the most developed beach on the island. It was a PERFECT place for family.

Our room was literally stone thrown away from the pool and that was where we spent most of our time there. You can see the room from this picture right behind Miss J.

The resort is beautifully decorated with all the detail that incorporate nature to the design.

3. Pool Time is the Best with Family

Even though, our resort is just a quick walk to the beach, we ended up spending most of our time in the pool.

Due to the rainy season, the water wasn’t nearly as nice. Also the rain on the next day didn’t help with our plan to spend the day soaking up the Sun on the beach either. But it was no big deal for kids because the pool was as good or even better than the beach in their mind.

4. Relax Yet Many Options for Fun and Food

Koh Samet is small for a relaxing getaway for the whole family yet still has enough fun activities and great food for us to keep us entertained and fed.

One of the great way to enjoy a good meal is right on the ocean at Ploy Samed Restaurant where you will have to take a free boat ride to their restaurant. The atmosphere was relaxing yet a bit nerve racking for family with small children. I will be writing in more detail about our fun experience here.

5. Time to Reconnect and Relax with Families

This might have been true no matter where we decided to vacation. But Ko Samet provided a perfect location and accommodation for kids to enjoy spending time with each other. At the beginning of the trip, each of them (mostly Miss J and Mr. Z) just met their cousins. But at the end of the trip, they can’t wait to have a sleepover and spend more time together. It made all the plan, the many connecting flights and the cost worth it!

Also, for many of you who are still afraid to come to Thailand, I have been to Thailand for over 2 weeks right after the curfew and the protest, I have never seen any problems. I feel safe here! So please come! Thai people need your help in getting back on their feet. Plus you will be getting a deep discount on everything where ever you go!

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Thailand With Kids: 5 Things We Love About Ko Samet is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

Our visit to Los Angeles was short but fully packed with fun things we did with our kids ranging from a fun visit at the Le Brea Tar Pit, an amazing theatre experience at El Capitan or a beautiful view of Los Angeles Sunset.

Another memorable visit on this trip was our quick stop at Santa Monica beach. It was such a short visit that I will have to go back one day to take advantage of many fun family-friendly activities available at this popular destination.

Our first stop as soon as we found the parking spot was the playground. The sandy playground is nothing fancy but it’s something that I absolutely love. Most of the structure in this playground encourages kids to be active.

Miss J couldn’t run fast enough to climb up this bar. And she was quite successful in go up there. We all know who is the Monkey in this household.

Mr. Z didn’t want to be outdone. He tried his hand on the monkey bar as well.

And after all these exercises, they still had more energy. I guess it was from a lovely and yummy lunch we had at Cha Cha Chicken. Thanks to the recommendation from Delicious Baby’s City Guide.

We decided to try out the biking along the Santa Monica beach bike path. I think it’s one of the best feature at this beach. The bike path runs along from Santa Monica beach all the way to Venice beach and beyond. The bike path was very popular with both tourists and local. So make sure to stay alert and don’t ride too fast. It can get pretty crowd and some turn can be a bit tricky.

We rented a family bike with kid seat attached at the back. It was a perfect way for kids to also enjoy the beach. After riding from Santa Monica beach to Venice beach, we took a quick break at the Venice Beach Skate Park. It was very entertaining watching many moves they could do. Amazing! Then it was time to head back to check out the Santa Monica Pier. Stay tune for more fun in Santa Monica.

Check out other travelers story at Delicious Baby.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Los Angeles with Kids: An active day at Santa Monica Beach is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

It has been raining a lot in our area. I have no complains because we had been under the drought condition for the past few years and the rain is a welcome sight indeed. But with those rains, lighting and thunderstorms on the regular basis, I just start to yearn for the Sunshine on the beach with kids trying to catch the wave and building sand castles nearby.

Ah.. So here is my Monday Are For Dreamings post. I’m dreaming to get transported to any beach.. any beach at all but the one I long for is this one.

I’m dreaming about our first trip back to Thailand with Miss J when she was just under 2 years old. I didn’t know how we did it but we did survive 3 connection flights and 24 hours in total travel time from Florida to Bangkok. There is no question whether we should take a long trip with our kids back to Thailand but it’s just a matter of when and how often. Our trip there, I introduced Mr. Rojo and Miss J to Phuket. My sister did all the booking for the tour for us as we also traveled with Mr. Rojo’s parents as well. The trip went by so fast that if I didn’t have proof on pictures I wouldn’t believe that we were there. I’m dreaming of going back especially after the Tsunami. And this time, we would have to stick around a bit longer and take in a slower pace so we will have time to breath and relax a bit more.

A trip to Thailand will not be completed if I didn’t get to eat like there is no tomorrow. And that trip was no difference even though I was with my in-laws. They probably just realized how much I could eat from that trip. The food was great but the atmosphere was even better. Who could complain when you had this view when you eat!

We did a few activities.. as much as a first time parents of a toddler could handle. We did a long boat to the floating village. We visited the Kho Ta Poo (or more widely known as James Bond Island). We went to Kho Pi Pi. But the most memorable activity I found was the simple thing. During one of the boat tour, the boat stopped and we got to jump off from the boat into the cool, clear water. I never jumped off the boat before. So it took every single ounce of my gut to make that leap. Oh!! I was glad I did make that leap. I think in the sense, it almost likes whenever we decide to plan a trip and the rush feeling comes through me when I click that confirm button to purchase our tickets or make that hotel reservation. Life is full of surprises and we just have to make the leap to fully embrace it.

Thank you for dreaming along with me.. Check out other travelers’ dreams at Mother of All Trips.

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Writing about cruising with kids gives me a chance to look back at our photo from our latest cruise 2 years ago to the Caribbean. After 2 years, Seven Mile beach is still Miss J’s favorite memory for the whole trip.

I had done a lot of planning on that trip and we booked an excursion for the swimming with sting ray later on that day in Grand Cayman.

However, we arrived early in the morning which gave us a couple hours before our meeting time. So we decided to take a taxi to the beach. At $4 per person, it wasn’t bad to get there. It was early in the morning so the beach was pretty empty.

We got dropped off at the Reef restaurant on the beach. We were so early that the restaurant was still closed. We walked along the beach to find a good spot. We found a shade spot and even before I could put everything down Miss J and Mr. Z were already running off to the wave.

The sand was so soft that I feel like I just walk on soft carpet. The wave was not big so it was perfect for them to play in. We picked a great spot with shade so I could imagine taking a nap while Mr. Rojo helped build sand castle with Mr. Z.

They simply just enjoyed jumping the wave, play with the sand and relax on the beach. I think we could have just stayed there the whole day and it would still be one of the best day of the trip.

When it was almost time to head back to our meeting spot for the excursion, we stopped by the restaurant to order a drink. The restaurant had shower so it was convenient for us. I couldn’t imagine riding a boat the whole day with sand inside and out our bathing suit. :)

I’m so in love with the beach there. I know we will have to come back and spend more quality time there.

Check out other travelers’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Seven Mile Beach: Grand Cayman is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Wordless Wednesday: Family Vacation is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

On our trip back to Thailand several years ago.. way before we had Mr. Z, we went to Phuket and Phang-Nga for a short visit. It was before the tradegy of Tsunami hit Thailand. I haven’t been back since but I have heard that everything is now back to normal. The trip was my first trip to visit Phuket myself.. I know.. Shame on me even though I lived in Thailand for over half my life but I have yet to fully experience what my birth country has to offer.

The trip started at Phuket resort and we hired a tour guide (since we also traveled with Mr. Rojo’s parents) to take us to James Bond Island. It was named James Bond Island because one of the Bonds movie was shoot here.. I’m not the die-hard 007 fan so I couldn’t really tell which one. I don’t know if Miss J will remember any of the trip but it was one of the fun trip. We rode on the small engine boat. It was just a bit bigger than a canoe with seats for probably 10 people. We also made a quick stop at the Floating Fishing Village for lunch. I wish we could have stayed longer. I couldn’t wait to bring Mr. Z back there one day.

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Our last day at Destin was a GOOD Day indeed. We woke up to a sunny day. The weather was still a bit cooler than we would love to. But no problem, we could just spend the morning heading down to Seaside and got some lunch before beach time. After breakfast, we got ready and headed out for an adventure. We headed East past Destin and took the scenic route.

It was such a nice and leisure drive along the Route 98. We truly felt like we had been transported to a different time. The little cottages along the beach with different beautiful cotton candy colors lined up along the way. The contrast of the bright blue sky and the green turcoise ocean was memorizing..

After a quick drive by in Seaside, we headed back to our condo in Fort Walton Beach. The kids couldn’t wait to head down to the pool. The water was definitely coldddddd.. That didn’t stop them from jumping in and out of the pool. We warmed ourselves up with frequent visits to the hot tub. Ah.. Warm and relaxing tub with no one else there. Then we rode on the tube along the lazy river a few times. Then we headed out to the beach for some sand and sea…

Miss J was busy building her masterpiece but ended up spending most of her time catching and riding wave in the ocean. It took a bit of encouragment and convincing to get her into the ocean but once she was in.. It took a lot more to get her out.

Mr. Z on the other hand didn’t really want to go into the water at all. He spent most of the afternoon by the beach building his fort or castle or house.. hmm.. I couldn’t tell. After seeing how much fun Miss J had in the water, he had a change of heart and joined us. I didn’t know how long we were there but it was long enough that my kids started to turn prune.. So it was a queue for us to head back and had dinner. Ah.. A great day in paradise indeed!!!

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The oceanfront view from our balcony during our Destin trip.

Thanks for reading my feed. Please stop by to say hi or leave a comment! :) Wordless Wednesday: The View is a post from: The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog

During our trip to Destin, we got rained in for a couple days. What to do when you planned a beach vacation but no sun? Luckily, there are things to see around Destin that we could do.

When we arrived, we just took the opportunity to drive around (even in the rain). It was so easy to drive around Destin. You can’t get lost.. There is pretty much one main highway that go through Destin from Fort Walton Beach. I was so impressed with the emptiness of the street. I have heard about the traffic during the high season so I’m glad we didn’t have to go through that.

The next day was much better. When we woke up, there was no rain. So we didn’t waste any second and headed down to the beach. Armed with beach toys, Miss J and Mr. Z started building their own masterpiece. The water was too cold to get in so we just enjoyed the quiet and relaxing time by the beach. I was surprised to see people on the beach. We thought we were the only family in the whole building. Seriously, there was only one car when we arrived on our parking level. Well, we didn’t get to spend that much time there because after about an hour the cloud moved in and the shower started. Guess it was time to go sighseeing.

We got back to our room and headed out to check out Baytowne Wharf Village after lunch. It was stilll quite early so there weren’t that many people there. I think it would be nice to go there at night. It was a nice outdoor shopping/entertainment plaza with several shops and restaurants. I love that they thought about family with small children because they have one of the super cool playground. It was really big playground with separate area for small kids. The ground are made of recycle tire so it was so crushy to walk on. We literally had to drag them out from the playground.

We also checked out the boardwalk that leads to the dock. It was off season so the boat ride wasn’t in operation. It was a really long boardwalk though. It was especially long when it was windy and cold and we were extremely under-dress. I highly recommend doing this for kids who have high energy. :) Mr. Z did run all the way to the end. On the way back, I think he used up all his energy so Mr. Rojo had to come to the rescue. After the boardwalk, I couldn’t help but stopped by a few shops. I hope that all these shops and restaurants will survive the economy downturn. The whole village is a really nice place to just walk around, let kids run wild in the playgroun, sit back and enjoy a great outdoor.

Next stop on our agenda that day was to get my Hard Rock Cafe pin. We stopped by Destin Commons which wasn’t far from Baytowne Wharf Village. It was yet another outdoor shopping mall. But this one is much bigger than Baytowne Wharf Village. I think Baytowne is more for eat and drink. But Destin Commons is more for shop and shop. After I got my pin, we walked around and checked out a few stores. Then we got on a free tram ride around the property. It was a nice treat for Mr. Z. Then it was a quick break for me and Mr. Rojo. We let them play at the outdoor play area. It was a really cute play area with various sea creatures and a lighthouse.

Before we knew it was time to wrap up and headed back. We stopped by Publix for a quick grocery run and I made Taco for dinner. It was such a nice day even with a cloudy weather. And we didn’t even hit all the must-do attractions like Tracks or the Okaloosa Island Pier.. I can say that Destin is one of my (our) favorite destination now.

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On our trip to Destin, we had sampled a couple restaurants that are on the Must-Eat list. (Don’t you love that list? Must-Eat..Who can resist a must-eat list.) With trying to do a budget travel that doesn’t compromise the experience, I planned our trip down to the hours.. Yup.. I’m crazy that way. Asked Mr. Rojo. I had a spreadsheet on what we would do and eat each day. Well, I like to know the plan but we didn’t necessarily stick to the plan. In order to save some doughs, we plan to eat out during lunch and cook our own dinner at the condo. I chose easy meal for dinner like Hamburger Helper, Taco Dinner Kit and Publix Chicken on my menu.

Our first stop on the list was McGuire Irish Pub. We went there right before lunch so we didn’t have to wait at all. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is thousands of dollar bills on the ceiling, on the wall and everywhere else around the restaurant. It is a tradition started with friends of the owner gave him the dollar bill and signed his name. The owner then put it up on the wall. And one by one now they have almost half a million bills on their wall. Amazing!

The food was amazing! I had cornbeef and cabbage.. Oh. It was so yummy and huge. I didn’t think I could finish it but I did! The cabbage had sweet taste the compliment with the cornbeef perfectly. Mr. Rojo got Fish and Chips..

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Ok.. Technically, we stayed at Fort Walton Beach which is about 10 minutes drive from Destin. Last week, we packed up the kids, the cooler, the car and armed with DVD movies and headed down to Destin, FL. This place has been on my to-do list for a really long time. I wanted it all.. I wanted to stay in a nice place with ocean-front view. I wanted to spend as less money as possible. I wanted to enjoy and relax by the pool… Could that be done? Well, we did it.

I started off by checking on TripAdvisor.com. This is a great site with a lot of local and real travelers input. I learned about a brand, spankling new condo that recently opened in April called ‘Waterscape‘. It has everything I am looking for.

An ocean-front property.. checked!

A to-die-for pools for the kids and kids-at-heart adults.. checked!

A great gym with great view for Mr. Rojo.. checked!

A room with kitchen and great decoration.. checked! (ok.. I’m shallow that way. I want to stay in a nice place)

A reasonable rate that we can afford.. checked!

I waited untill a couple weeks leading up to our planned vacation to book because I knew that we were going during the off season so there were plenty of rooms available. Sure enough, I was able to snag a 2br/2.5bt condo with the best view for the same price as 1br/1bt condo if I would have booked it 1 month ago. There were so many rooms available from various resources. I checked VRBO, Resort Quest and a few other rental companies.

I decided to go with Resort Quest because of their reputation and extras like free tickets to local attraction. The checking-in process couldn’t be easier. We arrived about an hour earlier than check-in time and they let us check in right away. After we picked up the keys and card, we were ready to unload to our new home in the next few days.

The condo has 6 floors and we were on the 5th floor with a great ocean view. We were so close that we could hear the sound of the wave every night.. Ah.. Heaven! It was unfortunate that we got rained in 2 days during our stays. But we still managed to get around town and checked out other stuffs around Destin area. (that will be another post)

It was fortunate that we chose to go during an off-season in Destin. We practically owned the whole pool and the whole floor.. It felt like we were at our own beach house that was really really big! There were little traffic and no wait to eat at the restaurant. The beach was not crowd. We truly enjoyed having the piece of the paradise all to ourselves here.

So stay tune for more to come in detail at Destin..

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Where else can you paint your house this blue except in Seaside – the picturesque seaside town near Destin.

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I have been seriously looking into where to stay in Destin area for a while. At first one of my friend recommended Sandestin. They just went there recently and they really enjoyed it. I checked it out and it looks really nice. It’s pretty much like a mega resort (or shall I call it town). There are pretty anything you will want during your vacation. Golf, shopping, entertainment and restaurants all in one property. However, what I want to get from Destin is beach time and pool time for the kids and us. The pools at each building in Sandestin are just typical pool. Nothing too fancy. I’m looking for something more.

With the help from many expert users from Trip Advisors forum, I found this new jewel in Fort Walton Beach… Waterscape condominium. This is a brand spanking new luxurious beachfront condominiums with 3 swimming pools, waterfall and Lay-Z-River. Also it has two main requirements from Mr. Rojo. The great gym overlooks the pool and internet access is available in all units.

Fort Walton Beach is about 10-15 minutes from Destin. It has the same great feature as Destin for white sand beach and emerald blue ocean. But the price is a bit lower than staying in Destin and less crowd. Waterscape offers 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom condo. It has all the amentities that you want for a perfect family vacation including kid’s pool and kid’s activities (seasonal). They also provide complimentary beach service (chair and umbrella during season from August to October). One less thing for me to pack. :)

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Oh.. Destin.. The famous white sugar sand beaches and brilliant emerald-green waters in Florida. I’m so looking forward to visiting there. Here are things we can do as a family in Destin. Of course, beach time will take up most of the time we will be spending there. But whenever we have a break, here are some of the things we can check out in this area.

1) Enjoy the beach – I mean why would we drive almost 7 hours there if we don’t go to the beach, right? This will be my primary activity.. Beach time. Pick a spot, put down your towel and let the kids lost themselves in building the sandcastle while you soak in the sun. There are various public access beach areas. Then at night you can go crab hunting with your kids for the experience that they will cherish forever.

2) Check out Airforce Armament Museum – Kids can check out this extensive collection of weaponry and interactive displays including vintage military aircraft. Best of all it’s FREE admission.

3) Gator Beach – Enjoy the fun family adventure and the opportunity to feed live alligators. They also offer educational alligator shows. You can take a stroll through the educational wildlife exhibit area that is FREE to public.

4) Emerald Coast Science Center – Take the kids to enjoy science at this science center. Kids will have fun and learn more about science at the same. The admission is also very reasonable. $5 for adults and $3.50 for kids (3-12). Also check out 2 for 1 price on Sunday.

5) Florida’s Gulfarium – Explore this beachfront park and enjoy 3 live marine shows.

6) Village of Baytowne Wharf - Take a stroll in this quaint village in Sandestin and enjoy the live entertainment throughout the year.

7) Track Family Recreation Center – For the one stop family activities, the Track has something for everyone. You can enjoy mini-golf, bumper ride, go kart or kid town for your little one and thrill ride for the mom & dad.

8) A trip to Seaside and Beaches of South Walton - A short ride from Destin and you will be in the South Walton beach area including Seaside, the white picket fences town that is made famous by Jim Carrey’s movie – The Truman Show.

9) Fishing at the Okaloosa Island Pier – There is no need to rent a boat to go out fishing. You can test your fishing skill at this pier at more afforadable price. Even if you are not a fisherman, you can still enjoy watching others catch a big one there.

10) Shop at the Silver Sands Outlet – Our trip won’t be complete without a visit to at least one shopping mall. But if you have one of the best factory stores here, it will make the trip even better.

11) Visit Florida Caverns State Park – This is one of the few state parks with dry caves and is the only Florida state park that offer cave tours to the public. Cave tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and there are other outdoor activities for visitors like camping, swimming, fishing, picnicking, canoeing, boating, hiking and bicycling. Cave tour fees are $8 for age 13 and up and $5 for 3-12.

12) The Zoo – Northwest Florida – Get up close and personal at the Zoo with more than 1,300 animals. The best feature is you can take a ride on the Safari Line Limited Train which winds through more than 30 acres of free-roaming wildlife. The admission fees are $11.50 for adults and $8.25 for children (3-11).

13) Big Kahuna’s Water and Adventure Park – For the day that you want to take a break from the beach, Big Kahuna is a perfect family adventure park suits for the whole family. Make sure to check the calendar as this park opens seasonally. I have seen mixed reviews on this park due to staffs and service. So do your research before buying tickets as it’s not cheap.

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This is the floating muslim village in Krabi. This village is built entirely in the ocean. It’s one of the tourist attraction (stop) for people visiting Phi Phi Island and Krabi area.

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Welcome to Jamaica. It’s our final port on our 7 nights cruise. Oh.. I couldn’t believe that we had been on this big, huge ship for over 6 days already. We took the Jamican Irie attitude to heart. We woke up late and grapped our breakfast. No rush here.. We booked the Bamboo Club excursion which basically a beach club. I knew from some of the cruise forum that the beach club is just a stone throw from the pier. So we weren’t that worry about being the first one off the ship.

:: Getting Around ::

We knew that first thing we had to do was to get my Hard Rock Cafe pin. We missed it in Grand Cayman and I wouldn’t want to miss it again here. We got off the ship and checked out the excursion tent to find out what we need to do. The lady there from Bamboo club told us that she would prefer us to go directly to the beach club. But after we insisted that we really wanted to walk around first she said she will wait for us. We headed out the pier area and walked to Hard Rock Cafe. I have heard about how Jamaicans are very persistent in offering you their service. I can totally understand that. It’s their livelihoods. I have no problem with that.. A big smile and a polite ‘no’ will do. We walked a good 10 minutes to the cafe and picked my pin. Mr. Rojo got a teddy bear. Yes.. that’s right.. Teddy bear but he is so cute.

:: Things To Do ::

Then we walked back and checked out the Island Village. Basically, it’s a compound with a lot of stores in a nice setting. We walked around and got a few more shopping here. I think we made the most damage here than any other ports. :) I guess it was the last port and we missed out on the shopping in Grand Cayman so we felt obligated to shop to make up for the missing opportunity. We were also looking for a place to get Miss J hair braid. But believe it or not, we couldn’t see one. We got approached by one lady but she wanted us to follow her to her place.. Ehhh.. No. Thank you! Guess she will be one of a few kids who didn’t get her hair braid in the Carribean. Well, we can’t get everything we want in life. Good lesson here, heh?

After about an hour and a flat wallet, it’s time to head to the beach. When we got back to the excursion tent there wasn’t that many people left and the lady from Bamboo beach wasn’t anywhere to be found. No problem… Another lady showed us how to get there. It was really easy. We signed in and they quickly found us a host to take care of us. The food and the drink weren’t as good as what I expected. Basically, you had 2 choices of drinks (lemonade and rum punch) If you want something else then you would have to buy it from the bar including soft drink. Doesn’t make sense too me.. I would think soda is cheaper than alcoholic drink. Maybe not. Food was some chicken and pasta.. It wasn’t that great.

No worry.. The staffs were so friendly and nice. So food wasn’t a big deal for us. Plus we weren’t that hungry anyway.. I mean.. come on.. After 6 days of all-you-can-stuff-in-your-face food.. we could possibly stay for a small meal for one day. The entertainment throughout the day was great. The DJ had the music on pretty much all day. I think if you love to party, this is the place. Also if you love to watch people dance and do funny things, this is the place as well. But some of the dance move could be non-kid friendly. Luckily Miss J was spending much of her time in the water and Mr. Z was busy building his sand castle.

I have said this before and I will say it again that I won’t judge Jamaica with just my one small trip to a beach next to a pier. I know I can’t expect much from that. And I’m glad I didn’t. The water was murky and had a lot of algae in there. It’s hard to not compare with Grand Cayman or even Cozumel. How could I not.. Either way, the kids still enjoyed the day there. We also enjoyed the music and had fun watching other groups danced. We spent a few hours there before heading back to the ship.

:: Back on The Ship ::

After walking in the high heel for a while, it was time to change to my comfy outfit. We headed back to our cabin and was greeted by our lovely monkey. We changed and dropped them off at the Camp Carnival. They had face painting and color bookbag. I got to do some laundry. I know.. I know.. I’m crazy that way. I like to get my laundry done on the ship. This way it won’t be too smelly. Plus it wasn’t as much as what I had waited for me at home.

This was the night I was looking forward to. The Midnight Gala Buffet. I wasn’t sure if *WE* will be up at that time. Well, I sure did. But after stuffed ourselves for the past 6 days, even the most tempting chocolate and cake couldn’t even get Mr. Rojo to eat after midnight. I was able to get in line to take pictures just to show that I was up! Maybe next trip we will eat less (yeah.. right..) and can enjoy the midnight buffet. ;)

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This was the view from the restaurant that we had lunch in Phuket. We went there a few years ago before the Tsunami hit. It was such a nice relaxing time. I can’t wait to go back again with the whole family.

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After about 2 hours, we packed up with a lot of resistence from the kids. I was sad to leave as well but was also excited for our next adventure to the Sting Ray City. We rinsed off at the restaurant and caught a taxi back to the meeting place. Now that we got accustomed to the time, we started to worry if we would get back on-time. The schedule for this excursion was from 10:30am-1pm so it means we would get back 2pm (ship time).. Very close to the last tender time of 3:15pm.. I was glad we did the beach first since I don’t see how we can fit the beach time after the excursion. So they were several fellow cruisers who were worried about the timing as well. They were talking about leaving earlier so we could get back sooner.

We got on a bus around 10-ish and headed to the pier. I guess it was the loading/landing site for all boats to Sting Ray City. The reason we picked this excursion with Captain Bryan was for the sail boat. And he didn’t disappoint us at all. The crews were very nice. The boat ride took about 30 minutes. It was a nice relaxing ride. Once we got to the Sting Ray location, we saw several boats from various companies. At first we planned to just take turn going into the water. But the water was shallow enough that we took the kids down with us. We still had to hold them but it’s manageable. Miss J was afraid in the beginning. But later on she felt clamer. I got to kiss one of the sting ray. They said I will have good luck for 7 years. We will see about that. :) The sting rays swam all around us. It was an amazing experience. So much fun.. The skin was as soft as velvet. It wasn’t what I expected. After 30 minutes in the water, we headed back on the boat and headed to the snorkeling sites. The excursion included 2 snorkel sites. I wasn’t too impress with what I saw though. There weren’t as many fish as what we saw in Cozumel. I guess it was more for diving than snorkeling.

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I hope everyone still enjoys our journal for our trip on Carnival Cruise. Now that we were on 3rd day of our trip, it was the day at port of call – Cozumel. I had planed today excursion to be at Chankanaap Park. We woke up a bit earlier than usual but still not early enough to see the ship arrived at the port. We got off the ship around 8-ish.. if my memory serves me right. This is one of the reason I want to start our blog.. Gosh.. where did my sharp as a knife memory go? I can’t even remember what I had yesterday. Anyway, off topic.. back to Cozumel..

We arrived to the park fairly early. We didn’t have any problem finding a chair to sit. Actually, it was kinda lonely.. Just us and probably another group at the beach at that time. We settled down and tested out the water. I sent Mr. Rojo to the water first. Well, lucky him.. He found that his snorkel didn’t work properly. It was a new one and did I tell you that we hardly snorkel. So we couldn’t figure out what wrong with it just that it didn’t take in as much air as it should.

We had lunch at the restaurant there. La Laguna Beach Grill was right on the beach. The service was great. Along with music. Mr. Rojo couldn’t resist requesting La Bamba.. tourist! I had Fajitas which I think it was delish! Maybe I was too hungry or maybe it was the place.. Either way, it was paradise meal. The breeze and the food was so nice. I didn’t want to move.

Before we headed out, we walked the botanical garden. We didn’t really slow down to see all the plant. The heat was too much for us. Yup.. even us. So we caught another taxi back to the pier.

We decided to head back to the ship and had quick shower before headed back to town.

There were a few places that we had in mind.. First I needed to check out Hard Rock Cafe to get my pin. I was rather disappointed at the pins collection this time around. I loved to get guitar pin of each city I visited. They had a good design that really capture the city. But this time, I didn’t see anything that give me Cozumel feeling. So I was on the fence about getting the pin there. Mr. Rojo suggested that we should check out another HRC in town which is about 10 blocks away.

Then we walked around the plaza a little bit before decided to walked to check out another HRC about 10 blocks away. If we had more time, I think it would be really neat to head to town and really experience the town.

Then we headed to Starbucks. Mr. Rojo couldn’t resist order coffee in the 90 degree weather. Crazy man! He got his Cozumel Starbuck mug for his collection. It was a long day.

We got back on board and waited for the sail away. We were able to find a hidden door to access the front of the ship on a few decks. Unfortunately, the best one is reserved for crew member only. No chance to post for Titanic moment on this ship.

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I’m still in the vacationing mode even though we have been back for a few days now. It’s just the kind of feeling that I would love to treasure it as long as it lasts.

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Picture from 9beaches.com

There are different cabana types that you can choose from in this resort. The most expensive ones are the one that sit directly on the water. They called ‘Paradise Pier Over the Water’. Appropriately named if I may. It looks like a real paradise.. The rate as of 2008 is ranged from $370-$470 per night. Ok.. It might not be that cheap but when you compare to what you will be paying in let’s say Bora Bora, this seems like a good bargain to me. And the most importantly it’s within reach. I just have to wait for maybe 2 years. :)

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Ok. I confessed.. I’m a big fan of One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek shows. Well, for Dawson’s Creek I got to start watching when the show was already canceled. I caught the whole series on rerun while on maternity leave a few years back. And last night I got to watch the season premiere for One Tree Hill. It brings another potential trip that is yet another advantage in living in Atlanta.

One Tree Hill is filmed in Wilmington, NC. Wilmington is about 7-8 hours from us. So this will be a long weekend trip. It’s a city on the coast with the small town feeling. Looks like it can be a good vacation for us. The kids will get to visit the Battleship and we can take a tour to the studio for the sets of One Tree Hill..

There are several places that we can check out.

1) Screen Gems Studio – They offer the tour every Sat. It will be nice to get to see the sets of the shows and movies that I like. Ok.. Sound so much like movie groupies, heh?

2) USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial – I’m sure the kids and us will have a blast checking out the battleship. I have never been on one. So I would love to check out the history and get the real sense of the history of this ship.

3) Bellamy Mansion – They have tour for the mansion that also operates as a museum of history and design arts. It’s time to take in a little bit of culture..

4) Relax on the beach – We will have to plan this in Spring or Summer to also take advantage of many beaches that we can choose from in Wilmington. I would love to walk on the board walk on Carolina Beach to check out the archade, restaurants and a pier.

5) Ride around town in this cool fun wheel suitable for the whole family. And what could be better way to check out around town than with this fun wheel from wheelfunrentals..

There are probably more stuff than I can think of right now that we can do there. Now we just have to find the perfect weekend and plan our trip.

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Yup. That’s my countdown for our cruise this May to the Carribean on the Carnival Victory. Well, finally I have made up my mind on the excursion on Ocho Rios. One port down and 2 more to go…

The Bamboo Beach club seems to be a nice, low-key, all-inclusive beach club that we can spend the rest of the day after the Dunn’s River Falls. Plus it doesn’t hurt that we don’t have to worry about food and drink. The kids will get a chance to enjoy some beach time there. The price of this excursion is not bad for $45 if that price will remain the same after they upgrade the system. :)

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Hawaii has been one of the destination that I have been daydreaming about for years. I don’t know what with it. Might be all those travel shows and articles that talk about how beautiful it is or might be just something that might help me feel more like my homeland a little bit more. Thailand is a tropical country and where I grew up was in the South that we have beaches everywhere. So in the sense, Hawaii has that and more.

So my first choice is Hawaii Cruise with NCL America. I know.. cruising won’t give you justice what each island has to offer. But I consider this as the sample trip so that I will get a chance to explore Hawaii. And if God provides, I will have a chance to revisit each island again.

Currently, there are 3 ships that cruise around Hawaii islands but I believe NCL America will retire one of the ship this Feb. Well, I sure hope that they will keep the other two ships till I can save enough money. :)

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Orcho Rios in Jamaica is the last port on our trip. I have heard both good and bad things about Jamaica so I am still undecided as to what to do. One thing for sure is that we will book our excursion with the cruise on this trip. In reality, there are not that many choices we can do with small kids here. Majority of excursions involve a lot of activities and sometimes are not suitable for small children. I will be happy just to see the country and visit the beach. After all, that’s what this country is all about. Beautiful beach, laid back people and good food.

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Next stop on our itinerary for the cruise is Grand Cayman. After looking at several excursions I think it’s hard to not try Stingray City. My hubby is a little bit iffy about it after the crocodile hunter incident. But I have heard that it’s very safe for these stingrays as they are tame.

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Our first stop for our next cruise for the Carribean is in Cozumel. This will be our first time to go to Mexico and Cozumel. I plan to take it easy in this port as we will vacation with the kids so need to keep that in mind. Plus I don’t want to overdo things to stress ourselves out from relaxing vacation.

After searching and reading through several forums, I think we will settle for a day at Chankanaab National Park. And I opt to do this myself instead of buying a shore excursion from Carnival. I consider myself as a pretty well-traveled person so I don’t think there will be any problem getting a taxi to the park. Need to learn a few spanish and probably bring some dictionary. :) Just to be on the safe side.

The park seems to be very nice and perfect for a day on the beach with kids. Also I found a discount coupon on their website for $2 off per person. Not bad considering the ticket price is $16 per adult and $8 per kid. Hopefully, the price will remain the same in May.

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