Back to Reality Returning Home After Travelling - Lucy Williams Global

I have returned home after three months of travelling around Alaska, the Californian Coast, Mexico, Hawaii and French Polynesia and reality has hit me!

Real life after travelling is nice but overwhelming!

If you have been following my travels you will know I travel with my husband that works onboard a cruise ship. Hence my blog tagline ‘The Travelling Wife Cruising Around the World’.

Alaska

This has been another long trip, but it was lovely to see Alaska properly. I have worked many Alaska seasons when I was still working onboard, but I never really saw much.

This time I made the most of my 4 weeks there and visited glaciers up close from a small boat to landing on top of one in a helicopter. I saw wildlife up close and totem poles.

Glacier Bay | Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway

Californian Coast

After sailing around Alaska, we sailed south to the California coast and on the way we stopped in Astoria, Oregon. This was a new port for me and I enjoyed a lovely tour of the Oregon coast.

We then sailed to San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. The weather was great whilst in these port so I saw the Golden Gate Bridge in its full glory.

Santa Barbara was a food and drink day on an amazing food tour and LA was spent in Long Beach catching up with friends.

Oregon Coast | San Francisco | Santa Barbara

Hawaii & French French Polynesia

I went back to Hawaii and French Polynesia. It was fantastic to go back to Hawaii and French Polynesia as they are my favourites! Especially Bora Bora in French Polynesia, pure paradise.

It took a long time to get down there, only 8 days at sea! But it is worth it in the end when you get there. I got to see another new port; Pago Pago in American Samoa on the way down to French Polynesia. It is a beautiful little lush tropical island.

Hawaii | Oahu | Kauai | Maui | French Polynesia

Mexico

We spent a lot of time in Mexico on seven cruises to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. They were nice for the margaritas!

Also, short mini cruises of 4/5 days either just to Cabo San Lucas or to Ensenada and Catalina Island, California. Catalina Island was another new port for me and it was a nice new place to go, a really pretty island across the water from Los Angeles.

Mexico | Catalina Island

Back Home

Since I have been back home my feet have not touched the ground. After a 14 hour flight, I have been suffering from jet lag. I wish my body would just understand and sleep at night-time!

Within two days of being at home, we have been to Lake Como, lovely but I would have preferred a week at home to recover!

Now, it is time to get ready for Christmas, our tree is up, the turkey is ordered and the Christmas shopping is done. If you need a helping hand with your Christmas shopping check out my gift guides for travellers and cruisers.

Traveller Gift Guide | Cruiser Gift Guide | Travel Beauty Gift Guide | Christmas Decorations

It’s Not the End!

I love to travel so, even though I am home there will be lots of travel blog posts from around Italy and the UK and you will be reading them very soon!

Happy Holidays

Love Lucy x

Back to Reality Returning Home After Travelling - Lucy Williams Global

 

The Sights to See in Kauai Hawaii in One Day

What are the sights to see on the Hawaiian island of Kauai? What can you see in one day?

Lots! The spectacular Waimea Canyon, the Spouting Horn, Opaekaa Falls, the Wailua River and the Fern Grotto.

Kauai was the fourth port of call on the Hawaiian and French Polynesian cruise. We docked in the town of Nawiliwili. Which is very pretty with bars, restaurants, hotels and a beach very close to the cruise terminal.  I wanted to see more than the beach, so I went on an all day tour.

During the day we had sun and rain and when it rained it poured, so I recommend bringing an umbrella!

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon is called the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’ and it is spectacular to see. It does take just under two hours to arrive from Nawiliwili, but once you get there it is worth it and the drive is scenic.

The lookout viewpoint is 3400 feet above the canyons floor and the view is a stunning green over an earthy red tones of the volcano slopes. You realise how small you are compared to these giant mountains!

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Spouting Horn

The Spouting Horn is a blow-hole that water sprays out of. It is fun to watch the tide come in and the water spurting water up high!

After the water excitement we headed for a delicious traditional Hawaiian lunch of fish, chicken, pork, rice and salad. Followed by pineapple and coconut cake.

Opaekaa Falls

On the way to the Wailua River we stopped to see the Opaekaa Falls, a 40-foot waterfall coming from the Makaleha Mountains.

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Wailua River and Fern Grotto

The last part of the tour was a riverboat ride up the Wailua River to get to the beautiful Fern Grotto. On the riverboat we were entertained with live traditional Hawaiian singing and hula dancing.

To get to the Fern Grotto you have to walk through tropical forest, it has paths so it is an easy walk. The Fern Grotto was a beautiful cave with fern leaves and a water fall and was very tropical. The singers from the river boat sang the Hawaiian Wedding Song there for all you romantics!

What to Wear

It is always warm in Kauai so shorts and t-shirt and comfortable walking shoes as there is quite a bit of walking at the Canyon and Fern Grotto. Also, sunglasses, a hat, umbrella and a light weight rain jacket and a small backpack. This is what I wore the day I was visiting.

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Essential Info

  • Weather: Year round 18*C – 29*C
  • Language: English and Hawaiian
  • Currency: US Dollars
  • Recommendations: Wear sunscreen and insect repellent.

  • Bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella for the rain showers. This umbrella is an ultra mini umbrella, folding down to 7 inches, also it is anti UV umbrella. The high-tech nano polymer compound in the outermost coating layer is there to prevent 95% of the UV rays.

           

  • Bring your camera or smart phone and portable phone charger and selfie stick!

           

  • Drink lots of water, so bring your own water bottle to refill.

All the recommended products are available from Amazon. If you would like to take advantage of free delivery on many of their products, sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial!

Also, today is Cyber Monday so there are lots of great deals on Amazon.co.uk so hurry and check it out! To see all the great deals click here.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about what to see in Kauai in Hawaii, please share on Facebook and Pinterest so your friends and family can read too. Sharing is caring!

Have you been to Kauai? What would you recommend doing?

Happy Travels

Love Lucy x

The Sights to See in Kauai Hawaii in One Day

(L. Williams is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, at no extra cost, to you).

What You Must See in One Day in Maui Hawaii

What must you see in in Maui, Hawaii in one day? Visit Front Street, the Maui Ocean Centre and the Maui Tropical Plantation.

Maui was our third port of call on the Hawaiian and French Polynesian cruise and we were there for just one day, so here are my suggestions of what you can do with your time apart from going to the beach and drinking cocktail!

There is no dock in Maui so we dropped the anchor and tendered off Lahaina (boats from ship to shore). Lahaina is beautiful town with lovely beaches, shops, bars and restaurants. When you get off the tender you are right in town so can shop, drink, eat or go to the beach.

I had a walk down Front Street and I had a look around the shops and got a coconut water before I headed off for my afternoon tour of the Maui Ocean Centre and the Maui Tropical Plantation.

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Maui Ocean Centre

The Maui Ocean Centre is an aquarium set inside and outside beside the ocean in Ma’alaea Bay. There were many different species of fish from the reef and marine animals that are only found in Hawaii including species of sea turtles, sharks and stingrays.

Each tank was beautiful and the highlight was walking through a 54-foot underwater tunnel where you could get up close to the sharks, stingrays, turtles and many different species of fish.

There are no whales or dolphins there as they like to leave them in their natural habitat. But there was an exhibition of the types of dolphins and whales that are found in the Hawaiian waters.

My favourite part of the aquarium was the jelly fish tank. The Maui Ocean centre is great for kids and adults and has good air conditioning and there was also Wi-Fi there too.

Maui Tropical Plantation

The Maui Tropical Plantation is a 60-acre working farm. They grow sugar cane, pineapples, macadamia nuts, avocados, bananas, star fruit, coconuts, coffee, mangoes and more. It was interesting to see these tropical fruits growing in their natural habitat.

They also grow lots of different types and colours of flowers to make lays with. It was very pretty to see.

We were taken around the farm on a little train to see all the trees and plants. In the middle of the tour we were given a coconut-husking demonstration of how to open a coconut to get the water out and they showed us how they use the whole coconut for other things like using the outer part for fires and the shell to make cups, bowls and tools.

There is a huge gift shop to buy all your Maui souvenirs from Hawaiian shirts to coffee. Also, there is an ice-cream, fresh fruit shop and a restaurant on site.

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What to Wear

It is warm all year round so shorts and a T-shirt are perfect. I would not wear a dress, skirt or loose top to the ocean centre as it is very windy! Flip flops or trainers for comfort and sunglasses and a hat.

    

Essential Info

  • Weather: Year round 21*C – 38*C (Very Windy by the Maui Ocean Centre)
  • Language: English and Hawaiian
  • Currency: US Dollars
  • Recommendations: Wear sunscreen and insect repellent. Bring your camera or smart phone and portable phone charger and selfie stick! Drink lots of water, so bring your own water bottle to refill.

                  

All the recommended products are available from Amazon. If you would like to take advantage of free delivery on many of their products, sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial!

Also, today is Cyber Monday so there are lots of great deals on Amazon.co.uk so hurry and check it out! To see all the great deals click here.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about what to see in Maui, please share on Facebook and Pinterest so your friends and family can read too. Sharing is caring!

Have you been to Maui? What would you recommend doing?

Happy Travels

Love Lucy x

What You Must See in One Day in Maui Hawaii

(L. Williams is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, at no extra cost, to you).

What to See Outside of Honolulu Hawaii in One Day

Honolulu is beautiful, but there is more to see on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. So, what can you see outside of Honolulu in one day?

A lot! I went on a private tour with friends that live in just outside Honolulu and I was surprised how different the coast line is.

I got to Honolulu by cruise ship as it was the second port of call on the Hawaii and French Polynesia cruise. The cruise terminal is in the city centre so it is easy to get to Ala Moana Beach and Waikiki.

My friends took me on a short loop tour that started at Ala Moana Beach. It is a lovely beach and so close to all the city high risers, such a contrast and it is only a short 10 minute (depending on traffic) drive from the cruise ship terminal.

We then drove through Waikiki. Waikiki is full of high-end stores and hotels and has a long sandy beach. The perfect place to shop, relax on the beach or for a cocktail!

Then we headed up to Diamond Head which is full of multi-million-dollar homes with sea views. Popped into the Kahala Hilton to see the dolphins and stingrays.

We continued the Kalanianaole highway toward Koko Head, to see the blowhole. The coastline changed into more rustic feel as it was rocky with crashing waves. It was so different from Honolulu Bay and Waikiki.

Then to more stunning viewpoints of Makapuu viewing lot above Makapuu beach known for body surfing (without a board!) and Waimanalo known for pristine beaches used by the locals.

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In Kailua was a gorgeous beach called Lailua beach. I dipped my toes in the water and then had lunch at Buzz Steak House. The food was fantastic, I had a fish burger and it was delicious.

I went to my friend’s home and had a refreshing glass of POG which is Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava juice. You must try in while in Hawaii, it is so good!

While driving around the scenery was beautiful with green mountains and lots of trees and we saw areas where they filmed Jurassic Park.

Then it was back to the ship and I managed it see more than the Ala Moana mall!

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What to Wear

It is always warm in Honolulu so shorts and t-shirt and flip-flops combo is always good and this is what I wore on the day I was there. Also, sunglasses and a hat. Below are some great Hawaiian clothing themed ideas:

Essential Info

  • Weather: Year round 20*C – 31*C
  • Language: English and Hawaiian
  • Currency: US Dollars
  • Recommendations: Wear sunscreen and insect repellent. Bring your camera or smart phone and portable phone charger and selfie stick! Drink lots of water, so bring your own water bottle to refill.

                  

All the recommended products are available from Amazon. If you would like to take advantage of free delivery on many of their products, sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial!

Today is Cyber Monday so there are lots of great deals on Amazon.co.uk so hurry and check it out! To see all the great deals click here.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about what to see outside of Honolulu in Hawaii, please share on Facebook and Pinterest so your friends and family can read too. Sharing is caring!

Have you been to Honolulu? What would you recommend doing?

Happy Travels

Love Lucy x

What to See Outside of Honolulu Hawaii in One Day

(L. Williams is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, at no extra cost, to you).

What to See in Hilo Hawaii

Hilo in Hawaii was the first port of call on the Hawaii and French Polynesia cruise. It is on the big island of Hawaii and is on the east coast of the island.

It is very lush and green as it rains most of the time. I have been to Hilo many times and it never rained, but this time it poured! So, I now know why this part of Hawaii is so green!

So, what is there to see in Hilo? What can you see in one day?

There is a lot to see; the Hawaii Volcano National Park, the Nani Mau Botanical Gardens, Rainbow Falls, Liliuokalani Park and Gardens, Hilo Bay, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory and the Big Island Candies Factory.

I was there for one day and this is what I saw on all day tour that lasted 8 hours:

IMG_5500

Hawaii Volcano National Park

I went to the Hawaii Volcano National Park to see the big smoking crater, lava tubes and lava fields. The park is huge so you could spend all day there.

I spent a few hours and still saw a lot including the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum. That had loads of information, diagrams and models about the Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii, which is the largest active volcano in the world.

The Halema’uma’u Crater was amazing to see and it is still smoking and at night you can see the lava glowing. I walked through the Thurston Lava Tube, which is a cave that was formed by flowing lava!

The lava fields were interesting to see, it was black solid lava with the odd tree growing.

Nani Mau Botanical Gardens

We had a traditional Hawaiian lunch at the Nani Mau Botanical Gardens. The gardens were beautiful, full of tropical plants and flowers.

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory & Big Island Candies

No visit to Hawaii is complete without a visit to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. To see how they make the different favours and coating them with chocolate and sample a few! Also, the macadamia nut ice cream is delicious, so I recommend trying that too. I had the coconut macadamia nut flavour, so good!

At the Big Island Candies Factory, we saw how they made the yummy cookies and of course sampled some cookies and their coffee.

What Did I Wear?

The day I was in Hilo it rained and it was warm and the sun came out every now and then. So, I wore shorts, tee, trainers, rain jacket, hat, backpack, sunglasses and I used my umbrella!

IMG_5475

Essential Info

  • Weather: 23*C – 31*C All year round and high chances of rain
  • Language: English and Hawaiian
  • Currency: US Dollar
  • Recommendations: Bring an umbrella, light weight rain jacket, sunglasses, wear sunscreen, hat, walking shoes, backpack, water bottle, camera or smart phone and portable phone charger.

All the recommended products are available from Amazon. If you would like to take advantage of free delivery on many of their products, sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial!

Also, today is Cyber Monday so there are lots of great deals on Amazon.co.uk so hurry and check it out! To see all the great deals click here.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Hilo in Hawaii, please share on Facebook and Pinterest so your friends and family can read too. Sharing is caring!

Have you been to Hilo? What would you recommend doing?

Happy Travels

Love Lucy x

What to See in Hilo Hawaii

(L. Williams is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, at no extra cost, to you).