Month: April 2022

Last plane ride, baby! This one will also be a hybrid trip consideration, so we are going to Bora Bora and/or the Maldives. Either way, it would be 12 hours to the Maldives from France, and 20 hours to Bora Bora. A nice beach vacation is what we all need by the time finals week is over. I think we are all pretty dead inside, so let’s be dead on a beach.

I knew I wanted to do one of the tropical islands for my last blog, and I was researching both. They are pretty similar in the core attractions, such as overwater bungalows and beaches. They are both very luxurious experiences, and this one website I was looking at, honeymoonalways.com, was pointing out some key differences which were interesting. This blog will mainly be summarizing the main points, and my decision at the end.

The first thing brought up is accessibility. From the U.S., it says Bora Bora is better, but if we were theoretically flying from France, it says that the Maldives are more easily accessible. If I did end up going to the Maldives from Philadelphia, it would be a rough almost-24-hour flight. I think I would have to stop somewhere along the way or something like I would for New Zealand.

Another good point to think about is the cost. Writing theoretically, we have all the money in the world. But in reality, money is something important to consider. It says the Maldives are more affordable, between hotels and food.

The article goes on to talk about transportation, which does not really matter as much to me. It seems like Bora Bora recommends biking, while the Maldives recommends walking. Honestly, I do not really care. I like walking and biking, and if they both have nice weather, I have no preference.

One of the main considerations I would be thinking about is the food. They each have very different cuisines; Bora Bora has French-based food while the Maldives has a more Asian influence. I should not be so surprised that both draw heavily upon seafood, which does not thrill me, but I guess it would be okay. The website said that Bora Bora has good pastries, but the Maldives seems to have more variety in what they have to offer tourists to eat. The second image is Aluvi Boakibaa/Cassava Coconut Cake, which looks really good.

For activities, I would love to do some spa treatments at either place. When my family and I went to Puerto Rico, the girls and I all did a spa day, which was so nice between a massage and a facial. I am a sucker for both, so I would be happy either way. In addition to the resorts, it seems like Bora Bora offers more snorkeling and scuba diving, whereas the Maldives place a greater emphasis on their beaches and water activities such as kayaking and jet-skiing. However, both are pretty similar.

Honestly, through reading through this article, I think I would choose the Maldives over Bora Bora personally. The more and more I read, the more the Maldives appealed to me over Bora Bora. Therefore, all of the pictures are Maldives focused. But I am sure both are wonderful vacation spots!

Website: https://www.honeymoonalways.com/bora-bora-vs-maldives/

Images: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/maldives-travel-covid

https://www.holidify.com/pages/food-in-maldives-1249.html

https://www.maldivesislandsresorts.com/blog/detail/kayaking-in-the-maldives

(This is the Chateau we stayed at in the Bayeux)

This is one of the last times we are hopping on a plane together, and this one is going to Positano, Italy. Just another 9 hour and 30-minute flight…again.

This blog is going to be a slightly different one because I am lumping together Italy and France in this blog. I have been to both, and I am going to refer to things I have done or seen that I would love to experience again.

For Positano, Italy, I went a while ago but the Amalfi Coast was one of my favorite trips ever. The shops, the beaches, the atmosphere, it is all so cute and gorgeous. There are little shops all the way down to the beach from the hotel we stayed at, and I had some custom flip flops made at one of the shoe shops. They have so many nooks and crannies that it is almost overwhelming but somehow everything fits in a mismatched sort of way. The beach also contained a bunch of smooth stones, and me being super young, I thought it would be super cool to take some home with me. I literally grabbed handfuls of these smooth stones, gave them to my dad to put in his pockets, and put them in a bag. I still have them in a drawer in my desk. The water was also the perfect temperature, and the weather was super sunny and warm. We stayed there for a few days and between the shops and restaurants, it is a must visit. My sister-in-law and brother are going there this summer for their honeymoon, and I just know that they are going to love it.

Obviously, there is a lot more to Italy, but the Amalfi Coast is arguably the best part that I visited.

We are going to shortcut to France next. One of my friends from high school just told me that she is moving to France with her family over the summer, and that I would have to visit her. That is an offer I will gladly take her up on! When I went in 2019, I mainly stayed around the north of France. We did a lot of the touristy stuff, but honestly my favorite part was not the city but the Bayeux. We went there coincidentally when their Medieval Festival was happening, and it was such a fun experience! It kept us occupied for a few days, and between the shops, the food, and the gorgeous scenery, it was the most enjoyable part of the trip. It was also the first time I ever tried frog legs, which was very interesting. I would love though if I am lucky enough to go back, to visit the south of France, which I heard is absolutely stunning. The countryside is so different from the city, and while I would recommend visiting both, definitely consider spending a decent amount of time in the country. The city was fun, but if I went back I definitely would spend more time in the countryside. However, if you go to the city you have to visit Angelina’s. It is the cutest café with the richest hot chocolate I have ever tasted. A must visit!

Just two random notes…if you visit the country, there are so many roundabouts that it is very discombobulating. Definitely have a good navigation system set up. And for the city, drivers are insane. Don’t get run over.

Overall, Italy and France are both stunning. I am lucky to have been to both, and I hope I am fortunate enough to go again.

Images: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/reasons-to-visit-italys-amalfi-coast

https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g187181-d243839-i76370279-Hotel_Chateau_De_Bellefontaine-Bayeux_Calvados_Basse_Normandie_Normandy.html

https://www.viator.com/tours/Bayeux/Private-Tour-to-Bayeux-Honfleur-and-Pays-d-Auge-from-Bayeux/d909-3193NSBA_B

Grab those little pretzel snack packs and ginger ale in those plastic cups, we are hopping on a casual 9 hour and 30-minute flight to Vancouver! (We honestly may be flying back over next time to London, but that’s a later issue.)

For this week, a few things inspired me for Canada. I have been there before to ski with my family friends in Whistler, British Columbia, and I highly recommend traveling there if you are an avid skier. The powder was unlike anything I have ever seen before, a 1000% improvement from the lovely northeast Pocono mix of ice and thin snow.

Some other reasons were that Mary, one of my sister-in-law’s, and I were talking years ago about visiting Lake Louise, which is in Alberta, Canada. If you are spatially unaware like I am and you do not know where it is located, it is in the Western part of Canada, coincidentally next to British Columbia. It is this stunning turquoise lake that is just breathtaking to look at, and you already know I would be taking 1,000 pictures. There are a lot of lakes in the area that are beautiful as well, including Moraine Lake and Lake Agnes. Lake Agnes has a Tea House which you have to hike up to, and I would definitely be visiting that. There are also cool walking and hiking trails, canoeing, gondola rides, waterfalls, and a Chateau Lake Louise. For as much as I love talking about this place, I think we’ll just have to visit it instead. After all, a picture paints 1,000 words, right?

I think I would also want to visit Toronto and Montreal. I just watched Turning Red on Disney+ and it was so cute! It is set in Toronto, so that is one of my main reasons for that, plus seeing Niagara Falls and it just seems like a cool place in general. There was also an Evening Tour with Boat Cruise, which looked really cool and romantic that I’d be down to try.

Montreal is in Quebec, and their official language is French. I took French for 5 years, and while I am not taking more classes, I think it would be cool to visit a francophone country and bust out some of my rusty French. One of the things I found that is so random but seems so cool is a Montreal Bagel Making Workshop. There are also a bunch of tours and museums…I know sometimes I think with my stomach, but some of the food tours looked really cool. Again, one of my favorite things to do when I travel is eat. There are also a lot of parks that were recommended to visit, such as Mount Royal Park and the Montreal Botanical Garden. There is also a cute little market, Jean-Talon Market, and I love local markets like this with small businesses and lots of shops to visit. Lastly, there is a private day tour to wildlife Parc Omega and Montebello lodge from Montreal, and it sounds so fun you just drive through and feed the wild animals carrots. Some real Snow White stuff, huh.

All of the cities offer different attractions, so I would definitely need to pick and choose.

Images: https://www.planetware.com/canada/top-rated-things-to-do-at-lake-louise-ab-cdn-1-254.htm

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Products-g155019-t11889-zfg11867-Toronto_Ontario.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g155032-d16808035-Private_day_tour_to_wildlife_Parc_Omega_and_Montebello_lodge_from_Montreal-Montrea.html