Happy New Year! - From Christmas Island in the Republic of Kiribati

Photo from here.

There are two Christmas Islands in the world. One of them, called Kiritimati in the native language Gilbertese, is in Kiribati in the middle of the Pacific. This island has the awesome designation of being the first inhabited place in the world to experience each new day. So, it's here that 2012 will officially begin!

Interesting side note, in Gilbertese, "ti"is pronounced like "s", so Kiritimati sounds like "Christmas". Cool, huh? 

Happy New Year! May 2012 be an amazing year for you and your family!

Happy travels!

xoxo - Erika

#11 - Monkeys in Temples

Back when he was in undergrad, my husband took a summer trip to Bali, Indonesia. He loved a lot of aspects of that trip and would love to bring me back there one day. His trip then involved following monkeys around for anthropology research. Our imaginary trip together would include less monkey-following, and more sight-seeing!

For a fun, tropical vacation in the middle of winter, I choose

Wishful Vacation #11

Bali

Why I imagine I would go to Bali:

Photo by alfaneque

I love hearing my husband's stories about his trip to Bali, and I want to experience it, too! The style of the old temples is incredible. The coast is rocky and gorgeous with a huge surf. And if I needed another reason to go, food there is inexpensive and delicious.

Photo from here.

Where I imagine I might stay in Bali:

My husband got to stay with a home-stay family, which was perfect for getting the feel for the culture, language, and food. I imagine I would like a similar experience. I read that in Bali, it is hard to get real Balinese food at restaurants or hotels because of the preparation methods. Bali also knows that it pays to cater to tourists. I don't want tourist food, though. I want the real thing. So, staying with a host family would be a great way to experience Bali.

This photo of Bali Homestay Programs / Bali Homestay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The picture and link above features a home-stay family that seems great. By staying in a house rather than a hotel, I would get to experience life in a village. I think it would be really fun and a really different experience. It sounds awesome!

What I imagine I would eat in Bali:

Seafood, vegetables, spices, meats, rice, whole foods. Food in Bali is often served on banana leaves. They use coconut milk, herbs and spices in their cooking. The flavors are right up my alley. Here, I'll list a few more to whet your appetite: ginger, galangal, peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, sweet potato, coriander, garlic, tamarind, lemon.. oh my. Meals usually include multiple dishes.

Photo from here.

Satay is an Indonesian dish which is very popular throughout the islands.

 Photo by Gunawan K, Wikimedia Commons

My husband remembers drinking a mushroom tea which was totally delicious while he was in Bali. We think it might have been kombucha. It's worth trying that again. He also loved the avocado smoothies which were available everywhere.

What I imagine I would do as a fun activity in Bali:

I would love to go on a tour of the temples to get a sense of the history of the region. There are many tour companies which provide temple excursions. I also want to do some shopping with the local village vendors. Balinese crafts - wood, fabric, stone, silver - are really beautiful, and it would be fun to try bargaining with the sellers.

Where else should I imagine going in 2012?

Happy travels!

xoxo - Erika

#3 - "There is only one lord of the rings"

My husband owns a large, talking Gandalf figurine from the Lord of the Rings movie series. It says lines from the movie (in the voice of Ian McKellan of course) like "You ... shall not ... paaaassss!" 

It's terrifying for a toddler (and actually a little intimidating to me, as well). As awesome and creepy as it is, looking at the figurine reminds me of how much I wish I could take a trip to New Zealand to visit those gorgeous locations from the films. There are such diverse landscapes! So, in honor of scary figurine Gandalf, today I choose

Wishful Vacation #3 
New Zealand (as seen in the LOTR movies)

Why I imagine I would go to New Zealand:

I think I want to go to New Zealand more than one time. I want to go on a Lord of the Rings tour, but I also would love to take a look at the cities and the beaches. I would like to get a feel for the place that spawned Flight of the Conchords. Love them! Maybe they would want to join me on my trip. Wishful vacationing, indeed!

On this imaginary adventure, I choose to travel with Red Carpet Tours for a full-on, crazy-geeky, LOTR tour-stravaganza. Or something. Red Carpet offers a 12-day tour, starting in Auckland and ending on the south island. The tour includes stops in Hobbiton, Weta workshop, past the film studio, all the way to the River Anduin. I like that they also include visits to natural wonders and tourist attractions which are not included in the movies. This tour actually sounds like a good way to experience the highlights of outdoor New Zealand in one trip.

Image from here.

New Zealand is an island country in the south Pacific. Originally settled by Polynesians, the population is now mainly of European descent. Maori people make up the largest minority group in the country. New Zealand and Australia are both at such a great distance from other bodies of land that they have quite a unique set of animals and plants, and I would be very interested in seeing some of those interesting species.

Where I imagine I would stay:

Since this is a 12-day tour of the whole country, there are many hotels on the agenda. Exciting! I'll mention here a couple that sound cool.

In Ruapehu, I would stay at the Powderhorn Chateau, where actors from the film stayed. It looks really cute! I love the wooden walls and ceilings in the guest rooms.

Image from here.

In Te Anau, I would stay at Distinction Luxmore Hotel. The hotel looks nice and the surrounding scenery is absolutely incredible. Te Anau is adjacent to Fiordland National Park. Check it!

Image from here.

What I imagine I would eat:

Red Carpet Tours schedules a traditional Maori hangi meal on one of the first nights. A hangi is an underground pit oven that is used to cook many traditional dishes. Chicken, fish and root vegetables would almost certainly be included in the bounty. The food takes 3-4 hours to cook, which makes it tender and moist, with an earthy aroma. That sounds amazing!

Photo by Einalem, Wikimedia Commons

On the last night of the tour, the group takes a gondola ride up to Bob's peak, where there is a restaurant called Skyline. They have a huge buffet of New Zealand food, with lots of seafood. Yum! The spread includes salmon, roasted meats, various curries and salads, and a dessert of Kiwifruit Pavlova. I would love this dinner, and the view can't be beat!

What I imagine I would do as a fun activity:

Where do I begin!? In addition to all of the movie location sight-seeing and the geeky stops at the studio and Weta workshop, there are many chances on the agenda to explore New Zealand's wild side. I would love to visit the Rotorua Polynesian Spa Pools, one of Conde Nast's top 10 natural spas.
There are small waterfalls and pools of varying temperatures, and the spa is surrounded by native plants. It sounds like it would be the perfect antidote to all of the hiking I would experience on this trip!

Image from here.

An optional excursion toward the end of the trip takes travelers to the glowworm caves in Te Anau. At evening time, a boat takes groups over to the cave's entrance, and then the guides row a small boat through the cave. In pitch blackness, the glowworms can be seen all over the cave walls. This adventure sounds really magical to me!

Image from here.

New Zealand is definitely on my short list of top destinations. I hope I get to take an amazing vacation there one day. Have you been? What locations are on your short list?

Happy travels!

xoxo - Erika

#2 - Tropical Paradise Time

After a monotonous week of doing laundry, returning the library books, grocery shopping, feeding my children their required three meals plus three snacks per day, and cleaning up the parts of those meals and snacks that fell on the floor, I think I would like to go on a very relaxing vacation. I want the kind of imaginary vacation that requires almost nothing of me. I just want to lay back, look at the ocean, maybe get a massage. I want room service to deliver a delicious meal and if I'm feeling up to it, I'll go for a relaxing swim in the pool. So, today, I choose

Wishful Vacation #2

Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Why I imagine I would go to Moorea:

Moorea is a small island in French Polynesia, in the archipelago known as the Society Islands. Tahiti is also in this group. I chose Moorea because it is a little less well-known, and because Arthur Frommer called it the most beautiful island in the world. He's traveled quite a bit, so that says a lot.

Image from here.

Moorea is shaped a little like a heart and is surrounded by beautiful turquoise water. Coral reefs naturally grow near Moorea, creating a great environment for diverse aquatic fauna as well as a great place for snorkeling. Moorea is mostly known as a tourist destination these days, but some universities also do ecological research here.

© Rémi Jouan, CC-BY-SA, GNU Free Documentation License, Wikimedia Commons

Moorea was formed as a volcano, which explains its dramatic appearance. The shape of the land creates a very shallow lagoon all around the coast. Moorea means "yellow lizard" because a priest had a dream that a giant yellow lizard opened the two bays with its tail. Interesting.

 Image from here.

Moorea is an exquisite escape. With apologies to my babies, I think I'd just bring my husband on this imaginary vacation!

Where I imagine I would stay:

I have always wanted to stay in one of those over-water bungalows, and Moorea is the perfect place for that! I believe I would stay at Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa. Doesn't that just sound so tropical? Moorea Pearl has 20 premium over-water bungalows, so I imagine I'd take one of those! Only the best will do, certainly.

All hotel images from here.

Gorgeous! Amazing! The resort also includes a spa, which is ideal for those massages I'm planning to schedule. I absolutely love looking at floor plans as I'm sure you do, too, so here is the plan for my room:

I think I would spend a lot of time in one of those lounge chairs on my back deck, just looking at the water. See how wide the doors are opening onto the patio? I could just keep those open and lay in bed, looking at the ocean. Sounds romantic, eh?

I also love that Moorea Pearl has a coral reef nursery, where biologists are helping damaged corals recover. The impact that humans have had on reefs around the world is terrible. I love hearing about people helping to restore the natural reefs.

What I imagine I would eat:

Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa has two restaurants and a bar featuring traditional island fare. I mentioned that I would probably order room service, but I may also venture out to the restaurants at some point. Relaxing around in my room would probably get boring after, what, a week or two?

Like many South Pacific resorts, Moorea Pearl hosts traditional dance shows and other performances. I think the dinner shows would be worth a walk from my room. Fire dancers? Yes!

I love seafood, and island food features plenty of that. I imagine I would eat plenty of lobster, crab, mahi mahi ... my mouth is watering. Mmmm... seafood...

What I imagine I would do as a fun activity:

Certainly, lounging is my top priority for this vacation. Swimming in the infinity pool is number two. Look at how incredible it would be!

In case my husband and I want something more exciting on the agenda, there is always snorkeling in the lagoon. I also would check out the coral nursery.

If I spent enough time in Moorea to get my energy back, I would want to go on a dolphin-watching expedition. Dolphins are incredible. I love how playful and intelligent they are. It would be fun to find some in the wild.

Maybe I could end my vacation with a sunset catamaran ride around the island. Moorea sounds so beautiful and relaxing! The perfect antidote to a long week (or year) of chores.

Where should I imagine going next? Have you ever gone swimming with dolphins? I haven't yet, but maybe I will one day.

Happy travels!

xoxo - Erika