United States
Aloha from Hawaii
We love visiting Oahu, Hawaii for a holiday in itself and consider it an excellent stop over when visiting the States – we highly recommend doing this as it adds a little sweetener to the end of your holiday and delays the post-holiday-blues!
Hanauma Bay
This slice of paradise made for a great day out. The pristine beach, soft sand, beautiful wildlife, reef and palms created a fantastic experience. We took an Uber out to the Bay and caught the public bus back which was easy enough.
We found ourselves lost in a sea of winding tree branches at the nearby park!
Diamond Head
We have hiked Diamond Head Mountain a few times now and the views are just fantastic. The different hues of blue across the ocean are beautiful and gives you a great view of Waikiki. We recommend you make this walk at least once!
Note – There is quite a steep staircase to the top. Best to tackle this climb in the early morning before the sun gets too hot.
Dolphin and whale watching in the west of Oahu
Head to Moana Surfrider for some afternoon tea
We stayed at a hotel situated directly along Waikiki Beach as we enjoyed the access to the sand and water as we pleased.
Chasing sunsets around the globe…
New York – Our Urban Eden adventure
No amount of time is enough in this city. You will instantly feel comfortable due to the many cultures and characters in this urban eden. Whatever your preferences or interests are, this city will surely cater to your demands.
We recommend spending at least one full day walking around Central Park (the more the better)! Our days would typically start with breakfast or brunch at Sarabeth’s on 59th Street before making our way across the road to the Park.
A fun evening was spent ice-skating at Wollman Rink. We felt like we were in one of our childhood movies whilst gliding across the ice. It was both our first time ice skating and one of us picked up the skill a lot quicker than the other 😉 … nevertheless it is a highly recommended experience – even after a few falls on the ice!
New York in autumn/fall time is beautiful. The vibrant shades of brown, green and gold make everywhere you turn absolutely stunning.
Try out the model sail boats on Conservatory Water. We had a great time racing our little boats!
Stop by Loeb House for lunch and row your loved one on a boat around Central Park Lake (great for burning that lunch off too).
Walk up to Belvedere Castle – the location gives you a beautiful panoramic view of the Park.
We took an inspirational tour of the United Nations Headquarters during one of our late mornings. Our very knowledgeable guide walked us through history filled hallways and gifts countries had donated to be displayed at the headquarters. We pre-booked a lunch at the Delegates Dining Room after our tour. We highly recommend doing this if you get the chance, plus the food is delicious.
United Nations Security Council Chamber
United Nations General Assembly Hall
Stop by Bryant Park and enjoy a warm drink after you’ve see the New York Public Library.
We recommend taking a cruise around the river in the evenings – the views are worth it!
San Francisco
Our favourite day in San Francisco was spent catching a tram as far as we could go nearest Fisherman’s Wharf where we rented a few bikes and ventured across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful ride, stopping to take the occasional photo and venturing down into Sausalito for some lunch and gelato.
We recommend taking a walk around the picturesque town and venture in to some of the unique cafes, shops and galleries. We caught the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf across the misty bay in the late afternoon where we dropped our bikes off.
We aren’t usually ones for tours but we highly recommend a self guided tour around Alcatraz. The facility and learning about the stories behind it are fascinating and is a day very well spent. The view back out to the city is fantastic!
Catch a bus out to see the painted ladies and have a picnic across the road at the park. We finished off a day like this taking a walk around the financial district, stopping in one of the many unique cafes along the way.
Miami