Coming highly recommended from a close friend, we decided to spend my birthday weekend on Waiheke Island — accessible with a short 45 minute ferry off of Auckland. Waiheke is a gorgeous little island, which reminds me of a tropical Tuscany, covered in lush greenery over the rolling hills dotted with vineyards above the turquoise water bays and coves. It’s fabulous! The main attraction, other than enjoying the beaches and fine dining, is wine tasting. There are over 30 boutique wineries in the 36 square miles, and over our 3 nights on island, we were able to visit seven of them! We ranked them below, from our least favorite to most favorite….
Our second (and last) full day in Lago di Como was spent drenched in the sun; exploring the tiny hilltop town Brunate via funicular to soak up the views; our first Lido Beach Club experience which was strange and underwhelming; and topped the night off with Aperol Spritz and a multi-restaurant meal.
Upon landing in Milan, we arrived to our Airbnb in Como late at night after a couple of train transfer snafus, and woke up on our first full day in Italy to a forecast of thunderstorms. The morning was grey and cloudy, but still super warm out and generally not too stormy. Luckily I had seen the forecast while packing at home, so we came prepared with raincoats…but still I had high hopes that the projected forecast of 70% rain would somehow not come to fruition. However, our first full day in Italy was wet after all.
I never really imagined traveling to the Dominican Republic - I don’t know why, but it was never on my radar. But in 2022, the World Surf League has finally restarted the Qualifying Series contests (which my husband Shaun competes on) and they announced a contest in Cabarete, on the north side of the DR. I started to do some research, and even though flights were a bit expensive, I thought why not go spend a week in the Caribbean sunshine?
We spent a week in an Airbnb unlike any other rental we've ever stayed in - this was true open-air living in the jungle! Our A-frame bungalow had no walls, so we lived among the monkeys and had the experience of a lifetime. Read on for my review of the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
For $130/night (inclusive of all fees), we stayed in this “peaceful bush and beach cottage” in Raglan, New Zealand, directly above the iconic Manu Bay. The house itself was nothing too extraordinary - quite old school, to be honest - but the surrounding areas, the views, and the privacy were what was exceptional.