Yosemite National Park, CA
July 12th - July 17th, 2011 (5 nights)
We got married on 7/16 at the Evergreen Lodge in Groveland, CA
San Francisco, CA
July 17th - July 21th, 2011 (4 nights)
We packed up the house in San Francisco and said goodbye to friends
Los Angeles, CA
July 21th - July 24th, 2011 (3 nights)
We visited Ken's family in Woodland Hills, CA before departing to Hawaii
Ka'anapali, Maui, Hawaii
July 24th - August 1st (7 nights)
We stayed at the Marriott Ocean Club courtesy of Ken's mom Sheila. We vacationed with Ken's family: Sheila, Roy, Jack, Jacque, Phil, Tanya, Avrick and Collen
AUGUST 2011
Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
August 1st - August 8th (7 nights)
We stayed at Ken's Aunt Margie and Uncle Myron's guest house in Kilauea
We hiked and camped on the Napali Coast (Kalalau Trail) along with Ken's college buddy Andy (who flew in from Seattle to join us) (3 nights)
Los Angeles, CA
August 8th - August 10th (2 nights)
We took a long layover at LAX... did laundry, switched bags and we're off again for a red eye to Lima
Lima, Peru
August 10th - August 12th (2 nights)
We arrived in Peru and visited the capital city for two nights. We stayed at the PeruStar Bed and Breakfast in San Isidro district.
Cuzco, Peru
August 12th - August 19th (7 nights)
We flew to Cuzco and stayed at the Inkarri Hostal (3 nights). We hiked the Inca Trail (3 nights) with Peru Treks and arrived at Machu Picchu (Incan ruins) near Aguas Calientes. We took a train and bus back to Cuzco and stayed for another night (1 night).
Puno, Peru
August 19th - August 21st (2 nights)
We took a bus to Puno and visited Lake Titicaca (world's largest high altitude lake). We stayed at Camino Real Hostal.
We crossed the border into Bolivia at Yunguyo on our way to Copacabana and Isla del Sol.
Isla del Sol, Peru
August 21st - August 22nd (1 night)
We stayed on an island in Lake Titicaca at the Inka Wayri Hostal.
La Paz, Bolivia
August 22nd - August 25th (3 nights)
We took a bus to the capital city of La Paz, where we stayed at Hostal Naira in central La Paz.
Between La Paz and Uyuni
August 25th - August 26th (1 night)
We took the Omar night bus from La Paz south to Uyuni.
Uyuni, Bolivia
August 26th - August 28th (2 nights)
After arriving in Uyuni, we found a tour company to explore the Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni). We stayed in a hotel made of salt and then a tiny hostel near Laguna Colorada with no heat or electricity.
Between Villazon, Bolivia and Salta, Argentina
August 28th - August 29th (1 night)
We stayed for 1/2 a night at Hostel Avenida in Uyuni and then hopped the night train (Wara Wara del Sur) to Villazon, Bolivia. After crossing the border, we took a bus to Salta, Argentina.
Salta, Argentina
August 29th - September 1st (3 nights)
We stayed at the luxurious Hotel Salta on the town square (Plaza 9 de Julio).
SEPTEMBER 2011
Buenos Aires, Argentina
September 1st - September 8th (7 nights)
We flew from Salta to the capital, Buenos Aires and rented an apartment in Palermo.
Puerto Iguacu, Argentina
September 8th - September 10th (2 nights)
We flew from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguacu to see the waterfalls. We stayed at the Hosteria Los Helochos.
Between Foz do Iguacu and Sao Paolo, Brazil
September 10th - September 11th (1 night)
We took the Kaiowa overnight bus to Sao Paolo.
Sao Paolo, Brazil
September 11th - September 12th (1 night)
We stayed for one night in the dorms at the Sampa Hostel.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September 12th - September 22nd (10 nights)
We took a bus from Sao Paolo to Rio, where we rented an apartment in Copacabana.
We flew out of Rio De Janeiro on 9/22 with layovers in Salvador, Brazil and Madrid, Spain
Red eye over the Atlantic Ocean
September 22nd - September 23rd (1 night)
Milan, Italy
September 23rd - September 24th (1 night)
We arrived into Milan MXP from Madrid and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport
Genoa, Italy
September 24th - September 25th (1 night)
We stayed at the Hotel Moderno Vendi near the Brignole train station
Manarola, Italy (Cinque Terre National Park)
September 25th - September 26th (1 night)
We stayed for one night at the Arpaui Bed and Breakfast, overlooking the town of Manarola.
Riomaggiore, Italy (Cinque Terre National Park)
September 26th - September 27th (1 night)
We changed hotels to the Lacanda Dalla Compagnia.
Manarola, Italy (Cinque Terre National Park)
September 27th - September 28th (1 night)
Back to Arpaui (note: make reservations in Cinque Terre or you'll have to move around like we did)
Pisa, Italy
September 28th - September 29th (1 night)
We stayed for one night at Hotel la Place near the train station and then departed Pisa to Brussels
Heist, Belgium
September 29th - October 1st (2 nights)
We stayed at Christina and Fanny’s beach house.
OCTOBER 2011
Brussels, Belgium
October 1st - October 2nd (1 night)
We stayed at Christina and Fanny’s city house.
Wassanaar, The Netherlands
October 3rd - October 5th (2 nights)
We stayed on the ocean at the Fletcher Hotel Restaurant du Noord.
Vienna, Austria
October 5th - October 7th (2 nights)
We flew to Vienna where we stayed at the Geblergasse Hotel.
Budapest, Hungary
October 7th - October 9th (2 nights)
We trained to Hungary where we stayed at an apartment downtown, courtesy of AirBnB
Istanbul, Turkey
October 9th - October 15th (7 nights)
We flew to Istanbul and stayed at an apartment in Beyoglu, courtesy of AirBnB
Doha, United Arab Emirates
October 15th - October 16th (1 night)
We had an overnight layover in the Doha airport.
Ununio, Tanzania
October 16th - October 19th (3 nights)
We stayed at Mahaba Beach on the Indian Ocean facing Zanzibar.
Selous National Park, Tanzania (2 nights) - Mbega Camp
Morogoro, Tanzania (1 night) - Gwami Hotel
Mukumi, Tanzania (1 night) - Tan Swiss Hotel
October 19th - October 23rd (4 nights)
We took a safari south of Dar es Salaam
Ununio, Tanzania
October 23rd - October 26th (3 nights)
Back to Mahaba Beach to relax for a few days
Moshi, Tanzania
October 26th - October 28th (2 nights)
We took a bus north to Moshi (near Mt. Kilimanjaro) and stayed at the Fairview Inn
Arusha, Tanzania
October 28th - October 29th (1 night)
We took a bus west to Arusha and stayed at L'Oasis Lodge
Ngorogoro National Park, Tanzania (1 night) - public campsite
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania (2 nights) - public campsite
October 29th - November 1st (3 nights)
We took a safari into northwestern Tanzania
NOVEMBER 2011
Arusha, Tanzania
November 1st - November 4th (3 nights)
Back to L'Oasis to relax for a few days
Nairobi, Kenya
November 4th - November 6th (2 nights)
We took a bus north across the border to Kenya and stayed at the Upper Hill Country Lodge (1 night) and then upgraded (yeah!) to the Hilton (1 night - thanks to free points)
Kigali, Rwanda
November 6th - November 8th (2 nights)
We flew roundtrip from Nairobi to Kigali, where we stayed at the Iris Guesthouse.
Kinigi, Rwanda
November 8th - November 9th (1 night)
We took a bus north to the Volcans National Park, where we stayed at the Kinigi Guesthouse near the park entrance
Musanze, Rwanda
November 9th - November 10th (1 night)
We recovered after gorilla tracking in the nearby town of Musanze at the Virunga Hotel
Gisenyi, Rwanda
November 10th - November 14th (4 nights)
We took a bus west to Lake Kivu (on the border with Congo) and stayed one night at CASFX Guesthouse and three nights at the Stipp Hotel
Nairobi, Kenya
November 14th - November 15th (1 night)
We had a one night layover in Nairobi (stayed in downtown at the Parkside Hotel) and then flew to Mumbai (with a layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Red eye over the Indian Ocean
November 15th - November 16th (1 night)
Mumbai, India
November 16th - November 17th (1 night)
We arrived early that morning and checked into the Balwas International Hotel near Mumbai Central.
Pune, India
November 17th - November 19th (2 nights)
We took the train to Pune to visit our friend Pauravi, where we stayed with her at the Royalty Hotel.
New Delhi, India
November 19th - November 20th (1 night)
We flew to New Delhi and stayed at Hotel Hari Piorko on the Main Bazaar street.
Jaipur, India
November 20th - November 22nd (2 nights)
We trained south to Jaipur and stayed at the General's Retreat - yes there was actually a real general who ran the hotel.
Agra, India
November 22nd - November 24th (2 nights)
We trained east to Agra and stayed with a local family at Palmstay (Varun's house).
Varanasi, India
November 24th - November 28th (4 nights)
We took the overnight sleeper train east to Varanasi (1 night) and stayed along the banks of the Ganges at Ganpati Guest House (2 nights) and the Rashmi Hotel (1 night).
Kolkata, India
November 28th - November 29th (1 night)
We flew to Kolkata and stayed at the Floetel Hotel, a floating house boat on the river.
Bangkok, Thailand
November 29th - December 3rd (4 nights)
We flew to Bangkok and used our points to stay at the Millennium Hilton (2 nights). Shelley, our friend from San Francisco, joined us for our travels! We transferred over to a backpacker hotel, Rikka Hotel for two more nights.
DECEMBER 2011
Krabi Town, Thailand
December 3rd - December 4th (1 night)
We flew to south to Krabi and stayed for one night at the KR Mansion-- only $11/night!
Koh Lanta, Thailand
December 4th - December 12th (8 nights)
We took the ferry south to the island of Koh Lanta and found a beach bungalow at Banana Garden Home where we stayed for the week.
Koh Ngai, Thailand
December 12th - December 16th (4 nights)
We took the ferry to the island of Koh Ngai and found a beach bungalow at CoCo Cottages where we stayed for two nights, but then moved next door to a place called Seafood because it was similar style at half the price.
Koh Muk, Thailand
December 16th - December 21st (5 nights)
We took the ferry to the next island - Koh Muk. We stayed the first three nights at Had Farang Bungalows and the last two nights at Rubber Tree Bungalows.
Koh Lipe, Thailand
December 21st - December 25th (4 nights)
We took the ferry to the next island - Koh Lipe. We stayed the first night at Harmony Bed and Bakery and the last three nights at Gypsy Bungalows on Sunrise Beach.
Langkawi, Malaysia
December 25th - December 27th (2 nights)
We took the ferry and crossed the border into Malaysia where we stayed on the island of Langkawi. We used Starwood points to book one night at the Sheraton and then transferred over for one night at Casa Fina Fine Homes.
Phuket, Thailand
December 27th - December 30th (3 nights)
We took a morning flight to Kuala Lumpur and then an evening flight back into Thailand (aka the visa run). We stayed 3 nights in Phuket at Goldigger Resort before taking the bus and then a ferry to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand.
Koh Phangan, Thailand
December 30th - January 3rd (4 nights)
We stayed for new year's at Shambala Bungalows on a western beach of Koh Phangan.
JANUARY 2012
Night ferry and bus ride between Koh Phangan and Bangkok
January 3rd - January 4th (1 night)
Bangkok, Thailand
January 3rd - January 6th (2 nights)
We stayed at the Millennium Hilton (thanks Shelley!) before flying to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
January 6th - January 13th (7 nights)
We stayed in the old city at Kavil 2 Guesthouse... the nicest $10 hotel room you've ever seen
Chiang Khong, Thailand
January 14th - January 15th (1 night)
We ended up leaving Chiang Mai at 8pm (we were scheduled to leave by bus at 10am but they overbooked us) and arrived to the Laos border at about 2am. The place we were supposed to stay at was also overbooked, so we stayed at a shady motel.
Pak Beng, Laos
January 15th - January 16th (1 night)
We got on a "slow boat" down the Mekong River for two days. For the night, we stopped in a small riverside village and found a hotel called DonVillaSak Guesthouse.
Luang Prabang, Laos
January 16th - January 2nd (6 nights)
After arriving at the pier we wandered around and found the Mekong Sunset Guesthouse overlooking the river. We stayed 3 nights, then trekked to a home stay in a remote village for one night, and then back to Luang Prabang for another 2 nights.
Phonsavan, Laos
January 22nd - January 23rd (1 night)
We rode a minibus south over the mountains to Phonsavan where we stayed at the Chittavanh Hotel.
Night bus ride between Phonsavan and Vientiane, Laos
January 23rd - January 24th (1 night)
Vientiane, Laos
January 24th - January 26th (2 nights)
We stayed for two nights at the Orchid Guesthouse on the Mekong River in Vientiane.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
January 26th - January 31st (5 nights)
We flew from Vientiane to Siem Reap - home of Angkor Wat - and stayed at Shadow of Angkor 2 Guesthouse.
FEBRUARY 2012
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
January 31st - February 1st (1 night)
We bused to the capital city and stayed for one night at the Golden Lion Guesthouse.
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
February 1st - February 2nd (1 night)
We bused south towards the seaside town and stayed at the GBT Guesthouse.
Koh Chang, Thailand
February 2nd - February 8th (6 nights)
We taxied, bused, taxied, boated, and tuk tuk'ed to the island of Koh Chang in eastern Thailand and stayed at Paradise Palms on Pearl Beach.
Bangkok, Thailand
February 8th - February 10th (2 nights)
We rode a minibus back to Bangkok. We stayed one night on Khao San Road at the Star Dome and one night at the Millennium Hilton.
Legian, Bali, Indonesia
February 10th - February 13th (3 nights)
We flew from Bangkok to Singapore for a short layover and then on to Bali. We stayed at the Three Brothers Inn near the Legian beach.
Gili Air, Lombock, Indonesia
February 13th - February 29th (16 nights)
We took a minibus and a speedboat to the island of Gili Air, where we stayed for two weeks at the Sunrise Guesthouse - our longest stay in one destination!
MARCH 2012
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
February 29th - March 2nd (2 nights)
We took a speedboat and minibus to the mountain town of Ubud. We stayed at the Nirwa Guesthouse.
Legian, Bali, Indonesia
March 2nd - March 3rd (1 night)
We returned to Legian for one night so we could catch our Saturday flight. We stayed back at the Three Brothers Inn before our flight to New Zealand.
Red eye between Singapore and Auckland
March 3rd - March 4th (1 night)
Auckland, New Zealand
March 4th - March 6th (2 nights)
We flew from Bali to Auckland with a layover in Singapore. There we stayed for a few nights at the Kiwi International Hotel, where we shopped around for our Jucy campervan.
MARCH - MAY 2012
North and South Islands
March 6th - May 3rd (58 nights)
We drove around north and south islands and stayed in our van at various campgrounds, either DOC (Dept of Conservation), regional parks, or private campgrounds. Here is a list of the cities where we stayed:
North Island, New Zealand (31 nights)
Thames (1 night)
Cathedral Cove (1 night)
Ragland (2 nights)
Waitamo Caves (1 night)
Rotorua (4 nights)
Whakapapa Village (2 nights)
Wellington and Lower Hutt (20 nights)
South Island, New Zealand (27 nights)
Havelock (1 night)
Nelson (1 night)
Marahau (Abel Tasman National Park) (2 nights)
Pakawau (Golden Bay) (1 night)
Nelson (1 night)
Nelson Lakes National Park (1 night)
Poparoa National Park (1 night)
Okarito (1 night)
Lake Hawea (2 nights)
Queenstown (3 nights) *Phil and Tanya arrived
Te Anau (2 nights)
Doubtful Sound (1 night) - aboard cruise ship
Wanaka (1 night) - shared room with Phil and Tanya
Franz Josef (1 night)
Hokitika (1 night)
Christchurch (2 nights) *Phil and Tanya departed
Kaikoura (2 nights)
Hanmer Springs (1 nights)
Christchurch (2 night)
MAY 2012
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
May 3rd - May 10th (7 nights)
We flew from Christchurch to Honolulu via Sydney, Australia and stayed at a condo in the Waikiki Banyan.
Waikoloa, Hawaii (The Big Island)
