2015 Zambia, with a layover to Dubai

Destination: Zambia

Layover: Dubia

Travel time: Crazy long

My journey began with me forgetting to pack a pair of sandals, resulting in us turning around to get them. It was a little stressful because I was not traveling to a place that I could just run to the mall and buy something I needed. So the whole time to the airport, I was mentally running though my checklist making sure I had everything.

We got to the airport around 4pm, bought some snacks/food, and our flight was at 7pm. The flight to Dubia was alright, my only issue was the side window was a little to far for me to lean on. However, the movie selections where great, but I was so tired that I ended up just sleeping the whole flight. Once we landed in Dubia around 7pm, we had to wait for our transportation to the hotel, complementary of Emerites. We stayed at the Copthorne Hotel Dubia, we got settled and refreshed, ate some dinner then we were off to see the Burj Khalifa.

This was actually my second time to Dubai, but my first time inside the Burj Khalifa. The group decided to take a tour, of the tallest building in the world, to the 148th floor. The tour was at night, and we had a great view of different buildings in Dubai, but I am not sure if things would look different during the day.

View from the top

Although it was an experience, I personally like the view from the fountains better. I am glad I was able to experience both but if I were to recommend one over the other, go to the fountains.

The next day, we headed back to the airport for our final destination…Zambia.

The airport of Zambia was different, it was very similar to the ones that I have seen in smaller parts of the Philippines. When you get off the plane, you have to walk to the small terminal and wait in line to get your visa. For us, this took a while. First we where in one line then found out that we where in the wrong line and it was just a complete mess. The only good part about being the very last people though the customs/visa line is finding your luggage all in one spot without the hassle of trying to find it.

We has a week long stay at Camp Life, a mission trip to help orphans. Read more here.

When the mission trip was done, we embared on an African Safari.

We all plied into this little 10 seater plane to get to Chiawa Camp. This was probably the smallest plane I have ever been on…at the time *spoiler the planes get smaller* Once we arrived to the Royal landing strip near camp, we had our first animial incounter, ELEPHANTS on the runway!

Our ride from the “airport” to camp

From the jeep ride, we had to get on a little speed boat and this is what we saw.

Hippo

Lobby of Chiawa Camp

Once we got to camp, we were greeted by the lovely staff and got settled in our rooms. The rooms where beautiful, it really took glamping to a new level. The only down side to the camp, was lighting in the rooms and desginated times to use a blow dryer. I am a night shower, so the lack of lighting in the shower was a little challenging and going to bed with wet hair was not ideal. Expecially, becuase we where visiting Zambia during their winter months.

Tent from the outside

Outdoor shower

Indoor tub

Indoor shower

On the plus side, they had hot water for the showers and they had a hot compresses waiting in your bed. They also had Wi-Fi, but we used it more for keeping in contact with our family then we did for social media. Honestly when you are there, you want to truly escape the internet and experience what the wild life has to offer. Also while reading some reviews of similar safaris, others had complained of the animal noises at night, due to the wildlfe; such as baboons playing under the tents. For us, we where so tired that we slept though the night with out a problem.

In the mornings, you are greeted by a friendly man who says “knock, knock” and he greeted you with yout choice of hot chocolate, coffee or tea for you.

On our stay, we did some fishing, day and night drives, had a lovely nature dinner, canoeing expereince and so much more.

saw this guy while fishing

Bonus,

 https://instagram.com/p/5cnWP1uKFM/?taken-by=gwennguyen

Being buzzed by a ✈ plane while looking for zebras #africa #safari #lategram

A video posted by @gwennguyen on Jul 22, 2015 at 10:39am PDT 

Click for video

After a couple of days at Chiawa, we went to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls.

See that little plane to the left, the smallest and the worst flight of my life. Just for size comparison, the plane to the right is a stream line private jet.

We stayed at the Zambezi Sun, it was very commercialized and more of a business convention center. Once again lighting in this hotel was lacking, but this probably due to the lack of consistent electricity available. The hotel had some wild animals roaming around. The hotel is also located within walking distance to Victoria Falls, there is a guard so you do not have to worry about people having access to the hotel from the falls.

The next day was very eventful, it started with a cheetah walk.

Some elephant rides

Here’s a tip, because Livingstone is so commercialized, everything is costly. So after our activities, we had asked our activity shuttle if they could take us downtown for a couple of hours of shopping. Paying the shuttle driver was a lot cheaper then getting a taxi. $20 for a group of 6 vs. $20 each for a taxi, respectively. This will also allow you to experience the country as a local, as you find a local cafe for lunch and grab some snacks from the grocery store.

Some zip line and bungee jumping

In summary, Zambia is a very beautiful country, however I would have shorten the last leg of my trip from 4 days to 3.

Packing tip: Packing Cubes

Traveling can be so much fun, but packing for your trip can be a bummer. Today, lot’s of different sites offer free packing list to help you pack all the essentials you will need. *Travel Butler, is a free app that helps you pack based on the weather forecast.* The actual process of packing your bags and making sure everything fits, is probably the second worst thing, when it comes to traveling.

In the past, I would plan my outfits and make daily piles of what I would wear. I would put my individual day outfits into Ziploc bag; by doing so, it allowed me to mimic vacuum storage bags. This made it a lot easier for me to pack bulkier items, such as large sweaters. As a teenager traveling, this was so helpful, because I was able to quickly find my clothes and I did not have to waste time on deciding want to wear that day. As I got older, I found different tips and tricks; for example, the Travelon Compression Packing Bags. It is a security-friendly, re-usable, see-though plastic that is lightweight and allows you to pack more by using less space. All you have to do, is put your cloths in, seal the bag, and roll the excess air out.

Another helpful packing device are eBags Packing Cubes. It’s a soft mesh and polyester material, with easy access zippers. There are 3 different rectangular shapes: large, medium and small. I found these to be very helpful, because I could places all of my sleeping cloths in one pouch, and all of my dress cloths in another pouch. It essential works as a drawer, but in your suitcase. I had used these on my past several trips, and they are amazing. Because of their shape, they are super useful in packing, also they are neat square shapes that will maximize your suitcase space.

 

All bags can be found at eBags.com
*disclaimer, this post is not sponsored.
The product mentioned and reviewed above was bought and paid for by me, Gwen (the author of this blog). I am not affiliated with any companies or brands–therefore the opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own.

Top 10 things I learned from my cruise.

Everyone should do their research before traveling to a new place. Some things are no brianers, and some things are just golden. Here are a couple of things I wish I was reminded about, before my cruise.

1. Motion sickness pills. 
These little guys will be your best friend! If it’s a 3 day cruise or a 7 day cruise, you will be so thankful for them. No one wants to feel uncomfortable when they are supposed to be relaxing.

2. Bring your own water.
If you are sensitive to the taste of your water, I suggest you bring some water bottles. Each guest is allowed to bring 12 cases of water with them, and 1 bottle of wine. *You can add some lemon to your water to add flavor* For me, seeing the water bottles daily, was a great reminder for me to stay hydrated.

3. Find a good book.
You will have a lot of free time, so bring a book or a magazine to read. Also, there are so many great places to read on the boat. You can go out to the deck for some fresh air while you read, or you can find a quiet little library indoors to read.

4. Try new things.

If its food, or talking to strangers, give it a try. Try new food can always be exciting, you might even find your new favorite dish.

5. Go with the flow.
Your trip might not go exactly how you planned, but that’s the exciting part. When you leave all expectations behind, you are able to relax and take on spontaneous adventures. If you see a group of people having fun, don’t be afraid to join in on the excitement.

6. Tip daily.
You may have different serves or helpers throughout your trip, by tipping daily, you are able to ensure that your great service is rewarded correctly. For example, I was going to tip our room cleaning service the last night, but was unable to, because he had already left for the day.

7. Make new friends.
If talking to strangers is not your thing, try saying hello and see where the conversation takes you. Odd’s are, they are just as shy as you are. Don’t be afraid to talk to the staff, they are very friendly and they are so open to sharing their stories with you.

8. Be prepared.
You might over think packing sunblock, sunglasses or a hat. The best way to be prepared, is to think of all the different possible weather conditions that could occur during your trip. Rain and wind are 2 highly possible events to occur on any vacation.

9. Lanyard or wristlet.
Your key card is very important, it allows you to enter your room, and is also your money source. By having a lanyard it allows you to keep track of you key card at all times. For girls, carrying a wristlet with your key card inside can be very helpful. With the added space available, it can also carry your phone and that cute lip gloss, for touch ups.

10. Relax and enjoy.
No explanation needed.

Carnival Cruise: Triumph to Progreso & Cozumel, Mexico Part II

The day started as a very chilly morning. I decided to add some extra long sleeve clothing to my wardrobe choice, and I was very glad I did. My trip started with me driving to my friend’s house to carpool to Galveston. We went to eat lunch at a place called Don Cafe, it was a very open and quiet place; I ate some pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish. Then it was an hour drive to the Galveston park and cruise. Finding the parking area was a little confusing, because we had missed our turn. We had turned left off the main road and didn’t realize that we need to make a quick right turn. We quickly realized our mistake and was greeted by a friendly man who directed us to our parking spot. We parked our car at a locally family owned park n cruise. (http://galvestonparkncruise.com/) We choose the indoor parking option for $5 extra.

Once we where at the building, there was a long line of people waiting to get through security and the first check point. While waiting in line, I noted a lot of people caring cases and cases of soda. It seemed like we where the only people bringing a case of water. Since I was a little worried that I had over packed, I was reassured that I hadn’t, after looking at everyone else’s luggage. *here’s a tip: you can actually drop off your luggage and it will automatically be put on the ship and delivered to your door, so you won’t have to lug it around. Once we crossed security, we proceed upstairs to a second checkpoint to get our key cards. At that point we noticed a paper stating that our departure will be delayed to 9:00 P.M., a conservative estimate, due to the late arrival of fuel. We where a little concerned how this would affect our trip: if we would come back late or if it would be a bumpy ride due to faster speeds to reach our destination.

View from the dock

View of Galveston from the ship

Once we got on board, we went to our room and decided to take a look around the ship. The first stop was the buffet. Then we played some putt putt golf then we were briefed about safety. At dinner, we had a very friendly Serbian waiter who informed us about different breakfast and brunch options. Afterwards we had caught a family friendly comedy performance and then headed off to bed.

The next day, we woke up early to workout. The ship ride was a little rough at that time, we where traveling roughly 17 kts; if you have ever tried to run or use the elliptical while a boat is moving, it is very difficult and will cause dizziness and nausea. We decided to leave and we stumbled across brunch on the 3rd floor. We chose to share a table and we meet 2 very friendly groups. One was a couple from Houston, the other was 2 girls from Dallas. The girls from Dallas informed us about how helpful motion sickness pills are for this trip. You should take the pills once you get on the boat and repeat every 4 hours. I am not sure about other people’s experience on a cruise, but I defiantly felt the ship moving. We then ventured to the casino to try our hands at the slot machine. We ended up at the casino twice that day. We donated around $25 dollars each,  but we had fun. We finally made it to they gym again, this time not as crowded as the morning’s.  Afterwards we headed back to our room, showered and took a nap. (You will be taking lots of naps) That night was formal night and we had shrimp and lobster for dinner. We where so excited for our first excursion day that we went to bed early with anticipation of land the next day.

Golf course

Formal Dinner Night

Formal Dinner: Shrimp & Lobster

When we woke up the next morning, we headed to breakfast and was informed that it was to windy to port in Progreso and that the port was closed. We were disappointed, because we where so ready for our excursion. Lucky I had purchased our Progreso excursion with Carnival and was able to get a full refund. In the end, it was probably for the best; can you imagine trying to ride a bike in such windy conditions? Since we where so close to Progreso, the weather was a lot warmer and we were able to enjoy some sunlight. With so much time on our hands, we headed back to the gym, then found ourselves at the casino. I enjoyed the entertaining environment and it was exciting, it reminded me of the times when I was younger and would go to the arcade’s, trying to win some crazy toy.

Sunset

Paris Dinning

Since we did not port in Progreso, we headed off to our next destination, Cozumel! We were able to dock at 7:00 A.M. and had an extra 2 hrs to venture around. Also, Carnival had offered extra excursion, since we would have more time to explore. They where offering excursions in Playa del Carmen, a city located along the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. I wish we were able to do 2 excursions that day; however, things did not work out. Once we got to our port, we had to walk through a very big Duty Free store. We decided we would see if we would be able to walk to our excursion located downtown. After asking around, everyone told us that we should get a taxi, because it was about a 5 mile walk. (Here is a tip, if people are trying to push you to take a taxi or a tour and you are not interested; just tell them you are still waiting for the rest of your party, thanks). After walking back and forth, and deciding what we should do, we decided to follow a group of people across the street. We then made some new friends from Houston and we enjoyed the weather, scenery and ventured around. We then said our goodbyes and took a taxi to our destination… that was only 3 miles away.

Since we got to our destination early, we were able to join an earlier group. Our group was small, 4 people total, the two of us and a young newlywed couple. We really enjoyed our experience, because it was just the four of us and we where able to ask questions and really get to spend a lot of time with the Dolphins. We where not able to take pictures or have our GoPro’s with us in the water; however, Dolphinaris does a good job of capturing the special moments….all for a small price of course. After our dolphin petting, riding and kisses, we where able to indulge in unlimited food and drinks – added bonus free wifi to post some pictures. We were really glad that we where able to beat the crowd and have a relaxing time compared to the other group, which had 10 people per group. Once we were done eating, we walked to the center of downtown and crashed a hotels beautiful pool. We found that the area we were located in, did not have much sights to see or many things to do. So we took our time and walked back to the port and did some shopping.

Dolphinaris

Dolphinaris

The hotel we crashed

We decided to return to the ship early, and glad we did, because the line to get back was starting to form. Once back aboard, we grabbed so more food and relaxed by the pool. Since we where already dressed I decided I just had to experience the water slide and was glad I did, plus it was not crowed so it was awesome.

On our last night, we decided to watch the sun set and our last morning we caught the sun rise. Here are some pics from our vacation.

Royal Caribbean

Check out my Instagram – http://instagram.com/gwennguyen

Sunset

Panorama

Panorama

Sunset

Grand Finale Show

Carnival Cruise: Triumph to Progreso & Cozumel, Mexico Part I

This is my first cruise, and I decided it would be a great and inexpensive vacation for a friend and I. We booked our cruise from the carnival website (carnival.com), a month in advanced. About a week before our departure, we did see a deal for a little bit cheaper than what we paid for. However, we did not qualify for the price protection policy and was unable to have our prices matched. We where also told, that if we were to re-book our trip, it would actually cost more, due to our current room choice.

Since I have never been on a cruise before, I had no idea what to pack. I could only go by the pictures and advice from friends who have gone in the past. While I was packing my things, I was afraid if I was over packing (currently bringing a small suit case and a small Vera Bradley travel bag). I had packed the essentials: underwear, sleeping cloths that would double as workout cloths, nice outfits, excursion outfits, tennis shoes, dress shoes, and my Tevas.

Frame Travel Bag
( Reminds me of an old DR. bag & you can attach it to your suitcase handle) 

Teva Tera Fi Lite Sandals

A couple days before our departure, the weather in Houston had dropped significantly and the predicted weather in Mexico was set for rain. I was a little worried about the weather but I was sure to be prepared.

Some things I did in preparation of the trip: I looked at all the excursions that were offered and I did some extensive research on the ones that interested me. I made sure to read the reviews (it’s key to use the reviews as a rough outline and to remember that one persons bad review does not cancel everyone else’s good review). I decided to book the Jaguar Truck Mayan Adventure Expedition through Carnival, because it was the same price as Carnival’s and they offers insurance with their price.

“Dare to try a unique  outdoor Progreso shore excursion. This adventure starts by transportation via overland truck and includes biking, a Mayan ruins exploration, practice standup paddle boarding and a relaxing beach break with lunch.”

Cozumel excursion, Dolphin Encounter, with Unlimited Food & Drink.
I did not book this excursion with Carnival, instead I booked it directly with the company.

“Embark on a premium dolphin adventure during your day on exciting Cozumel! Dolphinaris Cozumel is a haven with calm ocean coves where you can interact safely with the world’s most fascinating creatures in a vibrant tropical atmosphere during a 40-minute dolphin experience! Dig in to unlimited food and drinks, enjoy snorkeling with tropical fish in our natural aquarium, and venture into the clear blue ocean of Cozumel for kayaking and paddle boarding, all at no additional cost. Then, take advantage of a top location in downtown Cozumel to experience the nearby shopping. Dolphinaris was rated TripAdvisor’s preferred dolphin attraction in Cozumel in 2011, 2012 and 2013!”

Although Carnival does have a price matching policy with their excursions as well, the fine print makes it very difficult to actually benefit. I believe the terms state that the excursion offered by Carnival must be the same exact excursion offered by another company. I believe the difference between the two, is that Carnival offered free kayaking and paddle boarding. Carnival’s price was $89.99; but with Dolphinaris they where offering a free upgrade and a 30% off discount. So I was able to upgrade to a free dolphin ride for $60 total, and to add the kayaking and paddle boarding would be $15. Still cheaper then what Carnival was offering. Currently the downside would be rain, and if I would not be able to swim with the dolphins. However, my ticket purchase is valid for a year.

The night before I did change my suitcase to a more sturdy and hardcover one.

Here are a couple of pictures of the toiletries I packed:

Check back later, to see my part II post, where I will share more details of the actual trip!

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Music: Meghan Trainor

Commercial: The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

Every time a Cosmopolitan commercial pops up, I always find myself loving the music. When I see a new commercial, my thought process is “wow whats this song?”, then “whats this commercial?”, “Oh!”

Here is a clip of the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas commercial

Honestly, where do they find such amazing songs! After watching the commercials, I would love to stay at their hotel.

Boston 2014

Boston April 10th to 13th

The planning for this trip was a little stressful. I was in the middle of projects and finals when we were booking the plane tickets. After a couple of days and things began to settle, we started looking for hotels. Probably the worst part of the trip planning, because we where unfamiliar with Boston and couldn’t decide on an area to stay. After looking around we realized that hotel prices where thru the roof! We only realized days before the trip, that we would be in Boston the same weekend as the Boston Marathon. (probably why hotel prices where so high)

Our trip started early in the morning as we headed to the airport (an airport that I have never been to). Security was different, it was so easy and such a breeze (although I still had to take my boots off due to the buckle).  Our flight was with JetBlue, also another airline that I have never flown with. However, I give them props for such a nice flight, there was complementary snacks and free basic cable tv on board. I also believe your first checked bag is free, but since we where traveling for a couple of days, we both took carry on bags.

Once we landed we headed for the rail and ended up at Quincy Market. First stop was food!!!!

(the lovely Clam Chowda – Award Winning)

Our hotel was located in Wakefield, just a rail from the North Station. Side note, north station is also the location of the hockey stadium. The hotel was small but lovely, they offered a complementary shuttle, which picked up and dropped us off at the station and drove us within a 5 mile radius of the hotel. In addition, there is a nice gym similar to the YMCA and a small store strip with a Whole Foods. The Whole Foods was a life saver for late night dinners and snacks.

Here is a list of the more memorable stops along the way:

1. Fenway Park – the rail ride alone was eventful, the rails where completely packed because there was a game that day. However it made the trip more exciting, we got to experience the day like a true Bostonian. We bought hats, walked among fans, however we forgot to get some hot dogs.

2. Harvard, MIT & Boston University – it was a lot of fun, visiting other colleges. Although I wish where could have gone thru the hallways and really experienced the college environment. One thing that I did not realize, was the amount of tourist that visits the campuses. I am not sure if they where there, due to the Easter weekend, or are there always a lot of tourist year round?

3. Boston Public Library – Breathtaking! As an added bonus, the finish line is located in the same area, and the library also had an exhibit in remembrance of the Boston Marathon.

 

Although there was a lot of walking, I am thankful for the T rail. Without it, it might have been a nightmare. One thing I wish I knew before getting to Boston, was that things are closer together than you think. For example, we would often go back to the rail to get to our next destination, however we later realized that our next destination was very close within walking distance.

 

 

Seeking Motivation

This morning, I was seeking motivation for my own personal growth in life. I have always found myself struggling with the question “what am I going to do with my life?” 

This morning I turned to pinterest, of all places, in seek of motivational quotes. Although there where some very good quotes, none of them really spoke to me. I then stumbled across a CollegePrepster: on my radar post (http://www.thecollegeprepster.com/). The  last topic was a very powerful and motivational video. So today I leave you with this: Nico’s Story