Blog Layout
Critics Choice Vacations
Aloha! A visit to Maui & Oahu
MAUI & OAHU
Critics Choice Vacations has recently undergone some additional training and enhanced certifications. We are now an all island Destination Hawaii
Specialist as well as an individual island specialist: Maui, Oahu, Kauai
& the big island of Hawaii. Recently I was just able to visit Maui and Oahu again. Every Hawaiian island
has a special flare, quality and personality. I enjoy each island for different reasons and you will too if you have not been before.
While in Maui, we had the luxury of staying at Fairmont Kea Lani
which was a real treat. The staff is friendly, welcoming, helpful and looking out for your every need. The hotel has a great location on the Wailea
coast and offers wonderful accommodations. Our room was an ocean front suite with a well-appointed room, lots of space and excellent views. A open balcony provided relaxing afternoon ocean breezes and was a great place to sit and relax, catch some rays, or read a good book. The property is about 30 minutes from the airport and sits in a great location in Wailea for shopping, dining, golf and excursions. Each night before sunset a local runs around lighting all of the Tiki torches on property and blows a giant conch shell alerting everyone of the sunset. The sunsets are magical and unobstructed from the Fairmont. Go down to the beach for best views after happy hour at Nick's Fishmarket
where you must try the fish tacos. Here are a few shots from our stay...
While in Maui, I stopped by the Four Seasons
Maui for a wonderful breakfast and site tour. The breakfast was outstanding and the best we had while on this trip. Try your hand at the customized macadamia and coconut pancakes! YUM! Four Seasons is also just around the corner from The Fairmont and they have outstanding views as well. Every room at the Four Seasons has a view or partial view of the ocean. The design is open, chic, modern and very comfortable without being stuffy. Staff is also warm and friendly without being overbearing. A wonderful place for a honeymoon couple, family retreats or a multi-generational group. A visit to Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante
is sure to provide for some of the best views at dinner in Wailea.
One last stop the morning before we left was a visit to Makena Resort Maui. Currently the property is undergoing some renovations and big changes but provides for a bit more economical and family-fun location with a wide open and great view of the ocean! Lush gardens and fountains can be found throughout the property. Staff is uber genuine and friendly and many will greet you by name. Breakfast is delicious and the menu is abundant with diverse options.
One of the highlights which I would highly recommend while in Maui (especially during peak whale-watching season) is a tour with Pacific Whale Foundation. We took a tour and certainly got our monies worth and more. Here is a teaser photo, but if you would like to see a bit more, please visit my Facebook page for a full album: Whale Watching album.
Onto Oahu, where the main purpose of the event was to meet with some long-time and wonderful clients of Critics Choice Vacations. This group of travelers have been faithful and fun clients for years and it was finally a chance to meet them in person. We were able to coordinate a little party, everyone was free to come and it truly was the highlight of the trip!
That said, while we were in Oahu, we were treated like royalty while staying at Royal Hawaiian, the iconic "Pink Palace" located right on the front of famous Waikiki beach. Our room was located in the newly refurbished Mailani Oceanfront Tower with a breathtaking view of the ocean before us. The room was comfortable, quiet, tastefully appointed with splashes of pink here and there to go along with the theme of the hotel. Of course, each room comes with slippers and a stripped pink bathrobe to boot! Nice touch! The room had a lovely balcony with enough seating for 4+ and allowed for fresh ocean breezes, a little R&R and some amazing views. While there, I toured some of the older parts of the hotel which are special in their own right. The beautifully carved heavy wood doors, the touches of pink, chic yet still antique throughout the garden rooms leaves one feeling refreshed yet inspired by the history of the hotel. The ocean front is lined with pretty pink parasols and matching pink towels for clients use. The grounds are impeccable and service is key at this property from the bell men, to the concierge, to the front desk clerk and all the way to the top. The one word which came back to me over and over again when thinking of this property was "serendipitous."
We were completely spoiled and pampered by Mr. Frank Rodgers, Sales Manager extraordinaire! At the risk of embarrassing him in my post, he must be mentioned as one of the most caring and most accommodating Sales Managers I have ever met! Truly, this time, I was his guest and I felt like it! Thank you Frank for all you did to make our short stay easy, enjoyable and most certainly memorable including the special pink cake and kind note for our son's 15th birthday!!
While in Oahu, if you have not been before, you must take time out and visit Pearl Harbor and Pacific Historic Park. While the website is a bit overwhelming and complicated in my opinion, I can help you make heads or tails out of what you wish to see and do at the Pacific Historical Parks. I do have some tips and suggestions for you when you are ready to book. A key tour is to visit the USS Arizona Memorial shown below but only a limited amount of tickets are issued each day. First come, first served. A moving video precedes your short boat ride to the Memorial where you will have time to reflect, ponder, pray and be thankful for the men and women who lost their lives that day serving our country.
Finally, to wrap it up, there is so much to see and so much to do on each island: surfing, hiking, biking, snorkeling, horse-back riding, heli tours, whale watching, scuba diving, shopping, golf, spa days, the list goes on and on. There are accommodations to fit nearly every budget and tours and activities to fit just about every age or interest level. If you have a special wish for Hawaii or have dreamed of visiting a certain island, we can make your dreams come true and plan as much or as little during your stay. Mahalo and thanks for your business with Critics Choice Vacations.
Like so many other parents this Fall, my husband and I became “Empty Nesters”. Our baby girl, and youngest of three was heading off to college and we were faced with the reality of being alone for the first time in 26 years. We decided that this was a life milestone that we should observe, rather than dread. We had spent years devoting endless time and energy to our children and now they were all out in the world as healthy, happy, productive members of society. We had much to celebrate. So, after dropping our daughter off at college we traveled to Montana’s Paradise Valley and spent a few days at Sage Lodge to mark this special occasion. Montana’s Paradise Valley starts near Livingston, which sits on I-90, and stretches south along highway 89 towards Yellowstone National Park. It is the major river valley of the Yellowstone River and is flanked by the Gallatin and Absaroka Ranges. Highway 89 was the original entrance into Yellowstone National Park, although there are now two additional entrances, one each in Montana and Wyoming. Along with its unmatched beauty and world-class fly fishing on the river, the valley also offers other natural wonders such as several natural hot springs.
Ernest Hemingway once described Switzerland as “a small, steep country, much more up and down than sideways, and stuck all over with large brown hotels built on the cuckoo clock style of architecture.” Susan’s recent travels between Geneva and Zurich proves that a lot has changed in the Swiss hotel scene since Hemingway’s observation. While she has lots of experience setting up pre- and post-river cruise activities and private trips in the area, this “self-imposed” familiarization was to acquaint herself with Virtuoso’s Swiss properties. Susan’s excited to share her thoughts on this diverse list of hotels, as well as the historic cities they call home.
This past fall, Susan was invited to sit on the Advisory Board for the German National Tourism Offices out of New York City. In partnership to boost tourism to Germany, she toured two of the country’s most iconic cities. From the eclectic coffee and artistic scenes of Hamburg, to an exploration of the tumultuous history of Berlin, there was a lot to take in. Susan hopes her journey will shed light on why Germany should be the destination of your next European vacation. Below you’ll find some incredible places to stay, cuisine to sample, and experiences that will put the discovery of German culture at the forefront of your travels.
With Paris and Rome, London forms the trifecta of must-visit cities for those first taking the dive into European culture. A hub of history, politics, architecture (both very old and very new), and the arts, London has a little bit to offer everyone. This November, Susan had the opportunity to tour over a dozen of the city’s best boutique hotels so you know where to stay during your visit. In addition, Susan also toured some of the charming villages that surround London that are perfect for a day trip, or quick weekend, to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. She hopes her exploration of this British metropolis will help you know where to start when planning your first (or next) European getaway.
Sign up for our free travel vlog and newsletter!
Sign up for our newsletter and receive monthly travel inspiration and insider information!
Travel Log Popup
