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letsexploreblog · 5 years ago

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Fuerteventura. Sun, sea & sand. Pt 2.

Written by Rosie

If staying in one place isn’t for you there are plenty of car hire places around Caleta, but it’s worth noting that some can come with hidden fees. Asking a receptionist at a hotel, for example, can be handy as they have local knowledge of the better (and cheaper) companies to hire from. One car hire for a full 24 hours cost me a mere £30 and I was asked to return the Vauxhall Corsa with the same amount of fuel that I had received it with. But I was told I could go anywhere on the island except for Cofete. More on this later...

Puerto Del Rosario is north of the airport and an easy drive to reach. As Fuertaventura’s capital it can be very busy and not many tourists can be seen in the centre compared to other towns. A number of chain shops, food outlets and unique to the island places can be a great location to pick up some more interesting souvenirs and the bonus is that parking around the island is completely free, so there is no rush to hurry your shopping!

Hiring a different car we decide to upgrade to a 4x4 (with some unfortunate hidden fees as we had booked online). Happily, we were given not the SUV that was advertised, but a Mitsubishi Outlander which had a little more off-road capability. Deciding one day to take a tour of the island, we started off by heading south.

Taking a detour from Casillas De Morales to Tiscamanita I tired some off-roading which was actually more of a real road as most of the tarmac roads are relatively new due to the tourist trade. It’s worth remembering that some hire companies don’t cover driving off tarmac roads, so its always worth asking before you go. The local roads tend to be little more than a trail in the dust and we followed one rocky road that would lead us past some inactive volcanoes. It was at this point I found that my travelling companions didn’t like being away from the tarmac which caused some upset. Whoops! But the views were worth it.

It needs to be noted that such roads can be very rough to drive over, and unless you are a driver that has done such driving in the past, has lots of experience and is a confident diver, these roads are not recommended as getting stuck in a hire car can probably land you with a big fine from the rental company!

Finally crawling our way up the last slope we reached tarmac (which left my travel companions relived) and we head through Tuinje, past Tarajelejo and the Oasis Wildlife Zoo at La Lajita and through Costa Calma. Costa Calma is another popular tourist town, but the drive from the airport directly down the highway can be quite long and the locals can be quite speedy trying to avoid the tourists which can lead to some hairy moments! A transfer coach or taxi is definitely recommended if you don’t want to drive on holiday.

Sadly we didn’t stop at Jandia on our journey around the island as I had been told that Jandia has some of the best natural beaches around the island and that Playa de Sotavento de Jandia is very popular.

Driving past a few more towns we finally hit Morro Jable and parked up, stretching our legs and taking a little walk around. Talking only a brief walk to the beach at Punta del Matorral O de Morro Jable we found a few windsurfers but as the wind was good for them, it kicked sand up from the beach so it wasn’t long before we returned to the car. Carefully following both the road and the sat-nav, we finally found the sign we had been looking for just off the FV-2 highway. Cofete. This car hire company had said nothing about the mysterious place, so we thought we’d give it a shot.

Oh my. The tarmac road quickly gave way to more loose rocks, the kind you find lining railways. The car slid on corners and some locals, or those braver than I, overtook us and tootled along at a happy 25+ mph. If I recall, we stuck at about 15mph to be on the safe side and occasionally slowed to 5mph on some of the sharper turns. The views of the sea on our left were almost unreal. A deep blue sparkled as far as the eye could see and the air con in the car was most welcomed as the sun blazed down on our car. Reaching a junction there were two options, continue west to pass Puerto de la Cruz and reach the tip of the island where sits nothing but a lighthouse and unspoilt views, or turn north toward Cofete. We went north. A steady ride and a snake of a road twisted up the mounts with few barriers continued until we reached the mountain pass at Punto de Vista sobre Puerto de Montaña and I decided to take a quick selfie. I wasn’t expecting the monstrous winds that whipped fiercely through the pass though! I could barely stand at the little car park and my friends laughed as they sat comfortably in the car. The views over the North Atlantic from the towering mountains may have been impressive but they were just as nice to experience through the car window.

If I thought the drive to that point was awkward, I was in for a shock. With the mountains on one side and steep cliffs to the other, I hugged to the mountain wall on my right and dared not to glance at the severe drop just feet away from the car. Oncoming traffic in the distance was easily seen snaking its way around the road and several times we stopped and waited for them to pass us. I dread to think of trying to squeeze past one another on a more narrow stretch or worse having to reverse to a safer spot. Finally levelling out we arrived in Cofete. A shanty town filled with locals relying on their own little community rather than driving into the town and cities constantly.

There is one small cafe in the village that takes cash only and I presume they have toilets but I cannot be certain as we didn’t visit the cafe. Instead, we had packed a small picnic to take with us as we were unsure about finding somewhere to eat, and luckily we have strong bladders!

Parking up by the beach we grabbed our belongings and headed for the water but one small curiosity caught my eye. A cemetery on the beach! (Pictured below) Cementerio del Cofete is mostly hidden under small sand dunes but its a small, quiet place nonetheless.

If you are not driving, there is also a fairly frequent bus that runs from Morro Jable to Cofete and stops at the car park near the cemetery. There was also a regular 4x4 convoy of white Land Rovers that accessed the village and I believe they are part of a tourist day trip. So it’s worth keeping an eye out for that!

The beach itself spans for miles and slips away from the mountains into the North Atlantic. It's certainly not a spot for swimmers as the waves unbuffered can be quite large and strong. Paddling in the shallows as the water laps the beach is welcomed enough and the beach is a perfect place for sunbathing provided you have good sunscreen applied. Being such a difficult place to arrive at, we found the beach had barely anybody on it and we sat alone for hours enjoying the sun and sea. With the beach facing out to the west, I can only imagine watching the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, but the thought of driving back to Morro Jable along the Cofete road at night is not for the faint-hearted.

A little history lesson: Villa Winter (pictured in the distance in the photo below) sits on the mountain slopes above Cofete and was built by a German engineer during WW2 and some of the 'roads’ around Cofete were laid then too. Some conspiracy theories state that with Fuertaventura being so close to both the African coast and Spain, it made a prime spot for Nazi boats and that the engineer responsible for the building was a sympathiser. It is easy enough to walk or drive to the villa, but as we were unsure if it was a residence we decided to politely keep our distance.

Returning back from the beach we had unfortunately found the mid-day sun to have baked the sand and we ended up doing some peculiar towel-hopping and running across the beach as we had left our shoes in the car! The drive back along the mountain road was no different and with the sharp drop now on ‘my side’ of the road, I had opted again to wait at a few passing places and have the more experienced bus drivers and excursion groups pass me than trying to slip past one another in tighter spots. Finally reaching beautiful smooth tarmac one more, we took the scenic route back to our apartment turning north at Costa Calma through La Pared and along the FV-605.

Here I would also like to mention a very worthy place to visit via car. Among the mountains on the FV-605 road itself as it meets the FV-618 you will find at a small lay-by. Parking here you can hike the steady climb up the mountain top to Mirador Astronónomico, a natural observatory! In the day it offers wonderful views over the sun-baked mountains and at night you can read star maps etched into the stone-work and on information boards. It’s an easy enough place to reach on foot but trainers or other footwear (not flip-flops and sandals) are recommended. Eagerly studying the weather I found a night where no clouds were in the sky and one friend and I (the other opted to stay behind) drove at midnight to the observatory. Sadly the weather is a fickle thing and we saw nothing aside from clouds sailing through the darkness. Next visit to the island we will try again!

Continuing on past Pájara, Tuineje again and on the highway this time to Tiscamanita we stopped eventually at Antigua and took a walk around. Wanting to see a typical Spanish church we tired the doors of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora but found them locked and realised that it was siesta time. Grabbing a quick Spanish style lunch at one of the few open bars (sadly I can’t recall which) we then headed back down the FV-413 to Caleta De Fuste. An avid traveller could drive the entire island in a day, but to take in all the sights would be a very hasty stop at each location.

Another day we deiced to take the road north to Corralejo which we found more of a cooler climate than the south of the island. Coming up the FV-1A highway we passed through Paque Natural de Corralejo, the natural sand dunes. While being an extremely scenic spot and convenient to pull over at the roadside for some snaps, it seemed all the other tourists had the same idea and hordes of people stood around taking group photos, selfies and photos of the sand dunes themselves. We didn’t stop.

Most of the Corralejo is centred around the docks and there are lots of places to eat and shop. My favourite being Cebra Culture located at The Bell Tower, Local 44, 35660, which is filled with some beautiful bohemian pieces of clothing and accessories. They also have a shop in Puerto del Rosario. Walking the streets and taking in the local culture we hopped back in the car and drove past a spectacular sight: Volcano Bayuyo. We put it to a vote if we should take the half-hour to one hour climb to the top but we decided that we were too exhausted from that days antics and we would try it another time.

All in all, Fuerteventura is a wonderful island, with plenty of beaches and things to do all year round, fantastic scenery and it features lots of great nightlife and a friendly atmosphere as well.

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Pros: The island is an UNESCO nature reserve, constant pleasant winds that cool the air, lots of beaches, great scenery, plenty to do.

Cons: Can get very quickly sunburnt without realising, can get very busy with tourists, not a lot of easily sign-posted public transport, hardly any English speakers outside the main tourist areas.

Missed the first part? Part 1.

#july 2016 #sun #sea #sand #fuertaventura #island #canary islands #cofete #calete de fuste #travel #traveller #eplore #friends #holiday #vacation

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exploring-our-blue-universe-blog · 5 years ago

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Over winter break in 2018, I visited Puerto Rico (on my way back from the cruise to the Caribbean). We wanted to stay in Puerto Rico mostly because of the Bioluminescent Bay; after all, it was The Office couple Jim and Pam’s honeymoon destination. The pictures of the bioluminescence online look gorgeous, and I was extremely excited to swim in the water (even though my coral injury from Antigua hadn’t fully healed yet). Unfortunately, all the Bioluminescent Bay tours were booked for the next few days. We decided to explore historic sights near to our hotel in Old San Juan instead. The picture of the ocean above was taken from a citadel called Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro. It was built in the 1500s. and is now a national park. When we first got to Puerto Rico, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the beaches. The color of the water looked almost unnaturally saturated--it was such a beautiful blueish-greenish color that reminded me of the coastline of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The image above is no exception. It was so surreal to see such a beautiful part of nature. I even saw an iguana sitting on the El Morro wall.

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sunartotmii-blog · 5 years ago

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Awesome Vacations Ideas

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weddingdressesbeachstyle-blog · 6 years ago

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Tying The Knot On Foreign Shores

Thinking of having your wedding abroad? Thousands do it every year, and with the unpredictability of the British weather and rising wedding costs, it’s not surprising that wedding planning is moving away from the UK and nearer weddings in destination locations.

So where to go?

Here are a few of our favorite destination wedding locations:

St Lucia

Barbados

Mauritius

Antigua

Cyprus

Las Vegas

Jamaica

Seychelles

Sri Lanka

Maldives

See some of the highlights of beautiful Island of St Lucia

Apart from glorious sunshine, white sandy beaches, tropical flowers and delicious seafood, what are the advantages to marrying abroad?

The likelihood is that it will be a much smaller and more intimate event, and much less hassle to organize for you. You won’t feel obliged to invite your sixth-cousin-twice-removed, and you won’t have to argue with your mother-in-law over the colour scheme. The entire wedding will probably be much more under your control and the wedding package can usually be organized by the tour operator, saving you all the hard work. The wedding package will include the ceremony, flowers, catering and the cake with music, entertainment, photography and videography, as optional extras. You will just need to organize your dress, accessories and the bridesmaids’ and groom’s outfits before you go. Another bonus is that you don’t have to travel anywhere for your honeymoon!

wedding planners in barbados

A wedding abroad will probably cost less money too. Most are less expensive than equivalent UK weddings. You may feel because you are breaking with tradition, you have more say over the event – you can choose to pay for it yourselves, or the bride’s family could pay for the wedding package and you could buy your own airline tickets. Guests will pay their own way, and you will probably only invite very close family and friends. You can still have a party at home for those who can’t make the journey or aren’t invited to the event. A word of advice – make sure your friends and family go home a couple of days after the wedding, or if they want to stay on and have a holiday, at least pack them off to a different resort, you don’t want Grandma Hodges cramping your poolside honeymoon style!

If you really want to go it alone, with just the two of you jetting off to tie the knot, you don’t need to invite anyone at all, you can just enlist the help of a member of the hotel’s staff to act as a witness for the ceremony.

wedding planners in jamaica

Try to book your package at least 12 weeks before the wedding, and make sure you browse lots of brochures before you make your final destination selection. It’s also worth checking chat rooms and reviews on online travel sites to find out other people’s experience. It’s also wise to tell guests about the wedding around six months before the big day to allow them time to work out their travel plans and budget for the trip.

wedding planners in maldives

There will be quite a lot of administration involved in marrying abroad, so make sure you know exactly what you will need for the country you have chosen. If your wedding is being organized through a tour operator they will advise you on all the legal requirements, but if you are organizing your own wedding you will need to contact the embassy of that country to make sure you will be legally allowed to marry there. Ask them how long you need to be in the country before the wedding and whether you need any special legal documents to prove you are single and therefore eligible to marry. If your marriage is legally valid in the country in which you make your vows, it is considered legal in the UK. However, the Law Society advises that anyone getting married abroad should contact the local British embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice. It’s also a good idea to take out wedding insurance as well as the usual travel insurance to ensure you are covered for all your wedding expenses.

wedding planners in cyprus

The beauty of a wedding abroad is that you can truly relax and enjoy the occasion without having to project manage the event. And if the flowers aren’t quite what you would have chosen, or the steel band plays too many 1970s cheesy love songs, somehow, when the sun is setting over the ocean, those little things won’t seem to matter quite so much.

Tying The Knot On Foreign Shores

#wedding abroad #wedding abroad ideas

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lifeless-x · 7 years ago

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Fall 2019 Disney Cruises Announced

Disney Cruise Line has just announced the rest of their their 2019 Itineraries, this time for Fall, 2019!

During Fall 2019,Disney Cruise Line will return to favorite destinations and home ports on a variety of itineraries, including adventures to Bermuda, Bahamas, Baja, Canada and the Caribbean. With cruises ranging from two-night getaways to weeklong vacations and beyond, this season of sailings offers countless opportunities for families to delight in Disney magic, explore exotic locales and make lifelong memories together.

Sailings to Bermuda, Bahamas and Canada from New York

The Disney Magic returns to New York in September for a selection of departures to a diverse collection of destinations, including luxurious Bermuda, sun-kissed Bahamas and historic New Brunswick, Canada.

Three special five-night cruises feature two days in Bermuda, allowing extra time for guests to indulge in the island nation’s famous pink-sand beaches, world-class shopping, abundant water activities and distinctive blend of British and Caribbean culture.

During two seven-night sailings from New York to the Bahamas, cruisers are treated to a double-dose of pixie dust. A stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is paired with a day at Port Canaveral, Florida, where every guest receives a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation to the theme parks in nearby Orlando.

A single five-night cruise to Canada transports guests from New York to charming Saint John, New Brunswick with a stop in Bar Harbor, Maine. Saint John is the home of majestic natural phenomena like the renowned Reversing Falls and the world’s highest tides, located where the Saint John River meets the Bay of Fundy.

Baja and Mexican Riviera Voyages from California

In September, the Disney Wonder sets sail for a limited engagement in San Diego, where guests embark on adventures to Baja and the Mexican Riviera. Baja itineraries highlight the region’s famous beaches and exciting water activities with calls on Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. Two exclusive seven-night Mexican Riviera sailings feature the snorkeling and scuba diving hot spots Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas.

Disney Cruise Line guests can enrich their experience by combining select San Diego-based cruises with a pre-cruise package from Adventures by Disney, a leader in family guided group vacations. During this three-night itinerary, guests embark on a rare behind-the-magic visit to The Walt Disney Studios and Disney Archives, a private tour of Walt Disney Imagineering and a visit to the place where it all began — the Disneyland Resort.

Vacations to Bahamas and Caribbean from Texas

Beginning late November, the Disney Wonder will make Galveston its home port for a special series of sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas, with options at four, six and seven nights. Caribbean cruises include stops in Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Falmouth, Jamaica. Bahamian itineraries feature stops in Castaway Cay and Key West, Florida. Two of the Bahamian sailings also take guests to Nassau, Bahamas, while another includes an exclusive second day on Disney’s private island.

Tropical Escapes from Florida

In fall 2019, the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy continue sailing guest-favorite itineraries to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Port Canaveral, while the Disney Magic returns to Miami in November with a variety of cruise lengths and itineraries.

The Disney Magic’s diverse lineup includes three-, four- and five-night Bahamian sailings and five- and six-night Western Caribbean cruises, and most itineraries feature a day ashore at Castaway Cay. Other ports of call on Bahamian voyages include Nassau and Key West, while stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel headline the Western Caribbean itineraries.

The Disney Dream sails three- and four-night cruises to Nassau and Castaway Cay. These itineraries make for the perfect family getaway, combining the magic of Disney with the ease and enjoyment of a tropical cruise vacation.

The Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Caribbean voyages, and every cruise includes a stop at Castaway Cay. Eastern Caribbean itineraries visit the Virgin Islands of Tortola and St. Thomas, and Western Caribbean cruises call on Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth. These weeklong experiences allow for even more family fun as guests make memories aboard their Disney cruise ship and at port in renowned tropical destinations.

The Disney Fantasy will also sail a selection of special itineraries. In October, an eight-night voyage transports guests south to St. Kitts, Antigua and San Juan, Puerto Rico, while a six-night Western Caribbean itinerary includes calls on Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Both itineraries are capped off with a day at Castaway Cay. In December, two unique seven-night itineraries include one cruise to San Juan, Tortola and Castaway Cay, and another voyage featuring two days on Disney’s private island after visits to Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

Disney Vacation Club Charter Cruises for 2019

Today, Disney Vacation Club announced the dates for two special members-only Disney Cruise Line charter cruises: a five-night Pacific Coast sailing aboard the Disney Wonder on May 15, 2019 and a seven-night cruise to Bermuda aboard the Disney Magic on October 5, 2019. Bookings for both cruises open to Disney Vacation Club members on June 23, 2018.

Sail Dates for all Disney Cruise Ships:

Disney Dream

3 night Bahamian Disney Cruise – 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/2, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/27, 2019

4 night Bahamian Disney Cruise – 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 2019

Disney Fantasy

6 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise – 10/27/2019

7 night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise – 10/5, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30, 12/14, 12/28, 2019

7 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise – 10/12, 11/9, 11/23, 12/7. 12/21, 2019

8 night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise – 10/19/2019

Disney Magic

10 night Westbound Transatlantic Disney Cruise – Dover to New York – 9/15/2019

5 night Bermudian Disney Cruise (New York) – 9/25, 10/12, 10/17, 2019

5 night Canadian Disney Cruise (New York) – 9/30/2019

5 night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise – From New York to San Juan – 10/10/2019

5 night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise – From San Juan to Miami – 10/15/2019

7 night Bahamian Disney Cruise (New York) – 10/27, 11/3, 2019

3 night Bahamian Disney Cruise (Miami) – 11/20, 11/29, 2019

6 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise (Miami) – 11/23/2019

5 night Bahamian Disney Cruise (Miami) – 12/2, 12/16, 12/30, 2019

5 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise (Miami) – 12/7, 12/21, 2019

4 night Bahamian Disney Cruise (Miami) – 12/12, 12/26, 2019

Disney Wonder

4 night Pacific Coast Disney Cruise – Vancouver to San Diego – 9/30/2019

5 night Mexican Baja Disney Cruise (San Diego) – 10/4, 10/9, 11/3, 2019

4 night Mexican Baja Disney Cruise (San Diego) – 10/14/2019

3 night Mexican Baja Disney Cruise (San Diego) – 10/18/2019

7 night Mexican Riviera Disney Cruise (San Diego) – 10/20, 10/27, 2019

14 night Panama Canal Eastbound Disney Cruise – San Diego to Galveston – 11/8/2019

7 night Bahamian Disney Cruise (Galveston) – 11/22, 11/29, 12/27, 2019

6 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise (Galveston) – 12/6/2019 & 1/3/2020

4 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise (Galveston) – 12/12, 12/16, 2019 & 1/9/2020

7 night Western Caribbean Disney Cruise (Galveston) – 12/20/2019

When can I book my Fall 2019 Disney Cruise?

Platinum Castaway Club Members and Golden Oak – phone bookings begin May 21, 2018 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time

Gold Castaway Club Members – phone bookings begin May 22, 2018 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time;

Silver Castaway Club Members, Adventure Insiders and Disney Vacation Club Members – phone bookings begin May 23, 2018 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time

All Guests – online and phone bookings begin May 24, 2018.

Please note that before May 24, 2018, you must call, pricing and availability will not be available online.

If you would like to get a quote for a fantastic Fall 2019 Disney Cruise, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation Mouseketrips quote.

The post Fall 2019 Disney Cruises Announced appeared first on Mouseketrips.

Source: http://www.mouseketrips.com/fall-2019-disney-cruises-announced/

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deladane · 7 years ago

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Day 12: Monday, March 12 ~ Bonaire

(Eddy’s pronunciation: bon – EYE – ree)

One of the main reasons we picked this itinerary was the chance to visit the ABC islands. Located outside of the hurricane belt in the southwest corner of the Caribbean Sea, the ABC islands offer a very different vibe than the other Southern and Eastern Caribbean islands which I have visited. Bonaire is known for having some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world, and ranks #2 for snorkeling in the Caribbean (Belize is said to be #1, and yes, I am secretly hoping to take a Western Caribbean cruise at some point to experience Belize first hand!). In fact, 85% of the people who visit Bonaire are there to see the marine life. They have a marine park that is protected, and I knew I wanted to see it for myself. Woodwind Bonaire is one of the top rated snorkeling tour companies on the island. They were very easy to communicate with online, and I booked us on the 4 hour morning sail which would visit 2 sites in the marine park for snorkeling, and included lunch and an open bar for $65 USD per person.

Here is today’s daily schedule:

While we ate our room service breakfast on the balcony, we could see that we were in for another windy day in paradise. I was really hoping that when we cruised all this distance west yesterday, that we would get into a new weather pattern, but we could already tell that it was super windy in Bonaire today.

Woodwind sent us detailed instructions on where to meet them the morning of our tour. It was a short 5 minute walk to the right as we exited the cruise port, and we had pretty views of the ship along the way.

We were instructed to meet outside the Divi Flamingo Casino at 8:20am. It was very obvious where we had to go, especially when we saw this big sign:

We arrived about 10 minutes early, and the guide was there waiting to greet us. Unfortunately, he came bearing bad news… Due to the extreme winds, he had to cancel our tour for today. He said he had cancelled all of his tours for the last 5 days, and he would probably need to cancel tomorrow’s tour too. I can’t even describe how disappointed I was at that moment. When he cancels a tour, he loses a lot of money, so I knew he didn’t make this decision on a whim and conditions must be really bad if he needed to cancel the tour, but I was so disappointed to miss out on snorkeling here. Not many cruises visit Bonaire and who knows if or when I will be here again. While we did go snorkeling on a few other islands throughout this cruise, I always knew that snorkeling in Bonaire would be the highlight, and now I wasn’t going to experience it. Even now, several weeks later, I am still sad to miss out on that opportunity.

Meanwhile, it was now 8:15am and I had no idea what we should to today! I did not research any back up plans because it never occurred to me that the tour would be cancelled. Someone asked the guide if we should take the water taxi to Klein Bonaire to snorkel there off the beach, but the guide did not recommend that because it is a barrier island with no protection from the wind, so the conditions would not be safe, plus the water would be too churned up to see anything anyway. As we walked back towards the ship, we saw a few tents set up with vendors selling island tours, golf cart rentals, and water taxi tickets. In lieu of twiddling our thumbs on the ship all day, we spoke with a few of the vendors offering tours of the island to see what our options were. I really did not like booking a tour like this. As you all know, I am used to doing extensive research, reading reviews on Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic, and making an educated decision on how to spend the day with no pressure. I did not know how to tell if these vendors were a scam, or offering a good deal, or if the tour would be any good. Had this happened in Antigua, we probably would have opted to abort the mission completely and retreat back to the ship haha We were surprised to find the vendors in Bonaire were very easy to work with. They explained what they had to offer with no pressure to book right away, and they didn’t mind when we walked away to think about it and speak with other vendors before committing. We spoke with 3 vendors offering island tours for about 3 hours, costing $25 to $30 USD per person. One had a 12 person van, one had a large open air bus for 15 people (I think?), but we opted for the vendor with a small minivan holding just 6 guests with air conditioning and free wifi for $30 per person. The guide, Justino, said we would visit the whole island to the south first, then to the north, and we would spend some time at the beach. He showed us these maps to highlight the stops along the tour:

It was only 8:30am and the tour was due to start at 9:30, so we paid for the tour and Justino gave us a receipt and said to meet him back at the tent in an hour. I was wearing a long sleeve rash guard in anticipation of a day on a sail boat with no shade, so we went back to the ship to get changed. The security guards who scanned our seapass cards were quite surprised to see anyone reboarding the ship so early!

Back at the cabin, we got changed into tshirts and shorts, repacked our day bag to ditch the towel and snorkel gear in exchange for our cell phones from the safe to make use of the free wifi in the van. We still had about 20 minutes to spare, so we walked around the area near the cruise port until it was time to meet Justino.

The Eclipse looks so pretty in the early morning sun

This looked like a great photo opportunity, but there was no one in sight to take the photo for us! Just imagine that we are standing next to those flamingos haha

We returned to Justino’s tent just as he found 2 other couples to join us on the tour, so the 6 of us walked over a block or two to where his van was parked. The van had enough space for the 6 of us to sit comfortably, and we were all happy that the AC was very strong and had individual controls to adjust it. Justino also had bottles of water in a cooler in the trunk that we could have as needed, plus he had space back there to stash our bags for the day. We were on the road by 9:30am, and Justino immediately started giving us lots of facts and information about Bonaire’s history. Bonaire is a tiny island of only 112 square miles, located about 60 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Formerly part of the Netherland Antilles, it became a legal “municipality” of the Netherlands in 2010, when the Netherland Antilles was dissolved and Curaçao and Aruba became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

On our way to our first stop, we drove past this brand new resort with brightly colored buildings. I think he said it is a Courtyard by Marriott?

The colors of the water were so beautiful… too bad we won’t get to swim in it!

Our first stop was at the salt fields. Justino explained that they harvest the salt here by collecting water from the Caribbean into a series of huge ponds, where the sun and wind work to evaporate the water, leaving behind crystals of salt. One of the characteristic features of salt produced by solar dehydration is the size of the resulting salt crystals. Unlike “rock salt” from underground mines, salt obtained from “natural” processes like solar dehydration produces much larger crystals of salt, which can be used in water softeners, swimming pools, dinner table salt, de-icing roads in the winter, and more. There is a special algae which thrives in this salty water, which reacts to turn the water pink in color, making it a really interesting site to see.

Mountains of salt piled up, waiting to be processed

Justino found some crystals of salt for us to look at.

Proof that we were here!

It is hard to tell because my hair is tied back in braids, but it was extremely windy out here. Justino has an app where he could look up the wind speeds and he said it was 30mph, but I thought it felt like more than that. We had to really brace ourselves and keep a wide base of support to avoid being knocked over!

After a few minutes of taking photos and looking around at the salt flats, we piled back in the van to drive to our next stop, just a few minutes up the road- the slave huts. These huts each housed 7 or 8 people (notice the size compared to our van… they were tiny!)

Justino explained that the slaves used to work at the salt fields all day, and they returned here to sleep at night. They were fed just one handful of food for the entire day of work, so I can imagine how grueling that life must have been, especially in the hot Caribbean sun. We spent a few minutes walking around, looking at the huts, and admiring the beautiful view.

Inside one of the huts

They used a color coding system to identify the groups of slaves. We were at the homes of the White Slaves, but there were also other groups with other color names.

This marker on the main road indicated that we were at the section for the white slaves

Justino lined us up to pose for a fun photo looking through the window and door of the hut

There was no sand on this beach, just beautiful stones and shells that were worn away from the sea.

A few other tour groups arrived as we were getting ready to leave

Once we were all settled back in the van, we drove back the way we came, going north passed the cruise ship, to drive through the downtown area of Kralendijk. We didn’t get out of the van here, but DH and I decided we would come back to walk around here later this afternoon.

I thought it was funny that they call their post office the Flamingo Express haha

We drove along the coast, admiring the views and the new upscale houses and hotels. Everything was very green, and there were tons of cactus in between the trees and bushes.

Justino explained that there are hundreds of sites where you can go scuba diving in Bonaire. Because the road which circles the island is so narrow, there isn’t a lot of space to park your car, so they have these cross walk signs to keep the divers safe. I thought this was really funny…

Our next stop was the 1000 Steps. No, there are not 1000 steps here. I think it was more like 70 steps haha Under water, the steps continue and create one of the best scuba diving spots on the island as the plateaus and drop offs repeat and create a beautiful underwater world. We spent about 20 minutes here, with time to walk down to the beach and take some photos.

These yellow painted stones mark all the dive spots around the island. Most are named for the person who discovered the site, but this one has a more specific name.

Another rocky beach

The ocean eroded the side wall of the hill, mimicking the steps under the water

I can’t imagine walking back up all of these steps, lugging scuba gear!!

One last view of the beach. This was really a beautiful spot!

Next, we continued driving north towards the town of Karpata. There is a large protected nature reserve at the northern end of the island which is home to hundreds of flamingos. Justino passed around this poster to show us that flamingos are actually white in color when they are born, but they feed on shrimp which turns them pink. The older they get, the more shrimp they eat, and the pinker they become!

After a few more minutes of driving, I looked out the front window to see this:

It was a beautiful lake and home to many of the flamingos. Justino pulled off into a parking area so we could get out and observe the view from an overlook point. It was nearly impossible to capture the flamingos on my camera because we were quite far away, but I could see them with my naked eye. If you look very closely in the lake, the tiny pink spots are all flamingos!

We continued driving around the lake to get a closer look at the flamingos. Justino said we had to keep a safe distance so we couldn’t get too close, but at least we could see them clearly now. I think it was lunch time as they kept ducking their heads under water to eat. While I have seen many flamingos at the zoo or in enclosed animal habitats, this is the first time I have seen a flamingo in the wild, and I was thrilled!

As we approached the lake, Justino said that there is this little yellow bird who always lands on his side view mirror whenever he drives through here. Sure enough, as we were slowing down to watch the flamingos, the yellow bird found us!

It was really cute- he kept peering down to look at his reflection in the mirror, then getting confused and thinking it was another bird so he flew into the mirror, then he went back on top for a second and started the process all over again. This went on for several minutes, until he realized we were driving further and further away from his nest, so he gave up and flew away. Justino said the same thing happens every time he comes to this lake, always with the same yellow bird. How funny!

Last few glimpses of the flamingos as we drove off towards our next destination…

Next, we drove further inland towards the town of Rincon.

We pulled up to the Cadushy Distillery, where they make cactus liquor. They usually charge $5 per person to take their tour and sample the liquors, but it was included in the $30 price we paid for our tour.

They took us to a shaded area at the back of the property and offered everyone a sample of the cactus liquor. This is Justino serving the samples… he made a silly face when he saw I was taking his photo haha

I thought it tasted kind of sweet, but I liked it.

We watched a short film about the process of making the cactus liquor.

After that, we had a few minutes to walk around the grounds, use the rest rooms, and sample the other flavors of liquor.

This cute bird was hanging out in one of the trees… Maybe he turned green from drinking too much cactus liquor??

Some photos of their grounds…

Sign for the restrooms

There is a bar area set up where they offered tastings of their rum, whisky, vodka, and a few other flavors of liquor. I tried a few but didn’t really like any of them. After everyone had their fill, we piled back in the van to finish off the rest of the tour.

We passed this big yellow church, but I don’t remember what Justino told us about it.

Lots and lots of cactus everywhere we looked

We continued driving a little further to see views of the waves crashing along the shore on the north side of the island. By now, it was 12:15pm and the tour was due to end back at the ship at 12:30pm but we still had not gone to the beach. Justino asked us if we wanted to be dropped at the beach or the ship. I had assumed the beach stop was included in the 3 hours of the tour, but it appeared to be in addition to it. It was still very windy so we didn’t want to be blasted by the sand, and we were hungry for lunch now anyway, so we decided to skip the beach stop and just asked to go back to the ship. The other 2 couples in the van had the same plan in mind, so that’s what we did. We arrived back at the cruise port area promptly at 12:30pm. Overall, I think it was $30 well spent and it was nice to see the island of Bonaire, but I know the snorkeling tour would have been way more enjoyable and memorable had the weather cooperated.

Back on the ship, we went up to the buffet for lunch. I tried the made-to-order stir fry station because it is only available for lunch on port days. It was very tasty and made for a nice alternative to the pasta station which I had already eaten several times.

At 1:30pm, we ventured back off the ship to walk around the town. It was pretty small, spanning just two or three blocks, but there were a few shops, galleries, a brewery, and a few restaurants along the water.

The sun was beating down on us, and even though we were wearing hats, it was still very hot, so we only lasted about half an hour before we returned to the ship. On the walk back along the water, we spotted this little guy crossing in front of us.

Back on the ship, we went up to the Sunset Bar to admire the wonderful views and cool off with a cold drink. Bonaire is a very flat island, so the view from deck 15 of our ship was incredible!

I ordered a Blue Hawaiian and this is what the waiter brought me… it looked like the cactus liquor from Cadushy! Haha Usually these are frozen blended drinks, so I guess this was the on the rocks version? No worries, it was still cold and refreshing, which was what I wanted anyway!

I think this island out in the distance is Klein Bonaire. There is supposed to be great snorkeling out there, but I didn’t see anyone snorkeling today (not surprising given all the wind!)

At 3pm, we went over to the Sky Lounge for today’s round of music trivia. They just did general music trivia today so there was no specific theme. DH and I just played on our own team, so we did okay, but didn’t come close to winning. The views out the windows of the Sky Lounge are always so pretty! Unfortunately, the glare off the windows makes it hard to take a good picture, but I wanted to post this for anyone who is booked with Woodwind because it shows where we met our guide this morning. Do you see the first pier coming out into the water that is closest to the ship? The one with the building on the end with the reddish brown roof? We met our guide on the sidewalk right next to that pier, so you can see it is not a far walk at all.

After trivia, we went back to the cabin to get ready for the evening, then went down to the Martini Bar for a drink. Now that it was week two of the cruise, I had a feeling for which martinis were my favorite, so I ordered the Blue Wave again, knowing it was tropical and refreshing.

While I was sipping on my cocktail, I re-read today’s daily schedule and noticed that they were having a tapas and sangria event on the lawn at the Sunset Bar, and the Passion Duo was going to perform during sail away. We wanted to go upstairs to watch the show, so I started to walk towards the elevators with my martini glass, but the bartender stopped me. He said he had to transfer my drink into a highball glass and then I could take that with me wherever I wanted on the ship. I guess they don’t want their special large martini glasses disappearing all over the ship, but I didn’t mind at all because this made it easier to walk with the drink and not spill it! Haha

When we got up to the Sunset Bar, we saw that they had set up blankets and little tables on the lawn for the event.

There was a nice spread of food set up in a buffet with breadsticks, cheeses, meats, and veggies.

At the end of the table, you can see 2 big silver bowls- that’s where they had the sangria. They served it like punch from the bowl, but they were charging $10 per glass and it was not included in the beverage packages, so I just stuck with my martini.

The Passion Duo was set up in the corner of the bar, performing a set of acoustic songs.

It was such a nice event, and made for a beautiful ambiance as we sailed away from Bonaire. I really loved hanging out at the Sunset Bar as the ship sailed away, and having this event at the same time made it even better!

Once we were far enough out to sea, we went back to the cabin for a few minutes, and were just in time to catch the sunset!

Looks like a few others were out on their balcony to observe the sunset as well.

After the sun dipped below the horizon, we went downstairs to take our nightly photo.

Then, it was time for dinner. This menu was another one of the new ones for us, and it featured a few things that looked really good to me.

Maine Lobster Ravioli- This was soooooo good! Had I known, I would have ordered 3 or 4 plates to be delivered as my entrée!

Cured Atlantic Salmon

BBQ Pork Spring Roll

Sauteed Duck Breast

Dessert Menu

Chocolate Lava Cake (this is DH’s plate, as it is meant to be served)

I asked for mine without the ice cream and bananas, so Pinto brought me 2 cakes! Winning!

We were done with dessert by 8:10pm (Pinto and Jose must be the speediest MDR waiters on the ship, just how we like it!!), so we had time to go watch the evening hot glass show. The Passion Duo had a busy night as they were performing here as well. The gaffers stayed pretty quiet, so instead of listening to them explain what they were doing as they worked, we listened to The Passion Duo playing some music.

We stayed for about half an hour, then went downstairs to catch tonight’s performance by Jeri Sager. She is a Broadway actress who started in Evita, Les Mis, Cats, and Fiddler on the Roof. She has a big belting voice and performed a great show, singing an assortment of Broadway classics. I apologize that these photos came out embarrassingly bad, but it’s the best I could get from the back of the theater…

At 10pm, the Eclipse singers and dancers performed a little show in the grand foyer called Groove. It was supposed to features songs of the 60’s, but the songs weren’t actually from that decade. Instead, they were 60’s themed songs like “Welcome to the 60’s” from Hairspray and the theme song to Austin Powers. You need to arrive early if you want to get a good spot to see the show, especially since you are not allowed to sit on the stairs since they use them as part of the performance. I thought it was a lot of fun, especially being so up close to the action! I guess this is how people feel when they gets seats at the front of the theater for the main shows haha

Singing “Welcome to the 60’s”

There are no lyrics to the theme song from Austin Powers, so they only had the dancers performing. In case you don’t know what I am talking about, this is the theme song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90h2gLgTz5g

As you can see from all the people lining the railing upstairs, the show was very well attended. It lasted about 20 minutes, then they invited everyone to join them on the dance floor. We took that as our cue to leave, and went back to the cabin to rest up for tomorrow in Curacao!

Step Tracker Daily Total: 12,467 steps; 4.703 miles

#Celebrity Eclipse Cruise 2018 #celebritycruises #celebrityeclipse #vacation #travel #cruise #bonaire

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extremebrutalssadist-blog · 7 years ago

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GuadeloupeExcursions - VisitingGuadeloupe

Welcome to the Guadeloupe Islands! Guadeloupe Advisor is an online tour reservation and booking portal, connecting travelers with tourism service providers in the Guadeloupe Islands. From Basse-Terre to Grande-Terre, from Les Saintes to La Désirade, we promote the best Tours, Tickets, Activities, Excursions & Things To Do. We are fully committed to provide the best service to our clients, in both English and French.

Guadeloupe (or “Gwada” if you want to sound cool) lies at 16 degrees 15 minutes north latitude and 61 degrees 34 minutes west longitude, between Montserrat and Antigua to the north, and Dominica to the south, approximately midway between Puerto Rico and Barbados.

Known by its first inhabitants as “Karukera” (meaning "the land of beautiful waters"), the island stands out on a map of the Caribbean thanks to its butterfly shape. It is actually composed of two islands separated by a sea channel (la Rivière Salée, "the Salted River"): flat Grande-Terre on the east side, with white sand beaches, urban centres and sugar cane fields; and verdant Basse-Terre on the west side, a pristine land of mountains, with one volcano, rainforests, rivers and cascades. East of these islands, La Désirade offers "away-from-it-all" tranquillity, while south authentic Marie-Galante boasts about its exquisite rum and beaches. The tiny Les Saintes islands, to the south-west, feature one of the most beautiful bays in the world. All of them are connected to the main islands by ferry. Between those easy connections and the distinctive atmosphere of each island, Guadeloupe is one of the best places in the world for island-hopping.

If the islands have such different personalities, one may wonder what holds them together. For starters, Guadeloupe archipelago is a Department of France in the same way Hawaii is part of the US, not just a territory. Its half a million inhabitants, called Guadeloupéens, are French citizens by birth, benefit from the French health system, live with a high level of safety and security, have representation in Parliament, speak a mix of French and Creole languages and are gifted with an authentic culinary savoir-faire!

Guadeloupe is not one of those destinations that has covered all its farmland with sprawling resorts or exploited its fisheries into oblivion. In fact, when it comes to preserving its authentic way of life, rainforests, mountains, beaches, historical sites, and coral ecosystems, it has been ahead of the game for decades. Simply put, Guadeloupe isn’t the Caribbean you know. It’s a bit of France in the Americas, yet with an undeniably Caribbean vibe, that will make you love traveling all over again.

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deladane · 7 years ago

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Day 8: Wednesday, March 8 ~ Antigua

(Eddy’s pronunciation: ant – IG – you – ah*)

*I haven’t really mentioned much about the Cruise Director Eddy. He was very funny and we really enjoyed him as our CD. One of his shticks is that he mispronounced the name of all of our ports. We didn’t really catch on to it at first, so neither of us remembers how he pronounced St. Maarten, but when we heard him say Antigua, we caught on. Part of what made it so funny was that he is from Wales and does have an accent, so between his normal accent and his mispronunciation of these island names, we couldn’t help but chuckle. I’ll include Eddy’s version of the island names for all the rest of our ports. Emphasis is on the capitalized syllable.

Antigua was one of the ports on this itinerary that I was most looking forward to (along with the 3 ABC islands, of course!) because it was the only new port for the first week of the cruise. Antigua is famous for having 365 beaches- one for every day of the year. I briefly considered using today as a beach day, but then decided against it because we were using St. Maarten and Barbados as beach days and I wanted something more adventurous for today. Antigua Adventures receives a 5 star rating on Trip Advisor, and also gets great reviews on Cruise Critic. We decided to book their Eco Tour, which would take us out on a boat for 6 hours, including stops for snorkeling, hiking, a visit to Hell’s Gate Island, and lunch on the beach. They offer a 10% discount if you pay a deposit online with a credit card, so I paid $23.50 per person online and was instructed to pay the remaining $80 per person in cash in US dollars on the day of our tour.

We woke up to an overcast and cloudy sky as we sailed into Antigua this morning. The temperature felt much warmer and more humid than it had been so far this week, so we crossed our fingers that it wouldn’t rain during our tour! We put the room service breakfast tag on our door last night, and it was delivered promptly at 7am. As I had done yesterday, I requested smoked salmon for our bagels, but when I divided up all of our food, there was no plate with salmon. I just assumed they ran out or forgot or whatever, but it wasn’t a big deal. We took our breakfast out onto the balcony to watch as we sailed into port.

Good morning Antigua!

Just as I finished eating, I heard the phone ring inside the cabin. It was the room service manager calling to check up on us and make sure our breakfast was to our liking. I’m not sure if he does this for all the cabins or if it was because we spoke with him last night during dinner, but I thought it was a nice touch. I told him everything was great, but since he called, I asked if it was okay that we were writing in smoked salmon on the order form. I explained that we had ordered it yesterday and it was delivered, but it was not delivered today so I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to order it. He said that was no problem at all to order the smoked salmon, apologized that it was forgotten with today’s order, and offered to send it up to the cabin right away. I told him not to worry about it since we were already finished eating and needed to leave for our tour soon. He told me to make sure to write down any other special requests when I order room service for the rest of the cruise and he would make sure that we got it. I was quite impressed at the level of service and concern for our happiness. Well done, Celebrity!

We packed up our beach bags and headed off the ship at 8:15am to meet our tour group. We were instructed to meet at 8:45am at a boutique located just a 5 minute walk from the cruise ship, but I always like to give us a little extra time just in case we get lost and to make sure we are not late. These guys were playing the steel drums when we got down to the pier.

When we got to the base of the pier, I immediately saw our meeting spot for the tour. The instructions told us to walk across the wood bridge to the Exotic Antigua Boutique, so it was a relief to see a huge sign on their roof labeling the building so I could see it from right next to the cruise ship.

Now that I saw how close we were to the meeting spot, and since we were still a bit early, we walked past the bridge and continued straight towards the shops. I have never been to this port before and I was curious to check out the port area, but I almost immediately regretted my decision. It wasn’t a particularly pretty port area, and honestly it looked a bit run down.

On top of that, the locals were extremely pushy. Every time we took a step down the street, another vendor approached us trying to get us to go into their store to buy something, or to book their tour or get in their taxi and they would take us to the beach. I answered “No thank you, I already have a tour booked” which is usually enough for the vendors to back off, but they still kept pestering us. I felt very uncomfortable and after just a few minutes, I told DH I had enough and we turned back to go wait at our meeting spot for the tour. That didn’t give me the best first impression of Antigua, but I was hopeful that things would improve once we started our tour.

At 8:40am, we spotted our tour boat, clearly labeled with “Antigua Adventures” painted on the side of the boat. There were already a few people on the boat who were staying at a hotel on the island, and the rest of us boarded after they tied up on the dock.

When I booked the tour, they said there was a maximum of 31 people on the tour, but the guides told us there would only be 22 people on our tour today with 3 guides, so there was lots of space to spread out. The boat had a big canopy over the back half of the boat for shade, and it had a lower level with space to store our bags to keep them dry, as well as a bathroom. Once everyone was settled, the guide came around to collect our money to pay for the tour, and we left the dock promptly at 9am.

We spent the first hour of the tour speeding around the island, making occasional stops so the guides could point out the landmarks along the shoreline. The guides also explained some of the history of Antigua.

This was an old navy fort… if you look closely about a quarter of the way in from the left side, you can see one of the canons still perched on the edge of the cliff.

Antigua has some very expensive, high end houses, so the guides pointed it out as we sped past them.

I think this was at one of the hotels

Our tour was called Eli’s Eco Tour, but the tour company Antigua Adventure also offers an Xtreme 360 tour which circumnavigates the entire island in a much faster speed boat. At some point, that boat sped passed us and everyone looked like they were having a great time. I did notice that the boat looked much more crowded than our boat, so I was happy to be on our slower boat with more space to spread out.

Our first longer stop was at Long Island, which I thought was funny because I was born and raised on Long Island in New York. This section of the island has beautiful turquoise water, soft white sand, and lots of very expensive houses. The guides spent a few minutes explaining about how sea turtles lay their eggs on this beach and the island requires the residents here to help facilitate that process and protect the eggs. Something I found really interesting is that the guide told us that the turtles always return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs. If a turtle was born here, but then swims over to St. Lucia for a few years, it will swim all the way back to this beach to lay it’s eggs. Crazy!

While we were listening to one guide, one of the other guides served us fruit juice or water, but no rum punch just yet- we had to wait for the end of the day after snorkeling before they would serve the good stuff!

We stayed at Long Island for about 20 minutes, then made the 15-minute journey over to the mangroves. When I went through the mangroves in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, I spotted lots of interesting animals and birds. These mangroves weren’t quite as exciting and we didn’t spot any animals, but maybe they were just deeper inside and not visible from our boat?

Our next stop was at Pelican Island, where we saw tons of pelicans perched up on the hill. There were so many of them, and it was interesting that they all stay close by this one island.

Look closely and you can see lots of pelicans hiding in the bushes.

After leaving Pelican Island, we traveled less than 5 minutes to reach our next destination: Hell’s Gate Island. This was the first time we could get off the boat, and we had the option of snorkeling, swimming in the natural jacuzzi, or going on a hike though a cave and up to the top of the bridge to see the views. The guides explained that we only had about 40 minutes to spend here, so there was only time for us to do one activity. They warned us that the last option was the most adventurous option, so of course that is what we picked to do!

Approaching Hell’s Gate Island

Lots of coral and rocks just below us

That’s the bridge we were climbing up to

As we approached the island, the water was very choppy so I was a bit nervous about swimming over there from the boat. The guides had life vests and pool noodles that we could use to float, so that did make the swimming a little easier, but be careful! There are rocks in the water that come up close to the surface. I was getting tossed around a lot and it was hard to control my direction with the current, and I scrapped my knee on the top of one of the rocks. That scrape is still not fully healed today, over a month later, and I am fairly sure I will end up with a scar on my knee.

Yay! We made it!

The guides were wonderful about helping everyone swim over to the island from the boat. If anyone wasn’t a strong swimmer, the guides were there to help out.

As tough as that swim was, it was totally worth it! The island is really unique. There’s a small patch of soft sand forming a small beach with crystal clear bright blue water washing through the opening in the rocks. That’s the area they referred to as a natural jacuzzi, and I could see it being a lovely place to sit and relax if you don’t want to hike through the cave.

Looking back towards our boat, you can see that the rocks which form the island are very sharp. This natural landform is made of porous limestone rock, and there were lots of sharp jagged edges sticking out. I would definitely recommend wearing water shoes to protect your feet if you are going to take the hike here. We have our own aquasocks, but the guides had little booties for us to borrow if needed.

This photo shows where we entered the cave… do you see the vines hanging down from the top of the bridge? There is a dark opening on the left side towards the bottom of the vines- that’s the cave we walked through.

The guides gave us very specific instructions for how to climb up the rocks, and they pointed out where to turn and how to maneuver safely through the narrow cave opening and up through the middle of the rocks to reach the top.

It was really fun to climb up through the cave, but you need to be careful of your footing and be aware of what is around you. Some parts had a lower ceiling so you had to be careful not to bump your head, and some of the rocks were slippery. I did my best to snap lots of photos, but it wasn’t the greatest lighting conditions in there so I apologize that some of these came out blurry.

The last part was the steepest, but one of the guides stood at the top and told us where to step, and then reached out his hand to help us climb up to the very top.

Looking back down at the water flowing through the middle of the rocks

The views from the top of the island were stunning! It was totally worth the effort to hike up here as we had unobstructed panoramic views of the whole area.

Notice how my hair is blowing all over the place? It was very windy up there so you had to be careful not to lose your footing while gazing out at the views.

When time was almost up, the guides helped us climb across the top of the bridge, and back down to the beach where we started the hike, and then we all swam back to the boat. Hell’s Gate was one of the highlights of this tour. The scenery was amazing and it was such a special experience to see this natural land formation. I was a bit nervous going in because the guides did say it is a challenging hike, but I am so glad I did it and I would highly recommend giving it a try if you take this tour. Yes, it was a little difficult to climb through the narrow spaces, but it was very doable with the help of the guides, and every one of the 15+ people in our group who attempted it was able to complete the hike.

Once everyone was back on the boat, we made another short 5-minute ride to our next stop at Bird Island. The guides mentioned that the islands in Antigua have very simple names (Pelican Island, Bird Island, etc). They pulled the boat into a little alcove with crystal clear aqua blue water and told us it would take them about 15 minutes to set up for lunch so we could do some swimming or walk around on the beach. There was a small boat here when we arrived, but they were just getting ready to leave so we would have the whole island to ourselves.

I liked the name of their boat… Do It Tomorrow

DH decided to go out for a swim

I took a little walk along the beach

This is what happens when I leave DH to hold my camera for a few minutes…

The water was so clear!

Lunch was served buffet style and included pasta salad, BBQ chicken, garden salad, and fried plantains. They also had water, Coke, Coke Zero, beer, and rum punch to drink. All of the food was delicious, and I was very impressed that they served lunch on real plates and with real silverware (ie: not disposable)!

There were a few picnic tables along the beach, and the trees helped provide some shade.

There was more than enough food, and anyone who wanted seconds was welcome to help themselves. When we all had our fill, we cleared our plates and got ready for another little hike along a small trail that climbs up to the top of the hill on Bird Island. Definitely make sure to wear good shoes for this hike. Even though it only takes about 10 minutes to reach the top of the hill, it is steep and slippery in spots so it’s important to have good traction.

This is a map of the island and some of the animals that live here

As expected, the views from the top of the hill were beautiful. We could see the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and many of the islands around Antigua.

I love how this photo came out!

We found a little friend in the bushes

On the way back down the hill, we walked passed another beach on the opposite side of the island

After the hike, we all climbed back on the boat and motored about 5 minutes off the shore of Bird Island to the coral reef to go snorkeling. The guides divided the group into 2 groups- the beginners stayed close to the boat, and the advanced group went out further from the boat with one of the guides. We went with the advanced group and had no trouble keeping up with the guide despite the choppy current. Unfortunately, all of the heavy winds really churned up the water so visibility was limited. We saw lots of rocks and coral, but not many fish. I thought the snorkeling here was okay, but not great.

The guide dove down to the ocean floor and came back with a surprise… a conch shell! This was the first time I have seen one of these while snorkeling!

He handed it to me to get a closer look…

That was the highlight of today’s snorkeling trip! It was also around the spot where we turned around to swim back towards the boat. Swimming out was against the current, so the rest of the time we just floated and let the current gradually drift us back towards the boat.

I was out in the water snorkeling for about 20 minutes. When I got back to the boat, the guides were ready and waiting with a special treat. They served us fresh baked banana bread, water, fruit juice, and very strong rum punch. The rum punch was so strong that I actually asked for a cup with half punch and half fruit juice to dilute it to make it more drinkable haha The snack was much-needed after all that swimming!

After that, we made the 45-minute journey back to the cruise port.

We docked back in front of the Exotic Antigua Boutique at 2:45pm. Overall, I enjoyed the tour and thought the guides did a great job. Antigua is a beautiful island, especially as seen from the water, but I would definitely recommend doing some research and picking a tour in advance. The locals at the port are incredibly pushy and I would not recommend trying to book a tour right there when you arrive, nor would I recommend spending too much time walking around the port area. Our itinerary had many islands that are better for shopping where you don’t have to deal with the pushy locals. Sorry Antigua, but you were not my favorite island of this cruise.

We thanked our guides and went straight back to the ship, happy to find our afternoon cheese plate waiting for us in the cabin.

Yay! We finally got real crackers instead of saltines! Call me crazy, but it really did make the cheese taste better. After some quick showers, we headed down to the Gastro Bar because DH wanted to try some new beers (and we kind of needed a break from the Martini Bar lol) DH had a beer and I tried some champagne.

We could see a beautiful sunset through the windows, so we went up to the outside deck on deck 5 to get a better look. This is what cruising is all about!

Such a perfect night to lounge on an outside deck, watching the sun set over the ocean with some drinks.

At 7pm, we went down to the MDR for dinner. Here is tonight’s menu:

My favorite treat on cruises is escargot. I never eat this any other time besides on a cruise, so I love that Celebrity offers it as an every day appetizer. I ordered this many times over our 2 week cruise, but I’ll only post the photo this one time.

Spiced Duck Rillettes

Celebrity Signature Crab Cake

Penne Primavera

Oven Roasted Chicken Saltimbocca (this was the only dish from the entire cruise which I thought was a miss… it just wasn’t what I expected and I didn’t really enjoy it. We had planned to share the penne but I ended up eating most of it on my own.)

Dessert Menu

I don’t have a photo of the dessert but I am fairly certain that I ordered the Apple Tart. After dinner, we went upstairs to watch a few minutes of the evening hot glass show. We never got to do this on our 2016 cruise, but I really liked seeing the shows at night. The hot glass seems to glow brighter at night, and it was much cooler watching the show in the evening air instead of in the daytime sun. We only had a few minutes to watch the show because we needed to get to the main theater by 9pm, but it was worth it to see them make one piece.

Tonight’s featured performer was Savannah Smith, backed by the Eclipse Orchestra. She is a singer and performer in Las Vegas and she put on a wonderful, entertaining show. She sings songs by the famous female divas, and her voice is very strong. We really enjoyed it.

After the show, we went straight back to the cabin, tired from a busy day in Antigua but looking forward to tomorrow in St. Lucia!

Step Tracker Daily Total: 4367 steps; 1.671 miles

#Celebrity Eclipse Cruise 2018 #celebritycruises #celebrityeclipse #cruise #vacation #travel #antigua

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