Insights in Travel Blog

Arriving at our house in Camps Bay, Cape Town, we were greeted by our house manager, Robyn. She gave us all kinds of great tips about where to eat, grocery shop, and find some secluded little local beaches within walking distance. We were also warned, not for the first time, not to be out walking after sunset. During the day, runners, bikers, and walkers enjoy the spectacular sea-walk. But in the evening, it becomes a hunting ground for thieves. So, following all the advice we’d been given, we walked 10 minutes to a nice seafood restaurant for dinner, but took Ubers for the short ride back.

Springbok, Ostrich, and Kudu Kebab

Ocean Blue Restaurant

Penthouse View

Unlike our penthouse at Pinnacle Point, our house in Camps Bay had both air-conditioning and wi-fi. Some of our group slept fine with a bit of breeze, but the rest struggled to stay cool enough to sleep without the air-conditioning. Plus, there are always pictures to upload and share, which is tough to do without wi-fi. So the modern amenities of our Camps Bay house were much appreciated and everyone got a good night’s sleep.

We were greeted the next day by gusts of wind coming off the ocean. We had scheduled a Robben Island tour for 11 am, but the ferries were all canceled because of the choppy ocean conditions. This was disappointing since we had all looked forward to touring the island internment camp where Nelson Mandela and so many other political prisoners had been held. Instead, we split up and explored the V&A Waterfront. Some went to the aquarium and enjoyed it, but didn’t find it to be anything special. Others went to “Cause and Effect,” rated the 2019 cocktail bar of the year for South Africa. They had a great experience there. The rest of us walked the waterfront, stopped at the original transit station for Robben Island to look at photos and read some history, then found a picturesque restaurant along the quay with a unique menu. I was in the mood for a smoothie and tried their Revved Up Red, a mixture of beetroot, red pepper, watermelon, strawberry, cucumber, lemon and ginger, which was phenomenal!

Later, we re-grouped and tried some locally produced beer, wine, and cider at a brewery at the waterfront. Some of our boys tried a flight of beers from that brewery, while the rest of us enjoyed hearing their comments.

We were impressed that the V&A Waterfront had a lot of character and charm. Although there is a typical fancy indoor mall, much of it is a combination of current working piers, individual shops and restaurants, and several museums.

We had a reservation to go to a nearby game preserve for a safari drive at 11 am. Knowing that mornings and late afternoons/early evenings are the best time to see the animals active, I had tried to reserve a safari during those times. However, only those staying at the preserve could reserve the prime viewing times. So we took what we could get and decided to make the most of it. We were far from disappointed! First of all, our guide, Janco, was phenomenal. Although he’s young, he’s experienced and learned so much. We laughed about the fact that every time we asked him, “Have you ever…,” the answer was a self-deprecating “Yes.” Then we’d ask for more information and he’d regale us with a great story. He seemed to truly enjoy teaching us fun facts about the animals and about South Africa in general. Some of our favorites include:

• Ostriches eat rocks because they don’t have any acids in their stomachs to break down food, so the rocks do that. There may be 70-80 in their stomachs at any given time.
• The Secretary bird, a bird endemic to South Africa, mates once for life and remains loyal to that mate until they both die AND it eats venomous snakes.
• Hippos kill 3-4 thousand people a year in all of Africa.

After our 2 hour safari (which turned into 2.5 hours thanks to our fascinating guide), we ate lunch at the preserve. Not only was it a stunning setting, but our food was excellent. Most of us tried their local ostrich dishes (as steak, a burger, and sliced rare in a salad) and thoroughly enjoyed everything.

The Crew

Janco the Guide!

Hippos!

Safari lunch views

The rest of our afternoon was dedicated to exploring Mossel Bay. There are a few artisans with shops and a bunch of coffee shops. I had wanted to see the famed Post Office Tree, where letters would be left in boots or other secure containers and fellow countrymen passing through would collect and pass along the mail. We were too late to visit the lighthouse, but still walked up the path to a fantastic view across the bay. This is one of the end points to the St. Blaize Trail. The other is located at the small, rocky beach at Pinnacle Point. The trail leads along the picturesque and rugged coastline for about 13.5-15 kilometers (depending on start/end spot). I would have loved hiking along the entire trail, perhaps ending with the zip line a little further along the cliff line down to the beach area at Mossel Bay.

The beach area has a little sand, but is mostly made of up rocks that create little pools that are safe from the currents. Many families congregate here to swim in the seawater rock pools, walk along the waterfront, and eat at the restaurant that boasts beautiful views. There was also a small aquarium, though we didn’t visit it.

Very early the next morning, my husband and son headed out for a 7 am tee time at the highly ranked Pinnacle Point Golf Course.  Unfortunately, fog was so thick they couldn’t see where they were hitting for their first 3 holes. After that, the fog lifted and they were able to enjoy the stunning and difficult course. According to my son, the course required approach-shot precision and the ability to play creatively in constantly varying wind, fog, and rain conditions. Additionally, similar to Pebble Beach, this ocean course requires adapting your shot to ocean-level differences in how far the ball travels.

While they played, several of us hiked out from the St. Blaize Trail starting point on this end to Cave PP13B. The cave is massive and very impressive. However, to truly explore it, a guide is necessary. One such group was heading out to the cave just after we returned and we would have enjoyed joining them. But it was time to check-out of our house and head back along the scenic garden route to Cape Town.

Cave Entrance

I have not yet met anyone who has regretted visiting Israel. The fact is, it’s an amazing destination and it would be hard not to love touring there. However, although most tours list many of the same sites in their itineraries, each tour actually varies considerably.

Knowing the reason for your visit is critical to figuring out the best tour group. I just returned from a small group, custom-designed trip (my specialty) to Israel for 12 days. While there, my husband and I ate breakfast at one of our hotel buffets with several German travelers who happened to be Catholic. When we asked them what they had seen and done, they said, “Oh, you know, everything.” And then they proffered a list of churches. This demonstrated the vast differences in preferences groups or individuals can have when visiting. Some love to see the churches. Some love museums. Some want lots of free time. Some want full tours. Some want to do a lot of hiking and walking, whereas others prefer to make stops that only require a bit of walking. Some want a Jewish or historical focus; some want an orthodox focus, etc. etc. The list can go on.

Our small group wanted to focus on experiencing the land, culture, people, and history of Jesus as a Jew while integrating New Testament teachings at the sites we visited. We did a lot of sweating, but also a lot of learning, spiritual growth, and laughing together. We connected as a small group, even giving each other trail names for our hikes and walks. My daughter, Adri, and her husband, Josh, went on this trip, which was led by my husband (Reverend David Wachter).  Adri put together a little video with some of her highlights. She’s agreed to let me share that here. I hope you enjoy it! And if you’re ever seeking a trip to Israel that will fit your particular needs, please let me know!

Inside Passage

We had a full day of cruising through the Inside Passage as we left Ketchikan and returned to Vancouver. Steering a huge ship through this narrow passage must be daunting. Everyone onboard commented on not just the beauty surrounding us on all sides, but also on the proximity of so many treacherous outcroppings of rocks and winding bends. We lucked out again this day with mild and beautiful weather. Whether sitting on our balcony, enjoying a coffee in the Exploration’s Cafe at the front of the ship, having lunch along the back windows in the dining room, or walking around the promenade deck, our focus was constantly on the scenery. Natural, rugged beauty unfolded like a movie along the entire route.

Vancouver

After 15 nights at sea, it was time to leave all our new acquaintances and friendly, hard-working crew. It never ceases to amaze me how hard most of these crews work and how pleasant they make the voyage. Although the Westerdam is not flashy and has a pretty subdued crowd, Hannah and I loved the experience. The main dining area provided truly quality meals. We only ate several times in the buffet, since that’s not as much to our taste, but the options were plentiful. I usually had a huge salad with all kinds of vegetables and nuts mixed into it, with a bit of sushi or roasted vegetables on the side. Hannah was still in Asian mode and opted for the Japanese or Chinese meals most of the time. By far our favorite part of the day was going to dinner and continuing our jokes and conversations with our same waiters each night.

We debated taking the Sky Train, which conveniently runs from just outside the cruise terminal, to the airport. However, since Hannah was traveling with all her belongings from 2 years in China (less “stuff” than most of us could ever manage, but still enough to fill a few suitcases), and we had already lugged them around Tokyo, we decided having porters and a transfer directly from the ship would be so much more pleasant! It was also a nice option because as we drove through much of the city and its outer neighborhoods, our driver acted a bit as a guide and gave us interesting information while pointing out some sites of interest I hadn’t seen during my last several visits to Vancouver.  In the end, it was well worth about $30 pp.

Vancouver airport is really well done. I love that it’s a pre-clearance airport, so as Americans, we could clear customs at the front end of the trip and check our luggage straight through to our final destination.

This almost felt like three different trips: from the Asian flavor of Japan, to the laid-back 6-night cruising experience across the Pacific, to the Alaskan coast, we were treated to so many different types of foods, sights, tempos and styles of touring.  We’d do it again in a heartbeat! If you’d like me to help you find an experience like this, just reach out to me at noelle@insightsintravel.com!

After 2 somewhat isolated ports of call, I wasn’t sure how to feel about one that’s much more commercialized and sometimes filled to capacity with cruisers on shore. We were lucky. There were only 4 ships, including ours, visiting that day, and they were somewhat staggered. We were never overwhelmed with crowds. The ships dock right in town, so it’s a very accessible and easy-to-walk port town.

Left view from the ship

Right view from the ship

Hannah and I started our morning by heading out on foot away from the main town area. We took a left turn and followed our GPS to the University of Alaska’s campus bookstore, where there’s a trailhead for the well-known Rainbird Trail. We were actually approaching it from the opposite side that most people do. That portion is still pretty rugged and undeveloped, making it a little tricky at times to find the path. But we managed and loved the wildness of the Tongass rainforest in this section. As we progressed to the other half of the trail, it became much more maintained, with rocks and steps and a well-developed path. There were also more people, though we only passed fewer than a dozen in all, and 3 were locals.  The trail (when hiked in this direction) ends near the gorgeous library, a popular sanctuary for cruisers seeking good wi-fi for a few hours. From there, it’s just about half a mile into town, where we did the self-guided tour of the famous sites like the fish ladder, “married man’s trail,” Creek street, etc.

Starving after the hike and walk, we found an old restaurant called the New York Café for lunch. Originally established in 1903 by a Japanese-American couple as a café on Front Street, the café was moved south of Creek Street during the Roaring 20’s. The Shimizu family was no longer welcome in the northern side of town, which was now officially segregated, so they opened the New York Hotel and Café in 1925 with 18 tiny rooms and only 1 shared bath. During WWII, they were struck with another blow when the family was moved to an internment camp for Japanese-Americans. However, their neighbors continued to run the hotel, collecting the profits, and returned everything to the family upon their return. Although no longer run by the same family, we kind of wanted to eat there just for the history. Lunch was good and filling with common options for the area (fish and chips, burger and fries, salmon, and some salads and vegan meals).

Creek Street

Salmon Run

There is no lack of shopping available in Ketchikan. Some of the prices are cheaper than we saw elsewhere and there seemed to be a few unique shops. We’re not shoppers, so we mostly just looked in passing.

Even with the tourist element of Ketchikan, it’s hard not to be charmed by Creek Street. It’s a quaint area and I think it deserves its reputation as a great place to visit. We were happy we weren’t there during a day filled with ships. I imagine it could get overwhelming at peak capacity, but even then, I’d want to at least walk through the town once. Then I’d get out to the trails or on an excursion!  Next time we’re there (thinking positively that there will be a next time!), Hannah and I hope to hike up the White Deer Trail. Friends on our ship who have done that one said it takes about 5 hours roundtrip and goes up to the top of the mountain with great views.

After another full day at sea, we arrived in Icy Strait Point. This port is fully owned and run by the Hoonah community (specifically the Huna Totem Corporation made up of approximately 1,350 Alasakan Natives). It’s small and very easy to navigate, with great signage, beautiful buildings, and some wonderful walking areas along the bay.  The seafood restaurants looked wonderful, but they are pricey, and we had already spent over $300 for our UTV shore excursion. Prices in Alaska are high!

We strolled over to the cannery museum, which is part museum, part shopping area. The museum has some of the old machinery with old photos from when they were in use as well as descriptions and explanations, so a self-guided tour is easy to do. There’s also a guided tour available and the guide demonstrates one of the packing machines. Numerous gift stores line the old cannery floor, including shops selling anything from the usual souvenirs to some with locally made artwork, foods, prints, and crafts.

All excursions begin in the same building, just off the pier. There’s a convenient coffee shop right there, where we grabbed some lattes to go and took them out to sit on the benches that line the walkway overlooking the calm bay. We had a beautiful and mild day (60’s – very nice for early May). While looking out over the bay, we were able to watch a Humpback whale bubble-net fishing and some sea otters swimming around. That was a highlight! Pictures can’t do justice to the beauty and serenity of this bay.

Our UTV excursion started with a bus ride up the mountain a bit. This took us through the small town of Hoonah, where we learned about life there from our guide, a native Tlingit who grew up in the community. Throughout our bus ride and then during stops along the trail on our UTV’s, the guide regaled us with facts, stories, and myths. His wealth of information was the best part of the tour. Although the UTV’s were in great shape and it was fun to get out into the forest area, the driving is pretty tame. The forest area there is so thick, wet, and treacherous, I’m not sure if there could be an option for riding on the real forest ground. Many of us were shocked at the denseness of trees, moss, and other growth in this rainforest. Some areas are so thick with layers of water and natural forest debris that it’s like quick-sand. Our guide told us about entire tractors disappearing overnight because they sank.

Returning to the port, our bus stopped as our driver pointed out a coastal brown bear making its way across the road. Although there’s a huge concentration of coastal brown bears in the area, and some are beginning to venture into town, it’s still not all that common to see them casually crossing the road. We were all thrilled – and most were glad it was while we were on the bus and not the UTV’s!

As much as we enjoyed our relaxed rhythm and pace on our days at sea, we were all pretty excited to get out on land and see some new sites. Hannah and I planned a hike. It sounded really easy from the directions online, but as another cruiser from San Jose discovered, it was a bit harder to navigate. We had to clear U.S. customs on the ship before disembarking, so we were a little late getting off. As we were walking on the road to the trail head, another cruiser approached us from the opposite direction. He had been seeking the same trail head and couldn’t find it. I used Google Maps to keep track of our location and that’s how we found the trail. It wasn’t marked anywhere and would have been really hard to find otherwise!  But we were successful and climbed to the top of Pillar Mountain Trail, making it a roundtrip by ending in town on the opposite side from where we climbed up. We had wonderful views in all directions, so we could really appreciate some of Kodiak’s beauty.

There isn’t a lot in town. We did find a cute gift shop with a good selection, called Norman’s. Food was very pricey, but we were hungry after hiking 8 miles and were ready to sit down and relax! Cold wind was almost always present as well, and we were tired of being blown! We had a full and enjoyable day visiting this Alaskan island and a great appreciation for those who can live there year-round!

As a pretty active person, I really wondered how well I’d tolerate 6 full days at sea. Would I get stir-crazy? Turns out that even partaking in only a few of the ship’s activities, Hannah and I both had plenty to do every day and thoroughly enjoyed the pace of that week.

I still had to keep up with work, which is the one down-side to a job like mine. So I spent 4-6 hours each day on my laptop, either in the Exploration’s Cafe with some coffee or on our couch, looking at the ocean. During this time, Hannah caught up on extra sleep, read novels, watched movies, and edited photos from the trip. In addition to that, we did our work-outs, attended some great lectures that coincided with our location, did some line-dancing, watched some shows at the theater, and enjoyed conversation with numerous new friends at “Sip and Savor” or “Tea Time.” The selection of movies on the cruise tv was excellent and was refreshed often, so we enjoyed catching up on some we hadn’t been able to see previously.

Photos courtesy of Holland America

Seas were a bit rough for the first 2 days as we raced away from Japan to stay ahead of a storm. It was never uncomfortable or worrisome, but some of those onboard more sensitive to motion sickness did have some difficulties those days.

Crossing the International Date Line was intriguing. Practically speaking, we experienced living the same day twice, and then had to change our clocks every day to get to the right date and time when we got to Alaska. However, we also learned the historical and scientific background to the establishment of the International Date Line. That was one of our fascinating lectures accompanied by lots of slides that our special guest speaker onboard presented. Others included Magellan and exploration, constellations, Humpback whales, and history of the Alaskan and Canadian west coast. We also had some cultural lessons, such as understanding the reason and proper etiquette for traditional tea ceremonies in Japan.