Traveling in 2020 has undoubtedly been a challenge. Being introverts, we seldom travel on regular days let alone during the most prominent pandemic since the Spanish flew in 1918. That being said, things changed after our wedding day; we became avid travelers and accomplished this by being together. On October of 2020, we did something that we planned on doing for quite some time but couldn’t due to the covid 19 – a trip to Hawaii, one of the most beautiful and romantic spots on earth. The trip required a lot of risks and planning. I can surely tell you that planning this trip did not occur overnight; we kept a keen eye on Hawaii’s tourism website as it changed very often due to abrupt Covid -19 travel policy changes. This period was filled with a combination of anxiety and excitement at the fact that we are going to HAWAII but that our travel plans could change at any time and can even cancel.

We found out early on that we needed to get a covid-19 test done AND result obtained within 72 hours of the last leg of departure to Hawaii. There was a lot of uncertainty around this since no one could guarantee a 72 hour turnaround time. We decided to move forward and let our excitement take over. We booked our plane tickets, 3 water sport activities, a wonderful hotel and rented a convertible which is something the wifey always wanted to do ;). Let’s get into the nitty gritty of our experience in Hawaii!

Must do activities!

Snorkeling & Kayaking

No question, our most adventurous activity we did in Maui. Snorkeling is something neither of us ever did before so we were super pumped to experience. We booked our activity with Pacific Whale foundation – without a doubt the most hospitable and committed group of folks. We highly recommend them! They took us on a cruise to 2 different spots best known for snorkeling. The first spot called the Molokini crater is a crescent shaped structure with a ton of marine life so you will definitely end up seeing a bunch of sea creatures. We were very impressed! After about an hour of fun-filled, super exciting snorkeling, we headed to the second spot called the turtle arches reef. As the name suggests, this spot is best known for its sea turtle population. We did see about 3 sea turtles over there albeit they were hard to spot! We spent about an hour at the reef before heading back to Maui. I would be doing wrong to not mention the level of care that the Pac whale foundation team members provided. This is something that both my wife and I agree have not experienced in the US. Along with the thrilling and overwhelming experience of snorkeling, we enjoyed both breakfast and lunch on the cruise ship! This exhilarating, 5 hour journey is something we will never forget and always relish. Whenever you travel to Maui, we highly recommend snorkeling, specifically with Pac Whale foundation. You will not regret it!!!

Kayaking

Day 3 in Maui, we were super-duper excited to kayak for the first time! After 2 consecutive days of physically demanding and intense activities, we hoped this would be something we could do with minimal effort. Oh, how wrong we were! By the end of kayaking, our arms were very sore but we felt super accomplished! Starting at Lahaina town which is located to the west of Maui, we Kayaked for quite a bit going all the way out to the deep end of the ocean where the waves were calm. Our guide was very helpful, making sure we were above the water, safe and enjoying at the same time. He also gave us some insight into the volcanos that surround Maui; I can say for certain this was an experience we will never forget. We also got to see turtles and seals!

Jet Ski

Without a doubt, the most thrilling and risk taking activity during our trip, Jet ski in Hawaii is something we will never forget! The day started off by having a member of the Pacific Jet Sports (PJS) team take us on a motor boat to the location that had all the jet ski bikes parked. The ride on the motor boat itself was fast and exciting, but I would hardly consider that as a warm up to the jet ski. De-boarding the motor boat, we found ourselves on another boat where another member of the PJS team checked us in and gave us a really quick crash course to operating a jet ski and what to do if you fall, which is unlikely to happen, or so we thought. For about 20 minutes, we had a blast! My wife sat behind me while we zoomed through the pacific ocean on our own personal water bike!

Our trip to Mexico wasn’t something we planned; it just happened. Being in the US, we found Mexico easy to visit but unfamiliar. We didn’t speak the language or know anything about the culture. Our visit to Monterrey showed us how beautiful Mexico really is! Everywhere you turn you could see mountains and hills encircling the city. The locals were also very polite, warm and family-oriented – we fitted right in! With the help of Google Translate, we spoke a little bit of Spanish. If you plan to visit Mexico, please withdraw Mexican Pesos from your currency exchange. Most restaurants will accept international credit cards but local stores, local restaurants and road-side souvenir stores will likely accept only cash.

Places to see!

Galerias Monterrey

The Galerias Monterrey is a great shopping mall. It has all the traditional shopping brands along with local stores and restaurants as well. Definitely a place we’d recommend visiting if you feel like shopping or eating some good food.

Chipinque ecological park

This ecological park is great for hikers. A point to remember is that there is an entrance fee that must be paid online. The folks by the entrance gate will not accept cash as payment for the fee. There are many trails available here and at different difficulty levels. We took the easy to moderate trail and it was great. Not only did we have a good, solid hike but we also got some great views of the city of Monterrey! If you get to the right spot, the views are breath-taking. Scroll below to see some of the views from the hike!

Fashion Drive and Metropolitan center

The FD and MC are also shopping centers. This place is amazing at night with all the lights – there is a nearby restaurant called 9 Fuegos which is ideal for a romantic dinner. The prices are on the higher side but the food was delicious and hospitality was on point. Right outside the restaurant at night, you can get an amazing view of FD and MC.

Here’s a video of our experience in Cancun! Please let us know your thoughts! Though the video title mentions Desis, this video is for anyone planning to travel for the first time to Cancun 🙂

Seattle is definitely an amazing place to visit. From the iconic space needle to Pike Place market where you have the original Starbucks, the city definitely has a lot to offer. We spent a little less than a week in Washington, trying to explore the state as much as possible. We traveled to the famous Mount Rainier albeit we couldn’t see too much due to the recent/on-going forest fires. However, we did manage to see downtown Seattle, pike place market, space needle and of course a bunch of excellent restaurants. Below you can find the places and restaurants we recommend in Seattle!

As can be seen from the title, Estes park in Colorado is a place that requires multiple revisits. Located about an hour and a half drive from Denver, this kawaii town is filled with numerous adorable stores catering to both locals and tourists. Lets not forget the beautiful rocky mountain national park; to all you hiking and nature lovers out there, this is the place you need to visit! If you are a tourist traveling to Estes for a short while, you don’t have to worry about grabbing a souvenir; the town is packed with many souvenir stores! During our trip to Estes in July, we decided to get a wooden board to hang on our wall. It was at this point we decided to start a collection of wooden boards with each board representing a place we had visited! You can find a picture of our current “wall of wooden boards” below

Places to see!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park is the gateway to the very own majestic mountains of Colorado – The Rocky Mountains! In other words, one could call it the ‘Town of the Rockies’. Just 10 minutes from downtown Estes lies the closest entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Visitors can either drive, bike or hike into the park using the different entrances. The entrance fee is $25 for cars and free for bikers and hikers! There is a ton to see at the park, ranging from snowcapped mountains to lakes to wildlife to hikes to just picturesque beauty, so we recommend spending a whole day to fully explore! Our favorite spots at the park are Hidden Valley, Bear Lake, Gem Lake, and the Trail Ridge Road. Don’t forget to pack a light jacket to adapt to rapidly changing weather at the top of the mountains!

Hidden Valley, Rainbow curve and forest canyon

Hidden valley: Located about 20 minutes from the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is the beautiful hidden valley. The hidden valley is an amazing spot to stop by to either have a picnic, admire the breathtaking view of the large pine trees or hike up the hidden valley trail.

Rainbow curve: The rainbow curve overlook can be found a few miles after hidden valley. From our experience, this spot has some of the best views so be prepared to take some amazing pictures!

Forest canyon:

Restaurants to munch in!

Coffee on the Rocks

Nepal’s cafe

Check out our Foodventures page to find out more!