JeNeSeQua Travel Guide: Big Island, Hawaii

This is not your ordinary travel guide. Instead, I plan to guide you through the island with photos rather than words to inspire your next exotic getaway.

Destination: Big Island, Hawaii

cove

vegetation

cabana at sunset

beach at sunset

ahi poke in mango bowl. yum.

breakfast on the terrace

fresh sashimi lunch

beach reading

shades+hat=sun essentials

poolside protection

luau

lanterns

sunsets

cruising

snorkel/dive trip

swim w/ manta rays

Are you inspired??

Now I must leave you with a few tips:

1. Hawaii is EXPENSIVE. You could easily spend $30/person each meal, especially if you are munching/drinking poolside. To save money through the day, head to a grocery store to buy snacks, breakfast, and lunches. Most rooms have a little mini-fridge to store goodies, wine, beer, spirits - whatever you prefer.

2. RELAX!!! We usually are running from city to city, monument to monument, activity to activity while on vacation. Hawaii or any exotic locale should be your zen space. We didnt leave our hotel vicinity until the last day to go on the 1 activity we planned for the 6 day stay. Instead of paying for a snorkel trip, rent gear at a local shop for $10 for the week (not $15 for 45 mins at the hotel!) and snorkel off the beaches near the place you are staying.

3. Look at "clubs" the resort offers. Whatever hotel chain, whether it be Fairmont, Westin Resorts, Four Season..they have "clubs" where you can save money, get free miles, and free services while staying..all for ZERO $$. For instance, if you join the Presidents Club at the Fairmont resorts, you save $30 on cabana rental - which can go from poolside to beach and back. $15 daily rental versus $45 without the club.

4. Pick a 1-2 adventures that are life altering. It was a toss up between a helicopter ride to get a birds eye view of the island, a zip-line adventure, and a Night Snorkel with Manta's. DEFINITELY choose the Manta Snorkel. It was a spiritual experience swimming with these gentle 1 ton giants (with an 8 foot wingspan). Add to your "bucket list".

5. Venture off the resort/hotel property if you do chose to splurge for a meal. In the Fairmont in particular, the famous sushi chef - Norio - left the hotel to open his own restaurant just a mile walk away from the hotel - Monstera.

6. Keep your eyes peeled for sea animals and wildlife! If you pay attention you will see mongoose, green sea turtles and beautifully rainbow colored birds.

Enjoy your trip. Please feel free to reach out to me on my comments and research for more tips on the Big Island (also an expert on Maui)

MAHALO!

Greetings from...

Headed to Manchester by the Sea (outside of Boston) for a long weekend, but most importantly to attend a very east coast wedding. Staying at a quaint little inn and promise to eat buckets of lobster and take a lot of photos. Judging by the looks of this place, I dont know if I can take a bad photo.  

This is my first time to Massachusetts and I am SO EXCITED to see this part of our wonderful  and historic part of the country. I might get lucky and have a few moments to spare in Boston. 

I would LOVE suggestions on any must see-do's for Manchester by the Sea and Boston (if Im lucky). Favorite lunch spot? Favorite shop? Favorite sight? 

Please suggest in the comment box below. 

MERCI! 

JeNeSeQua Travel Guide: Vienna

http://www.mapsorama.com/map-of-vienna-2/

When I mentioned I was going to Vienna, Austria - I received mixed reviews from travelers who had already visited. I was up for the challenge of finding what was so great about one of the worlds top cultural epicenters for 1000 years. 

I only had 2 1/2 days to discover, shop, sightsee, and eat - so doing a bit of research ahead was key. My conclusion?....Vienna is a sight for sore eyes! With every footstep and turn is a 300+ year old Baroque Palace (Marie Antoinette was from Vienna!) cafe, cathedral, museum and music. Amazingly, you dont need to Sprechen Sie Deutsch..Austria and most of Europe is multi-lingual! 

DISCOVER

SCHLOSS BELVEDERE - Belvedere Palace 

1. Belvedere - means "beautiful view" 

2. Its hidden from the city behind stone walls (we speculate to secure the royals from war and attack)

3. The home to Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" painting and many more Viennesse Art Nouveau paintings, and Baroque sculptures. 

4. If you dont like art, its a nice place to get a drink at the cafe, dream, think, and get exercise (I saw a handful of people running there!)

Stone Wall, Lower Belvedere

Upper Belvedere

Rococco Facade 

Nymph-like Greek Statue

STEPHANSDOM - St. Stephen's Cathedral

1. Situated in the center of the city in the Stephensplatz, this Gothic and Romanesque church dates back to early 1100's.

2. Its multi-colored roof is the city's most recognizable structure.

3. The bell tower is where Beethoven discovered he was deaf - he saw, but could not hear the bells.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Interior and 1 of the 18 altars

Mosaic Roof Tiles - St. Stephen's Cathedral

PRATER - Amusement Park 

1. 1000 year old Ferris Wheel - actually THE oldest in the world. 

2. Roller-coasters, log rides, wieners, german techno music.

3. Before Sunrise - a scene with Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply was filmed there. 

Millenial Ferris Wheel

Prater in WWII Era

DER NASCHMARKT

1. Its an open air food and flea market with about 120 stalls and cafe's, in the city center. 

2. Culinary tour through Viennese and foreign eats and drinks

3. People watching. Night and day the market is buzzing with tourists, locals, single's and couples. 

4. Gherkins - barrels of them! 

cafe in Naschmarkt

HOFBURG PALACE - Imperial Palace

1. Home to kings, imperials, queens and presidents over the centuries. If the walls could talk!

2. Europe's first Imperial conference center and hosts approximately 300 events a year! (when I visited I landed on Danke Fest - Vienna's Harvest and Oktoberfest!) 

3. Queen Elizabeth's or as she was known by family and friends - SiSi's - Royal Apartments with the original furniture and decor. 

Palace main entrance and Royal Apartments

Vienna's Harvest Fest - smack dab in the middle of Hofburg

Beer Garden inside Hofburg Conf, Center (see Hofburg peeking out??!)

WIENER STAATSOPER - Vienna Opera 
1. Vienna's mid 19th century Opera House. 
2. The busiest opera house in the world - production up t0 60 operas a year. 
3. Get your Mozart, symphony and aesthete fix. 
4. She's a survivor! Auditorium and stage were burned in WWII and rebuilt in mid 21st century as exact replica as original.


EAT 

1. Motto 

For the young, hip and social. Vienna meets NYC style dining. Amazing service. Dont be surprised if they comp a dessert or round of drinks! (also look at the ceiling -baby sculptures)

2. Plachutta

For the local cuisine lover. "Tafelspitze" is the specialty. Nicely priced - meal comes with sides. You can also pay a small price to "add on"- meaning 2 for the price of 1 basically. 

Served at the table in a copper pot

Tafelspitze and its accouterments

3. Immer Voll 

For local-modern plates. Best schnitzel in town. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great Viennese wine list, delicious salad (this is very hard to find in Austria!) 

Weinerschnitzle, and fresh salad w/goat cheese

4. Cafe Sacher 

Lunch, dinner, or breakfast - but do NOT leave without tasting its famous Sachertorte and Viennese coffee.

The story on how Sachertorte was created and the menu

The Original Sachertorte w/ fresh unsweetened creme'

5. Vis a Vis 

Stop in for a night cap. Charming waitstaff and "boisterous crowd of actors and politicians" Food & Wine Magazine touts this wine bar as "Best of Vienna" 

STAY

High Brow: The Ring

$400/night

Why: free wi-fi, early check in, newer accomodations, location!, Nespresso machines in every room.

image courtesy of TripAdvisor

Mid: The Imperial Riding School Vienna, A Renaissance Hotel

$220/night

Why: free food, free drinks, free wi-fi, free everything, located footsteps from the beloved Belvedere, it used to be a riding school (hence the name, walking distance to city center, and its a chain - know what you are getting if you dont like to take chances.

Image Courtesy of Marriott 

Bargain Brow: Hotel Hadrigan

$44-$100/night

Why: price is right, free wifi clean rooms w/ up to 4 beds (stuff em in!), far but near pub trans and direct line to Stephansplatz, next to a grocery,  good breakfast for good price ($5).

Image Courtesy of Trip Advisor

AVOID 

1. The Imperial Crypt is one Vienna's most over-rated top tourist attractions. 5 euro entrance fee to see remains of Imperials, in my opinion, creepy crypt keeper and just a basement full of tombs. Unless you are into that kind of thing or have distant relatives (like myself!) that are entombed in the Imperial Crypt.

2. Museum overkill. 2 dozen+ museums in Vienna. I would skip any exhibit and only see Habsburg or Austrian art you cant see in your local area. 

3. Mozart mania is everywhere. From Mozart chocolates to Mozart walking tours. People dressed as Mozart in the streets will pester you handing out phamplets on where to get the latest on Mozart from tours to plays to concerts. Research wisely. Dont get caught in a tourist trap. 

MORE INFO

Before I start planning a new trip, ask around for tips and tricks from people who have previously visited Vienna. Write them down then start fact-checking to avoid possible closures of restaurants, wrong information, or personal taste difference. (advice due to personal experience!)


My favorite research sites are:

• www.tripadvisor.com Become a contributor! Help travling man-kind sort through the crap!
• www.wikipedia.org For a thorough overview on the city, people, and places. I personally love researching the history on people and places.
• http://www.timeout.com/ For amazing photos, deals, and insight and up-to-date news into major city attractions. The bummer is that Time Out doesnt always have a book or research done on every international city (like Vienna)
• http://acertainjenesequa.blogspot.com of course! I plan to do the work for you. Continue to check back for more travel guides on the top International Cities around the world. If you have a special request I am more than happy to give insight. Like Rick Steves I am fortunate enough to travel around the world and being a foodie, culture and shopping lover - I am likely to cover all bases! 

My favorite books are:

• Time Out - keeps content modern and relevant. The book is short and sweet with photos - which I cant live without.
• Rick Steves - King of travel bargains, blazing trails off the beaten path and tour guide genius. His podcasts are downloadable! 

Most travel books (Frommers, Lonely Planet) have websites to do extra research on. And the way you do research is very personal. I prefer visuals, others prefer loads of content. 

Enjoy Vienna and stay tuned for more JeNeSeQua Travel Guides!

**all photos are taken by moi, unless otherwise noted and property of JeNeSeQua**

M's Travel Essentials

1. Bensimone sneaks

French-girl casual chic at its best. You can't walk the parisian streets without seeing these on every fashionista. Dressed down with shorts - Dress up with a dress/skirt. 

2. Black Leggings & Shorts

Current+Elliot Black Denim Skinnies - actually any brand will do, but this is my favorite. the jeans are cut with a high rise so your back end doesnt hang out.

Shorts are great for warm and cool temps. Buy a versatile fabric that transcends 

season. Add tights underneath for warmth/evening look.

3.  Simple Maxi Dress

I like this Splendid dress in particular because of the flattering racerback style.

It's wearable and cozy for day, but can easily transition to night with the right accessories.

4. Basic Tops

I prefer stripes, white, and grey tops to break up the monotone of the grey/black muted tones of your basics. A chambray shirt is so on trend and can be used as a top and a cover up if the temps drop. 

This is an idea of a simple chic uniform for day (maybe the heels are a bit much! but the same style in brown flats brings the sensibility back.

5. Something Sparkly!

Sequins will take this carry on to all new heights. Seen bedazzled at J-Crew: shorts, sweatpants, leggings, tops and heels (well just about every garment in the store!)

J-Crew Collection Harem Pant - for a hefty price tag ($650 - but sold out!!!) These are fabulous and will definitely add that je ne sais quois your travel basics were lacking. 

Easy Extras...

Colorful and Bold Accessories: this is where you can make this look unique by adding color and style without sacrificing space in your carry on. (scarves, sunglasses, jewelry)