Sojourn to Southeast Asia

Have you ever experienced something really amazing and said "check that off the bucket list" even though it was never on your bucket list to begin with? Just me?

I've had some really memorable experiences where it never occurred to me it was something I wanted to try or was even a possibility to do in the first place. Examples include jet skiing in St. Maarten, renting a Hourstan Glascraft (a 16 foot, 50 horse power boat) to drive around the waters of Vancouver, and attending a lecture from the strength and conditioning coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

I caught myself saying "check that off the bucket list" again after getting up close and personal to an elephant in Pattaya, Thailand but I'll explain that in more detail later.

At the Elephant Village in Pattaya

My family and I booked two cabins on the Celebrity Century for a Southeast Asia trip about a year in advance. After several months of planning for this trip it was finally time for us to fly out of Vancouver to begin our cruise adventure. We embarked the ship in Singapore on February 22, 2015. Two weeks later we disembarked in Singapore and left with hundreds of video clips, thousands of pictures, and more than enough memories to last a lifetime.

Since there is so much to write about I will be splitting my experience in Southeast Asia into three parts:
Part 1: Brunei and Vietnam
Part 2: Singapore
And saving my best memories for last,
Part 3: Thailand

Highlights of Hawaii

Going to Hawaii has always been on the top of my bucket list of places to visit. I was lucky enough to get a chance to go when we took a cruise to Hawaii in May 2012.

Below is a list (chronologically by ports visited) of 10 things we did in Hawaii.

1.Walking by Aliiolani Hale (the fictional police headquarters for the TV show "Hawaii 5-0")

King Kamehameha Statue in front of Aliiolani Hale

2. Hiking on Diamond Head in Honolulu

The view atop Diamond Head

3. People watching on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu

4. Taking a picture of the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Honolulu

Fresh leis hanging on the statue of Duke Kahanamoku

5. Relaxing on Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Maui

The uncrowded Kaanapali beach

6. Checking out the flea market in Kona

7. Being mesmerized by Rainbow Falls (Wailuku River) in Hilo

Beautiful Rainbow Falls

8. Seeing the macadamia trees on the way to Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company in Hilo

9. Seeing giant sea turtles at Richardson Ocean Beach Park (Black Sand Beach) in Hilo

The giant sea turtles

10. Going to Hawaii's Volcano National Park in Hilo

- visiting the Jaggar Museum

- seeing the steam coming from the Halemaumau crater

- walking through the Thurston Lava Tube

The inside of Thurston Lava Tube

Tip: The ports in Honolulu, Lahaina (Maui) and Kona are easy to explore on your own using the bus or walking around on foot. However, the port of Hilo is located in a relatively isolated area so I highly recommend booking a tour guide or excursion in advance. We booked Hayley from Akamai Adventure Tours & Travel and she was a wonderful guide.