Tokyo with Kids? 10 Things to Do

April 4, 2018 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Visiting Toyko is a dream of mine, so I was thrilled when Tiffany of AsiaTravelBug offered to share her top ten things to do in Tokyo with kids. If you’re planning on making a trip to Tokyo with your family, make sure to put a few of these activities on your itinerary!

Tokyo is one of the world’s largest cities, and it is full of many exciting adventures for you and your kids. With so many things to do, it may be overwhelming to try and narrow down your list of adventures. But one of the best things about the city is that there are so many different activities available, rain or shine. Whether you are visiting for a day or a week, there are plenty of attractions to keep you and your little ones happy and entertained. Here are ten great ideas to get you started!

Enjoy a Full Day at Hanayashiki

This amusement park is the oldest one in Japan. There are entertainment aspects for both parents and kids. The park is located near a temple, and there are numerous restaurants and souvenir shops within the park. You can visit for a couple hours, or make a full day out of this one location. This park is great for small children because it is rather small, and they won’t have to walk nearly as much as in other amusement parks in Tokyo. [Read more…]

A Day in Dublin – Seeing the Best the City has to Offer in Less than 24 Hours

February 28, 2018 by Kathryn 10 Comments

When my husband and I flew into Dublin to spend ten blissful days exploring the country of Ireland, we knew we were in for an incredible experience. And I couldn’t have been happier that our journey started near the capitol, so that we would get the chance to spend a day in Dublin before we headed off across the country.

day-in-dublin-castle-hotel — Checking out the view from the balcony in our castle hotel room!

Our castle hotel was in the Dalkey region and on our first day, we napped to get over our jetlag and then spent the rest of the day wandering through the picturesque spot. The quaint shops, ocean view and towering Dalkey Castle had us falling in love with Ireland immediately. But we were even more excited to dive into the heart of Dublin the next day, and we planned our excursion carefully so that we’d be able to make the most of our visit.

Getting Around

Even though we had a rental car, we were informed at once that driving in downtown Dublin is not a great idea. The streets are just too crowded, and parking is minimal. Instead, we took the DART to the downtown station and then got passes for the Dublin Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. This tour travels to over twenty different spots, visiting all the most popular landmarks in the city. And, as an added bonus, the bus features a tour guide that shares facts about the city and its top attractions along the way. [Read more…]

A Weekend in Bucharest – The Most Magical Place I Never Knew I Wanted to Visit

July 11, 2017 by Kathryn 15 Comments

Like most travellers, I have a pretty extensive list of dream destinations that I plan on visiting one day. I want to show my husband the wonders of South Africa, a place I visited in my early twenties. I dream of setting sail on a European cruise. I’m even making plans to take the entire family on a trip to explore the wilderness of Australia. But of all those exotic destinations, not once did it occur to me to visit Bucharest.

That’s exactly why I leaped at the chance to spend a week in the capital of the small European country of Romania, along with 100 other travel bloggers, video creators and influencers. I was curious about what this largely unknown destination had to offer travellers. I expected to see some amazing sights and learn a lot about the country. I didn’t expect to fall in love. But the appeal of this vibrant city is irresistible, and the more I explored it, the more I wanted to keep exploring.

Must-See City Sights

There’s no shortage of unique places to discover when you visit Bucharest and most of them are within walking distance, so pick one of the beautiful luxury downtown hotels as your starting point, grab some comfortable walking shoes and get ready to explore! I stayed at the Hotel Cigmitsu, and a quick walk up the street led me to the Palace of the National Military Circle and its beautiful fountain. This is a gorgeous photo spot and also a great place to relax and enjoy a coffee or a quick snack. [Read more…]

Falling in Love with Belize on the Carnival Cruise Altun Ha Mayan Site and River Wallace Excursion

August 13, 2016 by Kathryn 22 Comments

There are some places that win my heart as soon as I set foot on the land. The look and feel of the area awakens something deep inside, and I find myself feeling like I’ve come home to a place that I never knew existed. For me, Belize was one of those countries and thanks to the Carnival Cruise Altun Ha Mayan Site and River Wallace Excursion, I had the opportunity to experience the some of the beauty and history of the country up close and personal. The excursion lasted about six hours and by the end, I knew I’d be coming back to see more of the country some day.

Our adventure started before the excursion even began, as we enjoyed a boat ride from the cruise ship to the port in Belize City. Belize doesn’t have a dock for cruise ships, so we enjoyed the extra fun of being able to speed away from our ship towards the shore, enjoying the fresh air and splashes of water as we did. Once we reached the port, we met up with our excursion leader, a fun and friendly woman named Simone. She herded our group towards another boat and we hopped on board to enjoy a cruise down the River Wallace.

[Read more…]

Planning a Cruise? 4 Reasons You Should Be Booking with Carnival Cruise Lines!

August 9, 2016 by Kathryn 15 Comments

For quite a few years now, I’ve dreamed of taking my boys on a cruise. I loved the idea of visiting multiple exotic locations at once while also having the fun of sailing the ocean in a massive ship. This summer, my dream came true when my entire family had the chance to take a 7-Day Western Caribbean Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines. I’d only ever been on one cruise before, and I was ten years old at the time. My fiancé had gone on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago, but hadn’t enjoyed it much. Zackary and Benjamin were stepping onto a cruise ship for the first time. Needless to say, none of us were sure quite what to expect. And within the first day, all of us were in love with Carnival Cruise Line.

There are a lot of different cruise lines to choose from, so what makes Carnival different? Well really, it was almost everything! Food, entertainment, staff and activities had all four of us enjoying every second on board. For me, these four features of the Carnival Magic ship stood out to me as being highlights of our cruise. If you’re planning a cruise, these are the reasons you should be booking with Carnival!

High Energy Fun 24 Hours a Day

While I wasn’t sure what kind of dynamic to expect from our Carnival cruise, Jeremy noticed at once that the Carnival Magic ship offered nonstop fun. On his previous cruise, entertainment had been limited and had generally ended in the evening. Carnival offered the exact opposite experience: a ship that never slept and offered endless entertainment options for all ages. From live musicians in the pubs to theme nights at the dance club to family-friendly magic shows on the main stage, it was no surprise to us that people seemed to be wandering the ship talking and laughing long into the night.

Since Jeremy and I are big comedy fans, we especially enjoyed the nightly shows at the Punchliner Comedy Club. We had the chance to see four different comedians during our seven-day cruise and even made time to take the boys to one of the comedian’s PG show. While some of the performers were better than others, we were both impressed by the high calibre of talent on the Carnival Magic. [Read more…]

Cruising with Carnival! 4 Reasons it’s the Perfect Family Vacation

June 29, 2016 by Kathryn 24 Comments

My family and I have been lucky enough to take some pretty amazing vacations over the years. From road trips to resorts, we’re not picky about where we go or how we get there since every new place has something different to see and do. But I have to admit that I’m especially excited for our next vacation…a Carnival 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise! These are four reasons I’m especially looking forward to my first ever Carnival Cruise experience.

1) Amazing Food

If there’s one thing that can make a vacation stand out in my mind, it’s delicious food. And it’s clear that the Carnival Magic, our home for the week-long cruise, will have plenty of it! Personally, I can’t wait to try one of the burgers at Guy’s Burger Shop, created by Food Network star Guy Fieri. With a unique toppings bar, a burger can become a personalized work of art! And as a family that can’t get enough Mexican food, the homemade tortillas and salsa at the Blueiguana Cantina are something that I’m sure will make that restaurant a favourite too. [Read more…]

Family Fun Awaits at the Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun Resort in Mexico

January 16, 2016 by Kathryn 43 Comments

I’ve always been a wanderer at heart, and luckily I’ve been blessed with two boys that love to travel as much as I do. So when I had the chance to check out the Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun resort in Cancun, Mexico, I decided to give my boys the choice between a traditional Christmas present from their mom or coming on the trip with me as their gift. As I expected, both of them jumped at the chance to visit the Now Sapphire and shortly after Christmas we were on our way!

Choosing a resort that’s fun for both adults and children is never an easy task, and it’s often made harder when I travel with my boys since they both shun the idea of spending time in a Kid’s Club. But within minutes of arriving at the Now Sapphire resort, I knew that it was going to be perfect for all three of us. While I sipped the resort’s signature cocktail and checked into our room, the boys explored the gorgeous open lobby filled with picturesque fountains and plants. Then it was off to see our room and the rest of the resort.

Fun for Kids

Now Sapphire has no shortage of fun activities for kids and my boys tried almost all of them! The Bungee Trampoline is a must-experience for little ones and since it’s reserved for children at the Explorer’s Club, it makes attending a lot more appealing. The club also offers sandcastle competitions, big-screen movies on the beach and a playground so that parents can relax while kids enjoy supervised fun with trained caregivers. Open from 9am to 10pm every day, it’s the ideal way for kids and adults to both have a blast on vacation! [Read more…]

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Mexico – Don’t Get Out of the Water!

April 1, 2015 by Kathryn 45 Comments

It’s so easy to fly off to an exotic country like Mexico and spend the entire trip lounging on the beach or sipping cocktails by the pool. While I’m certainly a fan of that relaxing atmosphere myself, there’s a lot to be said for getting away from the hotel or resort and taking part in some of the unique activities the country has to offer. And for a true once-in-a-lifetime experience, there’s simply nothing better than swimming with whale sharks.

kathryn lavallee swimming with whale shark — Yup, that’s me with the largest fish in the world!

Thanks to Viator, a company that specializes in helping travellers book the best and most original tours and excursions when travelling, I had the chance to take part in a whale shark diving experience with a group of bloggers from around the world, and I couldn’t have been more excited. The idea of actually swimming beside the largest fish in the world out in the open ocean seemed completely magical to me. But I couldn’t help being a little nervous too, especially when our guide started explaining the precautions we needed to take.

kathryn lavallee and alex whale sharks — Ready to jump into the water with Alex!

[Read more…]