Private Tour Puerto Plata

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We booked a private excursion in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic with our friends. The ship docked around 9 AM and we were cleared to go ashore around 9:30 AM.  We met our guide, Erwin, outside the port gates (since only organized tour buses are allowed in the port area).

Awesome Day!  Approx. 6 hours (10:00 am - 4:00 pm) 

 

     INCLUDED:  Coke, Water & Beer...and, entry into the Fort

 

Rum Factory Tour, Chocolate Factory Tour, Walking Tour around Downtown (Central Park, Umbrella Street, Cigar Shop - rolled own Cigars, Church, etc.), Ride down the Beach & stopped for Pictures, Tour of the Fort - and, more!

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Edwin Taxi Transfers Tours
@EdwinTaxiTransfersTours · Taxi Service

We highly recommend Edwin Taxi Transfers Tours for your day in Puerto Plata.  Edwin showed us all the sights and provided excellent service from booking through the tour completion.  We had a great day.

For more pictures and details of each stop on our tour, see our Shutterfly albums.

Puerto Plata Pier
Macorix House of Rum
Walking Tour Puerto Plata
Paseo de Dona Blanca
Umbrella Street
St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral
Driving Around Puerto Plata
The Chocolate Store
Puerto Plata Beach
Fortress of San Felipe
Taino Bay Puerto Plata

Click the image (left) to read more about this cruise.

Bookmark this page and come back to read all about this award-winning new ship.

See our  Ports of Call album for more pictures.

Visit our Shutterfly Page to view photo albums.

 

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Stopping at Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is the most famous beaches in the world and one of the most popular stops on the Sydney Big Bus Tour. It can be reached by the Blue Route, which is currently suspended, but was in operation when we were in Sydney. This is a must see attraction in our opinion.

We had about an hour to get something to eat and explore the town and beach before the next Big Bus came along and we were able to continue our journey.

 

click images to enlarge

According to Wikipedia "Bondi," originally "Boondi" is an Aboriginal word which had the meaning of "noise made by sea waves breaking on the beach," which is essentially the definition of "surf" in contemporary American English. As you can see from images captured during our visit to Bondi Beach, this is quite an appropriate name.

Lunch Break & Beach Time

The Big Bus dropped us off near some restaurants and shops which were just down the block and across the street from the beach.  Since we only had an hour, we opted for a quick lunch at McDonald's.  We were in the mood for a taste of home anyway since we'd been gone over 14 days at this point.  After lunch we crossed the bridge, seen in this photo, to the sprawling beach.  It would be a great place for a picnic or just to hang out and enjoy the surf and sun.  As you can see, the beach was quite crowded, but no one seemed to mind as there was plenty of room.

We got to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus and resume our tour.  We still had plenty to see before the tour was concluded.

Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page

Bondi Beach

Big Bus Sydney




Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Alaska is Still Calling You

Canada has extended it's ban on cruise ships docking until February 28, 2022. Cruise ships that have overnight accommodations for more than 100 people will not be allowed to operate in Canadian waters during the ban.

“As Canadians continue to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to ensure Canada’s transportation system remains safe,” Omar Alghabra, federal minister of transport, says in a statement. “Temporary prohibitions to cruise vessels and pleasure craft are essential to continue to protect the most vulnerable among our communities and avoid overwhelming our health care systems. This is the right and responsible thing to do.”

 Since foreign flagged cruise ships must stop at a foreign port before sailing between two U.S. ports, the Canadian ban puts the Alaskan Cruise Season and the Canada / New England cruise season in jeopardy. The Canadian government could rescind the order should conditions improve but until then, this announcement leaves the major cruise lines scrambling to see what operations can be salvaged.  Many of them also operate lodges in Alaska, which initial indications are they will continue to do to allow for land-based itineraries to proceed.

The cruise industry is key to the economic recovery in Canada and Alaska, so this announcement is a huge blow to the hospitality industry in both countries. 

 So You Had Your Heart Set on Seeing Alaska 

While it appears that a cruise to Alaska won't be possible again this year, there is a vast amount of Alaska still waiting for you to explore it. I always recommend that my guest include a land portion to their Alaskan vacation plans, so my suggestion is that you continue your Alaskan vacation plans for 2021.  As an Alaskan expert, I can help you plan an amazing Alaskan trip.

Majestic Beauty

Imagine gazing out the window of your railcar and catching this glimpse of Denali (Mount McKinley).   We were fortunate enough to capture this view many years ago, and I can still remember the thrill of seeing this amazing site.

Let's begin your Alaskan vacation with Natures Best: Alaska tour. 

Peaks. Glaciers. Whales. Wildlife. 

You couldn’t see more of the great state of Alaska in one week if you were an Iditarod sled dog.

Fairbanks to Anchorage (7 Days)

FAIRBANKS: Your Alaskan trip of a lifetime begins in Fairbanks with a hotel stay along the banks of the Chena River.  The tour continues with a scenic sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River. Visit the Chena Indian Village and then continue with a scenic drive to Denali National Park. 

DENALI NATIONAL PARK: A must see for any stay in Denali National Park is the Tundra Wilderness tour which is included. You'll have free time in the evening. in the morning you'll visit the home of an Iditarod Musher before heading for a train ride. 

ALASKA RAILROAD: All aboard for a scenic train ride to Talkeetna. View breathtaking scenery as the train takes you comfortably to your next stop where you'll have free time that evening. 

TALKEETNA–SEWARD: Start your day with an Alaskan treat at the Talkeetna Roadhous and continue with a scenic drive along the Kenai Peninsula en route to Seward. 

SEWARD: Day 6 begins with a scenic cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. Following the cruise you'll return to Anchorage. 

ANCHORAGE: Your vacation ends with breakfast but the memories will last a life time.

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Fairy Penguins On Parade

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We arrived at our final tour destination, the main attraction of our Go West Tours day long adventure, The Penguin Parade.  It was about 7 PM when we arrived.   There was time to have something to eat and explore the visitor center before heading out to the viewing platform. 

While eating in their cafe, we checked our emails and saw the email from Princess Cruises, that due to Coronavirus, our cruise would be terminated in Fremantle, Australia.  It was supposed to continue to Thailand and end in Singapore, where the ship would go into dry dock for some enhancements.

Not even this news could dampen our excitement to see the Fairy Penguins march from the sea to their nesting places.   By now, the weather was getting worse, however.  It was cold, windy, and raining.  Fortunately, we had worn rain gear, so we were pretty comfortable.

There are several different vantage points to see the Penguin Parade.  General seating is included in the base tour price or you can upgrade them. We purchased "Penguins Plus" tickets which got us preferred seating on an elevated platform.

The image above was enhanced to add in some Fairy Penguins.   The arrow shows the path they take from the sea. 

Important Tip: Sorry! No photography or filming is permitted at the Penguin Parade. 

Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin. To ensure penguins keep coming back to this special area they ask you do not use your cameras, camcorders or camera phones at the Penguin Parade.

Download their free app for access to a gallery of images that are yours to keep and share! You can also view and download free photos at their online gallery (Google Chrome browser recommended).

We've included Phillip Island Nature Park's video so that you can get an idea of what we experienced.  The parade started around 8 PM or so.   We watched for awhile and then started the walk back along the boardwalk.   This was actually the best viewing as the penguins were walking alongside us as we headed back to the visitor center.

"Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia"

What an amazing day.  Each stop on the Go West Tour was better than the one before.  The only thing that would have improved the tour, would have been nicer weather, but that is out of our control.  We met our driver around 9 PM and we all settled in for the 3 hour drive back to our hotels. 

We highly recommend Go West Tours Melbourne Australia.   If this is representative of their other tours, you won't go wrong selecting any of them.

For more images from our Penguin Parade stop, see our Phillip Island Penguin Parade photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.