Fiji Family Vacations Video - Travel with kids and have fun!

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Hiapo in Rome 2010

Aloha,
I wanted to share with you my notes about my recent trip to Rome! Hope you are well, and I look forward to hearing from you and helping out with your next incredible vacation!

Rome…
The Eternal City…

I have been told that Rome is called the Eternal City because it has been there for so long. I have another theory: It takes an eternity to experience all of the history, the art, and the food. Bring your most comfortable shoes, bring SEVERAL extra camera batteries, bring a cell phone with GPS, internet service (so you can look up “what the heck is that?!”) and Google maps (an iPhone is my personal choice). If you have a camera with GPS in it, that will help.

Along with my favorite traveling companion (my wife), we braved 31 hours of airplanes and airports to experience the biggest time change possible (12 hours difference from Hawaii). Our home away from home was the lovely, 4 star, and boutique style Rose Garden Palace Hotel. Located a block or two from Villa Borghese and in the corner of what is considered central Rome, the Rose Garden Palace Hotel features comfortable rooms with high ceilings, parquet hardwood floors, marble bathrooms with VERY deep tubs, an eclectic blend of antique and modern style furniture, flat screen TV’s with satellite service, rich burl wood walk-in closets, all staffed by a friendly staff whose professionalism is exceeded only by their charm. The common areas of the resort include a lobby bar replete with polished marble, a fully equipped gym (for those of you that need more exercise than walking MILES AND MILES every day), sauna and a relaxing grotto with a ~20’ X 20’ “whirlpool” (sitting depth, regular pool temperature, tile bench running along all sides). Spa services are offered. The restaurant serves a complimentary continental breakfast (which includes hot items), as well as lunch and dinner. This resort is used by Perillo Tours (our host for this trip) and would be comparable to the Hyatt Regencies that are featured in Perillo’s Hawaii tours. Dinners are elegant and feature creative dishes served by attentive staff fully versed in knowing the best wine pairings for their dishes.

No matter what tour you take, with all my heart, I implore you to extend your stay in Rome. There is just too much to see: In the time of Jesus, Rome was a thriving metropolis. Around the time the Pilgrims were arriving on the shores of America, Bernini was busy sculpting grand fountains including the famous Trevi. A hundred years before that, Michelangelo was doing this little paint job for Pope Julius II, perhaps you have heard of it: The Sistine Chapel.

Our second day was comprised of 2 of Perillo’s half-day tours. First was the Coliseum, the world’s first Superdome. Built in the first century, it stands as a skeleton of its original glory, stripped of the white marble skin the adorned most of its surfaces. Here the first rock stars performed: Gladiators. Performing their blood-art on a wooden stage covered with sand and constructed over hidden galleries, they performed for the Caesars, but the adoration of the masses was perhaps their real motivation. Inside the three levels of ancient archways are the venerable causeways where thousands flocked to watch the grandest spectacle of their time. While most of it is in ruins, part of the theater has a reconstructed wooden stage and a few of the bleachers are being recovered in the alabaster hued marble that made this structure worthy of being the centerpiece of the throne of the known universe.



Do yourself a favor and climb the (dangerously steep) steps to the second level. Here you will find a nice souvenir shop and many cases of gladiatorial armor (mostly recreations, but several real pieces as well).

Next is the half-day tour of the Vatican. To say that a half-day tour is too brief is the grandest exaggeration I could conjure. In 2006, the Vatican Museums celebrated their 500th year. With the purchase of a sculpture of Laocoön (the priest who inspired “beware Greeks bearing gifts”), Pope Julius II began a habit that 500 years of Popes continued: art collection.

Comprising of 54 GALLERIES of art, you will find not only masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo, but also so many unnamed artists as to boggle the mind with the shear mass of the creations. Exiting the museums, you are lead to St. Peter’s Basilica, the grandest monument to Catholicism ever imagined. Dwarfing all churches, St. Peter’s even has markers in the main hall showing how some of the world’s most famous churches elsewhere would fit cleanly inside. Besides the grand altar build over the (even grander) tomb of St Peter, the many chapels are wall to wall with Papal tombs, running from the modest plain white marble for Pope John Paul II to the ginormous and extravagant red and white marble, Bernini designed tomb of Pope Alexander VII. And the Pièce de résistance: Michelangelo’s Pieta. I could have stood and stared for hours at this one piece.

I cannot blame Perillo tours for the shortness of the Vatican visit. They arranged to get us to the head of the lines, showed us the most important pieces and enough history to whet our appetite for more. As their tour includes days “on your own”, they can also arrange to set you up with more detailed experiences for everything that Rome can offer. They even offer “extended stay packages”. Please take advantage of your time in Rome.
The rest of our days in Rome were spent following particular artists (Bernini may be my new favorite), exploring countless churches’ art collections, wandering the ancient Forum and Palantine (trust me, take 2 days and bring a lunch), and counting our blessings for being able to take the tiniest peek at Rome, for which the title “Eternal City” seems just a bit understated.

Feel free to call me with any questions about your travel interests.

Hiapo Cockett ,
Toll Free 1-800-588-3454 x102
Local 213-784-4910
Click here to call me on our dime I'm ext.102.

Lori and Sue in Fantasic Rome 2009 - Perillo Tours

Warm & sunny Aloha from Maui,

Wow! It's that time again... I hope you have had a good year and are healthy, happy and anticipating a joyful holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day reminded me to reflect again on all the blessings I have. Along with good health, I am grateful for a loving family and friends, the personal freedom we have in the USA, and the ability to travel the world. It is priceless to be able to experience other cultures, make new friends and create wonderful memories.

This has been a year of great adventures. Please allow me to share some with you. (pictures)

In April, a friend and I enjoyed a wonderful tour of Rome, Italy with the fabulous Perillo Tours. (they are the experts on Italy and if you have never been I highly recommend going with Perillo as the group size is small and intimate and they get you to the front of the lines. Their guides are personable and really add an insiders flavor to what you are seeing. The cuisine in Rome was "delizioso".

From there, I was off to to Berlin, Germany where my twin daughters are living together and teaching school. I thoroughly enjoyed touring that amazing city with them and the Brauts were great too! The three of us then went to Spain for their Spring break. We visited, Barcelona and also went by train to Valencia. Such fun and so much to see and do. We were on a quest for the best Paella in Spain and consumed much Sangria, and as girls must do, we went shopping! The famous architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona were fabulous. Valencia was lovely, with wonderful historic sites, beautiful parks, and there were those delicious Valencia oranges!

In September, I returned to my beloved Fiji with my good friend and fellow dive pal, Rachel, from Maui Dreams Dive Co. Being avid divers as well as gals who appreciate luxury and pampering, we enjoyed 3 glorious nights at Namale Resort and Spa, residing in the breathtaking Duavata Villa. Our last 4 nights were truly heavenly spent at Qamea Resort and Spa. Fiji's underwater world is like watching the movie Finding Nemo. Maui's has great sealife to behold also, but it's tough to compete with sites in Fiji like Rainbow Reef, or the Great White Wall in Taveuni. We came home with huge smiles on our faces!

In November it was a week in Seattle, and a stay at the beautiful Westin Hotel downtown to celebrate with my father his 91st Birthday! He sure loved sleeping in their signature "Heavenly Bed" and so did I, even his snoring right next to me failed to disturb my slumber. My dad attributes his long and happy life thus far to setting goals and then reaching them. One of them was to see all 50 states by the age 75. He accomplished it and has visited 14 countries! His motto is "always have a trip to planned to look forward to" He plans to come back to Maui in March!.
I agree with my Dad and I also believe the slogan "we don't live to work, we work to live"! Traveling to great destinations and learning new things is really LIVING!

I hope you will call or email me and let's plan your next travel adventure, or just to say hello. I would love to hear from you!

I wish you the very happiest holidays and beautiful memories made with your loved ones.
Warm aloha,
Lori

Lori Evans
Direct:1-213-784-6135 or Toll Free 866-369-4068
Lori@McCoyTravel.com

Lori Evans in the Cook Islands

Aloha and Kia Orana!

I have just returned from a wonderful week in the Cook Islands. My daughter Rachel and I had a great time together enjoying two of the beautiful islands. We spent our first five days on the main island of Rarotonga. A drop dead gorgeous white sand beach circles this entire island. You can walk for miles barefoot on this silky white sand and not encounter more than a handful of people! Sunrise and sunset views here are breathtaking. There are several small and intimate resorts to choose from.
We loved our stay at the Crown Beach Resort where we had a spacious 1 bdrm Beach bungalow just a few steps from the clear aqua blue water. We had our own private Jacuzzi tub on the deck which was the perfect way to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset! The service is consistently excellent throughout the island, and the people are friendly and warm. There is a nice selection of restaraunts, most within walking distance, and the food is fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced.

After Rarotonga, we took a short and scenic flight over to the island of Aitutaki. There are some very nice resorts to choose from here also. Our favorite was the Pacific Resort Aitutaki. Their Beach Bungalows are richly furnished in solid mahogany, with many nice amenities and the ocean view from our deck was absolutely stunning.
Never have we seen more beautiful water than in Aitutaki! Our all day snorkel trip on the Bishop's Aitutaki Lagoon Cuise was definitely a highlight. We spent the day swimming, kayaking and snorkelling and were served a delicious barbeque lunch on "One Foot Island" (an adorable little island on the lagoon.. you can even get your passport officially stamped here!)
It was hard to say goodbye to all the friends we made in the "Cooks" and yet we are confident that we will be drawn back to this very special place again.
If you are looking for a spot that offers beautiful beaches, pristine clear water, total peace and quiet with excellent accommodations and great food... the Cook Islands are definitely a "must do".

Pick up the phone and call me, and let's plan your next fabulous getaway to the destination you are dreaming of.....
where will it be?

Warm & sunny regards,
Lori

Here are a few photos from our travels… (you can click on them to see larger versions)

In addition to the South Pacific, I am now broadening my expertise and look forward to assisting clients with incredible holidays throughout New Zealand, Australia & Africa.

Call me to learn about some exciting new upgrades and specials being offered throughout Hawaii, Fiji & Tahiti. I have added a Preferred Client Reward Program and as a return client, you will enjoy many extras, such as free room upgrades, free nights, activity discounts and more.

I look forward to working together on your next travel destination and hope to continue building a long and trusting relationship.

Mahalo and Vinaka,

Lori Evans,
Toll Free 866-369-4068 on Maui: 213-784-6143 x105