Travel Gals Travel Tips

1. Coordinate your clothes around one or two basic colors. This cuts down on the number of shoes and accessories you have to bring.
2. Take as few clothes as possible. Plan on laundering. One person suggested one week’s worth of clothes. I take fewer unless they are my washable silks.
3. Wear and carry washable silk clothing whenever possible. It is as warm as and as cool as cotton. It dries overnight and 10-15 pieces take no more room than two pair jeans. There are some other manmade fabrics that travel as well if not better, but they cost quite a bit more.
4. Take older clothes that can be discarded along the way. Great for growing children. Many places, the local people are pleased to get these castoffs. There are travelers who take nothing but old clothes so they have that much more room for bringing souvenirs home.
5. Safety Tip - Never take a taxi that seems just to be hanging around, offering its services when there is a taxi queue available

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Relax and Enjoy the Wine on Waiheke Island, New Zealand!

Prior to departing for my 14 night “Wine & Gourmet Cuisine Cruise” on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner between Sydney Australia and Auckland, New Zealand I had a very good friend mention we must visit Waiheke Island, New Zealand. It was one of the many highlights of our 3 week adventure. Great little shops, antique stores, friendly people and gorgeous countryside as well as great wine added up to the best way to end our holiday adventure.

Waiheke Island is a picturesque blend of farmland, forest, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, it is only 35 minutes by ferryboat from downtown Auckland. There is a great range of activities on Waiheke including sightseeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, vineyard & winery tours and much more. When planning a trip to New Zealand, schedule a few extra days to relax on the island.

Waiheke is the third most populated island in New Zealand, after the North and South Islands. Waiheke Island has a permanent population of around 8,000 residents. Much of the population lives close to the western end of Waiheke Island, at or close to an east-west isthmus between Huruhi Bay and Oneroa Bay which, at its narrowest, is only 600 metres wide.

History of Waiheke Island
Discovered and settled by Maori approximately 1000 years ago, Waiheke translates to ‘cascading waters’. Some Maori legends relate that one of the pioneering waka (canoes) to New Zealand came upon the island. The first traces of Europeans arrived with the missionary Samuel Marsden in the early 1800s, several years after Captain Cook passed by and acknowledged the island in his travels through the Hauraki Gulf.

Contact the Travel Gal when planning your South Pacific holiday.

Your Friend in the Islands!

Teresa@LuxuryHideaways.net or call me at 800 644-6659

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Time to cool down in Lahainatown

One of my favorite beaches is located at the North end of Lahaina town. It is called Keiki beach or baby beach by the locals. I don’t know what the formal name is - everyone has always called it Keiki beach due to the fact there is a coral reef located a few yards out that provides a perfect barrier so there are no waves and a parent could place their baby sitting up at the edge of the water and the child would not get knocked over as there is no wave action. It is a perfect beach for small families to gather and cool down from the intense Hawaiian summer sun.

I am sitting here on a balmy 90 degree Sunday afternoon enjoying the scenery, children of all ages are splashing in the water, there are a few families kicking back on their beach chairs with coolers nearby, no doubt filled with sandwiches and sodas. Meanwhile a young couple strolls by hand in hand, probably on their honeymoon, a look of contentment on their faces.

One small family catches my attention, they are obviously introducing their very tiny son to the water for the first time. Dad is wading up to his waist and dipping his sons’ toes in the water as Mom has the video camera playing, catching the babies surprised expression of this new experience. The baby obviously is enjoying the water as he is submerged to his chest and waving his arms as the parents are lovingly keeping him afloat in his blow up water ring.

We then have Dylan and Donovan, twin boys - 9 years old and a handful with their friends busy building 2 sand forts complete with cannon balls so they can bomb each other - in between the construction they are taking breaks to cool off a bit and trying out their new skin boards - so much to do. This is very serious work, hence the expressions on their faces that indicates they need to get the job done. This is about as hard as I want to work on a Sunday afternoon in Lahainatown.

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Proper Name Identification - New TSA Requirements

NOTE: The Travelgal would like to share new information in reference to traveling either domestic or international, the airlines are tightening their rules on correct names, info on airline tickets:

NAMES AS THEY APPREAR ON PASSPORT - PLEASE READ BELOW:

Effective October 28, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced the final rules for a program known as ‘Secure Flight’. The Secure Flight program has been developed by Department of Homeland Security to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial travel. As a result of the new rules which are being implemented in phases, all international airlines operating flights to, from, within or over the United States will be required to collect Secure Flight Passenger Data and transmit it to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in advance of travel.

The TSA regulation will require that a passenger’s name on a ticket match exactly to their travel document. This means that:

it is exactly as it appears on your form of identification, i.e., Passport or Driver’s License.

PLEASE ADVISE CITIZENSHIP AND WHAT FORM OF I.D. YOU WILL BE USING TO TRAVEL

If your name appears differently on different forms of identification, you must travel with the form of ID that reflects the name on your ticket and/or cruise documents.

Do not give your Travel Agent your Driver’s License name and then change your mind and travel with your Passport if the name is different.

This is CRITICAL, CRITICAL for recently married couples who may have multiple forms of ID

If a passenger’s name is incorrectly shown on the ticket, you may be denied boarding and/or will be required to refund the old ticket with penalty and purchase a new ticket at the prevailing rate. The airlines & cruiselines will not provide authorization/waiver codes to refund tickets without penalty.
So, please give me:

1. Your names as exactly appear on passport:

2. Dates passports expire:

3. Dates of Birth:

4. Email address so we can begin working on your air/land itinerary. If you have your own airfare, please let your Travel Agent know know the schedule so she can advise the cruiseline in reference to transfers, etc. If you need assistance with air/hotels/tours she am happy to assist you too.

Feel free to call the Travel Gal at 800 644-6659 to assist you with your dream holiday.

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We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” - Jawaharial Nehru

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Who is “See The South Pacific.com?”

Aloha and mahalo for visiting my website!

My name is Teresa Nelle, I am a Travel Agent with 20 years of experience and I am passionate about assisting my Clients with their travel requests to exotic and unique destinations. I love to travel and when I work with a Client, I feel like I am planning my own personal holiday - its fun and exciting - then I love to hear about how their trip was when they return!

I am the Owner of Luxury Hideaways which is affiliated with Park Avenue Travel, a Virtuoso Agency. I have lived on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii for 20 years so obviously I am a Hawaii Specialist! I love living here and enjoy sharing my “kama’aiana” knowledge with my Clients! I have traveled extensively thru the South Pacific, having visiting the Fiji Islands 5 times as well as Australia & New Zealand. I have also sent many Clients to the Cook Islands, Samoa and as well as the islands of Tahiti.

HAWAII LESSON: Kama’aina is the Hawaiian language word for long-term resident of the Hawaiian Islands. It derives from the words ‘kama’, meaning ‘child’, and ‘aina’, meaning ‘land’.

The South Pacific is at the top of my list of travel destinations. I hope you enjoy visiting this site and do return to keep up with whats new and happening. Please also visit www.LuxuryHideaways.net.  On both sites you will find happy love letters from my past Clients.  I also have www.OnlyCruisesTravel.com highlighting small ship cruises around the world.

Luxury Hideaways is rated A+ by Better Business Bureau! (the highest rating available) I am also accredited with the Fiji Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Australia Visitors Bureau as well as the Italian Visitors Bureau.

Last year I spent a month in Europe where I fell in love with the city of Rome, enjoyed a private walking tour of all things Rome (which I highly recommend), visited the ancient site of Pompeii with a Tour Guide from the Archeological Society of Pompeii as well as cruised the Mediterranean on a Windstar cruises, (which is a small cruise ship company) and visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cinque Terre. Feel free to contact me about European travel as I just sent a family to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain where they had their own private balconey in the shade!

My life motto is a wonderful saying by Mark Twain:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

See you in paradise!

Teresa Nelle
Your Friend in the Islands
800 644-6659  - Teresa@LuxuryHideaways.net
Fiji Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Australia Visitors Bureau, Italy Visitors Bureau

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed…

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

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Teresa is very knowledgeable in travel thru-out the South Pacific

Bula bula and aloha,
I received a wonderful recommendation from my past Clients and wanted to share with you:

Dear Teresa,
I’ve written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

“My wife and I hired Teresa at the recommendation of our friends who had previously used her services. She was very professional and personable. She provided us with vacation options that met our budget and our wishes. Since our trip to the Fiji Islands, we have used her services for a trip to Maui, Hawaii. Teresa is very knowledgeable of the travel destinations in the South Pacific and Hawaii. We have had zero issues with her work and the travel documents she provides. I don’t always use a travel agent however when I do, it’s always Teresa.”
Service Category: Travel Agent
Year first hired: 2007 (hired more than once)
Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

NOTE: Matt & his wife celebrated their honeymoon on the private island of Matamanoa Island, located in the Fiji Islands.

Matamanoa Island is a lovely little island, extremely affordable, beautiful white sand beaches and caters to just 20 couples in beachfront bures (cottages). [Read more]

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Upcountry Maui - No Snorkel Shops & Tourist Traps

Last week I shut down my computer, turned off the office lights and joined my friend from the mainland in exploring Maui - my island home.

I am “lucky I live Hawaii” and need to take advantage of all the sights and beauty the island has to offer. I have lived here 20 years and still have not seen/done everything.

We began our adventure by heading “upcountry” - up Haleakala Crater to enjoy the beauty of the rolling hills, cows & horses as well as the small towns of Makawao and Paia.

After cruising around - (I tell people just drive up the hill and try to get lost - its an island, the road goes in a circle! ) we planned our trip to dine at the Kula Lodge Restaurant. On the weekends the Kula Lodge Garden Terrace features a wood fired oven baking some of the best pizza on the island. Be sure to sit outside in the garden where the views of the entire west side of Maui are spectacular!

Kula Lodge is a small, rustic & romantic hideaway that was built in the 1940’s as a private residence. Kula Lodge and Restaurant hugs the mountainside and blends with the astonishing ambience of Upcountry Maui.

The area on Maui known as Kula is the undiscovered Maui, like an unexpected gift that is a joy to open for the adventurous traveler willing to get off the beach and explore the island. You won’t find tourist traps or snorkel shops. Instead you will find a peaceful and relaxing area of Maui where the Protea flowers are absolutely huge, there is virtually no traffic and life moves at a slow pace.

Kula Lodge also features the Curtis Wilson Cost Art Gallery as well as Kula Marketplace which is filled with local crafts, locally grown vegetables and home made gifts. Plan on spending a few relaxing hours meandering around the destination known as Kula Lodge. The ultimate treat would be to stay overnight at Kula Lodge. Five rustic chalets are available for rent and are a great starting point to begin your journey to the sunrise at Haleakala National Park or end your roadtrip after visiting Hana or Maui’s Ulupalakua Winery.

Call the TravelGal at 800 644-6659 for more details.

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Its Time to Discover the Big Island of Hawaii

Today we flew over to the Big island of Hawaii on Mokulele Airlines, not as well known as Hawaiian Airlines but worth the hike to the commuter terminal where the Pilot assisted with check in. No extra long lines in security search here - ahh the good ole days.

After all 9 of us boarded the flight, the Pilot mentioned we might have a smoother ride if we passed over the top of Haleakala Crater - this is a major bonus for us as the center of the crater looks like the surface of the moon. I was able to get a few good shots with my IPHONE.

Most passengers were “kamaiiana” i.e. they lived in the islands. One thing you can always count on when traveling inter-island is someone will have a box or two of Krispy Crème donuts - sure enough there was a family carrying a box home to share with friends/family. The donuts are treated like gold over here. I even tried buying a donut for $1.00 from the 10 yr old boy - no way!

The Pilot was kind enough to call the Budget car rental van to be awaiting our arrival after we picked up our bags on “Carrosel A” which was actually stacked next to the back of the plane. Why would I ever want to fly another carrier!

Stay tuned for more adventures - we’re here on island for 4 days!

A hui ho! (til we meet again)
Travelgal

P.S. I just have to show you a picture of the Mokulele Airlines Waiting Terminal on the Big Island!

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