It’s a wonderland for sure…

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This wildebeest has a new name…Blondie, with this adorable blond hair.

Last night, when we went to bed shortly after dinner. Still tired from our long journey, we both fell asleep during the two shows we tried to watch. We agreed to wake each other up when we saw the other snoozing to get on a practical sleeping schedule, but we fell asleep simultaneously. We probably shouldn’t have taken a short nap during the day.

Another view of Blondie.
We were thrilled to see the dozen wildebeests visit our garden.

Subsequently, I awoke at 2:30 am and Tom shortly thereafter. We’ve been awake since. It’s been hot since we arrived on Monday and the high today is expected to be 96F, 36 C and similar temps will continue through the next seven days.

Pellets were on the menu. So far, we’ve purchased two 40 kg bags, 88 pounds, which should last through the weekend. The pellet guy comes to Louise’s nearby office on Fridays, when we’ll buy two more weekly bags.

It’s still summer here, and the mozzies accompany the hot weather. We use repellent three times a day and multiple insect repellent products when sitting outdoors at night. Once it cools down, there will be fewer mosquitoes in months to come, but we will still use repellent since it is prevalent to a lesser degree during the fall and winter months.

They lingered for an hour and then took off to search for “greener pastures.”
Scientific Name: Connochaetes taurinus (Blue Wildebeest), Connochaetes gnou (Black Wildebeest) Common Name: Wildebeest, Gnu. Size: Approximately 4-5 feet tall at the shoulder, body length of 6-8 feet. Weight: 260-600 pounds. Lifespan: 10-20 years in the wild. Diet: Herbivore, primarily grasses.

Overall, we feel good. Our sleep schedules will return to normal in a few days, but we enjoy every moment in the meantime. The familiarity of living in the bush for over four years hasn’t diminished our sense of awe and wonder of this magical place.

There are two species of wildebeest: the blue and the black. We see blue wildebeests in Marloth Park.

This morning, we’re doing three loads of laundry. With the heat we don’t wear anything twice, whereas over the past year, living with central air conditioning we could wear the same shirt for a few days and jeans for several days. Tom found the portable drying rack in the storage room. He’s doing the laundry while I hang it on the drying rack as each load is done.

They often drink from the pool.

Tonight’s dinner will be a repeat last night’s: chicken breasts, legs, and thighs on the grill with a side of egg salad and rice for Tom. I’ll make more elaborate meals once it cools down and I’m more rested.

Wildebeests are part of the Great Wildebeest Migration, the world’s largest land migration.

Kathy and Don arrive tomorrow, but we won’t see them for a few days while they recover from an even further journey from Hawaii, several hours longer than our trip from Nevada.

This morning, more than 50 animals came to the garden, and we welcomed everyone. Already, we’re becoming familiar with frequent visitors and seeing a few we recall from almost two years ago.

Wildebeest calves can run within minutes of being born.

What can I say, other than…it is lovely. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be here. Thanks for all the well wishes from our readers/friends and family. We write here, just for YOU!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 6, 2015:

In Kauai, the seawater was so clear we could see little fish swimming in this tide pool. For more photos, please click here.

The wonder of the bush has begun…More new clear photos!…

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A female kudu drinks from the fountain in the garden.

Last night, we both had trouble staying awake. Finally, we drifted off, both of us awakening around 4:00, due to the ten-hour time difference between Nevada and South Africa. We make every effort to avoid days-long jet lag, as described below.

Kudus are regular visitors, coming by countless times each day.

Jet lag is a temporary sleep disruption caused by a mismatch between your body’s internal clock and the new time zone when traveling across multiple time zones. 

Symptoms 
  • Daytime fatigue
  • Difficulty sleeping or waking up
  • Poor concentration and memory
  • Headaches
  • Stomach cramps, diarrhea, or constipation
  • Reduced physical activity
Causes
  • Crossing multiple time zones disrupts your circadian rhythms, which regulate your sleep-wake cycle. 
  • Traveling from west to east can cause more bothersome symptoms. 
  • Older people seem to be hit harder by jet lag. 

  • An adorable young male kudu with budding horns. Only males grow horns. They are called horns instead of antlers since they do not shed them.

After two nights’ sleep, we feel rested today and back to normal. We always try to stay on a schedule commensurate with our location at any given time, as hard as that may be.

This species is most common in Southern Africa, but smaller populations of three different subspecies occur in East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the southern Sahara. Its preferred habitat is lightly wooded savanna and rocky bush country, where it generally sticks to cover to avoid predators, which include lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs.

On another note, our dear friends Kathy and Don are on their way here from even further away than we were in Nevada. They are coming from Hawaii, which is at least a 40-hour journey. I’m sure we won’t see them for a few days, and they, too, will need a few days to catch up on sleep. We haven’t seen them since November 2021 but have stayed in close touch all this time.

Kudu are highly alert and notoriously hard to approach. When they detect danger—often using their large, radar-like ears—they give a hoarse alarm bark and flee with a distinctive, rocking-horse running motion, the male laying back his horns to avoid overhead obstructions.

As for our current experiences, we adjust well to every moment of getting acclimated to life in the bush. We grocery shopped at the new Spar/Save-Mor store in Marloth Park yesterday. I expected a much bigger store, but I was wrong. Many products would work for most tourists staying for a few weeks, for the locals, but not quite enough for our way of eating.

The common name kudu is derived from the indigenous Khoikhoi language of Southern Africa. The scientific name is derived from Greek: Tragos denotes a he-goat and elaphos a deer; Strephis means ‘twisting’ and Keras means ‘horn’.

For example, I use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to make salad dressing for the salads we eat most nights with dinner. Neither of these items was available, but I know we can get sour cream at the Spar Market in Komatipoort. It’s unlikely that we will find unsweetened Greek yogurt in any markets.

A young kudu. The traditional sport of Kudu dung-spitting (Bokdrol Spoeg in Afrikaans) is practiced in the South African Afrikaner community. The winner is the contestant who can spit one of the antelope’s small, hard dung pellets the furthest – with the distance measured to where it comes to rest. An annual world championship was launched in 1994, with contests at community events, game festivals and tourism shows. The world record stands at 15.56m, set in 2006 by Shaun van Rensburg Addo.

We’ll head to Komatipoort on Monday to the big Spar Market to get everything we need. They even have a health food section that has many items we use. Today, when Tom gets his haircut, I’ll shop in The Butchery meat market, which is located in the same shopping area as the hair salon.

In South Africa, most kudu calves are born in the summer months between December and March.

We don’t expect everything here to be comparable to what’s available in the US. Instead, we find alternative options that work just fine, which is often the case when we visit other countries. It’s all a part of the nomadic lifestyle.

A pregnant female kudu leaves the herd to give birth.

Last night, for dinner, we made porterhouse steaks on the braai with rice (for Tom) and salad for both of us. See our food photos below. Tom drank a Lion beer, his favorite here, and I had a small glass of Four Cousins Skinny Red wine, which can only be purchased in South Africa. What a treat that was!

Two zebras stopped by.

Soon, we’re off for Tom’s much-needed haircut and the meat market after which we’ll return to the wonderful Ratel house to relish the remainder of the day with our many animal friends. Enjoy our new photos minus the blur in yesterday’s photos.

They often drink the water in the splash pool. Typically residents use very little chlorine in the splash pools, knowing the animals will drink.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 5, 2015:

Partway down the steep trail, we spotted this view, a few days ago when the sun came out and we headed down the path to Hideaway’s Beach. Wow! Today’s remaining photos are of the trek down to the beach, not the Full Moon Party. For more photos, please click here.

We’ve arrived at wildlife paradise!…Marloth Park, South Africa…

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Our first visitor this morning, a male bushbuck.

Note: There is a blur in some of the photos from using our camera instead of my phone. I think I’ve fixed it but I will see how it goes after a few adjustments/

It was a long trip, almost two days, but we are thrilled to return to South Africa. I wrote part of this post on our last of the three fights, albeit a little raggedy after little sleep. We awoke on Saturday morning, anxious for the long journey to be completed and never slept again until Monday night.
A younger male bushbuck than the photo shown above

And there we were on Monday, flying from Cape Town to Mpumalanga/Nelspruit/Kruger, where we collected our bags and the rental car for the 90-minute drive to Marloth Park.

A handsome, Mr. Impala.

Yes, it already feels like home after being away for one month short of two years. It seems like yesterday when we last left. We assumed we’d be returning a year earlier, but health circumstances kept us away a year longer than anticipated.

Three female kudus stopped by for a visit.

However, we are grateful to be here now and will treasure each day we are given in this wildlife wonderland, along with the joys of some of the best friends we’ve made in years, both human and animal.

Ah, it feels good.

A lovely female kudu.

The trip was long and tiring for old-timers, but we never complained. We maneuvered through each of the three flights, two layovers, five times through security, and only once through immigration.

A male warthog visited.
A mom warthog with two of her three piglets.

We had to collect our bags and recheck them in Cape Town for the last leg on the smaller Airlink plane. Much to our delight, they were all there, and we didn’t have to pay more than the $100 fee for one very overweight bag.

A male warthog attempting to climb onto the veranda.

The weirdest part of the trip is that the first and second flights from Las Vegas to London and the next from London to Cape Town were both in the dark, with dinner served and breakfast 7-8 hours later. Of course, this was due to the 10-hour time difference.

Big Daddy kudu.

This morning we had the blessed opportunity to see many animals and we stayed busy tossing them pellets.

Some of the wildlife will likely take several days to learn we are here. I’m looking forward to seeing my boy Norman, the daddy and now grandaddy Nyala, in the park. We can’t wait to share!

Another Big Daddy.

Last night, after our arrival and time spent with Louise and Danie at their place, we showered and dressed to head out to Jabula for dinner. The kisses and hugs from Dawn, Leon, and other old friends we saw in the bar warmed our hearts, making us all the more aware of the magic of this remarkable place.

Dinner was predictably outstanding. Our total bill included two light beers for me and three for Tom, plus our meals, taxes, and tips, was US $32.67, ZAR 608.72. This is a far cry from the US $100, ZAR 1863.25, we paid each time we dined out in the US.

Tom’s dinner was a bunless pineapple burger with green beans.
My Greek salad.
It looks awful but spicy peri-peri chicken livers is one of my favorites at Jabula.

We are entirely unpacked and will soon head to the new grocery store in Marloth Park. We only need to buy enough dinner ingredients to last until Friday, when we’ll return to Jabula on Friday night (and Saturday)to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

Plus after a good night’s sleep neither of us has jetlag.

Stay tuned, dear readers, lots more is yet to come!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 4, 2015:

We always feel fortunate to have the opportunity to embrace these memorable scenes, in this case in Kauai, Hawaii. For more photos, please click here.
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Finally, we’re off to South Africa tonight!…

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Agave plants in Hawaii can grow these snake-like protrusions.

It’s been a busy few days. At 10:00 am on Saturday, we only have to pack the clothes we are wearing, change into our travel clothes, weigh the bags, and load the condo’s luggage rack. A moment ago, I ordered an Uber SUV for $102. It was pricey, but we have more luggage than usual and needed to ensure enough room for our large checked and carry-on bags.

Once we eventually leave South Africa in September, we will discard one of the large bags, leaving us with three bags with carry-on, our usual load. We’ve read stories about nomads only traveling with backpacks. We could travel lighter if we didn’t stay in locations for extended periods.

Every nomadic traveler has to decide what works best for them, and for the past 12 years, this system has worked well for us. We have no complaints. With luggage carts and porters in most locations, we manage just fine.

When we arrive at Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport on Monday, we’ll use their free luggage carts to load everything into the rental car and be on our way. Tom suggested that if we are exhausted, we stay overnight at the lovely hotel at the airport. However, many times we arrived in Nelspruit, we’ve managed to make the 90-minute drive, arriving in Marloth Park before dark, which is vital since driving on the N4 highway at night is dangerous due to rampant crime and carjackings.

Am I anxious to travel this far after so long? A little, I suppose. Luckily, the two legs of the journey each are 10 -12 hours long, with a layover in Heathrow for 1 hour 40 minutes and then Cape Town for almost 3 hours. Although we don’t like layovers, they allow us to move around freely and recharge a little.

If we get lucky and can get empty seats next to us, we can lay down to sleep on the flights. But, these flights are usually packed and we’ll unlikely encounter such a situation aboard the planes. Neither of us is very good at sleeping sitting up, although we may occasionally nod off for a few minutes.

Well folks, that’s all I have for today. If time allows, I will update our itinerary along the way. If you don’t see a post, we’ll return on Tuesday, March 4, about eight hours later than usual, due to the time difference.

Thanks for all of the thoughtful well wishes!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 1, 2015:

It’s no wonder the chicken proliferates and hang out at the beaches when surfers and bathers can’t resist feeding them their lunch. No one seems to mind the chickens and roosters, instead finding humor in their presence, as we do. Fr more photos, please click here.

“New Uber Setting Makes International Rides Cost More—Here’s How to Turn It Off”…1 day and counting…

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Uber is the world’s largest ridesharing company, operating in over 70 countries and 10,000 cities. It’s not our photo.From Travel and Leisure, (see the article here) important news about Uber’s international pricing…

This New Uber Setting Makes International Rides Cost More—Here’s How to Turn It Off

Luckily, it’s very easy to turn off this new setting, By Skye Sherman

Published on February 24, 2025

  • Uber’s new “preferred currency pricing” may cost you more when using the ride-hailing app internationally.
  • If your credit card offers free currency conversion, aka no foreign transaction fees, this default setting will cost you more. (But you can turn it off!)
  • If your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, you should see which setting benefits you more.

A new setting in your Uber app may make your next international ride cost more than it needs to.

Preferred Currency Pricing is a new Uber feature that lets you pay in your preferred or home currency even while riding in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, or European Union. Uber will charge a flat fee of 1.5 percent to convert from a foreign currency within the app.

Uber explains, “By keeping your preferred currency as your home currency, you’ll pay the same fare for rides as the local currency. Prices of the rides will be shown in your home currency, with a fixed 1.5 percent conversion fee, so it’s easier to know how much you’re paying while abroad.”

But if your card already offers currency conversion for free—as many do—this surcharge will only cost you more. And it’s on by default.

“If you choose to pay in the local currency, your bank or payment method provider may charge a conversion fee higher or lower than 1.5 percent and additional foreign transaction fees may apply,” Uber acknowledges,

In other words, if you use a card with no foreign transaction fees, you don’t need Uber to convert it for you to pay in U.S. dollars, so this new capability will cost you extra; paying in the local currency is just fine because your bank or card provider converts for you for free.

However, Uber’s new setting could be helpful in one instance: if your debit or credit card has foreign transaction fees. This means you are charged a conversion fee when you pay in a foreign currency, and Uber’s 1.5 percent fee may save you money if it’s lower than the fee from your bank or card provider.

Still, many travel-friendly credit and debit cards offer “zero foreign transaction fees” as a perk, so check with your bank or credit card company to determine which option is better for you. Luckily, it’s very easy to turn off this new setting.

  1. To turn off Preferred Currency Pricing, open your Uber app.
  2. Click “Account” on the bottom right.
  3. Navigate to “Wallet,” which is at the top of most phones.
  4. Scroll down until you see “Preferred Currency,” then click in and select “No preferred currency.”

This principle also applies when withdrawing cash from an ATM or using tap-to-pay in foreign countries. If your card has no or low foreign transaction fees, you should always pay in the local currency and click “Decline Conversion” when offered.”

We often use Uber when traveling in foreign countries, especially when we don’t have a rental car. From now on, we will check these features to ensure we receive the best possible pricing.

We’re still busy packing and preparing for tomorrow’s departure. We’re thrilled to have almost everything done today, so tomorrow will be easy.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 28, 2015;

Not all beaches in Kauai are sandy and pristine. For more photos, please click here.

Aircon working again…Packing getting done…Three days and counting…

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The marina in Kauai, where we were picked up for a whale-watching tour.

Ah, it feels good that we have cool air circulating. I had better brace myself for the warm weather in Marloth Park, which has no central cooling and only aircon in the bedroom, which we only use at night. We have spent the past 15 months in air-conditioned comfort, and that’s all about to change.

As always, we’ll acclimate to the differences within a few days while reveling in the treasures before our eyes. It’s funny; I haven’t seen a bug in the past 15 months, and there’s another adjustment we will make, along with checking under the bed before we go to sleep for snakes or other critters. We will become more observant and mindful once we live in the bush once again.

But none of that worries or stresses us. After all, we’ve spent over four years in Africa out of the past 12 years and quickly adapted to our environment each time we’ve arrived. In a way, it’s all a part of the adventure of being in this wild place.

This morning, after making breakfast, I got to work on all the items in the bathrooms that we’ll pack in the checked bags. Gosh, I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff living in the US for so long, all of which we’ll use and most of which I can’t buy in South Africa. Familiar products and supplies we frequently use usually can’t be found there, indeed not the brands we’re used to, such as toothpaste without fluoride, antiperspirants without chemicals, and products for doing my nails.

In the past, we’d place an order and have such items shipped to us, but now, with the cost of shipping and poor delivery service in South Africa, even by UPS, FedEx, and DHL, I made a point of buying everything we’ll need for the next six months. There are no trips to Target to pick up a dozen toiletries items, and the brands generally found in South Africa aren’t the quality we’d prefer.

Of course, the cost of living is very different there, and most products there are based on economic conditions and affordability of the general population,

“The average monthly salary in South Africa is around $1,500 USD. However, the average income can vary depending on factors like job type, education level, and cost of living.”

It’s easy to see why most of the products we’re used to using aren’t readily available. Even such items as laundry soap, easily available in the US and other countries, can’t be found unless one is willing to pay an exorbitant price, for example, for Tide Pods. We can’t bring laundry soap with luggage weight restrictions, and subsequently, I try to buy laundry soap for sensitive skin, such as for babies, which we can buy. The harsh chemicals in their low-cost soap have caused us skin irritations.

All the toiletries are packed, including what we’ll need for the next few days. I took everything out of packages to save on weight. As for kitchen stuff, I am only taking a few favorite kitchen gadgets. We’ll each have two checked bags, resulting in $100 for each extra bag. Virgin Atlantic only allows one checked bag per person, even for international flights.

We’re allowed 22 pounds in carry-on items. Tom will carry the computer bag, and I’ll have my small wheeled bag and a handbag. That should work out fine.

At this point, I don’t have much more to do. Since we don’t have to leave the condo until around 7:00 PM on Saturday, we can wrap up the final packing and ensure everything fits within the weight restrictions. The packing has been relatively easy since I’ve taken my time. Tom has yet to pack his clothes. I do the bulk of the packing, and Tom does all the loading and hauling of the heavy bags.

That’s it for today, folks.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago, February 26, 2015:

The sunset progressed to this point, giving us hope the clouds would provide a fantastic view. For more photos, please click here.

We’re back!…Hot, hot, hot!…Four days and counting!…

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Unusual tree trunk at the Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii.

Yesterday was a busy day. To use the food we had on hand, I made taco salads (no shell) using organic, grass-fed ground beef, two small jars of green olives, which I sliced, grape tomatoes I cut in half, one whole yellow onion chopped, diced celery, grated cheddar cheese, and homemade Greek yogurt salad dressing.

After cooking and draining the ground beef, I seasoned it with keto taco salad seasoning and one can of low-sugar tomato sauce and let it cook for another 30 minutes on low heat to absorb the flavors. Once it cooled, I put it in the refrigerator with portions to be heated in the microwave at dinner time.

There was enough meat, cheese, and vegetables to last for three nights, and we’ll do takeaway (delivered) meals for the remaining four nights. Our flight isn’t until 10:20 on Saturday night, so we’ll order food in the late afternoon to ensure we’ve eaten before the flight, which may or may not provide food on this late flight. Plus, most of the items they serve on flights aren’t suitable for my way of eating.

Once we arrive in Marloth Park on Monday afternoon, it will have been a long haul before we eat dinner again. We’ll be fine, as always. Going without eating for a day or more is not a big deal.

Yesterday, I packed most of my clothes, and we weighed my bag. It’s at the 50-pound maximum. Today, I will pack another bag of supplies. After being in the US for so long, we accumulated several items we’ll be able to use in Marloth Park during the six months there, which includes two stays, three months each, less the time we stay in Minnesota in June.

When we eventually leave South Africa, we will have to donate the items in the overflow extra bag and return to three checked bags: one clothing bag for each of us and one supply bag, our preferred maximum. When we go to the US in June for Maisie’s graduation, we won’t need to bring everything, only enough to last the two weeks we’ll be in the US.

The cooling system in the condo isn’t working. I awoke at 3:00 am from being too hot when we went to bed on Sunday night. I got up and saw the thermostat reading that the indoor temperature was 90F, 32C. Today, a repairman was scheduled to arrive at 8:30 am, and now it is 9:3,0, and no one has arrived. We’ll see how that goes.

The aircon isn’t working. When we set it to 70F when we went to bed, it was 90F when I got up sweating at 3:00 am to discover this. Hopefully, the HVAC person will be here soon.

As soon as I upload this post, I will return to work on the packing. I prefer to do a little each day rather than all at once. Gosh, it’s hard to believe we’ll be flying away in only four days!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 25, 2015:

Barking Sands Beach is located on the west side of Kauai on the Pacific Missile Range Facility grounds. This beach is part of a 17-mile-long stretch that extends from Polihale Beach to Kehaka Beach, close to the end of Highway 50. For more photos, please click here.

Would you do this luxury adventure?…Five days and counting…

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A small pond at the hotel in Poipu Beach,, Kauai where we stayed on my birthday in 2015.

This 25-day Private Jet Trip Includes Stops in 9 Countries—Plus a Free 9-night Cruise…

The free pre-trip cruise features a roomy suite with a private veranda and butler service. By Rachel Chan

 Published on February 18, 2025

Here’s the link for the following article from Travel and Leisure online magazine.

Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent has long set the luxury travel bar with its epic continent-hopping private jet journeys—and now it’s launching one of its best offers yet. Travelers who book the 25-day Ancient Kingdoms & Dynasties: A Journey by Private Jet itinerary will get a complimentary nine-night pre-trip cruise with its sibling company Crystal Cruises.

“This unprecedented collaboration … offers travelers a unique opportunity to experience the pinnacle of both air and sea adventures in one extraordinary experience,” said Ann Epting, Abercombie & Kent’s senior vice president of product development, in a statement to Travel + Leisure.

The free, nine-night prequel to the main event starts on Sept. 25 in Barcelona aboard the Crystal Symphony and will sail through Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, with stops in Ibiza, Cartagena, Málaga, Gibraltar, and Casablanca, before ending in Lisbon. Passengers will have the chance to enjoy the ship’s spacious Sapphire Veranda Suite, which comes with perks like a private veranda, butler service, and complimentary laundry.

Guests will then kick off their private jet journey with a night at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon before jetting off to Fez, Morocco; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Salalah, Oman; Udaipur, India; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Luang Prabang, Laos; Istanbul, Turkey; and Malta. Some highlights on the itinerary include a chance to explore Tanzania’s historic Stone Town, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman, the City Palace in India, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. At the final stop in Malta, travelers can learn the art of falconry from a local expert, tour Villa Bologna, and attend a musical parade thrown in their honor.

Accommodations throughout the trip are top-tier and include stays at properties like Raffles Udaipur; Palais Faraj Suites & Spa in Fez; Zuri Zanzibar; Corinthia Palace Hotel; and The Peninsula Istanbul—the T+L’s World’s Best Award winner for the Turkish city.

Travelers will have plenty of opportunities to learn and enrich themselves along the journey. A&K brand ambassador, who was born and raised in Portugal and spent six decades traveling the globe, will share his experiences and thoughts throughout the journey. Foreign correspondent Martin Regg Cohn will also be along for the ride, providing lectures about his time spent reporting in more than 40 countries and interviewing world leaders ranging from the Dalai Lama to Benjamin Netanyahu. Cohn says he’s especially excited to join this globe-trotting trip.

“It reminds me of what I found so appealing as a foreign correspondent—traveling to get a closer look at our cultural roots while also seeing the historical roots of today’s conflicts,” he said. To him, the itinerary is a way of figuratively “connecting the dots on the map.”

Undoubtedly, a highlight of the trip is A&K’s private jet, a 48-seat Boeing 757. (I was lucky enough to experience it on a birthday trip to Iceland in 2023.) Every passenger has a first-class, lie-flat seat with an iPad and noise-canceling headphones on board. They’ll also feast on elegant meals throughout the journey.

The entire trip (including the cruise) runs from Sept. 25 to. Oct. 28. Prices start at $147,950 a person based on double occupancy, with a $7,498 single supplement—50 percent off the standard fee. Check out A&K’s website for more details or booking. You can also reserve your spot by calling 800-554-7094. (We do not receive commission or compensation for posting or purchasing this tour).

This package sounds fun but doesn’t fit into our budget. However, we’ve found many affordable cruises that offer multiple ports of call, enabling travelers to visit many parts of the world and fulfilling many of our travel goals.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 23, 2015:

Upon closer inspection of a rooster’s foot in Kauai, we saw how dangerous these spurs could be. Undoubtedly, roosters know how and when to use these. We kept our distance, although he was a friendly fellow. For more photos, please click here.