Windstar Cruise: The Treasures of Southern Spain and Morocco

Mrs. Traveling Honeymooners grandparents were celebrating a very special anniversary recently and chose to spend it with our family. After pondering what a family of thirteen people could do all together, we came up with the idea to take a Windstar cruise!

Before we get ahead of ourselves here, we are a bit of a picky crowd because we all LOVE to travel, eat good food and cruising. We have been on multiple cruises in our lifetime, on a variety of cruise lines. With that being said, we knew we wanted something really special for this trip. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner’s Aunt had been on a Windstar Cruise along the Dalmatian Coast the previous year and loved every second of it. Thats really all she talked about for about a year so the rest of us figured we needed to try out a Windstar Cruise.

Benefits of Traveling on a Windstar Cruise:

• The ships are more like yachts and typically hold between 200-350 people or less
• The food is fantastic
• The service is fantastic
• Every room is an exterior room
• The stops are well planned and all have a lot to offer

Our Itinerary:

Click here to see our Itinerary

We also used Rosie Goldberger from Vanguard travel to help us plan our day trips and accommodations in Barcelona and Lisbon.

Our family loves history and exploring historical sites so we spent a majority of time exploring at each port.

Barcelona

To learn more about our time in Barcelona click here. We spent three days in Barcelona before setting sail on our cruise and enjoyed every minute of it.

Tarragona

Ibiza

Cartagena

We docked in Cartagena on Sunday so many of the restaurants and stores were closed.  However, we were able to tour a few historical sites and wonder the streets before heading back to the boat. The weather in Cartagena was beautiful and made it easy for us to explore. 

Granada

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Alhambra. The pictures we took do not even begin to do justice to this beautiful place. We hired a private driver and tour guide and took a day trip from port and it was one of the coolest things any of us had ever experienced. I would highly recommend hiring a driver and a tour guide if you plan on visiting the Alhambra.

Malaga

Tangier

Lisbon

We had so much fun on our cruise and would take another Windstar Cruise in a heartbeat.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO,

Traveling Honeymooners

South Beach, Miami

We have had so much going on we have not had time to post in quite a while.  My hope is to post about what we have been up to for the last few months. Until then… one of the things that has kept us preoccupied, besides traveling is that we have a baby on the way!

Baby Girl Traveler is due in February!  With our due date quickly approaching and the weather in Houston being ultra crummy as of late, we knew we needed to get away. What better place to take a baby moon than South Beach?!

We were looking for a beach, good food, and fun activities to do and Miami fit the bill perfectly. We had the BEST baby moon!

Accommodations

Metropolitan By Como

We had a difficult time choosing which hotel to stay at because there are so many options in South Beach! We ended up choosing the Como because we liked that it was located a little bit further North, which provided us with a little bit more of a chill vibe. We were not looking to party and stay up all night. The location was just far enough North that we were able to get to everything we wanted to get to in a reasonable amount of time but not be in the thick of the crowds.

The hotel itself was very nice. The hotel staff was wonderful and very accommodating. We requested a room with a balcony and partial ocean view, which is exactly what we got. The full ocean view rooms at the Como do not have balconies and were much more expensive which wasn’t worth it to us because we knew we would be spending most of our time outdoors. The rooms were comfortable and updated. The beach and pool at the Metropolitan were both great too.

Ours Eats

We had some of the best food during our stay in South Beach. Every single meal was delicious and every restaurant was very accommodating to Mrs. Traveling Honeymooners gluten free needs. Some of our meals were quick snacks while others were elegant and fancy.

Breakfast, Brunch & Snacks

Pura Vida
110 Washington Ave #2, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Dirt
232 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Lillikoi Organic
500 South Pointe Dr #180, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Joe The Juice

1600 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139Traymore
2445 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Lunch

Orange Blossom
2000 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Dinner

Upland
49 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Spriga
1228 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Joe Stone Crab
11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Rosa Mexicano
1111 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Dessert

Gelato-Go
458 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

 

Our Activities

Boardwalk

The boardwalk is a path that runs along the beach from the southern point of South Beach, all the way to North Beach. The path is beautiful and is perfect for walking or biking. We chose to walk and bike the boardwalk multiple times during our stay.

To learn more about the boardwalk click here. 

Lincoln Road Mall

Lincoln Mall is an outdoor mall which has clothing shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars.

To learn more about Lincoln Road Mall click here.

Art Festival

Miami is full of festivals and culture. There always seems to be something fun going on. The weekend we were there, the Art Deco Street Festival was in full swing. Ocean Drive was packed with vendors and s

Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive runs along the beach and is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. We had so much fun walking up and down Ocean Drive.  In the evenings, the road is blocked off so people can walk the streets and enjoy all that South Beach has to offer.

Overall, we had a blast in Miami and were very sad to leave! Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Traveling Honeymooners

 

 

Tips for Surviving a Long Flight

Long flights are inevitable when you have a passion for traveling, but they do not have to be uncomfortable and boring. Since we have been on many flights for various lengths of time, we have found a few things that help make the long journey a bit more enjoyable. We have compiled a list of things you can do to make the time fly by and keep your body and mind occupied during your long flight.

Walk Around 

Sitting for long periods of time is not good for our bodies in general and it is especially not good to sit for an extended length of time on an airplane. Making it a point to walk the aisles of the airplane during your long flight can help pass the time and avoid stiffness.

Exercise Before the Flight

Exercising before a flight can make a world of difference when traveling. When flying long distances, stiffness can set in which can be frustrating and lead to a lot of other health issues. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner likes to do a high intensity workout before leaving for a new city because she has a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time.

Bring a Pilates Band

A pilates band is small, flexible and a great tool to do a simple workout on the plane! If you are going to sit on a plane for an excruciatingly long time, you might as well get an arm workout in, right?!

Bring Snacks

Traveling any length of time as someone with Celiac Disease can be tricky. Airlines typically serve snacks that are loaded with gluten! Pretzels, crackers… no thank you! We like to plan ahead and pack snacks that are easy to open, that are not messy and are gluten free. Just in case we get stuck somewhere, like that time we got stuck on the runway for twelve hours straight on the way home from Arizona..more on that later…Bottom line: it is always better to be prepared.

Bring DVD Copies of your Favorite Show or Movies

If you have a computer with a DVD drive (I know this is so last year now that the cool thing for Apple to do is make computers without these crazy things) then bring DVD’s of a TV series! We have found that it is impossible to stream Netflix or any other show we like to watch on an airplane so we like to kick it oldschool and watch DVD’s while traveling. During our flight to Asia, we watched almost the entire season of Gilmore Girls in preparation for the new release of “A Year in a Life”.

Sleep

Is there a better way to pass the time than sleeping? I think not. If you want a more in depth article on when to sleep on a plane and how to beat jet lag, then click here. The point is, pack your pajamas and eye mask so you can feel comfortable enough to sleep.

Pack the Essentials in your Carryon Bag

We have not checked a bag in over four years and have traveled around the world in a carry on bag each. Yes, you read that correctly, one carry on bag each. And we normally travel for extended periods of time. So we always have our essentials with us on board but if you like packing in large suitcases, make sure to out the things you need in your carry on.

Read or Listen to a Book

We have an app called Audible, and before each flight we download a book or two so we can listen to that during the flight.

We hope these tips and tricks help you prepare for your next flight!

XOXO,

The Traveling Honeymooners

Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is an island of Thailand and is known its beautiful beaches and exciting party scene.  We knew if we ever had the chance to visit Thailand, then Phuket was a place we wanted to see and experience.

We flew from Chiang Mai to Phuket and immediately felt the shift in energy. While Chiang Mai was quiet and peaceful, Phuket was energetic and filled with people ready to party and have some fun. It was a nice shift to feel after having spent four nights relaxing and rejuvenating in Chiang Mai.

Phuket’s streets are lined with markets, restaurants, bars and is home to Bangla Road, where you can find a very active nightlife scene. Bangla road is located right in the middle of Patong Beach, which is a beach resort town on the west coast of the island. If you go to Phuket, Bangla Road is definitely a site to see!

Kata Beach

After spending a few days soaking up the sun on Patong Beach we were looking for a change of pace so we decided to visit Kata Beach. Our hotel offered free shuttle ride to and from Kata so we decided to take advantage of it and explore a different part of the island. The ride from our hotel to Kata Beach was about fifteen to twenty minutes. Kata was much quieter then Patong beach and the sand seemed to be much cleaner. There was also a man renting out umbrellas and sand mats so we rented both for about $2. The water was also much clearer in Kata than it was in Patong Beach. We spent the day swimming in the ocean and relaxing. There were also many resorts near Kata beach, all of which looked very nice.

Accommodations:

We were originally going to stay on the northern part of Phuket because it is known to be a bit more relaxing but after doing some research we decided to stay on the southern part of the island because we wanted a bit more activity and we wanted to be closer to the night life that Phuket is known for. We chose to stay in Patong Beach at the Amari Resort which is located right on the water and about a five minute walk from Bangla Road. The resort is a big and is located close enough to all of the nightlife but just far enough away from the commotion to still feel like a retreat. The pools were beautiful and overlooked the ocean. The breakfast buffet was huge, and filled with every type of food you could imagine, including many gluten free options.

Our Eats:

La Gritta

The resort has three different restaurants. We chose to eat at the Italian restaurant located on the property one evening and had a wonderful time. The food was excellent and they had plenty of gluten free options. The chef visited with us at our table and made sure to accommodate Mrs. Traveling Honeymooners gluten free needs. The best part was the views! The restaurant sits right on the edge of the bay which gives you views of the gorgeous sunset, Phuket is known for.

No. 9 on 2nd Street

Our last night in Phuket, we really wanted some yummy thai food in a casual setting.  We took a tuk tuk from our hotel to No. 9 which took about ten minutes and arrived at the small restaurant. Since the restaurant only has about fifteen tables, we had to wait a little while before we could be seated.  No. 9 had been recommended to us multiple times by fellow travelers and friends so we knew we couldn’t go wrong by trying it. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner had no issue ordering her favorite thai dish, chicken with steamed vegetables while Mr. Traveling Honeymooner loved his pad thai. If you are looking for traditional Thai food, this is the place to go!

Rustic Eatery & Bar

After eating Thai food three weeks straight, Mr. Traveling Honeymooner was craving some good Italian food. We had walked by Rustic multiple times during our stay and it looked warm and inviting so we decided to try it. I wish I had taken more pictures of the inside of the restaurant to show how cozy it was. We were seated in the back wine room where we were greeted by the chef himself. The chef walked us through the specials and offered us wine paring options for our meal. The meal was fantastic! It was the perfect Italian meal!

During our stay we also stopped by the street markets to get Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner her favorite drink, fresh coconut water. In Thailand, they serve the coconut whole, and cut it open when you purchase it and it is delicious!!!

Overall, we had a blast in Phuket. We just wish we had more time to spend exploring all of the small islands off the coast of Thailand!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO,

The Traveling Honeymooners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fredericksburg, Texas

Fredericksburg, Texas is a quaint little town located about an hour and a half west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country. Fredericksburg is known for their wineries and beautiful scenery….what better place to go for a girls trip?!

We knew we all wanted to be together and stay in and cook one night so we decided to rent an Air B&B right outside of town. It was the cutest little house! There were cows and sheep on the property which was the coolest thing to see. The views were spectacular and the weather was cool and breezy which was a perfect break from the Houston heat and busy city life. We choose to book our house through a company called Absolute Charm and were very pleased!

We left Houston around 5pm on a Friday and got into Fredericksburg around 9:30pm so we ate in the first night. One of the girls was really smart and bought all of the food for the trip in Houston, before we left. I would recommend doing this if you are getting in late and have a kitchen! While we were there, we did not see a major grocery store. I am sure there is one, we just didn’t come across it. There are plenty of wonderful restaurants in the center of town too!

Saturday was wine tasting day! We toured three wineries and that was plenty. Since our house was a bit outside of town, we rented a party bus to pick us up from our house and take us to the 290 Wine Tasting Tour Shuttle. The 290 shuttle is a hop on-hop off shuttle that runs from 10:30am to about 4pm and costs about $15 per person. It is sooo worth it! If you buy wine at any winery, they tag it and hold it for you until the end of your tour. For all you city folk, Fredericksburg doesn’t have Uber so you have to find other means of transportation.

Our first stop was Grape Creek Winery. This was everyone’s favorite winery! They had beautiful patio seating and really good food and wine. We ordered a gluten free pizza and a cheese plate to share and it was delicious! The tasting included 6 wines for $25. I marked the wines I tried. My favorites were the Cuvee Blanc and the Bellissimo. There were multiple areas where you could taste wine which was nice because it was very busy!

The only downside to Grape Creek was that they only allow groups of 6 or less…so we had to split into two groups to get in the doors. Also, you have to be a wine club member to by a bottle and sit on the patio and drink….ANNOYING! My advice: buy three bottles of wine when you enter so you can get a free tasting and become a wine club member for the month.

Our next stop was Becker Winery. Becker had live music and a huge patio that overlooked the vineyards. The tasting room was small and PACKED! We were not in the mood to wait in line so we purchased three bottles of wine and had our own tasting on the back patio. It was perfect.

Our last stop was Fat Ranch Winery. Fat Ranch had a more laid back Texas feel to it. There was a live band, picnic tables and outdoor games to play. Fat Ranch was packed! We decided not to do a tasting because we didn’t want to wait in line so we bought three more bottles of wine to try. Fat Ranch is known for their peach wine. The peach wine was good but it was extremely sweet. It tasted like a dessert wine to me but everyone seemed to love it.

Fat Ranch was our last stop because before we knew it, the last bus was arriving to take us back into town!I think it is safe to say that everyone was ready to go home and sleep off all of the wine we had consumed.

Our original plan was to have Sunday brunch at The Herb Farm but the weather took a turn for the worse so we decided to hit the road earlier than we had planned.

By Sunday everyone was ready to head back to Houston. It was sad to say goodbye to such a beautiful place bit I can guarantee we will be back again soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner

 

 

Santa Monica, California

Some friends of ours were getting married in Ojai, California this past July so we thought “Why not make a weekend out of it?!” Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner had never been to Los Angeles before and she had been itching to go. So we did our research and chose to stay in Santa Monica. We both love the beach and love to walk everywhere when we travel so we figured staying in Santa Monica was a good choice.

Accommodations

A few of our friends who live in California, recommended The Huntley Hotel at Santa Monica Beach. The hotel was beautiful and had recently been refinished. The lobby of the hotel was beautiful and the hotel staff were great. We stayed in a regular room which was nice. It was not too big or too small and the bed was comfortable. The major draw to stay at The Huntley is The Penthouse, which is the restaurant located on the top floor of the hotel. While you eat, you can enjoy a gorgeous view of Santa Monica.

The Huntley was walking distance from the Third Street Promenade, where we did a bit of shopping. The hotel was also walking distance to the beach and the Santa Monica Pier which we walked multiple times during our stay.

The hotel was great! The only downside to our stay was that The Penthouse Restaurant did not offer many gluten free items on their menu and their staff was not well informed on Celiac Disease. This was a major shock to us because everywhere else we ate during our stay in California was very well informed.

Our Eats

During our stay we had some delicious meals! On Friday night we decided to meet up with some of our California native friends of ours for dinner and they recommended a restaurant called The Misfit. Apparently The Misfit was the place to be because there was a long wait and at the time, they did not take reservations. So we decided to put our name down and walk the pier until our name got closer to the top of the waiting list.

Dinner was delicious and they accommodated Mrs. Traveling Honeymooners gluten free needs with no problem at all. Even their menu states that they can easily accommodate any gluten free, vegan or vegetarian needs. They even have gluten free bread and macaroni and cheese! When we go back to Santa Monica, we would love to eat here again.

For lunch the next day we ventured out and went to Kreation Organic Kafe. This is a cute little place that serves a variety of fresh squeezed juices, coffee and teas as well as raw vegan and gluten free foods. apparently they have a few locations around Los Angeles but we visited the one in Venice. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner got a juice called Clarity and Mr. Traveling Honeymooner got one called Serenity. Both juices were refreshing, especially since it was a hot day. Kreation Organic Kafe is located of a great shopping street so after lunch, we walked and shopped a bit before we headed to the beach!

Before we left for Ojai, we stopped at Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner got a slice of gluten free lemon poppy seed bread and a coffee and Mr. Traveling Honeymooner got an egg sandwich. Our breakfast of quick, convenient and tasty.

Overall, even though our trip was short, we had a great time!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

The Traveling Honeymooners

Patara Elephant Farm: Chiang Mai

Visiting elephants in Thailand is a very controversial topic, and we plan to write more about the seedy, dark side of elephant tourism in a later post. However, for this post, we just want to share our wonderful, personal experience we had at Patara Elephant Farm.

After months of research and several recommendations from friends, we decided to visit Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai and we are so glad we did! We chose to participate in the full day experience and we loved very second of it. We were at Patara for eight hours but the time flew by and it felt like we were only there for a short time.

Patara is located in the mountains of Chiang Mai and is about an hour drive from the city. We chose to hire a driver to take us to Patara and pick us up and would recommend doing so if you are interested in visiting Patara.

We started our day by meeting with a Mahout, an elephant care taker, and learned all about Patara, their mission and their elephants. All of Patara’s elephants have been rescued from a poor situation or were born there through their breeding program and are each taken care of by their own Mahout. We LOVE elephants so learning even more about them was really fun.

Next we were introduced to a Mama elephant and her two babies. It was a very humbling experience to be able to feed them their favorite foods (bananas and sugar cane) and be up close and personal with such special creatures.

After about an hour, our small group of six people walked up the mountain to meet more elephants. We were each assigned an elephant to take care of for the day.

During our visit we gave our elephants massages, checked a variety of things (including their poop to make sure they were healthy), fed them, bathed them, walked through the forest with them, fed them some more and watched them interact with each other the way elephants love to do. They also served us a delicious lunch of local staples like chicken, fruit, rice and coconut cakes. Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner stuck with eating the fruit and rice to be safe. A few of the elephants even joined us for lunch! Did I mention elephants LOVE fruit?! We eventually just fed the elephants all of our fruit and we all walked away happy.

Mrs. Honeymooner of course volunteered Mr. Honeymooner to help the mahout demonstrate how to check the elephants poop.

As you can probably tell from the photos, elephants love water and they love to play! We had so much fun interacting with the elephants and taking care of them. Patara was definitely one of the major highlights of our trip and we will remember our experiences there for the rest of our lives.

Tips for preparing for Patara:

Patara Elephant Farm only lets twelve people on their property a day, so book well in advance. We booked about eight months in advance and filled up the last two spots they had available for the entire month of November.  To book, you can visit their website by clicking here.

We wore a bathing suit under our clothes and were so glad we did because we got soaked in the river. Make sure to bring an extra change of clothes to change into after your visit. They have clean bathrooms where you can change.

Wear flip flops because tennis shoes may get ruined.

Bring bug spray! The forest is full of misquotes so it is good to make sure you have protection.

Lastly, have a blast!

We hope you get to visit Patara too one day!

Thank you for stopping by!

XOXO

The Traveling Honeymooners

Cooking Class: Ubud, Bali

Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner LOVES to cook and Mr. Traveling Honeymooner loves to eat. So naturally we wanted to take a traditional Balinese cooking class during out stay in Ubud.

We chose to take our private cooking class at Kayun Organic Restaurant and we are so glad we did! The restaurant grows all of their own fruits and vegetables in their organic garden, which is absolutely beautiful.

We started our class off by picking our ingredients from the garden, which was fun!

After gathering all of our fruits and vegetables, we headed over to the outdoor kitchen and started to cook.

 

The menu for the day consisted of traditional Balinese dishes like curry soup, chicken satay, fish cooked in banana leaves, hibiscus tea, and coconut salad. We chopped, grated and mixed everything by hand and after about two hours we were able to eat all of our hard work. The best part was that all of the food we made was naturally gluten free!

Overall, it was a really fun day!

Bali had so many different cooking schools, so if you are in the area we would encourage you to try one out!

Thank you for reading!

XOXO

The Traveling Honeymooners

Beating Jet Lag

Here at TravelingHoneymooners.com we have a very short list of things we do not like about traveling, but jet lag is definitely on that list! Missing our dogs are also on that list but more on that later…

There is nothing worse than getting to your destination and feeling exhausted, especially if you have limited time at said destination. So here are some tips and tricks to help you beat the jet lag and help you maximize your vacation time.

In the weeks leading up to your flight, start to notice your bedtime rituals. What do you do in the hour before you go to bed? Do you brush your teeth (let’s hope so), dim the lights, brush your hair, put on lotion, read a book, change into comfy clothes or drink tea? Start to notice your bedtime routine. If you are someone who just gets home and falls asleep anywhere and doesn’t have any sleep hygiene, then you should probably make an appointment with Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner at her office in Houston so you can restore healthy sleeping patterns; yes, Mrs. Traveling Honeymooner is a psychotherapist and sleep hygiene is something she is very passionate about. Anyhow…once you start to notice your evening patterns, jot them down or remember them for your next flight. Keeping your evening routine, even while traveling and on a plane, is a sure-fire way to make sure you get quality sleep.

Plan ahead and make sure you pack things in your carry on that make you feel comfortable. Whether it is a neck pillow, eye cover, ear plugs, an extra sweater, your pajamas, etc; pack it. Leave the tight, restricting jeans and your high heels in your luggage or at home. Whatever will help you endure your long flight, pack it and have it handy when it comes time to wind down.

When you book your flight, take into account your flight time in relation to the time at your destination. For example, if you live in Houston and are traveling to Southeast Asia, it is probably best to take an evening flight because you will want to sleep the first leg of your trip because Asia is thirteen hours ahead of Houston. Vise versa if you are traveling from Southeast Asia to Houston. While this may not always be possible, it is good to keep in mind when booking flights.

Lastly, the second you sit down in your seat on the airplane, set your watch to the time it is at your destination. This will help you get acclimated to your new time zone and let you know when to sleep and when to stay awake.

We hope these tips help you beat the jet lag and maximize your trip!

XOXO

The Traveling Honeymooners

 

Lombok

We arrived in Lombok via fast boat yesterday morning and have felt relaxed ever since. What a change of pace from the bustling streets of Bali. Lombok doesn’t have traffic and the street are wide, with plenty of room for cars to drive both ways. If you have ever been to Ubud, you probably know what I am talking about. If not, you just have to experience the “traffic” for yourself while exploring Bali. I have LOVED every single place we have visited on this trip to Asia. Each place has been so unique and had so much to offer us. However, I have to say, the subtle sound of crashing waves and the sunshine here in Lombok have welcomed us with open arms and have allowed us to take a big deep breath and find deep relaxation.

From Ubud, the east harbor was about an hour and fifteen minute car ride. We chose to take Bluewater Express which apparently was the most reliable fast boat company. We didn’t really understand the meaning of “reliable” until we got all loaded up on the boat and were cruising at a fairly fast speed. About twenty minutes into our trip the boat broke down and we floated for a bit while the captain and his men tinkered with the engines. After about fifteen minutes we were on our way again. This routine happened three different times during our journey but we made it to Lombok safely. I would hate to think of what an unreliable company would look like. Anyhow, the boat ride was peaceful and enjoyable. We met lots of fun people and chatted with them about their travels. The total time spent on the boat was about two and a half hours. Normally the ride is about an hour and a half. The thing I liked about Bluewater Express was that you could choose to sit on the roof of the boat, or inside. It was a beautiful day so we chose to sit outside and enjoy the breeze.

Accommodations

We are staying at Qunci Villas on the main island of Lombok. From the Harbor, Qunci is about a thirty minute car ride. The hotel is beautiful and the service is great. Before our trip, we made sure all of the hotels knew that I have Celiac Disease and Qunci has been very accommodating to my gluten free needs.

Our first night here we were tired from being in the sun all day so we chose to eat at the Mediterranean restaurant at Qunci. The food was delicious and the kitchen even made be gluten free bread to have with my mussels. I think the key to gluten free traveling almost anywhere is to let the hotels know you are gluten free well in advance and remind them upon arrival. This has been incredibly helpful for me and would recommend it to anyone who has a food restriction.

The rooms are nice. The bed is a bit firm for our liking but we slept comfortably and loved that we could hear the waves from our room. One thing to note about this resort is that each room has it’s own bathroom, but the bathroom is all outdoors. Meaning the toilet, sink and shower are all private, but open air. This is very common in Indonesia but this is the first hotel where were we have experienced it. Overall we have enjoyed our stay here!

Exploring

Today we took a slow boat from Lombok to Gili Air, Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno which are small islands just off the coast of northwest Lombok. We had so much fun snorkeling and exploring the islands. The Gili islands do not allow any motorized vehicles so you can explore the islands on foot, bike or horse drawn carriage. We chose to rent snorkeling gear from the people at the Harbor in Lombok but you could rent snorkeling gear anywhere on any island. The only regret we have about visiting the islands was that we did not have a GoPro or waterproof camera with us to capture all of the beautiful fish and sea turtles we swam with!

Tonight we are going to eat in the town of Senggigi which is about ten minutes from Qunci Villas. We have been told this is the place to visit in the evenings for dinner and drinks.

Update: We went into town and ate dinner at Asmara Restaurant & Bar and had a great time! They were very accommodating to my gluten free needs and served us one of the best meals we have had since eating at Bridges in Ubud! The Restaurant also offers a free shuttle to and from our Hotel, and others in the area.

We are also considering visiting Kuta tomorrow. Kuta is famous for snorkeling, surfing and scuba diving. We shall see!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

The Traveling Honeymooners