In a few hours, we’ll be boarding a series of flights and headed home after 10 weeks of crisscrossing the globe. The itinerary is brutal:
- Ferry from Moorea to Tahiti: 30 minutes
- Layover in Tahiti: 8 hours
- Flight from Tahiti to Auckland: 6 hours
- Layover in Auckland: 3.5 hours
- Flight from Auckland to Sydney: 3.5 hours
- Layover in Sydney: 4 hours
- Flight from Sydney to San Francisco: 14 hours
- Layover in San Francisco: 6 hours
- Flight from San Francisco to Portland: 2 hours
Just thinking about it makes be want to stay put on this beach!
We’ve spent the last few days contemplating all the things we’ve done, all the places we’ve seen, and all the people we’ve met. We’ve compiled our Best and Worst:
Activities
Best audio tour: Killing Fields, Choeung Ek, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best cultural encounter: Village Visit, Kompheim, Cambodia
Best museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Best nature encounter: Safari in the Serengeti, Tanzania
Best temple: Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Best thrill: Leap of Faith, Aquaventure, Dubai
Activities that we wish we’d have skipped
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, England
Safari camping, Tanzania
Snorkeling, Zanzibar
Dune bashing, Dubai
Trekking, Nepal
Muay Thai Boxing, Bangkok, Thailand
Scootering, Moorea, French Polynesia
Airlines
Best food: Air New Zealand
Worst food: Bangkok Airways
Best service: Thai Airways
Worst service: (tie) United and Air New Zealand (check-in & weight restrictions are ridiculous!)
Best airport lounge: Istanbul, Turkey
Food
Best coffee: Himalaya Java, Kathmandu, Nepal
Best dessert: Chocolate Mousse at Deck One, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Best ice cream: Blue Pumpkin, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Best pizza: La Dolce, Kathmandu Nepal
Best sandwich: Albert Heijn (grocery store), Amsterdam, Netherlands
Best meal:
- Indonesia lunch, Sama Sebo, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Shellie)
- Margarita pizza, La Dolce, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Neerav)
- Pasta, Maze Grill, London, England (Nathan)
- Banana Crepe, Tahiti, French Polynesia (Aidan)
Worst meal: Monsoon Restaurant, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Least expensive food: Pokhara, Nepal
Most expensive food: Moorea, French Polynesia
Most adventuresome bite: Red ants with fish paste and rice, Kompheim, Cambodia
Hotels
Best breakfast buffet: Imperial Boat House Beach Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand
Best room: Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, Moorea, French Polynesia
Best service: Golden Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Best swimming pool: Imperial Boat House Beach Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand
Best value: Golden Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Other
Best day: Neerav’s arrival in Bangkok, Thailand
Worst day: Aidan’s vomiting 20 times in one day, Pokhara, Nepal
Second worst day: Shellie crashing scooter, Moorea, French Polynesia
Best country stay: Cambodia
Worst country stay: Nepal
I am now not sure the place you are getting your information, however good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or working out more. Thanks for magnificent info I was on the lookout for this information for my mission.
Wow, and I thought my journey back to England from Lombok, Indonesia was arduous… Yours sounds never-ending!
At least you’ll have plenty of fantastic memories to reflect on during the journey, as it seems you’ve done several amazing things 🙂
We managed and are now home. Thanks for reading, Carl!
Thanks for all the good, bad and ugly travel adventures and soon you will be home!!
What a great trip for all of you…………see you in the funny papers! :o))))
Thanks for reading, Denise.
Shellie… In a word: Outstanding. We will be consulting your stories again as we plan future travels. What an adventure for you and your family.
Thanks, Norm. Happy travels! Wish I was retired and didn’t have to go back to work!
Have loved following your adventure! What an amazing experience for you and your family! Safe travels home!
Thanks for reading, Amy.
For this old Armchair Traveler you have made my life so interesting and happy – thanks for the memories.
Happy to have you come along, Mary. Thanks for reading.
It took me 42 hours to get back from South Africa but it looks like you’ll beat that time. Just look forward to being in your own bed. Thanks for taking me along on your adventure. Safe travels home.
It is a very long trip! Thanks for reading, Joyce.
Have a good trip home. Your Mon will be happy to see you home and safe.
I’m sure she will. Thanks for reading, Terry.
Thank you so much for taking all of us along on your travels. I loved reading the comments from you and your family members. They are all terrific! Please take us along on your next adventure! It will be nice to have you back home on KATU. Safe travels.
Thanks for reading, Sheila. I’ll be back to KATU in a few weeks.
I have really enjoyed your posts everyday. What a thrill. Something your boys will remember forever. ( I’m Tate Reese’s grandma)
Hi Tate and Will’s grandma! Thanks for reading.
Thank you so much for sharing your families vacation with all of us.What wonderful memories you have given your sons. I jumped in in the middle, so plan to go back and read it all, maybe on my way to San Diego next week to see my family. Have a safe trip, abet long, home.
We have missed you on KATU, but glad you all got to go on this adventure of a lifetime. Looking forward to “seeing” you again on the news.
Thanks, Cooki. And enjoy your travels!
Best part of my day has been reading your blog first thing in the morning. Thank you for taking so many of us along with you. Safe travels.
Happy to take you along! Thanks for reading, Nordine.
What a fabulous trip. Have a safe trip back. Welcome back when you get here.
Thanks for reading, Kandye. It will be good to be home.
Francis, Samantha, and I have enjoyed reading about your adventures these past months; what a thrill! Have a safe trip home……..Nancy
Thanks for reading, Nancy and family. It will be good to be home!
Travel safely home. We can’t wait to talk to you. Love you.
Happy belated bday to Beth. I wrote on FB that we’re not really late… we crossed an international date line! 🙂
I have read your blog everyday and cannot wait to have you right in front of me telling me all the stories. I have missed you .Sorry it is going too take you so long to get home. I suppose that is the price you pay for being in paradise!!!!!!!!!I think you might be happy to see me as well…….:-) 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Joan
OMG. You’ve notice, have you?! I think that I’m scheduled next week. Geez, I hope so!!!
I’m sad that we’re just discovering your blog at the very end of your trip, but we will have to go back and read all of your previous posts because this summary of highlights and lowlights is great! Sounds like we had very similar experiences in Siem Reap – we also loved the Golden Temple Hotel and Blue Pumpkin ice cream.
Wasn’t Golden Temple fantastic?! I’m not sure that we’ll ever have that level of service again. If you get the time, you’re welcome to read previous posts. As for us, just one more to go…
So loved following your journey! Travel safely home!
Thank you for reading!
Dearest family , we have never met, but I feel I know you , I have traveled to many of the places you have been and I want to thank you for taking me back , I agree Cambodia was one of my favorite places in the world as well . . Travel is forever life changing ,it tugs your heart and opens your soul forever , you are never the same ..
Thanks so much for reading. Happy travels!
Best vacation recap: Shellie!!!!! Have a safe trip home!
Thanks, Bob. See u in a few weeks… not quite ready to come back!
Loved following you on this journey…the pictures have really brought the world closer. Thank you for sharing..safe travels home!
Thanks for reading, Caroline!
It has been a fun adventure to follow. Did the Star Alliance tickets work as advertised?
Lots of conditions when booking, but we had no troubles when traveling. Best part… completely on miles!
What a wonderful adventure!! Thank you for sharing it with all of us. It sounds like you might need another week off to recover from the trip home. 🙂 That will be a long 2 days. I hope you can get a little sleep on the lay overs or on the longer flights. I hope you have a wonderful and safe trip home!! Best wishes always.
Fortunately, I have a few weeks to re-acclimate. Not looking forward to these flights. I do hope that we can get a little sleep! Thanks for reading.
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us! It is so amazing to “see” all of these places. I certainly have added new “to do”s to my bucket list! Have a safe trek home!
Thanks for reading. Happy future travels!
Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. I’ve enjoyed seeing things I’ll probably never see, especially through the eyes of your boys. I’m sorry to see it come to an end, but you’ve been missed at home as well!
Thanks for reading, Michele! We’re ready to come home.
Have loved living the adventure through you! God bless you! Travel mercies.
Thanks for reading, Barb!
Thanks for sharing your great adventure
Thanks for trouble-shooting for me. I’ll get your cable back to you in a few days.
Have enjoyed following your 72 day adventure ! Will be glad, however, to have you back home on KATU TV…..have missed you there. Thank so much for letting me be a part of your adventures; loved living vicariously through you. Travel home safely.
Thanks, Patsy! I’ll be back to work in a few weeks.