(Euro) Trip of a Lifetime: Venice

It's that time of the year - Our annual HONEYMOON has finally arrived! (Yes, we go on an annual honeymoon) We had our bags backed, our GoPro Storage Renewed, and our passports ready! Just like that, we were off for an adventure through the big hitters of Europe and our first stop was Venice, Italy.

We decided to do an Italian Tour with GoAhead tours, which was actually really nice - everything was easily mapped out for us before hand so our only job was to get there. We hopped on our plane from London, headed to Venice and then off to our fairytale hotel on the CUTEST little Island outside of Venice named Lido. To be completely honest, at first we were bummed that we weren't staying on the famous island of Venice but by the end of our stay - we completely understood why GoAhead selected Lido as our escape. It was a small island feel minus the "island time" pace - the drivers don't mess around, the food service was speedy (and delicious) and we felt like we were on set, filming for a retro Italian movie the entire time we were there! That's how perfect this place was.

After aday and night of exploring our cozy new home, Lido, we made our way to Venice. We lucked out and had an amazing tour guide that shared with us the in's and out's, do and don'ts, facts, and opinions about the amazing "sinking city". So incredible! We made our way through the alley's of Venice, learned about the art of glass blowing (ain't no walk in the park!), and of course toured Saint Mark's Basilica. The entire tour only took about 30 minutes and we then had some time to wander on our own. Wandering aimlessly in Venice is highly recommended. Between all the canals, greenery, gondola's and amazing architecture/building structure, you cannot go wrong! Even when the island became extremely crowded with people, it was easy to find some backways that were quiet, serene and empty.

We hung around Venice for a couple of hours after our GoAhead headed back to Lido as we had previously booked a gondola tour though our Chase Sapphire Card. Great option if you're not already on a tour but we failed to realize that we'd be doubling up on adventures and tours. Not to mention it was hotter than the devils armpits, a really long day (about 12 hours on the Island), with minimal shade, and little, to no free, open seating. Once we realized what we had done, we almost instantly regretted the choice of "saving a couple pennies) and booking a tour on our own with points as opposed to the optional tour with GoAhead. Despite the heat, long day and feet cramps we stuck it out like champs because... GONDOLA RIDE! Isn't that one of the main reasons people go to Venice? Let's be real.

So after about 3 hours of delirious conversation and eating our 8th meal of the day (just so we could sit down somewhere) it was time for us to go on our "one of kind, romantic, gondola ride, just the two of us" - little did we know... By this time we were already somewhat over the day thanks to jet lag and we were really looking forward to just relaxing on the Grand Canal together. So off we went! We ended up getting lost finding trying to find our next tours meeting spot (by this time, we were about 2 hours into our aimless walk through the maze that is Venice Alleyways). However! We're proud to say we were able to find our way back to Saint Marks Square and navigate to the tour meet up spot from there. TIP: If you end up lost on Venice, just head back to the Square and start over.

The tour that we had booked through Chase offered a walking tour of Venice but seeing as how we had already been walking for 6 hours at the time and had already experienced a separate walking tour through GoAhead, we opted out of the tour and just met up with our tour group at the Gondolas. We tried to lead the pack as we made our way to the common gondola port in attempts to snag the first gondola for 2reasons: 1. To wrap things up on Venice as quick as possible so we could go home and rest up & 2. We were hoping to snag a duo gondola or at least the front two seats on the gondola that sit together. BUT! As luck would have it, we got to the front of the line and heard, "You 2 - you go on this gondola". Aaron and I looked at the Gondola, looked at each other and then hesitantly wobbled our way on to the Gondola. We were with 4 other women that were selfie stick happy. Aaron had to sit up front by himself and I had to share knee space with not one, but TWO perfect strangers. Had we known that this is what our "romantic gondola ride" was going to look like, we would have skipped the gondola all together and headed back to Lido for a romantic cat nap and some gelato. But... as goes life. Here's a couple of shots we got on the worlds most romantic glide around the Grand Canal.

Clearly BEFORE we knew we were going to ride with 4 other women...

At the end of it all, we decided that truly 4 hours is more than enough time to spend on Venice.  As beautiful as it was, and how impressive the history and traditions are on the island, the fact that there wasn't really a place to sit, recharge and keep it pumping (unless you're staying on the island) trumped all Venice wondering desires that we had.

• Get there EARLY to snag photos without 8 billion people in the background. We're talking 6am early - it's worth it!
• When you fly into Venice, you can either take a water taxi or take public transportation (bus) to get to different areas
• There are ZERO cars on Venice so wear comfy shoes and bring that Fitbit to easily win any "steps challenge" you're a part of
• Be prepared to pay about $40-70(USD) for a couple cups of coffee and ice cream in Saint Marks Square - no joke, no exaggeration. Ironically, purchasing food/drink is the only way to get you a seat and some shade in the Square
• There are public toilets, but be prepared to pay to use them
• If you're not sure which boat to take when leaving/going to another island, ASK! There are few things worse than hopping on the wrong boat
• Gondola's are cool, but some may not think they're worth the ride and/or the price that you have to pay - it's pretty hefty!
• Tours are great for the history buffs out there! If you're there just to stroll and take pictures, no need to book a tour in advance

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Top Paid Activities in Bora Bora

Now that we’ve dabbled into the FREE activities you can enjoy while vacationing at one of the most expensive locations to visit, let’s talk on the things that may strike your pocket book a bit. We guarantee you that it’ll be more than worth it.

When we were originally looking at Bora Bora for our honeymoon, we were driven by the fact that we wanted to lay around and do absolutely nothing but enjoy the newlywed life and play it by ear. But once we really started looking into this trip, we realized that Bora Bora is one of those places that you MUST research and plan out before you visit if you plan on doing more than getting your tan on and sippin’ on piña coladas. It’s not like the other vacation spots where you can always live spontaneously and visit without reservations. If you visit Bora Bora without a GP (game plan, for those not in the know), you can run into the issue of activities selling out before you’re able to book. To maintain the small island feel, they usually take smaller groups of people per tour, we’re talking 4-8 people per tour. Our biggest tour group was filled with a whopping 9 people, 10 if you include the tour guide. So booking early is key! Another issue you may run into is finding yourself over paying for a specific activity – which doesn’t always fit into ones budget. So! before you head over to this GORGEOUS French Polynesian island, make sure you find out what activities you want to do and which activities are actually worth the arm and leg you will more than likely have to pay. From there, you can plan and purchase accordingly.

Shockingly, there are quite a few options to add to your itinerary in Bora Bora (more than we were expecting anyway). After a couple hours of research, here is the list of our favorite activities that we decided to take on:  

4x4 Jeep Tour

The first activity on our Bora Bora itinerary was the 4x4 Jeep Tour on the main island of Vaitape.  This tour was one of our favorites: Aaron’s because he absolutely loves history and Tey’s because of the unbelievable views!  This ended up being the best tour to start our vacation because we learned a lot about the local populace, what the main island has to offer and we even discovered the creation of the island itself. 

The “jeep”, which was actually a dilapidated/questionable Land Rover, takes you on several stops around the island.  You’ll drive around the main island and quickly learn how there is no such thing as driving laws and also find out why Land Rovers don’t really depreciate in price. Even though our jeep was at least 20 years old, we found ourselves literally climbing the side of the mountain despite the ditches, boulders and slick terrain.

Once we stopped worrying about tipping, flipping and/or skidding down the mountain to our death we were instantly taken aback by the unbeatable views. Even with gray skies on the day of our tour, we were still able to enjoy the lush greenery that surrounded us, along with the amazing panoramic views of the barrier reef, valley, and lagoon.

We made about 4 stops in total and each provided detailed history about the island.  One of our favorite stops brought us to cannons that were actually remnants from World War II, remaining in their original positions. These beasts were placed here by the United States in defense attempts against naval attack. Pretty awesome!

Our last stop took us to explore the fashion trends of the Island. We learned how sarongs are created and designed using stencils and sun stains. Also, we were randomly provided the “option” to hold live crabs. And by option I mean they told us, “Here take it” as they threw these feisty beasts our way.

We shared our time on this tour with a couple from France; they couldn’t speak English very well and we couldn’t speak French … at all (thanks for nothing, Señora Trueba!). But sharing the experience with people from the other side of the planet that were just as curious and intrigued as we were, was an experience in itself.  By the end of the tour we were the best of friends laughing about Aaron’s attempts to learn the romantic language of French. TIP: “Photo” in French is literally…wait for it… FOTO! We should have taken on the task of learning French before we went to the French Polynesian….. #RookieMoves

Jet Ski Tour

We booked this through Matira Jet Ski Tours directly and combined it with their ATV tour.  Although you can likely rent jet skis at your resort, we recommend doing so through Matira Jet Tours. The price is almost 50% less than what our resort wanted to charge us, twice the distance and likely twice the fun! Something to note: you cannot rent jet skis anywhere in Bora Bora and have free reign. Something about liability of death, yadda yadda. Therefore, all rentals are guided, limited in exploring space or require you to sit caboose, what’s the fun in that? So Matira is definitely the way to go.

The jet skiing here is incredible (obvi). The tour with Matira takes you around the entire island of Vaitape which is built around Mount Otemanu, a volcano created island (impressive, ey). The day we toured, was quite possibly the worst day to tour. We’re talking rain and super choppy water. Regardless, we were having the time of our life darting around from island to island looking at all the beautiful scenery Bora Bora had to offer with a cool ocean breeze that was more like a 40mph “breeze”, in our face. Never have we ever swallowed so much ocean water and had so much salt in our eyes.

 At the halfway point of this tour, our guide made a pit stop for a small picnic on a random island in the ocean (that also doubled as someone’s backyard… talk about a friendly community). Our guide showed us how to shuck coconuts, get milk from them (which is GREAT for your skin and delicious), and also showed us the proper way to crack one open for coconut water. For the record, fresh coconut water tastes NOTHING like the carton, grade B “coconut water” we drink state side – it was so good! Our guide also prepared the best fresh fruits we have ever had.  The pictures we were able to snap were some of the best on the trip. If you go, be sure to pack your cameras for this one! … just don’t drop it in the ocean unless you invest in a camera/phone float like we did! Thanks, GoPro!

ATV Tour

This tour covered most of the jeep tour spots we covered the day previous, minus a couple different areas that you can only access using a 4x4. Even though the stops were the same and there were some similar history facts shared, we recommend doing both! 

Weaving between dogs, trees, and people around the whole island was a blast!  This ride is not for the weak hearted – you will without exaggeration be climbing sides of the mountain that carry a 45 degree slope. You will feel like you’re going to tip backwards when you’re climbing up and your instincts will have you “leaning back” like Fat Joe on your way down. It’s EXTREME quad riding. And it’s amazing!

You just cannot beat these views...am I right!?

Dinner  at a Different Resort

We stayed at Le Meridian but ventured on over to our neighboring resort, the St. Regis, for dinner.  The fact that we couldn’t afford to stay at this 5 star resort didn’t stop us from splurging on a 5 star dinner. And boy oh BOY are we glad we did!? The fact of the matter is, you’ll likely be paying about $125+ on dinner anywhere you go so you may as well spend the extra $50 and go all out one night. Typically, we don’t spend $200+ on meals but we figured we were in Bora Bora on our Honeymoon, and that was a special enough occasion to drop a Benjamin or two. Go big or go home! Le Meridien coordinated our taxi to and from the neighboring resort which was a nice touch and once we arrived, the St. Regis taxi ushers knew us by name before we even spoke and made us feel like we were royalty. They showed us to our table which was right on top of one of the see through floor panes they had throughout their restaurant.  We sat in awe and slight panic as you see all the fish and SHARK activity below. The food was incredible and the wine was even better. If you want a romantic dinner, this is the place to go. Whether you decide to splurge on a 5 star dinner or not, we highly recommend exploring different resorts so you can get a taste of what other resorts have to offer both view, scenery and activity wise.  

Top 6 Things to do in Bora Bora... FOR FREE

Bora Bora is one of those places you see pictures of and think “Wow, that looks fake!” or “I really wish I could vacation there…” and you are caught dreaming of all the adventures you would embark on during your dream vacation.  We had the same thoughts about it when we first started looking at honeymoon destinations.  With some good research and planning (all Tey) you can definitely make this trip a reality!

The activities in Bora Bora are seemingly endless with fun in the sun which really makes planning out a day super easy!  When we first got to Le Meridien we were welcomed with a local musical greeting, and yes, it was my first “concert”... sadly enough... but it was a great concert! After the music stopped, we and our bags were swooped up for check-in and off we went into the wild dream of Bora Bora!  Once we checked-in, we were driven out in a golf cart to our overwater bungalow and on the way there, I already had the GoPro out filming everything from sand to the sky, this place is beyond words. It's truly something you must experience. Though pictures and video don't do it justice, we were snapping pictures and recording video as often as we could when weren't too busy picking our jaws off the sand.

Once we arrived into our beautifully set-up overwater bungalow with gifts everywhere, I went straight out back, disregarding the room (and my wife’s comments on how amazing the room was), to look at the water for signs of animal wild life…which I FOUND!  “Shark!!”  Tey thought I was just being a clown but when she walked out to back patio, she saw the 8ft. shark swimming right by our ladder to the water!  One would assume that after the sighting of a shark I wouldn’t get in the water but instead my maniac mind instantly told me to strip into my swim trunks and dive in the water and swim with these beasts…so I did.  Think before you act people! (Disclaimer: Almost every local we talked to about the sharks claimed that these beasts were “just like dogs”. HOWEVER, we do not recommend or encourage you to go swimming with these legless, wild, probably rabid, water “dogs”)  The good news is, after that, it was smooth sailing.  Following my “near death experience” (according to Tey), we ate lunch at the resorts lunch restaurant and decided to grab water gear on the way back to our room and went off exploring. 

Here are our Top 6 picks for FREE things we did in Bora Bora. | SIDENOTE: Please don't judge us off of the pictures and lack thereof. We went on this trip previous to deciding we wanted to share our travel journeys with others so most pictures that we captured were for the purpose of filling our "Honeymoon Photo Album". |

1. Snorkel

For starters, if you can stay in the overwater bungalows, we encourage you to do so as it gives you quick and easy access to the lagoon right off your patio!  Jumping right off the back patio into 20ft of crystal clear water to swim/snorkel with sharks, stingrays, and fish I can’t even describe, is something to take full advantage of.  The snorkeling in Bora Bora is some of the best in the world and I must say we did our fair share (mostly me because Tey only likes her fish dead and on a plate and not alive and in her face)!  The snorkeling is 100% free and 100% amazing.  If you stay at Le Meridien, All you need to do is walk down to the rental shack on the beach and check out the gear.  Once you do that, the gear is yours to keep until you leave the resort!  This allows you to snorkel whenever you want and wherever you want during the day without needing to get the gear over and over again.  If you are a morning person like myself, (because I’m the morning person between us, while Tey thoroughly loves her sleep) I recommend getting in the water with the sunrise and really get the experience of all the activity that happens that early.  Don’t forget your GoPro and don’t worry, the water is super warm!

2. Paddle Boarding

Another one of the great activities that came free with our stay at Le Meridien.  This is the same concept as the snorkeling where you check the gear out from the beach shack. Only difference being that you’ll have to turn your board in after you are done.  After only a couple visits to the beach shack, we basically became best friends with Mataeo who works there.  Mataeo, along with everyone else at the resort, is super friendly and is always able to answer all the questions you may have about good areas to go snorkeling or kayaking at.  If Mataeo is not talking with anyone, he most certainly was playing ukulele, soccer or volleyball on the beach (what a job!). 

Paddle boarding in Bora Bora is an amazing experience.  You get to freely navigate the lagoon area chasing eagle rays, turtles, fish, and if you really want to brave the adventure like I did, look for some sharks and hop in with them!  This was one of our favorite activities - get some sun while exploring and get great pictures and videos on your GoPro.  Although I hadn’t been paddle boarding before, it seemed fitting for my first time to be in Bora Bora!

3. Kayaking

The kayaking we did at our resortwas top of the line all around!  Sign out a kayak from the beach shack and off you go!  You can go wherever you want in the lagoon (outside of the “highway” on water, of course. Unless you really want to play chicken with the commercial boats and Jet Skis that are always passing.)  We recommend circling whatever island you are staying on, unless you are on the main island which would take you all day, and exploring all the beautiful hidden beaches and corals all around.  If you love snorkeling coral reefs, packing your snorkel gear is an absolute must.  You will find amazing color at every stop and turn!  If you have a GoPro…bring it!  We snagged one of the GoPro sticks for snorkeling before we left and it made taking pictures and video so much easier!  

4. Volleyball and Soccer

If you are a fan of sports in the sand…then what better beach to do it at than Bora Bora?!  During our stay, there was usually game going on at the beach with a few guests and employees having some fun.  My only recommendation is to drink tons of water if you play (don’t be like me and almost die from heat exhaustion)!

5. Relax (Island Style)

Hammocks, Infinity Pool, massage.  These may seem like the all too familiar “activities” to do on vacation…but let me tell you, nothing beats hitting the salt water pool then getting a deep tissue massage right after.  I don’t know about you guys, but after I get a massage, a nap is in order and taking a quick snooze in a hammock is the only way to do it!  Be sure to purchase your massage before you get to the resort and it will save you some cash! Another one of our favorites was grabbing chilled coconuts from the resort and chugging like there's no tomorrow. Don't ask us how, but we didn't even think about ordering these bad boys until our final days at the resort and to this day we regret not thinking of these as soon as we arrived. Best coconuts we've ever had!

6. TURTLE LAGOONARIUM

The Sea Turtle in Bora Bora (also called the honu) is considered a sacred animal.  They are believed to be an emanation of the powerful ocean gods.  Our specific resort, Le Meridien, developed a preserve for Sea Turtles to live in 1991.  They rescue injured Sea Turtles from the wild, nurse them back to health and release them back.  They do morning feedings for the Turtles every morning at 10:30 a.m. which is a MUST see!  You can even sign up and get in the water with these magnificent animals for free (if you choose to stay at this resort) so be sure to take advantage of it all you can!

Moral of the story? Take full advantage of all the amazing and free stuff they have at the resort you choose to stay at…it surely poses many adventures!