Big Bend National Park is a gorgeous and very scenic national park. Secluded from nearby towns, it’s worth the drive from Texas’s major cities. Having visited dozens of other National Parks, it’s quite like any other. The terrain, geography, and different ecosystems are very unique making it a must see. From end to end, you can traverse mountains, forests, deserts, canyons, plains, and rivers.

Hong Kong is crowded, and it’s only been getting busier in the last 5 years in part due to China allowing more tourists and Asia’s overgrowing economy. I think this photo really exemplifies just how many people are in Hong Kong. This was taken after the Chinese New Year fireworks as we were leaving. It was just a sea of people. Visiting Hong Kong over New Year’s was a real treat. It’s the biggest holiday of the year and it’s celebrated for as much as 3 weeks!

This panoramic photo does not do these structures justice. Some of these monoliths are over 600 feet tall. The scale is just staggering and most humbling. I wish we had more time in Moab to hike more of Arches and Canyonlands, but we were able to hit the high points. It was also a very hot summer day. Believe it or not, later this day, it thundered and poured. Weather in these parks is not to be taken lightly as flash floods can come out of nowhere and you don’t want to be stranded.

The Cimu Bridge (also known as the Motherly Devotion Bridge) is a famous landmark over the twisty Laoxi River that carves the marble below. The pavilion atop the frog-shaped cliff was built by a late Taiwanese president in honor of his mother during the construction of the road through Taroko. I really love how this photo came together with the lighting on the bright red bridge on the green and rocky backdrop.

The color in the water is really what Bermuda looks like. The small island is surrounded by a treacherous and shallow inner and outer reef which give it the distinct colors as you look out to the Atlantic. Cruise ships have to be specially piloted in and out of the ports as to not end up running aground (hence the tales of the Bermuda Triangle). The entire island is filled with secluded and unreal beaches. If you think white sandy beaches are unique, Bermuda is known for its pink coral sand which give them an even more spectacular look.

This panorama consists of 7 photos taken by hand and stitched. It’s probably my number one favorite of the year. Ever since I put it together, it’s been my wallpaper on my desktop. At about 40 megapixels, I can’t wait to get it printed and framed. If you’re visiting New York City, you must visit the top of the rock. There’s a long line to get to the top and it’s quite pricey, but well worth it at sunset. It’s very busy and they don’t allow tripods and the glass makes it difficult to work around, but the view is breathtaking. This was shot at ISO 4000, 1/25 of a second, light was fading quickly.

The scale of Utah’s National Parks is incredible. During our three week road trip, we followed the path of the Colorado river as it carved its way through the west. Even just standing atop these ledges can you not even quite comprehend just how far the land stretches in front and below. It’s not something I want to find out, but wow is it breathtaking and makes the hike worthwhile.

This was my second time to visit Grand Teton National Park, but this was a new view that I hadn’t seen before and I was able to stitch together a large landscape to encompass a majority of the mountain range. On the left is Teton in the Cathedral Group, the largest mountain and Mount Moran in the middle, and Bivouac Peak and Eagles Rest Peak to the right. In the foreground is Jackson Lake.

Taken about 1 year ago, this is still a place I want to go back. Belize in general and Caye Caulker even more so is a laid back place. Time moves slower and people enjoy life – each other and the beauty of nature. Caye Caulker has many reefs around the island to snorkel and dive. We were surprised to find so many tourists from Europe and Australia on holiday staying at the many hostels and enjoying the Belizian way of life.

Unlike the signs in Hong Kong, Taiwan conforms more to those of Japan and Korea with vertical signage that is organized and colorful. Hong Kong’s famous signs that stretch across the street are as loud and obnoxious as the streets themselves. I really liked the color and order to the bustling city in this photo.

Part 2: Taipei at Night

Part 3: Temples and Markets of Taipei

Part 4: Taiwan Food

Part 5: Yangmingshan National Park

Part 6: Taroko National Park and Hualien, Taiwan

Back in February, I had the opportunity to stop and visit Taipei, Taiwan for four short days on our way to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. Similar to Hong Kong, it’s a very busy and populated city. Taiwan is very modern and rapidly growing country. While Taipei not as developed and westernized as Hong Kong, it offers distinct charm and Chinese hospitality. Walking the streets, the rich culture, heritage, and tradition was evident. It’s a very vibrant and colorful city.As a plus, the cost of living is lower and the people are more laid back!

Here are some sights of the city.

To come!

Other posts to view

• Hoover Dam day trip
• Red Rock Canyon
• Food in Las Vegas
• Nighttime on the Strip

Las Vegas just has so many things to do. Being in the city, especially walking around at night, is just overwhelming to the senses. All of the bright flashing lights and people happily cheering in the casinos really puts you in another world. And then there’s the two extremes of the glitzy wealth and homeless poverty.

As soon as we left and got back home, I missed it already. At home, everything was quiet and getting back to reality took a bit of adjustment. Everything seemed a bit dull compared to the larger than life casinos and experiences Vegas has to offer. It made for some great memories and even more fantastic pictures.

This was the second cruise I have been on. The first cruise I ever took was to Alaska about ten years ago on the Norwegian Star. I don’t plan on waiting another ten years to take another cruise because I’ve discovered that cruising is the ideal vacation! The destinations are exotic. the food is plentiful (and mostly pretty good depending on what ship you’re on), and the activities abundant. There really is something for everyone aboard each ship.With several thousand passengers, each vessel becomes your own self-sufficient floating home taking you from destination to destination.

Recap

Day 1: First day on the Carnival Magic
Day 2-3: FUN days at sea
Day 4: Roatan, Honduras
Day 5: Belize City, Belize
Day 6: Cozumel, Mexico
Day 7: FUN day at Sea
Day 8: Back to Galveston, TX

Service

The number one thing that stuck out the most for me was the incredible service aboard the ship. Day or night, we were greeted by smiles and warm salutations from the crew. All of them are glad to direct you around the ship and will happily talk with you and ask about your day. Most were willing to go out of their way to make sure you got what you wanted or needed. One that thing struck me was how happy everyone seemed. This is one thing I have noticed about successful retail stores and other businesses. Happy employees make for happy customers. Out of the five categories I have chosen to discuss and rate, service has to be the best aspect of the Carnival Magic. They worked hard to earn their added gratuity split amongst the crew. At night the wait staff would always sing and dance to a couple of songs. When was the last time you saw that at dinner?

5/5 for a near perfect experience with the staff.

Food

Never at any point was I or should you be hungry on a cruise. Any time can be eating time and there’s always something to eat, 24/7. On the case of the Magic, it was the Pizza Bar, the soft-serve ice cream machines, and room service. All in all, the food quality was a mixed bag however.

The breakfast variety between the buffet, the outdoor grill, and brunch was excellent. It was easy to find tasty (and healthy) items with good variety. For coffee and hot beverage drinkers there are several self-brewing coffee machines for coffees, teas, and hot chocolates. In addition, there are several fruit juices (orange, apple, and guava punch) and iced tea.  Be sure to grab some fruits and fill up your water bottles before heading out for the day’s adventures.

Lunch options included the buffet, the Cucina del Capitano restaurant (gratis, free, at lunch) or the other selected restaurants (poolside grill, pizza bar, the Indian Tandoor, or the Sub Shop (also all free). I highly recommend the Tandoor and Italian restaurants as the food is quite authentic (especially the Indian) and has a more homemade touch to them. If you’re ever looking for a quick snack, check out the Pizza Bar (which is always hot and fresh) or the grill for fries and/or a burger. These two options are perfect for and get crowded after a long day of excursions on the islands. There’s also usually at least one section of the buffet open between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that dinner was the lowest ranking aspect in terms of food and in the greatest need for improvement on my list. Again, the service in the main dining room was excellent and the staff was equally friendly, cheerful, and helpful, but the entrées were really lacking in taste, presentation, and variety. Compared with some of the other dishes and creativity on the ship, dinner seemed to fall short. Every night there were two menus. One was a fixed menu that had American staples such as a burger, salmon, a beef and chicken dish, and other common dinner foods. The other changed day to day and could be found posted outside the dining rooms or on the TVs in the room. I always ordered off the daily menu to try something new, each time, feeling a bit disappointed. The descriptions of some of the dishes of seafood and steak sound mouthwatering, but in reality, left me feeling empty inside. This meal was frequently salvaged by the excellent appetizers and desserts though! The appetizer items were fresh ideas and different and I sometimes would get two of them because I knew they would be good. Desserts too were incredibly made and definitely left you wanting more.

Alternatively, you can make dinner reservations for either the Cruise’s steak restaurant (Prime) for an extra $35 per person or the Italian restaurant for an extra $12per person. Both are all you can eat of course. I’d suggest checking out the Italian restaurant for lunch since it’s free and has pretty much the same menu and the steak restaurant if you’re a big steak lover, it’s supposed to be very good and up to steak-restaurant quality.

3.5/5 for an underwhelming dinner that didn’t quite live up to the hype of the menu.

Entertainment

Entertainment on board was average. The shows weren’t particularly large productions, the singing and dancing was mediocre. Don’t expect anything near Vegas or Broadway productions. The games and other group ship activities weren’t interesting. The bingo was overpriced.The comedy shows were either not funny or too vulgar for my tastes.

The strong suits of entertainment on board would have to be some of the quieter parts on deck where you can just kick back and relax, read a book, and just enjoy being out on the water. The Hat Trick casino was decent and the dealers were friendly. Additionally, the fitness room was quite nice and there were a dozen treadmills facing the front of the ship. One of the other nice things to check out is the piano bar which plays nightly for several hours.

If you have young kids, I think they would enjoy the mini water park, ropes course, miniature golf, kid clubs, and teen nightclubs and all the other things catered towards a younger crowd.

The entertainment definitely needs work. I don’t think Carnival ships offers anything near that of Royal Caribbean’s. RCL has many large pools, rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, and Cirque du Soleil style shows. NCL even offers Blue Man Group shows. I’m ok with mediocre entertainment provided I can entertain myself. We booked the cruise to travel to cool destinations. Enjoying the ship is just a perk of getting there.

3/5 for pretty keeping myself entertained.

Itinerary

On this Western Caribbean route of the Carnival Magic from Galveston, we visited three islands (in order) Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico. I’ve heard it said amongst fellow passengers that every trip has one “bad apple” when it comes to a port of call. It was supposed to have been Belize. But I have to say that if you do your research ahead of time and know what it is you want to do and where others have gone, you can have a great time. Every island has something unique to offer, you just have to find it. For a detailed overview about each day, you can read about Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel‘s individual posts.

Each day’s Fun Times Guide listed all of the activities and happenings around the ship from sun up to well after sun down. There’s various classes, shows, activities, games, art auctions, and eating events going on around the ship.

In short, our time spent in Roatan was with a tour guide showing us the island, talking about its history, the culture, and how the local people live. We also stopped at their private zoo and saw a variety the animals before heading off to the beach in the late morning and early afternoon.

In Belize, we immediately found a tour company with a boat which took us to their private island where we spent the entire day snorkeling, swimming, and relaxing on the secluded beach.

In Cozumel, we lead our own self-gudied tour to the Chankanaab National Park and spent the rest of the day shopping in the port.

5/5 for seeing new places that most don’t get to see when they think “Caribbean.”

As an aside, I would love to see Carnival or the other operators out of Galveston sail to the Eastern Caribbean and add new destinations other than Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands (the alternate route that runs every other week).

Value

For $550 a person per week for the 7 night trip, cruising on the Carnival Magic is a great deal!That’s $80 per person per night which includes your room, as many meals as you can eat in a day, entertainment, and a ship that takes you to some incredible and pretty exotic destinations! Had we gone the week after (through Christmas), the price would have been more than double. If you can avoid any major holidays, you can save a bundle.

The only other things to factor in are getting to and from the cruise terminal (driving to Galveston for us) and gratuity for the hardworking staff. Gratuity runs $11.50 per person per day and is broken down to 50% for the dining staff, 32% for the room stewards, and 18% for the other staff. While the amount is “suggested,” you can adjust it up or down depending on your wishes at the end of the cruise. The staff works hard around the clock to make sure all the needs of the guests are met and in my book, they definitely earned and deserve the gratuity.

One thing that I wish was included or at least cheaper was free WiFi or internet access at kiosks. I can understand being in the middle of the gulf and having to use limited bandwidth for internet among thousands of guests could probably get taxing, but it’s 2013. Being off the internet for a week though is nice to get away and not have to worry about.

5/5 for a week-long of unforgettable fun at a good deal.

Overall: 4.3/5 and highly recommended!