Someone emailed us some questions about Tunisia, so we’re going to answer him here so other people can hopefully get something from our answers as well!
 
Q: Did you have any problems with Tunisians saying things or acting strangely to your wife Wendy?
A: Not at all.  Everyone was very respectful. The only somewhat strange situation we ... (read more →)

You’ll find De La Montanya Winery along a windy rural road just outside Healdsburg, in the heart of Sonoma County, California.  Just as you pass under the bridge, the winery, with its small wooden tasting room and rows of sun-drenched grapes pop into view.  The small parking lot is framed by trees and bordered ... (read more →)

At the mention of New Zealand, a lot of people think about all the thrill sports that New Zealanders all seem to be so obsessed with.  Bungy jumping (in many different forms), canyoning, heli-skiing, hanggliding, skydiving, etc.  are found all over both islands.  We’re not really daredevils – but one sport we knew we ... (read more →)

There are several choices for Hangi feasts and Maori cultural performances in Rotorua, and it seems to have become quite a booming business, as one of the “must-do” things in Rotorua. Tamaki is one of the better known villages (and was recommended by our hostel as being a more ‘authentic’ experience). ... (read more →)

Another one of the ‘tamer’ activities we chose to do in Rotorua was shweebing.  This was another activity we found not involving throwing yourself off a bridge attached by a rope.  This is offered by Agroventures, an adventure park just outside Rotorua. This crazy idea came from some eccentric who envisioned this as the ... (read more →)

Lodging in Queenstown is apparently often difficult, with hotels filling up weeks in advance, even off-peak. We had reserved the Lomond Lodge before we arrived in New Zealand. It was not cheap, at 159 NZD per night. There was very limited parking in front of the hotel, and we were lucky to always find ... (read more →)

There are Top 10 Holiday Parks all over New Zealand, and we really weren’t sure what it was all about. Although most of their business comes from the many campervans roaming around both islands, most of the locations also offer motel-type rooms. The room at 10 Top Holiday Park Te Anau that we stayed ... (read more →)

  We stayed at the Chateau Franz Backpackers hostel for a couple of nights in Franz Josef. This hostel was by far the worst accommodation we stayed at in New Zealand. We stayed in the ‘hotel’ portion of the hostel.  There are pretty limited options in Franz Josef Village, but we should really have looked ... (read more →)

We stayed at The Wanaka Purple Cow YHA Hostel which was in stark contrast to the terrible hostel we had stayed at in Franz Josef. It was spotless, and cheap. We paid a little bit more for a lake front room, and it was still only 90 NZD. Lake “front” was a bit of stretch, ... (read more →)

We got a great rate at the recently opened Novotel in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square (90 USD per night booked through Expedia). Finding the hotel was a bit of a challenge – there isn’t any obvious sign on the front that you’ve found the Novotel, only a sign showing the historic name of the hotel ... (read more →)