Hi There! December 2016. From Helsinki to Miami, then to Nassau, the Bahamas. Atlantis Resort was fun! I was 8years 11mo.
Atlantis Resort, The Bahamas
AQUAVENTURE WATER PARK AND DOLPHINS
Swimming pools. Sea animal aquariums. Big place. We stayed at Royal Towers main building room 8549, 8th floor, left of the bridge.
Ready! At Dolphine Cay we hugged and kissed this smiling show dolphin.
This dolphin did high jumps and tail-walking for us!
Mamster and a kisser Dolphin!
Strawberry, chocolate and vanilla cocktails! Favourites.
Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
We slided down from The Mayan Temple and through the shark tubes. We adventured the Drop and Lazy River Ride on rubber boat.
The Mayan Temple - Leap of Faith
That's my Mamster! The first 18 meters drop is almost freefall, then bends into tube through shark pool until spit out to open pool. MaMa's rush shirt got two holes on back consumed by that drop!
- Needs some courage, only five seconds, not for everyone!
The Mayan Temple - Challenger Slide
MaMa, left, coming down the Challenge Slide. I am midway coming down this powerful speeder! Flying at some moments! Did this many times. BaBa made the biggest splash when he landed into the pool!
The Mayan Temple - Shark Tank
We went through this shark tank inside that tube by a rubber boat. Serpent Slide begins with a twisting tunnel, quite furious, then leads into that shark tank tube. Leap of Faith 18 meters drop and its tube goes through this same shark tank. Many real sharks.
The Drop, Lazy River Ride
Afternoons we floated on rubber ring floaters. Top experience! Many, many rounds, great fun. I got scratches on my right feet from the ruff walls but it's part of the adventure.
The Mayan Temple. A hot day. Drinks from Starbucks.
Breakfast at Poseidon's Table. BaBa fist-bumped with table waiter. Tuna steaks and lobsters for dinner in Seafire Restaurant. Dinners also at hotel's Poseidon's Table where staff played exiting drumming for a birthday table.
Four cruise ships had arrived by morning. For us it was time to leave Atlantis Hotel Resort, Aquaventure Water Park, aquariums, sharks and dolphins. Bahamas experience was great.
Christmas 2016 is coming but by then we will be far away!
High noon but we were not facing it alone! We left hotel by the same Ford Tahoe as we had arrived. On way to Nassau International Airport we passed new major hotel-casino Baha Mar which opens soon. We passed the cemetery where many famous Bahama citizens were resting. We had learnt that James Bond Sean Connery lives here nearby. We passed prime minister's office, home. In Nassau airport we went to Avianca Lounge to wait boarding.
THE BAHAMAS BACKGROUNDER
• Coral-based archipelago in Atlantic Ocean near Florida/Cuba
• Over 700 islands, ocean space territory 470,000 km2
• 1492 Columbus landed, islands were inhabited by Lucayans people
-- Spanish shipped 30.000 Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola
• 1513 over 100 years mostly deserted, no people
• 1648 English Puritans, the first European settlement
• 1718 British colony established after British won pirates
• 1807 British ended slave trade, resettled Africans from slave ships
-- Mr Wilberforce: Slave Trade Act; Lord Nelson: enforcing the Act
• 1973 Independence, Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch
• 2016 Population 380.000, language English, capital Nassau
A long flight to Miami. One night in Miami, then 30 mins flight by American Eagle to Nassau, The Bahamas.
One hotel night in Miami.
Holiday feeling! Airport Band played in Arrivals Hall while we queued for passport checking. Got a flower lay around neck.
Island-Hopping World Tour
• Bahamas was a stop during our World Tour
• World Tour from December 10, 2016 to January 26, 2017
• Beginning of the tour I was 8 years 11mo old
• World not flat, we went to the left, arrived back from the right
• After 21 flight hours over Pacific Ocean the world feels still big
• Mosquito bites, street dogs but nothing serious
TOTAL 48 days including starting and ending days
Our World Tour route from right to left
World Tour Islands
From Helsinki to
1. The Bahamas, Nassau (via Miami, USA)
++ Hotel Atlantis Resort, waterpark, dolphins, scenery, quality
-- No problems
2. Easter Island, Chile (via Santiago)
++ Moai era, BirdMan era, nature, touring trips
-- Mosquitos, street dogs, Internet problems
3. Tahiti Island, Papeete, French Polynesia
++ Hotel InterContinental, views, pools, dinners, dance shows
-- Mosquitos
4. BoraBora Lagoon, French Polynesia (visited 3 BoraBora islands)
++ Lagoon, beach, mountain, service, shows, lagoon/jeep safaris
-- Mosquitos, main island street dogs and forest dogs
5. Rarotonga Lagoon, The Cook Islands (via Tahiti)
++ Muri beach, pool, jeep safari, lagoon, shows, jungle
-- Mosquitos, hot, beach dogs, pricing of breakfasts elements
6. Aitutaki Lagoon, The Cook Islands (visited 8 Aitutaki islands)
++ Hotel Pacific Resort, views, pool, dinners, lagoon cruise, shows
-- Mosquitos
7. New Zealand: Auckland, Rotorua, Tongariro, Wellington
++ Views, dinners, geologic, nature park, cafees, hotels
-- No problems
8. Bali Island, Amed, Indonesia (via Melbourne, Australia)
++ Views, friendly service, dinners, juices, jungle temple
-- Mosquitos, hot, angry monkeys
9. Singapore
++ Hotel Shangri-La, quality, service, pools, restaurants, Orchard Rd
-- No problems
Back to Helsinki
FLIGHTS
No.1 from Helsinki to Miami, 10,5h night flight, Finnair
No.2 from Miami to Nassau, 30mins, American Eagle
No.3 from Nassau back to Miami, 30mins, American Eagle
No.4 from Miami to Santiago, 8h night flight, Latam
No.5 from Santiago to Easter Island, 5,5hours, Latam
No.6 from Easter Island to Tahiti, 5hours, 5 time zones, Air Tahiti
No.7 from Tahiti to BoraBora, 50mins, Air Tahiti
No.8 from BoraBora back to Tahiti, 50mins, Air Tahiti
----- flight had a stop on Raiatea Lagoon, French Polynesia
No.9 from Tahiti to Rarotonga, 3hours, Air Tahiti
----- flight got a technical problem, back to Tahiti, 2nd try ok
No.10 from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, 50mins, Air Rarotonga
No.11 from Aitutaki back to Rarotonga, 50mins, Air Rarotonga
No.12 from Rarotonga to Auckland, 4,5h night flight, Air New Zealand
----- NZ car tour from Auckland to Wellington, around 800km
No.13 from Wellington to Melbourne, Australia, 4hours, Jetstar
No.14 from Melbourne to Bali, Indonesia, 5hours, Boeing 787, Jetstar
No.15 from Bali to Singapore, 3hours, Jetstar
No.16 from Singapore to Helsinki, 12h night flight, Finnair
TOTAL 16 flights, 65 flight hours, 48.000 kilometers
HOTELS
No.1 Miami - Hotel Element, rm 249, one night
No.2 Bahamas - Hotel Atlantis Resort, rm 8549, 4 nights
No.3 Easter Island - Hotel Ota'i, Hanga Roa, rm 135, 4 nights
No.4 Tahiti - Hotel InterContinental Resort, rm 180, 2 nights
No.5 BoraBora - Hotel Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, Bungalow No.50, 7 nights
No.6 Tahiti - Hotel InterContinental Resort, rm 386, one night
No.7 Rarotonga - Hotel Pacific Resort Rarotonga, rm 209, 4 nights
No.8 Aitutaki - Hotel Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Bungalow No.114, 3 nights
No.9 Rarotonga - Hotel Pacific Resort Rarotonga, rm 44, one night
No.10 Rotorua - Holiday Inn Hotel, rm 615, 3 nights
No.11 Tongariro - Hotel Chateau Tongariro, rm 121, one night
No.12 Wellington - Museum Art Hotel, rm 343, 5 nights
No.13 Bali - Hotel Griya Villas and Spa, Villa No.14, 3 nights
No.14 Singapore - Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, rm 683, 4 nights
TOTAL 14 hotels, 43 hotel nights, 4 night flights
SAFARIS, TOURS, MUSEUMS, POINTS OF INTEREST, SHOWS
• Bahamas Nassau Airport - Welcoming 3-man guitar band
• Bahamas hotel - Birthday drumming show during dinner
• Bahamas - Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
• Bahamas - Dolphin Cay dolphin show and photos
• Bahamas village - Jazz band at a street restaurant
• Easter Island - Museo Antropologico P. Sebastian Englert
• Easter Island - Moai, BirdMan tours with Mr Roberto, 3,5 days
• Tahiti Airport - Welcoming Tahitian guitar and singing group
• Tahiti hotel - Polynesian Warrior Drum and Dance dinner show
• Tahiti hotel - Great views at Hotel InterContinental Resort
• BoraBora Christmas Eve - Polynesian Drum/Dance dinner show 1.
• BoraBora Christmas Day - Polynesian Drum/Dance dinner show 2.
• BoraBora - Shark-Feeding lagoon Safari with Captain Will
• BoraBora - Jeep Safari day with Mr Steve
• BoraBora - Kayaking trip to the edge of islet Motu Tevairoa
• Rarotonga Airport - Welcoming guitar music by an old man
• Rarotonga New Year - Polynesian Drum and Hip-shaking dinner
• Rarotonga - Jeep Safari day with Mr Chico
• Rarotonga - Trip to Punanga Nui Market near Avarua Beach
• Aitutaki hotel - Aitutaki trio, harmonic music during dinners
• Aitutaki hotel - Polynesian Warrior Drum and Dance dinner show
• Aitutaki - Lagoon Cruise Safari with Captain Fantastic Andrew
• Aitutaki - Bicycle trip from hotel passing Arutanga Harbour
• Rotorua - HoBbiToN Movie Village tour: Lord of Rings, The Hobbit
• Rotorua - Te Puia Park geothermal and Maori culture show
• Rotorua - Te Puia Park Maori singing, warrior dances, faces
• Rotorua - Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park, geyser
• Lake Taupo - Huka Falls on Waikato River
• Tongariro National Park - Happy Valley, Whakapapa village
• Tongariro National Park - Ruapehu volcano, Tawhai Falls
• Waiouru - National Army Museum of New Zealand
• Wellington - Museum Te PaPa of New Zealand culture
• Wellington - Waterfront and Hikitia steam-driven crane boat
• Wellington - Cable Car Museum and Wellington Botanic Garden
• Wellington - Hippopotamus Restaurant in Museum Art Hotel
• Bali hotel - Band, movie music, popular olds, Beatles
• Bali - Pura Lempuyang Temple Safari and Mount Agung
• Bali - Tirta Gangga Water Palace Safari near Mount Agung
• Singapore - ArtScience Museum: NASA, A Human Adventure
TOTAL 38 experiences, over 30GB photos and video
GET-PREPARED FOR WORLD TOUR
• Vaccines: Hepatiitti-A; Hepatiitti-B; Tetanus
• Insurance: Persons; Things; Contact info
• VISA: ESTA.org for USA entry
• Medicine bag: Travel; Adult; Junior; Care things; Docs
• Hygiene bag: Dental; Shampoo/care; Combs; Scissors; Shaving
• Electronics: Phones; Cameras; iPad; Cables; Plugs; Loaders
• On-Travel: Clothes; Flight pillows; CabinBags; CargoBags
• Holiday clothes; Shirts and all
• Sunglasses; Sun hats; Sun oils
• Swimming: Snorkeling; Fins; RashGuards; Shoes
• Trip arrangement by Aventura, Helsinki
• Trip schedule and budget
• Trip process: Targets ➙ Flights ➙ Hotels ➙ Pickups ➙ Tours
• Trip documents: Tickets, Vouchers, Schedule, Contacts
• Other documents: Passports, Credit cards, Driving licences
• Principle: less to carry is better
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