Patricia P
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Patricia P
Love to travel, love the outdoor - always planning the next trip!
USA
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Apr232012
Kakadu National Park
Attraction
My Rating: 
Location: Darwin
My Review: With such a big park, we decided to spend a couple of days there and were not disappointed. So much to do and see! It was the beginning of the rainy season so some roads and areas where closed due to raising water but we had nonetheless plenty to see. We first stopped at the Mamukala wetlands and were amazed at the birds' concentration - spoonbills, ibis, jabiru storks, blue kingsfishers, magpie geese and more! We then headed to Ubirr to discover amazing rock art painting and eerie scenery with sandstones rocks overlooking plains and swamps. We saw further delicate rock art painting at Nourlangie, where we did nice walk around. Cruising along the South Alligator River at sunrise gave us great views of even more birds, including eagles, and close up views of big crocodiles - up 4 or 5 meters long! We were not able to see Jim Jim Falls as the 4WD road was closed - but a great trip and certainly highly recommended!
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Dec262011
Cu Chi Tunnels Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
My Review: A very interesting and amazingly informative tour. Our guide Sun was really knowledgeable and as a native Vietnamese, was able to recount some of his own experience during this epoch. A short video at the beginning gives a presentation of the political situation then, and elements have been reconstructed to show how Viet Cong lived in the tunnels. Going in tunnels ourselves was an impressive experience, very tiny but really worth. Overall a great tour, highly recommend it.
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Dec192011
Mekong Delta Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
My Review: This tour is a great way to discover the Mekong Delta and see local villages, tasting yummy coconut sweats and banana drink. The visit to the coconut farm was very interesting, to see how the whole extraction and preparation process. The lunch was delicious and plentiful, served on a floating restaurant nestled in the mangrove. Cruising along the Mekong River was relaxing and a quick way to get around the island. Definitely recommended!
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Dec192011
Whale Watching & Wildlife Eco Tour from San Francisco
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: San Francisco, California
My Review: We had a great time on this Farallon Islands cruise – very eco-friendly, we had 2 naturalists on board and the captain was great at explaining the cruise. We saw a couple of humpbacks, a gray whale and got so lucky to see several mola mola fish! Even one jumped out, very cool! The water was the calmest I ever saw on the bay – do bring warm clothes as it does get cold out at sea, though the boat had inside seating where one could stay.
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Jun262011
San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: San Francisco, California
My Review: It was an amazing evening! We had the perfect blue sky weather, and the sunset was gorgious! Seeing the gold and red over the Golden Gate bridge was awesome! Nice boat, plenty space to move around, and even sit on 2 different levels - pick your view! Also impressed with the food and drinks - nice sandwiches, cheese and snacks buffet that they kept replenishing, a cold drink included - not that we were going on this cruise for the food, but happily surprised that is was more than the usual dry bread and ham! Definitely worth doing - even as a local as we are! Getting under the Golden Gate bridge is always magical!
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Jan212011
"O™" by Cirque du Soleil® at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
My Review: We went to see O with my parents and it was one of the most amazing show I ever saw. The acrobats are real artists, the scene fantastic and the acts totally incredible! Time flies as the show doesn't have one second of down time! If you have one show to do in Vegas, that's the one! I would go back to see it again any time!
Jan202011
Cape Tribulation
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Cairns & the Tropical North
My Review: The End of the World, and for sure the end of the Road! Definitely make the extra effort, and cross over the Daintree River to step into Cape Tribulation. The ferry is a breeze and you drive around narrow and windy roads and small little towns. This is a good segway to visit Daintree Forest as well as dipping into the ocean. A nice quiet break for a couple days, away from it all. Just one regret - we did not get to see any cassowary! Very elusive bird, so far more a tale than a reality!
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Jan202011
Great Barrier Reef
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Cairns & the Tropical North
My Review: We treated ourselves with a 3-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, and we had an amazing time! The water is really clear, visibility was about 20 meters, and very warm! A change from the SF Bay Area! Diving was awesome, more fish that I could identify and all more colorful than the others! We were greeted by dolphins swimming along the boat, and had reef sharks circling around at night dive, snaking some of the dozens of fish attracted by the boat light. Definitely a must-do while in Cairns!
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Jan202011
Mossman Gorge
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Port Douglas
My Review: Mossman Gorge is an easy day trip from Port Douglas and offers nice refreshing rock pools as well as a nice hike in the rainforest. Do try to walk the whole trail as you go through giants trees and get to hear unusual birds. You will also find a few less crowded rock pools. Worth the detour!
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Jan202011
Daintree Rainforest
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Port Douglas
My Review: One of the oldest forests in the world, part of the World Heritage, Daintree Rainforest is truly beautiful and will make you feel so young and tiny, compared to majestic Blue Quandongs, giants of the rainforest. Different types of mangroves, amazing wildlife and birds, this is a hiking paradise. You can go day hike or even take an evening night, you'll be thrilled by the species diversity - frogs, sleeping birds, and even two-horned chameleon! A must-do when in Cape Tribulation!
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Jan202011
Aboriginal Cultural Daintree Rainforest Tour from Cairns or Port Douglas
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas, Australia
My Review: Spear-hunting was really great! Though we did not get to catch anything, Brandon did catch a reef shark and a stingray. It was amazing to see his fishing skills, and how easy he made it look! Going through the mangroves, we picked up some shells and he showed us which ones were good to eat or not. It was really interesting to learn about traditional hunting and way of live. Definitely recommended! You'll get wet but you'll love it!
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Jan192011
Litchfield National Park
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Darwin
My Review: We visited Litchfield National Park on our way from Kakadu back to Darwin. It's an easy day trip and definitely worth it. In the park, we saw 2 different types of termites - the magnetic termite mounds and the cathedral termite mounds. The magnetic termite mounds, for which the park is famous, are pretty amazing! In addition to these, the park is a great place for a swim as there are lots of nice fresh rock pools, and no worry about crocodiles! Just need to check at the park entrance to make sure the 'gators are not sneaking in during rainy season! The Florence Falls were the nicest, not only because you can swim in, but there is a nice walk around that's worth it too.
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Jan192011
Kings Canyon
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Ayers Rock
My Review: We visited Kings Canyon en route to Uluru, and were happily surprised by the beauty of the park. We hiked the whole ridge, about 3h hike, but it took us a bit longer as we stopped numerous times for taking photos or just taking in the scenery. Day started with rain but it did not take away the red color of the stones, just a different feeling. As morning progressed, sky cleared up and we had blue sky and sunshine, giving high contrast between the red rocks, the blue sky and the green flora. The Garden of Eden well deserved its name, with singing birds and lush trees. Definitely recommended, and only the first 5-10 minutes are tough, the rest of the hike pretty easy!
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Jan182011
The Olgas (Kata Tjuta)
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Ayers Rock
My Review: We hiked the Valley of the Winds trail and this was SOOO beautiful. We were granted a very nice weather, blue sky and all, and the trail was fantastic. Being an El Nina year, it had rained a lot so it was surprising to see so much green around the valley, but it added to the contrast of the blue sky and red stones. Definitely do the whole trail, it's worth it. You end up being by yourself, it's quiet and peaceful. The Olgas are not as known as Uluru and deserved to be discovered, certainly worth spending a day.
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Jan182011
Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: Ayers Rock
My Review: We spent 3 days and 2 nights around Uluru, driving around the different sites and walked around it. The Mala walk is very interesting and covers pretty much the sites with history. We saw Uluru at sunset and sunrise and both are very nice, different lights and feelings. We did not do the hike up as this is not only subject to very changeable weather patterns and risky, but most especially we wanted to respect the wishes of the local tribes who discourage such a hike. There is plenty to do around Uluru in any case and we did not feel like we missed anything.
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Jan182011
Aboriginal Cultural Tjapukai by Night Tour including Buffet Dinner
Tour / Activity
My Rating: 
Location: Cairns, Northern Beaches, Palm Cove, Australia
My Review: The show was presenting some of the oral tradition and stories of the Dreamtime. We saw different dances and listened to the didgeridoo along the fire-making ceremony. Buffet was occidental and offered plenty choices. The store next to the show has a lots of nice items and gift ideas.
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Jan182011
Kangaroo Island 2-Day Wilderness Safari Adventure Tour from Adelaide
Tour / Activity
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Jan172011
Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour
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Location: San Francisco, California
My Review: We had a such a wonderful day! We visited different wineries, including Madonna Estate, Gundlach Bundschu and Viansa, enjoyed great wine and even had a nice plate of various cheese to taste along with the wine tasting. We learned about wine pairing and discovered how well white wine and blue cheese go together, served with awesome white truffle honey! Though the weather was rainy, the scenery was nonetheless beautiful and I would recommend this tour to anyone.
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Sep242010
Alcatraz
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: San Francisco
My Review: I guess one never knows the full treasures of her own backyard and keep exploring further away, until one day, someone forces you to go and then you think, why did I wait so long?? That's exactly what happened with Alcatraz. Living close to San Francisco for almost 9 years, I never took the time to go and visit Alcatraz, had better things to do, but when my parents came visiting, this was top on my Dad's list. So off we went and I have to admit, not only was I pleasantly surprised how interesting the visit was, but how good the actual audio tape and program were. The National Park, who manages Alcatraz, really did a good job and when you listen to these tapes, you feel you are back in time and almost reliving the escapes of some of the most infamous inmates! On the top of that, you learn about the history of Alcatraz, back to Spanish time, and jumping to modern time, how it was claimed by Native American. Once you have all your historical facts checked, you can finish the visit by wondering off the gardens and trails, before heading to the cruise back to SF, which as a bonus, give you an awesome view of the City. Well, how much more can you pack in one trip!!
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Sep242010
Yosemite National Park
Attraction
My Rating:
Location: San Francisco
My Review: Yosemite is definitely a must-see in California and though a long day ride from San Francisco, this National Park should be on your list of things to do in San Francisco! Once you are in Yosemite, admire the Yosemite Falls, at its strongest in late Springs, go for a hike to one of the Falls - Bridalveil, Vernal or Nevada - which flow all year-round, or rent a bike to explore the Yosemite Valley. The park tends to get busy in Summer so make sure you reserve in advance to secure you spot - even backpacking permits are tough to get by, so early planning is highly recommended. Have fun!
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Sep092010
Mar242010
Smokey Robinson Presents Australia's Human Nature - The Ultimate Celebration of Motown
Tour / Activity
My Rating:
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
My Review: This was a great show and I truly enjoyed myself, singing and dancing along all night! They have super voices and their acappella pieces were really fantastic. Packed with energy and emotion, we all had an amazing evening – definitely a must-see show
