Travel Bug Experiences

Travel Bug Experiences Tickling your travel tastebuds one adventure at a time!

September 22, 2025 — My inner nerd has officially left Middle-earth levels of excited and entered full wizard mode.We fi...
05/24/2026

September 22, 2025 — My inner nerd has officially left Middle-earth levels of excited and entered full wizard mode.

We finally arrived in Auckland, New Zealand and immediately set off on an independent tour to Hobbiton! As if that wasn't exciting enough, it also happened to be Bilbo Baggins' birthday - otherwise known as International Hobbit Day. Clearly, the universe knew exactly what it was doing.

After a scenic one-hour drive, we arrived in the Shire and joined a group of fellow Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans. Honestly, I have never seen so many grown adults this excited over tiny doors and gardens. And yes... I was absolutely one of them.

This was hands-down one of the BEST tours we have ever done.
Every corner looked like a movie set because, well... it WAS a movie set. I fully expected Gandalf to come rolling down the hill at any moment telling us we were late for an adventure.

For anyone with mobility concerns, there is a golf cart option, but it needs to be booked months ahead because they only have one. If you can walk the tour, you'll get to see all the little hidden details the cart skips. Just be warned: there are lots of steps, hills, uneven paths, and moments where you question your life choices halfway up an incline. I did this tour one month before my hip replacement, so by the end I felt less like an elf and more like Gollum crawling toward Precious. Still completely worth it.

Now we're already planning our return to New Zealand to see more Hobbit and Lord of the Rings filming locations... because apparently one visit to Middle-earth is simply not enough.

Five more sea days until Auckland, New Zealand—and things are getting a little… twilight zone out here.We crossed the In...
04/23/2026

Five more sea days until Auckland, New Zealand—and things are getting a little… twilight zone out here.

We crossed the International Date Line and literally LOST a whole day. One minute it’s one day, the next it’s gone. At this point, we’re just going with “somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow”

Ship life has settled into a fun little rhythm—mornings with coffee and a good book, afternoons filled with cards, and evenings proving we are clearly trivia champions in the making (yes, we’ve actually won a few! 🏆). Who knew random knowledge would finally pay off?!

But the countdown is ON… I cannot wait to get to New Zealand! 🇳🇿

Any Hobbit or Lord of the Rings fans out there? Get ready… next stop might just be the Shire 🧙‍♂️✨ Stay tuned!

September 16 – Moorea, French Polynesia 🌴Now THIS was an excellent tour! If you ever get the chance to visit Moorea, don...
04/14/2026

September 16 – Moorea, French Polynesia 🌴

Now THIS was an excellent tour! If you ever get the chance to visit Moorea, don’t think twice about a 4x4 safari—ours was through Shore Excursion Group and it was easily a highlight of the trip (and no, we didn’t even lose a hat flying out of the jeep…though it felt like a real possibility 😄).

First off, the ride itself was super comfortable. There’s a step up to get in, but nothing dramatic—no Olympic training required—and the cushioned seats and backrests were very appreciated as we bounced our way around the island like happy tourists on a mission.

Our stops included:
* Magic Mountain – and wow, the views absolutely lived up to the name. Pretty sure my camera roll is now 87% this one stop 📸
* A quick (and delicious) stop at the Magic Mountain marmalade shop at the bottom—free samples, which we bravely volunteered to taste 🍍
* Manutea Distillery – three small tastings…just enough to make everyone a little friendlier and the ride a little funnier 😉
* Pineapple Plantation – because apparently pineapples really do taste better when you’re standing in the middle of where they grow
* Belvedere Overlook – another “take 50 photos and none do it justice” moment
* A 400-year-old Polynesian temple – peaceful, beautiful, and a nice reminder that some things have been around a lot longer than our vacation plans

This tour had the perfect mix of scenery, culture, and just enough adventure to make you feel like you earned your next snack. Highly recommend if Moorea is on your itinerary!

Papeete, Tahiti 🇵🇫We arrived in Papeete on Sunday, September 15 and quickly realized Sundays here are for two things: re...
04/08/2026

Papeete, Tahiti 🇵🇫

We arrived in Papeete on Sunday, September 15 and quickly realized Sundays here are for two things: relaxing…and closing every shop in sight 😆 Most places were shut, so we hustled to the market before it closed at 10am. If you’re hoping for souvenirs, just know—you may leave with a snack and a mild sense of confusion instead.

In true “why not?” vacation fashion, we booked a $55 per person island tour right off the street. Because clearly, that always ends well 😂

The tour included:�• Venus Point (gorgeous lighthouse and beach—okay, strong start!)�• A waterfall (aka a surprise leg workout featuring uneven steps and gravel)�• Three waterfalls (less intense, but still a “watch your step” situation)�• Botanical Garden (peaceful, lush, and a chance to pretend we weren’t melting)�• Grotto de Maraa (beautiful and definitely worth the stop!)

Now for the full experience… the bus AC was broken, so we enjoyed a complimentary tropical sauna 🥵 And our guide? Let’s just say they were very committed…to chatting with the driver. The rest of us enjoyed a scenic, self-guided mystery tour 😄

Despite it all, we laughed, saw some amazing sights, and soaked in Tahiti’s natural beauty. Maybe not the best tour—but definitely one we won’t forget!

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