Q & A with Darren and Tiffany

My husband and I are planning an anniversary trip and your experience staying with the Kuna Indians is very appealing to us. Did you actually stay in a Kuna village, or were you in a remote area with limited contact? Did you learn a lot about the culture? Also, what were the level of accommodations like? Enjoy the rest of your trip!

- Aimee, Philadelphia, PA

Dear Aimee,
I think an anniversary trip is a great idea, and if you are feeling adventurous, a trip to the San Blas Islands is perfect. The level of accommodations is a bit rustic; there is no hot water or electricity and the rooms are very basic huts with a concrete floor and bed. But the huts are only about five feet from the water's edge, so the breezes and sounds of the waves at night are wonderful. The food at the Dolphin Inn was quite good (so long as you like seafood).

We did stay among the Kuna, though not in a village. The Dolphin Inn is run by an extended family, so about 30 Kuna live on the island and help with the resort. It was great to be among them as they went about their daily routines. On the next island over, there is a large Kuna village with about 1800 people, and we went over there one afternoon to see the village and buy crafts. However, I found the experience of taking a tour through the village to be strained and awkward. It felt like we were there to view people and gawk at how they lived (which was not the case, but it seemed like it). The best way to see their culture is to live among it, rather than take a "tour" of it, so the experience of staying at the Dolphin Inn was much better. Have a great trip!

-Darren & Tiffany

- Sharon, Skokie, IL

Dear Sharon,
Thanks for your question. We did not take a cruise of the Panama Canal, and although it is certainly a luxurious way to travel through the area, it is by no means necessary in order to appreciate how spectacular the Panama Canal really is. We decided we would rather stay at a resort along the canal so that we could get a true feel for the country. As you know, we stayed at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which was an amazing, luxurious resort built on the Chagres River with views of ships passing through the canal.

-Darren & Tiffany

- Rick, New York City, NY

Dear Rick,
Your information is right on, as the weather seems to shift every ten minutes in Patagonia (although we were very lucky to have a fair amount of sunshine during our time there). The trekking itself varies quite a bit, as some days we spent most of our time hiking on level paths, while other days we seemed to be endlessly ascending mountainsides. We did what is commonly known as the "W" trek, which provides a nice mix of easy and challenging stretches, however for those looking to push themselves a bit further, the "Circuit" offers a longer trek with additional hardships to overcome. Trekking in Patagonia is certainly a far cry from lying on a beach, but it's a beautiful part of the world and there's something romantic about completing a trek together.

-Darren & Tiffany

- Emily, San Diego, CA

Dear Emily,
Packing for this adventure was an adventure in and of itself! Darren was dead set on bringing no more than 2 backpacks for the 2 of us, both of which I could have filled for just the first month of our honeymoon. I more or less gave up on bringing any "cute outfits" with me, and focused instead on layering and versatile clothing. For example, I have pants which can be transformed into shorts by zipping off the legs, so my hiking pants from Patagonia are now walking shorts in Africa. It's not the most flattering wardrobe to say the least, but I must admit I truly appreciate the light load as we travel from place to place.

-Darren & Tiffany

-Juan, Dallas, TX

Dear Juan,
That's a tough one. We were fortunate to see so many fascinating animals during our month in Africa, many of which we had never seen outside of the Discovery Channel. If we had to choose one special moment, however, it would probably be the elephant Tiffany spotted from our room at Selati Lodge in Sabi Sabi National Park. Having an elephant stroll up to your back porch is rather exhilarating, and we won't soon forget it.

-Darren & Tiffany

- Tonya, Atlanta, GA

Dear Tonya,
Darlinghurst, while a bit rough around the edges, seems to be a perfect fit for what you are looking for. So far it reminds us of SoHo in New York or Bucktown in Chicago, as the streets are lined with hip restaurants and night clubs, and the population is extremely diverse. Also, the hotels in this part of the city tend to have a bit more personality and charm than the hotel chains in some of the better known areas of Sydney, which again is a big plus for us. We're thrilled to be staying in Darlinghurst, and would recommend it highly for your anniversary trip.

-Darren & Tiffany

-Jon, Cherry Hill, NJ

Dear Jon,
Thanks for the question. It's amazing... as much as we've seen during the past 3 months we still feel like we've covered a relatively small portion of the world. From the places we have visited to date, I would probably choose Panama as the ideal honeymoon destination. Not only is it relatively close to the United States, but it offers a little something for everyone - adventure activities for those so inclined, and pristine beaches for those looking to decompress after a hectic wedding. I also enjoyed the fact that it remains relatively "undiscovered." Tiffany, on the other hand, would vote for the Sabi Sands National Park in South Africa. As a true lover of animals, she couldn't get enough of the wildlife, and with lodges like Mala Mala and Selati as a home base, honeymooners can still enjoy the pampered life. The only caveat is that we are loving New Zealand so far, so our opinion may change next week!

-Darren & Tiffany

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Read About Past Stops

Day 0: Chicago
Day 4: Panama Canal
Day 7: San Blas Islands
Day 11: Boquete, Panama
Day 14: Quito, Ecuador
Day 19: Kapawi, Ecuador
Day 27: Patagonia, Chile
Day 32: Madrid, Spain
Day 39: Namibia, Africa
Day 49: Botswana, Africa
Day 55: Sabi Sabi, Africa
Day 59: MalaMala, Africa
Day 64: Sydney, Australia
Day 68: South Island, NZ
Day 72: Queenstown, NZ
Day 78: Queenstown Pt 2
Day 81: Lake Wanaka, NZ