Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Betty Ann Boeving
A. I continue to come back to the Hawaiian Islands, especially Kauai, as my go-to favorite vacation spot because of the weather, number of things to do, travel time from California, ease of travel. ... There's so much to do. Don't try to do Kauai without renting a car. Travel from the northern Na Pali Coast hiking area and Hanalei Bay, to kayaking up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto, to exploring the beaches of Poipu. Driving up the Waimea Canyon and seeing Spouting Horn at sunset are some of my favorites.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. Puerto Rico. This is an island paradise best explored in the winter. The charm of Old San Juan, the adventure of hiking El Yunque rainforest and swimming in the crystal clear blue waters off Flamingo Beach are memories I will always have. December was an ideal time of year to go, the beaches were empty, because the locals thought 85 degree weather was cold.
Q. What is your worst vacation memory?
A. When I showed up for a conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, I was greeted with the daily newspaper there featuring a story about sex trafficking and its prevalence on Oahu. I soon learned that Hawaii is one of the states with the weakest human-trafficking laws and that police were fighting to be exempt from prosecution, if they participated in illicit activity during an investigation. Hawaii is at the crossroads where American girls are often taken by pseudo-boyfriends on 'vacation' where they are then forced into exploitative work.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. New York City, Florence (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Budapest (Hungary) and Santorini (Greece).
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. Israel. The climate and topography look much like the Bay Area. There is also the blending of cultures there, many immigrant populations, and many different belief systems all living together there. It's an intense and wonderful place.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. When I travel, I'm a big fan of earplugs, a blow-up travel pillow, and my own water bottle to refill on flights and for car rides. Arriving rested is a challenge for me being over 6-foot-tall in airplane seats, so I wear and do all that I can to be comfortable for any length of travel.
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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow 'Go Away With...' on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)
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