At Travel Haus we love to have fun.  Whether we are celebrating someone's birthday, helping each other research destinations, or just joking around with each other - you will usually find laughter in the Travel Haus office.  This year we'd like to share our fun with all of you and ask that you help declare a winner in our "Elf on the Shelf" contest.  Let us introduce to you the Travel Haus elf..."Ellie".  We think she is adorable and wait until you see the mischief and fun she gets herself into!  Every weekday until Christmas a different staff person(s) will be displaying Ellie somewhere in our office.  At the end YOU will get to vote on which display you thought was the best and give that staff person the bragging rights in the office.  Here is our first sighting of Ellie this year...

Aloha! My PICK OF THE WEEK would have to be Hawaii. I had my first experience there in September and it was the most beautiful place I have been. The views you get of the beautiful water, beaches and of the high mountains are breathtaking. I spent 5 nights in Maui first which is highly recommended for anyone traveling to Hawaii. I got to experience a lot of different beaches, and traveled all over to see almost all Maui.  WARNING:  Road to Hana - if you have never got car sick before - you will on this ride, but it's so worth it! The best part was finding a beach called “The Red Sand Beach”. It was as pretty as they say. It was a hike to get to it and a lot of confusion but so worth the experience. The waterfalls were wonderful and I got to swim under one which was awesome to experience that! I thought all the people in Hawaii were very friendly.

After Maui, I headed on a plane to Oahu. It was a totally different experience by far! Waikiki is like New York City, people everywhere! It was packed. I am not too much of a city person, but it was a great experience to see. I worked my way around the whole island switching hotels every day. It was a great opportunity to see the other parts of Oahu. They were all unique in their own ways.  Kualoa Ranch is a great attraction for all ages. They have so many different activities. This is where Jurassic park was filmed. I got to see how they take care of all their fields and how they produce their foods. That night I stayed at the Disney Aulani resort. It is such a beautiful resort and so many kids! The kids all seemed to have so much fun with the lazy river and mini water park, and characters walking around.

I also got the chance to experience the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival which was awesome because we got to try many different foods from around the world. I have never done something like that before so I really enjoyed that.

If you have never been to Hawaii I highly recommend it for everyone and for all ages. For 2 islands I think 10 nights with the flights included was a good amount. If you would add in another island I would recommend adding a few more nights. My experience in Hawaii is definitely rated a 10 overall!

​Now strap your seat belts and let’s head to Hawaii! Mahalo! -Brittany