Compare New Orleans Southern Hospitality by Seniortours vs Hawaii: Ocean and Islands Adventure by Discover Corps

Days 1& 2:

Meals: Breakfast, 2Dinners

We depart from your location, and the party begins! Your Seniortours escort rides with you to host fun, games, cocktails, snacks and entertainment! Today’s ride takes us through the Shenandoah Valley, with overnight lodgings in quaint Southwestern Virginia. After breakfast, more fun, games, and good times on board the motorcoach as we continue southward into the suburbs of Atlanta.

Day 3:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a city tour of exciting Atlanta with our own expert step-on guide. Atlanta’s rich history dates back to 1836, when the city became a major rail hub for the southern US. We’ll see this dynamic city’s highlights, including posh Buckhead, home to titans of industry & celebrities, downtown Atlanta and the streets that Martin Luther King walked during the Civil Rights Movement, the Olympic Village area that hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, & the CNN Center. We’ll enjoy a lunch at one of Atlanta’s favorite local spots. Later, we’ll continue southward. Tonight’s destination is Atmore, Alabama, on the banks of the Mississippi.

Day 4:

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll depart for New Orleans, our home for the next 4 nights. When we arrive, we’ll explore Mardi Gras World, since 1947 the only place where Mardi Gras is celebrated all year round. Our centrally-located hotel provides easy access to the French Quarter, Harrah’s Casino, and the Riverwalk...plus, some of the city’s best restaurants literally just steps away. Tonight we’ll learn how to make dinner, Louisiana style, at the New Orleans School of Cooking, where we’ll dine on freshly prepared local favorites made right in front of us by a master chef! Upon our return, Harrah’s Casino awaits nearby, if you’re feeling lucky!

Day 5:

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll tour “N’Awlins” with our own local expert guide on our motorcoach, taking in all the hot spots of this unique city, including the Garden District, N.O. City Park, Warehouse District, & more. We’ll learn about and visit one of the city’s distinctive above-ground cemeteries. After our tour, we’ll have ample free time to explore Bourbon Street on our own. Tonight, we dine in the French Quarter at The Court of Two Sisters, one of NOLA’s finest and most popular restaurants. After dinner, we’ll enjoy a walking tour of the French Quarter, strolling down Bourbon Street for live entertainment and cocktails (including a complimentary “Hurricane” coupon for Pat O’Briens)— Love that Dixieland Jazz!! We’ll top off the evening the traditional way with café au lait coffee and beignets at Café du Monde.

Day 6:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Today we’ll see 2 sides of the NOLA area by water. First, we’ll take a short ride outside the city into the hauntingly beautiful swamplands for a calm-water boat ride on the Louisiana Bayous. We’ll return to the city after, where we’ll board the famous Creole Queen paddlewheeler for a special luncheon cruise on the Mighty Mississippi, narrated by a costumed re-enactor. Highlights of the tour include the founding of the city by the LeMoyne brothers, the expansion of the city into the “French Quarters” of the Treme & Marigny, Louisiana Purchase, and the Battle of New Orleans. A one-hour shore excursion features a guided tour and talk by National Park Rangers. Tonight, strike it rich at Harrah’s, enjoy dinner in the Quarter, or relax at the hotel.

Day 7:

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

A sweet southern morning leisurely breakfast, then we’ll tour the National WW II Museum, dedicated to The Greatest Generation. We'll also enjoy the award-winning show, Beyond All Boundaries, at the museum’s state-of-the-art New Victory Theatre. Another sit-down seafood (or steak) dinner will be ours to enjoy at Landry’s on the shores of picturesque Lake Pontchartrain.

Day 8:

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Bye, N’Awlins! Tonight finds us in Ft. Payne, AL.

Day 9:

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

The "good times" continue, with Bingo, fun, games, refreshments, & entertainment on board the coach! After breakfast we ride northward to Chattanooga, TN, its famous “Choo-choo” and its restored home listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1909! We'll ride through lovely scenery into Roanoke, VA.

Day 10:

Meals: Breakfast

More fun laughter and friendship, as we continue our journey homeward, filled with fond memories of great times.

Day 1: Arrive in Honolulu and Meet the Group

Meals: Dinner

Upon arrival in Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, you’ll be be met at the airport and taken to your hotel just steps from the world famous Waikiki beaches. After a relaxing welcome dinner together, we’ll get to know one another and discuss the schedule for the week ahead.

Day 2: Journey to Oahu’s North Shore & Experience the Aloha Spirit

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll set out for Hawaii’s iconic North Shore, famous for its big waves and stunning landscapes. Spend the morning in the historic Waimea Valley with a local organization helping to preserve the valley’s cultural heritage and rainforests. Assist with a reforestation initiative, swim in waterfalls, and see why the ancient Hawaiians deemed the valley sacred centuries ago. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to Na Mea Kupono, an eco-farm that is home to Hawaii’s staple crop, taro. We’ll be hosted by this local family for a Hawaiin-style paina, or gathering, for our dinner as we learn more about their role in farming on the island.

Day 3: Climb Diamond Head & Sail out to Sea on a Catamaran

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hawaii’s South Shore is crowned by the now extinct Diamond Head volcano. We’ll take a hike this morning to the top of the rim to get a panoramic view of Waikiki from above. For those who opt not to hike, we’ll have the option to visit the Bishop Museum, home of the royal Kamehameha family and now housing an array of artifacts covering Hawaii’s vast Polynesian heritage. After lunch in Waikiki, we’ll hit the sea on a catamaran ride over the turquoise Pacific waters.

Day 4: Fly to Maui & Explore the Tropical‘Iao Valley State Park

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Enjoy a free morning to explore Waikiki. Head to the beach for a surf lesson with the Waikiki beach boys, check out the area’s cafes and shops or simply relax on white sand beaches only steps from your hotel. We’ll take a short mid-day flight across the Hawaiian archipelago to the Valley Isle of Maui. After landing, we’ll head over to the towering emerald peaks of the ‘Iao Valley on Central Maui for a guided hike of the state park. A location revered by the ancient Hawaiians, the valley also served as the site of one of Hawaii’s most important battles as King Kamehameha I tried to unite the islands in the 1700’s. Later in the evening, unwind at our Kaanapali beachfront hotel.

Day 5: Snorkel off Lana’i & Lend a Hand Protecting Sea Turtles

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We’ll have an early breakfast before cruising to the scenic coastline of Lana'i island with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Spend the morning with breakfast on the boat (expect large boat with other travelers) and then 1.5 hours of snorkeling. Scout for wild dolphins, including acrobatic spinner dolphins, friendly bottlenose dolphins, and curious spotted dolphins. Conservationists from the Foundation will narrate your journey and take about everything from whale migration to plastics in the ocean to reef health.

We’ll return to Maui and, after lunch, spend our first afternoon volunteering alongside the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute. Home to one of Hawaii’s largest sea turtle rescues and land based coral nurseries, we’ll join their staff on beach and marine debris cleanu , specifically collecting coral fragments. Take these pieces of coral back to the research center and aid in cutting them into smaller pieces to be grown at the center for a period of 8 months - something that would take the reef 20 years to regenerate! This coral is eventually placed back into the reef to bring back areas that are dead or dying.

Day 6: Maui Ocean Center Volunteering & Farewell Luau

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll spend another morning helping the conservation team at the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute. On Maui and other Hawaiian islands, sea turtles are being threatened as their habitat is increasingly depleted. Green turtle populations are being impacted by events such as the 2018 hurricane that washed out the most important nesting beach for this species in the entire archipelago. We’ll continue to lend a hand on our projects while learning about some of the initiatives in place to preserve the fragile ecosystem both on land and underwater, including going out with the team to find turtles and tag them for research purposes.

Later in the afternoon, we’ll head back to the hotel where you’ll have some free time to enjoy the beach, swim in the ocean or venture into the coastal town of Lahaina. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a special farewell dinner together along with a traditional island luau.

Day 7: Depart Maui or Continue on for the Post-Trip Extension

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and check-out of your rooms. The rest of the day is free to relax at the beach or explore nearby Lahaina until your flight home, or continue on to our optional post-trip extension along the gorgeous road to Hana.