beautiful places | Nicky Bianca 💙

It had always been my dream to go to Maui and Honolulu, Oahu. And the two islands in Hawaii, set in the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean, only 22 hours away from my home, were even more beautiful than in my dreams 💙.

Maui 💙 In my turquoise bikini I was standing on a black lava sand beach that seemed to be out of this world in contrast with the beautiful blue ocean and lovely palm trees. Maui, called the Valley island, is home to the most divine beaches, blue lagoon waterfalls and lush rainforest. The tropical fish, seaturtles and whales swimming and splashing in the ocean, near the beaches of Ka’anapali and Kihei, are beautiful to see.

These are beautiful places in Maui:

💙Molokini: an underwater volcano and marine sanctuary where you can snorkle or snuba dive (no diving certificate necessary) to see tropical fish and coral reef you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

💙Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea bay is a small aquarium where you will meet sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, and other sea animals and tropical fish, that will eventually be released back in the ocean again.

💙Honolulu cookies store: the sweet pineapple shaped shortbread cookies are my favorite, dipped in white or dark chocolate with coconut, with macadamia or with chocolate chip.

💙Longhi’s: a beautiful Italian restaurant in Maui, where you can enjoy that morning’s catch of the day and homemade pizza, while overlooking the bay. A perfect place for lunch (try the fish tacos)!

💙Lahaina: the Hawaiian resort Aina Nula is a nice retreat to discover the quaint little town Lahaina and the neighboring beaches like Ka’anapali and Napili shores. Down the hatch is a cool place where all the locals go for drinks and fish food.

💙Whaler’s Village is a chique seaside shopping mall in Ka’anapali, where you can have a lovely lunch or dinner, for example at the Hula grill (try the Hawaiian ceviche with coconut and tarot chips), watch the whales swim by in wintertime, and find some beautiful clothes and jewelry (Mahina) and beachy souvenirs (Sand People).

💙Once a plantation town, Pa’ia is now a small little hippie town with an Ibiza feel that has been built on rock and roll, boho vintage shops and kitesurfers from Hookipa beach.

💙 Hana: the long road along the east coast of Maui will bring you to the most beautiful views of the island, to the black lava beaches, waterfalls, bamboo forests, rainforests and valleys with different micro climates. In Hana you will find the first luxury hotel where Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe once stayed and the Hana ball park where Joe diMaggio once played. Oprah posseses a large plantation on this side of the island.

Honolulu, Oahu 💙 After some sweet days of exploring the natural beauty of Maui, it is soo nice to go to Honolulu with its cool city vibes. Each day Hawaiian Airlines is flying from Maui to Honolulu (or one of the other Hawaiian Islands). Honolulu is a beautiful mix of Asian, American and Hawaiian cultures, which you will find for example in the delicious Pacific cuisine 🌸. The lovely beaches in Honolulu are perfect for swimming, surfing and sunbathing. Hanauma Bay for example is truly a hidden treasure.

💙 I love the sweet melon pan and bread with strawberry and mascarpone at the Japanese bakery Brug. Don’t miss out on the sweetness!

💙 The Modern Honolulu, located on Waikiki Beach, is the most beautiful and chique boutique hotel that I’ve ever been to! The two swimming pools, the restaurants, the study (behind the bookcase), the club, it has all been beautifully decorated in a modern Hawaiian style, including amazing graffiti by POW WOW Hawaii.

💙The International Market place is a Hawaiian shopping mall built around a Banyan tree, a wahi pana or storied place, where you will find many places to shop and dine. Yauatcha is a lovely Asian patisserie to drink delicate tea with macarons and pastry.

💙 Pearl Harbor: the monument on the water built on a sunken ship, tells the tragical story of the Japanese attack on the American navy fleet during the Second World War. A humbling site to remember the fallen on this tragic day in American-Hawaiian history.

Come and discover Maui and Honolulu and check the Island guide from Hawaiian Airlines for more beautiful places to visit. For moda, daily luxury and beautiful places, you can follow me on https://nickybianca.com/.

Photos and images by Nicky Bianca and https://nl.pinterest.com/nicky_bianca/

In the 1920’s a bellboy in a chique hotel started designing beautiful, handmade pieces of leather luggage and travel bags for the chic and wealthy in Florence, italy. Grace Kelly and Jacky Kennedy loved his fine collection of bags. In the course of the 20th century the bellboy, Guccio Gucci, had created an empire with his family business in Firenze (Florence). The beautiful pieces of travel bags, suitcases and the clothing collections designed by Gucci, from the twenties to the present day, can be admired in the Gucci museum in Firenze.

Gucci is merely one of the inspirational success stories that are set in the bellissima città di moda Firenze. Small scale family businesses in fine leather and wool have grown out to become fashion empires on which the sun doesn’t set. Sergio Rossi is another good example of this. The beautiful quality and design of its leather shoes has made Sergio Rossi an international success. Armani, Acquazzura, Patrizia Pepe, Pucci, and Salvatore Ferragamo are other examples of beautiful, internationally renowned brands that all started in the city of Firenze.

The Via de’ Tornabuoni is the most beautiful and chique street in the city center of Firenze, where you will find the boutiques of Hermès, Pucci, Tiffany’s, Bulgari, Dior and many more. La Piazza della Reppubblica is the historic square of the city and a perfect starting point to explore the boutiques in the small side streets Via Roma and Via Calziuoli, for example Fratelli Roselli, Liu Jo, Pollini, Luisa via Roma, La Rinascente. You may also find little family run shops where the shoes, bags and clothes are still being handmade.

Even though, Firenze is a perfect place for a shopping trip, you shouldn’t miss the cultural and architectural beauty of the city. Il Duomo, il Battistero, Piazza Signorina, Piazzale Michelangelo and il Giardino di Boboli are beautiful, breathtaking locations to explore in the city. And you have to try all the delicious dolci, icecream and pizza that Firenze has to offer. The beautiful boutiques, architecture and food make Firenze one of my favorite Italian cities 💙.

For moda, daily luxury and beautiful places, you can follow me on www.nickybianca.com