# Travel Plan: Pacific Trip 2024
# Schedule
**Saturday, 1/27/2024**
1115 Mountain Time - 2045 Hawaiian Time: Fly from DEN => LAX => HNL (2h 36m and 5h 50m, LYW0HE on United 1013 and 1170) (DEN-LAX 1115-1251, LAX-HNL 1655-2045)
Rental car from Avis HNL (2100 on 1/27/2024 to 2100 on 1/29/2024)
Drive to Walmart
Attempt to drive to Kahua Lehua but gate is locked
Fail to sleep at Kahua Lehua (Ho'omaluhia) Campsite
Sleep at Ma'ili beach campsite in vehicle
**Sunday, 1/28/2024**
Explore Oahu (Kaneana Cave, Pearl Harbor, Costco, Climb Koko Crater Tramway, Hike to Makapu'u Lighthouse, Hale'iwa Beach Park)
Choose not to sleep at Kahua Lehua (Ho'omaluhia) Campsite so I don't get locked in
Sleep at Ma'ili beach campsite in vehicle
**Monday, 1/29/2024**
Explore Oahu
1335: Return rental car to Avis HNL
1335: Arrive at HNL
1635 Hawaiian Time - 2120 Samoan Time: Fly from HNL => PPG (5h 45m, 6MPW97 on Hawaiian Airlines 465)
At airport, get told that Avis PPG has a rental car shortage and they will contact me in morning. Their hours start at 0800 even though online it says 24 hours. Also they don't even have a physical window.
Also ask Tropical Car Rental when their hours are and they say 0800. I say I will come get a car from them if Avis doesn't find one.
Walk to Airbnb (Moana Stays #1)
Sleep at Airbnb
**Tuesday, 1/30/2024**
Shower at Airbnb
Receive no email or contact from Avis
Don't Walk to Avis PPG
Don't Get rental car from Avis PPG (0600 on 1/30/2024 to 0600 on 1/31/2024)
Activate a Ubigi eSIM but it is worthless and doesn't work
Walk to the airport after 0800 and see no car rental windows open
Walk back to Airbnb
Walk to BlueSky to get an eSIM because I need to be able to make calls to taxis and such, but the online form is not submitting. Realize I went to the wrong location.
Walk back to Airbnb
Walk back to airport and confirm there are no windows open
Walk to McDonald's to use their ATM and withdraw $100
Take bus to Laufou Shopping Center for BlueSky retail
BlueSky tells me their system is having issues so best they can do is get my phone set up by 1300. I decide to pass it on.
Take bus to National Park of the American Samoa Visitor Center in Fagatogo
Buy a national park pin and get them to call a taxi for me
Take taxi from Fagatogo to Vatia. I tell him to pick me up at 1600.
1300-1600: Explore National Park of the American Samoa (Climb Mount Avala).
Get messed up by Mount Avala. Spiderwebs and vegetation everywhere.
Obviously there is no taxi present at 1600
Ask a few guys I pass by if they have cell phones so I can call the taxi and they shake their heads
Luckily catch one truck leaving a driveway and put a thumb up
Hitchhike back to my lodging near the Airport with Jones who lives in Vatia but goes to American Samoa Community College every day to pick up his wife and daughter. He works in ground control for military and private aircraft. He is sending his daughter to the most expensive private school in hopes that she can get a scholarship in America. His family is from Samoa.
Sleep at same Airbnb (Moana Stays #1)
**Wednesday, 1/31/2024 - Thursday, 2/1/2024**
Shower at Airbnb
0600: Don't return rental car to Avis PPG because I never got one
0730: Arrive at PPG
0900 Samoan Time on 1/31/2024 - 0930 Apia Time on 2/1/2024: Fly from PPG => APW (30m, Booking Number: 733770 on Talofa Airways 502)
1355 Apia Time - 1755 New Zealand Time (same timezone): Fly from APW => AKL (4h, ZQSTLH on Air New Zealand 993)
Rent car from Budget AKL (1800 on 2/1/2024 to 1800 on 2/5/2024 (Prev: 2/4/2024))
Drive from Auckland to Putaruru
Sleep at Putaruru Hotel
**Friday, 2/2/2024**
0600: Wake up
0700-0730: Drive to Hobbiton
0820: Hobbiton Tour from the Shire's Rest
Drive to Putaruru for groceries
Drive to Tauranga
Climb Mauao/Mt. Maunganui
Drive to Taupo
Sleep at Rangatira Park Lookout, Taupo, NZ probably illegally
Sleep at Hipapatua Recreational Reserve, Taupo, NZ
Sleep at The Camphouse, Bunkroom 1 (Collect key from lockbox outside the toilet block at the North Egmont Visitor Centre)
**Saturday, 2/3/2024**
Drive from Taupo to Tongariro National Park
Explore Tongariro National Park (Taranaki Falls Track)
1200-1800: Drive to The Camphouse in Egmont National Park
1900: Sleep at The Camphouse, Bunkroom 1 (Collect key from lockbox outside the toilet block at the North Egmont Visitor Centre)
**Sunday, 2/4/2024**
0300: Wake up
0330-0930: Climb Mt. Taranaki with GoPro
Drive to Auckland
Sleep at Kolmar Inn, Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand
1250: Return rental car to Budget AKL
1550 New Zealand Time - 1720 Australian Time: Fly AKL => SYD (3h 30m, TWVN8N on Jetstar JQ204)
Rent car from SIXT SYD (1730 on 2/4/2024 to 1730 on 2/7/2024)
Explore Sydney
Drive to Bateau Bay Hotel
**Monday, 2/5/2024**
0300: Wake up
0330: Drive to Budget and fill gas too
0400: Return rental car to Budget AKL (Park in same spot, return keys in Arrivals)
0420: Check baggage for Jetstar flight
0620 New Zealand Time - 0800 Australian Eastern Daylight Time: Fly AKL => SYD (3h 40m, TWVN8N on Jetstar JQ202)
Rent car from Avis SYD (0800 on 2/5/2024 to 0800 on 2/7/2024)
Drive to Australian Reptile Park
1100: Explore Australian Reptile Park
Drive to Katoomba
Sleep at YHA Blue Mountains - Katoomba
**Tuesday, 2/6/2024**
Visit Echo Point Lookout and Three Sisters
Visit Evans Lookout and Grand Canyon
Visit Costco Auburn, Lidcombe, NSW
Visit Sydney Opera House
Accidentally pay A$45 for night parking instead of what I thought was A$9 for a half hour of parking. So stay parked overnight.
Sleep at YHA Sydney Harbour - The Rocks
**Wednesday, 2/7/2024**
0200-0215: Wake up
0215-0235: Walk to Sydney Opera House Car Park and pay
0300-0330: Drive to SYD international terminal to return car and then make way to domestic terminal (via taxi). Fill gas on the way.
0330: Return rental car to Avis SYD
0330: Arrive at SYD
0400: Security opens at SYD domestic airport
0600 Australian Eastern Daylight Time - 1745 Japan Time: Fly SYD => CNS => NRT (3h and 7h 25m, PKTNJZ on Jetstar JQ930 and JQ25) (SYD-CNS 0600-0800, CNS-NRT 1120-1745)
Exchange New Zealand Dollars for Japanese Yen
Get Suica IC card
Train/Bus to Shibuya, Tokyo (Narita Express, Limited Express Shinjuku)
Sleep at Commun Shibuya
**Thursday, 2/8/2024**
0645-0920: Take train from Shibuya Station to Shinjuku Station (Saikyo Line) and bus from Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station (from Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal)
0950-1020: Take Fujiten shuttle bus to Fujiten Snow Resort
Rent skis and locker
Ski at Fujiten Snow Resort
1700-1730: Take Fujiten shuttle bus to Kawaguchiko Station
Sleep at Hostel Samurise Mt. Fuji
**Friday, 2/9/2024**
0910-1055: Take bus from Kawaguchiko Station to Shinjuku Station
Visit Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (Shinjuku)
Visit Meiji Jingu (Shibuya)
Take train from Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station to Kasumigaseki Station (Chiyoda Line) and train from Kasumigaseki Station to Kamiyacho Station (Hibiya Line)
1530: Visit Tokyo Tower (Minato)
Take train from Kamiyacho Station to Kasumigaseki Station (Hibiya Line)
Visit Kokyo Gaien National Garden outside of Imperial Palace (Chiyoda)
Take train from Sakuradamon Station to Toyosu Station (Yurakucho Line)
1830: Visit teamLab Planets (Koto)
Take train from Toyosu Station to Tsukishima Station (Yurakucho Line) and train from Tsukishima Station to Ueno-okachimachi Station (Oedo Line)
Check into Ueno Station Hostel Oriental 1 and then sit in water at the spa
Sleep at Ueno Station Hostel Oriental 1
**Saturday, 2/10/2024**
Visit Ueno Zoo (Taito)
Visit Tokyo National Museum (Taito)
Take train from Ueno Station to Akihabara Station (Yamanote Line)
Visit Akihabara shops (Taito)
Take train from Suehirocho Station to Asakusa Station (Ginza Line)
Visit Senso-ji (Taito)
Take train from Asakusa Station to Tokyo Skytree Station (Tobu Skytree Line)
Visit Tokyo Skytree Town, but not the deck (Sumida)
Take train from Tokyo Skytree Station to Asakusa Station to (Tobu Skytree Line), train from Asakusa Station to Ueno Station (Ginza Line), and train from Ueno Station to Omiya Station (Takasaki Line)
Visit Saitama, Omiya Ward
Sleep at eeGee Stay Omiya
**Sunday, 2/11/2024**
Take train from Omiya Station to Ueno Station (Ueno-Tokyo Line) and train from Ueno Station to Tsukiji Station (Hibiya Line)
Visit Tsukiji Fish Market (Chuo)
Visit Hamarikyu Gardens (Chuo)
Take train from Shimbashi Station to Shibuya Station (Ginza Line)
Use banana vending machine
Take train from Shibuya Station to Hamamatsucho Station (Yamanote Line) and train from Hamamatsucho Station to Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station (Tokyo Monorail)
1640: Arrive at HND
1940 Japan Time - 1758 Mountain Time: Fly HND => LAX => DEN (9h 55m and 2h 28m, C4JJLZ on United 38 and 1821) (NRT-LAX 1940-1235, LAX-DEN 1430-1758)
Enroll upon arrival to LAX in Global Entry since I am conditionally approved