From this point on all questions relating to a vacation in Hawaii (specifically Oahu) will be forwarded a link to this post. Here ya go.
The Do's and Don't's of a Hawaiian Vacation:
DO - Come to Hawaii. If I haven't yet convinced you of this with all of the adjectives I've crammed into these posts describing how spectacular this place is, and you still haven't budged on the post about the $10 airfare, or been lulled by the thought of free lodging, then honestly, I don't know what to do with you.
DON'T - Spend your entire vacation in Waikiki. Really. Don't spend much of it there at all. Odds are if you aren't staying with us or you don't have over $400 to spend on a hotel room each night, then your hotel will be in Waikiki. This is okay. It's just where they all happen to be. It's as if the Hawaiians conceded this small plot of land to the hotel industry just to keep all the tourists out of the way. It's amazing to me how great their plan works. Waikiki should only be used as a place to sleep at night, and the occasional dinner out. Let me be clear. Waikiki does not equal Hawaii. If you came to Hawaii and the only beach you spent time on was Waikiki, then you did NOT come to Hawaii.
DO - Rent a car. And expect to pay more for parking each night than it costs to actually rent the car. The alternative is a cab, which will be more than both of these things combined, or one of those Island Circle Tour buses. If you take the bus tour then you will get to see most of the highlights of the island, but only for about 5 minutes at a time. And with about a hundred other people. It's like you're bringing Waikiki with you. When you rent a car make sure you have the GPS. Yes, even you die-hard map people. Maps just don't cut it here. Honolulu is notorious for intersections with no street signs, one-way streets, and roads that randomly curve in and out of residential areas for no reason whatsoever. Besides, it will take you forever just to try to pronounce the street names on the map. Seriously. Get the GPS. Your marriage will thank you. Use Priceline and name your own ridiculously low price, or if you're a Costco member, they have some pretty great deals, too. Then drive to a beach that you won't have to share.
DON'T - Try to see all of the islands in one trip. You'll remember seeing things, but you won't remember where you were when you saw it, and you certainly won't be able to spend enough time at each place to enjoy it. Unless you are planning on coming for at least 3 weeks, narrow it down to one . . . maybe two islands.
DO - Ask us before you buy any tickets for excursions or tourist attractions. There are two reasons for this. One - We can typically get you tickets through our travel office than you can find anywhere else. Two - Lots of times you'll pay someone for something that you can actually do for free. For example, there are tours you can book to go swim with wild dolphins, snorkel with exotic fish, or spend some time at a "secret beach." These are things that you can do for free. There are NO PRIVATE BEACHES on the island. They are not taking you somewhere you would not be able to get to on your own. You can go to any beach you can find, unless it is on a military installation.
DON'T - Roll out of bed at 10am and still expect to see Pearl Harbor's Arizona Memorial that day. Be in line at 6:30am. I suggest doing this early in your vacation while you're still a little bit on Mainland time so it doesn't seem quite so early. Here's how it works: The gates open at 7am. Once they let you through the security (no purses, bags or strollers of ANY kind allowed in), you proceed straight to the ticket counter to pick up your tickets. They are free, and they're on a first-come, first-served basis. (So don't fall for any "Pearl Harbor Ticket Package" deals you find online.) The first tour is at 8am, and they run every 15 minutes. If you're in line at 6:30, then you'll probably be on the 8:00 or 8:15 tour. If you don't get in line until 7 or 7:30, then you'll be behind all the tour guides picking up tickets for the hundreds of people on the bus tours that day. You'll probably get a ticket time for around 2pm. If you're in line at 9 or later, then you might not get a ticket for that day. It's nice to be able to get there, do your tour and have the rest of your day. There is an audio tour for $7.50 that is totally worth it! While you're waiting for your turn for the ferry to take you over to the memorial there is a large museum-like area that gives you an amazing perspective on what that day was like, via your audio tour. Count on spending between one and two hours walking around with your audio tour. Don't come to Hawaii and skip Pearl Harbor. We might have to smack you around a little if you do.
DO - Spend a day exploring the Waimanalo coast. This stretch of beach makes Travel Channel's Top Whatever beach list just about every time. It's always incredibly beautiful. Spend some time on the sand (that feels like flour), and then stop at every single lookout point on your drive south back into Honolulu. If you're here sometime between November and April, then count on seeing some prime-time whale shows. There are a couple hikes in this area, too, with breathtaking views of the Windward Coast, Waikiki, and even Molokai (another Hawaiian Island).
DON'T - Feel like you have to go to a Luau. Yes, you're in Hawaii. Yes, "Did you go to a Luau?" will be one of the first questions people will ask you when you get back home. No . . . . it's really not that life-changing. It's cool to see the dances from all of the different Islands of Polynesia, especially the Fire Dancers. The food is alright, but you can get this same food (only better and cheaper) about a hundred other places on the island. If you really want to see the dancers, for about a quarter of the price of a Luau you can purchase a seat around the pool at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday nights for the traditional Luau-type entertainment, which is followed by fireworks over Waikiki Beach. We highly recommend seeing the fireworks over Waikiki on Friday nights, anyway. (One of the only reasons we'd send you to Waikiki.)
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| Photo Credit: Anna Ritter |
DO - Spend a lot of time on North Shore. The huge waves are only around during the winter, but North Shore is always a must. It is the perfect opposite to Waikiki. It is one of our favorite places to be in the world. In fact, I already devoted an entire post to it. Bring cash, and leave your make-up at your hotel.
DON'T - Buy pineapples at the airport to take back home. 3 pineapples for $40 is NOT a good deal. You can buy them at Costco, Safeway, or any other grocery store on your way to the airport. As long as there are no bruises or bugs you're cleared to bring them back with you, checked or carried-on.
DO - Get Shave Ice from either Aoki's or Matsumoto's on North Shore. DO get the ice cream in the bottom and DO get the $.25 plastic cup.
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| Photo Credit: Heather Cook |
DON'T - Call Shave Ice a "Snow Cone." Just don't.
DO - Tell us you are coming. DO ask us questions. DO let us tell you about some great little hole-in-the-wall places to eat. And just so ya know, telling us you're here does not mean that you have to set aside time to come and see us. Really. We get it. You don't pack swimming suits and sit on a plane for 9 hours just to see people you know when you land. We are still starry-eyed that we get to live here, so talking about it has not lost any of its joy.
At least, it hasn't for me -- You don't see Dan with his own blog gushing repetitively about the same things.
DO take Kaysi's advice! We had a great visit and weren't once disappointed with their suggestions for anything! They are great hosts. Great seeing you guys. The kids keep asking when they get to go to Hawaii!
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