I Love Hawaii

Very often I get people asking me for advice on Hawaii. I typed it out again tonight and decided to consolidate it all in to one place to refer those folks to (because seriously, up until now, I was typing it all out each time).

Hold on to your hats, people.

The first thing I suggest is deciding which island you want to visit. Each one is so different, so try to decide what you're going for in your vacation.

Oahu is the main island with Honolulu, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace (where the last of the Hawaiian monarchy lived - a tour worth taking, by the way!), etc. It's where I lived, so I know the most about it (and also the least, because I didn't stay there to be touristy all that often). First things first, you don't HAVE to rent a car on Oahu (you do on the other islands), but I recommend it - you can usually get a good deal on a car from Priceline. There are 3 main highways on the island: H1, H2, and H3. Original, huh? H1 goes East to West and if you stay in Waikiki, that's the one you'll be closest to. It'll get you from the airport to your hotel and to the main attractions. The far west side of the island is NOT a tropical paradise. It's brown and just not lush - mostly residential and it's where I lived there for 2 years. There's a resort down there called Ko'Olina, but unless you just want a resort experience I don't recommend it, it'll set you back a LOT of $$ and in my opinion, it's too far away from the action. If I decided I wanted to go to Oahu, I'd definitely stay in Waikiki and just day trip to the other sides (locally called the Windward Side) - I REALLLLLY recommend going to Cinnamons for breakfast in Kailua one day - their crab cakes benedict and red velvet pancakes are TO DIE for. From there you can go down to Lanikai beach and just sit. If you go on a weekday, chances are good you'll be the only ones there. Also on the Windward side, you can find the areas where they filmed Lost and some other outdoor activities. H2 will take you out to the North Shore, that's the place for surfing and the world famous beaches. If you're in to tropical plants, you can go to Waimea Valley. It's a nice, easy walk to a waterfall that you can swim under. And the valley is across from the world famous Sunset Beach. There really aren't a ton of places to stay there besides incredibly expensive hotels. If you decide to go out that way, I really suggest lunch and a visit to the public beach at Turtle Bay - that's the only place on the island you can actually (well, legally) have a drink on the beach. It's a bit of a drive, but worth it. And you can stop at the Dole Pineapple Plantation on your way out there - please be sure to try the Pineapple Whip while you're there. As far as hotels, outside of the Hale Koa (for military only) I think I've only stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki or the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (again, thanks to Priceline for a great rates!)If you're the nightlife type, I really suggest going to RumFire at Sheraton Waikiki. You can sit outside, listen to the waves and have a cocktail. As the night draws on, they close these glass doors because of the breeze and you can watch the drunk people walk right into them because you really can't see them if you don't know they're there. It's funnier than it sounds, trust me. And they have this cocktail called the Fire Breathing Dragon that is incredible (but spicy!). The Yardhouse is good for dinner, Mac24-7 has great breakfast. On Nimitz, by Pier 38 is a GREAT restaurant called Uncles Fish Market. It's EXCELLENT for lunch. Incredible fish caught just that morning. I don't even like fish and I love that place. Ono is the best if you're not a fish person. Also on Nimitz is La Mariana Sailing Club. It's not really touristy, but don't be afraid! It's the last of the real tiki bars on Oahu - my husband thinks it's the best place on the planet. It's very dusty and old, but they're awesome and will treat you really well. If you do a luau on Oahu, I suggest the Paradise Cove Luau at Ko'Olina. I do not really suggest the Polynesian Cultural Center or their luau. You really must do Pearl Harbor, and plan at least a half a day for that. I suggest 'Iolani Palace as well.

Maui is the laid back, happy hour, Jimmy Buffett type island. It's my favorite. It's slower and less tourist-filled. We must have gone 12x and always stay in or near Lahaina. It's a great little ocean front village with a small town feel. Lots of bars, restaurants and little shops. If you decide to stay here, you'll want to stay within walking distance of Front Street or you'll be paying for parking when you go down there. We very often stayed at the Outrigger Aina'Nalu. You could also get on priceline.com and bid on a room in Ka'anapali (ka-ah-naa-paa-lee - the trick to the Hawaiian language is to make sure you say all the vowels). When we lived there you could bid on a 4 star room for $99 and end up with a bungalow at the Royal Lahaina Hotel. They're dated for sure, but they're very "old Hawaii" and for $99 you can't go wrong. We also ended up at the Hilton down there once for $99, so it's a mixed bag. If you do go to Lahaina, I really recommend Lahaina Coolers on Dickinson for breakfast one day or every day. If you're thinking a helicopter tour is for you, I strongly suggest doing it in Maui. I went with Blue Hawaii Helicopters and it was PHENOMINAL! I am almost certain you can bargain with them on the price too. They take you to see waterfalls that are only accessible via helicopter. If you're a hiker/sight-seer, there is also the Road to Hana. It's an INCREDBILY long and scenic drive through the mountains. If you get car sick, take some Dramamine before going, and if you're squeamish about driving in the mountains without guardrails, just don't do it. Honestly, I did it twice and I'm none the better for it. But it's an experience! Also, if you go, check out the I'ao Valley Needle, and read up on it's history before hand. Creepy but awesome! Maui is where I suggest taking in a Luau, and I HIGHLY recommend the Royal Lahaina Luau. The Warren and Annabelle's Show in Lahaina is really cool too. I thought it would be lame (it's a magic show) but really, it's super awesome.

Big Island is where you want to go if you want an outdoor adventure. This is where the active volcano and the national park is. If you're outdoorsy, this is the place to be! When we would go, we flew in to Kona (HIGHLY recommend Kona Brewing Company for lunch and local beers) and we'd stay at the Aloha Guest House in Captain Cook (I recommend the Kohala or Halawai Rooms), but they might have changed hands since we were there and I can't attest to the new owners service, and you'll need a 4WD vehicle to get up there. It's incredible though and worth it for a night or two. And then we'd road trip over to the Hilo side of the island (a lot of rental car places will tell you not to take Saddle Road across the island but you totally can, it's not unpaved the way it used to be - but don't blame me if something goes awry, please!). On the Hilo side, we'd stay in the national park at the Kilauea Military Camp but if you're not current or former military you won't have access to that. There's another hotel inside the park but I think it's pretty pricey. I really recommend the Hilo Bay Café there in Hilo. It's AWESOME, fresh, local ingredients. Don't be fooled by the fact it's in the WalMart parking lot - HAH! If you were so inclined, you could totally stay in Kona the whole time and chuck it over to Hilo for the day, but you're risking missing the volcano because if the wind is strong or the lava isn't visible that day that you're there, you'll just miss it. If you decide to only make a day trip to the park, I encourage you to make really fluid plans and just call the viewing area hotline the morning you think you'll go to Hilo. They have (or at least used to have) a recording saying whether the volcano viewing area is open of the day. You'll need flashlights for this excursion. There are also boat tours that will take you to the volcano which I always wanted to do - BUT everyone I've EVER known who did it said that it was the best and worst experience if their lives. Best because watching the lava flow into the ocean and make new land was incredible, and worst because the boat ride was AWFUL. I've never known anyone who didn't get sick, or at least quite nauseated. Just a warning... Also on BI, I recommend a coffee plantation tour. You can take them just about anywhere, and it's SO interesting. You must try a cup of PeaBerry coffee. It's unbelievable.

Kauai is the slowest pace of all. Unless you're wanting to lay on the beach every day, I really don't suggest it. There are of course other things you can do besides that, but honestly, you can do them all on a different island and have more variety in your vacation. I loved Kauai, but I hadn't just paid $1,000 bucks to fly there, ya know? The only thing that stands out to me about Kauai is the rum plantation, which is awesome (seriously, we've jumped through some hoops to get ahold of more of it now that we're on the mainland), but not awesome enough to make it my recommendation. Just so you know though, we stayed at the Kaha'Lani in Lihue, which is privately owned condos they rent out when they're not using so you never know what you're going to get, but I called in advance and told them I had a crawler and asked for a super clean, quiet unit and that's what I got. With an incredible view. There's also a great BBQ place there in Lihue. Don't miss it!

Lanai is the other island open to tourists, but I never went and I don't recommend it. There is only one resort and it's $$$$$. The biggest thing, to my knowledge, is to go off-roading there. If you're interested in visiting it, you can take a day trip there from Maui. There are companies that will rent you a jeep and pack you a lunch for the day and you can go drive around the island. I never went though, so I can't speak with absolute certainty.

Oh, I know I kept mentioning Priceline - If you're not familiar with using it - you can select the area you want and the star-rating of the hotels you like, so you really won't end up in a *bad* hotel if you choose 3 or more stars.

A few bullet points:

PLEASE don't forget your sunscreen. I don't know if it's because you're closer to the equator down there, or the o-zone is thinner or what, but I'm a sunscreen FANATIC and I burned to a blister more times than I can count there. If you're going to be outside, put on sunscreen. Don't ruin your vacation because you're in terrible pain.

Priceline, Priceline, Priceline! The Name Your Own Price feature saves you serious $$ on hotels and cars. Also, keep an eye on groupon. You never know what kind of bargains they'll have for Honolulu.

Take traffic into account. 7:30 to like 9 if you're going toward Honolulu will have you in standstill traffic. 3:30 to about 6 is the same if you're going east. Also, keep in mind we're talking six lanes of traffic here, so take that into account when you're planning your excursions if you're not super comfy with that.

ABC stores are THE PLACE for souvenirs for the family. And if you're the jewelry type, this is strange, but I really recommend getting yourself a nice piece while you're in the islands. I have a bracelet from the Glass Mango on Front Street in Maui that I ADORE, but several friends have Tahitian Pearl necklaces that they wear all the time. They're not that expensive (just don't go to Maui Divers) and they're an awesome, awesome souvenir.

On the night you arrive, try to stay up until 9PM. That seems to be the magic time for helping people get acclimated. It's 5-6 hours difference from the mainland. It's MUUUUCH harder to acclimate when you go back to the mainland but it helps to take the red-eye home.

Wherever you choose, be sure to check for parking and resort fees. They can add $50/night to your room without you even realizing it.

Lastly, it's my opinion that if you're flying all that way to Hawaii, you ought to spend a few hundred extra dollars and go island hopping. Pick more than one island to visit (I recommend Oahu and Big Island to most people). You won't regret going to more than one and it probably won't cost you more than $100/each (it used to be as low as $33!).

Once you pick your island(s), go on Amazon and buy copies of the Revealed books for whichever island you choose (Oahu Revealed, Kauaii Revealed, etc) They read like story books instead of tour guides, so it's really easy to follow along as you drive up a historic trail or something. And they are HANDS DOWN the best tour guide books.