Biggest mistake I made was on our second trip to Maui. Do not plan TOO many activities that will take up a bunch of "windshield time". Do enough activities to make it worthwhile but be sure to enjoy the relaxing island vibe. Too much driving is less time for relaxing.
My wife is incapable of planning a relaxed vacation. She *thinks* she is planning a relaxed vacation, and then we end up with 2 activities a day every day. Last time we went to Maui, I made her not schedule anything half the days, and that worked out perfectly. One day, we just played at the beach and got lunch at Okazuya Deli. That was all. It was the best day of the vacation.
Biggest you tourist make is doing research on seasons locations and places that are off limits I’m a Hawaiian who lives here for 41 years and I seen so many tourists 1 week to a month vacation become a nightmare because they no listen
This was my big mistake when I traveled to the big island. Sure I got to see and do plenty but I did not feel relaxed at all always on the rush to the next thing.
Each time I have gone to Hawai'i it goes like this: sight-seeing one day, relaxing the next, then sight-seeing, next day relaxing. Take water shoes. My Keens and pair of flat sandals were all I needed. I take shorts, tops, cotton dresses and a hoodie. Buy an underwater camera! Remember: reef protecting SPF! Malasadas! Yum!
Our biggest mistake on our last trip was underestimating the power of the ocean. My husband took my two kids (10 and 7 years old) out with a boogie board. They were quickly swept out and could not get back to shore. Thankfully a kind man with a surfboard jumped into the water and rescued them one by one as I stood helplessly on shore watching. It was terrifying! We’ve been to Hawaii several times before on vacations and haven’t had any problems. I think it gave us a false sense of security. Lesson learned for sure.
@@Dojo-v6m Last time I went was 2017 and Hawaiian Airlines had a video that played about 20 minutes before landing, but you had to already be watching the screen.
So lucky you had someone to rescue you. Plenty of local residents don’t even surf because they know how deadly it can be if you really don’t know what you’re doing.
I'm a frequent world traveler. My advice on the jet lag is to pre-adjust yourself. You want maximum productivity (or relaxation time) away. If you start 3-5 days beforehand on the destination time you can greatly reduce the acclimation time.
@@glittykitty1 Move yourself towards the new time zone before you depart. For example, if going east, start getting up and going to bed earlier and earlier until you're on the new time zone time for about 3 days before you go. Do the opposite for going west. That way your internal clock is on the destination time zone before you go. Jet lag will be far less bad.
These are all amazing tips. My wife and I got back from our honeymoon in Maui about three months ago. From the moment she said “yes” to my proposal, I started researching various honeymoon destinations. A month later, after watching a few of your videos, we decided on Maui-the activities and vibes from your videos matched what we wanted our honeymoon to be like-particularly the overnight trip to Hana (we love a good road trip!). I then sorted through all of your videos and watched everything related to Maui in great detail-multiple times! I think 90% of our honeymoon activities and restaurants came from suggestions in your videos. I’m sure you hear it all of the time, but THANK YOU, thank you, thank you! You guys have amazing and wonderful suggestions! I don’t think our honeymoon would have been half as memorable without so many amazing suggestions! Now, for what we learned… a mistake to avoid. Take some time to relax! We were coming from the east coast, so to get the most out of our visit to Maui, we took the earliest flight out of Savannah to Maui and the latest flight back home. In all, we had 7 full days, a half day after arriving, and a half day before leaving. Because we thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, I crammed many of the amazing things your videos have covered into our visit. I didn’t want to regret missing something amazing. Sunrise on Haleakala, a day and a half roadtrip to Hana (with highlights at Twin Falls, Wai’anapanapa State Park, and the Pipiwai Trail), sunrise snorkeling at Molikini Crater, a sunset dinner cruise, a luau at the Feast at Lele, checking out the shops in historical Lahaina, farm tours (pineapple, coconut, chocolate), a special dinner at Mama’s Fishhouse, a doors off helicopter tour with Air Maui, lunch at Duke’s Beach House, shakes at the Burger Shack, seeing the Nakalele Blowhole up close, jumping off of Black Rock, ziplining at Kapalua Ziplines, visited beautiful Kepaniwai Park, had a Mai Tai at Monkeypod, used the GyPSy Guide app across the entire island (it was a lot of fun and very informative)… oh goodness, there’s even more, but those were the highlights! I even built in a “makeup” day in case weather forced us to reschedule or if we wanted to do something we didn’t account for. I spent the better part of 6 months planning everything-researched AirBnBs/hotels and car rentals (we went through Turo), made reservations for everything (as suggested), and used Google Maps to calculate drive times between activities and meals to ensure we had enough time to commute to everything. And in the end, we did a LOT, and we had an amazing, memorable time. But with everything we did, I think we forgot to relax! Quite frankly, I’m surprised we were able to fit in as much as we did. Luckily, the weather was very cooperative-barely a drop of rain, even on the Road to Hana. We have since vowed to come back to Maui (maybe as a major anniversary trip) and make it a bit more relaxing. We want to visit Kauai too (that was our runner-up honeymoon destination), so I’ll have to take my own advice when we visit that island. So our lesson-a mistake to avoid-is don’t over-do it. Relax. Soak in the Hawaiian vibes. If you want to do as much as possible, plan a longer trip. If you can’t afford a long trip just yet in your life, plan to come back (like an anniversary trip). There’s too much to see and do in a short visit. I’m glad that I was able to convince my wife to stay more than 5 nights, but even 8 nights wasn’t enough. I blame you guys-your videos are far too informative-you make everything look too enticing! LOL Thank you Erica and Jordan for your amazing work!
Steven, congrats on the epic honeymoon! We’ll done on the planning and execution. What a trip and glad to hear everything went well. I’m glad we could help and enjoy more videos for that anniversary trip!!
my fiancé and i are planning our honeymoon now and we’re also choosing hawaii. we’re lucky to be able to do 14 days so we decided on 7 days on o’ahu and then a 7 day cruise to visit all the other islands. hawaii has always been our bucket list vacation and since we’re coming from the east coast as well idk if we’ll ever get to go back so my plan is to use the days we’re in o’ahu as our relaxation days since we have a full 7 days there so we have time to just chill and then the more activity driven part of our trip will be the cruise portion, we are going to be up early for the road to hana but luckily the ship overnights in maui so we won’t have to rush through it. i felt like doing 1/2 on land and 1/2 by cruise is a good way to get the most out of our trip bc we might never be able to make it back again
@@Maggy776 I did use AirBnB. I did a lot of research, compared prices, compared amenities and other nice-to-haves (was it oceanfront, did it have air conditioning, was there a washer and dryer, etc.), and I think my biggest lesson that I learned (or wished I had known when I was planning) was to book a place closest to where you are planning most of your activities. I had no regrets about the place I chose... It was an amazing price, the hosts were very accommodating, it was beautifully decorated with island decor... But it was in south Kihei, and while that is a pretty nice area (very close to the ritzy resort area of Wailea without the resort prices), we spent over half of our time on the northwest coast (up around Lahaina, Ka'anapali, and Kapalua), so we wasted a lot of time driving. I knew we would be all over the island, and I thought Kihei would be a good compromise. Ma'alaea might have been the most centrally located place, but it seemed like a very quiet town, and other than a sunset dinner cruise, we had no plans there. We had a sunrise snorkel adventure out to Molikini Crater, snorkeling around Turtle Town, and some dining around the Wailea area, but we were far busier on the northwest side of the island. We had a luau, several farm tours, zip lining, and many lunch and dinner plans all on the northwest coast, so we should have stayed up there. We went in late October when travel is usually the lightest, and we still spent about 30 minutes driving one way from south Kihei to Ka'anapali. The only other piece of advice... Book your dining at least a month out. We used OpenTable to book tables at oceanfront restaurants around sunset almost every night, and it never got old! It's so beautiful! Many of the places The Hawaiian Vacation Guide recommends are on OpenTable. We saw a lot of people putting their names on the waiting list for tables, and we walked right up and got great tables with great views at amazing restaurants. A bit of planning goes a long way!
My wife and I generally spend about half of our Hawaiian vacations relaxing (we're currently on our third trip this year). Since we're both in our sixties, we need recovery time after our excursions. We know that whatever we miss out on during a given trip can be done instead on the next trip (living in L.A. is convenient for hopping over to the islands).
I'm a concierge on the big island and the top two mistakes I see guests make are over scheduling themselves, and not leaving time to travel to the sites they want to visit. When people have three days of tours booked in a row, why are you staying at a luxury resort with a resort fee? When they ask to see a waterfall or the volcano, but are unwilling to drive 1.5 to 2 hours one way from the Leeward side...it's a big island, it takes time to reach the tropical side. The happiest travelers enjoy the resort and nearby beaches for 2/3 of their time, and execute a well planned daytrip, manta tour, our scenic drive for the other 1/3.
..FYI...on the Big Island.. it is a long hard drive all the way around from the Kona side..be careful and try not to drive at night..there is not to much to see in Hilo but a good place to stop for a rest..
@@akamano5 I have seen Kamehameha stone there, a Farmer's market, and nearby beaches with turtles... vegetation is rich and beautiful around. The main roads are extremely well-marked for night driving.
Thanks for helping to educate tourist visiting Hawaii - It is so important right now. Locals get upset when tourists don't act properly or with no respect. Mahalo!
So my husband and I thought we could just grab a boogie board and hop in the water in Waikiki like we saw all the little kids doing. We both almost drowned and we both had to be rescued. The gentleman that pulled me out said he had been pulled out from the exact same spot 20 years earlier!! Treat the water, the waves, the ocean with the utmost respect!!
You are blessed & glad you learned from the experience! I totally agree to respect the nature having lived on beautiful Kauai for 6 yrs. A longer time resident taught me in my first weeks here to be mindful of the ocean. I listened and enjoy the beauty often from the shore, or close to it, knowing how the ocean can take you under in minutes. Aloha
When I was in Maui in 2018, I did parasailing, a helicopter tour & finally a Lula. This was out of my comfort zone; but now I am glad I did it. Try something new on your vacation. You will not regret it. Aloha 🌴😎🤟
If trying to save a little money, meal plan as much as possible and hit Costco in Maui for the meals you've all decided to make. It truly saved us tons with snacks. Saved the dinner for local dives.
My wife and I flew into Honolulu from the east coast, 11 hours in the air. We arrived in the early evening. We were totally wiped out. The next morning we woke up at 5am, rested and famished. We had to wait another 2 hours (torture!) to get some breakfast. We walked from our room near Diamond Head to a breakfast joint before heading to Pearl Harbor for the day. It took a couple of days to adjust to the time difference..
Parking at beaches can be painful, so start your day early - thinking you can have a sit-down breakfast and hit the road at 10 am and drive to the beach will not be beneficial, besides, you may have to pay for parking and you may have to try and retry a beach. My favorite is 69 Beach Big Island, early morning or around lunch - great for snorkeling and swimming - quiet black sand beach.
Jet lag is a huuuuugggge advantage. Honestly it helps you get out and enjoy everything while tons of others chill in their resort or condo. One thing in our many trips to the Islands is that we have packed less and less. We are generally in a few bathing suits, maybe something nice for a luau or dinner. Anything else, if we need it...we can find it there. The benefit of Hawaii, though it might be a bit more expensive...they have everything there that you have at home, and some things even better like tons of reef safe sunscreen, beach toys, towels etc. Many times if you are doing an Airbnb, they have all that stuff at the condo or house. Another thing is recognize what type of vacationer you are. Many people love the resort life, shopping and eating with a bit of beach time. Others want to be out all day, hiking, snorkeling, biking, sightseeing etc. Each Island kind of lends it's self to the kind of vacationer you are. Kauai more outdoorsy and adventure as well as very tropical. Oahu Tropical, but alot more amenities, shows, cultural things, shopping, city type life. Maui, a good mix of the two, shopping, dining, adventure. A lot drier in major areas than you'd think...other than the Mountains, Iao Valley and the Road to Hana. I have yet to do the Big Island, but realize it's very big, so more driving...but every climate zone you can think of is there. Volcanos and newer reef is there as well. Love Hawaii....it's my favorite spot. I just got back from the Yucatan, Cancun, and Cozumel...and it was amazing. Stuff there I don't get in Hawaii...but I never felt relaxed, never quite got the Island vibe. Hawaii is till my spot.
Although I had a few things I wish I would have planned/organized better, the biggest mistake I made was waiting so long to come to Hawaii!! I wish I would've done this earlier in life.
We are coming from the east coast in august leaving at 6:30AM landing in Maui at 12:00. We had the same idea you did and we booked our sunrise tour for the next morning since we will be on east coast time. We did Alaska this past August, jet lag is no joke folks. Good video great tips guys…..thanks
I just visited Big Island for the first time and Hawaii in general and I fell in love And the think I learned is aloha Aina The love for this Land and what Hawaii can give you during your visit
BE PATIENT! When you come to visit, understand there’s plenty of us guys who live here who are just trying to go about our lives. When you’re gallivanting all over looking for fun stuff, it’s us that you’re passing. And some of us are a little rough around the edges. Respect us and we’ll respect you back.
I really appreciate your videos. My wife & I are planning a month long trip in 2 years for our 30th anniversary. Neither of us have been there before. My wife wants to go to all the islands & im trying to tell her that’s too much. I’ll definitely show her this video & download your itineraries.
I love Hawai'i, and I have been there maybe 8 times in the last 10 years and have learned some things along the way to help my experience. I usually go between 2-4 weeks and divide my time between two islands. I've learned to check if where I'm staying has laundry facilities because that will cut down on how much clothing I need to bring. I also like to buy coffee over there, mostly from the Big Island, so I always go there last. I don't want to lug extra weight around any more than necessary. I also don't have to worry about going over budget on coffee and not being able to enjoy activities on another island.
We were on Hawaii back in May of 22. We crossed the Saddle road and saw a car flipped upside down off the side of the road. Nobody was in it so it had been there a little while. I wondered how that happened. A few days later, we were on our way back to Kona from Volcanoes National Park via Hilo, so we crossed the Saddle road again. All of a sudden a wave of extreme sleepiness came over me and it was a genuine struggle. I thought of the overturned car and had a pretty good idea how it happened. Jet lag can affect you for many days so be very careful about being out late.
Wow, good story. Thanks for sharing. And a good point. Parents wake up early with their kids and then stay up late to enjoy hawaii. It makes for an exhausting trip at times.
I think a mistake is to underestimate how long it takes to get from place to place. Most of the roads are 2 lane, and can back up. Plan for that so you’re not feeling rushed and anxious! The first time I went up Haleakala, it was rainy/sleet and cloudy. The next time I went up, I almost didn’t go because of the clouds - but did. It was clear above the clouds and amazing. And 2 weeks ago, got to do the night time manta ray snorkel - it was amazing. :)
We just came back from our first trip to Maui and the family itinerary made our trip! I cannot say thank you enough for all of your content, but I would have missed so much and wasted so much time without that itinerary! Thank you for helping make our first Hawaii trip incredible! We will be back 🏝️
When I went to Oahu recently, I rented a car but didn’t even use it much so it was a waste of money to me. Parking spots are very limited too. So we walked everywhere around Honolulu and it was so fun. The tour buses and guides were great for us first timers to explore the scenic spots and beaches when you don’t know where to start.
I'm going in a couple months and was debating about getting a car but I love to walk and my dad, who's a native of New Zealand, said that Waikiki is super walkable and there's so much to do so the idea of just walking around and then grabbing a circle tour sounds perfect. So thank you for your comment because that just reinforced that idea for me 😊
This is a great video! You nailed it! I love that you mentioned taking care of the islands. Malama the aina. I think you would be doing the islands a great service if you did a video on aloha, treating the island and its inhabitants with respect and sunscreen. You have a lot of followers and although people mean well sometimes they don’t know so you have a great platform to help out. Your videos are refreshing and full of great information. Mahalo!
The timing of this video is perfect! This is the weekend I'm finally, finally, finally going to book my trip! I've spent quite a bit of time doing the planning (perhaps overthinking a few things), but now it's time to actually make reservations and commit! I can't tell you how much you've helped me in this process!!! (And yes, that includes your itinerary for Hawaii.) I'm still a bit terrified of doing something wrong in terms of planning, but with all your help, I don't think I'll do things too wrong. Thank you!!
My biggest “watch out”advice for friends, be careful of sunburn on the first couple of days in Hawaii. You’re at the equator and burning is a lot easier than wherever you just came from so get sun gradually. Wear a hat and a coverup
Going to Hawaii, i flew from NJ to meet my friend in Dallas. Then, the next day, we flew out from Tx to Hawaii non-stop. It was great. Coming home was HELL. I sat in an airport crying from frustration and pain. Left Hawaii to LAX, two hour layover, and flew to Dallas at sunrise. Dallas, i had a 3 hour layover and then finally flew into Newark @ 5pm. I'd NEVER fly home like that again. The kindness of 2 fellow passengers is the only reason I got on my flight to Newark. I was surprised we spent $100 a day for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella. But it's worth it as the sun is strong.. Two hours was definitely NOT enough time at Pearl Harbor!!! Id plan a day. We missed so much.
We go to Hawaii every year for 2 weeks but each and every time we spend the whole time in one island. I wouldn’t do it any other way. So much to see and enjoy in each island, plus we go to relax and not continue to be on crazy schedules. Love Hawaii 🌺
My wife and I have been talking about taking a trip to Hawaii. Is it a must to rent a car? I'm just starting to research things but the biggest things we wanna do is beach time, maybe a few trips on the ocean (whale watching, etc) and local restaurants, shops, and culture type events. Bucket list item, attend a Lūʻau. Every vacation we've taken I've spent a lot of time driving and would really really like to look around for change. Awesome video, thanks for the tips.
..depending on which island...public transportation.."The Bus"..in Honolulu is very good for around town..but if you want to sightsee around the island you will need a car..some tourist bus companies offer island tours..this can be nice so you can sightsee and not hassle driving and parking...reserve your spot in advance they can fill up..!!!
Definitely take advantage of the jet lag, we were visiting family on Oahu last year for an event so there wasn’t much time for sightseeing but our Airbnb was on the beach so I was able to get in the water and enjoy the sunrise every morning before the kids got up. Especially when traveling with family, make time to take in the quiet moments.
I’m surprising my wife with a trip over from Florida for our late honeymoon/anniversary. jet lag will more than likely hit us but we’ve been watching all your videos and just can’t wait to come visit. Mahalo for making these videos.
Can't get enough of your awesome videos, addicted to your song choices lately for the intros, but nostalgic for the old intro🙂 Our latest mistake was: Besides underestimating the need for warm clothes on Haleakala, we also underestimated the need for Dramamine and that drive🤢but, we survived, and made it, still 100% worth it. Tackling it again soon with hoodies/blankets/dramamine/bags, and less mess😬.
Thanks for sharing the tips. Motion sickness medicine the night before is clutch for many. I like to mix it up with the music but great to hear you like our theme song, I’ll bring it back.
We just got back from our first trip to Maui and your itinerary and tips were a time saver! When we arrived we had a good sense of how to get around the area and where to go. We had an incredible time and are looking forward to returning. Thank you!
Associated with jet lag coming from EST - we made dinner reservations for a "normal" time - 7:00pm or so - but we were consistently so tired we couldn't enjoy our carefully chosen restaurants. Anyway, had an amazing trip to Maui last May using many of your recommendations and hope to make another trip someday!
Love you guys!! We went to the Big Island in April last year and it was a great trip. Your recommendations for beaches and local cuisine was spot on. Hapuna is still one of my favorite beaches of all time. I am super thankful for all you do!!
Tips for visiting Hawaii 1. Check signs at beaches and parks, it will advise you how strong waves are or ask life guards 2. Do not leave valuables in car or on towels on beach, be aware of surroundings. 3. Respect the land, don’t leave rubbish or take rock home
My hubby and I watched your videos before planning our trip last September and ended up booking The Road to Hana, was so fun! We also stayed on Maui and took a day trip to Ohau for Pearl Harbor! Our last night we did the Luau and had the best time. Thanks for all your information, we enjoyed watching.
FYI....Hawaiian lawn bowling aka ulu maika(Oooh-loo-my-kah)distant cousin(?) to bocce ball. If wanting to visit multiple islands, look into NCLAmerica/Hawaiian Island cruise...4 islands, 5 ports, 7 days. You can book tours/activities uniquely specific to each island. Haleakala(House of the Sun) is 10,023 ft above sea level. Haleakala is so named from Hawaiian legend involving demi-god Maui, as referenced in "Moana"
Car parking is $59 a night at Hilton, my advice is tour island for 3 days than tirn car in and enjoy resort ,yoire paying to be there so you might as well enjoy the pool.🌊🌴🌴🌺🌴
I’m leaving for a 4 island Hawaiian cruise on Saturday… I’ve wondered if this is the best way for my first trip to HI! I’m thinking I’ll get a taste of them and see which I want to come back to in the future! Can’t wait!!
The worst mistake we made on our trip to Maui was taking an overnight flight home. We couldn't sleep and were really, really exhausted when we got home. I can't wait to go back!
We just did this! I slept for 2 days when I got home. I was so exhausted I just couldn’t stay awake. Luckily I had planned extra time off before returning to work.
Hi calista. Just saw your message and wanted to offer any help from someone who has lived on Kauai for nearly 20 years but traveled to Hawaii some 40 times prior. I then worked in tourism for over 10 years. So I have a pretty good perspective. Not sure how much you know of Kauai, but it’s nothing like Maui. I don’t get in the ocean here as I’m not a strong swimmer and unless in an area with a lifeguard, no one should get in the ocean here in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy the island! Aloha!
We r planning our trip this September Celebrating my daughters 40th birthday 🎉. Our first time! Thank u for the information. It was definitely help full
You two are awesome! We are arriving the first week of June with the kids, planning on staying in Maui/Kauai,I just purchased two itineraries Thursday thank goodness! So helpful
Resort fees for us was a total surprise. We used a travel agent and was not told of the resort fee. 😂 I will definitely be booking our next trip myself. Thanks for the great videos! ❤
Always love your videos! Here are some other things to add to the list: - Don’t just stay in Waikiki when staying on Oahu - explore the whole island. Whoever you are, get out and explore! - Try the local restaurants and food trucks. - Stay longer!
One mistake is not borrowing a shelter dog to take on adventure with you! We meet people all the time that miss their pup while visiting Hawaii. If you look into doggy day trips at the local shelters you can help out a pup and get some dog time in :)
Watching this while traveling back from our first trip to Maui. Your videos and blog helped so much with planning. Thanks! Biggest mistake was try to save money on a rental car by reserving an older model “well maintained “ car from Aloha Rental. We were afraid it would fall apart. They gave us our money back though and we were able to get one from Hertz. If you plan on doing more than just chilling on the beach near your hotel you will do a lot of driving so it matters. Also I had a pretty balanced itinerary planned but we sadly had a lot of rain and mostly poor snorkeling conditions. We had to rearrange some plans to make things work better with the weather so I advise flexibility while planning. My husband lost his mask in the surf when trying to exit where there was a 5 foot shore break. Save snorkeling for calm waters! All in all it was a great trip though.
thanks for sharing after your trip! Yes, the weather has been horrible over the past two weeks. I'm glad you made it out of the surf okay and had a flexible itinerary. well done.
Not planning our routes and overloading our schedule. We went to the big island last year and for some reason had activities planned on the same day on different sides of the island 🤦♀️ honestly don’t know how we didn’t notice that but then we assumed it’d be fine not realising how long the travelling between would take. Ended up missing 2 of our 4 planned activities that day and the last 1 of the 4 we just cancelled bc we were too exhausted to do anything 😂
One thing to remember if you are traveling with group of family or friends is to ask what everyone's expectations and desires are for trip. It costs a lot to travel here..and everyone should have input so all can do things THEY enjoy. ..especially if you are sharing a rental car. I recommend every person sharing car be listed as drivers..it costs about $15 extra per driver and that cost should be shared by all.
Take dramamine before you go on a boat ride, even if you don't normally get motion sickness. We went to dive with the mantarays. The ocean was a bit rough that night and it was 20min. super bouncy ride. My wife got really sea sick and felt bad for 2 days.
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide we did the whale watching trip on our last visit, we are taking your advice and trying something new, we are going see the sun set on Haleakala this time. Thanks again.
Make dinner reservations a month out. Opentable is a good site to do it on. Also on Maui we stay in Kihei for half our trip and Lahaina/Kaanapali for the second half. We do all the hikes, Haleakala, Iao needle, up country and road to Hana etc. from Kihei. The drive to these places from Lahaina area is long but not from Kihei.
Love this video too! For the island of Oahu- what beaches do you recommend to learn to surf? Do you recommend surf lessons/camp or just renting a board for the day or a few days? Company? We have surfed in Costa Rica before. Kids are ages 10-16
Oahu is a great island to learn. We like to go out on Waikiki Beach as there are a few breaks and good, slow rolling waves. See this company or explore our tours on our website for more options thehawaiivacationguide.com/activities/surfing-waikiki-with-ohana-surf-project/
Our biggest mistake was scheduling our Road to Hana day on our last full day in Maui. They had massive flooding and trees down blocking the roads. Thunderstorm warnings the entire day. Road ended up being closed and local shops like Auntie Sandy’s even put out a message they were closed. Since it was our last day we never were able to do it. Mother Nature doesn’t care about your schedule. Give yourself a buffer and try and do it in the beginning of your stay. One thing we did do that worked perfect was sunrise at Haleakala our first full day. Like they said jet lag is real. We were going to be up early with the time change so doing that worked perfect.
Thanks for sharing! Agreed, we recommend booking big tours in the beginning of a trip so their is a buffer. I’m glad you got up to Haleakala! Road to Hana needs a do over
We just got back and had scheduled our trip for The Road to Hana on our last day there. It worked out for us (except I didn’t get the memo to wear water shoes to see the waterfalls, huge mistake but I made it in flip flops-don’t recommend 🥴) but we didn’t realize we had to make reservations for parking at the state park to see the black beach. Huge disappointment after making the trip and not being allowed in-hard lesson learned. I think there needs to be t-shirts that say “I survived The Road to Hana” available somewhere! I say that because the road is pretty scary tbh. Lol Scary but absolutely gorgeous and a must see!! Highly recommend!!
On Oahu, be sure to take traffic into consideration when trying to get to the sites you are going to see. It can take a very long time to get from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor during morning rush hour. Check traffic reports, leave early, get there with time to spare so you can walk around to see the historic displays. This holds true for getting anywhere that requires an appointed time for your visit.
Hi guys! I'm planning a trip to Oahu this April (2023), and your videos have been SUPER helpful! What are your thoughts on the Go City Oahu pass? Is it a big-mistake or a big-saver? thanks!
we researched the pass a few years ago and wrote an article but a lot has changed since then. I'd think you can save by finding the tours you want to do and book those directly. We recommend one or two tours while you are visiting an island. You can find our favorite tours here: thehawaiivacationguide.com/activities/
Continue to love watching your Hawaii video’s!! Learned so much. Also, love reading your newsletters!! Going to order the Maui and Oahu Itineraries soon!! Finally, going in May!! Mahalo for your knowledgeable information!! 🤙🏼
Hawaii travelers! Leave a comment sharing your best (or worst) mistake! Win a Get Wet Store snorkel set! Follow them on Facebook here facebook.com/Getwetstore/ to be drawn to win a full travel snorkel set. Thanks for watching!
Plan early morning excursions during your first full day on an island when your body clock is still on another time zone. Ex. Sunrise on Haleakalā or morning whale watching excursions.
Our biggest mistake was trying to see 3 islands in 10 days. If you only have a week or so, restrict your stay to only one or two islands. I would recommend Maui and Oahu if I had to pick two.
As you stated research and book restaurants early mistake may be to realize how expensive food is at the grocery store and particularly the restaurants. You need to plan on this cost.
There is an easy way to see all four Islands Norwegian cruise lines Pride of America. You don’t need to do their excursions you can do your own. This way you can figure out what island you like best and can go back and spend extra time there.
Thanks your videos are the best!! I love your hotel tours. I would really like to see ones on The Courtyard Oahu North Shore (there is no videos, and all the reviews are so sporadic with the dates of stay). Also The Laylow Waikiki. Having a 1 and 5 year old daughter and son, I really enjoy the family perspective you give 🌺 Mahalo!
Thanks Danielle! The courtyard near the PCC is more like a motel as it is meant to be a place to stay for the luau. If the rate is good, book it but don't expect a resort experience. We show the Laylow in our Best Best-Value Waikiki hotel videos. it is a good option but serves more of the younger crowd
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Thank you. We have stayed at the Waikiki Beachcomber, we will probably stick with that. Just looking for something to offset the cost of staying at Aulani. We get our resort time then, and the rest of the time we basically need a place to lay our heads at night. We like to explore the island and spend our time at the various beaches. Being a Marriott rewards member the price of the Courtyard looked enticing. Mahalo 😎
Hiii Ive been watching your videos and I have some questions. I will be in Hawaii in Oct for 3 days. Which places should I go to since I only have limited time and how much is Royal Hawaiian resort fee? Thank you.
Hyatt regency waikiki parking is a pain. narrow driving up and getting out and will be a pain when there's car approaching you. There were a lot of taxi's hanging around the hotel so maybe you can go with that. Remmber that it's $50 per night on parking at Hyatt regency. Good thing is that the hotel has nice hotel rooms and it's right infront of the beach... Oh when u go to the beach, bring water shoes! and yes, when going out, go very early to get parking.
Biggest mistake I made was on our second trip to Maui. Do not plan TOO many activities that will take up a bunch of "windshield time". Do enough activities to make it worthwhile but be sure to enjoy the relaxing island vibe. Too much driving is less time for relaxing.
My wife is incapable of planning a relaxed vacation. She *thinks* she is planning a relaxed vacation, and then we end up with 2 activities a day every day. Last time we went to Maui, I made her not schedule anything half the days, and that worked out perfectly. One day, we just played at the beach and got lunch at Okazuya Deli. That was all. It was the best day of the vacation.
Biggest you tourist make is doing research on seasons locations and places that are off limits I’m a Hawaiian who lives here for 41 years and I seen so many tourists 1 week to a month vacation become a nightmare because they no listen
This was my big mistake when I traveled to the big island. Sure I got to see and do plenty but I did not feel relaxed at all always on the rush to the next thing.
Sunrises. Whale watching. Relax. No crowds. No noisy. Peace and nature. Lighthouse. Our resort is 99 a week. 😅. No parking. 38 a day. No way.
I book tours a month before. Relax. No rush.
Each time I have gone to Hawai'i it goes like this: sight-seeing one day, relaxing the next, then sight-seeing, next day relaxing.
Take water shoes. My Keens and pair of flat sandals were all I needed. I take shorts, tops, cotton dresses and a hoodie.
Buy an underwater camera!
Remember: reef protecting SPF!
Malasadas! Yum!
Our biggest mistake on our last trip was underestimating the power of the ocean. My husband took my two kids (10 and 7 years old) out with a boogie board. They were quickly swept out and could not get back to shore. Thankfully a kind man with a surfboard jumped into the water and rescued them one by one as I stood helplessly on shore watching. It was terrifying! We’ve been to Hawaii several times before on vacations and haven’t had any problems. I think it gave us a false sense of security. Lesson learned for sure.
thanks for sharing you lesson learned! It is a powerful ocean.
They should give every arriving tourist an ocean safety guide. There are way too many sad stories where it didn't turn out so well
@@Dojo-v6m Last time I went was 2017 and Hawaiian Airlines had a video that played about 20 minutes before landing, but you had to already be watching the screen.
So lucky you had someone to rescue you. Plenty of local residents don’t even surf because they know how deadly it can be if you really don’t know what you’re doing.
Strong ocean, be safe, watch the strength of the 🌊 ocean
I'm a frequent world traveler. My advice on the jet lag is to pre-adjust yourself. You want maximum productivity (or relaxation time) away. If you start 3-5 days beforehand on the destination time you can greatly reduce the acclimation time.
Good timp! I have trouble adjusting, but I figured out that I can make up for it by taking lots of little naps, and eventually I even out.
Wat do you mean by starting 3-5 days ahead?
@@glittykitty1 Move yourself towards the new time zone before you depart. For example, if going east, start getting up and going to bed earlier and earlier until you're on the new time zone time for about 3 days before you go. Do the opposite for going west. That way your internal clock is on the destination time zone before you go. Jet lag will be far less bad.
It’s not possible always because of work schedules and kids
These are all amazing tips. My wife and I got back from our honeymoon in Maui about three months ago. From the moment she said “yes” to my proposal, I started researching various honeymoon destinations. A month later, after watching a few of your videos, we decided on Maui-the activities and vibes from your videos matched what we wanted our honeymoon to be like-particularly the overnight trip to Hana (we love a good road trip!). I then sorted through all of your videos and watched everything related to Maui in great detail-multiple times! I think 90% of our honeymoon activities and restaurants came from suggestions in your videos. I’m sure you hear it all of the time, but THANK YOU, thank you, thank you! You guys have amazing and wonderful suggestions! I don’t think our honeymoon would have been half as memorable without so many amazing suggestions!
Now, for what we learned… a mistake to avoid. Take some time to relax! We were coming from the east coast, so to get the most out of our visit to Maui, we took the earliest flight out of Savannah to Maui and the latest flight back home. In all, we had 7 full days, a half day after arriving, and a half day before leaving. Because we thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, I crammed many of the amazing things your videos have covered into our visit. I didn’t want to regret missing something amazing. Sunrise on Haleakala, a day and a half roadtrip to Hana (with highlights at Twin Falls, Wai’anapanapa State Park, and the Pipiwai Trail), sunrise snorkeling at Molikini Crater, a sunset dinner cruise, a luau at the Feast at Lele, checking out the shops in historical Lahaina, farm tours (pineapple, coconut, chocolate), a special dinner at Mama’s Fishhouse, a doors off helicopter tour with Air Maui, lunch at Duke’s Beach House, shakes at the Burger Shack, seeing the Nakalele Blowhole up close, jumping off of Black Rock, ziplining at Kapalua Ziplines, visited beautiful Kepaniwai Park, had a Mai Tai at Monkeypod, used the GyPSy Guide app across the entire island (it was a lot of fun and very informative)… oh goodness, there’s even more, but those were the highlights! I even built in a “makeup” day in case weather forced us to reschedule or if we wanted to do something we didn’t account for. I spent the better part of 6 months planning everything-researched AirBnBs/hotels and car rentals (we went through Turo), made reservations for everything (as suggested), and used Google Maps to calculate drive times between activities and meals to ensure we had enough time to commute to everything. And in the end, we did a LOT, and we had an amazing, memorable time. But with everything we did, I think we forgot to relax! Quite frankly, I’m surprised we were able to fit in as much as we did. Luckily, the weather was very cooperative-barely a drop of rain, even on the Road to Hana. We have since vowed to come back to Maui (maybe as a major anniversary trip) and make it a bit more relaxing. We want to visit Kauai too (that was our runner-up honeymoon destination), so I’ll have to take my own advice when we visit that island.
So our lesson-a mistake to avoid-is don’t over-do it. Relax. Soak in the Hawaiian vibes. If you want to do as much as possible, plan a longer trip. If you can’t afford a long trip just yet in your life, plan to come back (like an anniversary trip). There’s too much to see and do in a short visit. I’m glad that I was able to convince my wife to stay more than 5 nights, but even 8 nights wasn’t enough. I blame you guys-your videos are far too informative-you make everything look too enticing! LOL Thank you Erica and Jordan for your amazing work!
Steven, congrats on the epic honeymoon! We’ll done on the planning and execution. What a trip and glad to hear everything went well. I’m glad we could help and enjoy more videos for that anniversary trip!!
Congratulations! Headed to Maui in Aug. Did you use Air bnb? Or what advice do you have about accommodations? Thank
my fiancé and i are planning our honeymoon now and we’re also choosing hawaii. we’re lucky to be able to do 14 days so we decided on 7 days on o’ahu and then a 7 day cruise to visit all the other islands. hawaii has always been our bucket list vacation and since we’re coming from the east coast as well idk if we’ll ever get to go back so my plan is to use the days we’re in o’ahu as our relaxation days since we have a full 7 days there so we have time to just chill and then the more activity driven part of our trip will be the cruise portion, we are going to be up early for the road to hana but luckily the ship overnights in maui so we won’t have to rush through it. i felt like doing 1/2 on land and 1/2 by cruise is a good way to get the most out of our trip bc we might never be able to make it back again
@@Maggy776 I did use AirBnB. I did a lot of research, compared prices, compared amenities and other nice-to-haves (was it oceanfront, did it have air conditioning, was there a washer and dryer, etc.), and I think my biggest lesson that I learned (or wished I had known when I was planning) was to book a place closest to where you are planning most of your activities. I had no regrets about the place I chose... It was an amazing price, the hosts were very accommodating, it was beautifully decorated with island decor... But it was in south Kihei, and while that is a pretty nice area (very close to the ritzy resort area of Wailea without the resort prices), we spent over half of our time on the northwest coast (up around Lahaina, Ka'anapali, and Kapalua), so we wasted a lot of time driving. I knew we would be all over the island, and I thought Kihei would be a good compromise. Ma'alaea might have been the most centrally located place, but it seemed like a very quiet town, and other than a sunset dinner cruise, we had no plans there. We had a sunrise snorkel adventure out to Molikini Crater, snorkeling around Turtle Town, and some dining around the Wailea area, but we were far busier on the northwest side of the island. We had a luau, several farm tours, zip lining, and many lunch and dinner plans all on the northwest coast, so we should have stayed up there. We went in late October when travel is usually the lightest, and we still spent about 30 minutes driving one way from south Kihei to Ka'anapali.
The only other piece of advice... Book your dining at least a month out. We used OpenTable to book tables at oceanfront restaurants around sunset almost every night, and it never got old! It's so beautiful! Many of the places The Hawaiian Vacation Guide recommends are on OpenTable. We saw a lot of people putting their names on the waiting list for tables, and we walked right up and got great tables with great views at amazing restaurants. A bit of planning goes a long way!
My wife and I generally spend about half of our Hawaiian vacations relaxing (we're currently on our third trip this year). Since we're both in our sixties, we need recovery time after our excursions. We know that whatever we miss out on during a given trip can be done instead on the next trip (living in L.A. is convenient for hopping over to the islands).
I'm a concierge on the big island and the top two mistakes I see guests make are over scheduling themselves, and not leaving time to travel to the sites they want to visit. When people have three days of tours booked in a row, why are you staying at a luxury resort with a resort fee? When they ask to see a waterfall or the volcano, but are unwilling to drive 1.5 to 2 hours one way from the Leeward side...it's a big island, it takes time to reach the tropical side.
The happiest travelers enjoy the resort and nearby beaches for 2/3 of their time, and execute a well planned daytrip, manta tour, our scenic drive for the other 1/3.
That’s great advice from someone with lots of experience. Thanks for sharing.
THIS. We did the self guided tours Shaka guide and beach day, resort days, volcano day, and a Hilo day…it was perfect.
..FYI...on the Big Island.. it is a long hard drive all the way around from the Kona side..be careful and try not to drive at night..there is not to much to see in Hilo but a good place to stop for a rest..
@@akamano5 I have seen Kamehameha stone there, a Farmer's market, and nearby beaches with turtles... vegetation is rich and beautiful around. The main roads are extremely well-marked for night driving.
Ty❤
Thanks for helping to educate tourist visiting Hawaii - It is so important right now. Locals get upset when tourists don't act properly or with no respect. Mahalo!
So my husband and I thought we could just grab a boogie board and hop in the water in Waikiki like we saw all the little kids doing. We both almost drowned and we both had to be rescued. The gentleman that pulled me out said he had been pulled out from the exact same spot 20 years earlier!! Treat the water, the waves, the ocean with the utmost respect!!
You are blessed & glad you learned from the experience! I totally agree to respect the nature having lived on beautiful Kauai for 6 yrs. A longer time resident taught me in my first weeks here to be mindful of the ocean. I listened and enjoy the beauty often from the shore, or close to it, knowing how the ocean can take you under in minutes. Aloha
😂
When I was in Maui in 2018, I did parasailing, a helicopter tour & finally a Lula. This was out of my comfort zone; but now I am glad I did it. Try something new on your vacation. You will not regret it. Aloha 🌴😎🤟
If trying to save a little money, meal plan as much as possible and hit Costco in Maui for the meals you've all decided to make. It truly saved us tons with snacks. Saved the dinner for local dives.
My wife and I flew into Honolulu from the east coast, 11 hours in the air. We arrived in the early evening. We were totally wiped out. The next morning we woke up at 5am, rested and famished. We had to wait another 2 hours (torture!) to get some breakfast. We walked from our room near Diamond Head to a breakfast joint before heading to Pearl Harbor for the day. It took a couple of days to adjust to the time difference..
Parking at beaches can be painful, so start your day early - thinking you can have a sit-down breakfast and hit the road at 10 am and drive to the beach will not be beneficial, besides, you may have to pay for parking and you may have to try and retry a beach. My favorite is 69 Beach Big Island, early morning or around lunch - great for snorkeling and swimming - quiet black sand beach.
Thanks for the thoughtful tips!
Jet lag is a huuuuugggge advantage. Honestly it helps you get out and enjoy everything while tons of others chill in their resort or condo.
One thing in our many trips to the Islands is that we have packed less and less. We are generally in a few bathing suits, maybe something nice for a luau or dinner. Anything else, if we need it...we can find it there. The benefit of Hawaii, though it might be a bit more expensive...they have everything there that you have at home, and some things even better like tons of reef safe sunscreen, beach toys, towels etc. Many times if you are doing an Airbnb, they have all that stuff at the condo or house.
Another thing is recognize what type of vacationer you are. Many people love the resort life, shopping and eating with a bit of beach time. Others want to be out all day, hiking, snorkeling, biking, sightseeing etc. Each Island kind of lends it's self to the kind of vacationer you are.
Kauai more outdoorsy and adventure as well as very tropical. Oahu Tropical, but alot more amenities, shows, cultural things, shopping, city type life. Maui, a good mix of the two, shopping, dining, adventure. A lot drier in major areas than you'd think...other than the Mountains, Iao Valley and the Road to Hana. I have yet to do the Big Island, but realize it's very big, so more driving...but every climate zone you can think of is there. Volcanos and newer reef is there as well.
Love Hawaii....it's my favorite spot. I just got back from the Yucatan, Cancun, and Cozumel...and it was amazing. Stuff there I don't get in Hawaii...but I never felt relaxed, never quite got the Island vibe. Hawaii is till my spot.
Although I had a few things I wish I would have planned/organized better, the biggest mistake I made was waiting so long to come to Hawaii!! I wish I would've done this earlier in life.
We are coming from the east coast in august leaving at 6:30AM landing in Maui at 12:00. We had the same idea you did and we booked our sunrise tour for the next morning since we will be on east coast time. We did Alaska this past August, jet lag is no joke folks. Good video great tips guys…..thanks
I just visited Big Island for the first time and Hawaii in general and I fell in love
And the think I learned is aloha Aina
The love for this Land and what Hawaii can give you during your visit
BE PATIENT! When you come to visit, understand there’s plenty of us guys who live here who are just trying to go about our lives. When you’re gallivanting all over looking for fun stuff, it’s us that you’re passing. And some of us are a little rough around the edges. Respect us and we’ll respect you back.
I really appreciate your videos. My wife & I are planning a month long trip in 2 years for our 30th anniversary. Neither of us have been there before. My wife wants to go to all the islands & im trying to tell her that’s too much. I’ll definitely show her this video & download your itineraries.
Share this with her too thehawaiivacationguide.com/how-to-visit-4-hawaiian-islands-in-2-weeks-itinerary-included/
I love Hawai'i, and I have been there maybe 8 times in the last 10 years and have learned some things along the way to help my experience. I usually go between 2-4 weeks and divide my time between two islands. I've learned to check if where I'm staying has laundry facilities because that will cut down on how much clothing I need to bring. I also like to buy coffee over there, mostly from the Big Island, so I always go there last. I don't want to lug extra weight around any more than necessary. I also don't have to worry about going over budget on coffee and not being able to enjoy activities on another island.
We were on Hawaii back in May of 22. We crossed the Saddle road and saw a car flipped upside down off the side of the road. Nobody was in it so it had been there a little while. I wondered how that happened. A few days later, we were on our way back to Kona from Volcanoes National Park via Hilo, so we crossed the Saddle road again. All of a sudden a wave of extreme sleepiness came over me and it was a genuine struggle. I thought of the overturned car and had a pretty good idea how it happened. Jet lag can affect you for many days so be very careful about being out late.
Wow, good story. Thanks for sharing. And a good point. Parents wake up early with their kids and then stay up late to enjoy hawaii. It makes for an exhausting trip at times.
Thats cursed land....nothing to do with being tired.
@@obijuankenobi420 spent the day walking at volcanoes. It was around 11:00 pm, and I'm from MI, which means it was 5am. Yeah, I was tired.
Just got home last week 😢 6th trip 2 islands only so far . Can’t wait to go back . Great tips!
I think a mistake is to underestimate how long it takes to get from place to place. Most of the roads are 2 lane, and can back up. Plan for that so you’re not feeling rushed and anxious! The first time I went up Haleakala, it was rainy/sleet and cloudy. The next time I went up, I almost didn’t go because of the clouds - but did. It was clear above the clouds and amazing. And 2 weeks ago, got to do the night time manta ray snorkel - it was amazing. :)
Thanks for sharing Todd!
Where did u that night tour?
We just came back from our first trip to Maui and the family itinerary made our trip! I cannot say thank you enough for all of your content, but I would have missed so much and wasted so much time without that itinerary! Thank you for helping make our first Hawaii trip incredible! We will be back 🏝️
When I went to Oahu recently, I rented a car but didn’t even use it much so it was a waste of money to me. Parking spots are very limited too. So we walked everywhere around Honolulu and it was so fun. The tour buses and guides were great for us first timers to explore the scenic spots and beaches when you don’t know where to start.
I'm going in a couple months and was debating about getting a car but I love to walk and my dad, who's a native of New Zealand, said that Waikiki is super walkable and there's so much to do so the idea of just walking around and then grabbing a circle tour sounds perfect. So thank you for your comment because that just reinforced that idea for me 😊
This is a great video! You nailed it! I love that you mentioned taking care of the islands. Malama the aina. I think you would be doing the islands a great service if you did a video on aloha, treating the island and its inhabitants with respect and sunscreen. You have a lot of followers and although people mean well sometimes they don’t know so you have a great platform to help out. Your videos are refreshing and full of great information. Mahalo!
The timing of this video is perfect! This is the weekend I'm finally, finally, finally going to book my trip! I've spent quite a bit of time doing the planning (perhaps overthinking a few things), but now it's time to actually make reservations and commit! I can't tell you how much you've helped me in this process!!! (And yes, that includes your itinerary for Hawaii.) I'm still a bit terrified of doing something wrong in terms of planning, but with all your help, I don't think I'll do things too wrong. Thank you!!
You’re ready! Make those bookings. We also put it off at times, like our next trip needs activities booked!
My biggest “watch out”advice for friends, be careful of sunburn on the first couple of days in Hawaii. You’re at the equator and burning is a lot easier than wherever you just came from so get sun gradually. Wear a hat and a coverup
That’s a great one! Folks don’t realize they are in the tropics. Local residents wear a lot of sun protective clothing.
Going to Hawaii, i flew from NJ to meet my friend in Dallas. Then, the next day, we flew out from Tx to Hawaii non-stop. It was great. Coming home was HELL. I sat in an airport crying from frustration and pain. Left Hawaii to LAX, two hour layover, and flew to Dallas at sunrise. Dallas, i had a 3 hour layover and then finally flew into Newark @ 5pm. I'd NEVER fly home like that again. The kindness of 2 fellow passengers is the only reason I got on my flight to Newark.
I was surprised we spent $100 a day for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella. But it's worth it as the sun is strong..
Two hours was definitely NOT enough time at Pearl Harbor!!! Id plan a day. We missed so much.
We go to Hawaii every year for 2 weeks but each and every time we spend the whole time in one island. I wouldn’t do it any other way. So much to see and enjoy in each island, plus we go to relax and not continue to be on crazy schedules. Love Hawaii 🌺
There is a ton to see! I’m glad you can go for two weeks and do it right b
What’s your favorite island?
My wife and I have been talking about taking a trip to Hawaii. Is it a must to rent a car? I'm just starting to research things but the biggest things we wanna do is beach time, maybe a few trips on the ocean (whale watching, etc) and local restaurants, shops, and culture type events. Bucket list item, attend a Lūʻau. Every vacation we've taken I've spent a lot of time driving and would really really like to look around for change. Awesome video, thanks for the tips.
..depending on which island...public transportation.."The Bus"..in Honolulu is very good for around town..but if you want to sightsee around the island you will need a car..some tourist bus companies offer island tours..this can be nice so you can sightsee and not hassle driving and parking...reserve your spot in advance they can fill up..!!!
Definitely take advantage of the jet lag, we were visiting family on Oahu last year for an event so there wasn’t much time for sightseeing but our Airbnb was on the beach so I was able to get in the water and enjoy the sunrise every morning before the kids got up. Especially when traveling with family, make time to take in the quiet moments.
I assume you meant sunrise. If you enjoy sunsets in the morning, you're in for dark days ahead. 😎
Heading over for the first time in April from Australia. Gathering lots of info from your guys videos. Thank you 🥰
I’m surprising my wife with a trip over from Florida for our late honeymoon/anniversary. jet lag will more than likely hit us but we’ve been watching all your videos and just can’t wait to come visit. Mahalo for making these videos.
Have a wonderful anniversary/honeymoon to Hawaii! That is a big trip from Florida. I’m glad our videos are helping.
Can't get enough of your awesome videos, addicted to your song choices lately for the intros, but nostalgic for the old intro🙂
Our latest mistake was: Besides underestimating the need for warm clothes on Haleakala, we also underestimated the need for Dramamine and that drive🤢but, we survived, and made it, still 100% worth it. Tackling it again soon with hoodies/blankets/dramamine/bags, and less mess😬.
Thanks for sharing the tips. Motion sickness medicine the night before is clutch for many. I like to mix it up with the music but great to hear you like our theme song, I’ll bring it back.
We just got back from our first trip to Maui and your itinerary and tips were a time saver! When we arrived we had a good sense of how to get around the area and where to go. We had an incredible time and are looking forward to returning. Thank you!
that is wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing your review. We hope you can come back to explore some more.
Associated with jet lag coming from EST - we made dinner reservations for a "normal" time - 7:00pm or so - but we were consistently so tired we couldn't enjoy our carefully chosen restaurants. Anyway, had an amazing trip to Maui last May using many of your recommendations and hope to make another trip someday!
thanks for sharing! I hope you can come back to Hawaii soon!
Love you guys!! We went to the Big Island in April last year and it was a great trip. Your recommendations for beaches and local cuisine was spot on. Hapuna is still one of my favorite beaches of all time. I am super thankful for all you do!!
That is wonderful to hear James! I'm glad your Big Island trip was a success. Thanks for the comment!
Beautiful couple , nice , humble and normal ....Thankx for all the tips.
Yes !!! Makena beach on maui is gorgeous but it has rough waves and strong currents
Be safe at Makena!!
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide thank you , yes definitely agree. I haven't been since 2014. Hopefully a trip soon 😀
Tips for visiting Hawaii
1. Check signs at beaches and parks, it will advise you how strong waves are or ask life guards
2. Do not leave valuables in car or on towels on beach, be aware of surroundings.
3. Respect the land, don’t leave rubbish or take rock home
My hubby and I watched your videos before planning our trip last September and ended up booking The Road to Hana, was so fun! We also stayed on Maui and took a day trip to Ohau for Pearl Harbor! Our last night we did the Luau and had the best time. Thanks for all your information, we enjoyed watching.
that sounds like a wonderful trip! I'm glad we could help. thanks for watching!
Which luau did you do? Going to Oahu and Maui in August and need to choose one luau experience. Thanks in advance!
FYI....Hawaiian lawn bowling aka ulu maika(Oooh-loo-my-kah)distant cousin(?) to bocce ball. If wanting to visit multiple islands, look into NCLAmerica/Hawaiian Island cruise...4 islands, 5 ports, 7 days. You can book tours/activities uniquely specific to each island. Haleakala(House of the Sun) is 10,023 ft above sea level. Haleakala is so named from Hawaiian legend involving demi-god Maui, as referenced in "Moana"
Car parking is $59 a night at Hilton, my advice is tour island for 3 days than tirn car in and enjoy resort ,yoire paying to be there so you might as well enjoy the pool.🌊🌴🌴🌺🌴
Great tip!
I’m leaving for a 4 island Hawaiian cruise on Saturday… I’ve wondered if this is the best way for my first trip to HI! I’m thinking I’ll get a taste of them and see which I want to come back to in the future! Can’t wait!!
Exactly, see what island speaks to you the most. Enjoy the cruise!
The worst mistake we made on our trip to Maui was taking an overnight flight home. We couldn't sleep and were really, really exhausted when we got home. I can't wait to go back!
there are a lot of red eye flights from Maui. Yes, they are rarely comfortable and not a great red eye. thanks for sharing!
I second this. Worth the extra $ not to have red eye
Don't take red eye!
We just did this! I slept for 2 days when I got home. I was so exhausted I just couldn’t stay awake. Luckily I had planned extra time off before returning to work.
And my feet were horribly swollen for some reason! It took 2 days to get the swelling to go down. It was odd, I’d never experienced that before.
My friend and I went to Maui last year -- all thanks to your family's tips and tricks! We just booked a trip to Kauai for April. Can't wait!!!
Thanks! Enjoy your next Hawaii adventure!!
Hi calista. Just saw your message and wanted to offer any help from someone who has lived on Kauai for nearly 20 years but traveled to Hawaii some 40 times prior. I then worked in tourism for over 10 years. So I have a pretty good perspective. Not sure how much you know of Kauai, but it’s nothing like Maui. I don’t get in the ocean here as I’m not a strong swimmer and unless in an area with a lifeguard, no one should get in the ocean here in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy the island! Aloha!
We r planning our trip this September
Celebrating my daughters 40th birthday 🎉. Our first time!
Thank u for the information. It was definitely help full
Happy birthday to your daughter! Enjoy your first trip. Check out our website for more info on trip planning! thehawaiivacationguide.com/
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide
Thank you!!
Actually my boyfriend sent this information to me . He will going as well. Question? Is it worth renting a car? Or taking the bus?
To sight see.
Have to let you know I’ve had my Get Wet Prescription goggles for 6 years, I love them. Never cruise without them. 😁
Thanks for sharing! It’s been a few years now with my set and they are as good as new.
Just got back from Oahu and watched a ton of your videos while planning. Thank you!
Thanks for watching Rancey! I'm glad you had a good trip!
We loooved Shaka guide!! Self tour and we saved $100’s bc we downloaded the app.
One trip staying in Kailua we had 2 weeks of clouds and rain. So we just drove to other parts of the island for sunny beaches.
Hi thanks for another informative video..
I don’t know swimming can I still go snorkeling?? Please advice 🙏
We strongly recommend against snorkeling if you can’t swim. Way to dangerous
You two are awesome! We are arriving the first week of June with the kids, planning on staying in Maui/Kauai,I just purchased two itineraries Thursday thank goodness! So helpful
Have a great trip and thanks for grabbing our itineraries!!
Resort fees for us was a total surprise. We used a travel agent and was not told of the resort fee. 😂 I will definitely be booking our next trip myself. Thanks for the great videos! ❤
Plus parking adds up to a lot! See our where to stay directory as we share places without fees, better than an agent!
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Absolutely will do! Thank you! Thankfully, we didn’t rent a car, but we’ll keep parking fees in mind for next time 🥰
Always love your videos! Here are some other things to add to the list:
- Don’t just stay in Waikiki when staying on Oahu - explore the whole island. Whoever you are, get out and explore!
- Try the local restaurants and food trucks.
- Stay longer!
Thanks so much for sharing! Great advice.
One mistake is not borrowing a shelter dog to take on adventure with you! We meet people all the time that miss their pup while visiting Hawaii. If you look into doggy day trips at the local shelters you can help out a pup and get some dog time in :)
That’s a lovely tip. There is a pit bull shelter in Waihe’e, Maui that looks for support.
Bro we aint taking care of your dog
@911eVoX Well, nobody asked YOU to lol. It's an idea if people don't mind helping a dog in the shelter is all. Lol
What a cool idea!
@dahheelerboy Are there any specific shelters that are still doing this as of August 2023? Thanks!
Watching this while traveling back from our first trip to Maui. Your videos and blog helped so much with planning. Thanks!
Biggest mistake was try to save money on a rental car by reserving an older model “well maintained “ car from Aloha Rental. We were afraid it would fall apart. They gave us our money back though and we were able to get one from Hertz.
If you plan on doing more than just chilling on the beach near your hotel you will do a lot of driving so it matters.
Also I had a pretty balanced itinerary planned but we sadly had a lot of rain and mostly poor snorkeling conditions. We had to rearrange some plans to make things work better with the weather so I advise flexibility while planning.
My husband lost his mask in the surf when trying to exit where there was a 5 foot shore break. Save snorkeling for calm waters!
All in all it was a great trip though.
thanks for sharing after your trip! Yes, the weather has been horrible over the past two weeks. I'm glad you made it out of the surf okay and had a flexible itinerary. well done.
Your children are adorable!!
Not planning our routes and overloading our schedule. We went to the big island last year and for some reason had activities planned on the same day on different sides of the island 🤦♀️ honestly don’t know how we didn’t notice that but then we assumed it’d be fine not realising how long the travelling between would take. Ended up missing 2 of our 4 planned activities that day and the last 1 of the 4 we just cancelled bc we were too exhausted to do anything 😂
Thanks for the weather tip!! That helps a lot
One thing to remember if you are traveling with group of family or friends is to ask what everyone's expectations and desires are for trip. It costs a lot to travel here..and everyone should have input so all can do things THEY enjoy. ..especially if you are sharing a rental car. I recommend every person sharing car be listed as drivers..it costs about $15 extra per driver and that cost should be shared by all.
Thanks so much, going in August to Honolulu.
Enjoy Honolulu!
We are going in august for our third time to Maui!!! It’s our happy place!
have a wonderful trip in August! watch our Maui 2023 guide video too th-cam.com/video/zFNYEgOt3TA/w-d-xo.html
All the tips are golden !
Take dramamine before you go on a boat ride, even if you don't normally get motion sickness.
We went to dive with the mantarays. The ocean was a bit rough that night and it was 20min. super bouncy ride. My wife got really sea sick and felt bad for 2 days.
Or Bonine for motion sickness. Doesn’t make you groggy and works great!
Also eat ginger chews
We sort of overbooked our Big Island stay, so we are going to do the luau on Oahu. Does anyone have any input on the Hale Koa Luau? Thank you
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your itinerary guide. I planned my whole trip to Maui with it and plan to use it while I'm there. Thanks again.!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for grabbing one and for the review. Have a wonderful trip!!
Great video ❤
The only mistake we make is leaving Hawaii.
We will be back on February 19 for 16 days Oahu and Maui. Thanks for all the info. Steve and Lori.
Have a great trip Steve and Lori. I hope you have whale watching booked.
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide we did the whale watching trip on our last visit, we are taking your advice and trying something new, we are going see the sun set on Haleakala this time. Thanks again.
Have a great time for sunset!
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide thanks again.
Try the Big Island too!
Make dinner reservations a month out. Opentable is a good site to do it on.
Also on Maui we stay in Kihei for half our trip and Lahaina/Kaanapali for the second half.
We do all the hikes, Haleakala, Iao needle, up country and road to Hana etc. from Kihei.
The drive to these places from Lahaina area is long but not from Kihei.
Great point! Lahaina is getting worst traffic on the pali making for a longer journey from West Maui.
Our family doesn’t mind jet lag coming to Hawaii… we were happy to be up for every single day sunrise and we loved it😉. Thanks for a great video!
Agreed, it isn’t a bad thing. Hawaii goes to bed early and gets up early. It isn’t a nightlife place.
You guys are the best! Thank you 😊
GREAT VIDEO! One of the best yet since I’ve been watching from the beginning. You guys keep it up! ❤🙏❤️
Love this video too! For the island of Oahu- what beaches do you recommend to learn to surf? Do you recommend surf lessons/camp or just renting a board for the day or a few days? Company? We have surfed in Costa Rica before. Kids are ages 10-16
Oahu is a great island to learn. We like to go out on Waikiki Beach as there are a few breaks and good, slow rolling waves. See this company or explore our tours on our website for more options thehawaiivacationguide.com/activities/surfing-waikiki-with-ohana-surf-project/
Our biggest mistake was scheduling our Road to Hana day on our last full day in Maui. They had massive flooding and trees down blocking the roads. Thunderstorm warnings the entire day. Road ended up being closed and local shops like Auntie Sandy’s even put out a message they were closed. Since it was our last day we never were able to do it. Mother Nature doesn’t care about your schedule. Give yourself a buffer and try and do it in the beginning of your stay.
One thing we did do that worked perfect was sunrise at Haleakala our first full day. Like they said jet lag is real. We were going to be up early with the time change so doing that worked perfect.
Thanks for sharing! Agreed, we recommend booking big tours in the beginning of a trip so their is a buffer. I’m glad you got up to Haleakala! Road to Hana needs a do over
We just got back and had scheduled our trip for The Road to Hana on our last day there. It worked out for us (except I didn’t get the memo to wear water shoes to see the waterfalls, huge mistake but I made it in flip flops-don’t recommend 🥴) but we didn’t realize we had to make reservations for parking at the state park to see the black beach. Huge disappointment after making the trip and not being allowed in-hard lesson learned.
I think there needs to be t-shirts that say “I survived The Road to Hana” available somewhere! I say that because the road is pretty scary tbh. Lol
Scary but absolutely gorgeous and a must see!! Highly recommend!!
On Oahu, be sure to take traffic into consideration when trying to get to the sites you are going to see. It can take a very long time to get from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor during morning rush hour. Check traffic reports, leave early, get there with time to spare so you can walk around to see the historic displays. This holds true for getting anywhere that requires an appointed time for your visit.
Great tip on traffic and making a reservation!
Hi guys! I'm planning a trip to Oahu this April (2023), and your videos have been SUPER helpful! What are your thoughts on the Go City Oahu pass? Is it a big-mistake or a big-saver? thanks!
we researched the pass a few years ago and wrote an article but a lot has changed since then. I'd think you can save by finding the tours you want to do and book those directly. We recommend one or two tours while you are visiting an island. You can find our favorite tours here: thehawaiivacationguide.com/activities/
Continue to love watching your Hawaii video’s!! Learned so much. Also, love reading your newsletters!! Going to order the Maui and Oahu Itineraries soon!! Finally, going in May!! Mahalo for your knowledgeable information!! 🤙🏼
Congrats! Enjoy the vacation in May! Thanks for being a newsletter subscriber!!!
Hawaii travelers! Leave a comment sharing your best (or worst) mistake!
Win a Get Wet Store snorkel set! Follow them on Facebook here facebook.com/Getwetstore/ to be drawn to win a full travel snorkel set. Thanks for watching!
Is this the only way to enter? Got rid of FB 😊
Plan early morning excursions during your first full day on an island when your body clock is still on another time zone. Ex. Sunrise on Haleakalā or morning whale watching excursions.
We leave Thursday for a week in Ohau and a week in Kauai, been watching y’all for month’s. Thanks
You will be well prepared after watching our videos! Enjoy your trip!
Our biggest mistake was trying to see 3 islands in 10 days. If you only have a week or so, restrict your stay to only one or two islands. I would recommend Maui and Oahu if I had to pick two.
One of your best videos.
we appreciate that! it was fun to make.
I love the star tour at Maui, it was definitely cold 🥶
The temp drops fast when stargazing! thanks for sharing!
As you stated research and book restaurants early mistake may be to realize how expensive food is at the grocery store and particularly the restaurants. You need to plan on this cost.
Great video! Looking forward to our trip to Oahu in April this year!!!
have a great trip in April!
There is an easy way to see all four Islands Norwegian cruise lines Pride of America. You don’t need to do their excursions you can do your own. This way you can figure out what island you like best and can go back and spend extra time there.
Planning our 1st Hawaiin trip now! Definitely going to purchase some itineraries.
have a wonderful first trip! Enjoy those itineraries and thanks for subscribing!
Thanks your videos are the best!! I love your hotel tours. I would really like to see ones on The Courtyard Oahu North Shore (there is no videos, and all the reviews are so sporadic with the dates of stay). Also The Laylow Waikiki. Having a 1 and 5 year old daughter and son, I really enjoy the family perspective you give 🌺 Mahalo!
Thanks Danielle! The courtyard near the PCC is more like a motel as it is meant to be a place to stay for the luau. If the rate is good, book it but don't expect a resort experience. We show the Laylow in our Best Best-Value Waikiki hotel videos. it is a good option but serves more of the younger crowd
@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Thank you. We have stayed at the Waikiki Beachcomber, we will probably stick with that. Just looking for something to offset the cost of staying at Aulani. We get our resort time then, and the rest of the time we basically need a place to lay our heads at night. We like to explore the island and spend our time at the various beaches. Being a Marriott rewards member the price of the Courtyard looked enticing. Mahalo 😎
Awesome, thanks. I'm planning for this August. Great info and fly-fishing the flats
Awesome video guys! And as usual, cutest baby on the planet❤
Two words....Sandy Beach. Respect it!
good tip. that is a rough shore break. Only for the best bodyboarders.
Hiii Ive been watching your videos and I have some questions. I will be in Hawaii in Oct for 3 days. Which places should I go to since I only have limited time and how much is Royal Hawaiian resort fee? Thank you.
do you still have to wear a face mask in Waikiki? We are visiting in January and I purchased your itinerary.
Not since March 2022. No mask required
Thanks
Your video made my day! So informative and adorable 😘
Question, are beach canopies or sun tents allowed on the beaches in waikiki? Does anyone know
Beach tents but canopies aren’t thoughtful as it is a busy beach. Keep it small.
@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Thank you .
Notification gang. HVG always releasing bangers
Hyatt regency waikiki parking is a pain. narrow driving up and getting out and will be a pain when there's car approaching you. There were a lot of taxi's hanging around the hotel so maybe you can go with that. Remmber that it's $50 per night on parking at Hyatt regency. Good thing is that the hotel has nice hotel rooms and it's right infront of the beach... Oh when u go to the beach, bring water shoes! and yes, when going out, go very early to get parking.
thanks for sharing!
That itinerary guide looks awesome !!! Definitely need to purchase this before my trip🙌🙌🙌
Folks love them! Have a wonderful trip and thanks for watching!!
Make sure your airline departure match up with your accommodations dates match up.