Hawaii Travel Tips
My Hawaiian travel tip for those staying in the Kihei area is to wake up early in the AM as the island begins to wake up & come alive. Take a stroll to Cinnamon Roll Fair and grab a warm roll and a cup of coffee & head to the beach. Watch how the sun changes the colors on the West Maui Mountains and also glance behind you and observe the sky clearing over Haleakela. If you are fortunate you may spot a green sea turtle, or whales while in season. Might even become friend with one of the "local" dogs out for a stroll & a bite of cinnamon bun. What a great way to start the day in Paradise! Trudy Cooper <kalukigirl@yahoo.com> Meadville,, PA USA - Saturday, June 28, 2003 at 13:57:12 (EDT) IF YOU HAVE LONG HAIR AND PLAN ON SNORKELING BRING A RUBBER BAND TO BRAID OR PULL YOUR HAIR BACK OR ALL YOU WILL SEE IS YOUR HAIR FLOATING IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE IN THE WATER. WHENEVER WE GO TO HAWAII WE TAKE LOTS OF EXTRA ZIP LOCK BAGS FOR SUNSCREEN/ETC. AND FOR THE PACKING ON THE RETURN FOR DAMP BATHING SUITS AND WET SANDALS OR WATER SHOES. WE ALSO PACK MOIST TOWELETTES INCASE THERE IS NOT FACILITIES AT THE BEACH TO WIPE THE SALT OFF OUR FACES AND HANDS. ALSO CHECK OUT ALL THE AIRPORT "THINGS TO DO" PAMPHLETS THEY USUALLY HAVE SOME GREAT COUPONS- WE GOT FREE HARD ROCK PINS THIS WAY LAST TIME WE WENT. CINDY <BENECJ98@AOL.COM> MODESTO, CA USA - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at 16:32:12 (EST) Many of the helicopter ride brochures ask you not to wear white. There is a reason. If you are on a helicopter ride with a person wearing white, that person will inevitably wind up as a ghost like figure on all of your pictures. In essence, they're ruined. I recommend instead of getting angry that someone either didn't read the brochure or ignored it, buy them a colored t-shirt (find somewhere commercial in Hawaii that doesn't have a t-shirt with their logo on it for sale!) and kindly explain. Most people will understand, and you won't wind up with ruined pictures. Stephanie Shumpert <stephanie@shumperts.com> Marshall, VA USA - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at 07:25:58 (EST) Always check and double check your reservations Tammy OHagan <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV United States - Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 02:11:45 (EST) If space in the luggage is limited why not scan all important documents, like passports, credit cards, medical records, etc.and keep them in your e-mail at home, then if you lose yours while on vacation you can find an internet cafe and log into your e-mail for copies of everything you need. You can access your computer from just about anywhere worldwide for lost or stolen documents this way. Jim & Pat <jprainey@telus.net> Canada - Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 23:34:11 (EST) I've been working hard promoting my site lately and checking out what others have done. It's great to see others as passionate about their site as I am about mine. My site is about jokes and humor. If you visit it, I hope you enjoy it. <johnnysjokes@yahoo.com> New York, New York USA - Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 17:19:21 (EST) If you plan to camp at all remember first of all to leave it as you found it, anything you use take with you when you leave, nothing is worse than trash left behind to mar the beauty of the islands. Also, instead of a camp stove we find that a simple griddle is the most useful item you can take on a camping trip, you can cook just about anything with it and it saves the hassle of camp stoves, propane bottles and running out of fuel half way through cooking dinner. The griddle is a backpackers lifesaver and takes up little space. Pat & Jim <jprainey@telus.net> Campbell River, BC Canada - Sunday, January 12, 2003 at 22:29:22 (EST) Always check and double check your reservations Tammy OHagan <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV United States - Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 02:48:24 (EST) Travel tip - Stay at a vacation rental when in Hawaii. you can find some great places and get a great deal. World Wide, USA - Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at 01:54:28 (EST) Always check and double check your reservations Tammy OHagan <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV United States - Sunday, October 20, 2002 at 22:27:20 (EDT) We took two things to Hawaii on recent trip which came in very handy: 1)ziplock bags-kept the ants out of the food in our ant prone kitchen, kept dry things dry in a backpack. 2)A backpack cooler (Costco had for $20) We froze our water the night before and put it in the cooler. We had ice cold water on our hikes, food that wasn't hot or melting from the sun and lunch ready to eat on the trail. In the backpack format it was easy to carry and had room/pockets for the other esentials (bug spray and sunscreen!) We also used it for our driving trips.Besides saving us the cost of a purchased lunch we got to choose the time and place we wanted to enjoy our lunch. My husband thought I was nuts when I packed these two items but he was very happy once we arrived and he saw the use we got from them. Joy <jrobinson10@cox.net> Poway, CA USA - Saturday, September 07, 2002 at 13:07:42 (EDT) great site Tammy OHagan <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV United States - Thursday, September 05, 2002 at 00:24:54 (EDT) Great site, very useful and informative. We loved it! <sitemail@fiberia.com> Miami, FL USA - Wednesday, September 04, 2002 at 14:15:25 (EDT) Before leaving on a trip/vacation ALWAYS double check your reservations, and CONFIRM! CONFIRM! CONFIRM! Tammy <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV USA - Saturday, July 06, 2002 at 09:32:07 (EDT) DON'T BE AFRAID OF SPAM!!! and I don't mean the kind that comes to your email box. I mean the kind that comes in a blue can...try some spam with some rice and kim-chee! This is a tip from a "local" person, and rather than go to a fancy restaraunt, try out some local flavor...those little hole-in-the-wall joints are generous in portion and fair in price. Sometimes, the portions are SO BIG that they plate lunch combos can be split between two! I hope this keeps your vacation dollar stretched! <auntymapuana@earthlink.net> Pomona, CA USA - Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 12:46:18 (EDT) Beware of the long drive to Hana if you get car-sick. The roads have more curves than one could ever imagine. I get car-sick, but I was determined to see what the big deal about Hana was. Even my 10 yr old, who normally doesn't get sick, was turning green. Also, we didn't take food with us. And I have juvenile type diabetes. There was no place to eat! My family didn't find anything heavenly about Hana. JC <jcsaylor@texas.net> TX USA - Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 03:30:00 (EDT) Alert your front desk when you are hiking or exploring unfamiliar territory. We always do when we hike the Big Island. Even though we know the area a bit and are careful (armed with USGS pamphlets and the like) you never know what you may encounter. We always leave a copy of a picture of us with emergency contacts and ID'ing marks in case the worse case scenario happens. I know, pretty morbid but I want to be prepared for anything. Speaking of which, make a living will. Should you be injured and incapacitated, it will give permission for doctors to take the steps necessary to treat you. I always have a copy of it with us in the "God Forbid" envelope!! ;-) Also, use a checklist, it's invaluable. If you're going to the Volcano, track it on the HVO website. We have the updates sent to our cell phone via a macro so we have current info the morning of our hike. If I had to recommend a place to stay, we prefer condos. It feels more like home and is nice to be able to spread out. We like the Aston Hotel/Condo chain. We always stay at the Kauai Beach Villas, Mahana on Maui and either Kona by the Sea or Royal Sea Cliff (which just switched hands last year to Outrigger) Their prices are as reasonable as a hotel and have good "stretch" room. On the long flight from the Midwest, I always pop an aspirin every 6 hours to keep the blood thin and running and make sure I do calf raises, wiggle toes, etc to keep from getting clots or Deep Vein Thrombosis. We have black luggage and every schmo and his mother are now using red ribbon on the handle (like we did) to ID their bags. This led to our luggage almost being nabbed twice. Our saving grace? We taped Hawaiian pictures from magazines (dolphins, aloha shirts, flowers, etc) to the bottom of our luggage with packing tape as another form of ID. Worked every time. Our additional policy for this trip? Since Hawaiian print fabric, ribbon and anything else is becoming so popular, we got a nice, loud turquiose ribbon with bright flowers to replace the red ribbons that have become so popular. Hope some of these helped! Aloha! Angie Columbus, OH USA - Thursday, April 11, 2002 at 21:34:34 (EDT) Being on the each alot, we notice many fair skinned people loading up on the lotion and a short time later they wonder why they have a burn. Number 1, limit your direct exposure to the Hawaiian sun to about 20 minutes at a time and drink water (or Gator Aid). But the thing I see, is that most people wait until they're actually ON the beach, unpacked their chairs, towels, get the walkman going, THEN they put on the stuff. The trick is, whether you're putting on a no. 4 or a 35, put on the first coat BEFORE you get out on the beach. I'm no dermatologist (probably didn't even spell it right), but I would presume that giving your skin a chance to absorb some of the protective stuff before subjecting it to some strong sun is the trick. I've done some experimenting and it works. Just keep reapplying every once in awhile too. -Aloha Greg USA - Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 10:36:47 (EST) Excellent Resource! You bring Hawaii alive to me and I am sure many other browsers. Thank you for a great start to my holiday plans 2002. London, United Kingdom - Monday, March 11, 2002 at 07:38:52 (EST) My husband and I stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Kauai. It was absolutely beautiful. If you are interested in the North shore I would highly recommend this resort. We absolutely loved it and our concierge was wonderful. Her name was Dena and she pointed us to some great places. Tip #1 - use your concierge and ask them where they go for a quiet night or a family night. Tip #2: For those who want to see as much of the island as possible I would recommend that you stay in a central part of the island. Since we stayed on the North shore most of the places were hours away and since we were not use to the time difference it made for some long tired driving. We made it to the south shore (Poipu) only once and wished we would have gone earlier to see more of it because it was beautiful. Tip #3 - FAVORITE RESTAURANT ********** "10 STARS" My husband and I still have not stopped talking about this dinner we had. Tidepools restaurant located in the Hyatt at Poipu. It was beautiful and DELICIOUS. I had the steak and opa and my husband had the filet and crab legs. Other delicious dining: Dolphins and Hanalei Bay resort restaurant-Bai Hali - both located on the North Shore. Tip #4: ESPECIALLY HONEYMOONERS; do all that you can while you're there. Go with money to enjoy what is available. We did the Napali Boat Ride...we loved Desmond (crew member), horse back riding, golf, luau, snorkled (if you don't know how before hand...practice before so you can enjoy it). Don't put it off until next time because you may not make it back. If you do, the next time you get there you can just enjoy Hawaii on the beaches and take in the beauty that God created :) Blessings to you all in Christ Jesus!!! Joanne Scott <joanne.cruz@compucom.com> plano, tx USA - Monday, March 04, 2002 at 12:11:42 (EST) When on the Big Island pay a visit to Arnotts Lodge at 98 Apapane Road, the owner, a friend of ours can arrange to take you or provide guided tours to places that as an average tourist you have no access or permit to visit. Doug Arnott can provide anything from tent camping to beautiful rooms and apartments as well as the tours. Enjoy P USA - Thursday, January 24, 2002 at 04:19:13 (EST) Be sure to take a good mosquito repellent with at least 35% DEET because they are experiencing Dengue Fever (98 cases since June 2001) especially on Maui (63 cases as of 1/8/2002). Also when hiking inland, in swamp areas, wet wood areas wear shirt with long sleeves, pants tucked into good sport socks, sport cap with neck drape, good heavy, non-slip soled hiking boots and finally a lightweight windbreaker jacket (it rains a lot in some areas of Maui and Kauai). That way you can relax and enjoy without bringing home a souvenir you didn't want. Dengue Fever can be fatal in 5% of cases according to the CDC website, so you don't want to mess with it. Oh! Also keep windows closed at night to avoid the critters biting you in bed. JA Gardner <stacinatorsmom@hotmail.com> Sun Valley, ID USA - Saturday, January 19, 2002 at 01:08:08 (EST) things to do: exhale, inhale, exhale...relax, and enjoy!!!! :) sarah (willameenamoonbeam) <willameenamoonbeam@hotmail.com> issaquah, wa USA - Monday, January 14, 2002 at 20:16:53 (EST) When traveling the road to Hana on Maui, take aqua socks or really sturdy sandals to hike to the waterfalls. Ruth Papapanu <Papaprr@aol.com> Sarver, Pa USA - Sunday, January 13, 2002 at 21:38:12 (EST) When on Maui be sure to hit the farmers market for beautiful fresh fruits and veggies, breads and pastries and gifts and souveniers, etc, awesome people, things and prices. Great things to sample before you buy. P USA - Sunday, January 13, 2002 at 10:49:34 (EST) Don't underestimate the size of the islands. They make look small on the map, but it still takes a good two hours to drive from one side of the Big Island to the other. Avergae that in when you are planning your trip. Depending on where you're staying on Oahu and Kauai, it can take an hour or more to travel from one side to the other. Stephanie Shumpert <stephanie@shumperts.com> Manassas, VA` USA - Friday, January 11, 2002 at 22:54:06 (EST) Before leaving on a trip/vacation ALWAYS double check your reservations, and CONFIRM! CONFIRM! CONFIRM! Tammy <tammy507@westco.net> Thornton, WV USA - Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 20:46:10 (EST) keep up the good work karen ratcliff <karenrat@adelphia.net> veazie, me USA - Monday, December 24, 2001 at 12:37:30 (EST) I love sites that offer sweeps!!!!! Jo Novotny <phleb@chemist.com> Great Bend, KS USA - Wednesday, December 05, 2001 at 12:39:05 (EST) I love sites that offer sweeps!!!!! Jo Novotny <phleb@chemist.com> Great Bend, KS USA - Wednesday, December 05, 2001 at 12:39:04 (EST) Great site ! Yvonne Morris <yvonne16@frontiernet.net> Rochester, NY USA - Wednesday, December 05, 2001 at 08:25:42 (EST) Thought I'd check out the site, as I like seeing what's new in Hawaii, never been there but hope to someday. Michael Peterson <itsamike@earthlink.net> Van Nuys, CA USA - Monday, December 03, 2001 at 22:08:29 (EST) hello Linda Ellis <az-gal@home.com> Phoenix, AZ United States - Monday, December 03, 2001 at 18:28:38 (EST) hawaiiworldweb.com Adina Weinstein <adina@hq.idt.net> Fair Lawn, NJ USA - Monday, December 03, 2001 at 14:57:12 (EST) If traveling overseas i always have notorized copies of my identification records. crystal wiemer <cdwiemer@msn.com> Avon, IN USA - Monday, December 03, 2001 at 10:54:11 (EST) Bring comfortable shoes so you can walk around the islands and see all the beautiful scenery. shelly field <efield@catskill.net> monticello, ny usa - Monday, December 03, 2001 at 00:29:07 (EST) thanks tim clark <TToolman173@AOL.com> calhoun, ga USA - Sunday, December 02, 2001 at 15:11:30 (EST) Since some (or most) airports have done away with lockers... If traveling to a warm climate from a cold one, take items you can layer -- like a turtleneck, and a light jacket. The lighter items can still be worn on your trip, but combined when you get back home to brrrrr, col temps! <kahuna@4thmoon.com> Wichita, KS United States - Sunday, December 02, 2001 at 09:45:38 (EST) Thank you so much for a great site. Leslie Miceli <lmiceli@nyc.rr.com> Flushing , NY USA - Sunday, December 02, 2001 at 06:56:01 (EST) When I take a vacation, the first thing I do is write out my list of things I need to take with me at least a week before I go - then I use it as a checklist. Tonya Simmons <TonyaSimmons@prodigy.net> Evansville, IN United States - Sunday, December 02, 2001 at 01:59:57 (EST) Before leaving on a trip/vacation ALWAYS double check your reservations, and CONFIRM! CONFIRM! CONFIRM! Tammy <tammyknight0426@yahoo.com> Thornton, WV USA - Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 22:25:01 (EST) Hang a colored tag on you luggage. It makes it easier to find when in the turnstile. Mical Holcomb <lilypad12@worldnet.att.net> Black Diamond, WA United States - Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 19:17:50 (EST) Thanks. We have been to Hawaii twice and I would love to come back and just lay on your beaches. Alberta Hight <amhight1@excite.com> Peculiar, MO USA - Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 19:17:01 (EST) stay there...it's great Karen Moore <karbare3@home.com> Tulsa, OK USA - Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 18:31:34 (EST) Thanks for an excellent resource. You have clearly put in a LOT of hard work to build and maintain this website. A very enjoyable read. Keep up the good work and the best of luck in the future! <jamestt@hotmail.com> New York City, NY USA - Wednesday, November 07, 2001 at 07:14:02 (EST) The best beach to take kids to is at the Ihilani Resort on Oahu because of the calm water Michelle T.D, USA - Thursday, November 01, 2001 at 06:55:09 (EST) Captain Zodiac in Kauai is thebest Na Pali Coast tour company. I have done it three times and have always seen dolphins Greg - Thursday, October 04, 2001 at 19:10:30 (EDT) Bubba gumps shrimp company in Kailua-Kona is an excellent restaurant. Its relatively cheap and they serve a lot of food. Try the bucket of shrimp. Terry Pensacola, USA - Sunday, September 30, 2001 at 18:02:08 (EDT) If you want good snorkling in Hilo go to Richardson's beach park. The water there is clear and the fish/turtles are abundant. The surfing there is good but there are better places to go, ask and I will tell you how to get there. T.j. <tdemar@utk.edu> Knoxville, TN USA - Tuesday, August 21, 2001 at 17:03:35 (EDT) If you want good snorkling in Hilo to to Richardson's beach park. The water there is clear and the fish/turtles are abundant. The surfing there is good but there are better places to go, ask and I will tell you how to get there. T.j. <tdemar@utk.edu> Knoxville, TN USA - Tuesday, August 21, 2001 at 17:03:06 (EDT) If you are going to Oahu especially Waikiki with children, be sure to visit the zoo and aquarium.....they are not large so it is easy for for small children to enjoy them and the park outside of course is great for picnic lunches or you can lunch on the beach and enjoy the beautiful view and tropical breezes. The touristy things are nice, but see some of the local life too......Mary from California Mary Young <delimom7@yahoo.com> Torrance, , Ca USA - Sunday, August 05, 2001 at 18:52:29 (EDT) I stayed in the Hale Koa hotel in Oahu on 1998. It was very nice. I really had a good time at the beach near the hotel. There were a lot og people there al the time. hawaii seattle, USA - Saturday, July 07, 2001 at 20:49:14 (EDT) From the old forum: Best place for groceries in Waikiki from Greg: ""There's not too many well-stocked, full blown supermarkets in Waikiki, but theres a Food Pantry just around the corner from where you'll be (your on OHUA ST). It's on Kuhio Ave, the next block up, toward the mountains (mauka), make a left and it's not too far down. There's also the Ala Wai Pantry which is two streets mauka (toward the mountains) from you on Ala Wai (on the Ala Wai Canal), go left and it's a little further down. You'll also see a lot of what appear to be grocery stores called ABC Store. They don't stock any serious foods like meats, vegetables (some), but they do stock basics, like milk, juices, cereals, some eggs, wine, sweets, cookies, crackers, beer, liquor, soda etc., but they're expensive. The Food Pantry and the Ala Wai Pantry should be o.k. for you, unless you're going to have a three-course dinner party for 12. -Aloha "" Lisa USA - Thursday, July 05, 2001 at 16:02:38 (EDT) From the question forum - Lei greetings can be pre-arranged on the island of Oahu here http://www.leisofhawaii.com/lei.htm Lisa USA - Thursday, July 05, 2001 at 15:59:01 (EDT) Aloha, all - Please leave a travel tip to help others in the spirit of Aloha. Lisa <joli@aloha.net> Keaau, HI USA - Sunday, July 01, 2001 at 18:12:42 (EDT) |
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