Okay, We're Going to Hawaii!
Guys………. I could not be more overjoyed writing this post. Do you know how good it feels to go on vacation again??? To leave the state??? This trip was SO needed and really made me remember how much I love traveling.
Hawaii has been on my bucket list for a long time. My trip was scheduled from May 9th - May 20th. And at this time, there was still many Covid restrictions in place to get in and move around Hawaii. So if you are looking into this trip anytime soon, be sure to do your research. I was fully vaccinated but even so I needed to submit Covid tests with their approved partners and fill out a bunch of forms through the state of Hawaii website.
Okay! Now on to the good stuff, my itinerary. Planning this took a lot of effort as I wanted to stay busy each day (it’s not exactly close to home so I didn't know if / when I’d be back). So save yourself the trouble of spending hours researching and copy my list below! And the second you book the trip, make reservations for everything!!! Even dinner. Things book up quick and if you wanna have the best experience possible I recommend booking in advance.
May 9th - Flew to O’ahu and checked into The Modern Honolulu Hotel
The flight to Hawaii can be rough, its approximately 12 hours. So come prepared with lots of entertainment. We flew Hawaiian Air and loved it. They provided so many snacks & full meals throughout the flight. We also were able to bring free carry on bags, which was awesome because that meant we only needed to check one bag. As for the hotel, we are timeshare owners so were were lucky enough to book it through there. The hotel itself was very nice and so close to the beach. It’s right outside of the Waikiki which is where all the main nightlife is.
May 10th - Visited Pearl Harbor
Truth be told, I’m not much into historical excursions but we decided to check out Pearl Harbor anyway. One of my best friends is a history teacher and obsessed with WWII so we wanted to bring him back a souvenir! If I’m gonna be honest there is not much to see there but the memorial itself is very pretty and if you’re into that sort of thing I recommend it! I’m not sure what the rules are now, but when we went you needed to make reservations to see the memorial in advance. After that, we basically just chilled by the beach & pool for the rest of the day because we were pretty jet lagged.
May 11th - Snorkeling at Turtle Canyon
We started our day off with more beach & pool time and then later took a boat ride into the Turtle Canyon which is located a little off shore from the beaches of Honolulu. This is where turtles go to be cleaned by fish. The water was a little murky but we were still able to swim alongside about 4-5 turtles! For dinner that night we checked out Hana Koa Brewing Company. I highly recommend it! They had so many delicious vegetarian options and their beer was great! After that we headed to Waikiki Brewing, which was located within walking distance, for a night cap.
May 12th - Drove along the North Shore
The North Shore of Hawaii is famous for surfing. There are so many stops you can make but our favorites from the drive included: Hale’iwa Beach Park, Waimea Bay, Waimea Falls Park, and lunch at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck (the highest rated spot to eat along the North Shore).
May 13th - Hiked Diamond Head and stopped at the Halona Blowhole
For seasoned hikers, Diamond Head isn’t so much of a big deal. The path is completely paved, it’s just HOT. Luckily, it does get cooler the higher you go. Once you’re at the top there are incredible 360 views of Honolulu. Once you’re back down on the ground be sure to stop at the Pineapple stand for a treat! We also did the Halona Blowhole this day. It was SO beautiful. Highly, highly recommend it. It is literally off the side of the road, and you would totally miss it if you didn’t know already that it was there. But once you climb down to the bottom it feels so surreal!
May 14th - Kualoa Ranch
Kualoa Ranch is famous for the many productions that have been filmed on the property including Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Jumanji, Lost, and more! The mountain on the property is so close that you really do feel like you are in a Jurassic Park movie and a dinosaur is gonna pop out at any moment. They have so many activities here but we decided on the private beach and zip-lining tours. The private beach had a bunch of water sports available to guests and boat rides to see marine life. Once we were done there we headed across the property to do zip-lining, it was my first time and I’m slightly afraid of heights but despite that, the team there was so good that I felt extremely secure. I definitely recommend it!
May 15th - Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay State Park and a BYOB Sunset Cruise
Ok so Hanauma Bay really gave us a run for our money. We were not aware that you needed to reserve tickets to visit it (I figured it was like the Halona Blowhole and you could just freely move in and out) so we were turned away the day we visited Diamond Head because they were already at capacity for the day at like 11 am. Luckily the workers told us they do accept walk in’s but you have to arrive at 6:30 am to claim the spots. So that’s exactly what we did. Woke up super early and got in!!! It was well worth it. There is a beautiful reef there that you can snorkel in. Later that day we did a BYOB sunset cruise which was also a highlight of our trip!
May 16th - Flew to Maui and checked into the Honua Kai Resort & Spa
We flew Hawaiian Air between the two islands and was again delighted with our experience. The flight was so short I couldn’t even get through an episode of Game of Thrones, haha. Once we were there we stopped at a local grocery store for some basics for the hotel (this time we had a kitchen), and had lunch at Earth Aloha Eats, a vegan food truck that was delicious!!! The hotel itself was beautiful and located near the Lahaina area which has cute shops and restaurants.
May 17th - Rainforest & Waterfall Hiking Tour
This day we decided to do a little bit more hiking through a tour company called Hike Maui. A friend of ours from high school actually moved out to Maui and is a tour guide at the company so we got request her for a tour (ask for Jacqui if you book!). We did three waterfall stops, the first one is open to the public but the second two are on private property (the company has a deal with owners to bring in tour groups) so in our opinion the paid tour was worth it. Plus she told us so much about Hawaiian wildlife and ecosystems, you can’t get that on your own!
May 18th - Snorkeled inside the Molokini Crater and Turtle Cove, then dinner at Mama’s Fish House
Yes, another snorkeling day. It seems like overkill but this was actually my favorite day of snorkeling yet. The Turtle Cove we visited was a secret spot of the captains so we got to swim amongst about 15 turtles without any other tour groups. We were able to get SO close and the water was crystal clear. I was totally obsessed! Because you’re out a bit farther from shore, the water can be cold so I would recommend bringing a wetsuit if you have one to stay warm! The crater was also incredible and had so much happening inside of it! Later that night we visited Mama’s Fish House for dinner. This place is pricey and hard to get a reservation at (they are fully booked for about 3+ months out) but well worth the money. It is frequented by many celebrities as you can see from their gallery as you enter. Our meal was so delicious we still talk about it!
May 19th - Drove the road to Hana!
By far the number one recommended “attraction” is the road to Hana. There are so many stops you can make along the way. Honestly I didn’t write them down because it really is the type of thing where if you see something you pull over and explore. The biggest tips I have for doing the road to Hana are: leave early (it’s a long day, and you don’t wanna get stuck driving back on the winding cliffs at night), bring a bathing suit, lots of cash for side of the road stops, and extra clothes because some stops can be muddy!
May 20th - Visited Haleakala National Park & headed back to NYC :(
Our flight was at about 8pm, so during the day we hung by the pool at our hotel and then headed to Haleakala National Park before heading to the airport. We almost didn’t go, but after our friend highly recommend it we decided to take the trip up to the summit. We were so glad we did because it is truly like another planet out there! You are well above the clouds and the views are incredible.
I definitely wouldn’t call this vacation a cheap one. Pretty much everything in Hawaii is on the more expensive side because they have to have everything imported. It is also a vacation that requires renting a car, there are Ubers but not many and they are expensive. To me though, it was completely worth it. It was one of my favorite vacations to date and I’m already counting down until my next trip there to explore more of the islands!