A Hawaiian vacation is a dream trip for many and for good reason. Hawaii is lush, beautiful, and welcoming. You simply cannot go wrong planning a vacation in Hawaii. However, there is much to know about planning a trip to Hawaii. Luckily, Far Far Away Travels is here to help with some great Hawaii vacation tips.
#1 Hawaii Vacation Tip: Don’t Try To Do Too Much!
There are many Hawaiian Islands and first-timers often try to do too much. We suggest planning to visit no more than one or two islands on a one week vacation. Remember, if you are flying between islands, you will spend at least a half day packing, unpacking, security checks, etc.—even though the flight itself may be only 40 minutes. We do not consider wasting a half-day an effective use of precious vacation time.
#2 Hawaii Budget Tips
Hawaii is generally an expensive place to visit. However, we have some fun ways to save money!
- Shave ice is a refreshing treat that is usually not expensive.
- While Hawaii is wonderful year-round, prices tend to be a bit lower during the shoulder seasons of Mid-April to June and September to mid-December.
- The Hilo Farmer’s Market has been rated one of the best in the country. It is open daily but the biggest days are Saturdays and Wednesdays.
- Learn to love the plate lunch. A Hawaiian tradition, there are many inexpensive options for this filling meal.
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- Save money on that obligatory Hawaiian shirt by buying it from a resale shop. Aloha shirts are plentiful and with a little careful shopping you can buy one for a fraction of the prices in the retail stores.
#3 Hawaiian Vacation Special Things To See and Do
- Your travel agent can arrange a lei greeting for you at the airport.
- Toss a flower lei into the sea before you leave—it means you will return!
- If you do not want bad luck, do not take lava rocks off the islands as it angers Pele, the goddess of the volcano.
- Helicopter tours are everywhere. Although they can be expensive, they are memorable. We especially recommend ones that fly over Kilauea or Mauna Loa, especially if there is volcanic activity. However, we don’t recommend taking young children on the helicopter rides. When we took ours, they fell asleep within minutes of taking off!
- Whale watching? The best months to visit if you want to whale watch are January through March. However, you may see a few November to May.
- If you visit the Big Island, you must see the volcanoes! You can even walk on hardened lava that took over the town of Kalapana in 1990 (we were there!). No one died but 182 homes were destroyed.
#4 Prepare
- Flights from the mainland are LONG. Plan to rest a bit after you arrive.
- Luaus can run late so schedule yours on a night when you can sleep in the next day.
#5 Another Hawaiian Vacation Option: Cruising
Norwegian’s Pride of America is the only ship permitted to sail between the Hawaiian islands without stopping at a foreign port. Other cruise lines have Hawaiian cruises from Los Angeles and other ports but be prepared for many “at sea” days. If you like at-sea days (we do!), it can be a delightful way to get a taste of several islands.
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Like these tips? Check out our other travel tips.
Ten Things You Should Know About Traveling Now
Three Tips for Great Travel Photography
