The Beginner's Guide to Honolulu
Going anywhere as an adult, over the age of 21, is always different than going to that same place as a kid or adolescent. I traveled to Honolulu the first and only time in high school for a band trip (hold the laughter please). And to be honest, I don’t really even remember the entire trip other than the fact that we had record breaking rain fall the entire week.
Last fall I planned my second trip to Honolulu, Hawaii but my first as an adult. It was a rather easy trip to plan, but in hindsight, I wish there were more blogs about the best of Honolulu. Here’s the basis of how I planned my trip: I was on a budget, wanted to save money on housing and spend it on experiences.
Do the bulk of your research on which island to visit
Every island has it’s quirks and specialties. Granted I got my search down between 2 islands (Kauai and Oahu), and picked one over convenience. I probably would recommend against that. Do your research based on what you want out of your trip.
Oahu: If you’re looking for Hawaii on more of a budget, where you could get a little bit of everything like history, nightlife, adventure, Oahu might just be for you. Just beware, some may find it a bit touristy.
Kauai: If Oahu is too touristy, than Kauai may be the island you’re looking for with a rural feel with just enough shopping, beaches, adventure or leisure to fill a trip.
Maui: When I think Maui, I think honeymoon. Very romantic island that might be one of the most expensive with the highest class resorts.
The Big Island: If you’re looking for a place with tons of adventure and greenscape, The Big Island gives you a live volcano, some of the best snorkeling and many places to explore.
Molokai:
Airfare & Housing for Honolulu
Okay so you’ve picked your island but know that going on a Hawaiian vacation will mean $$$, and it’s not really cheap. Try and plan your Hawaiian trip with enough time to get the best deals on all fronts.
Airfare
The best time to buy your flights should be 40-50 days out, but you should be looking around 120 days out. Here’s my tip to try and getting cheap airfare to Hawaii: buy your tickets through points with Chase Sapphire Reserved card or even sign up for an Alaska Airlines credit card where you can get a companion fare for signing up. That alone saved me $500 for my trip.
Housing
Expect that this is where the majority of your money should go, depending on the kind of vacation you want to have. Don’t go for Airbnb in Honolulu. New laws have been passed to prevent more Airbnbs across the island. We had our first Airbnb cancel on our, and the second needed to be on a very “downlow” basis. As far as hotels, even on the cheap side look at at least $200 a night for somewhere decent.
When you’re looking for housing, check additive cleaning and parking fees. If you have Marriott or Hyatt points, don’t book on an Expedia, Hotels.com or Kayak.
Also, if you’re a Disney fan… the Aulani Resort & Spa isn’t worth staying at. It’s an adorable resort, but you’ll be looking at close to $500 a night.
Experiences
If you’re the type that’s content laying in the sun and hanging at the pool/beach all day, then don’t rent a car. But, if you want to have some adventure, than renting a car will help you be nimble with your experiences and pricing.
Luau - This is a MUST DO for anyone going to Honolulu. Again, an experience that can be very pricey at $100-180 per head, but you’ll be getting an amazing dinner for that price usually. For this trip I did the Luau at the Disney Aulani Resort, where the food was amazing, there was an appearance by Mickey Mouse, very family oriented, and there was an all-you-can-drink package.
Zipline - Take a look at Kualoa Ranch if you’re in for a ziplining adventure. The Kualoa Ranch aka Jurassic Valley is the home to many movies and now experiences. They’ve got tours, ATVs, horseback riding, and ziplining. Each experience might get you close to $100-$175 each so they can easily add up. My recommendation is take the zipline tour through Jurassic valley, skip the rest. The ATVs were a guided tour through the same area that the ziplines featured, and you couldn’t really go faster than like 16 mph on the ATV.
Polynesian Cultural Center (FREE) - If you’ve got a car to drive around the island, it’s the perfect place to get an enriched history lesson. The building is hard to miss off the main road. There’s even an NFL Hawaiian Hall of Fame there too.
Dole Plantation - Some hotels may have this as an experience where they can book for you, but it’s the transportation you’ll need to cover if you don’t have a car. The train tour is charming, but nothing illustrious. You can find the freshest Dole Whip
Spend an afternoon at the Ala Moana Shopping Center (FREE) - Shopping is an experience in my book. It’s often one of the first things I look for when first visiting a place for the first time…where I can shop! You’ll find your average chains there, but don’t skip the bottom (or basement) floor.
Explore the Downtown Waikiki aka Kalakaua Ave (FREE) - I found this street much more fun than the Ala Moana Shopping Center. This street you’ll find big stores, big hotels, and tons of nightlife. It was the one thing I didn’t get the chance to fully explore, because it could probably take you an entire day to do so.
Drive the entire Honolulu island coast - Like in the US, many people drive all the way up the Pacific Coast Highway visiting numerous amazing California towns. You can honestly do the same thing in Hawaii, and it’s just as fun. When we were driving, we came across a surfing competition along the North Shore beaches. We literally pulled over, and sat on the beach for 30 minutes to watch and wait until traffic died.
The Food & Drinks Scene
I never realized how incredible the food scene was in Honolulu. We found ourselves using Yelp to find amazing places for breakfast/brunch. Don’t underestimate of asking the locals for their favorites. Here’s some spots I recommend hitting:
Haleiwa Joe’s (but in Kaneohe) - Recommended by our zipline guide, this was one of the best parts of the trip. It’s the perfect date night place, where many Hawaiian’s spend their birthdays or do celebrations. Ask for a table by the garden, where you can overlook the mountains and a beautiful Japanese garden. Also, if you want the steak, it’s meant for 2.
Cinnamon’s (BREAKFAST) - If you’re a big brunch fan, this place is a must. You can find pancakes of any kind. I only went there once, but I tried to squeeze going back to this amazing restaurant again. Find it hidden inside a Waikiki resort, and expect to wait. Order the guava pancakes if you like guava.
7-11 - Do not laugh. If you’re trying to ball on a budget, you’ll find fresh and tasty spam musubi.
Leonard’s Bakery - Home to the tastiest malasadas in Hawaii. Basically a malasada is big jelly donut, but they also fill it with many other fillings like guava or cream cheese. Find this little but busy bakery a few minute drive from Waikiki.
Hawaiian Cookie Company - if you know me, you know there’s sweets involved in my adventures. This is one of the only things I remember from my previous trip, and that’s how amazing these cookies are. You’ll find these in most big shopping squares across Oahu & Maui.
Go Tiki Bar hopping - If you’re a fan of the tiki culture, than this should already be on your list! The one I went to was La Mariana, one of the oldest tiki bars in Hawaii where you can put your feet in the sand, and order a tiki drink to take home the mug.
