Aloha travelers! The next series of blog posts are going to be dedicated to a place I hold in high regard: Hawai’i. I spent the majority of my twenties traveling to any destination that sparked my interest and fit within my budgetary constraints. My nursing career allowed me the freedom to embark on weeklong adventures without requiring time off, thanks to strategic scheduling adjustments. Thus, I seized every opportunity to explore the world whether I was vacationing in the Caribbean or traveling through Europe with a backpack. One thing I am a big believer in is the difference between vacationing and traveling although I love both, they are completely different trips. I even wrote an entire blog post about that here. When it comes to vacations I’ve been to many islands in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, etc., but one place that was consistently recommended to me was Hawai’i. Despite this, I always pushed it off, holding onto the hope that one day I could explore these infamous islands on my honeymoon. I was never someone who dreamt of my wedding day or wedding dress but my honeymoon? Absolutely. Luckily I married someone who felt the same way. When we started looking at wedding venues it became clear pretty early on that we really had no interest in spending our hard-earned money on a one-day celebration. We started throwing around the idea of an elopement and then a longer honeymoon and that’s exactly what we did!
We got engaged in April of 2021 and 3 months later decided to elope in the redwoods of California surrounded by 10 of our closest friends and family. This allowed us the freedom to spend a month island hopping to the big four of Hawai’i: O’ahu, Maui, Big Island, and Kaua’i. It was finally time to see what all the hype was about. Even after hearing all the stories and buildup I can honestly say the islands exceeded my expectations. They beauty of the place alone is something to write home about but more importantly, there truly is something for everyone, even those that don’t love the beach. The Hawaiian Islands are actually made up of 132 smaller islands, six of which you can travel to (Hawai’i, Kaua’i, O’ahu, Maui, Moloka’i, and Lana’i). The latter three together are also known as Maui Nui. The four we decided on are definitely the most traveled and we decided to start in O’ahu as that seemed the biggest hub. So, two short days after tying the knot, we bid our friends and family farewell and embarked on the trip of a lifetime!
We flew in to O’ahu (the island I was the most excited for) on a Sunday and stayed until that Saturday. Our six day itinerary was packed with visits to all the Pearl Harbor sites, exploring Kualoa Ranch, immersing ourselves in the Polynesian Cultural Center, hiking Diamond Head, and strolling along the famous Waikiki Beach. Although I really enjoyed some of these experiences, I must confess, given the opportunity to revisit Hawi’i, Oahu wouldn’t be my top choice. Perhaps if that was the only island I had visited I might have felt differently but in my opinion, Kaua’i, Maui, and the Big Island blow O’ahu out of the water. If it is your first time in the Hawaiian Islands, however, its not something I would miss just for Pearl Harbor alone. For a detailed account of our O’ahu adventure, you can find a complete itinerary here.
After 7 days in O’ahu, we took a short flight (45minutes) over to Hilo on the Big Island. The “Big Island” is actually named “Hawai’i” as it was founded first and has two major destinations: Hilo on the eastern side and Kona on the western side of the island. We spent three days in Hilo hiking, going to farmers markets, and spending the day at Volcanoes National Park. We then drove over to Kona for the last four days where we took a star gazing tour atop Mauna Kea, swam with manta rays, and bar-hopped their main drag. We really loved our Airbnb on this part of the island as it overlooked the ocean and even came with a lei upon our arrival! See more details about the Big Island here.
From Kona we flew over to Kaua’i. I was the most skeptical about this island and allocated the fewest days here, a decision I deeply regret as it turned out to be our favorite island by far! We spent the days we did have on the go: renting kayaks, hiking to waterfalls, taking a helicopter and boat tour of the Na Pali coast, snorkeling, and even taking a rescue dog on a field trip. The five days we spent on this island were action-packed but incredibly memorable. We would return to Kaua’i in a heartbeat. For more details and itinerary suggestions, refer to my comprehensive Kaua’i post here.
We spent our last week in paradise on the island of Maui. We were actually throwing a larger wedding reception two weeks after we returned home so we really wanted to spend this last week relaxing before the stress of that took over. This is another example of how important vacationing after you travel is to me! We loved every minute of our activity-heavy trip the three weeks prior but who wants to feel like they need a vacation after their vacation right? Maui was the perfect place to rest and digest. We stayed in an Airbnb that was walking distance to the beach and we honestly just lived on that beach for a week. It was one of the most beautiful beaches with crystal clear water and the softest white sand. Two things that we were sure to do, however, were the infamous Road to Hana and an authentic Luau. This island was also where I gave my husband his wedding present: a one-hour glider ride over the island of Maui. For recommendations or a full Road to Hana itinerary see my blog post here!
There really is no way to adequately describe Hawai’i to those who haven’t experienced it firsthand. Whether it’s action, excitement, and activity you want or rest, relaxation, and beautiful scenery, Hawai’i really does have it all. Enough can’t be said about the rich culture and traditions that the people of Hawai’i hold steadfast to and the attitude towards life, or Aloha Spirit. You get a place so different than the mainland USA but that still has that “home” feel. It might be the only place I’ve ever been that I would recommend to everyone and feel confident that they will leave there happy and fulfilled in their trip!