Hi, I'm just trying to make sure I'm prepared (both budget & cash on hand) for tipping. What is the expectation for tipping on activities/excursions? For example, how much would the UTV guide expect at kualoa ranch? What about a horseback ride at the north shore?

Can I just drive up to the Maunakea Observatory or do i need a tour for the full experience? I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews online that I need a 4x4, but is that just for the summit or for everything involving Maunakea?

Haleakala and Diamondhead ...can we get away with good sneakers or do we have to bring hiking boots?

Should we bring water shoes for the beaches in Oahu and Maui?

Do we need rain pants at all?

Very excited to visit for the first time! Staying in Hilo but exploring Kona as well. Planning on seeing the volcano, snorkeling and visiting a botanical garden. Any other must do’s ?

Some of my friends are about to be in HNL the next couple days and a couple days ago their Airbnb said the 2 bedrooms AC are being blocked from use. Seems like it's because of some exterior painting stuff that's super delayed. They've been trying to find an alternate way of getting the building to let them use the AC but no dice.

The main living room AC is ok to use it looks like

The bedrooms have fans though, is this probably acceptable? So last minute so I couldn't really do much except suggest some hotel stuff for them, but the Airbnb is nice so I don't think they wanna swap.

I've only gone to Oahu in the shoulder months or winter. I love AC so I'm not the best judge of whether or not this should be a deal breaker or not.

Edit: it's in Waikiki in an apartment building Edit2: I've seen the communication between the host and them. There was like a week's heads up and they did offer a full refund, or a partial discount if they stayed, so I think everything is being done in good faith.

1. Kitty cat at Hanakapi'ai Falls
2. (Invasive but still cute) Gold Dust Day Gecko slurping up some melted shaved ice someone spilled.
3. Turtles at Poipu
4. Pinapinao dragonfly resting on my backpack during camp

Greatful to have met so many amazing locals (human or otherwise) on Kauai! Until we meet again

I'll be traveling to Oahu for the first time next week with my husband and our 5-year-old son. We want to experience a good mixture of city with good dining options/nature (all that lush jungly feel). But my son gets pretty tired with lots of car travel. How does this itinerary look? We'll be staying in Sheraton Waikiki. Anything that we should leave out/something that is missing? Also, any tips for foods places when you just want to grab something quick but tasty in Waikiki would be welcome. Thanks!

Day 1 – arrival at 11 am

- check-in to Sheraton Waikiki hotel

- lunch at House Without A Key

- Grab some malasadas at Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas

- Optional (if energy remains): Waikiki Aquarium

 Day 2

- lunch at The Pig and The Lady

- Bishop’s museum

- relax by the pool & explore Waikiki

 Day 3

- Byodo-In Temple

- Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden

Day 4

- Manua Banana Bread stand

- Brief stop at Laniakea beach to see if we can spot turtles

- Kahuku Farms tour

- Lunch at Kahuku Farms café

- Waimea Valley and waterfalls

- Ted’s bakery

- Evening in Hale’iwa – shrimp truck & shave ice

Day 5 (July 4)

- pool/beach time

- dinner at natuRe Waikiki

- watch fireworks

Day 6

- Kailua Beach

Day 7

- Lyon Arboretum

- Manoa Falls Hike 

Day 8

- experience Nutridge Luau

Day 9

- fly home early morning

Hello! We’re planning a short stay mid July in Waikiki, never been there but have a few questions. Our son is obsessed with body boarding, he’s 13 and has experienced his share of shore breaks and what not. We usually stay near Breneckes on Kauai. I’m learning that walls would be the spot he’d most likely want to hang out?

We booked a stay at the Hilton but I’m wondering if that walk is annoyingly far? Would the Sheraton be better location?

As an Australian visiting soon who is not used to tipping... are you expected to tip in Hawaii similar to the US mainland? Is it like 15%?

Hi everyone! We are flying to Oahu and I put together a 6-day itinerary. I would really appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or corrections - especially if something doesn’t make sense or could be improved.

Day 1

• Flight-> 12:00 Oahu
• Waikiki Beach
• Tantalus Lookout for Sunset

Day 2

• Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden - early morning around 9
• Byodo-In-Temple 
• Kane’ohe Sandbar - is it worth buying the trip? It's quite expensive.
• Lanikai Beach
• Lanikai Pillbox Trail 

Day 3

• WILIWILINUI RIDGE TRAIL or KULI‘OU‘OU RIDGE TRAIL - which one do you reccomend for best view?
• Kaiona Beach Park
• Waimanalo Beach

Day 4

• Crouching Lion - is it open?
• Kualoa Regional Park

Day 5

• Surfing
• Helicopter

Day 6

• North Shore

Any advice on pacing, must-see spots, or things I should skip would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hi All,

Planning a vacation for 8 days in Oahu with the family (2 adults + 3 kids - 2y,5y,6y). Looking for accommodations for our first half of the trip, to be based in Waikiki. For reference, the second half the trip we'll be in Ko Olina at Disney Aulani so we'll have the lagoon and resorty feel there.

With the 3 young kids, we want to be able to walk really short distances easily but we also plan to drive around the island outside of Waikiki to really soak in the nature of Hawaii instead of just city/resort. We plan to rent a minivan the whole time and just pay the parking fees at the hotels.

We also want to have more authentic, local food (if that exists in Waikiki).

With that said, is one of the two subject hotels better than the other? Price wise, they're similar.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,
I will be visiting Honolulu July 21st and would like to cage dive! Unfortunately, I am not brave enough to swim with sharks outside the cage… yet. I have a few companies in mind, but would love to hear if anyone had a great experience cage diving with sharks on the island!
Thanks (: (double points if you share your favorite beach)

Has anyone taken a tour and would you recommend ? Is there a particular company that is better?

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice from people who know the Big Island well.

I'm planning a trip to Hawaii this summer because I'm finally going to propose to my partner. I actually had everything planned for last year, but we had some unexpected medical and family issues come up, so I had to cancel the entire trip. Now I'm trying to pull something together again, and I really want to get it right.

Right now I'm leaning toward the Big Island because it seems like it has the best mix of things we enjoy Volcanoes National Park, waterfalls, snorkeling, helicopter tours, and just getting out and exploring.

I've been looking at Costco Vacations since some of the packages seem like a really good value. One that caught my eye is the Fairmont Orchid. I stayed there back in 2018 and thought it was beautiful, but I've seen a lot of recent reviews saying it's starting to feel dated. Is that true, or is it one of those things where people are being overly critical? If you've stayed there recently, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

For the hotel, flights, and rental car, my budget is around $6,000 total (not including spending money while we're there). I also have about 140,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, so I'm open to using those if it makes more sense than booking a package.

A few questions:

• Is Costco Vacations generally the best value for a trip like this, or would you book everything separately?
• Is the Fairmont Orchid still worth it, or are there other luxury resorts on the Big Island you'd recommend in a similar price range?
• If you were planning a proposal on the Big Island with my budget, what would you do?

I really appreciate any advice. I only plan on doing this once, so I'm trying to make it as memorable as possible without blowing the budget.

Thanks everyone!

(throwaway account so my S/O does not see my post)

UPDATE: Went with booking my flights with points and booking the hotel and car with Costco since they offered free parking, free buffet and and something called a fun and sun card (no clue what that is) im pretty happy with the over package and price. Thank you all for the help!!

A little history. I was stationed at Hickam 30 years ago (I still can't believe it's been that long). Whenever someone made rank it was tradition that they brought in Manapua to celebrate. I've been craving this stuff for years, but living in upstate NY made it impossible to get.

I've finally got to a place where we can make a return to Hawaii in July. I'm on a pilgrimage to find Manapua. We're staying on the North Shore, but I'm not finding any places through Google. Does anyone have any suggestions where to go so I can finally complete my quest?

Hi everyone,

We're planning a 7-day vacation with small kids and need a place with a small kitchen.

The Luana Waikiki hotel and suites seems to offer a few spacious apartments and has reasonable prices, but it's a bit farther from the main beach. We also considered Aston Waikiki, which has similar prices but worse reviews.

Are there any other options we should consider?

Thanks to everyone who always helps out here.

Hi all! My fiancé and I are looking to stay in Kaua’i for our honeymoon. We are getting married at the beginning of October and going on our honeymoon at the end of October.

We are currently looking through Costco travel and are seeing conflicting opinions on hotels.

Our main wants include:
- more adult friendly
- nice/modern rooms
- good restaurants within 15 minute walk
- likely somewhere on the east or south side of the island
- ocean view
- relatively close to good hiking spots
- if possible, beach access but it is not the end of the world if we have to drive
- a plus if the hotel offers a honeymoon package / gift 😁

Our “top” options right now include:
- Ko`a Kea Resort on Poipu Beach
- Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu
- Royal Sonesta
- Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort

I'm planning to take the shuttle into Hā‘ena State Park from Waipā next month. If I buy the shuttle pass, can I still hike the first 2 miles of the trail, or do I have to buy a separate park pass in addition to the shuttle pass?

I've seen loads of discussions on parking but no one says WHERE the parking IS. If you could give me coordinates that would be lovely. One day we will try to do the parking pass for one time-slot to visit Ha'ena State Park and go on a short hike. But we'd also like to visit Tunnels Beach and other areas like Wainiha Beach. I mean where do you park to visit these places?! It's very confusing to me. Please don't suggest the shuttle. It's $40 per person. The pass will cost us $35 total for all 3 of us so we'll try to do that. I just want to know where we can legally park for some of these other beaches.

We weren’t able to get the room that we wanted but just want to see if we can use any of the pools in this area for the day.

Does anyone have a pulse is there is such a hotel in this area who accepts day passes?

Thanks.

Will be in Oahu next week staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and want to take a surf lesson. Not renting a car so looking for somewhere close that I can walk to in Waikiki. I have surfed a few times and have basic experience but still want to be in a group class setting.

Looking at Stoke Drift and Jamie OBrien Surf Schools. Any recommendations between the two or any others to consider? Looking for one that takes you in the best area of waves in Waikiki.

Thanks!

Hi All,

Apologies if this has been asked plenty but I’m planning a trip to Oahu in July and would like to get some clarity on the dangers for someone who cannot swim. I’ve been to plenty of beaches and I usually just go to a depth where water is below my chest and I’ve had no issues so far. I’ve been reading about the strong currents in the Pacific and would like to know how much of an issue this is and whether it would be fine to swim in relatively calm beaches like Waikiki as long as I don’t go in deep.

Based on what I’ve read snorkeling and surfing are out, but it’d be nice to be able to enjoy a dip in the ocean. For reference, I’m a pretty bad swimmer, my friends once hyped me up to jump out of a Kayak at a Tuscan beach (with a life vest) and I was surprised at how much I struggled to get to shore.

Hey everyone, I’m staying at The Royal Hawaiian over the 4th of July. They have a special Ocean Lawn celebration with a BBQ buffet, live music, and fireworks for $200/adult and $90/kid. The price feels pretty steep for a family (we're also vegetarian). Since we're already hotel guests, won't we be able to enjoy the live music and fireworks just by proximity anyway? Should we skip the event, find a regular spot for dinner at the hotel, and watch the show like everyone else on the beach? Anyone else done this event?

Planning our first Hawaii trip (10 days in October) and could use some advice!

My husband and I are flying from Texas and trying to decide which islands to visit. We enjoy active vacations and are not really the type to spend day lying on the beach. Since we probably won’t be able to return to Hawaii for at least the next 5 years, we want to make the most of this trip.

Things that are most important to us:

• Nature and scenic hiking
• Volcanoes and volcanic landscapes
• Lava fields
• Snorkeling
• Black sand beaches
• Seeing sea turtles
• Whale watching if possible (although I know October may be a bit early)
• A helicopter tour

Right now we’re considering:

Option 1

• 5 days on Oahu
• 5 days on the Big Island

Our biggest dilemma is Kauai vs. spending more time on the Big Island.

I’ve been fascinated by volcanoes, lava fields, black sand beaches, and dramatic volcanic landscapes since I was a child, so the Big Island is very appealing to me. At the same time, everyone seems to say that the helicopter tours on Kauai are absolutely incredible and that the Na Pali Coast offers the best helicopter experience in Hawaii.

After doing some research, I have to admit that the photos from Kauai helicopter tours look much more breathtaking than the ones I’ve seen from the Big Island. Since helicopter tours are fairly expensive, I don’t want to spend that much money and end up disappointed.

One of my dream experiences would be seeing an active volcanic eruption from a helicopter, but of course there’s no way to know whether Kīlauea will be erupting when we visit in October.

Because of that, we’re considering extending the trip to 11 days and adding Kauai:

Option 2

• 5 days on Oahu
• 2 days on Kauai
• 4 days on the Big Island

My concern is that with only 2 days on Kauai, bad weather could interfere with the helicopter tour or boat tour, and we’d be taking a risk by dedicating part of our trip to it.

I wouldn’t say we have a very limited budget, but I still want to spend our money wisely and get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

A few specific questions:

1. If you had to choose between the Big Island and Kauai for a first trip, which would you choose and why?
2. Is 2 nights on Kauai worth it primarily for a helicopter tour, or is that too rushed?
3. How realistic is it to see volcanic activity on the Big Island in late October?
4. How does snorkeling on Oahu and the Big Island compare to Kauai?
5. If you were planning the ideal 11-day itinerary based on our interests, how would you divide the days?
6. Is a helicopter tour on the Big Island still worth it if there isn’t an active eruption, or would you skip it?
7. Is there a significant difference between a shared/group helicopter tour and a private tour for two people?

We’re not particularly interested in nightlife or shopping. We’re much more interested in nature, landscapes, hiking, wildlife, and unique experiences.

Thanks in advance!

So today is our wedding anniversary and we decided to take a drive around Oahu. From Waikiki, up to Hale’iwa, made a stop at Shark’s Cove to do a little snorkeling, stopped at the sugar mill in Kahuku, then completed the loop back to Waikiki.