Longtime clients Alicia & Jay were so excited to go to Hawai’i. They were ready to plan their 5th anniversary to a place that offered romance, adventure and fabulous restaurants. Here’s their trip report:
We had such an amazing time in Hawai’i and we already can’t wait to go back! It is such a special place. Here are some trip highlights:
Kaua’i
The Ko’a Kea Resort was perfect! We received personalized 5 star service. We loved how small the hotel is, and that the person who checks you in escorts you to your room and gives you a tour of the resort along the way. Our room was comfortable and modern and had a huge shower. The lanai had a partial ocean view which was perfect for sitting with coffee in the morning. The pool and hot tub were amazing and we loved that they had covers and pillows for the lounge chairs. The pool bar/tiki hut was a great place for drinks and lunch.
The highlight of Kaua’i was definitely our helicopter tour. We both agreed it might be the most amazing thing we’ve ever done. We caught a windy day, but the ride was still pretty smooth even with the doors off! We got incredible photos and videos of Waimea Canyon and the Nā Pali coast.
Restaurants in Kaua’i were also spectacular – Red Salt at our hotel (breakfast and dinner) was amazing. We also loved Eating House 1849 and The Beach House. We went to Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt, but didn’t love the food or atmosphere (it was crowded and didn’t feel authentic and reminded us of Disney World or Atlantis lol).
Maui
The Andaz Maui is fabulous! It’s so modern with lots of wood detailing, and they have an artist in residence so there was colorful art displayed all over the hotel. Our room here had a beautiful view of the ocean and we saw some incredible sunsets.
We spent a lot of our time by the pool, and went to the beach one day. We loved the different levels of infinity pools. The lowest level is where all the kids seemed to go, so we stuck to the upper levels and didn’t even take advantage of the adults-only pool. Food and drink service by the pools was great, and we definitely frequented the pool bar/lounge!
We attended the Andaz Luau, which was awesome! We took the Jeep on part of the Hana Highway, drove through the village of Paia, stopped at Twin Falls for a very leisurely hike, and went to lunch at Mama’s Fish House – one of our favorite meals in Hawai’i.
Our Ocean Spirit sunset cruise was also amazing – we caught a good night and had a great sail and a beautiful sunset.
The restaurants in Maui were also amazing – we went to Morimoto at our hotel twice, for lunch and dinner and did a sake tasting. That was probably our favorite! We also went to the Lobby Lounge at the Four Seasons (had to see it – cue White Lotus music), and Humumunukunukuāpu’a at the Grand Wailea.
A Special Anniversary Activity
We booked an anniversary photo shoot with Flytographer on Po’Olenalena Beach in Maui. Our photographer Sara was amazing and so much fun to work with and the photos came out perfect! I would absolutely use Flytographer again – it was such an easy process and so worth it when you want nice photos together!
Benefits of Booking Hawai’i With A Travel Advisor
By the end of the trip, we were confident that we had chosen the right hotels in Hawai’i – we really liked the small boutique feel of Koa Kea and loved the smaller feel of the Andaz in Maui better than the larger hotels that we visited. Also, every hotel and restaurant we went to acknowledged our anniversary with a gift, bottle of wine, or dessert!
Hawai’i Overall
We LOVED Hawai’i so much. We loved how small the islands were and that it didn’t take us very long to get where we needed to go. The vegetation in Kaua’i was so beautiful. We loved the Wailea area of Maui. The ocean and beaches are breathtaking. It’s such a special place – exotic but friendly, comfortable, and laid back.
We loved having a car on both islands. The Jeep in Kaua’i was definitely the lowest/basic trim, but in Maui we got to choose one from a lineup and picked a cool green one that had every bell and whistle.
Aside from the scenery, our favorite parts of Hawai’i were definitely the food and the people. Almost every meal we ate was like the best thing we’ve ever had (mahi mahi and tuna were highlights). The long flight from Boston to Honolulu was well worth it and it went by fast! We both agreed that we will definitely return to both islands – I can’t pick which one is my favorite!
Another favorite part was the people. Every single person we encountered was SO friendly and SO helpful and could not do more for us. We made friends with the bartenders at both hotels (not surprising) and ended our trip on a first name basis with them. I don’t think we met anyone who wasn’t smiling and happy to be there. It made our trip that much more special.
Thank you again for planning this amazing 5th anniversary trip for us! Before you know it, I will be reaching out for next year’s trip!
-Alicia & Jay
