Hawaii Archives - Shared Adventures

Hawai’i Honeymoon

August 2, 2022 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

What can you expect on a Hawaiian Honeymoon? We helped Viki and Mike plan a whirlwind 3 island honeymoon to Hawai’i in May — and it was a dream come true! We balanced adventure and relaxation, with luxury, local guides, and plenty of free time. They had a truly incredible Hawaiian honeymoon and were more than happy to share their experience, so you can start visualizing your won romantic island adventure.

Traveling Overall

We had an amazing time on our Honeymoon to Hawai’i. It was a dream vacation for us both! Traveling for us went smoothly. There were no Covid restrictions, all our flights were on time, the car companies were efficient, and the check-in process at the hotels was quick. Considering we traveled to 3 islands and had 5 flights, I was pleasantly surprised by how well traveling went for us. We also had the best weather and were happy we chose May to visit Hawai’i! We also loved all the honeymoon perks our hotels offered, and the restaurants helped celebrate our honeymoon with complimentary dessert!

One of the best things we did was download the Gypsy App. We purchased the Hawai’i Bundle and it was well worth it. It was perfect Oahu and Road to Hana in Maui. We loved how we could start anywhere on the island, and go in any direction, and found the guide tips super helpful. It felt like without the app, we would’ve missed out on seeing some of our favorite spots!

I also want to note, that Hawai’i has implemented reservations for some popular tourist attractions and parks. For us, we did not want our trip planned out every day. We only made reservations for Diamond Head State Monument. We had no issue getting our desired date and time.

The USS Arizona Memorial encourages purchasing tickets in advance. We did not and did wait in a 2-hour standby line. Thankfully the weather cooperated and we didn’t have any other planned activities for the day.

Here are more details by island to share :

Oahu

The Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head worked well for our stay, mainly because we spent most of our time exploring the island. The hotel wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean and the room was nice.

a woman standing on the resort balcony on her Hawaii Honeymoon

They did accommodate our partial ocean & Diamond head view request. However, most of our ocean view was of the next door’s hotel parking lot. I wish we asked for a high-rise level floor. The hotel wasn’t beachfront, but it was a minute walk to a very nice and quiet beach.

Our favorite restaurants we ate in Oahu were :

Michel’s at Colony Surf – perfect for a fancy oceanfront dinner and next to our hotel
Sweet E’s Cafe – is a great local brunch spot located in Honolulu. It was a short 10-minute drive from our hotel. Both Mike & I loved their pancakes!

Hawaii Honeymoon couple in Oahu with helmet on surrounded by green mountains

A few highlights from our time in Oahu included

2 Hour ATV Tour at Kualoa Ranch – such a thrill & we loved seeing so many Hollywood movie site locations
Hiking Diamond Head
Oahu’s Beaches & Volcanoes Loop (South-East corner)
North Shore Loop
Visited Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial

Kauai

The Sheraton Kauai Resort was our favorite hotel! The resort really went the extra mile by upgrading us for free to the “Hibiscus Suite”. The suite was a newly renovated top floor oceanfront & pool front suite. We had 3 balconies, a dining room, living room, master bedroom, and bathroom. They also offered us a complimentary bottle of champagne. We plan to request this specific suite on a future anniversary trip! We did not want to leave!

After our busy agenda in Oahu, we spent some much-needed R&R in Kauai. We loved the ocean views from Poipu Beach and the on-site amenities the Sheraton offered. On the last day, we treated ourselves to one of the beachside cabanas. We also spent much of our time at the resort’s restaurant, Lava’s. The staff was super friendly and had yummy poolside cocktails!

Our Doors Off Private Helicopter Tour with Mauna Loa Helicopters in Kauai was our favorite adventure! We flew over the coast of Kauai including the beautiful Na Pali! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and he made us feel comfortable. This was an experience of a lifetime!

We also did the 8 Line Poipu Zipline Adventure with Skyline Eco Adventures in Kauai. We enjoyed seeing the different parts of Kauai and zipping around the island. However, we do wish we saw more tropical forests and that the lines were longer. This was our 3rd time ziplining together so for us I think next time we’d prefer a challenging course and more views! On the plus side, we did like that it was a small tour and our tour guides were awesome!

Our favorite restaurants in Kauai were all within a 5 to 10-minute drive of our resort :

The Beach House Restaurant – a nice beachfront restaurant where we could watch the surfers. Probably my favorite restaurant in Hawai’i.
Keoki’s Paradise – an open-air restaurant with a laid-back Hawaiian vibe.
Living Foods – located in the cutest outdoor shopping mall, The Shops At Kukuiula.

Maui

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa was a tropical paradise! The staff made us feel welcome with a bottle of champagne and a lei greeting upon check-in. Our hotel room was very nice and we had a gorgeous view of one of the many resort pools. It was also convenient having so many restaurants on site. I loved the poke & fish tacos they offered! The sunsets on the beach were also breathtaking being on the West Side of the island. The amenities at the resort were endless, and we saw many honeymooners like ourselves.

We had a great time at the Drums of The Pacific Luau at our hotel! Our seats were close to the stage, and the venue seemed pretty booked. I’m glad we purchased our tickets far in advance. The food servings were large and we enjoyed the open bar as well as the entertainment.

a honeymoon couple in front of dried lava flow in Hawaii

We’re also happy to report we survived the Road To Hana in Maui! We did the Original Route with 620 Curves and 59 One Way Bridges. It took us about 12 hours to fully complete by following the Gypsy Guide. We saw so many tropical rainforests, waterfalls, and beaches!

On our last day, we did the Lanai Snorkel Tour & Dolphin Watch With Pac-Whale Eco Adventures. It wasn’t the best snorkeling day at Lanai sadly. During the 5 hours, we didn’t see any dolphins and not a large variety of fish. The boat ride was long and we would have preferred a smaller group tour. We originally booked the small group Honolua Bay trip, but they canceled that specific tour the day prior. Next visit to Maui I’d love to snorkel Molokini Crater!

a couple in Hawaii on their honeymoon with green lawns and sunset in the background

On one of our last nights in Maui, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at The Plantation House in Lahaina. The restaurant offers breathtaking views of the Kapalua Golf Course and the ocean. We were lucky to be at the restaurant during sunset. I enjoyed the Catch of The Day and Mike said his Filet was the best meal he had on our whole trip.

Conclusions

Overall, if we had to choose our favorite island it would be Kauai and then Maui! We still loved Oahu, but Honolulu was very crowded being a city. Traveling to 3 islands was an adventure and we saw a lot with not a ton of relaxation so we’re glad traveling was seamless. Next time, we’d choose just 1 or 2 islands so we can see more but have plenty of time to relax on the beach.

We’re so happy we delayed our trip by 2 years. No covid restrictions allowed us to be free of testing, and minimize wait times to fully enjoy our time.

We thank you Ann, and your team for all your time and dedication to helping us plan our dream Hawaiian Honeymoon! We look forward to planning a future trip together!

-Vicki & Mike

How to Approach Your Honeymoon Budget

May 24, 2022 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

A honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation! So it should be unique to you as a couple and should create special memories that you’ll be talking about for years to come. Whether you’re dreaming of an overwater bungalow, a fairytale town, or a cabin in mountains, you’re also planning for a wedding, and you probably don’t want to break the bank along the way. So, how do you even begin to put a price on your trip of a lifetime and plan your honeymoon budget?

Where you want to go, what you want to do, and what level of luxury you want to experience will all factor into the overall cost. And there are a few simple steps to figure out what is realistic and what you can afford. We’ve created a fun worksheet to get you started with the steps outlined below. Download our free Honeymoon Budget Worksheet here!

STEP 1: COMMUNICATION & THE BIG PICTURE

The foundation of every good relationship is communication. And budgeting for the perfect honeymoon requires a lot of it! You want to ensure that you’re both on the same page in terms of expectations.

honeymoon couple sitting on a log in a rainbow in hawaii

Start with the big picture. You don’t have to decide where you’re going or what exactly you’ll do when you get there, yet. Instead, talk about what kinds of things you imagine doing and in what kinds of environments.

Are you walking hand-in-hand along a white sandy beach with ocean waves as your soundtrack? Wandering the cobblestone streets of Europe and feeling like you’ve stepped into a fairytale? Spending your days lounging in your luxury honeymoon suite with an awe-inspiring view? Did you travel far to get there or was it a quick flight to paradise?

[Photo Credit: Molly & Matt via Shared Adventures. Read about their Hawaiian Honeymoon here!]

Try starting the conversation by telling the story of your honeymoon. “I imagine we spend our honeymoon… sipping cocktails in lounge chairs on the beach…”

Once you agree on the general big picture, take some time to write down things you love to do together to give the trip a focus on who you are as a couple. Then write out your non-negotiables. Do you want to leave right after the wedding? Does the accommodation need to have a pool? Do you want to have an immersive local experience? Make sure you’re both clear on what your partner expects from this amazing vacation.

STEP 2: TIMING & LOCATION

Timing

Once you have the big picture, you can get into the details and the budget. First, consider how much time you have for the honeymoon. Most people have a certain amount of PTO and you will probably take some of that for the wedding. So, consider how many days you can realistically be away.

If your dates are flexible and the destination is more important than the timing, you can skip the following step.

Now, it’s time to consider the all-important seasonality. Many couples still travel right after the wedding, meaning a fixed time frame for their honeymoon. Consider which destinations are best at different times of the year, and look at whether your specific travel dates exclude any destinations because of poor weather conditions or too-high prices.

[Photo Credit: Shannon & Lou via Shared Adventures. Read about their winter honeymoon to Northern Italy here!]

Region

If you have a specific destination in mind then you can skip this step. However, if you’re still not sure exactly where you want to go, the next step is to figure out a general region. Ask yourself the following:

Do you want to stay close to home or travel farther abroad?
Are you looking for warm or cool weather?
Do you want somewhere on the coast with a beach? Or a big city?

Take a look at a map and talk about the different areas these questions bring to mind in connection with your dates. For example: if you’re looking to stay close to home, with warm weather, on a beach in early June, then you’ll stay in the northern hemisphere and might head to places like Mexico, the Caribbean, or the Bahamas.

STEP 3: COST ESTIMATES

Flights

Airfare costs are generally fixed with very little wiggle room and can take up a good chunk of your budget. This makes them the best starting place. Even if you’re not set on a particular destination yet, look back at your time frame, and potential regions. Then start looking at average flight prices for those options. Finding the average flight cost will give you a good starting point for your budget.

Remember to be realistic when you’re looking at flights. You’ll only want one connection and not the super-restrictive basic economy fares that involve all sorts of added fees for seats and bags. Looking at the average economy class fare will give you a better idea of what to build into your budget. And if you’re thinking about splurging on Business or First class for this trip of a lifetime, take a look at those prices too.

The Rest

Once the estimated airfare is taken into account, it’s time to work out the details. The rest of your budget can fall into roughly three categories: Activities, Accommodations, and Meals. Put these in order of priority (for you) to figure out where you want to splurge and where you can save a little. Are you set on being awe-struck during a hot-air balloon ride? Does your mouth water at the thought of eating at a Michelin star restaurant? Do you want only the finest luxury resort? Whatever is most important, allocate more of your budget towards that key thing. You can make compromises on the pieces that aren’t as important to you.

Pro Tip: If accommodations are important but the full trip in a high-end hotel is stretching your budget, try splitting the accommodations. Stay in a slightly cheaper hotel first and end the last few days on a high note at the luxury property!

[Photo Credit: Katey & Oliver via Shared Adventures. Read about their split-accommodation Costa Rican honeymoon here!]

After deciding which is most important, you can do a little research as to average costs. It doesn’t have to be exact, just a quick search to get a general idea.

Honeymoon budget worksheet filled out with examples

STEP 4: SAVING

The final step, once you have a ballpark cost is to add 20%. This is your honeymoon and there are going to be many “treat-yourself-moments”! It’s best to build those into the budget early on.

Finally, decide how you want to start saving! Consider a honeymoon registry to help fund all the extras. After establishing the basic framework for the trip, you can set up a wish list for guests to contribute to tours, activities, spa treatments, dinner on the beach, etc. Set aside a certain amount each month and start saving!

Remember, this method only gives you an estimate, not a hard and fast exact cost. There is always some wiggle room.

WAYS TO SAVE

If you’re finding it hard to get everything on your wish list AND stay within your ideal budget there are a few things you can do to save money:

Consider cutting a night (or two) to make it work. No one ever remembers how many nights they spent at a destination. It’s better to have exactly the experience you’re dreaming about, but for one less night. If you cut back on the overall experience just to stay longer, you’ll regret it.
Keeping your dates flexible lets you take advantage of low-season travel and lower prices. Or head to a less-expensive and popular but no-less-amazing destination.
Talk with a travel agent! Travel agents have years of experience and know-how. If your final budget is just a little more than you want to spend, a travel agent can help. We might know a unique destination that has everything you’re looking for with a slightly lower price tag. We might be able to get you special rates and perks on accommodations. We have connections with tour guides, private drivers, and hoteliers all over the world, giving us the inside scoop on the best destinations for every size budget.

Even in money matters, travel planning should be fun and inspiring. After you fill out the worksheet, let us know what you discover about your dream honeymoon and we can get started!

The Best Honeymoon Destinations (by Month)

March 15, 2022 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Honeymoons by Month Pin — *Pin it for later!*

The majority of couples still take their honeymoons shortly after the wedding. Which means that honeymooners have to consider seasonality and find a destination that works well for their specific travel dates. But how do you know which places are the best at different times of year? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered, with our handy guide to the best honeymoon destinations by month!

The Weather

Before we get to the months, there are a few criteria to keep in mind. First is, of course, the weather.

Beachy and tropical islands often have just two seasons: Dry and Rainy. These seasons tend to be the opposite on different sides of the world. So no matter what month you travel in, you can find a beautiful beachy location somewhere.

[Photo Credit: Katey & Oliver via Shared Adventures – read about their Costa Rica Honeymoon here!]

The Crowds

a piazza in Rome full of tourists, ideal for Honeymoons

The other important factor to consider is crowds. Certain months see high crowds for a reason. Everyone is excited to experience the best weather the destination has to offer! Think about whether it’s more important to you to have the best weather possible (despite the crowds). Or would you prefer to risk some less-than-ideal days in exchange for having a sense of seclusion?

[Photo credit: Ann via Shared Adventures]

With these answers in mind, have a look at our monthly guide! We’ve split the destinations into two categories: “High-season” is the best weather with potentially the biggest crowds. “Best balance” has decent weather balanced with smaller crowds.

January

St. Lucia– high-season
Costa Rica- high-season
Aruba – high-season

Norway– high-season
Swiss Alps- best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: For the best weather, look to the equator. Destinations in the Central America region ( including the Caribbean) will be beautiful. They will also be in peak season. January offers clear blue skies, warm seas, and a perfectly idyllic beach vacation. It’s just a bonus that you can escape from the cold!

Snowy Honeymoons: Consider just how cold you truly want it to be. The further north you go, the darker and colder it gets, which gives you the brilliant opportunity to see the Northern Lights. January also tends to be less busy than February in top ski destinations due to the shorter days.

February

Mexico– high-season
New Zealand- high-season
Hawai’i – best balance

Swiss Alps- high-season
Norway- best balance
California- best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: February is a peak month for tropical travel. The Caribbean, and Mexico are popular with everyone trying to escape the winter cold, including families on school vacation breaks. Hawaii can be a good option, because the weather is temperate year round and spreads the crowds out. And French Polynesia might work, as long as you’re okay with some passing rain showers.

Snowy Honeymoons: How important is skiing? How cold is too cold? If you want to hit the slopes every day of your honeymoon, then February is prime ski season in many winter destinations! If you’re looking for other winter activities, you’ll find the extra cold temps mean a lot of opportunities to snuggle up, fewer crowds, and more daylight hours for adventuring!

March

The Maldives– best balance
New Zealand- best balance

Iceland- best balance (for snow)
Japan- high-season (mid-March)

Beachy Honeymoons: March is a great honeymoon month to avoid crowds if you don’t mind a little unpredictability. It’s the last month of the dry season in many places. So look more closely at the weather reports and consider spots where a few small showers and cooler nights will enhance your trip.

Snowy Honeymoons: This is the last opportunity of the year to enjoy a snowy destination! Consider what winter activities you’re most excited to experience. Because you start to get longer hours of daylight in March, find a destination that has a lot of outdoor adventures.

[Photo Credit: Ann via Shared Adventures – read about her April in Paris trip here!]

April

The Caribbean– best balance
Seychelles- best balance
South Africa- best for combining different regions

Australia- best balance
France- high-season
Napa, California- best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: April is the bridge between the dry and wet seasons. For the best weather, look into heading a bit further towards the southern hemisphere. If you’d rather stay closer to home, the Caribbean will have some unpredictability, but overall beautiful days and lower crowds.

City Breaks: April is the beginning of perfectly romantic city breaks. Consider locations that you dream of strolling around, admiring the architecture and the flowers in bloom. Look to Europe and Japan for the most beautiful displays of spring blooms.

May

Portugal– best balance
Malta- best balance
Costa Rica- best balance
Hawai’i- best balance

Fiji- best balance
Scotland- best balance
Ireland- best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: A perfect shoulder month. If you’re looking to stay closer to home, the Caribbean and Central America will have lower crowds without (yet) the summer rains. Otherwise, you can beat the summer crowds but enjoy the rising temperature on the other side of the globe. Southern Europe and the South Pacific are entering their dry season. Warm weather, low humidity, and the islands practically to yourselves — It makes the long plane trip worth it!

Sightseeing and Exploring: If you’re not a sunseeker, look into northern Europe. A perfect combination of warm days, cool nights, green countryside, lower crowds, and maybe still a little snow on the utmost mountain peaks.

[Photo credit: Ann via Shared Adventures Travel]

June

Hawai’i– high-season
Antigua- best balance
St. Lucia- best balance

Fiji- high-season
Greece- best balance
Alaska- best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: June is the beginning of hurricane season in the Caribbean, but it’s still too early for major risk. This is a good month for sun-seekers. Look for spots where you can sneak in before the storm risk increases in late summer.

City Breaks: June is an excellent month for city breaks. Everything is open and waiting, but the true heat of summer hasn’t settled into the cobblestones yet. Look for cities that allow you to get out into nature a bit for a cool breeze.

July

French Polynesia– high-season
Malta- high-season
Italy- high-season

Ireland- high-season
Canada- high-season
Iceland-high-season

Beachy Honeymoons: French Polynesia and southern Europe swell to their peak popularity. Honeymooners in July will almost certainly have to share the beaches with plenty of other travelers.

Outdoorsy Honeymoons: July is the peak month for many cooler-weather destinations that are just coming into their own at this time of year. Look to the north to find green fields, hiking trails, cool mountain lakes, fresh breezes, and unending hours of daylight.

August

Kenya & Tanzania– high-season
Mozambique- high-season
Bali- high-season
Vietnam- high-season

Croatia- high-season
France-high-season

The sweltering temps are reaching their peak and everyone is looking for a beach. August is difficult to avoid crowds, especially in Europe where many countries have their summer vacations. Look to the islands in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa for the peak of the dry season. Beautiful beaches and beautiful clear skies await you there.

[Photo credit: Liz via Shared Adventures Travel – read about a New England Roatrip here!]

September

Hawai’i – best balance
French Polynesia- best balance
Bali- best balance
Greece- best balance

Croatia- best balance
Italy- best balance
Japan-best balance
The UK– best balance

Beachy Honeymoons: This is the perfect moment to swoop in and enjoy the last warm days without all the crowds. Look to the most popular summer beach destinations. You’ll find amazing weather, still-warm seas, and fewer people.

City Breaks: Like April, September is a perfect month for city breaks. The sweltering heat dissipates and the nights start to cool. Everything is still open and buzzing from summer, but the temperatures and crowd levels are much more pleasant. This is the time to visit Italy, Greece and Croatia!

October

Mauritius-high-season
Vietnam- best balance
Dubai- best balance
Zambia- high-season

France- best balance
Amsterdam- best balance
Canada-best balance
New England- high-season

Beachy Honeymoons: This is the best time to visit those destinations that are almost unbearably hot in summer. While October brings unpredictability, it also brings good opportunities to explore beyond the beach.

Cool Honeymoons: Stunning fall foliage is the main focus of an October honeymoon in North America and Europe. While you may have a mixture of sun and rain, October’s quiet crispness in the cities will only add to the romantic atmosphere.

November

Thailand-best balance
The Maldives- high-season
Jamaica- best balance

Australia- high-season
Argentina- best balance
Chile- best balance

November is all about the Southern Hemisphere. While the north experiences rain and cloudy skies, the south is right at the beginning of summer. The weather isn’t too hot yet and the crowds aren’t too big, so overall you want to consider the bottom half of the world. It’s also a good time for the Caribbean, as the hurricane risk is nearly past, and crowds ten to be lower.

December

The Caribbean-high-season
Mexico– high-season
Thailand– high-season
Bali- high-season

Copenhagen- best holiday markets
Austria- best holiday markets
Prague- best holiday markets

Beachy Honeymoons: The holiday season sees everyone in the north escaping the cold for beautiful beaches. Consider places near to the equator on both sides of the world- South East Asia, The Caribbean, and Mexico are all in their stride.

Snowy Honeymoons: The beginning of snow, cold temperatures, and beautiful holiday markets! While snow is a little unpredictable, consider those cold-weather cities with booming holiday markets as the perfect cozy romantic destinations.

Traveling To Hawaii in 2021

July 14, 2021 by Liz Picurro Leave a Comment

Marcia and Mike planned an amazing bucket-list trip to Hawaii to celebrate their anniversary in 2020. While COVID derailed those original plans, we were able to re-create the itinerary for May of 2021 and they did not let the remaining travel restrictions take away from the overall experience!

At the time they traveled, visitors had to provide a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of their flight to the islands, and then test again before their interisland flights. That has since changed, and fully vaccinated travelers no longer have to test.

If you’re wondering whether it’s “worth it” to travel to Hawaii right now, here’s their first-hand feedback:

“Thanks for helping us plan our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii. We had a wonderful time! We both agree that the helicopter experience on Kauai was the highlight! Breathtaking views of the island! And surprisingly I was not nervous at all! It was so much fun and we would highly recommend it!

Some things to note for any one else going in the near future…

On Maui, the sunrise at Haleakala requires reservations between 3 and 7 am to get into the park. They were booked up so we could not do that but we did go up later that morning (no reservations) and we would recommend it.

Also, the black sand beach on the Road to Hana (Wai’anapanapa State Park) needed reservations. We took the only available, 3 – 6 pm, which, due to the timing, prevented us from doing the full Hana drive. Ended up ok because unfortunately, it was rainy/cloudy the whole time. Also, note that the ticket that you paid for at Haleakala is also good for the Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools) stop on the Road to Hana.

We loved Mama’s Fish House for the food, ambiance, and view. (We made reservations well in advance while still at home and they were still only able to get lunch at 2:30). The Old Lahaina Luau was great… we enjoyed that. We also went to Fleetwood on Front (they gave us two complimentary glasses of champagne for our anniversary). Nice sunset there. Paia town was cute( ate at the Flatbread Company which was good. We had to wait a short while for a table but did not need reservations. Also stopped at a town called Makawau which had some cute shops.

Our hotel on Maui {Fairmont Kea Lani} was beautiful. They had a beach walk that was nice. We got a morning walk on one of the days. Everything was very expensive… cocktails were between $15 and $22 (on all islands). And thankfully our breakfast was included. The breakfast buffet was $50/person/day!! I’m sure we could have found something cheaper in the neighboring towns (like Kihei maybe). But we loved the hotel and would recommend it for that part of the island. Another gorgeous area of the island was the west side (Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Kahana, Napili, Kapalua). We took a ride up there before the Luau. Would have liked to have explored more there if we had the time.

Kauai

Left beautiful sunny Maui, arrived in beautiful sunny Kauai, and after standing in a 45-minute line at the airport, and then picking up our Jeep, we finally made it to our hotel. Got our bathing suits on, went to the pool and then we felt the raindrops. Haha Oh well. Aside from our day on the Road to Hana, that was our only rainy day. Our room at the Sheraton was very nice. Our room had a patio and a beautiful view of the sunset. We ate on our patio night one with Mexican takeout from Da Crack on Poipu Rd. Really good and huge portions. And reasonably priced. By chance, we also found a great place for breakfast called Anuenue (means Rainbow) which was just across the main road from our hotel in an outdoor marketplace where Starbucks is located (think it was called Plantation Gardens?) Awesome sweet bread french toast with lemon curd and raspberry sauce…yum!

At the Sheraton, only the pool restaurant was open. The other 2 restaurants at the Sheraton were closed.

Aside from the helicopter ride where we saw the beautiful island sights, we did not venture out too much on this island. Think we needed some chill time from all the activities on Maui! We liked the pool/ beach at our hotel and were very happy relaxing there. Surprised that the beach chairs and umbrella were not complimentary though. We had to pay for them each day. We had a Sunset dinner at the Beach House which was very good (expensive) and we enjoyed that. We did make that reservation way in advance and were able to get a sunset time slot for dinner – totally worth it!
We’d say Kauai was our favorite island. Very relaxing and laid back. Everyone, on all the islands, was super nice!

Oahu

Our least favorite island. Loved our Pearl Harbor tour. Our bus driver and tour guide, KoKo, was great! And of course, the memorial at Pearl Harbor was very moving. We also drove through the Punchbowl cemetery which was also very moving. As for Honolulu, though it was city-like, it was very upscale and felt pretty safe.
We found a breakfast place near our hotel called Eggs n Things. One of their specialties is pancakes. We got the strawberry pancakes, which was enough to share, and they were delish!

We were very disappointed in the Outrigger Reef hotel. Though we had a beautiful room with gorgeous views, and the staff was super nice, the hotel was under construction. It was noisy, limited pool seating which was enclosed in blue construction walls with no view of the ocean, a sewage-like smelly walk down a sketchy alley to a tiny beach where there was no room to even sit. Not paradise-y at all. We spent most of our time a few beaches down in front of the Sheraton and other Outrigger, though very crowded, and we had to pay for beach chairs/ umbrella for the day. And the restaurants where we ate were located down there as well (Duke’s and Hula Grill ). We also checked out of the hotel at noon but had to kill time until 5:00 when our airport shuttle picked us up (we did not have a car). Ended up having lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and sitting in one of the sitting areas at the Sheraton until it was time to go. Sort of a wasted day…in hindsight, we would have tried to schedule an earlier flight home. And also should probably have stayed at the Sheraton. Fyi – The Outrigger Reef did ask for our feedback which I gave…they are supposed to be refunding the resort fee. I did mention to them that I didn’t know what that was supposed to cover since everything but the pool and pool bar were closed.

In general Maui and Kauai were just relaxing restrictions so not much opened and the places that were opened were closed by 9pm. Oahu was pretty much open. Travel, though it went pretty smoothly for us, found us spending a lot of time scheduling tests, taking tests, filling out questionnaires, and waiting in lines at the airport for clearance to get into the islands. “
My husband — who is much less patient than me 🙂 — suggests limiting travel to one island until the COVID rules are relaxed. Thankfully you were very clear in what we needed to do and when, so we planned ahead and did not have any issues (except for wait times).

a happy couple on their anniversary trip in Hawaii

“All in all, it was a wonderful trip and we had a great time! Thanks so much for all your hard work to make it a very special vacation for us.”

Traveling Overall

Oahu

Our favorite restaurants we ate in Oahu were :

A few highlights from our time in Oahu included

Kauai

Our favorite restaurants in Kauai were all within a 5 to 10-minute drive of our resort :

Maui

Conclusions

STEP 1: COMMUNICATION & THE BIG PICTURE

STEP 2: TIMING & LOCATION

Timing

Region

STEP 3: COST ESTIMATES

Flights

The Rest

STEP 4: SAVING

WAYS TO SAVE

The Weather

The Crowds

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Some things to note for any one else going in the near future…

Kauai

Oahu

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN

EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH US

PLAN AN ADVENTURE?