The Traveling Aquarian
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Off to Hawaii
As I’m writing this, my thoughts are drifting back into my vacation. I can feel the sun beaming down on me and a smile comes to my face. Hawaii was a breathtaking vacation in paradise. The weather was perfect! Out of 9 nights, it rained for only 1 day. The weather said 80 degrees each day, but it felt hotter. We left the New Jersey weather of 30 degrees and went into summer temperatures filled with air-conditioned homes and tropical flowers surrounding your every step.
After two planes and a four-hour layover, we finally landed in Honolulu. We spent an entire day traveling and with the 5-hour time difference we were exhausted. We left home at 4:30 am and arrived at 7 pm in Honolulu.
My daughter met us at the airport, we were ready to eat and go to bed. We were on east coast time, and it was really 12 am for us. It was hard adjusting to the time change. I wonder to myself and think about people who travel for work with different time zones, how do they stay sane?
I never thought that I would be spending a vacation in Hawaii. This wasn’t just a vacation, I was going to be seeing my new grandson for the first time. My daughter was stationed in Hawaii with the United States Navy and recently had her first child. As a first-time grandma, I had to go out and visit her, my new son in law and the new addition to the family.
We were going in December during Christmas, so I knew the tickets and everything else would be expensive because of the holiday. The first thoughts that came to me when I thought about this tropical paradise, were the cost, the long flight, our hotel stay, and other reasons that would prevent me from visiting.
This wasn’t a place I had on my radar to visit. I am not a swimmer (something I plan on learning very soon) so I was not going to go snorkeling or surfing. I’ll talk about how I went snorkeling another time, not knowing how to swim. But, laying on the beach with the warm sand between my toes and getting waist-deep in the water, is something I’m quite experienced at.ย
If you are a nature person, love water activities, or just want to relax with beautiful clear water a destination to Hawaii should be on your list of places to visit. There is plenty to do for all ages. The Hawaiian island is filled with museums, aquariums, zoos, hiking, biking, surfing, so much that I can go on and on. I want to tell you what I and my family did during our stay.
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From the deals, I went to Groupon and searched places to visit for free, and this is aย reason will plan another visit in the future. I had hotel deals and excursions coming up. I was able to choose a hotel and booked parasailing.
When to Purchase Airfareย
The number one rule is never to wait until the last minute to purchase airfare. We purchased our plane tickets late in October, the prices had skyrocketed by an additional $400 from the prices earlier in the year. My daughter planned for us to stay at a hotel where all the military families stayed for a fraction of the cost. Again, we were too late and all the rooms were booked. I should have known coming in December was a destination vacation spot for most people.
The best time to purchase a plane ticket to Hawaii is during April, May, September, and early October. Beย cautiousย of any holidays during these months which can cause a price change.
To Pack and What Not to Pack
I tell myself each time I go away, “I’m not going to overpack. I even packed weeks before my trip, still, I OVER PACKED! We were staying for 10 days, so I planned on checking bags. (Check baggage fees with your airline)ย
I used the Roll Methodย whenย packing which created more space in our luggage. I did not purchase sunblock and some other items because I knew I would not need them coming back to New Jersey. I waited until I arrived and brought sunblock and gave the remainder to my daughter.
Some items can be purchased before or you can wait until you reach your destination. There are plenty of Targets and Walmarts in Hawaii. Don’t buy huge bottles of sunblock or things you won’t be able to use. Also, be watchful of buying items, ask yourself will you have room in your luggage?
Bring trial size, toothpaste, deodorant. Most hotels supply shampoo and conditioner. Although you are coming to Hawaii and it’s warm all year some nights get chilly and a light sweater is needed. Plan on hiking or going in water bring the proper comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you later.
The hiking trails are muddy and can be slippery and some beaches have rocks with sharp shells, water shoes will come in handy. One thing I wish we had was insect repellent, we went to a few gardens the mosquitoes ate us alive.ย
Ambassador Hotel Waikiki
I booked a room at the Ambassador Hotel Waikiki for three days andย two nights. The deal was great. The amount I spent for 2 nights, some hotels charged the same amount per day. The hotel was clean, we were given reusable water bottles, the room was just like my Groupon voucher stated. There were an outdoor pool, gym, and laundry room on-premises.
I still laugh, my only complaint I had was the beds. There were 3 twin-size beds. I shared the room with the kids. Those beds were so narrow, that when I turned over I almost fell off. I’m cracking up laughing now. I don’t know why I just didn’t put two of them together. They were comfortable but they sure weren’t made for an adult.ย
I wanted to make sure that this was no scam and that I actually had reservations at this hotel. I was a little nervous about booking a hotel. Yes, I read the reviews from other people, but I wanted to make sure we had our reservations with the hotel.
Personally witnessing people booking through third-party companies and arriving at the hotel, to not have their reservations. I didn’t want that to be us.
Call your hotel directly and confirm your reservations. Booking a room with a kitchen can save money on eating out every night. I spent almost $100 per day on eating lunch.
Stopping at a grocery store to go food shopping can help shave the cost of spending money when you’re out. You can cook breakfast in the morning and have lunch and dinner at a restaurant. (Traveling with a family will add up).
Plan ahead, most restaurants have a website with the menu and prices. Check them out prior to visiting so you’re not playing the guessing game of where to eat each night.
Sightseeing. See what is near the hotel. ย Check admission fees, if there are a restroom on-premises, check to see if there is parking, can you walk, or if there is transportation.
There were a few parks within walking distance from the hotel with beautiful plants, trees, and Hawaii’s tropical flowers. The beach was a short distance that held Fireworks on Friday nights. Ala Moana Center Mall was filled with all your popular stores and several restaurants.
We went and took a photo with Santa Clause. Coming from New Jersey it was funny seeing Santa in a Hawaiian shirt and inside an air-conditioned studio.
Minutes away you will find Ala Moana Beach Park which is a FREE public park on the island of Oahu with a quiet beach and free parking. http://www.honolulu.gov/parks
Visit my other blogs for wonderful things to Do and See during your Visit to Hawaii!
[…] Visiting Hawaii was the best vacation I could have taken with my family. We spent 10 wonderful days in Honolulu. There were places I wanted to visit but simply didn’t have enough time. All the trips we took were less than $50 or free, except for the Luau which I will get to later in this post. I want to share with you the Best Experiences to Have While Visiting Oahu. […]