Hawaii
“Hawaii is paradise. It sounds cheesy to say it, but there’s music in the air there.”
Hawaii! Ahhhhhh island life. Surfing, snorkeling, ukulele, hula, spam, rubbah slippahs (flips-flops) — could there be anything better for a vacation? The good vibes and smiles are contagious here, embrace it and embrace the locals — they are some of the warmest locals in the world! The multicultural heritage of the Hawaiian islands helps make it the special, lively place it is. There’s a rich variety of landscape and culture in Hawaii, with each island presenting her own magical life.
Maui offers a mix of natural beauty and outdoor fun with warm alohas, while Hawaii Island (AKA the Big Island) impresses with black sand beaches and active 🌋 volcanoes. Kaua’i greenest mountains and valleys give sublimely secluded nature. For nightlife fun there’s no place like Waikiki, and Oahu’s North Shore thrills with its waves. Lana’i and Moloka’i have a slow, sweet life with unspoiled lands!
The best luggage for Hawaii:
The best luggage for a trip to Hawaii is:
A good roller bag: Check or carry on an efficiently-sized roller bag. We suggest a carry-on sized spinner so you don’t have to check it on the way there. For the way back home, check it and use an expandable tote as your carry-on to hold extra goodies you found on the trip.
For more tips on how to travel light and only with a carry on, click here.
Voltage DLX 20" Spinner
International Carry-On
Carry On Spinner
Platinum Elite 21” Carry On Spinner
Travel backpacks:
Make a travel backpack part of your luggage while traveling in Hawaii! From going to the beach, to hiking, and going on all-day excursions, a backpack serves you well in Hawaii! It’s important that your backpack is properly designed to make the weight you’re carrying comfortable and is weather-resistant. We don’t prefer the backpacks that look traditionally touristy, though. We think a cuter one keeps your outfit looking good and you enjoying using it. So get one that is both functional and stylish!
The Rowledge
A gorgeous larger sized pack with many compartments and a sleeve to slip over suitcase handles.
Ellie Leather Studded Backpack
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack
The beauty of Fjallraven backpacks is they pack down flat when not in use!
Hawaii packing tip: Leave room for SOUVENIRS
Visiting Hawaii is the time to buy souvenirs to bring home with you, even if you’re not typically a “souvenir” person! Why? Because Hawaii is amazing. Leave room in your bag for Hawaii to fill. Or bring a collapsible duffel in your suitcase to fill up with all your goodies for the trip home! Whether you buy chocolate-covered macadamia nuts (we recommend you do!), koa wood bowls or plates, coconut oil, a Hawaiian quilt, Hawaiian shirts, sandals, etc., trust us you’ll want to be able to bring it all home. If you don’t plan ahead for that you probably will end up leaving behind some of your own items to make room!
What to pack for Hawaii:
One of the most important things to remember is that when you're in Hawaii, you'll be participating in outdoor activities most of the time — walking, strolling, snorkeling, swimming, sailing, bicycling, surfing, or hiking! Casual is definitely the way to go in the daytime. With that in mind, be sure to prepare for the sun. The sun is strong nearer the equator! You don't want to start off your first few days with the discomfort of a sunburn. Bring a good sunscreen as well as a sun hat!
You may be a tourist from the mainland but that doesn’t mean you have to telegraph the fact on your Hawaiian vacation. Look less like one of the more than eight million tourists Hawaii receives each year and more like a local with the following tips! (Tip: It’ll help you fit in to some of the more authentic parts of this island paradise!)
what to wear
The key to what to pack for a trip to Hawaii is to leave the stiff attire at home. Instead, slip into airy fabrics made for land and sea! Embrace the styles of the people who actually live in Hawaii. Relax in this island paradise with little dresses, shorts, skirts, and sandals!
Little dresses:
Little dresses are the best thing to wear in Hawaii! Romantic, gorgeous, easy — dresses make your vacation all that much better! Try white eyelet, floral prints, pretty blue shades, maxi lengths, and drapey cuts. Wear these with sandals (of course!).
A skirt or shorts:
A cute skirt and top is a perfect Hawaiian vacation outfit! Rock a matched set or mixed separates. Remember you’re in Hawaii, so have fun with cropped tops and bralettes (or even a bikini top) which totally look right here!
The Hawaiian shirt:
How to wear a Hawaiian shirt? Here’s how! Definitely indulge in the Hawaiian culture by wearing a Hawaiian shirt (AKA aloha shirt)! Locals do wear them too. It’s a fun piece to add to your wardrobe while in Hawaii but also back at home. If you buy your Hawaiian shirt while on the islands it’ll help you remember your trip forever!
Easy pants:
We don’t think skinny jeans are the best choice for Hawaii. Why? Too restricting and conservative. Leave those at home and break out more relaxed jeans and pants! Loose is key.
Bathing suits:
You need bathing suits (duh!) for your trip to Hawaii. Here are a few examples for your beautiful tropical vacation. Coordinate your bathing suit with the sun hat you bring.
Flowers in your hair:
Embrace the island life fully and try wearing a flowers in your hair! Bring some with you or grab some real ones when you’re there and throw ‘em in your locks.
what to do
Hawaii means endless wonderfully fun activities - snorkeling with beautiful sea life, feasting at a luau party, sampling at a sugarcane plantation, visits to pineapple and lavender farms, hiking volcanic mountains, feeling beautifully luscious sands beneath your toes, surfing the best waves, the list goes on!
Big Island
1. Explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The park has two of the world’s biggest volcanoes, including the world’s most active Kilauea. Since 1983, Kilauea has been spewing molten lava continuously, and from the Halema’umau at night you can watch its red-hot lava glow. Sometimes you can see the lava flowing into the ocean during an active eruption! The park is also a great place to experience traditional Hawaiian culture at hula dance performances, festivals, concerts and talks.
2. Stay Rimside on Kilauea Volcano
At the landmark Volcano House lodge you can warm up by the fireplace after dark and view the spewing volcano right from the rim. It is the only hotel in the area so it is the spot to see the volcanic fireworks!
3. Mauna Kea Stargazing
The “White Mountain” is Hawaii’s highest mountain with a whopping peak of 13,796 ft. Mauna Kea is one of the world’s best astronomical sites to view the stars from some of the best telescopes when the sun goes down! It’s breathtaking and you may even be able to view a spectacular meteor shower.
4. The Waipi’o Kalo Festival
Immerse yourself in traditional Hawaiian culture by attending this festival! You’ll learn about things like the different ways the Taro plant is prepared and the importance of the lush green Waipi’o valley to Hawaii’s agricultural economy.
Kaua’i
1. Indulge in delicious cuisine
The food scene of Kaua’i has sublimely local Hawaiian food like sushi with the highest quality fish, shaved ice in flavors like strawberry and mango with coconut cream, lavender pina coladas, jalapeno-mozzarella breakfast sandwiches, Kalua pork, sweet potato raviolis, and abundant seafood with dishes like poke nachos, crispy fish tacos, lobster deviled eggs and seafood pastas!
2. Go tubing through a Kaua’i sugarcane plantation
A unique experience through history is to float through the Lihue Plantation’s irrigation system that once supplied over 15,000 acres of sugarcane! Kaua’i Backcountry Adventures is where to find this fun experience.
Lana‘i
1. Stay in a plantation-style cottage
Get an Airbnb cottage which is only a short jaunt into town. These adorable places often feature wraparound porches (called a Lanai), and they are a wonderful place to make meals with fresh ingredients from the Saturday morning farmers market near Dole Park.
2. Visit a cat sanctuary
Check out the laid-back Hawaiian lifestyle of the 600 cats lucky enough to live at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary! The three-acre facility is open daily, and donations from visitors and cat lovers in the world keep it going.
3. Tour on bike
Cruise around the small island on a bike tour (don’t worry it’s mostly downhill!) all while overlooking mount Haleakala and some views of neighboring islands. Breeze into the tiny Lana’i City which only has one gas station, no stoplights, and one school!
Maui
1. See the sunrise at Haleakala National Park
An early morning rise in the dark is worth it once you get to the park’s lofty summit perch and see the soft, orange glow emerging on the horizon. As Mark Twain proclaimed: “The sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed.” Reserve your spot to see this spiritual experience of the sun illuminating the crater floor below with rich tones of amber and ocher!
2. Tour a lavender farm on the East side
The drier eastern side of Maui has plenty of sunshine allowing the lavender fields to flourish on the slopeside over Haleakala! Visit the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm in summer to witness the bloom of 20 varieties of the soothing, fragrant herb. It’s a great year-round visit as the lavender abounds all the time. A morning visit typically means clear, wide views of the north shore, Kihei, and the West Maui Mountains. Or, try going in the afternoon for moody ambiance of cloudy mist in the air!
3. Maui Molokini Crater snorkeling
We don’t know if it’s possible to go to Hawaii without snorkeling or scuba diving! Go on a snorkeling tour such as the one at the Maui Molokini crater where you’ll be surrounded by sea creatures while you swim for hours. There’s also a water trampoline and barbecue lunch.
Moloka‘i
1. Witness the Moloka’i Hoe canoe race
The prestigious race takes place every fall and begins at the Hale o Lono harbor in Moloka’i, runs to the Ka’iwi Channel in Moloka’i, then finishes in Oahu at the Waikiki shores. Residents of Hawaii and beyond team up for this annual sporting event. Cheer the winners of this special cultural tradition!
2. Visit a plumeria farm near Kaunakakai
Have you ever smelled a plumeria? The sweet and serene smell wafts through the air even before the stunning white and yellow blossoms come into view at the Molokai Plumeria 10-acre farm. Only a few miles outside Kaunakakai, you can collect your own plumeria flowers to sew your own lei in a guided workshop (or you can buy one onsite). The fresh floral necklace will last for two days afterwards!
Oahu
1. Waimea Bay
One of the most spectacular spots on O’ahu is the deep-blue Waimea Bay. The breathtaking valley and bay is now a park, a spot that has attracted attention since Captain Cook’s men first turned up in 1779. International surfers, their fans and beach-goers flock here.
2. Explore Honolulu
Honolulu is a interesting mixture of Hawaiian, Asian, and American cultures! Different languages and foods all blend together here. The freshest fish and affordable noodle joints abound here. Don’t miss Honolulu’s hip Chinatown and the famous Waikiki!
3. Eat your way through Eat the Street in Honolulu
More than 35 food trucks and vendors line up the last Friday of each month from 4 - 10 p.m. in the hip neighborhood of Kaka’ako. Hit up this interesting food truck crawl!
