Top 10 Hawaii Travel Tips

10/16/2018

We took the red eye flight home night before last. Need I say more. haha! This momma is exhausted! But Ashlyn has been trooper and let me sleep a little when we got home so now that I'm a little rested I thought i'd take some time to share about our trip! But if I ramble, oops! Im probably falling asleep at my laptop! ;)

Oh my gosh, what a whirlwind of amazing adventures for the last couple of weeks. I feel so lucky & blessed that we got the opportunity to take such an incredible family vacation! And I am so excited to share all of our adventures with you! As I started writing I realized that I had too much to say for one post so I am breaking it up into 3 posts this week. Today I am going to talk about my Top 10 traveling tips (especially with a toddler)!

Top 10 Tips for traveling to maui

Eat Local
1. There aren't many national chain restaurants on Maui but they do exist. GO TO THEM AT HOME! Try the local spots. From $ to $$$$, try them! You will have some of the best food of your life!! (I will talk about some of my favorites on both Maui & Oahu in the next post)
Shop Local
1. Another "no brainer" right? But seriously, This trip I massively scaled back what I packed because I know I am going to buy a bunch of things from my favorite shops there! Logo T-shirts & tanks, gorgeous dresses that I can never seem to find locally, skirts, shorts, the list goes on and on! (I'll go into more detail on my favorite shops on both Maui & Oahu on the next blog post).
Explore the Island
1. We stayed at one of the most incredible hotels on Maui. It was so nice that we could see ourselves never leaving the property! But Im so glad we did. There is so much more to Maui than one beach, one hotel, one area. Go to Lahaina side & walk Front Street. Drive the road to Hana. Go upcountry & do some shopping! So many amazing places to see & explore!
Fly Hawaiian Airlines
1. This airline is 100% the best for flying to the island. I will NEVER use any other airline! Why? They always seem to be on time; You feel like you have arrived in the islands as soon as you step on the plane with the music & incredibly friendly attendants; The snacks/meals are actually edible & yummy; I have severe flight anxiety and appreciate the lengths they seem to go to make it a smooth flight (and the pilots ALWAYS warn you ahead of time if there will be any "bumps" along the way. If I know they are coming & am WAY less worried about it). And have I mentioned the free cocktail as you approach the islands! Now that is ALOHA!!!
Bring a Cooler
1. I know you have heard this from me a million times but bringing our yeti cooler has saved us so much money! When we go to the beach or even just go exploring the area we can bring lunch, cold water, drinks to the beach, etc...! Then we use it as a carry-on to bring home all the fun things we buy! ;) I've linked the one we use here.
Shop Costco Deals!
1. I. Am. So. Serious. About. This. We NEVER could've afforded to stay at such an amazing hotel as The Grand Wailea!! I mean NEVER!!! But we just kept checking for deals and open day this one popped up! We were so excited! So keep checking because the prices change constantly & if you are flexible on your travel dates you will find an amazing deal!!
Get Toddler Headphones
1. I'm so glad that we decided to buy headphones for Ashlyn on this trip. She watched Moana & Nemo on the flight over and we were able to enjoy our flight as well! She had never worn them before, so I had her use them a few times before we left so she was comfortable in them. ( I really like the ones we got so I've linked them below!!)
Target Toy Packs
1. I saw these $3 activity packs right at the entrance to my local Target. And they are fantastic for my almost 2 year old! Plus, I love how they re-seal so I can keep everything together and in her diaper bag & pull it out at restaurants, in the hotel room, anywhere. The one i got had a coloring/activity book (Ashlyn colored, mommy & daddy played the games! lol), crayons, stickers, foam stand up card & fuzzy coloring page. So much fun!!!
Stay in an Air BNB
1. We have made so many friends that we visit each time we go to Hawaii because we stay in an Air BNB. The owners are always so friendly and willing to help you with any advice for great food, hikes, sites, shopping, etc... Plus, with a toddler, we have a kitchen, refrigerator, etc... That being said, remember, you are in someones neighborhood so take care to park mindfully. ( I hate that this even needs to be said but, unfortunately we have heard & seen some truly disrespectful things from travelers. Huge bummer) that leads me to #10:
Be Respectful
1. This is mentioned last only because it is the most important so I hope it being the last thing you read will stay with you the most! And I know, this seems like a no brainer, but seriously. Think of the islands differently and take special care of them. They are beautiful. Help keep them that way. That means the obvious: clean up after yourself but take it a step farther and pick up after anyone else that you see that isn't (look around the beach as you leave & you'll find that people leave the craziest things behind & that all goes back into the ocean)!. And it also means to slow down, be aware and present to those around you & smile every once in awhile. Trust me, you'll have a better day & so will the people around you! And take some if this feeling home with you. :)