r/VisitingHawaii

Good morning, I am planning a first time trip to Hawaii, plan is to split time between Kauai and Maui. Trip would be summer of 2027 and from what I have read my preference is to be on the north shore of Kauai. Looking at lodging options I was drawn to the Hanalei Bay Resort. I found a unit that is being rented through Air BnB that looks great and is in our price range but in skimming this community it seems people say Air Bnb isn't the best idea. This specific rental has 67 reviews between March 2022 and April 2026 and they are overwhelmingly positive. They also list two registration numbers that in my brief research seem to be the numbers that are given when they register their short-term rental with local government.

Should I be looking elsewhere? It seems like for Hanalei Bay Resort you have to book through a site like Air BnB or VRBO.

We have a 5 hour layover at HNL airport during the day. This is an international flight where we will clear customs at HNL and our departing flight is towards another domestic US city.

What can we do during this 5 hour layover in Honolulu? I know that by the time we clear TSA and needing to come back to the airport, go through TSA again and get to our gate we will probably have 2-3 free hours max.

Our checked bags will continue to our final destination, so it will be just us and our carry on. Ideally we'd like to go to Waikiki for a bit but I don't want to risk it. We've been once and it was one of our favourite trips so we'd love to see it again but also know it's risky timewise.

What's nearby HNL that we can do as tourists that's doable in 2-3 hours max, factoring in needing to go back to the airport? Is there another beach nearby or another cool place (beach/food/history) we can visit? Thank you

Hi Everyone. I really appreciate the advice so far. We've switched from Budget to Alamo and removed the river tour based on recommendations here.

We will be staying at the HBR in a couple weeks and would love any final suggestions from locals or recent visitors. I attached our itinerary and would especially appreciate:

• Favorite lunch spots
• One nice dinner place we should consider instead of the luau that I can cancel up to 48hrs (It's long and $400 before tip - thinking it may be a lot for an 8yr old?)
• Coffee farm tour recommendations
• Anything we may be missing

Really appreciate the help here already. I promise I'll report back afterward with a full trip recap for future travelers.

https://preview.redd.it/86niey8hmd2h1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=3627c123f2128bf33986e2b1174ea9cf8951f77b

This is really heartbreaking. I was on the trail about a week ago during the rain and found the sections around crawlers edge incredibly dangerous. In dry conditions it feels manageable, but once the clay gets wet some sections become incredibly unforgiving very quickly.

Just a reminder for anyone planning this hike: conditions matter a lot. Don’t push through bad weather just because you already started.

Thinking of his loved ones.

Howdy, tried posting it in another subreddit but got taken down.

I'm from the mainland but my girlfriend is from Hawaii (keeping it vague in case she's lurking). Thinking of the popping the question later this year but wanted to get some thoughts on "Lei Etiquette". Thinking of having one made and available for her as part of the proposal. Is this a good idea? What about a Haku (or Lei Po'o? what's the right term?) the flower crown? I'm still very much figuring stuff out so any helps appreciated! I just want to add a little spice from home to it so that it's memorable as I neither of us are planning on doing this more than once lol.

Aloha!

Anybody use Hanalei Charters leaving from Hanalei Bay? We did one with Captain Andy’s last year and my wife got really sick. Thinking leaving from north shore would be better for us. Curious if anyone went with them specifically and what the feedback is.

Hello!

I'm taking my wife on a birthday trip to Oahu in two weeks and I'm thinking of planning on decorating our hotel room so that when we go in it's already decorated. I'm not having much luck finding someone that can do the job in Waikiki where we are staying at. I already called our hotel and they said that they don't do room decorations.

Would love to get some leads & recommendations!

Thanks in advance! 💜💛🤍

In a few weeks we will traveling to the Big Island. We will be staying both Hilo and Kona. On our way from Hilo to Kona, what are things we should do? I would like to get to Pololu Valley on our way, but not sure what other stops we can hit. Or how much time we should spend at various spots? We have all day and will not be in a hurry. It will be just me and my wife and we do like hiking. I just would like advice from people who know as to what is reasonable. Thanks.

Staying in Kauai for a trip in June and trying to decide between Lihue or Princeville. We like scenic views, beaches, exploring, maybe a helicopter tour, and don’t mind driving a bit. Traveling with kids too. If you’ve been, where would you stay and why? If you could do it again, Lihue, Princeville, or split stay?

Hi! I'm going to be spending 9 days in Oahu. I'll primarily be on the west side of the island for my dad's wedding but will have a vehicle. I'm wondering what is everyone's most recommended hikes and beaches (or other swimming areas). I love nature and looking at beautiful things so I think that's going to be my primary goal while visiting- to explore nature and take in as much beauty as I can. I used to go as a kid with my family and already did all the touristy stuff so I'm trying to get my fill of nature. I would like to be awed.

I've already done some googling but was curious what Reddit thinks. Thank you!

Oh I also love diving, snorkeling, and looking at wildlife in general

Hi. We are considering a trip in the beginning of June to Hawaii, and are having trouble deciding which island we’d visit.

Logistical things:
- We’d have 5 full days and 2 travel days there
- We prefer more accessible activities due to knee/back issues
- I can’t swim but am happy to loiter/sunbathe/use a floatie while my partner swims
- We prefer either a mix of quiet and peaceful with crowds or just peaceful settings, probably not gonna go clubbing at any point
- This would be our main travel for the year given how pricey it’d be. We have some budget to spend, but don’t wanna/can’t blow the bank on anything. Like $ or $$ out of $$$ budget.
- We enjoy the typical good food, animal watching, scenery, looking around shops etc. but don’t really want to deal with lines/crowds/rudeness if we can avoid/not worth it

So far, staying on 1 island, and that island being Oahu or Kauai seem like top recs but any additional insight/tips would be appreciated.

There appear to be an overwhelming number of options for boat tours on the Na Pali coast! I know that I would like to leave from the north shore, and that I would like to visit the sea caves, but I don’t want to go snorkeling, nor do I want to use the zodiac rafts (though I’m not sure if it’s possible to visit the caves without one). Do you have any recommendations for a company that can offer a tour of the coast and the caves while still maintaining a fairly comfortable ride?

We are looking to take our annual family trip to Hawaii this year over Christmas break. I know it is a busier time to travel but it works for us… we have never been and need advice! We are going with two kids, ages 2.5 and almost 6 (and two adults). Would like to stay somewhere close to the action but also not feeling like a huge city as we are small town people normally. We want to do beach days. Good pools, lots of dining options, hikes, adventures and whatever else you suggest. I am currently looking at the Hilton Hawaii Village in Waikiki.

What are your thoughts on traveling with this age of kids? What about the hotel? Any activity must dos and don’ts? Looking for all of the info! Thanks in advance 🌸

Note - also willing to do Maui if the flights can be reasonable enough, there are just way less options.

Hi everyone, I’m going to visit the island of Kawai on the Memorial Day weekend, and I’ve been looking through the weather, and it seems like it’s going to rain a lot. I wonder how it’s been the last few weeks…

Is it an upcoming big storm, or will there be showers throughout the day that come and go?

just wanna get a better idea so I know exactly what to pack. Thanks!

We're not renting a car for the first couple days of our trip, so we want to know what the best restaurants and shops are that we should hit for these days that we can just walk to. We have Goofy diner on this list so far. Would love to hear your recs!

Hi everyone! I recently posted an itinerary for me and my boyfriend’s (we’re 20 and 21 yrs old) trip to Oahu on this thread but I am hoping to get some tips on specific days.

We’re hoping to reserve 8am-10am tickets for Hanauma Bay snorkeling, and if we’re not able to secure tickets online, we will most likely arrive early to try getting tickets. I would love to know what else we can do that day around that area! Also anything at all that’s worth it to see in Waikiki I’m sure we’ll be exploring there a lot in the afternoons at the end of our days since we’re staying in the area!

Also for the day we arrive it would be nice to explore Waikiki, where we’ll be staying, a little bit before catching Friday night fireworks. What places do you guys suggest seeing or walking around?

Last thing, what is worth it to see or check out when we explore Haleiwa Town on our North Shore day.

All advice is greatly appreciated!

Is the pool 24/7? The website mentions it closes at 10 pm but I saw some reviews saying its open 24/7? Does anyone have personal experiences?