Hawaii
January/February 2022
There’s no better time to visit Hawaii than during these two months. If you reside in a cold weather climate like me, it’s a wonderful reprieve from the cold and a bonus, it’s whale watching season.
The hardest part of traveling is planning. Friends have asked me for recommendations from trips my husband and I take. Why re-invent the wheel?
If I tell you where we’ve stayed, it’s because it passed the test: we’d stay there again.
Tips:
- Hawaii is expensive. Places to stay and activities book up so plan far enough ahead to assure you don’t have problems (even eating out might require an advance reservation).
- If you are traveling with others and sharing costs, download the free app called Splitwise splitwise.com
It records expenses easily and splits them as you travel so settling up with your traveling companions at the end of your trip is hassle free.
- Alaska Airlines has an annual companion fare offer.
- Upgrade your seats on the long leg of your trip if you can afford to.
- Exploring on your own in a car? Download the Hawaii driving tour app called Gypsy Guide. gypsyguide.com
It’s a narrated guide that plays automatically as you drive based on your location. It’s not expensive and you’ll feel like you have your own personal tour guide. The commentary is filled with behind-the-scenes stories of the area, local tips and driving directions. We bought Hawaii, Big Island Tours and Hawaii, Maui Tours.
- Take water bottles when hiking and have a pair of athletic shoes.
- Clothes: Pack light. If you stay in places with a washer and dryer pack even lighter. You don’t need dressy clothes.
We were in Hawaii for a total of 18 days. I used packing cubes.
- 4 pair of shorts (I only needed 3 pairs)
- 1 pair of jeans (only needed if going to high elevations at night, such as at Volcano National Park)
- 4 short sleeve shirts
- 1- ¾ length sleeve shirt
- bathing suit
- rash guard shirt (for snorkeling)
- sun shirt with attached hood
- Hat (my favorite is a packable Wallaroo Victoria Fedora)
- sandals (I love my Chacos which are sturdy and good water shoes)
- good grip walking shoes (athletic shoes)
- light jacket or sweater for evenings when the temperature drops.
- Rain jacket
Tips:
- On the plane I wore yoga pants, a lightweight long sleeve pullover and a Patagonia Nano puff packable jacket since I was traveling from Colorado (you can also use the jacket for a pillow on the long plane ride).
- In a carry-on I packed a short sleeve top and shorts to change into at the airport in Hawaii since it was a lot warmer than where I had traveled from.
- Carry extra pair of underwear and toiletries in a carry-on just in case you get stranded on one of your legs of travel.
- You must have reef safe sunscreen.