Hawaii honeymoon or vacation. Top 4 things to do.
/Okay, truth. I’ve never been to Hawaii on a honeymoon; that would mean I would have at some point been married and traveled there with a loved one. However, I have been to Hawaii while on vacation multiple times also to shoot weddings. I’ve spent about a month of my life on various islands in Hawaii which gives me a little bit of Island cred (almost wrote street cred but didn’t think that would sound as cool). This blog is just musings and ideas for when you’re on any of the islands.
Food, sunrises & sunsets and swimming
Sunrises and sunsets 🌅
Make sure to see both of these!
I made time to meet the photographer in the top left of the photo. She follows me and I her on Instagram. She spends a good deal of time perusing the island for photos.
Let’s start off with sunrises, renewal, revitalization and something you can brag about on Facebook or Instagram in your story. 😅 The weather is always going to look questionable in the morning, it typically looks rainy and miserable for the first few hours of the day. Don’t push it of to another day, it’s going to look just as shitty tomorrow as it is today. Each island has a pretty unique weather system, clouds usually gather during the night but dissipate following warmer weather in the morning and sunshine. Hawaii actually has ten out of the fourteen climates from the world. Make sure to be up extra early to get to your destination. There’s lots of coastline to park and explore, but the best ones fill up sooner. I suggest using google maps and a little bit of instagram to locate somewhere special. Also… just because you saw one sunset, it doesn’t mean it’s enough; go see more! After sunset you’re primed for some awesome local breakfast! You’ll hopefully beat any morning rush for sustenance. You’re usually just a short drive to the shore depending on where you are. The miles can be deceiving though, so make sure to check Waze or Apple Maps for a more accurate drive time before disembarking. Theres only so many roads and traffic can be somewhat terrible.
Sunsets! All of the islands in Hawaii are made for these astrological events. You’ll know you’re in the right place so long as you pick the west sides of an island. With lots of coast line you’ll be able to stop frequently to park and pull out some chairs or blankets for a real show. Unlike some destinations where locals and businesses have closed out the beaches with housings and resorts, Hawaii leaves lots of it’s coast untamed and available. Packing a snack is always great for this as well, just don’t think about bringing any alcoholic beverages.
There’s not much more to say in words of advice on this, it’s worth doing and that’s all you need to know.
Food 🍌🍍🥥🥝🍣🍱🍚🍦🍮🍹🧉🍧🍢🍛
Avoid / don’t avoid the touristy spots.
There’s some foods that are uniquely Hawaiian and others that were made for the visitors. I’m only going to suggest what I’ve experienced. Not going to write about sushi and poke (not my thing). The island has it’s share of strip malls with dime a dozen places to eat as well as some authentic cuisine with some fire dancing attached to the meal. Most likely you’ll have had better quality or better tasting food then on the islands, but it’s still pretty okay. Theres plenty of unique things here that you won’t find on the mainland though, so get ready to explore. A good word of advice would be, if theres a gift shop below the restaurant then the locals probably aren’t going there.
You’ll find a lot of chains from the mainland here on the island. You’ve had it before, so don’t bother (minus McDonalds, we’ll talk about that soon). There is an upcharge on all food prices throughout the island because everything of course has to be shipped here. Prices are similar to what you would pay in NYC, LA or Boston for food no matter what part of Hawaii you land in. I heavily relied on Yelp for reviews, suggestions, photos and menus of locations that I wanted to eat at. After sunrise I would be pushed to a new section of the island I was on so I would end up looking to see what was good or where the locals ate (often asking people whenever I had the chance).
Mai tai from monkeypod. all booze, no filler. ❤️
Malasadas are a good breakfast option or snack. These pastries are essential donuts, but more Hawaiian. You’ll find many unique flavors including taro (it’s everywhere). When in Rome right, get some! Going to run through a few suggestions otherwise this blog will end up being entirely about food. Make sure to get to the Dole Planation, Dole whips (Google it, just make sure to type Dole Whip Hawaii otherwise you’ll end up with the now famous Disney version) and an amazing gift shop. This planation offers tours, lots of food and a good break from your typical Hawaiian day. I cannot say enough nice things about MonkeyPod, it being one of my favorite spots to hit up while in town. Just check out the website, the menu for more information. I suggest the Mai Tai, house cut fries and some of the strawberry cheesecake. I still remember my last meal there sitting alone, dreamy eyed one my third Mai Tai with a cheesecake yet to arrive.
So the local dishes you’ll want to try is anything with SPAM, Lau Lau (pork & butterfish wrapped in lu,au leaves), Poi (mashed and fermented taro root, looks like a thick purple gravy, it’s used to extend the dish a little bit, add more) and also Loco Moco (burger patty onto of rice with gravy, over easy egg and a scoop of macaroni salad on the side). You can find all these at local BBQs .The Bar-b-que is usually where the locals eat, lots of plate lunches with macaroni salad, rice and proteins as well as the above mentioned treats. I also suggest roadside banana bread. While on Maui there was no shortage of this on backroads around the island, affordable prices and quick eats.
Cheesecake from MonkeyPod
(My favorite destination while in Hawaii).
I made them do it.
A spam, egg & cheese mcgriddle
Don’t write off McDonalds on your trip. I always suggest McDonalds while on vacation because it’s a good place to have cheap eats, free wifi and often times (when you’re outside of the USA) new dishes. McDonalds out in Hawaii offers portugese sausage, rice, noodle soup, spam and pineapple or taro pies. It’s not on the menu but I made them (forced) make me a SPAM, egg and cheese McGriddle (I have the photo somewhere).
Swimming 🤿 🌊
ONE OF THE BLACK SAND BEACHES ON THE BIG ISLAND
Some of the best beaches in the world are here in Hawaii. Multiple islands have black sand beaches, Maui & the Big Island off the top fo my head. These beaches stand apart from any beaches you’ve seen before and are composed of volcanic materials and lava fragments. Click here to see some tips on traveling between the islands to get to these beaches. So it’s not like the Florida keys or Cape Cod, you don’t have to hunt down an actual beach to dip your toes. Most of the coast line has not been taken over by resorts, houses and no trespassing signs, it’s open. The best spots to go swimming will be the beaches but there are much more special spots that you can get to by hiking down a trail or pulling off the road and heading to the shore.
You’ll want to have chairs (portable ones, small), mostly because you’ll want to have a home base for your stuff including your phone which will be snapping up photos to post on your insta-story bragging (rightfully so) about your trip. Now would also be an excellent time to pick up a souvenir towel and blanket (if possible) so that you have a non sandy place to park that butt of yours and grab some rays or read a book. Now the most important part of a Hawaiian beach the hardware; snorkel, googles and flippers. You can either rent or buy these, I suggest just spending the money to buy them at a local Wal-Mart. The tourist shops will have them but at a huge mark up. Renting them is super cheap, a few dollars for everything you’ll need. But here's the caveat, do you really want to find a rental shop every time you find a cool place to explore, besides they might fit in your checked luggage after the fact.
ME BACK IN 2015, HONOLUA BAY, KAPALUA, MAUI, HAWAII (LOTS OF NAMES)
Snorkeling is an awesome way to explore in a way you might not be able to on the east coast, bright sun, clear water and coral reefs will keep you in the water exploring. I’ve never actually liked snorkeling until Hawaii. The beaches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire only let you see a few feet down while the water climbs into your snorkel leaving not such a good taste in your mouth. We also grow up with the movie Jaws running through out psyche and the longer we’re out in the ocean the scarier it can feel back home, mostly because of low visibility and the imaginary thirty foot great white shark that is stalking Hampton Beach, NH. Once you learn to relax your breathing and take your time you’ll fall in love with laying on the surface of the water. I found myself a few hundred feet out, eventually diving down between coral reefs and then back up to clear the snorkel. Just remember that it’s illegal to touch, destroy or remove the coral. The visibility that I experienced was about thirty to fifty feet with the temperature of the water being an average of seventy seven degrees. Always make sure to check out local guidance for tides, currents, sharks. One of the beaches I snorkeled at had a shark attack (rare) a few weeks after my trip. The only thing I encountered was colorful fish, puffer fish, turtles and a lone squid. Takes your time getting good at snorkeling, don’t discount it after a failed attempt. It takes awhile to get your mask fitted right and learning how to clear out the mask while swimming. It can be very frustrating having a mask fog up, leak water or be loose. Half the time I snorkeled was spent adjusting the mask so it was perfect. Highly suggest picking up a small camera for your excursions below the surface like a GoPro. This camera is fairly easy to operate and is totally worth the silly photos and beautiful photos you’ll end up with, make sure to get any accessories to go with it so you don’t drop it fifty feet down.
RIGHT OUTSIDE OF PEARL HARBOR, FACING THE AIRPORT
BEWARE! DANGER! Big beautiful waves with scores of people (That’s groups of twenty ) are playing in the waves and it looks like a blast. You’ll see some in the surf and a majority just outside those waves enjoying a good bobbing and eventually timing their return with a lesser infraction. It’s going to feel like you’re a kid again, giant waves and getting tossed around. These aren’t like the waves at any beaches you’ve been to before. Wind energy, time out in the ocean and the share and slope of these beaches contribute to some waves that can literally beat the (you know) out of you. I learned this the hard way as I watched some kids that must have been ten at best playing in the waves and decided I would head in. My friends watched from their chairs and took a video of me. I tried jumping an enormous wave, it was awesome, I climbed into the sky with the water and then realized where I was headed. The water slammed me into the ground and then rolled me back into itself while wrapping me in white water and spinning me. I stuck out my arms and fished around for the ground while each spin reinforced the need to hold my breath and push through. Eventually I climbed to a position where I had my hands and then knees touching sand. I stood up and started to make my way out as another wave hit and knocked me down again. I had been held down for fifteen seconds (I know this because we have a video) and catching my next breath and the title card of wave vs. Mike gave me the complete understanding of who was going to win if I didn’t get out quick. I eventually made it out and after a small bout with wave ptsd I eventually made it back in with my friends joining me. So to avoid getting your butt kicked with the waves you’ll have to be careful, dive through or under the wave. If you get pulled under then make a plan to swim, hold your breath and get out of the danger zone.
Just be careful in the waves, def get in there and have a blast.
Just make sure you have friends with you or people nearby that will help if you end up in trouble.
Hiking 🥾
There’s so much to see here on the islands. If you stick to the coast or the cities then you’ll miss out on a lot.
There’s plenty of information out there on different trails and parks where you can hike. I don’t have all my information at hand to dish out for you. I suggest picking out a half dozen to hit while on your vacation or honeymoon. There are plenty of hikes on the islands that lead to lava, waterfalls or beautiful vistas. You can even hike inside a volcanic crater if you wanted or a rainforest, where else can you do that in a single day right! Quick story, we hiked out to a beautiful waterfall, huge, cold water, hot day. Being a few miles out and away from people I decided to hop in but didn’t want to have wet clothes on a two mile hike back through the woods. Anyways I got to enjoy a waterfall for a few minutes until it crept in my head that a rock could become loose above me and make me a much duller Mike than usual. I have the photos somewhere to prove I did this and will eventually put them on here (censored of course).
Make sure to have good shoes for the hike and water. Some hikes are short and some long, but non too strenuous in my book. My favorite hike was to Stairway to Heaven on Oahu. This is an illegal hike if you are considering it and comes with a thousand dollar fine if caught. You can hike over the mountain to where the peak is to see the stairs but if you happen to get caught at the bottom by the white SUV then you won’t be a happy camper. Anyways there’s not a lot to add to this section of the blog.
