Hawaii Travel Guide

It’s 6AM and the sun is just breaking over the horizon. I blink my eyes a few times, shaking sleep from my lashes as a gentle breeze sends a shiver through my body. In front of me, the waves gently come to shore, a sound machine in real life. Above me, red birds with what looks like expertly placed winged eyeliner chirp good morning. I take a deep breath and let the salt air tickle my nose.

No, this isn’t a day dream. It’s Hawaii.

The day we skipped the big trip around the island in favor of some pool and beach time

The Fairmont resort grounds

Nick on the lava rocks

Being super extra at the infinity pool

Beach hopping

For a full week, Nick and I got to spend our 10 year anniversary on two beautiful islands - Oahu and The Big Island - doing very little and enjoying each other’s company and the stunning islands very much. We ate at endless breakfast buffets. We sipped pina coladas and made sand castles from lava birthed sand. We ordered room service and watched bad TV.

Ditching the itinerary in favor of this view

Hummus deliciousness

Aerial view of The Royal Hawaiian

Dat pink robe life

Torch lighting

It was unlike any vacation I’ve experienced before. I posted a bit about this on Instagram but Hawaii really was an incredible mindset shift for me. Typically, I plan vacation like an army sergeant. Beach at 0700. Breakfast at 0800. Snorkeling at 0900. What should be a relaxing day transforms into a to do list - because I’m a type A crazy as I’ve said. I had our itinerary planned to the minute - with addresses, suggested places to eat and their respective ratings, recommendations from friends, maps and more all within a beautifully designed Google Doc.

The vanilla farm

Exploring hidden beaches

Avocado toast at Arvo Cafe

Sunrise Shack

Chickens, chickens everywhere

Then, right before we were supposed to leave, an unexpected death occurred. After we came back from the funeral we were exhausted- emotionally and physically, unsure how to handle our emotions after the loss. By the time we got to Hawaii, simply looking at the itinerary made me want to take a nap. So, we threw out the itinerary for the most part. We needed to restore and recover our minds and our bodies and frequented the spa and the beach much more than we did the top of any summit for a hike or the car for a day long adventure. Especially because only a day after we returned, I was delivered another blow - my grandmother passed away. Our time together and our time focused on being in the present moment was a salve for the soul, it helped us to be ready for the next mental battle we were about to walk into.

Without the itinerary, I stopped stressing about what I was missing because I realized that the important part of the trip - time spent with Nick - was right in front of me and it didn’t matter where we were.

This is more than you likely signed up for clicking on this post, so I’ll get to the guide itself. This is what was on our itinerary. Where indicated, I’ve noted when we did something vs. when we skipped it on the itinerary. When you go to Hawaii, you can choose your own adventure, whatever that may be. Enjoy and mahalo!

HAWAII TRAVEL GUIDE

STAY

The Big Island

• Get Fancy at The Fairmont Orchid: I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful this place is. Snorkeling right off the beach. Sunrise paddle boarding in the morning. Stunning grounds. A beautiful torch lighting ceremony in the evenings. We got upgraded, a $100 credit, and free breakfast with Nick’s AmEx card which helped us keep costs low and we felt pampered the whole time.

Oahu

• Get Tickled Pink at The Royal Hawaiian: This hotel is in Honolulu and is one of the oldest hotels on the island. The entire place is pink and they really lean into the theme with pink bathrobes, pink champagne, and pink pastries. We had an ocean view room where we watched the surfers until the sun set and ate the chocolate sandals they gave us upon arrival. Great people watching. Amazingly instagrammable decor. Really fun place.

• Get To The North Shore with Airbnb: There’s not a ton of cost efficient options on The North Shore so we opted for an Airbnb that was down the street from the hotel they filmed Sarah Marshall in (yes we did eat there). The Airbnb was perfectly lovely and a great jumping off point to see the area but after being spoiled with two amazing hotels we were craving something a little more decadent.
  
  

• Get Ready to Be Bougie at Alohalani Resort: Nick and I decided to leave our airbnb a day early so we could spend more time relaxing and less time rushing to the airport. We found this hotel last minute and were not disappointed. It’s more of a casual beachy vibe with a beautiful infinity pool that overlooks the city, a giant fish tank that takes up an entire wall, a Morimoto restaurant, and tons of wellness programming. Warning: Lots of bougie people but great people watching.

EAT & DRINK

The Big Island

To be honest, we mostly ate at the hotel or got food from the local grocery store, but here are the places that were recommended to me.

• For Lunch After Volcano National Park Try Cafe Ono: About a 10 minute drive from Volcano National Park, this is a great choice for vegans and those with dietary restrictions.

• For Drinks With a View Try Fairmont Orchid Lobby Bar: We got one of the best hummus plates I’ve ever had here and got to watch the sunset while the torch lighter blew a conch shell. Great, relaxing experience.
  
  
  

• For Some Really Fresh Food Try Merida: Part of the Marriott, this mediterranean restaurant is supposed to have some great local catches and a beautiful view too.
  
  

Oahu

• For a Classic Fancy Dinner Try Azure: This was located at our hotel and apparently people come from all over the island to eat here. The food was delicious and they really made it a personalized experience. They even swapped one of their fish offerings for grilled tofu for me.
  
  
  

• For Avocado Toast and Green Juice Try Arvo Cafe: We grabbed this for lunch on our way to the North Shore and the place is tiny and really cute - in a shopping center made entirely out of shipping containers. Everything was delicious and the Australian vibes may have been even more chill than the Hawaiian ones.
  
  
  

• For The Perfect Instagram Shot Try The Sunrise Shack: This place was created by some surfers who wanted a healthy place to stop in the morning before they hit the waves. It’s adorable, rustic (I’m talking chickens walking everywhere), and the line extends around the corner for their smoothies, almond butter cakes, and more. Such a fun place to stop on The North Shore.
  
  
  

• For When You’re Tired of Hawaiian Food Try Momosan: We had grand plans of leaving the hotel when we stayed at Alohalani, but with a Morimoto restaurant just downstairs from our room, we spent our last night slurping ramen and eating duck tacos (Nick, not me). This place is really good and the ambiance is relaxed and unpretentious.
  
  

• For When You Want To Pretend You’re In Forgetting Sarah Marshall Try Roy’s Beach House: Make a reservation at one of the more casual spots on the property and get access to the filming location from the movie. Not only is it fun to see the filming locations but the place is absolutely beautiful. Bonus points if you impersonate Jonah Hill at dinner.

• For When You Want To Experience The Hype Try Giovanni’s: This garlic shrimp truck was highly recommended to us from someone who grew up in Hawaii and though I’m not a shrimp eater, Nick said his entire plate of garlicky, buttery shrimp was well worth the hype. Even if he did smell like garlic for three days after. Pro tip: skip the location at the food truck park and head further up the North Shore for less of a line.

EXPLORE

Big Island

• Find Lava Flows at Volcano National Park: Though we opted not to do the full day trip (I’ve been previously), Volcano National Park is absolutely something to see where you can find real lava flows, learn about the history of the island, and explore nature.
  
  

• Take a Step Back In Time at Petroglyph Field: Right around the corner and a little hike away, Nick and I were treated to 16th century petroglyphs that are clustered near historic land boundaries. It was so cool to see and learn about the history of the island more.
  
  

• Try Some Vanilla at the Vanillerie: We stopped by the vanilla farm on our way to the airport and the smell was absolutely intoxicating. It was such a blast to see how they grew vanilla beans, walk through the store, and hang out in a beautiful setting. If you’re a coffee drinker, definitely grab some coffee grounds which are voted #1 on the island.
  
  

• Take In The Waves at Kalihi Point: We wanted to go to the seahorse farm (I’m not even kidding) but it was closed so instead we headed toward the beach and found this great spot filled with tide pools and beautiful views. It’s right by the airport so a great stop before you hop on your flight.
  
  

Oahu

• Grab Some Coconut Peanut Butter at North Shore Goodies: Yes, this is the peanut butter every model is obsessed with and their shipping is so expensive I almost screamed with happiness when I found out they were a 15 minute drive from our airbnb. Worth checking a bag for all the treats they have.
  
  

• Get Dinner and a Show at The Polynesian Cultural Center: This place is kind of like Hawaii Disney world. We had a traditional Hawaiian meal then shopped around and were treated to an amazing show about the different Polynesian cultures’ traditions. One ticket is good for a 3 day pass to explore all the cultural events they have to offer.
  
  

• Step Into Jurassic Park at Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden: We stopped here on our drive back from the North Shore to Honolulu and it was so interesting! It basically looks like Jurassic Park, feels like you’re walking through a jungle, and there’s lots of interesting trees and plants like cocoa, a lipstick plant, cannabis and more.
  
  

• Take a Hike Above Lanikai Beach: We were too tired to do this but the Pillbox Hike is a favorite of many on the North Shore with beautiful ocean views and the opportunity to hang on Lanikai, a gorgeous white sand beach. Goop recommends it so it has to be good.
  
  

• Check out the Surfers Tackling The Big Waves: The North Shore is known for its huge waves and as a spot where the pro league’s discover their next surfing stars. There’s a bunch of spots along the North Shore to pull off and watch the amazing talent to ride the waves (I say this after Nick and I nearly puked after just 20 minutes in waves 1/4 of the size we saw these surfers riding).
  
  

Have you been to either of these islands? What are your recommendations?