Hawaii travel mistakes to avoid

To begin your Hawaiian vacation with the right foot or slide, we have compiled a list of Hawaiian travel mistakes to avoid. After reading ours, please add your comments in the comments. And let us know what you like most. There are about 30 to choose from.

1. Unless you get up here, speaking English will raise your eyebrows. The Hawaiian Creole is similar to English but different. They grew up in the islands and can be heard on playgrounds and neighborhood conversations.

2. Disturbing tortoises and seals. Volunteers try to patrol the area around turtles and monasteries. If the cords are not there, remember by law you have to wait at least 50 feet. It is recommended that both be within 10 feet of the ocean you see.

3. Remove stones, coral or sand. In addition to Hawaiian traditional beliefs, there are state laws that prohibit the use of coral and sand. Taking the Lava Rock is related to the goddess Pelé. So getting rid of it is disgusting to many. And never take a stone from Haia (Hawaiian temples). The pile of rocks is also a misdemeanor and an abomination to the people of Hawaii.

4. Forget to explore beyond the beach. For example, staying in Wakiki and not visiting the rest of Oahu, including North Shore, Pearl Harbor, and cultural sites such as Iolani Palace.

5. Lack of Hawaii’s many unique food options. Stop at the farmers markets. Buy invisible food on the main floor. Enjoy Hawaiian restaurants, including a growing number of food trucks. And don’t miss out on the poke, ice skating, and scrubbing.

6. Sunburn. The Hawaiian sun is stronger than you think. On a cloudy day, you may even experience a sunset. Hawaii state law requires the use of reef-safe sunscreen.

7. Cheap pricing. Please be generous to our overworked hospitality staff, many of whom still work up to three jobs here.

8. Putting shoes in someone’s house. Take your shoes off the door and relax. Be sure to wipe the sand off your feet or socks before entering.

9. Plan faster than our island can handle. Use Google Maps to see how long it takes to drive between A and B before you leave.

10. Leaving things in sight, in your rental car. This is a security issue. Move things to your trunk before you leave.

11. Rotate fast, turn or tap your horn. Here in Kawai, for example, that two-lane road is a highway, not a country road.

12. Jaywalking. Go to the intersection instead because drivers are not waiting for you in the middle of the road.

13. Ignore the dangers in the ocean. For starters, please do not swim alone or snore or save lives. The ocean is stronger than you think. When in doubt, do not go out.

14. Not planning in advance.

15. Spending a lot of money. Check out today’s post about resort fees and taxes that can add up to 50% to your account.

16. Do not re-check your travel and booking. In today’s world, make sure your flights are still working and that the schedule does not change. This may not have happened to you, but it has BOH editors. In the past, both of us have been seen for both car rentals and on other occasions hotel and we missed the exact entry date when we made reservations.

To make matters worse, in a recent adventure, your editors received a call from Hawaiian Airlines. The flight (from Sydney to Honolulu) has been rescheduled. When we checked, we suddenly realized that this was a very lucky thing. Our first flight was not on the day we planned to fly. If it weren’t for chance, we would have to pay a very high price for it. If not, we will miss the flight completely.

17. Packaging manuals. These are still useful, although much less so in print. Use your smartphone or tablet instead. See also your local library for free Hawaii travel guide downloads. Our personal favorite Hawaiian guidebook, Hawaii Revealed, is available as an app or e-book.

18. Over-packing and forgetting important things.

Make sure your phone is ready for those great Hawaiian beach photos and videos. Bring the electronics you need for your laptop, cell phone and camera. We don’t travel much without our mobile chargers. Choose one that is small and easy to carry.

Seal the light. It’s Hawaii and we’re here. Most of our hotels and most vacation rentals have laundry facilities on site. Shop in Hawaii for reef walks, sunscreen, snorkel gear and more.

19. Improving trust in travel reviews.

What a difficult subject. We cannot live without them, but we simply cannot trust the way we once were. We continue to believe that success or failure is partly based on reviews, perhaps up to half of travel reviews are funded.

We are using every source we find to view reviews on three sides (Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Booking, etc.) on Beit Hawaii and always remember that a significant percentage of reviews are fake. Have you tried using FakeSpot? We use it with mixed results. Looks like it helps to get fake reviews. In each review, we try to filter the waste to find gems. There is a great risk for us to assume that hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions will always leave reviews by chance.

20. Search only for “budget” hotels.

Before you go on a “budget style” (that’s a joke), check out the latest hotel deals. Sometimes better hotels are slightly larger than 2-star clinker overnight. And the percentage of hidden payments is low. We also try to deal directly with hotels and the broker for occasional reasons for avoiding payment. Another highly recommended option is Hawaii Vacation Rentals from Erbinby and Professional Vacation Rental Management Companies.

21. Forget about re-checking car, air and hotel prices. Make sure prices do not change from booking to travel time. As a result, it may be possible to get an airline loan or otherwise improve the price. It takes a little time but can be good value. One day before the trip, we saved 50% by re-renting a car.

22. Booking hotels free of charge, out of season more than 90 days in advance.

The best deals on hotels are almost always available during the three months before departure, except during the holidays and summer. Discounts may be even better in the last 30 days. Within 90 days, hotels will be reviewing their pricing model with a number of fixed bookings. At that time, you can make improvements or use distribution tools (online travel agencies) to avoid overcrowding.

23. Not checking terms and conditions, auxiliary fees and not carefully reviewing the rental car.

You need to read and understand the contract before paying for airline tickets, car rentals, hotels or any other travel. Includes cancellation instructions as those continue to change.

To avoid shock on your trip, be sure to consider checked luggage fees, entertainment charges, parking, taxes, etc.

Before driving a rented car, inspect it carefully and note any damage you may see. Do not forget to do this even if you are tired of flying. Let everyone understand. PS: Check the gas.

24. Skip an island short or worth a vacation.

Assume that you will lose at least 4 hours from your trip to change islands. If you are new to Hawaii and / or want to see most of the islands, a week’s NCL Hawaii cruise may be best. Another option is to stay on Maui and visit two islands with a fast and fun boat to Lanai.

25. Overload your journey with many things and activities. It is, of course, Hawaii. We were with visitors who went straight from one activity to another without having time to relax, unwind, and admire.

26. Not checking both parking fees and resort fees. These are big. We use that research as part of a basic landing test.

27. Rent a car for every trip to Oahu. In Wakiki, for example, this can eliminate parking fees, and only make your vacation easier. Try renting in the city instead of the airport.

28. Don’t plan which island best suits your vacation. All the islands are great, but they are also very different. Waiting for night life to come to Kawai, for example, can get you in trouble. Also, make sure you understand where the activities you are looking for are. Did you know that some people mistakenly think that Big Island (Hawaiian Island) is Oahu / Honolulu?

29. Arrive on high travel time when you have other options. Offers better deals and less crowded beaches.

30. Not renting a car, especially on neighboring islands. Otherwise you will have to use a bus, which will save you money but will consume your time.

31. Violation of personal property or ignoring warning signs. Be careful here. Disrespect for personal property can put you in trouble during your Hawaii vacation, or worse.