Hawaiian Dreams
My Husband and I visited this little corner of heaven on earth in 2017 for our honeymoon, perhaps that is part of the reason I would pick it as my favourite. Staying just over two weeks, we had the time of our lives exploring these beautiful islands!
Starting in North Shore Oahu in the absolutely incredible Turtle Bay Resort, we spent our time relaxing on the hotels private beaches, canoeing around the area and horse riding, amongst many other activities this stunning resort offered. The hotel is absolutely perfect for everyone – families, couples, old, young – no one will be bored here! There are so many activities to keep guests occupied, while also having the most stunning beach and pool facilities to just laze about also. Watching the sunrise from our hotel room each morning was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen.
On a drive around the area one day we stumbled upon our absolute favourite place of the trip – the Polynesian Cultural Centre. This was the highlight of our whole trip, and still to this day one of our favourite places ever. Showcasing the different cultures of each of the Polynesian islands, a traditional Luah with the most extraordinary buffet and entertainment at night, it was out of this world - a definite must if you visit Hawaii!!
We then moved on to the world famous Waikiki beach, staying in the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort. Sipping cocktails in the sun in one of the many beachside bars (my favourite thing to do), extraordinary cuisine, shopping to you drop and sunset catamaran cruises, Honolulu was unforgettable (although we maybe won’t talk about the sea sickness on the cruise!)
We also visited the site of Pearl Harbour, a place of such monumental historic importance. Exploring somewhere with such significance and learning about the devastation that took place there was of course emotional, but also so interesting, and to be able to say I have been there is pretty special.
As a massive foodie, eating is always a huge part of my trip! Our favourite meal while there had to be in the Tanaka of Tokyo restaurant, a live Japanese cooking experience – I call it an experience because that is exactly what it was, not just a meal! The talent of these chefs – cooking and entertaining – is something everyone needs to see! We laugh about this meal because we were the only people sat around the large sharing table that had to ask for cutlery - note to self we need to learn how to use chopsticks!!!!
Something everyone must also try when in Hawaii is the little shrimp trucks dotted all around the islands, selling simple, local cuisine – they are extraordinary!!! I’m not a fish lover but my husband is and said the shrimp was amazing! I opted for the katsu chicken and wow, I’m drooling just thinking about it!!
When planning our trip to Hawaii I was very undecided about which second island to visit. I mean I would have loved to visit more than two, but we just didn’t have the time, and we didn’t want to rush it. I would definitely recommend 3-4 days at least in each place - we did five at each of our three hotels and it was perfect. So, after much deliberation I finally settled on Kauai, and I am so glad I did!
The lush scenery on this island is incredible, so different to Oahu but equally as beautiful. We stayed in the fabulous Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, and from the moment we walked in greeted with a welcome drink and a gorgeous traditional lei, we knew we would settle in here very quickly!! After the more fast-paced city life in Waikiki, we were ready to chill for the rest of the holiday and this was the place to do it! Gorgeous rooms, stunning grounds, plenty of pools and more importantly – lots of cocktails (do you see a pattern here).
While here we did do one activity; a private doors-off helicopter tour of the island, souring over cliffs and gazing at countless water falls – it was incredible! Despite my best advice, my husband decided not to take a jacket with him, and boy did he regret it! So, my one tip would be make sure you wrap up if doing this tour, you don’t want to end up sick for the next few days of your holiday like someone else did!
After a phenomenal 16 nights, we set off for home on the long 22-hour journey, well 25 if you count the drive home from the airport a the other side - but it was worth every single minute of it! We experienced the most perfect, beautiful, Hawaiian honeymoon of dreams and couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Let me know your favourite trip of all time in the comments :)