{"id":858,"date":"2012-02-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-29T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/2012\/02\/29\/planning-a-trip-to-hawaii-read-this-first\/"},"modified":"2023-07-21T08:44:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T18:44:52","slug":"planning-a-trip-to-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/planning-a-trip-to-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning A Trip To Hawaii? Read This First!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you\u2019re the type of traveler who plots every detail of every hour of every journey. Or maybe you\u2019re a free spirit who prefers to let the unknown road unfurl before you! No matter how you approach travel planning, here are some tips designed to help you get the most out of your Hawaiian vacation.<\/p>\n

Schedule a few extra days for your Hawaiian adventure<\/h2>\n

Try to stay a bit longer! Why? Let\u2019s say you\u2019re planning a one-week visit. Upon your arrival, you might need a day or two to recover from jet lag and adjust to the time difference. A day or two for jet lag recovery, a couple more for serious relaxation, and by the time you\u2019re ready to play, you\u2019re boarding the plane for the trip back home! If at all possible, schedule a few extra days for your Hawaiian adventure. You\u2019ll be glad you did!<\/p>\n

Learn about the Hawaiian Islands and geography pre-arrival<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s helpful to learn the names of each of the major islands and a bit about each island\u2019s geography and attractions before arriving. Directions in Hawaii are explained in terms of the leeward<\/em> side of each island (generally the south or west coast) and the windward<\/em> side (generally the north or east coast). If you ask for directions and are told to walk or drive mauka, <\/em>you\u2019ll want to head toward the mountains; if you\u2019re told to go makai<\/em>, head toward the ocean.<\/p>\n

Book and plan in advance<\/h2>\n

Make a local friend or social connection before<\/em>you arrive. Oahu is served by social and activity sites like 101ThingstoDo.com<\/a>. And don’t forget to take advantage of Hawaii.com’s travel deals<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Get a feel for the island community<\/h2>\n

Subscribe to an island newspaper for a month or two before your vacation, so you can get a feel for island arts, culture and politics. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser<\/a>, for example, can be found on newsstands as well as online.<\/p>\n

Connect with the locals<\/h2>\n

What sort of activities do you enjoy at home? There\u2019s probably a group of people in Hawaii who enjoy the same thing! With a bit of research, you can connect with island societies and clubs devoted to a huge variety of interests, such as hiking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do your research<\/h2>\n

Even if you\u2019re a non-planner, it\u2019s a good idea to research some activities before you travel. Some things in Hawaii \u2014 whale-watching and big surf, for example \u2014 are seasonal, and you\u2019ll need to schedule your trip accordingly if you want to experience them. A bit of planning can also ensure you don\u2019t miss certain year-round activities. You don\u2019t want to arrive at the USS Arizona Memorial<\/a> at Pearl Harbor<\/a>, for example, only to find a long queue at the entrance\u2014or worse, to hear that no tickets are available for the day. Avoid disappointment by reserving your tickets in advance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No matter how you approach travel planning, here are some tips designed to help you get the most out of your Hawaiian vacation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":3058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visiting-hawaii"],"yoast_head":"\nPlanning A Trip To Hawaii? | Hawaii.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No matter how you approach travel planning, here are some tips designed to help you get the most out of your Hawaiian vacation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/planning-a-trip-to-hawaii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Planning A Trip To Hawaii? 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