Aloha!
I was fortunate enough to spend a week on the beautiful
beach of Waikiki on the island of Oahu. Let me just say it was AMAZING!!! I’ve
always felt like Hawaii was a place I’d like to go but not on the top of my
list. I live in So Cal and have my whole life. What the big deal??? I’m dumb.
Hawaii is the shit. Even though its in the U.S. its like a different
world. Unlike the beaches I’m use to
Waikiki is clean. No candy wrappers and
condoms to get stuck to the bottom of your flip flop. The water is the most
beautiful deep blue and WARM.
|
Watched my mom get lei'd |
One major complaint I always hear was how expensive
everything on the island is. Again, I live in California. Can anyplace be more
expensive??? I was still concerned that I would need to save up for spending
money so I knew I didn’t want to blow the bank on a flight or hotel.
First thing I did was sign up for a airfarewatchdog.com This
site is cool. It tracks flight prices and factors in past flight price history
and alerts you when you purchase your flight. The site couldn’t be more on
point. The average round trip cost for a
coach flight was about $500. We almost caved and bought a weekend special for
$349. I follow the site and I waited. Then BAM the price dropped to $225.
SCORE!!!! My mom and her friend were also going on the trip so she covered the
room cost by using her timeshare.
|
Me & Catherine |
Next, what would we do in Hawaii? While searching different
travel websites and yelp I came up with a list of things I wanted to do while
on the trip. I also requested everyone else send me their list. We all pretty much listed the same things:
- Hike Diamond Head
- Eat Shaved Ice
- Go to a Luau
- North Shore
- Go out in a boat
- Get Lei’d
- Snorkel with the Sea Turtles
- Sanrio (Hello Kitty) Café
- Helicopter Ride
- Rent Scooters
|
Day 1 in Hawaii and Catherine already blends in. Can you see that turtle? |
While I was searching for discount travel deals I found out
about the GO Card. The GO Card is and
all-inclusive attraction pass. Once I researched it we could do most of the
things we had planned by using the card. Even better I discovered that
Costco.com sold the card at an even better discount. We decided to purchase the
3 day card and I began to make the reservations. Some days we had 2 activities
booked. Once it was all said and done we saved about $300 each by using the GO Card. We did everything from our list except for the helicopter ride. We spent
the other 4 days exploring and relaxing on the beach.
It was a wonderful trip. The weather was perfect. My tan was
on point. The food at Zippy’s was my favorite and I gained 5lbs from our daily "samplings" from the Honolulu Cookie Co. My best friend/travel partner loved it so much she went back for her
wedding. Can’t wait to go back to the friendly locals and perfect temperature.
Anyone else enjoy Hawaii and much as I did?
Here's the rundown of everything we did and LOVED
Using the Go Card:
|
Me and the Captain :) |
Diamond Head Hike
|
Too sweaty for a full face selfie |
All Day Bus Voucher
Scooter Rental
Other must see/do while in Oahu:
ABC Stores (a little bit of everything without breaking the bank)
Buy a inflatable raft and spend an afternoon floating in the warm Waikiki water
People watch while riding the trolley
Beware: Ladies don't go out walking on Kuhio or Kalakaua Ave dressed too revealing or you might get get mistaken for a working girl. We got a few whistles.
XOXO