“Aloha!” …but please, make sure to stretch that “haaaaaaaa,” because “ha” stands for “the breath of life,” and that emphasis is incredibly important to the people of Hawaii. It’s all about the connection to nature. Oh, and by the way, the syllable “alo” means “in the presence of,” so “Aloha” as a whole translates to “in the presence of (divine) life.”

In everyday use, though, “Aloha” is often just a casual way to say “Hey there, welcome, or goodbye!” So, with that in mind — Aloha, my friends! — and welcome to my report on the experiences I had in Hawaii and the tips I can share with you in case you’re planning your own island adventure.

Now, one common mistake (and yes, I’m guilty of it too!) is saying, “I’m on Hawaii!” You might be wondering — why is that a mistake? Easy: “Hawaii” is not a single island, but an archipelago — a chain of islands about 5,000 kilometers away from the mainland, floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s made up of around 120 islands and has been the 50th U.S. state since 1959.

The islands I visited on my trip were O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Big Island, and Maui. I’ll do my best to introduce each of these four islands to you in my own unique way — sharing the places we explored and pointing out what you should pay special attention to.

 

How do you get to Hawaii?

But first things first: how do you actually get to Hawaii? I once made myself a promise – if I ever found a really cheap flight, I’d finally make my dream of Hawaii come true. And in May 2017, that moment arrived. Following the motto “Don’t just search for cheap flights in your own city – check nearby countries too,” I stumbled upon an amazing flight deal from Amsterdam. Including credit card fees, this round-trip flight would cost me only €499. Unreal! Without knowing who would join me or how the trip would even look, I booked the flight on the spot. The foundation for my dream trip was laid.

Of course, you can also choose the more comfortable option if you’re willing to pay significantly more. I could’ve flown from Düsseldorf, but that would’ve easily doubled the price.

The trip to Hawaii is a long journey no matter how you slice it. If you’re paying top dollar, you’ll likely have just one stopover in the U.S., like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Since I had gone for the budget-friendly route, the journey was a bit more… creative. The night before, I took the ICE train from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam and stayed at a cheap hotel near Schiphol Airport. The next morning, I flew with British Airways to London, then took an Air Canada flight to Vancouver. The final leg was about five more hours with Air Canada’s low-cost airline, Rouge – a kind of Canadian Ryanair – to Honolulu. We landed exhausted at just after 10 p.m. local time. We were now 11 hours behind Germany and quite literally on the other side of the world. While it was 10 p.m. Thursday in Honolulu, it was already 9 a.m. Friday in Germany. Pretty wild.

Tip: Fly smart – here’s how to find cheap tickets and avoid rookie mistakes when booking!

Entry into the U.S. in Vancouver – How crazy is that?

Normally, we would’ve had to go through passport control and the whole entry procedure upon landing – but we already did all that in Vancouver. Sounds weird, but that’s how it went down. In Canada, at Vancouver Airport, we went through U.S. customs and border control. I actually thought it was pretty cool, because it made our arrival in Honolulu feel like a domestic flight. We were able to head straight to the baggage claim without the usual wait at immigration. That’s what I had experienced before on the U.S. mainland too. But this time, it had already been part of the journey and barely registered as a big deal during the transfer in Canada.

What’s the weather like in Hawaii?

Let me tell you – the climate in Hawaii is amazing all year round. It’s always warm. When we arrived in Honolulu around 10:30 p.m., we were welcomed by a pleasant 23°C. Just a few hours earlier in Vancouver, it had been snowing at the airport – and now, just five hours later, we were in a tropical paradise. Year-round, Hawaii temperatures range from 19°C to 33°C, so people here simply aren’t used to the cold. And I had already had enough of that cold when I left Amsterdam. Sure, there are other warm places in the world at this time of year, like Asia. But Hawaii had a huge advantage over all my trips to Asia: no oppressive humidity or sticky air. Thanks to its unique location – like a speck in the middle of the Pacific – Hawaii enjoys steady trade winds that blow across the islands and create a consistently pleasant breeze. It couldn’t get any better than that.

 

 

What’s the weather like in Hawaii?

It’s always pleasantly warm, but not necessarily dry on the islands. Generally speaking, the western sides of the islands are drier than the eastern sides. This phenomenon is largely due to the trade winds and, of course, the lush green mountains that shape the landscapes of all the islands and often catch the clouds.

During my three-week trip, I experienced this weather phenomenon quite a lot. It really depended on where exactly we were on the islands and at what time of day. For instance, on Kaua’i and Maui, we usually had the best weather in the mornings – blue skies, heat, and sunshine – but by the afternoon, clouds rolled in and it often started to rain. Or on Big Island, in Hilo on the northeastern side, we had three straight days of rain. But once we drove just 30–50 kilometers away from the city, the skies cleared and the sun came out.

You definitely need to expect and plan for these changing weather conditions, especially when booking activities or tours in advance. In my case, three tours unfortunately had to be canceled due to bad weather.


What’s the best way to travel between the islands?

If you’re flying to Hawaii, don’t just stay on Oʻahu like many first-timers do – explore the other islands too. Trust me, it’s worth it. It would be a shame to come all the way to Hawaii and only visit one island. I visited not only Oʻahu, but also Kaua’i, Big Island, and Maui. Each of these islands has its own unique charm, and I’m so glad I got to see them all.

So how do you get from one island to another? Well, the bus is obviously not an option – these are islands, after all. The most practical way is via inter-island flights. I booked all of mine with Hawaiian Airlines, which, for the locals, is basically like taking a city bus.


What’s the best way to get around on the islands?

From personal experience, I always prefer renting a car when traveling in the U.S. Compared to Germany, rental prices are very reasonable – and if you book smart, even incredibly cheap. On the Hawaiian Islands, having a rental car is an absolute must, especially since public transportation is very limited, apart from a few bus lines on Oʻahu, Maui, and Kaua’i.

Since we flew with Hawaiian Airlines from island to island, we simply picked up a rental car from Alamo right at the airport and dropped it off there before the next flight. Super convenient.

A quick tip: always book your rental car in advance from Germany through sites like billiger-mietwagen.de, rentalcars.com, or sunnycars.de. It’s always worth comparing prices.


How do I navigate on the islands? What about GPS?

These days, it’s hard to imagine traveling somewhere unfamiliar without a GPS. It just makes you feel safer – and let’s face it, reading paper maps at night is no fun. Just note that Americans don’t call it a “Navi” – they simply say “GPS.”

There are a few ways to get one: the easiest is to rent one directly with your car, but this is also the most expensive option. You’ll typically pay around $10–$15 per day, which really adds up on a 3-week trip.

My recommendation: bring your own GPS from home. You can buy one in Germany, use it for the trip, and either sell it later or keep it for future adventures. I’ve always had a kind colleague who lent me his GPS for my U.S. trips. 😉

But since Hawaii, I’ve discovered my new favorite and by far the coolest GPS alternative: Google Maps offline maps. You simply download a selected area while you’re still connected to Wi-Fi at your hotel, and then you can navigate offline without using any mobile data. It’s free, always up to date, and the voice navigation works just as well as a stand-alone GPS device.


What should I know about beaches in Hawaii?

First of all, there are so many beaches across the Hawaiian islands – and most of them are absolutely stunning. And here’s the best part: all beaches in Hawaii are public – even those in front of hotels or private homes. There’s a state law that guarantees beach access to everyone, and beaches cannot be privately owned.

That means even hotels are required to provide public access paths to the shore. How awesome is that?! Just look out for signs that say “Beach Access” or “Shoreline Access.”

You’ll find my personal tips and recommendations for the beaches we visited in the individual reports for each island.


What should I know about prices in Hawaii?

One thing that frustrates me every single time: prices in the U.S. are always shown before tax – whether in supermarkets, on restaurant menus, or elsewhere. That means you always have to mentally add sales tax to the displayed prices.

Of course, each U.S. state has its own tax rate, but wouldn’t it be more transparent to just show the final price, including tax, wherever you are? Nobody I asked in Hawaii could tell me why this isn’t done. You only find out the total price at the checkout.

That’s something I definitely prefer about Germany – when something says €1.99, that’s exactly what you pay.


Here’s my personal island overview and experience highlights:

  • Oʻahu – Highlights: Honolulu, Waikiki, lots of Japanese tourists, North Shore, Stairway to Heaven hike

  • Kaua’i – Highlights: The island for nature lovers, helicopter flight, Nā Pali Coast Trail, Waimea Canyon, wild roosters

  • Big Island – Highlights: Hilo (rainy), waterfalls, lava, Green Sand Beach, Kona & Ironman

  • Maui – Highlights: Blowhole, sunrise on the volcano, whale watching

Here are some facts for the number nerds out there – or, as I like to call them, Facts for the Kids:

Hawaii is a chain of islands that attracts nearly 9 million visitors every year – that’s well over half a million tourists per month! The peak seasons are August and the time around Christmas.

In 2016, tourist distribution across the islands looked like this:

  • O‘ahu: 5,447,229

  • Maui: 2,634,237

  • Big Island: 1,549,943

  • Kaua‘i: 1,187,262

  • Lana‘i: 63,024

  • Moloka‘i: 58,932

Since Hawaii is basically the Mallorca of the Americans, it’s no surprise that the vast majority of visitors come from the U.S. mainland. But guess what? Germans love this island paradise too – just check out these 2016 stats:

  • USA: 5,556,918

  • Japan: 1,487,979

  • Canada: 469,314

  • Australia: 335,842

  • Korea: 257,189

  • China: 164,326

  • England: 53,165

  • Germany: 41,420

I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions about my little report!

Best wishes from Düsseldorf,
Yours truly,
Mister UniQue 🌍🌴