25 Hawaii Travel Tips for Aussies
Hawaii Travel Tips from Aussies
1. Keep small notes in your wallet for tips — Davina, Geelong
2. Bring or buy a cheap poncho and carry it with you, because it can rain (heavily) at any time. — Garry, Sydney
3. Travel light. Anything you need you can buy there. Also don’t bother bringing makeup – it’ll just fall off your face the first time you go outside. — Eley, Perth
4. When you get to your hotel, familiarise yourself with the evacuation plan, tsunami warning sirens can go off at any time. Most of the time it’s a test (on the 1st of every month) but you can never be too prepared. — Davina, Geelong
5. Have a Gmail account or similar and scan/copy/photograph everything and email to that, that way if something goes wrong, you can access copies of your document etc from anywhere that has internet access. And ditch your fancy/bulky handbag. Buy a cross body travel handbag, one with RFID tech and just take that. — Lenni, Melbourne
6. Check out an ABC store when you arrive. You’ll be surprised what a great range and variety of goods they stock great place for snacks and drinks. — Danny, Sydney
7. When you go out to the Waikele outlets, take a suitcase with you if you plan on doing a lot of shopping. It’s so much easier to pack it into a suitcase and wheel it behind it. — Davina, Perth
8. Get the free app “maps.me," and if you download the map of where you are whilst you have internet, later, even without internet, you can use it as you would use Apple maps or Google maps, but need no data or Wi-Fi. — Lenni, Melbourne
9. When you pull up at airport to leave, look for the guys with the red Hawaiian shirts on, they are porters. $5 they take your cases and do all your check in, throw it on the conveyor belt (without weighing it in case your over weight, then hand over your boarding passes and guide you to the fast lane so no cues or stuffing around. It’s the best $5 I’ve spent in Hawaii. — Rina, Perth
10. Stock up on your vitamins and other supplements while in Hawaii, either at Walgreens or at Walmart. They’re 1/3 the cost in Australia. — Joanna, Brisbane
11. Don’t hire a car seat, instead buy cheap ones at Walmart (if hiring for more than one day works out cheaper.) — Renee, Sydney
12. Either leave or take home whatever your luggage allowance. — Renee, Sydney
13. Don’t take personal belongings or bags to the beach, unless you are going to stay with them on the sand. — Bronwyn, Melbourne
14. When you go to Macy’s, pop into guest services and pick up your International Discount Card. You can get 10% off certain things. — Davina, Perth
15. Buy travel insurance as soon as you book your flights. It means you are covered from that moment, until you arrive back into Australia. If something happens between when you book & your trip you are generally covered. Ask your insurance before you book. — Catherine, Sydney
16. If you travel often, it’s worth looking at a yearly policy because it works out cheaper. My current one which I got via my health insurance company was around $450 a year and that covers me worldwide. I’ve already used it for 4 cruises, a trip to the USA, and a trip to Singapore. — Joanne, Brisbane
17. If you want to take our larger amounts of cash, you can go into any local bank. You just need ID. It will only cost $10, rather than having to take $200 a time from the ATM & get changed ridiculous a amount. — Lee, Sydney
18. Stay at condo apartments with a full kitchen and shop at Safeway or Walmart keeps the holiday cheaper. — Lisa, Sydney
19. Take ice bricks with you. Take reusable bags Hawaii is going plastic free. Shop at the farmers markets for produce. — Lisa, Sydney
20. Sign up to Groupon and Living Social a few months out. We booked a circle island tour this way, so cheap and it was great! Also check if your resort fee in hotel includes Waikiki trolley. We did a full day sightseeing all for free (I'olani Palace, Diamond Head, KCC markets, Kahala mall). — Kristen, Adelaide
21. Pack a clothes line, some pegs, and a laundry peg holder. Take along a bar of soap, wash your bathers and clothes each night and hang outside to dry. You only need to pack 3 sets of clothes… more space for shopping! — Cindy, Perth
22. If you’re a member of the Australian Armed Services, many of the hotels may offer a discount for being part of the Defense Force & also some of the car rental companies may offer the same.
23. Keep in mind the number of days you have and organise balance. Make sure you get a mix of beach, nature, shopping, nightlife. — Habibi & Kim, Sydney
24. Pick three things you really want to do and make time to do them. If you try to do everything you’ll get overwhelmed. — Habibi & Kim, Sydney
25. During planning, make sure to leave space for random adventure. Don’t over plan. — Habibi & Kim, Sydney
You can find more tips in the Facebook Group: Aussie's Guide to Hawaii.