We started the day with a car rented through Turo. This was my first experience with the app and I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient it was, more on that later. The morning called for donuts, so we randomly picked a spot closest to the hotel, Purve’. Awesome original donuts, we were not disappointed!

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We then headed out to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. After a brief video about conservation, we were sent down a steep hill and out to a beautiful beach and aqua water. Unfortunately, it was very windy and the water was cloudy so it was not the best snorkeling conditions; and Susan and I could not seem to get our acts together! I managed to lose my mask and snorkel trying to get my fins off (who does that!) and neither of us could get the masks to stop fogging up (we later figured out we were using the defogger stuff wrong)! The area is teeming with sea life, which was very cool, but after two hours of battling the undertow and surf, we decided we had enough and headed up the East (Windward) side of Oahu towards our final destination of the day, the Polynesian Culture Center.

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As we headed North along the coast, there were a number of scenic stops that did not disappoint.

Our first stop was Halona Blowhole. The ocean has undercut the lava here and there and cut a hole in the top. Furing high tide, water will shoot through the hole…hence the name blowhole. We got a few glimpses of water shooting up but nothing spectacular, but a beautiful area to see.

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Our next stop was Makapu’u Beach Park. Another beautiful area with breathtaking views.

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There are many other options for beach stops along the way, but we were on a time schedule so did not stop at all of the lookouts. After driving through several little towns, we decided to make a stop at Kualoa Beach Park. This is a popular spot with the locals. Here you can see Chinaman’s Hat Island. Across the street from the park is Kualoa Ranch. This is where such films as Jurassic Park, Lost, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. There are also other activities available to guests such as horseback and ATV tours. It was not on our agenda for this trip, but definitely a spot I would like to see more of on a return trip.

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After a two hour drive (with stops), we arrived to our final destination of the day, the Polynesian Cultural Center in La’ie. The center was opened by Brigham Young University as a place for students to work and earn room and board. Today, 80% of the employees are BYU students. The center is a living museum giving visitors an up close look into the 8 villages that make up Polynesia. It is an interesting place. It also offers a luau and nightly show. The center does not open until noon, so it gives visitors driving there time to sight see along the way. It was very hot the day we visited and everything is outside, there is very little relief from the heat so be aware that if you visit, sunscreen and cool clothes are a must. A great place to visit in the fall and winter, not so much in August when Hawaii is having record temperatures in the 90’s. By the time the luau started, I was tired of sweating, tired of being in the heat, and just plain tired. We had a little over an hour drive home, so we did not see the show but have heard great things about it. It is not cheap, but if you are looking for a luau with good food and interested in the history of Polynesia, this place has it all.

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And so ends day two of our Oahu adventures.

There was a time when I thought I can never afford to travel. Hawaii is too expensive. I cannot afford to visit paradise. Then…..Southwest answered with service to Hawaii, Hilton answered with special rates and my travel partner this trip answered with, yes…we must do it! So…..here I am! Four day sin Oahu! Enough time, definitely not but I am here, I will make the most of the four days and it will be amazing!

The first sight after 5 hours in the air was Maui and Oahu. What amazed me was the beauty of the water, even from above! We were lucky enough to arrive early and get a tour of the island from above.

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We landed in Oahu at 11:00 AM. We took a Speedi Shuttle to the Hilton Waikiki Hawaiian Village, we checked our bags and we hit the ground running. I paid the extra to have a lei greeting….yes, Susan loved it. How can you land in Hawaii and not leave the airport without a lei!

We proceeded to….Chinatown. Probably not the first destination for the average person landing in Hawaii, but I knew I wanted to check it out…..and yes, for the most part, not worth the trouble. The market was basically four stalls, I envisioned a much larger place. However, we hit The Pig and the Lady, a Vietnamese restaurant and it was amazing!!! I had a Strawberry and Balsamic Shrub. It is basically a drink that combines fruit, sugar and vinegar. It was surpisingly good. The pork belly Banh Mi sandwich was also absolutely amazing!!! Fun fact….we asked about the story behind the Cafe du Monde cans….the coffee is very popular among the Vietnamese!

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After lunch we checked out Cindy’s Lei and Flower Shop. I was hoping to catch the employees making leis, no such luck. We picked up dragon fruit and candy apple bananas, then headed back to the hotel. I can’t say that Chinatown is a must see but the restaurant was worth the trip!

Upon arriving to the room, the air conditioning sounded like a twin engine plane about to take off….no bueno!! One call to the front office, and maintenance arrived, changed the filter and sweet silence. Shout out to Hilton for taking care of the issue so quickly!

We then put on our swimsuits and headed out to the pool. The hotel has four pools, one of which was over run by children, one that was closed and two that we never ventured to find. We found the ocean to be the better bet! We quickly met a couple from New York that we spoke with while floating in the ocean. What a relaxing way to spend an hour! The water around Waikiki is cloudy so snorkeling did not appear to be a great option right off the shore. But floating and relaxing…definitely!

After a quick wardrobe change, it was time for dinner. We decided to stay close as Friday nights are fireworks at the Hilton. We decided on Tropics Bar and Grill as it was in the hotel and on the beach. The food was amazing and the drinks delicious! Mai tai’s all around…we are in Hawaii after all!

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We ended the night with fireworks….five minutes of fireworks but a great show all the same. We had a little rain and a few hiccups the first day, but overall a great first day in Hawaii!

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Let me give you a little background about myself. I work in education, so I by no means make a lot of money. I work all kinds of odd jobs to pay for my travel obsession. I tell people all the time, my main job pays my bills; my odd jobs pay for what makes me happiest, travelling.

So, when my travel plans go horribly wrong (which, thankfully, is extremely rare), I am absolutely devastated. I work very hard for the money I use to travel and when a company takes my money and does not follow through, I make sure I learn lessons from the experience and then never use those companies again.

It has taken me awhile to get to the point to put this down in writing, as I have tried for weeks to work with these companies to no avail.

The first company is Norwegian Cruise Lines. Don’t be fooled by the lure of the free/reduced air they offer. Norwegian views booking air through them as a courtesy and takes absolutely no responsibility when the airline they book through cancels or delays flights. They are quick to push blame on the airlines. When trying to fly in a day early, Norwegian will only change the flight IF you stay in the hotel they tell you to stay in, which is always extremely expensive.

If you purchase insurance through the company, read the policy line by line. Canceled flights do not qualify for a full refund, merely a 75% future cruise credit. You are better off purchasing through a 3rd party insurance company if air is involved.

Norwegian has the absolute worst customer service department of any company I have ever dealt with, ever! They were of absolutely no help when we were trying to get to the ship. Quite simply, they do not care.

The second company is American Airlines. Now, I personally never use them when flying, but Norwegian booked them as the “only airline option out of Houston”. They too are the most incompetent airline I have ever dealt with. So, as you have guessed…the worst cruise line partnered with the worst airline could only lead to one thing….disaster!

Here are a few things I would suggest when travelling:

1. If you are cruising, fly in the day before. If you do not like the terms that are offered through the cruise line, book your own air.
2. Use a third party insurance company when air is involved.
3. Always carry extra clothes on the plane, you never know when you will see your luggage if your flight is canceled or you miss your connection.
4. Don’t expect companies to do the right thing if anything happens to your vacation plans. Expect to spend many hours fighting for what is rightfully yours.
5. If you are cruising within the US (Alaska, Hawaii, the East Coast), read up on the Jones Act!
6. Know that there are some things that happen that you could never have anticipated, even with the best laid plans. I hope that none of you have to fall back on this one!
7. Never give up on travel. The experiences and wisdom you learn through travel far outweigh not travelling at all!

Now, with that said, I did not stop travelling. I booked another cruise, with another cruise line, and a month later had a fabulous trip! I will be sharing that adventure with you shortly!

I am not a minimalist when it comes to packing but I have tried over the years to become a more organized packer. Trying to decide what to pack is always the hardest part for me! Obviously, where I am going and what I have planned there is a big influence, but what about those unplanned events that require another outfit? You have to be ready for anything, am I right?

So, now I take one outfit per day, an extra outfit for a day that I don’t want to wear what I brought for that day, and a few extra shirts because who knows when the mood for something else hits, or I spill my lunch all down the front of my shirt! I also pack a few extra socks…I hate wet socks! And a couple extra pair of underwear, because, well…I am getting older and who knows when I will pee on myself from laughing too hard or, honestly, standing!

Once I have laid everything out on the bed, I start to organize, putting a shirt with each pair of pants.

Then, I put two pairs of underwear and a pair of socks with each outfit. I may or may not need it all for the day, but it is all together in one neat package. Then, I roll the outfit all together into a burrito. I would much prefer to have the shirt on the outside, because that is really how I pick what I am going to wear each day, but it rolls much easier with the pants on the outside. Try to leave a little of the shirt in sight so you don’t have to unroll every burrito when you arrive at your destination.

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Then, line them up by day and you are good to go!

Something else I have fallen in love with are packing cubes! I put my shoes, toiletries and extra outfits in them. They are also great for those clothes that get especially dirty while on vacation (remember the reasons I bring extras!). Stack them on top of the rolls or on one end of the suitcase and you are ready to go!

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I am now ready for my next adventure….Alaska, here I come!!