I live on Maui (west side). Is Unseen Sunscreen mineral based? If so you should add a note to your post that non mineral sunscreen is banned in Hawaii because it damages the reefs. Looks like you had a great spring break.
Our favorite days on Maui were the two Shaka Guide driving tours, North Shore and South Shore ($20/each tour) that we took to site see the island. Its a GPS tour guide that narrates a set drive but adjusts to your stops and gos (and skip sites). You can check it out on your phone for free (just download app). The Guide has expanded to other states and national parks, too. We did another one for Mt. Lemon in Arizona to see the fall colors, and it was good too
I would recommend the Revealed books (there’s an app free to download but anything useful is paid, and I just prefer a book). I bought the book for Kauai and read it before going on our trip fairly thoroughly. I found it helpful to have on hand in the car. It divides the island by north/south/east/west and then details highlights in each area. There’s separate sections for beaches, adventures, dining, etc, all with contact info, pricing, hours/months of operation, and practical tips (how knowledgeable the staff are, if locals like to eat somewhere, specific things to look for on a hike, etc). I found myself opening it when we had downtime to quickly remind myself of what else we could do in an area and that led us to seeing some places we might have otherwise missed.
You inspired me! We are going to London in the fall, and I have been searching for hotels using every guidebook I could get from the library, plus many travel sites with no luck finding one in our price range - about $325 per night with breakfast. Seeing your posts about Costco, I called them. They have terrific deals on hotels that include airport transfers. We may use Costco for the London hotel! Thank you for your insights and for sharing with us.
Sounds like an amazing trip! We went to Hawaii last week too (Big Island) and had the most incredible time. I have never thought of myself as a beach person, but with a three year old and a nine year old it’s hard to beat! We didn’t book through Costco, but we did drive to Costco in Kona to stock up our Air bnb, and wow, Costco really came through after some sticker shock at grocery prices in Safeway!
Looks like you had a wonderful trip!! My husband and I went on a belated honeymoon (originally planned for 2020) over Christmas to Oahu and Kauai and loved every second. If you don’t mind - what is the yellow around your waist in the snorkeling picture? I’m going to keep Costco in mind for booking future trips!
GREAT Q. I didn't pack hats for ages because I was worried about smashing them. But now I need them so! I stacked these two together, with the J.Crew one protecting the Janessa Leone one. Then I rolled up t-shirts and tanks to surround them with (and stuff inside) and made a little nest in my luggage. It worked really well!
I live on Maui (west side). Is Unseen Sunscreen mineral based? If so you should add a note to your post that non mineral sunscreen is banned in Hawaii because it damages the reefs. Looks like you had a great spring break.
Thank you for this reminder, Diane! I will update the post (also to add that the hotel offered approved sunscreen that we used for our bodies).
Our favorite days on Maui were the two Shaka Guide driving tours, North Shore and South Shore ($20/each tour) that we took to site see the island. Its a GPS tour guide that narrates a set drive but adjusts to your stops and gos (and skip sites). You can check it out on your phone for free (just download app). The Guide has expanded to other states and national parks, too. We did another one for Mt. Lemon in Arizona to see the fall colors, and it was good too
What a great tip, thank you!
I would recommend the Revealed books (there’s an app free to download but anything useful is paid, and I just prefer a book). I bought the book for Kauai and read it before going on our trip fairly thoroughly. I found it helpful to have on hand in the car. It divides the island by north/south/east/west and then details highlights in each area. There’s separate sections for beaches, adventures, dining, etc, all with contact info, pricing, hours/months of operation, and practical tips (how knowledgeable the staff are, if locals like to eat somewhere, specific things to look for on a hike, etc). I found myself opening it when we had downtime to quickly remind myself of what else we could do in an area and that led us to seeing some places we might have otherwise missed.
You inspired me! We are going to London in the fall, and I have been searching for hotels using every guidebook I could get from the library, plus many travel sites with no luck finding one in our price range - about $325 per night with breakfast. Seeing your posts about Costco, I called them. They have terrific deals on hotels that include airport transfers. We may use Costco for the London hotel! Thank you for your insights and for sharing with us.
Oh I'm so glad it's helpful, Frances! x
Sounds like an amazing trip! We went to Hawaii last week too (Big Island) and had the most incredible time. I have never thought of myself as a beach person, but with a three year old and a nine year old it’s hard to beat! We didn’t book through Costco, but we did drive to Costco in Kona to stock up our Air bnb, and wow, Costco really came through after some sticker shock at grocery prices in Safeway!
Matt and I got engaged on the Big Island! It's so beautiful!!
I had no idea you could do all that through Costco! Wow! Would you have considered doing abut anything that wasn’t on the resort? Wonderful recap!!
Looks like you had a wonderful trip!! My husband and I went on a belated honeymoon (originally planned for 2020) over Christmas to Oahu and Kauai and loved every second. If you don’t mind - what is the yellow around your waist in the snorkeling picture? I’m going to keep Costco in mind for booking future trips!
Lovely recap, thank you! Important question. How do you pack hats?! I struggle and end up carrying them on long travel days 😆
GREAT Q. I didn't pack hats for ages because I was worried about smashing them. But now I need them so! I stacked these two together, with the J.Crew one protecting the Janessa Leone one. Then I rolled up t-shirts and tanks to surround them with (and stuff inside) and made a little nest in my luggage. It worked really well!
I shall give it a go! Thank you ❤️