I've visited Hawaii more than 40 times and I know ALL the tips and tricks for planning the ultimate Hawaii family vacation! I offer free Hawaii planning email courses. I also send weekly emails on Fridays where I share my top things to do in Hawaii with kids, the best family resorts in Hawaii, and my ultimate packing lists! Mahalo!
The Hawaii planning question with no one-size-fits-all answer
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Aloha Reader! I got a version of this question a lot in February: "We have 10 days in Hawaii. Should we do one island or two?" Sometimes it's "should we do Maui or Oahu for our first trip." Sometimes it's "we really want to see both but we're not sure we have enough time." The wording changes but the underlying question is the same. How do we make sure we're making the right call on something this big? Here's the honest answer: it depends, and the things it depends on are really specific to your family. A family with three kids under eight is going to get a different answer than a family with teenagers. A first-timer is going to get a different answer than someone who has been to Hawaii twice and is ready to branch out. Someone with 10 full days has more flexibility than someone whose 10 days includes two travel days on either end. Budget matters. Travel style matters. Whether your kids handle airports and disrupted routines well matters more than most people expect. That's why I can't give you a blanket answer in an email. And honestly, you should be a little skeptical of anyone who does. What I can do is think through it with you directly. Once you book a time on Calendly, you'll fill out a short questionnaire so I have some background on your family before we talk. You're also welcome to send me whatever itinerary you have going, even if it's just a rough list of ideas scratched on a notes app. Then we get on Zoom and work through the whole trip together. Your travel style, must-dos, things to avoid, where to stay, how to structure your days. Think of it as planning your Hawaii trip with a friend who has been there over 40 times with her own kids and has very strong opinions about all of it. After the call, I send you a detailed follow-up email with everything we covered, including links to specific activities and reservations so nothing gets lost. February was a full month. I did 9 consultations and was only available for 2 of those weeks because I was traveling in Hawaii. I have a limited number of spots each week, and summer planning season is in full swing right now. If you've been thinking about booking, this is a good time to grab a spot. You can learn more and book HERE. Talk soon, Marcie |
Aloha! I'm Marcie with Hawaii Travel with Kids
I've visited Hawaii more than 40 times and I know ALL the tips and tricks for planning the ultimate Hawaii family vacation! I offer free Hawaii planning email courses. I also send weekly emails on Fridays where I share my top things to do in Hawaii with kids, the best family resorts in Hawaii, and my ultimate packing lists! Mahalo!
Aloha Reader, The first time we did an inter-island flight, I treated it like catching a subway. We showed up about 25 minutes before departure, bags in tow, fully relaxed. We made it. But just barely. And I spent the whole walk to the gate sweating through my shirt, which is not the vibe you want at the start of a Hawaii vacation. Inter-island flights are short (Oahu to Maui is about 25 minutes in the air) but the airport experience is completely normal. Security line, gate, boarding. Budget...
Aloha Reader, This is the question I get more than almost any other. Maui or Oahu? Which one should we do? And the answer I always give is: it depends on your family. Not in a wishy-washy way. In a very specific way. Because these two islands are genuinely different trips, and the right one for you has everything to do with what you're actually looking for. So let me walk you through how I think about it. You should probably do Oahu if: It's your first time in Hawaii. Oahu is the easiest...
Aloha Reader, I got an email a couple weeks ago from a mom who'd been planning her July Maui trip for months. Flights booked. Hotel sorted. She just hadn't gotten around to the luau yet. She wanted to know which one I'd recommend. I pulled up availability. Sold out. All of them. For her entire week. That's not unusual for summer Hawaii anymore. The window between "I should book that" and "it's gone" has gotten a lot shorter. If you have a trip on the calendar between June and August, some...