Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Drive with aloha.
Hawaiians probably drive slower than elsewhere,
give way to other drivers, and never, never
(never)
use horns to signal
dissatisfaction with another driver. (The
only
time locals use their horns
is to greet someone they know.) And one more thing: If you are sight-
seeing and driving slowly, look in your rearview mirror to see if you are
holding up traffic—if so, please pull over and let the cars go by.
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Be friendly.
Reach your hand out and greet everyone. Local residents
say, “How-zit?” meaning “Hello, how are you?” Tell people your
name and ask for theirs.
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Get out of resort areas and explore.
Resorts are fabulous, but there
is so much more to Hawaii. Rent a car and get out and drive. Stop
along the way, talk to local residents, ask them what their favorite
beach for snorkeling is, where they love to eat, and what they'd do
if they had a day off.
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Be appreciative.
Hawaii locals just love compliments. If you like the
store, restaurant, activity, even your hotel room—tell the manage-
ment. People in Hawaii are long on appreciation and admiration and
short on criticism (even constructive criticism).
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Smile.
You're in Hawaii and it's warm and beautiful—there's a lot to
smile about.
to the Polynesian Cultural Center, for
example, perhaps you can plan a stop
at the North Shore for a picnic lunch.
When you arrive, allow yourself,
especially the kids, time to recover
from jet lag, Not only is Hawaii 2,500
miles and two time zones from the
U.S. West Coast (three time zones dur-
ing daylight saving time), but there's a
huge change in climate and tempera-
ture. Plan nothing on the day you
arrive, except checking into your hotel,
maybe some beach time, an early din-
ner (remember the time change), and
an early bedtime. Once you're ready to
see the sights, be flexible.
So let's get started with planning
the vacation of your dreams. For those
too excited to page through from
beginning to end, this chapter high-
lights the very best Hawaii has to offer.
1 The Best Hawaii Experiences
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Hitting the Beach:
A beach is a
beach is a beach, right? Not in
Hawaii. With 132 islets, shoals,
and reefs, and a general coastline
of 750 miles, Hawaii has beaches
in all different shapes, sizes, and
colors, including black. The vari-
ety on the six major islands is
astonishing; you could go to a dif-
ferent beach every day for years
and still not see them all. For the
best of a spectacular bunch, see
“The Best Beaches for Families,”
later in this chapter.
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Taking the Plunge:
Don mask,
fin, and snorkel and explore the
magical world beneath the sur-
face, where you'll find exotic
corals and kaleidoscopic clouds of
tropical fish; a sea turtle may even
