We continue the Colors of Hawaii series with this stunning shot of Oahu’s Waikiki Beach. This amazing pink and purple scene was captured by Dave Zuls. Mahalo, Dave for sharing your photo.
As a wise Go Visit Hawaii reader, you know that it’s important to pack light. You also know what to pack, but we’ve not yet discussed what not to pack. Lighten your load and leave these items at home.
1. Fancy evening wear
Unless you want to stick out like a sore thumb, leave all evening gowns, tuxedos, and anything with a sequin on it at home. In Hawaii, casual attire rules. So, opt for comfortable breathable fabrics like linens and cottons. For evening wear, I normally bring a sundress and my husband packs linen trousers, polo shirts, and Hawaiian (Aloha) print shirts. Even dressy shorts and capri pants will work fine in most restaurants.
There are very, very few restaurants in Hawaii that require a jacket. If you have concerns, contact the hotel for advice before you start packing.
2. Dressy shoes
In Hawaii, you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes and be ready for an impromptu walk on the beach at any moment. I normally pack one pair of flip flops, a pair of hiking shoes for hitting the trails, and a nice, but comfortable pair of sandals that will go with my sundress.
A very nice Go Visit Hawaii reader, Jan, shared this hilarious story in a comment on the Kauai chicken post:
A funny story from a friend of mine who is quite the “Fashion Queen.” While visiting Kauai, she wore her new, glittery, and very expensive shoes to dinner at an upscale restaurant. They had to park ”down the road a piece” and she was quite upset that some chickens were pecking at the baubles on her shoes during her walk to the restaurant Some people have NO sense of humor!
Thanks, Jan, for that laugh and reminder to leave the fancy shoes at home!
3. Snorkel gear
Your resort may provide free use of snorkel gear so check with them. If you go on any organized snorkeling tour, the tour operator will provide your snorkel gear and buoyancy equipment. Alternatively, you can rent snorkel gear on the islands. Snorkel Bob’s rents fins, masks, snorkel and a gear back for $9 per week.
4. Sun lotion of SPF 4
Hawaii is close to the equator which makes the sun’s rays stronger than what you may be used to back home. The last thing you want to do on vacation is to sport a bright red sunburn. Ouch! I recommend that you use at least SPF 30 to start and if you really want to work on a tan, work your way down to SPF 15 or 8 at the very least. See my tips for avoiding sunburn in Hawaii.
I used SPF 45 to 70 on my face and wore a hat for a two week stay on the Big Island earlier this year. When I got home, friends were commenting that my face looked nicely tanned. So, you’ll still get sun even with strong sun block.
5. Snake repellant
Okay, I know there’s no such thing as snake repellant, but I just wanted to emphasize that Hawaii is snake-free. Hurrah!
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What additional recommendations do you have for what not to pack? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Itching for a vacation to paradise but too scared to look at airfare? There’s really nothing to be afraid of at all! In recent days, American and Delta have promoted airfare sales to Hawaii. Here’s the low down:
American Airlines Sale To/From Hawaii:
Fares as low as $614 round trip for travel from August 19 through November 19, 2008. The best airfares are not necessarily from the West Coast. For example, you’ll find Charlotte, NC to Kona for $614. Tickets must be purchased at AA.com 21 days prior to departure or within 1 day of making reservations, whichever comes first. You must travel on Sunday through Friday. See other details and restrictions here.
Delta Airlines Sale To/From Oahu, Kauai, Big Island:
Fares are as low as $558 round trip not including taxes and fees. You must book 21 days in advance and stay over a Saturday night, but you can’t travel in Saturdays. You must book by August 22, 2008. For more information, see this link.
Happy travels!
Isn’t this photo a beauty? Connie and Tom from Kane, Pennsylvania provided this photo. They took this photo on the North Shore of Kauai. If memory serves them right, this photo was taken at Anini Beach.
Connie and Tom tell me that when they have shown their Hawaii vacation photos to everyone at home, the first thing everyone asks is, “Is the water really that blue? Are the mountains really that green?” Connie and Tom’s answer with “Yes, they are and most pictures. don’t do it justice!”
Mahalo to readers Connie and Tom for sharing this beautiful photo with us!
As you may recall, I don’t live near Hawaii. I live in North Carolina which is about 12 to 15 hours of flight time to Hawaii. Just based on observation, most East Coasters balk at that amount of flying time and opt to find paradise in Florida or the Caribbean. Oh boy! Let me tell you that Hawaii is worth the extra flying time. I’ve been to several Caribbean islands and they are lovely, but I much prefer Hawaii over any of them. The Caribbean Islands have lots to offer, but I think Hawaii offers even more. Here’s why I choose to go to Hawaii over the Caribbean.
1.. The Aloha Spirit
The warmth and friendliness of the people of Hawaii is practically noticeable from the moment you step off the plane. The aloha spirit welcomes you to Hawaii with a sincere kindness. It makes you feel relaxed and at home right away.
Jim of Bargaineering.com is a blog pal and fellow Hawaii addict that lives on the East Coast. So, when I told him I was working on this article, Jim shared these thoughts.
In Hawaii, everyone made us feel like we were at home. I think that in visiting various Caribbean places, people are nice but not to the degree and extent Hawaiians were nice and inviting. The Caribbean was like another nice beach, great weather, but not a place where you felt at home.
2. Volcanoes!
There are few things on earth as exciting as the unpredictable shape and force of a volcano. In Hawaii, you are constantly reminded of the islands’ volcanic beginnings. You’ll find many volcanic craters and mountains in Hawaii. On the Big Island you’ll even find Kilauea which is one of the worlds most active volcanoes where you can watch red-hot lava flowing. Beat that Caribbean!
3. The Climate and Terrain Diversity
The volcanic shape of the Hawaiian islands create such diversity of climates and terrain. You’ll never find an island in the Caribbean that has elevations of nearly 14,000 feet above sea level like Hawaii has. The tall volcanic shaped mountains along with the pleasant tradewinds create the windward and 
leeward contrasts and climates.
In Hawaii, you’ll find rainforest jungles in contrast with fields of dry grasslands and beaches in contrast with snow-capped mountains. Take the Big Island of Hawaii for an example, you’ll find 12 of the earth’s 16 climate zones compactly existing on just one island. All this diversity creates such a feast for the eyes.
If you love to hike like I do, Hawaii is a paradise. Hawaii is has many miles of diverse and rewarding hiking trails. I’ve not found that on any Caribbean island that I’ve visited.
4. The Food
Hawaii is a harmonious melting pot with many ethnic backgrounds. You’ll find the evidence of this 
melting pot in the local cuisine. As Go Hawaii describes it, “Hawaii Regional Cuisine is a renowned culinary style that fuses American, Asian, European, and Hawaiian dishes together with the freshest local ingredients.” You won’t find many, if any Asian influences in Caribbean cuisine. That’s what sets Hawaii apart. Let me just add that as much hiking as I like to do in Hawaii, I don’t think I’ve ever returned from a Hawaii vacation a pound or two lighter.
5. The Polynesian Culture
I love that Hawaii clings to its Polynesian heritage. The European influence on the Caribbean is much more pronounced.
6. Hawaii feels safer.
In comparison to some Caribbean islands, Hawaii feels leaps and bounds safer. There’s hardly ever been a time that I’ve felt unsafe in Hawaii, but I have experienced some uncomfortable moments in Cozumel and Jamaica for example.
7. The US Dollar
Since many foreign currencies are strong now compared to the US dollar, it makes Hawaii a very good bargain destination. As a US citizen in a tough economy, I like spending my vacation budget to support my own country’s economy.
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Finally, I’d like to re-emphasaze that the Caribbean is absolutely lovely. I have certainly enjoyed my vacations and honeymoon there. I just think that Hawaii has much more to offer visitors. Have you been to both? What other comparisons and contrasts did you notice?
This photo of the taro fields was taken at the Hanalei Overlook on the North Shore of Kauai. Be sure that you don’t miss this picturesque view that’s located just off of Highway 56 on the mauka side (mountain side) of the road.
When I see photos of Hawaii I always notice the diversity and intensity of the colors. I hope you’ll take the time to absorb the scenery and take notice of the colors when you take your Hawaii vacation. So, I thought it would be fun to start a series of posts on the colors of Hawaii. I’ll be kicking off this series with a photo from my Kauai collection.
Do you have a photo from your Hawaii vacation that highlights a particular color? Would you like to share it with other Go Visit Hawaii readers? If you photo is hosted online, please use my contact form on the about page to send me a link to your photo. Mahalo!
I just wanted to pass along this alert I just received from Hawaiian Airlines:
Hawaiian Airlines today issued a public alert to warn of a fraudulent email being circulated. The email is labeled “Your airplane ticket.” It appears as a notice of a new ticketing service and informs the recipient that a new account has been opened in their name and a ticket has been charged to their credit card.
The email contains an attachment designed to look like an electronic ticket, but instead is contaminated with a virus.
The email also contains references to login, password and credit card information, which Hawaiian would never include in an email to customers unless it’s requested.
This email is not linked to Hawaiian in any way. We just want to warn everyone that it does contain a virus and our advice is not to open the attachment and to delete the email from your inbox.
Here’s the newsy tidbits for this Aloha Friday.
Happy Aloha Friday!Today’s edition includes rare hotel deals, a squabble, and ends with a funny story about being “see sick” in Kauai.
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