Honolulu, Hawaii
Last year I asked my mom, “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?” She responded, “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris and Hawaii!” Last November I took my first trip to Paris with a friend, but I had never been to Hawaii before. This idea spread to the rest of my family, and before I knew it we were planning a family trip to Honolulu!
Let me just say, Honolulu seems to be one of the most difficult places I’ve ever tried to get to as a non revenue standby passenger in the summertime. It seems everyone wants to experience this beautiful place. My parents and I spent what seemed like countless hours at the airport, even flying to Los Angeles in hopes of connecting somehow to Hawaii. After 24 hours of missed flights, airport transfers, gate changes, and clinging to the hope that our baggage hadn’t been lost, we finally made it! I can’t describe the joy I felt to see my parents faces when we stepped foot in our hotel at the Hilton Waikiki Beach. My dad said, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m here! Hawaii always seemed so out of reach!” At that moment all of the stress and struggles of traveling as a standby passenger were worth it.
We had three days to spend in Hawaii and we spent our first morning having breakfast at the hotel and meeting up with my older brother and his fiancé. After that we walked about a block to Waikiki beach to soak up some fun in the sun. It was nice to relax and take in the scenic views and swim in what felt like the most perfect weather.
What’s a trip to Hawaii without experiencing a traditional Luau?! That evening we went to Paradise Cove for a dinner and a luau. We were greeted with drinks and fresh flower leis. There were tons of games, drinks, and amazing photo opportunities at the Paradise Cove grounds before dinner. During dinner we were able to taste the traditional roasted pig, along with fish and chicken dishes. The hula show was absolutely amazing and something everyone who visits Hawaii should experience.
The next day we took a tour of the Island of Oahu via a company called Turtle Tours. On this tour we made stops at Diamond Head, Khualoa Ranch- a macadamia farm, several beaches, Tsues Farm, and the Dole Pineapple Plantation. The views at all of our stops were amazing and I had some of the best garlic, coconut, and spicy shrimp I’ve ever tasted at Tsues Farm! We even stopped for a bit to snorkel and see turtles that call North beach home.
As you can see I couldn't stop snapping pictures! The island was so beautiful and there were still so many things I did not have a chance to see and do. Three days in Oahu was simply not enough! I absolutely would love to visit again some day. Until next time, Mahalo and Aloha!