Many people dream of a vacation to Hawaii. It’s the perfect place for a romantic honeymoon, an unforgettable vacation with the kids, or an adventure-filled excursion.
However, without the right preparation, your dream vacation to Hawaii may not go over as planned. Some tourists go home from their vacation sunburned and disappointed, usually because they didn’t learn from the mistakes that other travelers made.
Here are some of the most common mistakes that people make when traveling to Hawaii for the first time, and our best tips for how to avoid them.
Getting Stuck in Traffic
Many people think of Hawaii as a relaxed island paradise where people lounge on the beach, drinking coconut water all day. However, this is a place where people live, work, and face many of the same problems people in the continental United States do, including traffic. In fact, Hawaii is ranked the worst state in the United States when it comes to driving.
The traffic is especially bad in Honolulu, the capital and biggest city with plenty of tourist attractions. Many tourists underestimate how big Honolulu is and how bad the traffic can get. Instead of enjoying the sights of Waikiki Beach, they wind up spending hours in traffic and getting frustrated.
To avoid traffic ruining your vacation, choose your mode of transportation wisely. Renting a scooter from Honolulu Moped Rentals is better than renting a car because you can still explore the city, but are more mobile when it comes to traffic. Another strategy for escaping dreaded traffic is to plan your sightseeing around Honolulu carefully. Make sure to avoid traveling long distances during rush hour. Don’t underestimate how far away different destinations are from each other, and plan things out on a map.
Attempting to Do Too Much
On their first trip to Hawaii, many people are so overwhelmed by the beauty of the islands that they want to see everything. This is a normal response—we want to see every corner of our beautiful islands as well!
However, Hawaii’s islands are pretty big and diverse. Transportation is not always the best between different destinations on the same island, so you may need to wait for rare buses or drive on your scooter or car. Getting between islands also requires careful logistical planning, and it is usually necessary to take a flight.
Many tourists make the mistake of wanting to see all of the islands during their vacation, which is not a good idea if you’re only staying for a few days. You’ll wind up spending most of your time waiting for flights, driving around, and packing and unpacking instead of enjoying the sights.
While you shouldn’t just stay on Waikiki Beach during your trip, make sure that you plan your itinerary in a way that is appropriate to the length of your stay. Give yourself at least a few days on each island you are planning to visit. Research travel times to give yourself an accurate idea of how much time each leg of the trip will take.
Not Practicing Ocean Safety
The ocean around Hawaii is beautiful, but it can also be deadly. On Oahu alone, there are an average of 40 drownings each year. These statistics don’t include people who get injured in other ways from the ocean, such as stings, bruises, or spinal cord injuries. While locals also get injured, the most common victims are tourists because they have less knowledge of how to swim safely.
The first step is to choose your swimming destinations carefully and be aware of your own limitations. All beaches in Hawaii come with some risk because of the strong waves and riptides that form in the Pacific Ocean around the islands. Only go to beaches that have active lifeguards. If you don’t see any locals swimming in a local swimming hole, that’s probably for a reason.
The second step is to respect the strong surf in Hawaii. Waves are so powerful here that on certain beaches, spinal cord injuries from getting tossed around are unfortunately common. If you are trying surfing or bodyboarding, make sure you know how to do so safely. Never, ever turn your back to the ocean—an unexpected wave could bring you down if you are unprepared.
Most people know to be afraid of sharks in Hawaii, but other marine flora and fauna pose a danger for the unprepared tourist. Do not touch the coral on the reefs as you can get badly cut. Be careful of tropical fish and sea urchins–some of them have intense stingers.
Only Packing Your Bathing Suit
Of course, most people come to Hawaii for the beach. We know we have the best beaches in the world! Most tourists plan to spend most of their time swimming, snorkeling, surfing, or otherwise exploring the thousands of miles of coastline that Hawaii has to offer.
However, it’s a mistake to pack your suitcase with only the beach in mind for a few reasons. The first is that once you get to Hawaii, you may want to do other activities besides going to the beach. While Hawaiians are generally laid-back when it comes to wearing bathing suits in public, some restaurants and activities require more formal wear. Going hiking inland will also require sturdier clothing.
Another reason why you should diversify your suitcase is that the weather in Hawaii can be unpredictable. It’s not just sunshine and tropical heat all the time. The islands experience strong rainstorms that can happen at any time of day or year. If you are at a higher altitude or inland, it can get quite chilly.
Besides your bathing suit, make sure that you pack a rain jacket or raincoat for when it starts raining (umbrellas tend to be useless during Hawaii’s strong storms). Bring a jacket and longer pants for layering at night. Pack hiking shoes in addition to your sandals—Hawaii’s inland nature is too beautiful to avoid just because you packed the wrong shoes.
Not Preparing for the Sun
The sun in Hawaii is one of the biggest reasons people come here on vacation—and one of the biggest mistakes that visitors make. Walk around Waikiki Beach and you’ll probably see countless tourists with red, peeling sunburns. What you won’t see are the people hiding in their accommodation because their burns are too severe to go outside again.
The sun in Hawaii is a lot stronger than in other parts of the United States as the islands are closer to the Equator. Make sure that you practice sun safety by applying sunscreen, reapplying every few hours, and avoiding the outdoors during periods when the sun is the strongest.
When you’re applying sunscreen in Hawaii, make sure that you are applying the right kind. The state banned non-mineral sunscreens, allowing only reef-safe varieties. The chemicals from most commercial sunscreens harm coral reefs when they wash off as tourists are swimming. To respect the local laws and nature, only bring reef-safe varieties or stock up once you’re in town.
Not Respecting Hawaii’s Nature
Hawaii is a unique natural wonderland even on dry land, with volcanoes, lush forests, and scenic hill country. However, visitors often make the mistake of not treating nature with the respect that it deserves.
One reason why this is a mistake is that this beautiful scenery can be dangerous. Visitors who don’t follow posted signs, marked trails, and boundaries can enter dangerous areas or private property and get injured. Ignoring local advice about where it’s safe to hike, swim, or explore is one of the most serious mistakes first-time visitors make, as it can land you in the hospital.
You also don’t want to be the type of person who is disrespectful to your hosts when you visit Hawaii. Disrespectful actions such as touching wild animals, carving your name into trees, littering, or going off-trail can harm local wildlife. Hawaii’s landscapes are unique in the world and delicate, so not listening to posted warnings could damage local plants and animals. Locals also get frustrated when they see people being disrespectful to their surroundings.
Disrespecting nature could also leave you with legal consequences and hefty fines. It is illegal to take sand, dead coral, or volcanic rock with you when you leave Hawaii. The result is a hefty fine because these landscapes are actually surprisingly fragile, and taking sand or rocks as a souvenir speeds up erosion. Locals also believe that removing rock or sand from Hawaii will subject visitors to a curse from the goddess Pele, so it’s best not to risk it!
Avoiding Common Mistakes for a Perfect Hawaiian Vacation
You don’t want to spend your Hawaiian vacation sitting in traffic, sunburned, or nursing your injuries. Learning from mistakes that other tourists have made can help your trip go off without a hitch.
The most important thing that you can do is research. Most mistakes happen because people are unprepared when they visit. Research weather conditions, travel times, and important safety precautions as you are planning your trip so that once the plane wheels hit the runway, you can enter relaxation mode!
