liviaforev
Hy,
I would like to plan a trip to Hawaii next year. This is my first time there. Could you give me some suggestion about the Islands? Which is the most beautiful to visit? The best period to go there? Do you suggest any websites where to get some informations?
I'll travel with my husband and my daughter.
Thanks
Livia
Answer
The best time to go to Hawaii? Anytime!! The weather is always great!
The rainy season is late winter/early spring (usually Jan - March). But "rainy" means maybe a few minutes a day (if you are on the western side of most islands; the eastern side, like Hilo on the big island or Hana on Maui, are more rainy).
Although Jan - Mar are rainy, things are also somewhat more expensive then. That's when the weather is at its worst on the mainland, so everyone is escaping to warmer climates - and the prices reflect that. It's also whale-watching season - if you've never seen a whale in the ocean, it's a must!
Fall is lovely, and less expensive because few people travel then. But if your daughter is in school, that would be a problem.
If summer is the best time for your family to travel, by all means go then. It might also be expensive (that's when most families take vacations), but I have to warn you - Hawaii is NEVER cheap! Some times/places are just less expensive than others. But it is ALWAYS worth every penny!
As for where to go - a lot depends on your interests and the age of your daughter - toddler? tween? teenager? college?
Kauai is very beautiful and laid-back, but it may not have enough to offer for kids.
Lanai is very high-end with a lot of golf courses and little else.
Oahu has the nightlife in Waikiki, along with sightseeing and history at Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, plus more quiet beach areas outside of Honolulu.
The Big Island has the only active volcano - depending on your daugher's age, that may be a good option. How often can you say you've stood on top of an active volcano? The Kona side of the Big Island is lovely.
Maui seems to be everyone's favorite (including mine!). It is beautiful, not as crowded as Oahu (although much more crowded than it used to be), and has a wide variety of things to do.
The Hana highway is a must (what a previous poster refered to as the "divorce highway") - TAKE A TOUR! If you're driving, you MUST keep your eyes on the road - it's very curvy, with mountains on one side and a dropoff to the ocean on the other. On a tour, you'll see the gorgeous landscape and waterfalls instead of just the blacktop, and the tour can go on parts of the road that your rental can't.
Snorkeling at Molokini is supposed to be great - haven't done it myself yet.
Lahaina is a nice "old Hawaii" town, with a lot of nice places to stay. Kaanapali and Wailea are more touristy and upscale, but very nice. Kihei is more budget, but there are still nice places to stay. The island isn't that big, so no matter where you stay, any other place on the island is just a day-trip away.
For a family, I'd recommend Maui (for beach and water activities) or Oahu (for history, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife).
Or spend a couple of days on both! Interisland flights are only about $50 - $60 one-way.
You can get more information about the islands from www.gohawaii.com (the official tourism site for Hawaii)
You can get some good air/car/hotel packages through Apple, Pleasant Holidays or Funjet. You can also check with a travel agent; there are a couple of suppliers that agents use for Hawaii that do not sell directly to the public.
Have a great time! Hawaii is my favorite place on earth!
The best time to go to Hawaii? Anytime!! The weather is always great!
The rainy season is late winter/early spring (usually Jan - March). But "rainy" means maybe a few minutes a day (if you are on the western side of most islands; the eastern side, like Hilo on the big island or Hana on Maui, are more rainy).
Although Jan - Mar are rainy, things are also somewhat more expensive then. That's when the weather is at its worst on the mainland, so everyone is escaping to warmer climates - and the prices reflect that. It's also whale-watching season - if you've never seen a whale in the ocean, it's a must!
Fall is lovely, and less expensive because few people travel then. But if your daughter is in school, that would be a problem.
If summer is the best time for your family to travel, by all means go then. It might also be expensive (that's when most families take vacations), but I have to warn you - Hawaii is NEVER cheap! Some times/places are just less expensive than others. But it is ALWAYS worth every penny!
As for where to go - a lot depends on your interests and the age of your daughter - toddler? tween? teenager? college?
Kauai is very beautiful and laid-back, but it may not have enough to offer for kids.
Lanai is very high-end with a lot of golf courses and little else.
Oahu has the nightlife in Waikiki, along with sightseeing and history at Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, plus more quiet beach areas outside of Honolulu.
The Big Island has the only active volcano - depending on your daugher's age, that may be a good option. How often can you say you've stood on top of an active volcano? The Kona side of the Big Island is lovely.
Maui seems to be everyone's favorite (including mine!). It is beautiful, not as crowded as Oahu (although much more crowded than it used to be), and has a wide variety of things to do.
The Hana highway is a must (what a previous poster refered to as the "divorce highway") - TAKE A TOUR! If you're driving, you MUST keep your eyes on the road - it's very curvy, with mountains on one side and a dropoff to the ocean on the other. On a tour, you'll see the gorgeous landscape and waterfalls instead of just the blacktop, and the tour can go on parts of the road that your rental can't.
Snorkeling at Molokini is supposed to be great - haven't done it myself yet.
Lahaina is a nice "old Hawaii" town, with a lot of nice places to stay. Kaanapali and Wailea are more touristy and upscale, but very nice. Kihei is more budget, but there are still nice places to stay. The island isn't that big, so no matter where you stay, any other place on the island is just a day-trip away.
For a family, I'd recommend Maui (for beach and water activities) or Oahu (for history, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife).
Or spend a couple of days on both! Interisland flights are only about $50 - $60 one-way.
You can get more information about the islands from www.gohawaii.com (the official tourism site for Hawaii)
You can get some good air/car/hotel packages through Apple, Pleasant Holidays or Funjet. You can also check with a travel agent; there are a couple of suppliers that agents use for Hawaii that do not sell directly to the public.
Have a great time! Hawaii is my favorite place on earth!
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a 20 month old?
Kelly S
I leave in 10 days on a plane ride with my 20 month old and im nervous, what should i bring? how did youre kids react to the taking off anf landing? any advice would be great thanks
Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three kids. My oldest was very active and I remember at 20 months, he slept 20 minutes of a 11 1/2 hour flight. I was pregnant and very tired when we arrived!
This is a tricky age to travel. They like to run and hate to be confined.
One "sanity-saver" is to get him his own seat. Children are much more comfortable and settled in their familiar car seat. If you have not booked a place for him, try to see if they can arrange an empty place next to you and bring his car seat to the gate. Be nice but they often do this for families if the flight is not full.
Bring your car seat to the gate and if you are not successful, it will be gate checked with the strollers and wheelchairs. Never check a car seat in as luggage. It could too easily be lost and/or broken in transit.
It would be very hard to hold a 20 month old calmly in your lap!
Make sure your car seat is approved for air travel. If you are flying a U.S. company, here is the FAA's page on the subject;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see your airlines' website.
Don't worry about the ears. This is an over-rated problem and quite frankly, in 13 years, I barely remember any children having problems going up or descending. If you are concerned, visit the doctor in the next few days and make sure his ears and clear and infection-free. Flying with an infection or other blockage could be painful, if not damaging. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.
If you want to give him something to drink, by all means offer but please don't wake him or force. The critical time is not landing/touch down but the TOP of descent, when everyone's ears have to reverse pressurization. The AAP suggests simply that the child be *awake*. Just moving his head, talking, etc. helps the ears.
http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby.htm
For entertainment, I found at that age, less is more. Coloring things, play dough, pipe cleaners, stickers, small plastic toys like cars or animals and chunky books with openable flaps work well and keep them busy.
Get him a couple of new toys and surprise him during the flight. Something new will occupy him longer.
I can't recommend a portable DVD player for such a young age. Usually they wont wear the earphones (do NOT play it over the speakers in the plane). Experiment at home if you think it would work.
Don't fixate on getting him to sleep. Other passengers will not complain about him if he's quiet and playing. They will also not complain if he's crying and you're trying to do something about him.
Bring a change of clothes for you both and at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. Learn to change him standing up because the changing tables on airplanes are tiny and most toddlers hate to lie down in a strange place.
Don't worry about security. Most exempt liquids meant for a child. In the very unlikely case that they would take a something away, they'll just take it from you.
Get plenty of sleep, both of you, the night before. During your journey, let him drink, eat and sleep as he wants. Be a "good parent" once you get to your destination but just get through your trip sanely.
For more information, nine years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed;
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com
Have a good flight!
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three kids. My oldest was very active and I remember at 20 months, he slept 20 minutes of a 11 1/2 hour flight. I was pregnant and very tired when we arrived!
This is a tricky age to travel. They like to run and hate to be confined.
One "sanity-saver" is to get him his own seat. Children are much more comfortable and settled in their familiar car seat. If you have not booked a place for him, try to see if they can arrange an empty place next to you and bring his car seat to the gate. Be nice but they often do this for families if the flight is not full.
Bring your car seat to the gate and if you are not successful, it will be gate checked with the strollers and wheelchairs. Never check a car seat in as luggage. It could too easily be lost and/or broken in transit.
It would be very hard to hold a 20 month old calmly in your lap!
Make sure your car seat is approved for air travel. If you are flying a U.S. company, here is the FAA's page on the subject;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see your airlines' website.
Don't worry about the ears. This is an over-rated problem and quite frankly, in 13 years, I barely remember any children having problems going up or descending. If you are concerned, visit the doctor in the next few days and make sure his ears and clear and infection-free. Flying with an infection or other blockage could be painful, if not damaging. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.
If you want to give him something to drink, by all means offer but please don't wake him or force. The critical time is not landing/touch down but the TOP of descent, when everyone's ears have to reverse pressurization. The AAP suggests simply that the child be *awake*. Just moving his head, talking, etc. helps the ears.
http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby.htm
For entertainment, I found at that age, less is more. Coloring things, play dough, pipe cleaners, stickers, small plastic toys like cars or animals and chunky books with openable flaps work well and keep them busy.
Get him a couple of new toys and surprise him during the flight. Something new will occupy him longer.
I can't recommend a portable DVD player for such a young age. Usually they wont wear the earphones (do NOT play it over the speakers in the plane). Experiment at home if you think it would work.
Don't fixate on getting him to sleep. Other passengers will not complain about him if he's quiet and playing. They will also not complain if he's crying and you're trying to do something about him.
Bring a change of clothes for you both and at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. Learn to change him standing up because the changing tables on airplanes are tiny and most toddlers hate to lie down in a strange place.
Don't worry about security. Most exempt liquids meant for a child. In the very unlikely case that they would take a something away, they'll just take it from you.
Get plenty of sleep, both of you, the night before. During your journey, let him drink, eat and sleep as he wants. Be a "good parent" once you get to your destination but just get through your trip sanely.
For more information, nine years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed;
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com
Have a good flight!
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