Honeymoon in Hawaii

Posted by jetsetpilot on July 28, 2017 in Past Trips |No Comments

Hawaii. Where should I start with Hawaii?? It is a destination on almost everyone’s bucket list and widely popular for honeymooners and anniversary trips alike.

Mike and Greta decided on a multi-island experience for their once in a lifetime honeymoon vacation. Through our consultation they decided on a trip any newlyweds would be jealous of, including a 3 island hopper 12 day itinerary as well as a list of top tier excursions:

• Helicopter Tour
• Pearl Harbor
• Old Lahaina Luau
• Haleakala Sunrise

Mike and Greta started off their honeymoon arriving in Kauai. As many of us can attest, even with the most thought out and planned vacations, sometimes the unexpected happens. But Mike and Greta didn’t miss a beat when their shuttle driver suddenly quit that day! No worries, they are on their honeymoon in Hawaii! They hopped in a taxi and quickly arrived at the Sheraton Kauai Resort ready to enjoy the views from their Deluxe OceanFront room. (And after a quick call to our JetSetPilot agent, a refund for the unused shuttle was soon back in their hands.)

Kauai can be enjoyed one of two ways: complete adventure including the Waimea Canyon, kayaking, horse riding, ATVs, amazing mountains and beautiful uninhabited beach, or you can just relax and enjoy Kauai for its quiet nature setting and (again) amazing beaches. Mike and Greta actually did a little of both, spending some relaxation time and hopping on board an amazing helicopter tour of the island.

Kauai was a great place to start our trip and just relax for a few days in the laid back atmosphere after all the planning, excitement, and run up to our wedding. The Sheraton Resort there provided us everything we needed with a great spot right on the beach that we couldn’t have been happier with. You’d be hard pressed to find a bad part of Hawaii but we’d have to say the helicopter tour of Kauai was our single favorite part of our trip. Much of Kauai is inaccessible by road including the northern Napali Coast cliffs which can only be viewed from boat or aircraft. The views were spectacular and doing the tour on the morning of our first full day on the islands gave us a great overview of the island as well as taught us a lot of history that was included by our pilot/tour guide.

Next stop, Honolulu! Complete with a 2 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort in an Oceanview room category. Mike and Greta chose another “must-do” while in Honolulu and experienced the Pearl Harbor Tour: Arizona Memorial Excursion. For any American, this is a mandatory stop for many reasons.

Oahu is where we really saw how different each of the islands can be. Honolulu’s metro area was a stark contrast from the quiet of Kauai, visiting the iconic Waikiki Beach and the memorials at Pearl Harbor was an absolute must though. If possible definitely allot some extra time to walk the grounds around the Pearl Harbor exhibits and take in the self-guided tour placards and memorials to fully appreciate the area and events that took place.

Last but not least…Maui. Oh Maui how we do love thee! Mike and Greta hopped over to the island and picked up their very own Jeep Wranger which they would use to explore the island for the next 7 days!! A Jeep or convertible is the only way to go when in Maui, the experience just isn’t the same without one. From viewing unobstructed starry nights to feeling the breeze through your hair on the Road to Hana, a trip to Maui and not driving with the top down just isn’t the same.

Mike and Greta stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort, a perfect location on a stretch of beach perfect for snorkeling, cliff-diving and of course sunbathing! Why we love this resort and a few others in the area is that they are all inter-connected by a path/boardwalk of sorts and at one end lies Blackrock, a large volcanic rock jutting out from the island where you can cliff-dive into the Pacific Ocean. The resorts all have great restaurants and it’s easy to meet people.

The final 2 must-do excursions in Maui include the Old Lahaina Luau and Halaekala Sunrise. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the traditional Luau with amazing food, drinks and entertainment? And while the list of Luau options is pretty long, the Old Lahaina is the best of the bunch. We also recommend the Haleakala Sunrise Excursion, even though it requires an early 2am wakeup call, seeing the sunrise from atop the volcano is quite the experience. Though you might have your rental car be sure to go with a tour, like Mike and Greta, because warm clothing including hooded jackets and gloves are provided. It gets chilly up there in the clouds!!

Maui is truly quintessential Hawaii. There is so much to do and yet it is still as relaxing as you expect from a trip to Hawaii. From the hidden gems along the Road to Hana, to snorkeling off of nearby Lanai, to stargazing in the dark night skies the islands have to offer it has more to offer than we could do in our trip. The Haleakala sunrise tour though was beyond comparison, and while the pictures are awesome they really don’t do it justice. Every few minutes we seemingly saw new colors appear in the sky and cloud background, it’s quite an experience to see the sun rise from above the clouds.

Don’t you feel relaxed just reading about their adventures in Hawaii? An amazing trip to check off the bucket list, for sure! But while a 3 island trip like this one is amazing, if you’re limited in time or budget, even one of these islands is worth it (we recommend Maui!)

No matter what island you visit, make sure you don’t skip the shaved ice!

I think we literally ate shaved ice every day while there. Sometimes it was dessert, sometimes it was lunch when we weren’t too hungry after breakfast but needed something, and sometimes it was a perfect afternoon cool down. Either way we were hooked from the first one!