Aloha Reader, This is the question I get more than almost any other. Maui or Oahu? Which one should we do? And the answer I always give is: it depends on your family. Not in a wishy-washy way. In a very specific way. Because these two islands are genuinely different trips, and the right one for you has everything to do with what you're actually looking for. So let me walk you through how I think about it. You should probably do Oahu if: It's your first time in Hawaii. Oahu is the easiest...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Aloha Reader, I got an email a couple weeks ago from a mom who'd been planning her July Maui trip for months. Flights booked. Hotel sorted. She just hadn't gotten around to the luau yet. She wanted to know which one I'd recommend. I pulled up availability. Sold out. All of them. For her entire week. That's not unusual for summer Hawaii anymore. The window between "I should book that" and "it's gone" has gotten a lot shorter. If you have a trip on the calendar between June and August, some...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Aloha Reader, Someone emailed me last month asking if she should just skip Hawaii this summer and take the kids to Disney instead. I told her absolutely not. But I also told her the truth. Summer Hawaii is a different animal. And if you go in without knowing what you're walking into, it can feel overwhelming fast. Here's what I mean. Hotels that cost $300 a night in May are $450 in July. Sometimes more. Popular beaches are packed by 9am. Hanauma Bay sells out days in advance and you have to...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Aloha Reader, I had a consult recently that I keep thinking about. A couple reached out wanting help planning their granddaughter's first trip to Hawaii. They used to live there, and it was clear from the first few minutes that this trip meant everything to them. They weren't asking me to find the best resort deals. They wanted cultural experiences, real moments, things that would make her fall in love with the islands the way they did. They wanted her to feel it. Something about watching...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Aloha Reader! This is probably the question I get asked more than any other, and I'll be upfront: there is no universal right answer. But there is a right answer for your family, and it comes down to a few specific things. Here's how I think through it. Start with your trip length. My general rule is 5 to 7 days per island. Less than that and you're rushing, spending more time in the car than on the beach, and not really getting a feel for the place. If you have 10 days, two islands can work...
21 days ago • 2 min read
Aloha Reader, People ask me all the time how I decide what to book. It's simple: I only put my name behind things I've actually done with my own kids. Here's what we actually keep going back to, island by island. On Oahu, we never skip Toa Luau. It's set in Waimea Valley on the North Shore, it's native-owned, and the whole vibe is more intimate and authentic than the big commercial shows. Your ticket includes access to the botanical garden and waterfall, so we always arrive early and make a...
23 days ago • 2 min read
Aloha Reader, We just got back from Oahu and Maui, and before I get into all of it, I need to tell you about 7-Eleven. Because it's going to come up and I want you to be prepared. Hawaii's 7-Elevens are not like the ones at home. They make a mochiko chicken musubi that I first had when I was pregnant with my oldest, and I have been going back ever since. It is one of the best snack deals on the island and I will not be taking questions. If you see one, stop. Okay. Now the rest of what we ate....
28 days ago • 1 min read
Aloha Reader, I just got back from a trip and I'm already fielding planning questions... which honestly, I love. But before I jump back into everything, I wanted to share something I've been sitting on for a while. I've been getting a version of the same message for months now. "Is there any way to get more than an hour with you?" Honestly? I get it. Some trips are just... a lot. You're planning two islands. You have a grandparent who uses a walker and a 4-year-old who needs a nap by 1pm....
30 days ago • 1 min read
Aloha Reader, If you're the one behind the camera on every trip, this one's for you. I have been on 20+ Flytographer shoots around the world (8 of them in Hawaii) and I am a huge fan. Like, I will tell anyone who will listen how much I love this service. Because here's the thing: I take approximately one million photos of my kids on every trip, and I have almost none of myself actually in them. Flytographer fixed that. But what I didn't expect was how fun the shoots themselves would be. On...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read