After two trips to Hawaii this month, I’ve learned that tropical weather is NOT for me. Not down for the humidity. Not down for the bug bites either. I’m down for a vacation, though.

This month I visited Oahu and Kauai and they are just as beautiful as they are different.

To my surprise, my experience on both islands were far different from each other and it’s inspired me to create a list of what to bring to which island, where to go and what to see!

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Oahu

Personally, Oahu was my favorite for one reason: it’s super diverse, in it’s people and the activities. There is always something to do and somewhere to be! Here’s a list of what I thought was essential and my favorite places:

 

-What To Bring-

• Light and breathable clothing (it’s super humid)
• Umbrella (Tropical weather means random thunderstorms at any time)
• Snorkel Gear (There’s lots of lagoons where fish and sea turtles thrive and hang out)
• Sunscreen and Aloe (For Obvious Reasons)

-Where To Go-

• Ala Moana Center (There’s lots of stores, including high-end! AND lots of high-end stores are actually cheaper than they are in California, like 20% cheaper! And the tax is only 4%, so you’re basically saving like 24% if you buy high-end fashion here, hence my Gucci wallet that is now my bff)
• Paradise Cove Luau (Amazing performances and killer food and drinks, plus the beach it’s on is so pretty, there’s so many photo ops!)
• Kualoa Ranch & Private Nature Reserve (This is a huge ranch where you can take multiple tours such as ATV, ziplining, horseback riding, etc! You can tour around where they shot specific movies like Jurassic World and 50 First Dates!)

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Kauai

Kauai was much more tropical and offered a much more quiet scene. For example, the avenues for shopping and shopping centers were never bustling and were quite small. However, some people like a much more quiet scene and I found there were much less natives in Kauai. Here’s the essentials:

-What To Bring-

• Light and breathable clothing (maybe pants and longer shirts since there’s much more bugs)
• Sunscreen and Aloe (Again, for obvious reasons…)
• Umbrella
• BUG SPRAY IS A MUST. It’s much more tropical and jungle-like here. I got bit everywhere and I saw a cane spider, which is literally a thick brown four-inch spider, NO THANKS!

 

-Where To Go-

• Princeville Ranch (This ranch offers activities like ziplining, horseback riding, hiking, etc. I recommend the Jungle Tour because you can hike, zipline AND swim at a small waterfall!)
• Auili Luau (The food is also bomb here)
• Porky’s Food Truck (Literally such good pork sandwiches if you’re a meat eater)
• Wailua Falls (This huge waterfall is a rare and beautiful sight! You can hike to it and swim at the falls!)

Like I said, the islands are SUPER different. At least for me they were. 0 bugbites in Oahu, 16 in Kauai. Anyways, don’t let that stop you from traveling to Kauai and Hawaii in general. It’s definitely a place to visit in a lifetime!

xx, Bri.

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