Are you looking for the right destination for your family for a trip in the near future? We just returned from Hawaii and loved every minute of it. Was it kind of a hassle to get there? A little. Was everything open? About 90%. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Here are 5 great reasons that a vacation in Hawaii could be the perfect vacation for you and the ones you love.
1. You don’t need a passport.
With so many countries and regions of the world still on tight lock down (Germany cancelled Oktoberfest 2021…sigh), it’s nice to just hang out in our own backyard. We are all blessed to live in a nation that has gorgeous national parks, mountain ranges, lakes, beaches, cities and, of course, the Hawaiian Islands. As of the writing of this article, Hawaii is loosening up their requirements to visit, especially if you have received the vaccine. We flew United Airlines to Hawaii and, with their Pre-Clearance Program, we received a wrist band that allowed us to completely avoid the 2-hour long line at the airport in Hawaii as passengers had to show their proof of negative Covid test, etc. Since we carried on, we were off the plane, through the airport and in our Uber in about 15 minutes.
2. It may (greatly) improve your mental health.
Let’s face it, the pandemic has created mental health issues for many. Even if you and your family have sailed through the lock down fairly unscathed, it has still been hard to not see those we love who live far away or have to do school or work remotely. It’s been hard. Period. Cornell University Psychology department published results from a study showing that travel, even the planning and anticipation of an upcoming trip, can positively affect a person’s mental health. When we have something positive to look forward to, when we can dream about laying by the pool at a gorgeous resort, or watching a sunset filled with oranges and yellows and pinks, or playing a round of golf while overlooking the beautiful ocean, it brightens our spirits. I speak from experience when I tell you that walking in the sand early in the morning while listening to the waves lap up on shore, eating a delicious meal with John in an open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean with tiki torches lighting the way, and watching young families play together and laugh, was so comforting and so
healing.
3. Most hotels, resort and restaurants are open or opening soon.
We were pleasantly surprised at the high number of restaurants, bars, shops and activities that were open during our visit in mid-May. However, there were still some things that were closed- like the gym and spa at Disney's Aulani, (but the gym and spa at the Four Seasons Ko Olina were open- go figure), the Waikiki Aquarium and some restaurants. Pro Tip: get reservations for dinner since many restaurants are still doing social distancing and many are having trouble hiring enough servers to open up completely. I would also check hours for anything you are thinking of doing, whether it’s shopping (stores were opening up at 10 or 11 vs. before the pandemic when they used to open at 9 or 10) or renting equipment for water sports or booking a tour or activity. If you book with us, we do all of the research to make sure that what you want to do is open and we book reservations to insure you get to dine where you want to dine and tour where you want to tour.
4. Come on, those palm trees, gorgeous blue water, soft sandy beaches and Mai Tais are calling your name.
5. A chance to bless your fellow Americans.
As you can imagine, tourism is the #1 contributor to their state’s economy, bringing in (pre-pandemic) over $2 billion annually. That means jobs. Jobs that put food on the table and provide housing and healthcare for our fellow America’s families. We had so many wonderful, uplifting conversations with the folks who live in Hawaii; some who were born and raised there and some who moved there because, well, its Hawaii. They told us about how hard this past 15 months of lock down was and how happy they were to be back to work and getting back to a normal life. We swapped stories about what we did with our families during the lock down and how we dearly missed loved ones who we weren’t able to see. We felt a very strong sense of gratitude from everyone we met: from the shop owner where I bought a hand painted dress made by a local artist to the top resort executives, from the servers in the restaurants to the gals who rented us our paddle boards. They were openly thanking us for coming back to the islands. It felt really good to bless our fellow Americans and to be blessed by enjoying their gorgeous home.
Questions about Hawaii or any other destination? Give us a call, email or text. We’d love to help!