I learned a lot about traveling with kids on our recent trip to Hawaii. First, when we booked, we wanted to stay in a condo with a kitchen so we could grocery shop, and cook, since I have a napping baby, and two toddlers that needed frequent rest stops. Another must was laundry so we didn't have to pack a crazy amount (our hands would be full enough), and we could clean up their sand filled clothing at the end of every day. We also wanted something affordable, and comfortable. The condo we stayed in was perfect! The owner was very easy to communicate with, and provided a crib and highchair ahead of time for us.
here is a link to the condo: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1815379
Here is the area we stayed at in Hawaii (Oahu)
This is the beautiful beach at Turtle Bay (about a 10 minute walk from the condo)
Back yard of the condo
One of my favorite things was this little back patio
10 minute drive from the LDS temple and Polynesian Cultural Center
The plants and flowers were beautiful~
Another of many beautiful non-crowded beaches near the condo
evening shot of the golf course
safe, gated area. The condo was patrolled at night
outside view of the condo
beautiful green grounds
front entrance to the condo
large pool area
barbecue area
more of the grounds/ surrounding area
grounds leading to tennis courts and pavillion
large pavillion
tennis courts (in the rain)
bedroom was open and airy with the back porch that led straight to the beautiful yard and golf course
main living area with pull out couch
they had boards, umbrella, and chairs that came in handy!
Laundry!! One of the best/most important features in my opinion
large bathroom
overall we really enjoyed our stay! The kids loved walking around the grounds, and I felt safe letting them roam. It was clean, and very enjoyable. It was so close to many beaches, restaurants, attractions, and I would 100% stay here again over a hotel or resort.
As you can tell from the pictures it rained almost every day while we were there, which normally would be a bummer on vacation, but Hawaii is so warm, green and beautiful, we were still able to do a lot in the rainy weather. We even spent significant time at the beach in the rain, and my kids played for hours! Again, it was so nice to have a washer and dryer for the rainy days so I could dry towels and clothing so we could just head out again to our next activity.
Going back to the beginning here are some tips on traveling with kids:
PACK LIGHT- Less is more
we were able to fit everything into 2 checked bags, and 4 carryon bags which actually ended up being way too much! (we didn't even wear HALF the clothes we brought) On the way home I packed 2 of our carry ons into our checked bags so we only had the 2 carry ons to worry about. (which was so helpful, since we ended up carrying our sleeping children through the airport and had no extra hands for bags) With the ability to do laundry every day, I really could have gotten away with packing less than half the clothes that I did.
The necessities for one week (per person)
*if you stay in a similar condo with laundry and grocery near by
*clothing (checked bag)
1 swimsuit
2-3 pair of shorts
3-4 shirts
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of comfortable shoes and 2 pair of socks
1 pair of water shoes (for lava rocks)
light jacket or sweatshirt
rash guard shirt (optional)
3 underwear
If you wont have access to laundry, you'll have to pack much more since you come home sandy and dirty at the end of each day
other (checked bags)
sunscreen
bug spray
ziplock bags (I needed these for random things throughout the week and was very glad I had them)
swim robes came in handy for my boys so I didn't have to carry towels around, and could wash/dry them at the end of the day
diapers, swim diapers, and a sun hat for my baby
sunglasses
car seats
carry on
activity books/coloring books and crayons
a few small toys
snacks for the plane (I even made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and froze them to eat on the plane since no meals were provided)
they allowed a significant amount of liquid (milk, juice) as long as it was in a baby bottle
headphones
phones, and chargers
anti-nausia medicine
1 extra simple outfit per child or pjs
check at the gate/baby items
(we were allowed 3 baby items which is different for every airline so check with the airline first)
stroller (our double stroller was a huge asset with sleeping kids, extra bags)
we ended up having a SIX hour delay (mechanical issues) in California so it was a little insane trying to entertain my kids that long in the airport, and then 6 more hours on the plane, but we pulled it off with several airport games of Uno, and luckily the airport had a play place!
Don't do the red eye!
We booked a morning flight on the way there, and a red eye (overnight) for the way home, and I have to say the red eye was NOT my favorite. my kids did sleep the whole time which was nice, but the quality of sleep was terrible which made them super grumpy the next day, and I felt like we wasted our entire last day trying to stay clean, and find things to do before we flew home, and even though the kids sleep, we didnt sleep hardly at all so we were dead tired the next day. The flight is LONG but we made it easier with 1 movie, lunch and a few activities. We also split it into 2 flights and a layover which was nice so the kids can run around and have a break.
I am a "relax" traveler, meaning I am more up for laying around at the beach, and just being in the sun. I don't really like tours, organized activities, and I love to be spontaneous. Especially with kids since their moods, and schedules are so unpredictable.
Each day we spent time at the beach, or planned 1 activity. It was nice to have the pool at the condo so one of us could take the kids swimming while the other stayed back with the napping baby.
the area we stayed in had everything we needed.
Heres a breakdown of our week
We did try a couple of the different shaved ice places as well spontaneously throughout the week. They are everywhere!
day 1: BREAKFAST, NORTH SHORE, GROCERY AND BEACH
After settling in we headed to Breakfast at a cute cafe in North Shore called Cafe Haleiwa (Get the french toast!!) next we went to the grocery store and did our shopping for the week. Prices are much higher in Hawaii than UT, so be prepared to almost double your usual bill on groceries. That afternoon we headed to the beach area at Turtle Bay Resort. It was sunny and beautiful. There are Lava rocks you can hike out on and find crabs, and they even had free paddle boards. KC took one kid out at a time and they loved it. We spent a few hours there, and headed home for naps, and then had dinner that night at Tita's (really good fries, and garlic shrimp! The grilled cheese are HUGE and amazing too)
day 2: BEACH DAY
KC found a secluded beach on his run the night before, so we headed out with our chairs, and sandpail, and could have spent the entire day there, but it was raining so we ended up going back for naps and lunch and then coming right back to the same beach that evening around sunset. We were the only ones on the beach the entire day! If your kids love sand and swimming, its the perfect day.
day 3: SWIMMING AND POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER
We headed to the PCC around 2pm after the boys and dad went swimming at the pool for a few morning hours. It takes up a good chunk of your day so 2 or 3:00 is the perfect time to go if you plan to do all of the activities. My kids loved the spear throwing, watching them climb palm trees, ink tatoos, the movie with real special affects (the chairs move, and mist comes out and makes you feel like you are being splashed) We bought the full package so the night ended in dinner with live entertainment, and then a huge production/play.
day 4: CHURCH AND RELAX
we headed to the local LDS church for services at 11am, and then walked over to the temple, and visitors center. for the evening hours we went over to a park/ beach and took lots of family pictures and just relaxed.
day 5: SEA LIFE PARK
This was a fun activity on a rainy day. You can swim with dolphins, feed the turtles, dolphins, sea lions, and see all sorts of different sea animals. There were live shows and fun activities. You will want to bring/wear swimsuits incase you swim with dolphins, but otherwise regular clothes are fine. We spent most of the day there and it was about an hour and a half drive from our condo so it was fun to drive and see so much of the island.
day 6: HOMEWARD BOUND
This day was our biggest bummer since it was raining and we had to check out of our Condo ten hours before our flight (which ended up being a huge mix-up because I was under the impression we had the condo until 7pm that night instead of 11am) we had gone to the beach in the morning but we ended up having to pack in 1 hour which resulted in total chaos, and then spent the rest of the day driving around trying to stay dry and clean for our flight. My youngest got carsick and threw up right before we got to the airport so I was relieved I had packed plastic bags to put her wet clothes in after changing in the bathroom. If catching a later flight, try and extend your check out time if possible.
(side note: my 5 year old threw up ON the flight home, so again, plastic bags and extra clothes in your carry on can come in handy)
If we could do it again:
We would have stayed an extra day or two since traveling takes up 2 full days. We felt like we were leaving too soon.
would have extended our check out time to be able to enjoy the last day more
I loved the more "local" experience we had rather than the down town, big hotel experience. It was way more my style of traveling. I would do the condo over a hotel again in a heartbeat. If you have any questions about our trip feel free to comment and I will answer!
No comments:
Post a Comment