I had planned earlier in the year to do something different for the holiday season, visiting a new place was the first thing that came to mind since I love exploring new places and creating memories. Although I live in Texas, I wanted to go somewhere in the US that was warm and dreamy to ring in the new year. I had been to Florida and California in the past, so Hawaii seemed more appealing to me but the flight tickets that I saw made my eyes pop. The period I planned on visiting were peak periods (Tip: it’s affordable to visit during off seasons). So, I began to make my trip budget because I was determined to take this Island off my bucket list.

Given that I had only four days to spend in Hawaii, I made sure that every second was utilized effectively. I had a loose idea of some activities that I wanted to try out from google reviews and recommendations, so I excitedly added them to my To-Do list while burying some innate fear and intimidation that came with some of them. As the days drew close, I eagerly packed my warm weather clothes and daydreamed of sinking my feet into the sands of some Hawaiian beach.

Are we there yet?

If you are flying from JFK, prepare your mind for some 10+ hours flight to this Island. I really felt like I was visiting another country due to the distance and being outside of continental US.  I flew with Hawaiian Airlines and boy were they one of the friendliest crew I had encountered during my travel time. Inside the plane felt like Hawaii already given that the air crew were dressed in beautiful breezy shirts and some soft Hawaiian music playing from the audio. There were lots of Alohas and Mahalos and I was beginning to pick up the vocabulary haha! I arrived in HNL tired but taking in the beautiful scenery, grabbed dinner from  Ala Moana Mall  and completed my night routine to prepare my mind for the activities of the days to come.

Day One:

KOKO HEAD TRAIL:  I began my day by hiking this beautiful crater trail that I had goggled and read about. It is a 1.8-mile hike of a 1,000+ old railway trail with some steps missing. It is very steep and definitely not for the faint-hearted. I consider it quite a challenging hike especially as you get closer to the top. I had to stop numerous times to catch my breath and take in the scenery. It is a very good workout and you will find people with different body types and fitness level on this pilgrimage to the top. 

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Tips:

• Bring water
• Sunscreen
• Snacks
• Comfortable shoes and clothing
• Oh and some good music motivation for hiking

Day Two:

DIAMOND HEAD TRAIL:  Compared to Kokohead, this is an easier trail that is more tourist friendly as it had a bigger crowd, shops, bathroom and a larger parking lot. One has to pay $1 to gain access into this hiking ground. The trail is paved and has safety rails on both sides; thus, it is safe for children and I saw some people do the hike with their dogs.  The view at the top is gorgeous as it overlooks the Pacific ocean and also has  a beautify green landscape.

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Day Three:

WATER DAY: Since my hotel was located in Downtown Honolulu, I preferred to indulge in the water activities closer to the area.  Ala Moana Beach park is a beautiful family friendly beach and has parasailing kiosk and vendors nearby. My friend and I decided to checkoff that bucket which included parasailing in Hawaii.  I was seriously scared, I could hear my heart beating frivolously  in my ear and my temperature rising, but you know what? I did it! and I am very proud of this accomplishment because I am scared of heights… way to kickoff the New Year, Conquering fears!

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Day Four:

KUALOA RANCH: It is a private nature reserve and cattle ranch that is located some 33 miles away from Honolulu. It offers many activities from ziplining, horseback riding, ATV and UTV rides. I went on the 1hr-UTV Raptor ride into what seemed like a jungle. One word to describe the view: Picturesque! It was so amazing to be in the film location of some popular cinema movies like Jurassic World and Kong: Skull Island. I felt like I was a character on the set of the movies as the UTV journeyed through this dreamy jungle paradise. It was an experience that was worth the price and oh, tickets sell out quickly here and it is so for other paid activities in Hawaii. I recommend buying tickets early  for any activity that you may want to perform.

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I would love to go to another island similar to Hawaii. What island do you recommend I visit next?