MANCHESTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER ON TOUR // Hawaii Travels with Kids

Manchester Family Photographer’s top tips of a Hawaii trip with your family.

Hawaii was always high up on my list of places to go. I didn’t think we’d get to go, at least any time soon, especially as it is a long journey with a little person. I was absolutely over the moon when we booked as part of our travels.

We were originally supposed to be going around the world (that got derailed for several reasons). It was a great place to build into our travels - especially to break up the journey between West Coast States and New Zealand.

Hawaii was in many ways not what I expected, but it was one of those places that hooked me in and I miss on a daily basis. The only other place like that for me was Japan. The food, the people, the beaches, the vistas - the whole atmosphere. If I could re-locate all my friends and family, Hawaii would be where I’d go!

We flew into Honolulu airport from LA. Honolulu is on O’ahu island - one of the four main islands in Hawaii to visit. It is a great island to visit as there is a lot to experience for everyone. It felt very safe everywhere we went on O’ahu, which was a huge plus for us with a little one. 

Here are my top tips for anyone considering travelling to Hawaii with (or without!) kids.

1.POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTRE

I definitely wasn’t sold on this when I first heard about it, but it was honestly one of the best days out we had on our entire trip! The reason I put this first is because I would highly recommend doing it at the beginning of your trip for a big dose of Polynesian culture. Yes, it is all set up like a small Disney park, but it gives so much insight into the different cultures, that it actually feels like a cultural experience. I could write a huge blog post just on the PCC but I’ll keep it as brief as possible here.

So - what is the PCC? It is a small theme park where you visit the seven different countries that make up Polynesia. You visit each country in turn for a taste of their history and culture. There are shows on the hour every hour, plus other small performances. Lots of activities to get involved in, things to read, people to talk to, space for the children to run around. Absolutely everything (except food and drink) is included, so you don’t have to be concerned that all the little extras adding up. Despite it initially maybe seeming like a high price tag for entry, it is actually incredible value for money IMO. 

There is so much there before you even walk through the gates - lots of stalls, shops and places to eat. But I’d recommend skipping all this until later (if you have time) and getting straight through the gates the second it opens. Start with the boat ride which will take you through the park to the other side and you can then work your way back from here. The guy paddling our traditional outrigger boat was absolutely hilarious - brilliant kiwi humour which had us in stitches. 

Move your way through the different countries soaking up as much as you can. There are traditional games to play with your family, stories to listen to, dances to learn and watch, people to talk to, village set ups to explore, artefacts, crafts, sports, allsorts. Try to roughly plan ahead to decide which of the big hourly shows you want to see. With your ticket price you can return in the next few days for free - I would definitely recommend this. It was a lot to do in a day and felt a teeny bit rushed as we just wanted to see and do everything! If I were to go again, I’d do 4-5 countries on the first day, then go back for the other 2-3 the next day.

We loved it so much that we upgraded our tickets when there to stay for the dinner - it was a huge buffet with all different polynesian and other food. There was something for everyone. We expected it to be pretty standard mass food, but were really surprised with the high quality. The poke bar was my favourite part! Then for the evening fire show… this was amazing and really tied up everything we’d learnt about in the day and was a visually impressive show. It was a little difficult with us having to keep Marnie up for it (she was way too excited to sleep in her pram), but totally worth it!

PCC is on North Shore, so it’s a great one for whilst you’re on that part of the island, but it's only around an hour drive from Waikiki, and totally worth the drive.

2. KUALOA RANCH

As a huge Jurassic Park fan, this was a must. 

Kualoa Ranch is absolutely huge and visually stunning. They have a strong focus on sustainability, preservation and community, so it is not just a tourist attraction!

There was only one tour we could go on with Marnie still being so little. If you’ve got older kids or you’re going without kids, there are many more options available - including the horseback or UTV raptor tour! The tour we did had a couple of stop offs which is great for the kids.

Obvs the highlight was seeing where Jurassic Park was filmed, but also soooo many other films - as well as hearing the stories and finding out more about the ranch and Hawaii in general. It is an absolutely beautiful place, and I’d recommend leaving time before and after to have a look around too. There’s lots of space to run around, horses to pet, and a gift shop.

3.SUNSET AT WAIKIKI BEACH

This is a must. It is a super busy beach and can get crazy busy for sunset. I normally prefer a much quieter beach but you can't beat it for the atmosphere. Grab a mai tai and/or poke bowl and head down early to get comfy. The beach is basically free childcare* whilst you sit back and marvel in the famous Waikiki golden hour.

*Obviously I don’t mean this seriously - we still kept a close eye on Marnie - she is just in her element, happily playing in the sand for hours on end!

4.HANAUMA BAY

Hanuama Bay is a protected reserve. It is beautiful, safe for the children to play on the shore and a great spot for snorkelling. Just be aware of the need to book, the opening times (it closes much earlier than you’d think) and the fact that you need to watch an intro video and listen to a short talk beforehand (this time adds up and can be a little difficult to manage with a kid who is desperate to get to the beach). There isn’t much shade there so take an umbrella (you can rent them from lots of places in Waikiki) and take plenty to eat and drink as the cafe is only at the top before you head down into the bay!

It is apparently a great place to see turtles as well, but we were pretty unlucky the day we went!

5.MAKAPUU POINT LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL

You can spend an entire day driving this section of the coast, stopping off at all the different view points, and this is one of the big stops on that trail. It is a lovely way to spend a day!

6.FOOD

The food. Oh the food. I was in my element eating poke most days. We were told by locals that some of the best poke is from the big supermarket delis, but there are also plenty of poke bars and restaurants too.

Shave ice is a Hawaiian staple, and super refreshing on a hot day. They’re everywhere. You can get the big ones with different colours / flavours / toppings, or the simple ones with a little condensed milk drizzled over them.

Leonard’s bakery is a Hawaiian institution. There is the main bakery and there is also a truck parked up close by to Hanauma Bay (mentioned above). Worth every calorie! 

We had an interesting food experience at Waiahole Poi Factory on our way to Kualoa Ranch. Poi is another Hawaiian staple which you’ll find in a lot of places - it is just ground up taro root, and is usually eaten like porridge. The Poi Factory is a little shack in the middle of nowhere, but still expect to queue! As well as their signature poi, they also serve laulau (pork wrapped in taro leaf) and Kalua pig if meat’s your thing! Along with loads of other dishes. It wasn’t the best place to visit if you’re a veggie like me, but it was worth it just for the “Sweet Lady of Waiahole” which is a little dessert with amazing ice cream.

And finally, no trip to Hawaii is complete without a signature Mai Tai!

7.SPEAK TO LOCALS

Some little highlights of our trip were speaking to Hawaiians - about their life, culture and politics.

In our hotel, we had Story Time with Tutu”. Tutu means grandmother in Hawaiian. Tutu taught us so much about Hawaii and its people through stories and songs with her ukulele, and she was absolutely amazing with Marnie. We learned lots of little things that you could quite easily go to Hawaii and totally miss about the country. If you could find something similar, this was amazing for both children and adults. Also - a ukulele class is a great idea for the whole family.

So take the time out to speak to locals where you can, and they’re so lovely and willing to share stories of their country with you.

8.HALEIWA

This is a charming little town on North Shore, O’ahu which I’d wholeheartedly recommend. At first, it doesn’t seem like there is much there - a nice little bay, dock and a surf shop. But venture a little further and this teeny town is packed with gorgeous shops, galleries, shave ice shacks and restaurants. You can easily spend a few hours mooching around here. We ended our day with dinner at Haleiwa Joe’s by the bay - the seafood is amazing.

9.STAY AT / VISIT TURTLE BAY

This was one of our big treats on the trip - and where we spent Marnie’s second birthday. When we were first looking at Hawaii, we were struggling to find the Hawaii experience we had in our heads. We had obviously built up a picture in our heads from growing up watching things like 50 First Dates and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and had a bit of an unrealistic expectation of what our Hawaiian holiday would look like. So we googled “Forgetting Sarah Marshall hotel” and found that it was Turtle Bay on North Shore O’ahu! As soon as we clicked on the website, it was clear this would be a treat hotel! It was more than that - it was an amazing experience from start to finish. The drive up to the hotel, the welcome (think shell / flower leis + a treasure chest for the keiki (children) to choose a toy from), the aesthetically pleasing interior, the 360 views, the pools, how child friendly it was, the live music in the evenings watching the sunset, the mai tais, the beautiful rooms, the people. Everything. It was so worth it.

You can also pay to spend the day there which would be a lovely way to spend a day on North Shore.

10.SPEND AN EVENING WANDERING AROUND WAIKIKI

Waikiki is very touristy. But we found it really charming and relaxed despite that. It was much nicer than we expected. We’d thought we’d want to spend a few days there as a base to explore, but we actually ended up extending our stay to stay there a little longer. The beach front street is such a lovely place to wander in the evening - it is beautifully lit, wide, clean and a lovely place to walk with the kids. One end has all the high end shops which are just so amazing even just to stare at from the outside! There are some bars with live music, some nice street performers, little markets, restaurants. We spent a couple of evenings just wandering around, lapping up the vibes and warm Hawaiian air.

Other kid friendly things to do that were recommended to us but we make it to are - The Bishop Museum (although I doubt it is great for toddlers), Children’s Discovery Centre, Zoo / Aquarium / Sea Life, Royal Hawaiian Centre, Pineapple Plantation.

If you have any questions at all about planning a trip to Hawaii, please just drop me a message!

Thanks so much,

Laura

Manchester Family Photographer.