Islands, Dolphins, Turtles and Malasadas!

15 days, 3 islands, 22 resorts, 1 cruise ship, several dolphins, a few turtles, 6 Malasadas and more! That describes just one of my visits to my favorite destination – Hawaii!

In an effort to increase my destination knowledge, I recently spent 15 days on three islands in Hawaii, including my (still favorite!) Kauai, plus Oahu and Maui. This trip was part work and all pleasure. While there, I had the opportunity to visit and inspect 22 resorts and also checked out Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America ship.

While visiting Kauai, I headed for the Na Pali Coast … a MUST SEE for anyone visiting the Garden Isle. The coast is beautiful and amazing to see up close. While on the catamaran trip, we sailed around the coast and viewed the majestic cliffs and even had a chance to see some exciting sea life in the form of a school of spinner dolphins jumping around our boat! I recommend when you see this many dolphins to just sit and watch them, and not try to take a bunch of pictures. I found my pictures didn't turn out that well and I ended up missing most of the excitement. We also saw several turtles and when the catamaran stopped for snorkeling, we saw a lot of colorful fish. Kauai is still my favorite island, mainly because it's much more quiet and relaxing. It's definitely the island to visit if you're looking to relax and be surrounded by beauty.

Then, off to Oahu to check out all the new and exciting updates to the Waikiki area. Waikiki is a great city. The new Waikiki Beach Walk is a wonderful addition – a lot of interesting shops and amazing restaurants to check out. One can easily walk up and down the entire Waikiki area because from the Ala Moana Shopping Center, all the way to the other side by the Zoo, there are sidewalks and walk ways. One doesn’t realize how much one has actually walked when there are so many things to look at. I did, on my way out of Oahu, stop at Leonard's Bakery to pick up some Malasadas (a Portuguese donut without a hole … and a Hawaiian tradition since 1953.)

Maui was my last island to visit on this trip and while Kauai is still my favorite of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui is definitely a close second and an amazing destination. With so much to see and do, one could easily spend a month here and not cover everything. Highlights included: waking up at 2:00 a.m. to view the Sunrise at Haleakala and it was WORTH IT. This is an amazing excursion to see the sun rise over the clouds as you’re sitting at 10,000 feet on top of Haleakala. The lady who works in the gift shop comes out and sings a Hawaiian song while the sun is coming up. It brings tears to your eyes, it's that incredible! In addition to the great sunrise, I checked out the town of Lahaina, a fun place to shop and eat and also the place to pick up amazing art work. And, I visited Maui Brewing Company, checked out the brewery and tasted their delicious beer.

So in summary … 15 days, 3 islands, 22 resorts, 1 cruise ship, several dolphins, a few turtles, 6 Malasadas, an amazing sunrise, several great sunsets and an overall perfect trip. Let me help you plan your dream vacation to the Aloha State!