hawaii-what to pack?

[kaygela]

We are going to Hawaii next month for 2 weeks. We are going to Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island. I really don't want to take alot of luggage for the 4 of us because of all the travelling and changing hotels, etc. What is the minimum we can get away with? I'm not opposed to sending out laundry to get done in the middle of the vacation.

 

[kirbsam]

the minimum is one pair of shorts(which can double as a swimsuit), one shirt and one pair of sandals. good luck.

 

[LadyZolt]

I'd pack like you were going to Disney World in July. Shorts, T-shirts, sandals, flip-flops, swimsuits, sunscreen, that sort of thing. Since Hawaii is a big tourist area, you'll find lots of restaurants have a casual dinner attire, like khakis and Hawaiian shirts. You also may want to pack less shirts and pick up some nice Hawaiian shirts while you're there (Hilo Hattie, as I recall, has tons of them). If you want to go snorkeling (and who doesn't? LOL!), you can rent equipment from "Snorkel Bob" places. You can even rent it on one island, use it your entire trip, and return it at a location on another island. "Snorkel Bob" even rents goggles with prescription lenses, which I loved because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see the fishes.

You will have an amazing time, I'm sure! Aloha!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt) (who lived on Oahu for 3 years and visited Maui and the Big Island, too)

 

[crz4mm2]

Very casual. EVerywhere. You can get by with shorts and shirts sandals everywhere... I went in feb for 8 days. Took shorts and shirts. One dress in case. It was plenty.
One of my friends lived there for years. She said a dress and sandals is all you need (one of the a-line dresses that you see everywhere out there).
Have a great time. Hawaii is gorgeous. I can't wait to go back and visit the other islands (we were only on Maui) and we are going in Nov!!!

 

[chris1gill]

Well we were there for a week in December & all we (the girls) wore were our bathing suits & Hawaiian Pareo's... that's it... the guys were in their swim trunks & polo shirts when necessary... plus something to sleep in... bring two pairs of shorts & a couple of shirts... basically plan on living in your bathing suit! Have fun!

 

[grlpwrd]

When I go back home to Hawaii I like to also include at least one casual dress and one pants outfit plus a light sweater for special occasions like a dinner cruise or luau. Or I just bring my muu muu along. It gets chilly during the evening. Not East Coast chilly, but chilly with tradewinds.

Hilo Hattie's is a great place to buy Hawaiian wear and is very convenient. There is even free transportation from Waikiki on their trolleys.

GL!

 

[Laz]

If you are planning to go to the volcanos on the Big Island, you might want to pack a jacket because it gets cool that high up. If you plan on walking on the lava, take good walking shoes. Even sneakers can get torn up if you are not careful.

You might consider taking a pair of jeans if you are going to horseback ride or zip line.

 

[Pop Daddy]

forget underware

 

[mommytotwo]

Don't forget your sunglasses.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had read somewhere a suggestion of water socks or equivilant. Dont' recall where I saw that though.

We are going in October and keeping it casual---dressy there is a simple sun dress that you'd wear on the beach.

I have also read to take at least 2 swimsuits--just b/c I imagine.

 

[goofy's friends]

I was also going to suggest a jacket because it does get cool in the evenings and on Kauai it is cooler than the others. There is also more rain/less sun on Kauai, so we weren't able to spend all our time in a swimsuit. Jeans were nice to have there. I would take flip-flops for the beach/sand and sandals to do site seeing. I would have a couple pairs of shorts, 1 pair jeans, and a couple tops. Buy a Hilo Hattie dress there for eating out or sunset cruise. Then, you just need your beach wear. Have a fantastic time--it's beautiful.

 

[llp479]

This could have been my thread - we leave in 9 days for two weeks, one on Maui and one on Oahu.

All the islands are very casual. I always pack two bathing suits because nothing's worse than putting on a damp suit.

Have a great trip!

 

[keishashadow]

Me!

Always wanted to go...someday, I hope ...to all who are planning trips - enjoy!

 

[nwdisgal]

I don't know if you body surf or not, but a rash guard might be handy, too, if you are spending a lot of time in the water. You can get those at any surf shop. Sometimes Costco carries them.

The islands have lots of microclimates (cooler in higher elevations, sunny and arid at the leeward sides, tropical and wet on the windward sides). Depending on where you are at, you can experience different weather conditions. A light jacket is a good suggestion, as is a pair of tennis shoes, if you are planning on doing any hiking around the sites. I'd wear the tennis shoes on the plane for any adventuring you might do and then pack your flip flops for the beach and casual wear.

 

[Laura]

It's definitely casual in Hawaii. If you need anything dressy (like for a nice dinner out or a luau) it's a good excuse to shop. There are lots of lovely skirts and dresses in the shops--and aloha shirts for the men, of course. They're everywhere.

The others are right about footwear. You'll only need to wear good, supportive footwear if you're doing hiking up mountains and over lava. The rest of the time flip-flops will do (and you can buy those cheap over there, too). I wore jeans and boots to the Volcanoes National Parks, but we wound up not hiking to the lava flows. So I really didn't need it, and I was hot once we got down to sea level. It's colder at higher elevations and at night. So a sweatshirt or something isn't a bad idea. You can wear your heavier stuff on the plane, as nwdisgal suggested (I always get cold on planes). And LadyZolt gave a good tip on the snorkel gear from Snorkel Bob. We rented ours from them on Maui and dropped it off in Kona. They give you a mesh bag to put it all in, and it was one of our carry-ons.

Bring lots of film/memory for your camera.

 

[kaygela]

Thanks for the tip about Snorkel Bob's. I'm very relieved that it sounds like I can pack very light. How are the prices on the clothes there?

 

[mommytotwo]

It depends on what type of clothing you are looking for, but you can get things cheap at Wal-Mart or pricier clothing.
Try looking at the Hilo Hattie website to get a better idea of what they offer and the prices on aloha attire.