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Honolulu Travel Tips
Use our Honolulu Travel Tips and Information to plan your vacation. Whether you're coming from the mainland or abroad, you'll notice Hawaii is a little different. Like anywhere else, it has its charm and quirks. Here are some things you may or may not know about Hawaii.
Some General Honolulu Travel Tips
The telephone area code for the entire state of Hawaii is 808. When you are on Oahu, if you call the neighboring islands, you will need to dial 808 and it will be a long distance call.
Aloha means hello, good-bye and love. Mahalo means thank you. Keiki means children. You will see and hear these words often.
Hawaiian Banks. Many of the national and international banks found on the mainland do not exist here. Check with your bank for agreements it might have with Hawaiian banks.
What To Bring To HonoluluHere's a list of some of the essentials:
Sun screen Honolulu's weather is always beautiful so packing shouldn't be too complicated. If you forget something, you will likely find what you need at one of the many ABC Stores or at the Ala Moana Shopping Mall.
Hotels and RestaurantsConfirm hotels and rental car reservations. This is especially important if you make your reservations through a third party. Sometimes mistakes are made or communication breaks down and if your reservation is not in order and the hotel or car rental is sold out, things can get difficult.
Some restaurants only take cash, no credit cards. Look for the stickers at the entrance that show the credit cards that are accepted and ask right away.
Careful where you eat. We would like to say that all the restaurants in Honolulu and Waikiki have excellent food and service but unfortunately that is not the case. In our opinion, some places take advantage of the tourists with the high prices and low quality. Ask around for recommendations and see our Restaurants Page for our favorites.
Hawaii has strict smoking laws. Smoking is not allowed in bars, restaurants or within 20 feet or 6.1 meters of doorways and windows. Some major hotels no longer offer smoking rooms and will charge a cleaning fee if guests smoke in the rooms so check with the hotel in advance if you would like a smoking room. Honolulu Travel Tips At The BeachWater safety. Some beaches have lifeguards on duty, some do not. Even for strong swimmers, the waves can get rough and the rocks and coral are sharp. Have fun but be careful.
Watch for Jellyfish Warnings. Once a month, the number of box jellyfish increases sometimes to a level so dangerous that beach goers are asked to stay out of the water.
Do not leave valuables in the car or on the beach. Theft is a problem all over the island. Try to only bring what you need to the beach and always keep it with you. You can even buy water proof cases to use for bringing smaller items with you into the water.
Honolulu Travel Tips On The RoadHawaii has lower speed limits than the rest of the country. If you're used to speeding along the autobahns, the speed limits here will shock you. Watch the posted speed limits carefully to avoid a costly ticket. More on Honolulu traffic...
The police do ticket pedestrians walking against the traffic lights. It is very tempting to cross those small streets when no cars are coming and many people do. Many people get expensive tickets too.
Do you find these Honolulu Travel Tips helpful? Do you have others you think would be helpful for our visitors? If so, we would love to hear from you and welcome you to contact us with your comments and questions.
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Hawaii does not observe daylight savings. The whole state stays on Hawaii Standard Time year round. When most everyone else changes back and forth for daylight savings, Hawaii does not so time differences will depend on the time of year.
