I've been to Hawaii several times. Here are the best things I did for free on my recent trip.
The Royal Hawaiian Center is a luxury shopping destination that offers complimentary Hawaiian cultural experiences, like hula lessons, every day of the week.
The classes are first-come, first-served, so I arrived a bit early. Even 15 minutes before my lesson started, there was already a crowd of students eager to learn how to hula.
I learned about the significance behind the hand formations of this storytelling art as I swayed my hips in the cool ocean breeze.
If you're lucky, your lesson will be taught by renowned Hula dancer Puakeala Mann, who shares with students the history of hula while teaching them basic hand gestures and footwork.
I went on a stunning waterfall hike.
I fondly remember hiking to Manoa Falls with my family as a child. I was eager to set out on the moderate trail again and was delighted that it was free to visit.
I went on a leisurely stroll through the lush jungle full of fragrant flowers and dense tropical vegetation, which brought me to a 150-foot cascade.
Nearby is the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, which features 6,000 tropical and subtropical plants and is also free to visit.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the arboretum does
Beaches are free here, but visiting them still feels like a luxury.
All beaches in Hawaii are public and free. No trip to Oahu is complete without spending a few hours in the sunshine at Waikiki Beach.
I spent a day strolling down the iconic boardwalk, where you can snap a photo in front of the bronze Duke Kahanamoku Statue for a meaningful free keepsake.
Kahanamoku was an Olympian surfer known for spreading the spirit of Aloha globally, and I loved checking out the larger-than-life statue of him on the boardwalk near Kuhio Beach.
It's easy to spend a whole day here without spending tons of cash. You can go down to the beach to watch surfers catch waves or take a dip in the crystalline waters.
Right nearby, you can also visit the astonishing Diamond Head crater for $5. The entry fee is well worth it, in my opinion.
I also visited less-crowded beaches that were just as beautiful, such as Queens Beach and Kaimana Beach.
Hiking the Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail brought me to one of the most gorgeous views I've ever seen.
The Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail is a free, moderate, 2-mile round-trip hike.
It offers stunning views of the southeastern coastline, including Koko Head, Koko Crater, and the trail's namesake — the historic Makapuu Lighthouse, built in 1909.
During the whale season from November to May, the trail is one of the best places to see humpback whales. Although I didn't see any on my recent trip, I have treasured childhood memories of watching the whales here during past visits.
I learned how to make a fresh flower lei for free.
The Royal Hawaiian Center also offers free classes on how to make your own flower lei.
Classes are held on a first-come, first-served basis and can fill up fast, so it's best to arrive at least 30 minutes early.
As I learned how to delicately thread local orchids into a lei, the guide taught us about the cultural significance of lei. We also learned the meaning and pronunciation of some Hawaiian words.
I left with a stronger understanding of Hawaiian culture and a gorgeous keepsake that I kept refrigerated so I could wear it for a few days.
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a day ago
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We moved our family to Hawaii for my wife's job. Now, we're separating and back in New York with the kids.
We met in Southern California and spent years living around the East Coast. Each of our three kids was born in a different state. By fall of 2020, my wife was looking to relocate to someplace where she could practice medicine in an indigenous community. Her primary targets were Alaska, Four Corners, and Hawaii, all of which desperately needed doctors — especially during the pandemic. Yet when she announced that she'd actually landed an offer to work at a hospital in Hawaii, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it had a special place in our hearts as we'd gotten married there in 2008. On the other, we'd purchased a nice four-bedroom house with an indoor pool in Albany, New York. But it wasn't just that I was having a hard time letting go of what I thought would be our " forever house." Things between us had already been rocky — and moving to paradise wasn't going to automatically fix that. So I listened to my gut, which told me to stay behind in New York and take some space, even though my freelance writing allowed me to work from anywhere. They left, I cried, and I eventually left New York to join them Seeing them go in 2021 wasn't easy. I can still picture my son (4 years old at the time) waving his little hand goodbye from the airport security line. I cried for several hours that day, wondering whether I'd made a good decision. A couple of months later, I flew out to visit them. After touring the island for a few days, I saw the gorgeous house they were renting in Honokaa, situated on a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the ocean. I was proud of the life they'd set up, but sadly, I also felt like an outsider. Several weeks after I returned east by myself, the five of us met in California for a family vacation, after which the kids and I flew to Albany for the summer. At the end of July, the four of us jetted back to the island. This time, I stayed for the whole school year in the house's ohana, a separate living space over the garage. In many ways, this exemplifies the gray area my wife and I's relationship was in — amicable enough to be close but not too close. Naturally, I enjoyed the sunshine, beaches, hammocks, rainbows, amazing local fruit, and nightly chirping coqui frogs. But the best was getting to enjoy the (albeit expensive) Hawaiian lifestyle with my kids. Eventually, I realized that all the back-and-forth wasn't sustainable, financially or emotionally. So at the end of 2023, we sold our Upstate New York house, and I committed to Hawaii. I found a room to rent just a short walk from their new rental house in Waikoloa, which offered me a mix of proximity and independence. Then six months later, my wife lost her job at the hospital, and we all moved back to the East Coast. And just like that, we're back in New York Although we initially thought about returning to Albany — where we'd lived for eight years — we wound up settling in my wife's hometown in Long Island. It's been quite an adjustment. Not only the lifestyle and culture shock of hastily leaving Hawaii for New York, but also figuring out whether we're able to peaceably live under the same roof or deftly maneuver some version of "nesting." Currently, my wife and I are living apart, and we are using mediation to draft a separation agreement. I'm looking for a job, a car, and a place to live that's close to the kids. As I reflect back, I'm proud of myself for staying authentic to my intuitions, even when it was painful.
Yahoo
a day ago
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We moved our family to Hawaii for my wife's job. Now, we're separating and back in New York with the kids.
After accepting a job offer, my wife moved herself and our kids from New York to Hawaii in 2021. Initially staying behind, I visited every couple of months, eventually joining them in late 2023. Six months later, she lost her job, and we all moved back to New York. We're no longer together. Moving was nothing new for my wife and me, who have lived in many places together. We met in Southern California and spent years living around the East Coast. Each of our three kids was born in a different state. By fall of 2020, my wife was looking to relocate to someplace where she could practice medicine in an indigenous community. Her primary targets were Alaska, Four Corners, and Hawaii, all of which desperately needed doctors — especially during the pandemic. Yet when she announced that she'd actually landed an offer to work at a hospital in Hawaii, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it had a special place in our hearts as we'd gotten married there in 2008. On the other, we'd purchased a nice four-bedroom house with an indoor pool in Albany, New York. But it wasn't just that I was having a hard time letting go of what I thought would be our "forever house." Things between us had already been rocky — and moving to paradise wasn't going to automatically fix that. So I listened to my gut, which told me to stay behind in New York and take some space, even though my freelance writing allowed me to work from anywhere. They left, I cried, and I eventually left New York to join them Seeing them go in 2021 wasn't easy. I can still picture my son (4 years old at the time) waving his little hand goodbye from the airport security line. I cried for several hours that day, wondering whether I'd made a good decision. A couple of months later, I flew out to visit them. After touring the island for a few days, I saw the gorgeous house they were renting in Honokaa, situated on a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the ocean. I was proud of the life they'd set up, but sadly, I also felt like an outsider. Several weeks after I returned east by myself, the five of us met in California for a family vacation, after which the kids and I flew to Albany for the summer. At the end of July, the four of us jetted back to the island. This time, I stayed for the whole school year in the house's ohana, a separate living space over the garage. In many ways, this exemplifies the gray area my wife and I's relationship was in — amicable enough to be close but not too close. Naturally, I enjoyed the sunshine, beaches, hammocks, rainbows, amazing local fruit, and nightly chirping coqui frogs. But the best was getting to enjoy the (albeit expensive) Hawaiian lifestyle with my kids. Eventually, I realized that all the back-and-forth wasn't sustainable, financially or emotionally. So at the end of 2023, we sold our Upstate New York house, and I committed to Hawaii. I found a room to rent just a short walk from their new rental house in Waikoloa, which offered me a mix of proximity and independence. Then six months later, my wife lost her job at the hospital, and we all moved back to the East Coast. And just like that, we're back in New York Although we initially thought about returning to Albany — where we'd lived for eight years — we wound up settling in my wife's hometown in Long Island. It's been quite an adjustment. Not only the lifestyle and culture shock of hastily leaving Hawaii for New York, but also figuring out whether we're able to peaceably live under the same roof or deftly maneuver some version of "nesting." Currently, my wife and I are living apart, and we are using mediation to draft a separation agreement. I'm looking for a job, a car, and a place to live that's close to the kids. As I reflect back, I'm proud of myself for staying authentic to my intuitions, even when it was painful. I value the insights that I've gained from my marriage, thanks in large part to the couples coaching we did. And though I regret selling our Albany house, I'm grateful for experiencing Hawaii as much as I did. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
We moved our family to Hawaii for my wife's job. Now, we're separating and back in New York with the kids.
Moving was nothing new for my wife and me, who have lived in many places together. We met in Southern California and spent years living around the East Coast. Each of our three kids was born in a different state. By fall of 2020, my wife was looking to relocate to someplace where she could practice medicine in an indigenous community. Her primary targets were Alaska, Four Corners, and Hawaii, all of which desperately needed doctors — especially during the pandemic. Yet when she announced that she'd actually landed an offer to work at a hospital in Hawaii, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it had a special place in our hearts as we'd gotten married there in 2008. On the other, we'd purchased a nice four-bedroom house with an indoor pool in Albany, New York. But it wasn't just that I was having a hard time letting go of what I thought would be our " forever house." Things between us had already been rocky — and moving to paradise wasn't going to automatically fix that. So I listened to my gut, which told me to stay behind in New York and take some space, even though my freelance writing allowed me to work from anywhere. They left, I cried, and I eventually left New York to join them Seeing them go in 2021 wasn't easy. I can still picture my son (4 years old at the time) waving his little hand goodbye from the airport security line. I cried for several hours that day, wondering whether I'd made a good decision. A couple of months later, I flew out to visit them. After touring the island for a few days, I saw the gorgeous house they were renting in Honokaa, situated on a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the ocean. I was proud of the life they'd set up, but sadly, I also felt like an outsider. Several weeks after I returned east by myself, the five of us met in California for a family vacation, after which the kids and I flew to Albany for the summer. At the end of July, the four of us jetted back to the island. This time, I stayed for the whole school year in the house's ohana, a separate living space over the garage. In many ways, this exemplifies the gray area my wife and I's relationship was in — amicable enough to be close but not too close. Naturally, I enjoyed the sunshine, beaches, hammocks, rainbows, amazing local fruit, and nightly chirping coqui frogs. But the best was getting to enjoy the (albeit expensive) Hawaiian lifestyle with my kids. Eventually, I realized that all the back-and-forth wasn't sustainable, financially or emotionally. So at the end of 2023, we sold our Upstate New York house, and I committed to Hawaii. I found a room to rent just a short walk from their new rental house in Waikoloa, which offered me a mix of proximity and independence. Then six months later, my wife lost her job at the hospital, and we all moved back to the East Coast. And just like that, we're back in New York Although we initially thought about returning to Albany — where we'd lived for eight years — we wound up settling in my wife's hometown in Long Island. It's been quite an adjustment. Not only the lifestyle and culture shock of hastily leaving Hawaii for New York, but also figuring out whether we're able to peaceably live under the same roof or deftly maneuver some version of "nesting." Currently, my wife and I are living apart, and we are using mediation to draft a separation agreement. I'm looking for a job, a car, and a place to live that's close to the kids. As I reflect back, I'm proud of myself for staying authentic to my intuitions, even when it was painful. I value the insights that I've gained from my marriage, thanks in large part to the couples coaching we did. And though I regret selling our Albany house, I'm grateful for experiencing Hawaii as much as I did.
