It had been over two years since we’d gone on a family vacation. A getaway was definitely long overdue. Work was slowing down for my husband and he got laid off at the end of May.
It was the perfect time for a Summer vacation, which means that we needed to prepare and not just in terms of finding a destination or booking accommodation but also in terms of making our house ready to be empty for a while.
After all, we did not want burglars to make merry in our dwelling while we were absent. So we inspected our house security systems-we had the alarm systems replaced, CCTV cameras repaired, and the entry points checked thoroughly (for example, the door handle seemed to have some issues, so we had it replaced).
But we were not just occupied with these chores. In between all these tasks, we managed to also choose a destination.
We had a lot of options to consider, but the one thing we were sure of is that we wanted a beach holiday! Somewhere where we could enjoy not only the natural beauty and the culture – but also partake in water sports and activities like snorkeling and whale watching (often provided by companies like Kai Kanani)! After a lot of deliberations, however, we settled on Oahu!
We left for Oahu on June 1st. I was thrilled to finally get off this island and happy for the change in scenery. There’s so many things to do on Oahu, lots of great family activities. We tried to fit in as many as we could!
When we first got there we stopped by Chuck E. Cheese for lunch and a little fun. The kids weren’t too fond of Chuck E. Cheese, but they loved the games and rides.
The Polynesian Cultural Center was awesome. We went there twice, once for a buffet dinner and show and then again to enjoy the center during the day time hours. There was a special going on for Kama’aina (Hawaii residents) where you could eat at the buffet and watch the “Hā: Breath of Life” Show for just $25. That’s an amazing deal as it normally would cost $71.90 per person. Although the dinner wasn’t the best, the show was wonderful! It’s a story of passion, ignited by fire, song and dance. The symbolic story of Mana and his beloved Lani, punctuated by Polynesian dance, music and blazing fireknives, is told in “Hā: Breath of Life,” a stunning, new evening show featuring over 100 Polynesian natives, special effects, animation and surround sound. It is a Pacific isle saga of birth and death, love and family, triumph and tragedy.
During the day we visited the 6 different authentic Polynesian villages. The villages included Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji, and Tonga. There are different cultural activities at each village as well as presentations throughout the day. There was so much to do, our day really flew by! After visiting all of the villages we watched the “Hawaiian Journey” movie. It was about 15 minutes long. What made it special was the special effects. The chairs moved, we could smell the flowers and felt splashes of water!We ended our day with the canoe ride (that we finalized after the kids were fighting over a paddle board vs a surfboard and which one is the best), which was quite fun as we had a very entertaining tour guide.
If you are ever on the island of Oahu, I highly recommend you add the Polynesian Cultural Center to your list of things to do.
The Honolulu Zoo was the one place my two year said she wanted to go after she saw pictures of her cousin at the zoo. She kept telling us she wanted to see the animals. The hippos, lions, and dolphins! We did see hippos and lions, but sorry…no dolphins! Due to the unique fauna that we saw here, the place reminded me of a similar zoo in Sydney, which has an even more expansive collection of wildlife. I’ve read that many travelers who make their extended vacation plans for Polynesia often go to Australia as well, due to the distance and ease of travel between the two places. Sadly, we did not have the time to visit Oceania this year, but maybe we might go in the future.
The Ice Palace is a skating rink which was one of my husbands favorite places when he was a kid. He was excited to bring the girls there. Yes, you can really go ice skating in Hawaii! I’m not very fond of ice skating. I’m too afraid of falling on the hard ice, but my husband and the girls all loved it. We stayed for a few hours and by the end my six year old really got that hang of it, she did great. My two year old, didn’t want to get off the ice, every time my husband brought her off to rest, she wanted to go back! Although I didn’t skate, I had fun watching from the stands.
Bay View Mini Putt was lots of fun. It’s been years since I played mini golf, and neither of my girls have ever played. My two year old even surprised us with a few hole in ones! Future gold pro? Maybe!
We spent a lot of our time at the beach. During part of our vacation with stayed with my aunt, uncle, and cousin on the world-famous North Shore. They live right across a beautiful beach. My daughter loved walking the sandy shoreline looking for shells. I can’t think of a better vacation destination than this. If you are looking for a beach vacation, you should consider this place. Free the nomad inside you. Take the next flight (maybe book a private jet rental from the likes of Jettly) or train, whichever mode suits your budget, and start the trip.
We had a great trip. It was nice seeing family we hadn’t seen in a while. I really loved all the quality time we got to spend together as a family. No school, no work, just time to relax and enjoy each others company! We definitely made the most of our time and left with great memories.
Looks like you had a great time, we are overdue for a vacation as well. Most of ours have been somewhat of staycations this year, lol.
It looks like you had a great time! Such a lovely place!
How lucky are YOU GUYS!!! Looks like a fab place to vacation!
Looks like fun. We just went to a Cheuck E. Cheese last night. I like to play the skeeball myself.
LOVE your pictures. I really want to go to Hawaii some day! What a great trip too…..who knew you can ice skate and yeah, I need that thing to hold on to….I don’t want to fall either! Thanks for sharing!
It looks like you had a great time!
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky, I would love to vacay in Hawaii.
Looks like you guys had a fun vacation!
Beautiful pictures!! I would love to visit Hawaii some day, but I can’t get over my fear of flying!! I feel like I am missing out on so many beautiful places, so thanks for posting these gorgeous pictures!! I love to look at pictures!!
ooh I’m so envious!! I need a vacation!!! That looks like you all have a great time!! Would love to go there for a vacation! Have never been away on vacation since I was 16 when I went to Montreal.
What a special time for the time family! I’m sorry your husband was laid off, but the extra time with the kids together definitely gave you some special memories! (Love the shadows picture!)
We have never been on a family vacation, but maybe because our entire family is 8 people! My husband and I also have never been away by ourselves. We actually just made plans to have a long weekend away at the end of August IF we can find somewhere for the 4 kids who live with us to go. Your family looks like you had so much fun. And your girls are gorgeous!
I can imagine it must be hard to go on vacation with 8 of you! It’s hard enough with 2..lol. I hope you’re able to find someone to watch your kids at the end of August, it’ll be nice to get away, just the two of you.
How awesome – and what an experience with all of you! I wish I could get to Hawaii for my honeymoon…we shall see!
Wow so jealous! Beautiful pictures & memories!
Oh wow! Looks like a beautiful family vacation! I’ve never been to Hawaii but I sure would love to visit one day!
Looks like you had a lot of fun! I need a vacation! lol
This looks lovely…you guys had some serious fun on your holiday – i am now looking forward to mine – winter will slowly be creeping here in London – need to get to some hot sunny place!!
I’d actually love to visit London! Or anywhere else in Europe.
What a lovely vacation! I was hoping to be in Hawaii next year but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. I hope I will make it there one day. Your pictures make me want to go there even more.
Definitely sounds like you have a relaxing, fun vacation. I couldn’t imagine having a vacation for a whole month. Thanks for sharing via pictures!
These pictures are absolutely beautiful!!
It looks like you had so much fun. We didn’t get to take a summer vacation this year both of us had work throughout the summer. But, next year we plan to do something.
I have never been on an official family vacation yet! Some day I hope to see the beauty Hawaii has to offer!
looks like mucho fun times 😀 I’d like to go there sometime (hawaii i mean).
My husband was born in Hawaii (army base, left when he was 2) and has always wanted to go back. If we ever mange to afford it I’ll be back to check your list. I’m glad you had a good time!
How amazing! I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me they’d have ice rinks – duh. Looks gorgeous, and super fun.
Oh these are such beautiful photos! Sounds like a wonderful vacation!
Wow! What a great time you all had. I would love to visit all of the places you mentioned. My family especially would love putt putt golf!
That looks like the most amazing vacation!! I really want to go to Hawaii!!!
You guys look like you had so much fun.. I need a vacation so bad.. but probably wont get one for about another year. or more…
This sounds so wonderful and your photos are fabulous. Something to treasure for years to come. I’d LOVE to do a month long vacation too.. sounds like a dream!
You picked some wonderful places to visit. I so want to go there and visit the PCC especially!
We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. I miss it!
Which island did you visit?
Wow! What a dream vacation! I love Hawaii!
It looks like you had a wonderful time. Hawaii looks amazing. I have never been but I would love to!
Oh my goodness I am so jealous!! I love Hawaii! We haven’t been to Oahu in years. The last time we went we went to Maui. I would love to be able to stay as long as you did. There is just something about being there that makes you so relaxed.
This obviously was awesome to experience! I would love to go here and try the night life, culture, and food, and just enjoy the beauty of it all. Great vacation spot!