I’m lucky enough to get a 1 year maternity leave and when we had Mikayla I insisted that we take advantage of my time off and go on as many adventures we can. If we are lucky enough to have another baby, I’m going to plan on saving as much money as possible so we can go on longer trips or more trips!
Chris and I have been to Hawaii together and on our own and have made some amazing memories there. Snorkelling, bar hopping, surfing, renting scooters… we knew going there with a baby would be very different.
We went to Honolulu for 7 days and stayed at the Wyndham Royal Garden in Waikiki. When we booked our trip we booked flights that were at the same time as Mikayla’s bed time. That way we knew there would be a greater chance she would be sleeping for most of the flight. And luckily enough, that was the case. I nursed Mikayla during take off and she fell asleep for a couple hours, woke up to eat, play a little and then went back to sleep. It was a 6 hour direct flight from Vancouver to Honolulu so I brought lots of snacks, formula and a few new toys and books that would keep her entertained. We brought snacks she liked plus new snacks so they were different and exciting for her.
Click here to see our packing list of what we bring on the plane for Mikayla.
While we were in Honolulu we set our expectations pretty low as to what we could do. We just knew that we wanted to go to the beach or the pool everyday and have some good meals. Hawaii is 3 hours behind us and on the very first night, after unpacking and settling we went to bed at midnight, Mikayla woke up at 4am the next day. I PRAYED to God that it wouldn’t be like this the entire trip. Chris said I was being dramatic… LOL. We left the hotel around 7am and went for breakfast at Heavenly… which had the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. I think it was the hummus they combined with it, or the fresh bread, something! Mikayla loved her scrambled eggs and toast. After breakfast, she fell asleep on our walk to the beach. We bought a beach umbrella so she would have some shade.
Click here to read my Beach Bag Essentials post with some Beach Hacks for Baby.
We went to the beach every morning where we rented a floaty for $5 and just hung out. Then we walked around the main strip and into the new International Marketplace. Did a little shopping and ate a lot of good food. We thought about hiking Diamond Head but it was so hot everyday… usually around 27 to 29. We weren’t feeling like doing a hike midday with Mikayla on our back, probably sweating and uncomfortable. We’d have to bring food up with us if we went, so we decided against it.
We rented a car for a day and drove around the entire island. We started early, around 9am and stopped at Leonard’s Bakery for fresh Malasadas. They’re like deep fried dough balls, basically donuts that are covered in sugar. So delicious because they’re made fresh to order. We drove to Laniakea Beach in Haleiwa, it’s known for the sea turtles that feed in the reefs and come up to warm up on the beach. Afterwards we stopped for Shave Ice at one of the best spots: Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. Their’s is different because of all the flavours you can choose from, plus you can add ice cream, condensed milk, and or mochi!
On another day we went to the aquarium. It’s pretty small but perfect for little kids. It was fun watching her point, smile and say “sahhh!!” to the fish.
Honolulu was so good to us with Mikayla. We loved every minute of it. We ate at a bunch of different restaurants and each one was kid friendly, had clean high chairs, kid menus and brought the kid’s meals out fast and first. The beaches were gorgeous and there’s entertainment and live music almost every night. We miss it already!
Mikayla’s Firsts While In Hawaii:
- first time in the ocean
- first time trying ice (shave ice)
- first time trying ice cream
- first time getting heat rash! (UGH!)
- first time eating chow mein (loved it)
- first time eating pineapple (loved it)
- first time at an aquarium
- first time eating seafood (shrimp)
- first time napping at the beach
- first time watching a parade
- first time in Hawaii!
When travelling with a 10-month old baby, here’s what worked for us:
- Fly during nap time or bed time.
- Bring a noise machine & a light muslin blanket to cover the stroller for stroller naps
- We stayed in Honolulu, so we brought our stroller since we could walk to everything, we used the UppaBaby Cruz
- Bring a beach blanket, but buy a beach umbrella, sand toys and bubbles at a convenience store there.
Click here to read my Beach Bag Essentials post with some Beach Hacks for Baby.
Fun places to go with the baby:
- Honolulu Aquarium
- Laniakea Beach in Haleiwa to see the sea turtles (but waves are big here)
- The Hilton Lagoon is open to the public and is perfect for baby to sit in and splash around
- Matsumoto’s Shave Ice
- Marketplace has live music and entertainment every night.
Amanda is a writer, photographer, videographer and a content creator with a passion for sharing stories. With her family of 5, they share experiences, tips and ideas that empower Moms to make memories with their families right here in British Columbia.
