Hawaii 2021
Maui
For the longest time we didn't know whether we could A go to Hawaii and B if we had to test coming from the mainland. Eventually we got the information that we could enter without testing but needed to fill out Hawaii Safe Travels which was time consuming. When we actually sat on the plane off to Maui we couldn't believe it! Excitement level 10! Even though it's my 4th time in Hawaii, these islands have a special place in my heart. Exactly 10 years ago they saved me in a way...
In the Covid Lockdown periods most Car Rental Companies sold half of their fleet in order to survive and now the problem is that you cannot get any rental cars at all or at a reasonable prices. Americans even started to rent U-Haul moving trucks because of that. So of course without a car you can't really do anything in Hawaii. A Hawaiian friend of mine told me about Turo.com, it's kinda like airbnb for cars. Anyone can lend out their vehicle on that platform and you can book insurance via Turo. So we rented a Pick Up Truck which turned out to be quite convenient because we had so much luggage. It actually worked out perfectly, the truck was parked in the airport parking lot, all we had to do was unlock the key, pay for the parking ticket without standing in long lines. We actually rented a vehicle from Turo on all the 3 Hawaiian Islands as well as in Los Angeles at the end of the trip.
Aloha Maui
kinda glad we got a truck with all that luggage
To find affordable accommodation that's not a dump during Christmas time is another challenge! I did spend some hours searching for that. I ended up booking a room at the Kaanapali Ocean Inn. I know Kaanapali can be quite touristy and crowded, it does have a nice beach and is close to Lahaina which I really like. In front of our room was the Luau happening every night, which sells tickets for $300 dollar a head including food and drinks. Leilani really loved the music so we found a way to sneak in and watched the whole show. I had been to a Luau before but of course she hasn't and was thrilled, the hula dancing, the fire show, the singing - best start of the Hawaiian holiday. Kaanapali Beach is very beautiful too and it wasn't even as crowded as I had thought.
The next day we walked from our hotel along the beach to Whalers village where the restaurant Leilani's on the Beach is. That's where I got her name from, a few years ago when I visited with my best friend Uli, I read the sign and I was like: I love that name, if I ever have a girl, her name will be Leilani. And the meaning is so suiting: heavenly flower/royal child. At Whalers village are a lot of shops, so we strolled a bit and in the afternoon went to Lahaina.
Royal Islander Kaanapali
may there always be tradewinds behind you, rainbows above you and aloha all around you 
sunken boat from the storm
hanging with the locals and snowman 
downtown Lahaina
just married
room view
I had booked tickets way in advance for whale watching because they sell out quickly, so we had breakfast on the beach and then boarded the vessel for the tour. It was a 2-hour-tour, we did see quite a few whales, unfortunately no dolphins. The view on Maui and the Islands of Lanai and Molokai. Later we hung out by the hotel pool, enjoyed the sunset on the beach. I was so grateful to be here, this pandemic makes you appreciate travel even more, especially when it's so far as Hawaii.
breakfast view
surfs up
Maui Wowie
Lahaina Harbour
just a rooster on a tree
money can’t buy you happiness but a ticket to Hawaii
Road to Hana
Road Hana is more than just a great drive through a beautiful area of Maui. It is one of the best road trips in the world. The scenic drive is located on the northeast coastline of Maui. and is the crown-jewel of Hawaii driving tours. Lush rainforest, dramatic and rugged ocean vistas, countless waterfalls and pools. In a nutshell: The Road to Hana is the crown-jewel of Hawaii driving tours. Lush rainforest, dramatic and rugged ocean vistas, countless waterfalls and pools. I had done it twice before but Debbie and Leilani have never been to Maui before. When I came to Hawaii with Debbie in 2013 we visited Oahu and Big Island. That's what I love about Hawaii so much, every island is different and unique.
Lanai: is a hidden gem, the smallest and least-visited island is the apostrophe-shaped Lanai. You will likely see more cats, fish and birds than you will people. Lanai has no traffic lights, no public transportation and no discernable nightlife. (haven't been)
Molokai: Often called “the Friendly Isle,” Molokai is known for its warm spirit and slow pace. “Aloha” is not just a word here, it’s a lifestyle. You can still find old Hawaii here — the Hawaii of 50 years ago — preserved in time. More native Hawaiians live here than on any other island. (haven't been)
Kauai: “The Garden Isle” is aptly named for its unbelievably lush and pristine natural splendor. The oldest of the islands by millions of years, Kauai is home to one of the wettest spots on earth: Mount Waialeale that averages 450 inches of rain annually, creating an interior that is dense, misty and mysterious. It’s no wonder Jurassic Park filmed many of its scenes here. (Been 3 times, Debbie once)
Oahu: Known as the “Gathering Place”, for its spirit of ohana, Oahu is an exciting blend of big-city amenities and artistic culture surrounded by gorgeous tropical scenery. Home to Hawaii’s capital city of Honolulu — and the majority of the state’s population — Oahu is an entertainment mecca with a vibrant restaurant and shopping scene. You’ll enjoy some of the finest dining in the state here and Japanese boutiques you won’t find anywhere on the mainland (been four times, Debbie twice)
Maui: The “Valley Isle” of Maui is a tropical playground created by two merging volcanoes. Towering at 10,000 feet, Maui’s Haleakala is the largest dormant volcano in the world, creating 75% of the island’s mass. Its valley is 21 miles wide and 4,000 feet deep, large enough to hold the entire island of Manhattan (been three times, Debbie twice)
Big Island: The “Big Island” of Hawaii is the youngest and the largest of all — and it is still growing! More than 600 acres have been added since the Kilauea volcano erupted in 1983. When comparing the Hawaiian Islands this grandaddy is actually bigger than all the others combined! One of earth’s most ecologically diverse locales with 8 of the 13 different climate zones that exist in the world, you’ll find lush rainforest valleys, waterfalls, lava deserts and even snowy mountaintops. (Debbie and I both been once together)
crossing rivers to get to waterfalls
on the Road to Hana
Hawaii; where leaves are bigger than your child
next destination: Kauai, the garden island
Kauai
I was really excited to come back to Kauai and show Leilani and Debbie what this island has to offer. Again, the pick up of the car at the airport parking lot went smoothly. This time we had a red Jeep Wrangler, kinda suiting for Kauai. For Kauai I had the most difficulty finding accomodation, nothing here is really affordable. So I booked the Kauai Palms in Lihue, which was close to the airport. When I saw the building and the condition it was in, I already had a bad feeling. You had to do self check-in, however, we had no key and no instructions so that's kinda hard to do. We were looking for staff, when I approached a woman who was sitting in front of her hotel room eating, when she screamed NO do not come closer, everything is infectious here. Turns out she was in Covid isolation! Great so this is a qurantine hotel or what?! If it's one thing I don't want to get while here it is Covid! Eventually, we found a woman that worked there and she gave us a key. When we entered the hotel room we were shock! The room was a dump! And I mean we did pay $170 a night so I expect more! We went to the Chinese restaurant to for lunch, talks things through and make a plan. We both agreed that we didn not come all the way to Hawaii to stay in a shithole like this! So I canceled the hotel and luckily got the money back from booking.com. However, it was really difficult finding a new place to stay super last minute and just before Christmas. So we ended up paying way more, which we were willing to do.
After a restful night without any worries, we drove to Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. No matter how many times I visit, it still is so speacial and beautiful. One of my best experiences of my life was a helicopter flight here with my best friend. having a bird's-eye view of Nawiliwili Harbor, the tropical Hanapepe Valley which is known for its fantastic rainbows. The 400 ft. high Manawaiopuna Falls made famous in the movie Jurassic Park and then entering Olokele Canyon, the gateway to the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Then we explored the spectacular and isolated Nā Pali Coast. Seeing majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls, secluded beaches and pristine cathedral cliffs from beginning to end. The helicopter flight is one thing I really recommend doing when coming here.
After visiting Waimea Canyon we had lunch at a shrimp food truck! So delicious, accompanied by a fresh coconut and a pineapple shake.
Debbies friend from work and his husband were in Kauai at the same time as us, so we made plans to have dinner together. I had made a reservation at Dukes, which is one of my favorite restaurants here. Live music, good food, right on the beach, what else do you need.
Waimea Canyon
Napali Coast
shrimp lunch
my heaven
run wild, run free
meeting friends halfway around the world
dinner at Duke's
The next day we drove to Hanalei to have breakfast which was not so easy to do because half off the island decided to do the same, so every restaurant was crowded. Afterall it is Christmas time and I must admit I thought it would be like this all the time, but it isn't. We could get reservations to pretty much all the restaurants we wanted to go and even just walking into some of them and get a table, no problem.
Hanalei
We had planned to do the Kalalau Trail Hike that day, so after breakfast we drove to there. When I had done that a couple of years ago there was no gate or anything, but now there was. A faboulous drag queen was working there and asked for our day pass/reservation and we were like excuse me what? We told her that we didn't know that now you needed that. She looked at us and said well how long are you here for and we said only a couple of more days. I told her that we came all the way from Switzerland and that this was one of the main things we wanted to do in Hawaii. She replied that it was fully booked till after Christmas. We were so disappointed and about to turn around, when she said, keep on driving to the parking lot, you were never here! Awesome!! so nice!!!
For me this is the best hike in the world! Labeled the hike on Kauai, the Kalalau Trail is an 11-mile trek into paradise. A vast array of verdant valleys, waterfalls, sea caves and gorgeous vistas lay ahead of you. Of course we weren't gonna do the 11 miles but just a part of it. Leilani is still in between stroller and walking. I mean she is 3-years-old, she is not gonna hike for hours and hours. So we brought the baby carrier and hoped she would still fit in it lol and we would be able to carriy her! We were proud of her, she walked quite a lot and it is not easy terrain. The views are just stunning! We walked for about 3 hours total, it was quite challenging because it had rained and it was slippery and we didn't wanna get injured or hurt Leilani. After the hike we were starving and had some great fresh fish for lunch back in the town of Hanalei.
Kalalau Trail; one of the best hiking trails in the world
hiking this trail in flip flops, maybe not the best idea this person had
refreshment
After yesterdays hike we needed a relaxing day at the beach, so we drove to Poipu which has a great beach for kids with a bay, shallow water and a playground. It just happens that when we arrived there, four sea turtles were resting on the beach! Amazing. People were very respecful of the animals, keeping their distance of three meters and the lifeguards also had an eye on them. We even saw two seals, so for our daughter this was an absolute highlight.
we were lucky to see these Hawaiian sea turtles on the beach in Poipu
great beach for kids
playground goals
cuties
impressive Wailua Falls
Oahu
Now I was really looking forward to the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. This time we had rented a Mustang convertible from Turo, another great car for this island! I know Waikiki Beach is always crowded but I think it is a really nice beach, clear pristine water with a great view of Diamond Head and great for kids. So of course Leilani was a fan of it, played in the sand and water and watched the boats come and go. At night we went to Ala Moana Mall for some Christmas shopping and supper.
Waikiki Beach
Ala Moana Mall
The nexst day we took our convertible around the whole siland. Stopped at every nice beach, had breakfast at North Shore in Haleiwa. At Waimea Bay we couldn't finid any parking, so one family was nice aenough to lead us to their house so we could park there. On the beach is a big warning sign that people should stay off the cliffs, but what do they do? Cliff jumping! It was fun to watch, but you couldn't get me to jump from there. After the beach we went to the farmers market and then to Sharks Cove, largely protected by a natural breakwater, the pools are great for snorkeling and the water is not deep, great for kids. We saw these people standing on the cliffs and I was thinking to myself, this looks dangerous, what if the waves come crashing in. And that's exactly what happened, one guy was washed off and disappeared. I hoped that he didn't drown or got injured badly. Then two guys were helping him get out the water, when he walked past Leilani and myself we were shocked, his body, the water full of blood. He got hurt really seriously. Deep cuts on his back and head, somebody had already called 911 and the ambulance arrived. Poor Leilani started crying cause she was so scared.
Emery roadtrip
crazy
peacock
rainbow shave ice 
Sharks Cove
On 24th of December we wanted to take iteasy and have a nice beach day, so went to beautiful Kailua Beach and had lunch there. At night we had a great Japanese dinner in Waikiki. Christmas in Hawaii is different, but awesome, 25 degrees, sun, sand, beach and the Aloha spirit. On Christmas Day, we woke up, gave Leilani her gift, sang some Christmas songs and packed some care packs for the homeless which we distributed. The rest of the morning we spent at the Hilton lagoon,
And in the afternoon we wanted to do the Pillbox Hike which has a great view and then go to my absolute favorite beach Lanikai. But of course it was Christmas and everyone else wanted to do the same thing, so we could not find ANY parking without risking getting towed. This was the downside of it. We then went to Waimanolo Beach, which is just as nice.
Our Christmas dinner was Teppanyaki, more Japanese food. What can we say, we love Japanese food, especially after having visited Japan.
Christmas Eve snuggles
Christmas Eve on Kaulua Beach
all I wanted for Christmas is a rainbow and I got a few of them
Hilton Lagoon
Waimanalo Beach
content to be driving a mustang
Honolulu
On Dec 26th we distributed some backpacks, suitcases and more care packs to the homeless and then drove to Aloha Stadium for Hawaii's premier outdoor market, featuring over 400 vendors, crafters, artists, food stalls. This is THE place to get souvenirs, you pay half of what they cost at the ABC markets all throughout Hawaii. One of the most featured places on Instagram is Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens, so we had to visit this place! Absolutely stunning and worth visiting. Sushi for lunch, why stop now with the Japanese food :-) and back to Waikiki Beach for one last swim before we head back to California where it will be too cold to swim in the Pacific Ocean. We had the best time as a family in Hawaii, so many adventures in the 2.5 weeks we were here and just really greatful that in these Covid times this was possible. And Leilani got to visit the place where her name is from. She may not remember this trip but we will and cherish it forever and of course show her the pictures.