A dream holiday to Hawaii

When I was eight/nine-ish, I used to love the Sweet Valley Twins books. I devoured them so fast, I must have read them all! I was smitten with life in America, it all sounded so much more fun than life in rural England!! One book that really grabbed my attention was ‘The Unicorns Go Hawaiian’ – Jessica wins a trip to Hawaii and gets to take her friends from the Unicorn Club with her. Well, I was totally sold on a trip to Hawaii after reading this, grey, cold, England held no comparison to the picture of Hawaii that the book painted. Blue skies, even bluer seas, warm temperatures and picturesque surroundings. I spent many a cold winters night dreaming of taking a holiday to Hawaii, or even living there!

I have a bucket list of places that I’d love to travel to and Hawaii sits in at the top for sure. One thing I love to do, especially when we’re in the midst of winter here is to dream up my ideal holiday. After coming across these gorgeous homes for rent in Hawaii the yearning to visit is even stronger than ever. How perfect do they look?! As I sit writing this, snow is falling outside and the thought of a hot, sunny beach sounds like bliss.

I hope that one day I will actually get the chance to visit until then I’ll have to make do with creating my dream holiday to Hawaii. I allowed myself to sit and dream for a while, putting together a holiday for the five of us to these beautiful Islands. It’s good to dream – the thought of those blue skies and sandy beaches might just see me through until spring finally arrives here in the UK!

Here are a few ideas from my Hawaii Dream Holiday plan.

Where to stay

Let’s face it, when you’re visiting paradise, you want your accommodation to be absolutely perfect too. While the idea of a hotel is appealing, with all five of us, I think that renting a villa would be a better option. I am kinda smitten on this beautiful villa that is set on Napili Cove in Maui. It is just steps away from the beach, those palm trees and turquoise waters have me sold! Situated in a gated community, it’s a perfectly private setting for a relaxing getaway.  A beautiful villa with all of the amenities that you could need would be perfect for a family holiday – allowing you to come and go as you please, prepare your own food if you like, relax as a family without being interrupted and find some peace and solitude. With plenty of ammenities and attractions just a few minutes drive away, it is the perfect location for a family holiday.

Where to visit

While right now the thought of a few days lounging around on the beach, and not having to move a muscle sounds incredibly appealing, I couldn’t travel all that way and not see visit of the wondrous sites that Hawaii has to offer. From beautiful snorkeling spots to incredible hikes, Hawaii is the sort of natural beauty that I love so much.

Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park ~ Known for its waterfalls and freshwater rivers, it was once home to Hawaiian Ali’i {royalty}. Since it is still only accessible by  foot or boat, it’s still fairly isolated and would be a wonderful retreat from the world, making it a ideal day trip whilst in Hawaii.

Kona Coffee Farms ~ As a coffee lover, who could resist a trip to a coffee farm?! They even have a Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in November. You can visit a few different farms, find out how the beans are grown and even do some taste testing while you are there.

Akaka Falls ~ Known because of the TV show ‘Lost’. These falls are a huge tourist attraction and they are stunningly breathtaking, I would love to see them in person.

Mauna Kea ~ This mountaintop has a world-class observatory as well as offering stunning views.

Things to do

There are plenty of family-friendly activities to choose from to keep you all busy while you’re on holiday, with so many to choose from it may be hard to pick which ones to fill your days with. These are the ones that made it to the top of my list.

Maui Whale Watch Cruise ~  I would love to get to see Whales in person, I can’t imagine how amazing it would be!

Koloa Zipline – my daredevil middle two children would love to do this one –  a 3 hour zipline adventure, flying through the native forest on Kauai’s longest ziplines.

Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise ~ this is definitely on top of my list, imagine swimming alongside turtles.

Where to eat

I love to eat, and try new things. While I’m vegan, I’m pretty adventurous and love trying local cuisine and dishes if I’m away. I’ve been told there are some great places to eat in Hawaii, and it would be rude not to try at least a few of them out, right?!

Vintage Cave seems to pop up in every article  I read about Hawaii, fine dining so it might not be one I take all of my gang too.

Town in Honolulu offers  local, organic and seasonal Hawaiin food.

Aoki’s Shave Ice – this is one that I have to take the kids to, for a cooling afternoon treat ~ it would definitely win me some brownie points with them.

Perhaps I should start skipping the coffee shop visits and save up for a trip to Hawaii. It would be a wonderful experience for my kiddos, and I’m certainly long overdue a luxurious holiday, and desperately in need of some warmth and some sunshine! Have you ever been on holiday to Hawaii? If you have I would love it if you shared any tips you have – which Island to visit, must visit attractions, activities to do, any eatery recommendations or even quirky little shops for those essential holiday souvenirs.

This is a collaborative post, all thoughts and opinions are my own