Latest / Hawaii Travel Podcast by Hawaii’s Best: Plan a Better Hawaii Vacation / Hawaii Travel Hacks I Wish More Visitors Knew
Transcript
- 0:00Bryan Murphy: We've all seen a thousand Hawaii travel hacks online, but which ones actually work?
- 0:07Bryan Murphy: In this episode, you'll discover nine proven travel hacks that can help you save money, avoid crowds, and make your trip to Hawaii smoother and more authentic.
- 0:18Bryan Murphy: Aloha and welcome to Hawaii's Best.
- 0:21Bryan Murphy: I'm Brian Murphy, a Hawaii destination expert and your personal guide to planning a better Hawaii trip.
- 0:26Bryan Murphy: Through practical tips, local voices, and stories from the islands, I'll help you make the most of your time in Hawaii and stay connected between visits.
- 0:35Bryan Murphy: Today, we're talking about nine Hawaii travel hacks that actually work, not just the recycled ones that you see on Instagram, TikTok, a travel blog, but the real hacks that can actually save you money, save you some time, and overall just help your trip be less stressful.
- 0:52Bryan Murphy: So let's get into the nine Hawaii travel hacks that actually work, starting with number one is use Shaka Guide.
- 0:58Bryan Murphy: If you've been listening to the show for a while, you might remember having my friend on, Andrew Fowers.
- 1:04Bryan Murphy: He's co-founder of Shaka Guide.
- 1:06Bryan Murphy: He was on the show quite a few times actually.
- 1:09Bryan Murphy: He said something that stuck with me.
- 1:11Bryan Murphy: He mentioned that we're not trying to replace tour guides, we just want to help people travel more with Aloha.
- 1:18Bryan Murphy: And that really resonates with me and that's what Hawaii's Best is all about.
- 1:23Bryan Murphy: So that's exactly what Shaka Guide does.
- 1:25Bryan Murphy: I've used Shaka Guide many times.
- 1:27Bryan Murphy: I've loved them.
- 1:28Bryan Murphy: I've actually have worked with them for many years, not just in an affiliate role.
- 1:33Bryan Murphy: I definitely use Shaka Guide and recommend them.
- 1:36Bryan Murphy: So basically what Shaka Guide is, it's a GPS-based audio tour app that tells stories as you go from site to site.
- 1:44Bryan Murphy: It shares local insights, things to do, not to do, things to try, and it even, you know, plays Hawaiian music as you drive, which is pretty cool.
- 1:53Bryan Murphy: It does work offline, which is huge for places like Waimea or any of the national parks, but you just wanna make sure that you download those specific tours prior to traveling and not try to do it in the car.
- 2:07Bryan Murphy: Some of the reviews have been frustrated because it didn't work.
- 2:11Bryan Murphy: The biggest cause of that is not downloading that specific tour before you go out because cell reception across the islands can be spotty.
- 2:22Bryan Murphy: Hack number two is use Touro, but only when rental car agencies sell out.
- 2:29Bryan Murphy: If you listened last spring, I think it was, you'll remember my conversation with Lealani and Jenna from Touro in that chat.
- 2:37Bryan Murphy: Kinda opened my eyes to how much this platform does help local families and, and we saw that, especially after the Maui wildfires.
- 2:46Bryan Murphy: So when traditional car rentals sell out, and they can sell out depending on the season and the island, especially, you know, Maui or Kauai specifically, or they go to raise prices during those peak seasons, this is kinda where Touro shines.
- 3:02Bryan Murphy: It's a peer-to-peer car sharing app where you can rent directly from local hosts.
- 3:08Bryan Murphy: KITV News even reported that Touro filled Hawaii's rental shortages last year.
- 3:14Bryan Murphy: So it's flexible.
- 3:15Bryan Murphy: It can be cheaper when the rental car companies are raising their rates and obviously if they're selling out.
- 3:22Bryan Murphy: I found it to be a little bit more expensive if I'm not traveling during peak season or if the inventory at the rental car company is good.
- 3:30Bryan Murphy: I, I found Touro to be a bit more expensive, but it's a great option when those things aren't there.
- 3:36Bryan Murphy: And what's cool is like you get to support locals directly.
- 3:40Bryan Murphy: There's an asterisk next to that because you can tell if some of the hosts are local and if some of the hosts are not.
- 3:48Bryan Murphy: It feels more like a business.
- 3:49Bryan Murphy: You can tell if you get on the app and play around for a while, you can see if, you know, if people have whole fleet of cars that can kind of scream, you know, just be aware.
- 3:58Bryan Murphy: Hack number three, if you're staying on Oahu, is use the Holo card.
- 4:03Bryan Murphy: This is one thing that a lot of people, a lot of visitors completely miss, and that's the Holo card.
- 4:08Bryan Murphy: If you're spending any time on the island of Oahu, this little, it's a$2 card, it's really one of the best deals that you can get in Hawaii.
- 4:17Bryan Murphy: It works on both the bus and the new skyline rail that connects from East Kapolei through Pearl Harbor and into downtown Honolulu.
- 4:27Bryan Murphy: What's cool with this card is that you just tap it once and it automatically caps your total fare at $7.50 a day, no matter how many times you ride.
- 4:37Bryan Murphy: If you explore Alamoana, Kakako, or even Pearl Harbor, you never have to pay more than that.
- 4:43Bryan Murphy: You can grab one at ABC stores, 7-Elevens, or even at the airport.
- 4:48Bryan Murphy: It's budget friendly, better for traffic, and gives you a genuine taste of local life.
- 4:53Bryan Murphy: You can check out honolulu.gov/holu for info.
- 4:58Bryan Murphy: Travel hack number four is stay a block or two inland away from the ocean.
- 5:04Bryan Murphy: This might surprise you, you know, your goal might be to stay right on the water, but if you're staying on Oahu or Maui, booking just a block or two inland can save you 20 to 30% on your stay.
- 5:18Bryan Murphy: I did this in Waikiki.
- 5:20Bryan Murphy: I was about two blocks from the beach staying at Shoreline, which is a cool little boutique hotel, but still within walking distance around Waikiki, it was a great stay for my wife and I.
- 5:32Bryan Murphy: Saved a couple hundred bucks on that and it didn't feel like we missed much, but I know it's great to stay on the water, but if you're looking to save some cash, this is definitely one of those options that actually work.
- 5:43Bryan Murphy: Hack number five, don't forget your Costco card at home.
- 5:47Bryan Murphy: Now, I talk a lot about how to support local and really that's the heart of what I wanna get across, but no matter how badly you want to, it's really hard to escape Costco even in Hawaii.
- 6:01Bryan Murphy: Costco has the best gas prices on all the islands.
- 6:05Bryan Murphy: K-H-O-N-2 News found that it's about 40 to 60% cheaper per gallon than anywhere else.
- 6:13Bryan Murphy: And you can also grab some local fines there, you know, from Poke to chocolate, macadamia nuts, corneal coffee.
- 6:20Bryan Murphy: And if you're staying in a condo, hotel, or timeshare, u- usually has like some type of kitchen and this could save you some money by just cooking in, getting some stuff from Costco, you know, so buy your gas and groceries at Costco if you're looking to save some money.
- 6:35Bryan Murphy: It's probably one of the most practical hacks on this list, but don't forget your Costco card because every island has a Costco.
- 7:39Bryan Murphy: And since we're talking about groceries, it kind of leads me to hack number six is get a grocery loyalty card.
- 7:45Bryan Murphy: At Foodland, you know, ask for a Mykai card at Safeway, grab their club card.
- 7:50Bryan Murphy: You don't need to have a local address and you'll instantly save 20, 40% on select groceries and poke bowls, which Foodland is the place to go for Poke.
- 8:02Bryan Murphy: So it's free, it's fast, it's kind of a no-brainer and it's a hack that not a lot of people think about.
- 8:07Bryan Murphy: Travel hack number seven is kind of a survival gear.
- 8:11Bryan Murphy: I'm not sure what to call it, maybe a local survivor gear.
- 8:14Bryan Murphy: This is a hack I've used and, and gotten from Reddit actually.
- 8:18Bryan Murphy: This is local swear by it is, you know, bring earplugs, especially if you're staying on Kauai.
- 8:23Bryan Murphy: Those roosters, they're cool and they're interesting, but they don't care what time it is.
- 8:29Bryan Murphy: So have some earplugs.
- 8:31Bryan Murphy: If you're staying in Waikiki, it could be loud, a lot of traffic, lot of sirens.
- 8:36Bryan Murphy: So having earplugs could be important for you.
- 8:39Bryan Murphy: Bring duct tape for quick fixes.
- 8:41Bryan Murphy: You never know, maybe you blow out a flip-flop or something like that.
- 8:44Bryan Murphy: Um, also reusable grocery bags.
- 8:47Bryan Murphy: These are required in most of the counties.
- 8:50Bryan Murphy: Um, you're gonna need to bring your own bag or you're gonna have to pay for bags as you're checking out.
- 8:54Bryan Murphy: I know this isn't like a really slick hack, but it's, this is the stuff that can save you headache or just like, "I wish I would've thought about that," especially bringing reusable grocery bags, that's definitely worth it.
- 9:07Bryan Murphy: Hack number eight is bring a small cooler or insulated tote.
- 9:12Bryan Murphy: So your insulated tote can be part of the reusable bags that you bring, but to take it a step further, if you're doing a lot of long drives or spending a full day at the beach, pack a fold up cooler.
- 9:24Bryan Murphy: We have one of these and it packs about, I would say it's a little bit thicker, a little bit bigger than like a messenger bag.
- 9:31Bryan Murphy: So if you are doing some check bags, you can definitely, you know, just put it at the bottom and it will definitely come in handy, especially if you're on Hawaii Island and you're driving all the way from Kona all the way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you're definitely gonna wanna have some snacks along the way.
- 9:51Bryan Murphy: We use this all the time, so definitely would recommend this.
- 9:54Bryan Murphy: This is kind of one of those things.
- 9:56Bryan Murphy: I never would've thought of that.
- 9:57Bryan Murphy: All right.
- 9:57Bryan Murphy: Hack number nine is use attraction passes strategically.
- 10:02Bryan Murphy: Let me explain.
- 10:03Bryan Murphy: So this one is all about planning smart.
- 10:05Bryan Murphy: The Go City Oahu Pass, it can save you up to 40 to 50%, but only if you're hitting three or more paid attractions like PCC, Polynesian Cultural Center, Snorkeling Tours, or Pearl Harbor sites.
- 10:21Bryan Murphy: But if you're mostly about beaches, hikes, you could skip the pass, but plan first, then decide if it's worth it.
- 10:30Bryan Murphy: Just go ahead and search Go City Oahu Pass and you'll be able to decide if it's worth it for you.
- 10:36Bryan Murphy: All right.
- 10:36Bryan Murphy: I wanna give you a bonus hack, and that is to download the Go Hawaii app.
- 10:42Bryan Murphy: As a member of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, I though it'd be good to recommend their app.
- 10:48Bryan Murphy: And it's very useful, especially going back to how we started this episode about the federal shutdown.
- 10:54Bryan Murphy: It gives you real-time updates about park closures, ocean conditions, safety alerts, and even cultural events nearby, which is kind of another hack.
- 11:04Bryan Murphy: So I wanted to combine it in this one because you can get free hula shows throughout the islands.
- 11:09Bryan Murphy: You just gotta kinda know where to go for that and this app can help with that.
- 11:14Bryan Murphy: You can grab the app at gohawai.com/travel-app.
- 11:19Bryan Murphy: Don't worry, I'll put a link in the show notes below.
- 11:22Bryan Murphy: It's really one of the easiest ways to stay prepared and to travel responsibly.
- 11:27Bryan Murphy: All right, so that wraps it up.
- 11:29Bryan Murphy: Just to recap real quick, use Shaka Guide for GPS audio tours.
- 11:34Bryan Murphy: Number two, use Touro when rental agencies sell out.
- 11:38Bryan Murphy: Number three, use the Holo card on Oahu.
- 11:41Bryan Murphy: Number four, stay a block or two inland to save, to save on lodging.
- 11:44Bryan Murphy: Number five, don't forget your Costco card.
- 11:47Bryan Murphy: Number six, get grocery loyalty cards for instant savings.
- 11:51Bryan Murphy: Number seven, pack a local survival gear, earplugs, duct tape, reusable bags.
- 11:58Bryan Murphy: Number eight, bring a small cooler for beach days and road trips.
- 12:02Bryan Murphy: Number nine, use attraction passes only if they fit your plan.
- 12:06Bryan Murphy: In the bonus one, download the Go Hawaii app for real-time travel alerts.
- 12:12Bryan Murphy: As I mentioned, you'll find everything linked in the show notes below.
- 12:15Bryan Murphy: And if you found this episode helpful, which I hope you have, I would ask you just to hit the follow button on Apple Podcasts or follow on Spotify wherever you are listening.
- 12:26Bryan Murphy: All right, and until next time, my friend, as always, live with Aloha.