rtw rookies: the north shore kick-off
Aloha, travelers! RTW is officially underway and somehow, magically, there are already things to recap? I hope this doesn’t mean time is flying.
Starting our trip in Hawaii was, honestly, one of our better ideas. We didn’t even do it intentionally—we just knew we wanted to go west, and flying direct to Fiji sounded like a terrible plan. Thus, a ten-day tour of Hawaii was born.
Prior to our summer traipse through Costa Rica, the hubs and I hadn’t spent more than a long weekend somewhere tropical. However, our love for Tamarindo set something in motion, and I have to say:
For two non-surfers, we really adapt to surf towns.
Immediately upon landing in Honolulu on March 1st (after a direct, 11-hour flight from NYC, my GOD), we headed to pick up our Thrifty Car Rental, as arranged for us by Argus Car Hire.
Though renting a car can feel superfluous, I will say that it’s almost necessary to explore the North Shore and other parts of the island. You can, of course, traverse the island via public transit (TheBus, in particular), but as Honolulu is second in the world for traffic, I wouldn’t recommend it if you plan for a visit to the North Shore. We met someone at our hostel who faced a three house bus ride from Honolulu to Haleiwa immediately upon landing.
Yeah, no thanks.
An added bonus? The access to a car led to many seriously stellar drives along the coast.
Though our time in the North Shore was brief, it was easily one of my favorite parts of Hawaii. The laid-back culture and general friendliness of the locals put me immediately at ease—even our super hippie hostel situation didn’t wear on me after the first night. (I mean, our room didn’t have a door… communal living is a real stretch for me.)
Hawaii–and particularly the North Shore–was just enough of a change to get me out of my New York state of mind, without completely throwing me out of my comfort zone (we can thank Fiji for that, but more on that to come.)
xo!
the romantic
– Thanks to Argus Car Hire for helping us make the most of our time in Oahu! Despite their generosity, opinions are, as always, my own.
Lazy Travelers
The Lazy Travelers are two transatlantic best friends who have mastered the art of exploring a new city. Though Ashley is based in London and Carolyn is in Philadelphia, we'll use any excuse to reunite around the world. We’re professional bar hoppers, pub crawlers, and food testers, and you’ll never see us zipping around, checking things off a list of “must-sees.”
12 Comments
Britany
yeah sooo I’m a little obsessed with your instagram feed since this little trip started. Hawaii looks amazing!!
Lazy Travelers
haha i’ve been trying to restrain from over-instagramming because everywhere has been SOO pretty. hawaii was great!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..rtw rookies: the north shore kick-off
Tawny of Captain and Clark
You’re absolutely right. Getting a rental car in Hawaii is the way to go. Looks like you had a blast. We’ve loved following along on your RTW. Can’t wait to see what else is in store!
Tawny of Captain and Clark recently posted..Hungry in Hawaii? Eat here.
Lazy Travelers
yeah, after talking to the people in our first hostel who were dependent on public transit, i’m soo glad we got a car. i think it would have wasted too much time otherwise!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..finding our inner-athletes in oahu
Kieu ~ GQ trippin
I totes agree on the rental car! I always love the drive to the North Shore. For a non-surfer, I was surprised how addicting it was to get out on the water. Despite never actually getting up and riding a wave, I had a blast laying and falling. LOL. Love Hawaii!
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..My Career Break Ends Today
Lazy Travelers
the waves were SOO rough!! we didn’t even attempt surfing this time–stand up paddle boarding was enough of a challenge hahaha
Lazy Travelers recently posted..finding our inner-athletes in oahu
Pola (@jettingaround)
I had a great time in North Shore. SO beautiful. 🙂
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted..Photo of the Week: Rooftop view of San Diego
Lazy Travelers
agreed 100%!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..finding our inner-athletes in oahu
Raul (@ilivetotravel in Twitter)
I have never been to Hawaii so I am jealous but also taking notes on your approach! Thanks for sharing this RTW with your audience!
Raul (@ilivetotravel in Twitter) recently posted..Kilimanjaro Hike: Day 2 – The Moorlands and Shira Camp
Lazy Travelers
i think you’d really love it, raul! sooo many things to do!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..five days on the garden island
Traveling Ted
I think Hawaii anytime is a good idea. Sounds like the trip is off to a great start. How could it not be?
Traveling Ted recently posted..Five Kingdom of Tonga marine adventures
Traveling Ted
I think Hawaii anytime is a good idea. Sounds like the trip is off to a great start. How could it not be? Answer is it can’t!
Traveling Ted recently posted..Five Kingdom of Tonga marine adventures