Don't Make These 3 Mistakes on Your First Day in Hawaii

Grab the First-Day in Hawaii Checklist

Did you know simple first-day mistakes in Hawaii can derail your whole trip before day two even starts?

For a lot of visitors, the first 24 hours are packed with excitement—and that’s when avoidable slip-ups happen with ocean safety, jet lag, and logistics.

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If you want to start smart and feel good from the moment you land, this episode is for you. You’ll learn how to set an easy, safe pace on day one so the rest of your vacation feels better.

In this episode of our travel podcast, we walk through the three most common day-one mistakes and give you simple fixes you can use whether you arrive in the morning, afternoon, or late at night.

👉 In this episode, you will:

• Learn when not to jump straight into the ocean and the quick checks to make before any swim.
• Beat jet lag and burnout with a light, flexible first-day plan that actually helps you enjoy more of your trip.
• Avoid rental car and check-in hassles with easy, money-saving logistics.

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Scroll up ⬆️ and hit play now to start your Hawaii vacation the right way—calm, safe, and ready for day two.

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🤙Resources mentioned:

• First-Day in Hawaii Checklist
• Hawaii Beach Safety Website
• ROPE Research

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🎧Related episodes:

• 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Visiting Hawaii
• 5 Common Mistakes Visitors Make Visiting Hawaii (from a Native Hawaiian)

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💻Related blog posts:

• Planning Your First Trip to Hawaii
• 10 Best Reef Safe Sunscreens for Traveling to Hawaii

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🤓Chapters:

• 1:11 The Importance of Your First 24 Hours
• 3:04 - Mistake #1
• 7:14 - Mistake #2
• 10:57 - Mistake #3
• 13:16 Bonus Tips for a Smooth Start
• 14:01 First Day Checklist and Resources
• 14:55 Join the Community and Final Thoughts

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• Facebook Group
• Business Sponsor Inquiry (let's work together!)

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This podcast is for travelers looking to plan a trip to Hawaii. Discover travel tips, itineraries, and traveling tips & hacks with guides to help you explore Hawaii. Whether you’re planning a vacation to the Hawaiian islands, dreaming of a Hawaiian getaway, or visiting Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Oahu, or Big Island we’ll help you travel with aloha.

Edge of the Ocean, Stick Figure (w/ permission)

Ukulele and Chill, Coby G (w/ permission)

Chapters

• 1:11 The Importance of Your First 24 Hours
• 3:04 Mistake #1
• 7:14 Mistake #2
• 11:26 Mistake #3
• 13:45 Bonus Tips for a Smooth Start
• 14:30 First Day Checklist and Resources
• 15:24 Join the Community and Final Thoughts

Transcript

175_3 First Day in Hawaii Mistakes to Avoid

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: Most visitors don't realize how much the first 24 hours in Hawaii can impact their entire trip. In this episode, we're gonna be going over the three first day mistakes that can trip up, even season travelers, plus simple fixes to help you start your vacation. Feeling relaxed and ready. Let's go.

[00:00:21] Bryan Murphy: Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii's Best. The podcast helping Travelers Plan an unforgettable Hawaii vacation with insider tips in featuring local voices. I'm Brian Murphy, a husband dad of three, and certified Hawaii destination expert. Each week I share local insights, travel tips, and up-to-date news sometimes with.

[00:00:40] Bryan Murphy: Guests across Hawaii and sometimes solo, all to help you plan your next trip to Hawaii.

[00:00:50] Bryan Murphy: Aloha and welcome to the show. I'm so glad that you are joining me today. And if you're new here, maybe you found this podcast after. Our recent episode on the Hawaiian Miles program, I'm glad you're here. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, you can go back and listen to everything that's changing with the Hawaiian Miles program.

[00:01:07] Bryan Murphy: I'll be sure to keep you updated on anything else that comes out regarding that.

[00:01:11] Bryan Murphy: But today we're talking about your first day in Hawaii, the day you've been looking forward to for maybe. A year, years. And it's always exciting to finally land in Hawaii no matter what island you're traveling to, but that first 24 hours can really make or break your trip.

[00:01:30] Bryan Murphy: And really, here's the thing, not everyone arrives at the same time in Hawaii. I totally get it. Many times we will arrive. Usually around lunchtime, that's the time we typically try to get to Hawaii, but I've done the red eye before and so I'm gonna go over some of those as well. But some flights get in, obviously early in the morning, some midday, and plenty land late at night.

[00:01:54] Bryan Murphy: So no matter when you arrive, there are a few common mistakes that can leave you, you know, frustrated, wiped out, or even honestly put your safety at risk. That's what we're talking about today, and really my goal with this episode is to help you avoid these three biggest first day mistakes that I see a lot of visitors make.

[00:02:13] Bryan Murphy: And I'm gonna talk a little bit about one that I made as well. So I'll be sharing some, you know, of my experience also be. Referencing some research and some other experiences along the way, whether you're, you know, stepping off a red eye or touching down after lunch, these tips still apply. Maybe you want something a little bit more, something that you can just get right away.

[00:02:36] Bryan Murphy: I've put together a one page first day in Hawaii checklist. It's the link in the show notes below. It's the very first link in the show notes. And I break down simple actions for morning, afternoon, and evening. You know, you're in the moment, you're in Hawaii, sometimes you forget. You're just caught up in the moment.

[00:02:53] Bryan Murphy: And these are just kind of some quick tips. This guide to helps you stay grounded and just remember what to do when you get in Hawaii.

[00:03:04] Bryan Murphy: Let's get started with mistake number one, and that is hitting straight to the ocean for snorkeling or other intense activities right after you land. This is really one of the most common choices visitors make, and it's easy to see why.

[00:03:20] Bryan Murphy: You know, it's after a long flight, the water looks inviting. Maybe you're arriving and it's, it's lunchtime in Hawaii and it's still plenty of daylight and you want to squeeze every minute out of your trip. And I, I totally understand, but here's kinda where the research and local safety experts advice kind of comes into play.

[00:03:39] Bryan Murphy: Actually, most snorkeling related fatalities in Hawaii involve. Visitors, not locals. And in fact, about 99 0 90% of snorkeling deaths are unfortunately visitors, and most of these incidents happen within the first few days of arrival in the islands. Whether you arrive early in the morning, midday or late at night, your body is dealing with.

[00:04:04] Bryan Murphy: Jet lag, dehydration, and just fatigue, travel fatigue that really puts you at a higher risk, even if you feel excited and ready to go and adrenaline is pumping. Um, actually a three year state funded study couldn't rule out a link between recent long flights and snorkeling deaths. The study points to something called rapid onset pulmonary edema.

[00:04:31] Bryan Murphy: I'm not a doctor. But this is just the research I told you about is, or, or rope, ROPE. You can search it up, search, uh, ROPE syndrome, or ROP snorkeling and you'll be able to get all this research. I'll link it below as well. But this happens when fluid builds up in the lungs and it's, it leads to, and, you know, dangerously low oxygen levels, travel, stress, especially after flying, can make this more likely, particularly.

[00:04:59] Bryan Murphy: For people with heart and lung issues, the wrist doesn't go away just because the ocean looks calm. Conditions can change quickly, and even experienced swimmers can get caught off guard. Really, the takeaway is simple. Don't make the ocean your first stop as far as snorkeling or other extreme activities.

[00:05:20] Bryan Murphy: Just don't make it your first stop, no matter what time of day you land, you know, wait for a day or two. You can research more about ROPE and about what the recommendations are. Again, I'm not a health advisor or anything like that. This is just based on my own research from accredited studies. So use your rival day for light activities, go for a walk, have a relaxing meal, or check out the sunset.

[00:05:44] Bryan Murphy: If you arrive late at night. Focus on getting rest and hydrating. So you're ready for the next day activities when you do get in the water later on your trip, and I hope you do because the water is beautiful in Hawaii. Always choose beaches with lifeguards. There's plenty of options with that. Never snorkel alone.

[00:06:01] Bryan Murphy: Use the buddy system with snorkeling and stick with traditional snorkel gear, hydrate, rest, and let the body recover from the long flight. The ocean isn't going anywhere and you'll get enough time to fully enjoy it. When you're ready for it. My family and I, our first day typically looks like this. We have a relatively short flight from Southern California, so it's about five and a half hours, depending on headwinds.

[00:06:25] Bryan Murphy: We arrive usually around, I'd say 12 one o'clock Hawaii time. We will get our. Car luggage, head on over to the resort or wherever we're staying. So that's about an hour or two to go ahead and, you know, get the rental car and all that. And we usually do an early dinner. Our tradition, if we're staying on Oahu and we're going over to Colina, staying over there, we, we will do Monkey Pot.

[00:06:49] Bryan Murphy: That's kind of our first and last night meal. Our first night we'll do Monkey Pod and we'll catch the sunset. We usually walk, if we're staying in Colina, we stay at the Marriott and we'll walk to Monkey Pod. Eat some dinner and get some MI ties, but also we're gonna hydrate because it's been a long day, and then we're gonna catch the sunset, usually on the way back and try to get the bed at a decent hour.

[00:07:14] Bryan Murphy: Mistake number two is packing your first day with too much. So it kind of goes with mistake number one, but this is your first day actually waking up in Hawaii. It's common to want to hit the ground running, especially if you've been looking forward to Hawaii. But trying to do it all right away usually leads to exhaustion, crankiness, and really missing out about what makes Hawaii special in the first place.

[00:07:38] Bryan Murphy: The, you know. Trying to get on island time, just the pace of the island. You'll notice if you're staying on Oahu, the pace of Oahu and, and Hawaii and Maui and Hawaii Island. You'll notice they all have kind of different, unique paces and you just kind of wanna try to acclimate yourself to that pace. But Hawaii is anywhere from, you know, two to six hours behind the mainland, continental US, and many visitors arrive, tired, disoriented, and really running on very little.

[00:08:06] Bryan Murphy: Sleep and you know, kids feel it too as well, and it can make a rough start if you're traveling as a family. So whether you're flight lands early in the morning, in the afternoon, or late at night, the best approach is to keep your first day plans light and flexible if you're arriving midday or in the afternoon plan.

[00:08:24] Bryan Murphy: Something simple. Maybe a stroll along the beach, like I mentioned, and just taking it easy, a little walk in, getting some sunlight and just settling in and just taking in all. That is Hawaii. Really what I'm getting at is the main point is don't let fear of missing out. Drive your schedule. You'll see and do more over the course of your trip.

[00:08:48] Bryan Murphy: If you start a little bit slower, let your body adjust, build up that energy again, and really Hawaii rewards. Those who slow down and embrace the aloha spirit. This is one of the mistakes that I have made. My wife, ally and I, we were actually travel to Maui and we were doing, it was more or less a, a business trip, but it happened to be around our anniversary.

[00:09:13] Bryan Murphy: But so it was just her and I and we were working with the Hawaii Vacation Bureau and a few other companies on island. And on Maui and our very first day there, we landed in Kahului and we went over to the Westin and checked in and did everything there. And then we had a reservation to get to a Sunset cruise, which was amazing.

[00:09:36] Bryan Murphy: But had I researched it a little bit better, I would have made this Sunset Cruise maybe day two or three, because man, we were tired. We got on the on the cruise and we knew it was gonna be dinner. We didn't know it was gonna be like. Three, I think it was around three, three and a half hours. And I just felt trapped.

[00:09:55] Bryan Murphy: I was tired. I think we both were tired and it was amazing. It was incredible trying to just like, you know, take it all in and, and enjoy the moment. But I know I probably would have enjoyed it better had I made the reservation for. You know, the second day, that's just one thing. Uh, you know, we tried to do that dinner that first night, but I wasn't thinking that I'd be held captive on a, it sounds, it sounds really dramatic.

[00:10:20] Bryan Murphy: I don't mean it to sound dramatic because it was a sunset cruise and it was beautiful and it was epic and not many people are able to do that, and I totally understand that Hindsight. Had I just scheduled that reservation day two, I know Allie and I, we would have really appreciated that moment, I think a lot more.

[00:10:39] Bryan Murphy: So that was mistake that I made and just for what it's worth, maybe that helps you decide, you know, maybe don't schedule that Lou Al the very first night or that sunset cruise the very first night. Just stick. Stick to a dinner at a restaurant and catch the sunset.

[00:10:57] Bryan Murphy: Let's move on to mistake number three, and that is assuming transportation and check-in will be easy, which usually isn't toys.

[00:11:06] Bryan Murphy: Logistics can catch a lot of visitors off guard. Many people think they'll be able to get a rental car at the airport or checked into their hotel right when they arrive in. In reality. That's not always the case. Rental cars are usually always high in demand, especially on the neighboring islands like Maui and Kauai.

[00:11:26] Bryan Murphy: Shortages and high prices are common, and if you haven't booked ahead, you might be stuck waiting hours or paying more than you planned. Or going with an alternative like Turo, which can't be more expensive. On top of that, a lot of flights land before the usual hotel check-in time, which is often three or four in the afternoon.

[00:11:47] Bryan Murphy: So if you arrive early in the morning, you could be left sitting in the lobby with your luggage, and if you land late at night. You might face limited transportation options or a closed front desk at the rental car company. So public transportation is limited on most islands, so relying on buses or ride shares isn't always practical.

[00:12:07] Bryan Murphy: It's important to confirm all those logistics before you arrive. Definitely book your rental car or airport transfer ahead of time. Double check with your hotel about early check-in or luggage storage if your room won't be ready. Pack a day bag with your essentials like swimwear, sunscreen, and a change of clothes so you can hit the pool or take a walk and not waste the day sitting around.

[00:12:32] Bryan Murphy: This is something we've learned over the years that I think we just kind of take for granted. Now we don't really, this is like intrinsic, this is, it's just kinda what we do because we know that when we arrive, we usually stay at Marriott locations. Check-in isn't usually until four o'clock, I believe.

[00:12:47] Bryan Murphy: And we have a day back and we just have that packed into what we have, um, usually as a carry-on and we're just ready to go. And usually any place that we stay, they have luggage storage. They know that we're there. Typically, we'll get the room ahead of time, like, we'll, we'll get the room before four, but if we don't, we know our luggage is safe with the hotel and we can just go start enjoying the amenities and just making it a kind of a resort day.

[00:13:16] Bryan Murphy: Now, a quick kind of few bonus tips that are just. Good to know is don't leave your valuables in in your car. Theft can happen at popular beaches and trailhead. So that kind of goes with saying as soon as you get your rental car, you get loaded up. You probably don't want to go hiking right away. You don't.

[00:13:33] Bryan Murphy: You probably don't want to go to the beach right away because you have all your stuff in the car and chances. Of getting broken in at a beach or a trailhead is higher than other locations. Also, always respect ocean warning signs and listen to lifeguards. They know what they're talking about. And most important, start practicing the aloha spirit from the moment you land.

[00:13:55] Bryan Murphy: Be kind, be patient and support local businesses while you're there. And that mindset can really go a long way in Hawaii.

[00:14:01] Bryan Murphy: Alright, as I mentioned, check the show notes below. That very first link is gonna be your first day in Hawaii checklist. It's a guide with practical actions for morning, afternoon, and evening.

[00:14:12] Bryan Murphy: You know, screenshot it for your phone, share it with your travel group, however you wanna. Disperse that. Print it out. I still print out. I can, I, I got it. This is like a little confession. I still print out all of my boarding passes and everything, all my rental car. I still print everything out. I have it on my phone too, but I don't know.

[00:14:30] Bryan Murphy: I just still print it out. I'm 43. I'm not. That old, but I, I still like having a hard copy. So if, if you have a, you know, a first day story or question, send it over. Love to hear from you on a, maybe a future q and a episode and follow the podcast wherever you're listening to. This helps you just stay up to date for the next episode, and I'll be sure to link.

[00:14:50] Bryan Murphy: Everything as mentioned below, along with a Hawaii Beach Safety website below.

[00:14:55] Bryan Murphy: Oh, and last thing, we have this super cast community. Basically it's for anyone who wants to dive deeper into Hawaii travel topics. It's a members only, and I feature some bonus content and also some episodes that are only released.

[00:15:11] Bryan Murphy: Through super cast that only members of our super cast community can have access to. I'll be sure to link that below if you wanna check it out. So in until next time, as always, live with Aloha

[00:15:26] Bryan Murphy: Mala for listening to this episode of Hawaii's Best. Just stay up to date on future episodes. Hit follow on your podcast app. Hawaii's Best is a production of Shore Break media group with editing by easy podcast solutions. And. Music, courtesy of our friends stick figure.