Hawaii

Being an ardent Disney fan, you can expect me to spend a considerable amount of time watching Lilo & Stitch. The show has undoubtedly sparked my intentions to vacation in hawaii since young. I would pretend that I'm drinking some fancy pink-coloured drink while fiddling with the mini umbrella. Also, don't forget the infamous line from the show, 'Ohana means family'. I'm sure I've annoyed every one of my family and friends trying to impersonate Stitch's tone. Thankfully, no one dared to lift a finger at me at that time because I was still at a 'very tender' age. As the years passed, my enthusiasm to visit Hawaii was buried deep in the back of my head. But recently when my friend did a terrific impersonation of Stitch uttering that line, it was like my all the neurons in my brain had a sporadic power search and dug out the dusty old memory of me being so excited to visit Hawaii. I looked up travel tips and advices when travelling to Hawaii, just to reminisce my childhood fantasies. Here's what I got: 

You land at Honolulu International Airport, and you're starving. What do you do first? Well, you can start off by not taking an unmarked tax. Find local transportation in clearly marked, designated areas. Well-versed travelers and police will tell you stories of how unknowing visitors get lured away and mugged - or worse.

Poke is a popular Hawaiian appetizer. It is a raw salad usually made of sliced tuna. For your poke cravings, there are two routes you can take. Either hit up Foodland (even Sam's Club) for a variety of seafood for cheap, or find the best in town. Those are located at Ono Seafood (not to be confused with Ono Hawaiian). The Shoyu/#1 and Spicy/#7 are most sought-after. Afterwards, head a few blocks up and to the right for some Wailoa Shave Ice.

Just like the local pasar malam, the food truck scene is alive and well in Waikiki over at Pau Hana Market. Offering a consistent fleet of restaurants, you'll find a variety of reasonably priced menus from shrimp to loco moco. You'll discover both ample parking and seating. The fact that they're open everyday is a huge perk for tourists.

Craving for some Japanese food? Matsugen's soba noodles is the answer to your cravings. Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin is known for making some of the most mouth-watering, flavourful and tender pork tonkatsu you;ll ever have. You can also get your cravings satisfied at Marukame Udon. They have two locations serving house made, cafeteria-style udon at a great value. What is visiting Hawaii without a drink or two? For a wallet-friendly happy hour, head on over to Izakaya Torae Torae.