From the minute he picked us up until we returned to the hotel, Travis gave us an unforgettable and highly enjoyable tour! We felt we were touring the island with a very knowledgeable friend, not a paid guide. We learned so much about the history , culture, and current affairs of Oahu, but all in a conversational manner throughout the day as we were sightseeing, not in a dry lecture format…we could tell that Travis loves his home and wants visitors to understand and appreciate its uniqueness.
At the beginning of the tour Travis asked us what we were interested in and wanted to see, and then he set out to fulfill our wishes…this was not a packaged, set stops tour at all! I told him we weren’t into shopping, but wanted to see the natural beauty of the island, eat some good food, and maybe see some whales or seals if we could.
He tried to fulfill the whale and turtle request, going to several beaches where they are often visible, but some spouting far out in the water was the best we saw. It was ok though because he gave us ample time at every stop to fully enjoy the beautiful scenery and explore the cliffs or beaches, watching surfers or looking for crabs. We were never rushed or hurried to move on, we set the pace at each stop.
When I saw a Leonard’s food truck and asked if we could pull over for malasadas, he quickly did so. He also took us to a wonderful food truck for garlic shrimp for my daughter and me, and a different one for Thai food at my dil’s request. He asked if we wanted to stop at Dole, which we did for a bathroom break and Dole Whip, and omitted the Macadamia farm, which didn’t interest us.
It was a very full day of sensory overload as we basked in the overwhelming beauty of this island! We all agreed this was the best decision we made about our first visit to Hawaii, and we so appreciate Travis for making it so!