My 30th Birthday Trip to Honolulu, Hawaii

As you know, most of us did not do any traveling last year at all due to COVID-19. Last year for my birthday, I just ordered take out and had a glass of wine. So this year, I decided I would get back to traveling. However, I was a little afraid of going out of the country due to the testing requirements to get back in. I thought all about the what if’s - what if I test positive and I have to quarantine for 10 days? Who will take care of my child? I just started a new job… What will they think if I get stuck and have to quarantine? So, I decided to play it safe and chose a domestic destination. It was ultimately between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hawaii. The accommodations on the USVI were more expensive than Hawaii so I opted to go there instead. In March, flights to Honolulu from Los Angeles dropped to $199 - economy of course, on March 17th so I was sold. My friends and I would meet in LA and fly to Honolulu from there. Since this was going to be a milestone birthday for me, I wanted to experience nice things and spend less as possible on getting to the destination. Now, let’s get into the details.

Day 1: Meet the girls in Los Angeles

I flew to LA to meet my friends. They got to spend the entire day there but since I had just started my new job, I had to work.* boooo* I made it to LA around 9:30PM and made it to the hotel around 10:30PM. We stayed at the Renaissance Marriott LAX since it was cheap, nice, and had an airport shuttle.

My friends surprised me with the cutest charcuterie box and wine to kick the weekend off. I thought that was sooo thoughtful. We ate, drank wine, and went to bed.

Day 2: Arrive in Honolulu + have our first Luau experience

We woke up around 5AM to catch our 8AM flight. We made it to Honolulu around 11:30AM. I thought I was booking private transportation via a large Cadillac Escalade and ended up booking a Cadillac Escalade limo. Talk about kicking off the new decade luxuriously…. We were greeted by our driver with fresh leis for everyone.

We made it to our resort and checked into our Penthouse (first time ever staying in one) and I asked if they had any ocean view rooms available and to my surprise, they did!! Woo hoo! You have to ask for what you want mamas! They even offered the upgrade at no additional cost - we originally had a Mountain View. The ladies were so nice and mentioned that it was their first day back since being closed due to the pandemic.

We went to brunch at Hula Grill nearby, where we had a fabulous server, and walked to our meeting spot to catch the bus that would take us to attend Germaine’s Luau that night.

Day 3: Hiking + Wine Tasting

We woke up early that morning to go hiking at Diamond Head. It started sprinkling rain and I thought we’d have to turn around but my friends mentioned that someone said it did that often, not to worry.

We made it up and down the trail then got food from the food truck. The views from the top were absolutely amazing.

That evening, we went to a family owned winery for a tasting and ate dinner at a Thai restaurant.

Day 4: Rest + Dine

Two of the girls went zip lining while the rest of us stayed back at the hotel to relax and chill. We later got up to get lunch and go pick up my cake from a local bakery. I got invited to attend a time share presentation and I gladly accepted because they offered me a $150 VISA gift card to attend a 1.5-2 hour presentation. I knew we would be eating at a fancy, fine-dining restaurant later.

I attended the time share presentation during the afternoon and met my friends to relax on the beach afterwards. We left the beach, grabbed some pizza, chilled some more, and began getting ready for dinner.

We ate dinner at The Signature Prime Steaks & Seafood. Very pricey, but the view was amazing and the food was good!

Day 5: Rest, Relax, & Yacht - Celebrating Year 30

My friend and I went kayaking on the resort property while the other girls went to pick up breakfast for us from iHop - yes iHop. I always tell the moms in my community - traveling can be affordable for anyone! We got back, ate our breakfast, and it was time for us to get ready to head to the spa.

We got ready and arrived at the Siam Thai Spa. The staff there were amazing. They put up a happy birthday banner and were happy to take photos of all of us. I opted for the Siam Relaxing package and it included 20 minutes in the sauna, 40 minutes of exfoliation - I mean they exfoliated everything and it was heavenly, 20 minutes for a bath soak - I probably only lasted 10 minutes because it was so hot in the room I was in, and a Swedish massage which felt amazing. The milk bath was not as glamorous as it looked on the internet and as I was hoping. The lady explained that she was pouring in milk, epsom salt, and a few rose petals and that was basically it..

We left the spa to get ready for our sunset yacht sail. It was amazing. We had a great Captain Jarrett and first mate Rodney (he captured our photos, made our drinks, and prepared the food).

Day 6: Final Day in Honolulu

My friends were so nice to get up early with me so that I could get some photos to document the trip (and for content - let’s be honest). After we got done, we headed to some shops within walking distance to grab a few souvenirs. We made it back to the room to finish packing and head out.

I know at this point - you’re thinking how much money did you spend??

Well… here is the breakdown:

Hotel & flight: $801/pp - You can definitely go to Honolulu for a way cheaper price - I just wanted to experience staying in a Penthouse - because luxury 30! There were six of us to split the cost too.

Round-trip Transportation: $37/pp - I booked a Cadillac Escalade Limo for the arrival and a Mercedes Sprinter for the departure. I also paid for the fresh leis for everyone so that was an additional $48 for me. If I would’ve known that the hotel was giving them out for free, I would’ve kept my $48. Haha.

Renaissance Hotel (two nights): $75/pp - This was split between three people.

Germaine’s Luau: $123/pp - This included transportation and we used a 10% off discount for booking online.

Winery Visit (because it wasn’t a typical tasting): $30/pp

Yacht Sunset Sail: $167/pp

Diamond Head Entry: $5/pp - This was not prepaid and was purchased on site.

Kayaking at the resort: $45/per family - My friend and I split this between the two of us so $22.50

Siam Thai Spa: $225

Total so far: $1533.50

Add the following:

Uber drives: $60

Food: $262 (Over $100 of this came from one night at a fine dining restaurant)

Cake: $110

Cash Tips: $45 (Drivers, bellmen, etc.)

Souvenirs: $48

Grand total: $2058.50 - $150= $1908.50

Ultimately, this was more of a luxurious trip on a budget that I splurged on according to my bank account because you only turn 30 once, right?! For my 35th, I want it to be more luxurious!!

My heart is still so full from the trip and I am super grateful for the ladies that took their resources - time & money, to celebrate this milestone with me.

Have you been to Honolulu or do you desire to go? Let me know in the comments.