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I’m going to explain what you should do, what you should avoid, and even some words that are unique to Hawaii. Even if you’ve been to Hawaii before and are looking to return in the future, this article is for you because it’s more than likely you’ve missed something during your stay.

Ready? Here are the 10 dos and don’ts you need to know when visiting Hawaii:

1) DON’T BUY A TACKY ALOHA SHIRT

You can spot a tourist from a mile away when they wear the bright ass Aloha shirt they bought from the ubiquitous ABC Stores at Waikiki or Ala Moana Shopping Center.

I know you guys and gals can do better. I beg you, if you’re planning on purchasing an Aloha shirt while you’re here on O’ahu, go to the Nordstrom Rack located in Ward Center. The Aloha shirts at the Rack are 1748543834957349857349573% better than the ones available at the ABC Stores, plus the prices are comparable! Not only will you be looking more fly, but you’ll also be supporting born and bred Hawaii companies, such as Reyn Spooner, Kahala, Rix, and Tori Richard, which is always a good thing.

2) WHEN VISITING HAWAII DO EAT HAWAIIAN FOOD AT HELENA’S

I had never eaten at Helena’s until I saw the restaurant featured in Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food. However, this is hands down the best Hawaiian food (and my vote for the best restaurant) in the whole state. Yes, it’s that fucking good!

My girlfriend, Annie, and I always order the same thing whenever we eat at Helena’s. Here’s what we order:

• LARGE pipikaula short ribs (this dish is an absolute must!!!)
• Chicken luau
• Fried butterfish collar
• Macaroni salad
• Couple scoops white rice

3) DON’T JUST SWIM AT WAIKIKI BEACH

I have to be honest, the beaches in Waikiki suck! There’s no parking, it’s way too crowded, and the water is disgustingly warm from all of the sunscreen slathered tourists who frolic in the water.

There are soooooo many better beaches on O’ahu if you care to venture outside of Waikiki. There’s Lanikai, Makapu’u Beach Park, and Waimea Beach Park just to name a few.

Therefore, I recommend you avoid the tourist trap of Waikiki beach at all costs.

4) DO VISIT THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND

Waianae, located on the west side of O’ahu, has a reputation for being the sketchiest part of the island, but it’s well worth the visit. Not many tourists make it out to the west side of O’ahu because I assume they’re afraid that they’ll get mugged. However, as long as you’re not walking the streets at night, you’ll be okay.

Why make a trip out there? Because, in my opinion, the best beaches on O’ahu are on the west side, particularly Pray for Sex and Yokohama, which is a little further down the road. Another reason I don’t believe many tourists make it out to the Westside is that the road ends at Yokohama. You can’t drive around the island, and if you wanted to make it to O’ahu’s famous North Shore from the west side, you’d have to backtrack to get there. And thus people don’t even bother, which means more pristine beach for you and me!

5) DON’T MISPRONOUNCE BASIC HAWAIIAN WORDS

I cringe when tourists mispronounce ‘Hawaii’, ‘Aloha’, or ‘Mahalo’. Even though you may have never been to Hawaii before, you’re probably familiar with these words based on movies or TV shows filmed in Hawaii.

Therefore, let’s get the pronunciation straightened out, as well as expand your Hawaiian vocabulary a bit with words you may commonly hear here:
Hawaii (ha-wy-(y)ee)

Aloha (a-loh–hah): Used as a greeting or parting for someone.
Aloha, Bill!

Mahalo (ma-hah–loh): Used when thanking someone.
Mahalo for cooking, Honey!

Kamaaina (ka-ma-eye-na): Native-born, one born in a place.
Hey, you kamaaina here, or what??

Ohana (oh-hah-nah): Family, a blood relative.
Are you going to visit your Ohana over the holidays?

Pau Hana (pow-HAH-na): Means done working or done with your day.
It’s pau hana time. Let’s get some drinks!

Additionally, to the words above, you’re going to hear a lot of Hawaiian Pidgin, which was just added to the official languages of Hawaii by the US Census Bureau in November 2015. Pidgin is a Hawaiian creole language, and though it’s recognizable to those who speak it, to those who aren’t well versed in pidgin, it may sound like slang or a bunch of jibberish.

6) VISITING HAWAII: DO USE HAWAII’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Renting a car gives you the freedom to go where you want when you want. However, if you’re on a strict budget, the cost of renting a vehicle does add up. That’s where TheBus, regarded as of the best public transportation systems in the nation according to US News, comes in handy! It’s relatively inexpensive, a one-way adult fare (any person over the age of 17) costs $2.50, a one-way youth ticket (any person ages 6 through 17) costs $1.25, and any child under the age of 5-years-old is FREE when accompanied by a fare-paying passenger.

I don’t personally take TheBus as often as I used to since high school. However, I can’t recommend TheBus enough, especially those who are staying in Waikiki, because hotel parking is fucking ridiculously expensive, charging anywhere between $25-$35 a night.

TheBus is efficient, arrives every 10–15 minutes depending on the route, and has stops at every location imaginable around O’ahu, from Ala Moana Shopping Center to The Arizona Memorial, O’ahu’s west side, Polynesian Cultural Center, to all of the famous beaches along the North Shore.

7) DON’T EAT AT A CHAIN RESTAURANT

I know avoiding chain restaurants, such as Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, and Macaroni Grill can prove difficult especially if you’re traveling with a family of picky eaters. However, I recommend exploring the world outside of the chain restaurants, or fast food places, and eat local food you might not otherwise try elsewhere.

Although Hawaii is not known to be the healthiest US state for eating, there are a lot of delicious dining options that is price comparable (maybe even a little cheaper). Here are some of my favorites here on O’ahu:

Rainbow Drive-In:

Rainbow Drive-In is located right outside of Waikiki and is my go-to place if I’m starving, in a hurry, and don’t want to spend a lot of money. They’re known for their plate lunches, which is essentially two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and the main entree. I’ve been going to this place for years, but it’s a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike. I recommend a mix-plate.

Marukame Udon:

If you’re staying in Waikiki, love Japanese food, and want to save money, I highly recommend you eat at Marukame Udon. There are a lot of ramen/noodle shops in Hawaii, but frankly, they don’t compare to this place. What makes Marukame Udon special is that they make the udon noodles by hand, and for the price, this place can’t be beaten. Do you know how I know this place is delicious? Japanese people from Japan eat here, which alone proves that this place is legitimate.

Side Street Inn:

Side Street Inn is a family-style restaurant with local dishes, made popular by Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. The price for each dish ranges between $15-$35, but the portions are huuuuuggggggeeee, so come hungry. The garlic chicken, fried pork chops, and kimchee fried rice are my staples whenever I come here.

Alan Wong’s Restaurant:

Are you looking for a more high-end dining experience? If so, Alan Wong is my first choice. They serve Hawaiian, Asian Fusion food, and I recommend the short ribs. My only knock on Alan Wong’s is, from all of the times I’ve eaten here in the past six to seven years, they never change their menu. In spite of the lack of creativity at Alan Wong’s, the quality of the food is certainly worth the price of admission.

8) WHILE VISITING HAWAII DO EAT POKE

Since we’re on the topic of food, I’m going to give you yet another food suggestion: EAT POKE!!! Poke is raw ahi (tuna), cut into cubes, and marinated in a special sauce of soy sauce, limu seaweed, onion, crushed chili pepper, etc., usually served over a bed of steaming hot rice.

I put eating poke separately because, like Helena’s Hawaiian Food, this is a MUST if you’re visiting Hawaii. However, there’s only one place I recommend you go to on O’ahu for your poke fix, and that’ Ono’s Seafood located on Kapahulu Ave right outside of Waikiki.

Don’t fuck around with the grocery store garbage, previously frozen poke, or other poke shops that pretend to do poke right. Ono’s Seafood’s fish is always fresh, never frozen, but what separates them from the pack is their sauce. I don’t know how to describe the sauce, however, if I were into drugs, I’d imagine it’s like smoking crack. I always go with the poke bowl, half spicy, half shoyu (soy sauce) ahi with brown rice.

Pro-tip #1: If you’re ordering a poke bowl, eat it ASAP. You won’t have an ideal poke experience if you wait for 20–30 minutes to chow down because the steaming hot rice will cook the raw fish, which ruins the taste. Trust me.

9)VISITING HAWAII: DON’T JUST STAY ON O’AHU

I’m an Airbnb host, and I naturally interact with a lot of people vacationing here on the island. A question I always ask my guests, “Will you be visiting the other islands?” A majority of them do visit the other islands neighboring O’ahu, but some simply don’t because of obvious reasons, like time and money.

However, if you have the time, and you do have the funds to make it there, there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t explore O’ahu’s neighboring islands. The big three are Kauai, Maui, and The Big Island. The islands are all separated by less than a 45-minute plane ride, and the reason I recommend you visit them is that each island has its unique feel to it.

O’ahu is a city. Kauai is a country. Maui is scenic. The Big Island is volcanic. I hate to say it, but O’ahu is my least favorite island because of all of the hustle and bustle.

10) VISITING HAWAII: DO GO TO SHIMAZU STORE FOR SHAVE ICE

Hawaii is famous for its shave ice dessert. On O’ahu, everybody knows about Matsumoto Shave Ice on O’ahu’s North Shore, Waiola Shave Ice in town, but I prefer the shave ice at the lesser-known Shimazu Store.

Shimazu Shave Ice was featured in Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods, and it’s no secret why. The small shave ice portion is bigger than your head. In spite of its size, Shimazu’s doesn’t skimp out on quality, and the syrups and quality of the ice are simply better than both Matsumoto and Waiola.

I recommend you try all three to compare, but I believe you’ll agree Shimazu takes the cake as the best shave ice spot on O’ahu.