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I went to Hawaii for the first time. My trip would've been better if I'd known these 5 things before I left.

Megan duBoisMay 1, 2024, 00:01 IST

I went to Hawaii for the first time and stayed on Oahu. Megan duBois

I visited Hawaii for the first time, and there are things I wish I'd known before the trip.
Figuring out that there's more than one Leonard's Bakery on Oahu would've saved me some stress.

Well over 1 million people have already visited the Hawaiian Islands this year, and I was lucky enough to be one of them.

I went on a nine-day trip to Oahu that included a stay at Disney's Aulani Resort in Ko Olina.

Because this was my first time visiting Hawaii, I tried to do as much research as possible before my trip. But after arriving, I still wish I'd known a few things.

I thought it would be much harder to get around the island.

We didn't really get stuck in much traffic on Oahu. Megan duBois

The kind of sunscreen you pack matters.

You should only be using reef-safe sunscreen in Hawaii, especially if you're going in the water.M Swiet Productions/Getty Images

I wish I'd known that there's more than one Leonard’s Bakery on the island.

The doughnuts are filled with things like jam and cream. Megan duBois

The weather can change depending on what side of the island you’re on.

On one drive, we saw several different weather patterns. Megan duBois

Learning a few key Hawaiian phrases goes a long way with locals.

It was nice to be able to communicate with the locals we met during our trip. Megan duBois

I'm an American who visited Costco in Canada. It may look identical, but it's not the same.