We travelled to Oahu – one of the islands of Hawaii from Toronto , Canada . Day One was a travel day .

Summary:

Flew to Vancouver from Toronto – 5 hour, Three hour transit in Vancouver, Flew to Honolulu from Vancouver – 6 hours, Airport car rental, Laylow Hotel and Dinner at Hideout- Laylow restaurant.

COVID Requirements For Hawaii From Toronto :

Due to omicoron variant of COVID there are still travel restrictions. We had to show proof of vaccination and get a rapid antigen test done .

Transportation To Pearson From Pickering :

We used a local airport transfer service to get to Pearson from Pickering . It cost about $60 . The service is called ‘Sky Fleet Shuttle’ , and you can get a hold of them @ +1 (416) 209-3300.

Pearson Airport During COVID :

The checkin process was smooth at Pearson . We had our boarding pass and vaccination so there were no issues . We also only arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before our flight and had no issues . My husband however has status with Air Canada so we went through priority checkin and had a shorter lineup for security . We were there around 6 AM on a weekday. I would still recommend getting to the airport three hours before if you don’t have Nexus or status with Air Canada .

Maple Leaf Lounge At Pearson:

One of the things my husband enjoys about travelling is trying out the various lounges in different airports . Lounges offer various services from providing complimentary meals , alcohol , washrooms , tvs and even showers .

The Maple Leaf Lounge at Terminal one in Pearson has meals, snacks , alcohol, tvs and washroom. Prior to COVID the meals were served buffet style . Currently you can order directly from your seat using a QR code .

We had avocado toast with cherry tomatoes , western omelette with hash brown and waffles . Food was decent . Pleasantly surprised ! We also grabbed some Coke Zero to go . Lounges are available once you clear security so you can take the drinks from the lounge onto the plane .

My husband has Air Canada Status using a sister airline program called Aegean. According to him this is the easiest way to get status with Air Canada . So if you are interested check out Agean’s website.

Another cool feature of the lounge- when I connected to the wifi there it gave me an option to download an app called Press Reader . Using this app I was able to download newspapers and magazines for reading on the plane . Publications such as Forbes , Wall Street Journal etc .

Flight From Toronto To Vancouver ( 5 hours ) :

We had booked this flight stretch using our Aeroplane points and was able to book Premium Economy Seats . These seats give you much more room and you get better quality food ! Definitely worth a bit of extra money or points.

For our meal we had an omelette with chicken sausage and potatoes, yogurt , fruits and croissants . The food was decent .

The time on this flight went fairly fast . Watched one movie ‘ Eternals ‘ , read an interior magazine on press reader , did some writing and took naps .

Vancouver Airport Transit ( YER ) :

We had to connect in Vancouver Airport to Hawaii . Once we got off the plane we had to go through US security screening and passport control . This was also a smooth process and it was not crowded at all .

Some questions US Passport Control Ask In Canada :

◦ What is the purpose of your trip ?

◦ What do you do ?

◦ Are you travelling alone ?

◦ Where are you staying ?

◦ How much cash are you taking ?

Our luggage transferred automatically to the next flight stretch ( Vancouver to Hawaii) . We checked with the flight attendant just to be sure .

Once we cleared US security we made our way to the Maple Leaf Lounge in Vancouver Airport. Again due to COVID you had the option to order food from your table . The choices here were a bit lacking . For lunch they only had chilli , mushroom soup and Asian salad . We tried some , and wasn’t overly satisfied so decided to eat outside of the lounge .

The Vancouver lounge has a shower but due to COVID it was closed.

Sal Y Limon – Mexican Cuisine

The airport had Sal Y Limon – a Mexican chain restaurant from the West Coast . My husband’s favourite taco chain from when he lived in Vancouver.

We had chicken and pork tacos . Good food – the sauce was surprisingly spicy . We are Sri Lankan so we can handle spice . However, even we found it to be spicy . Good spicy though .

Joe & The Juice

Near the Mexican restaurant was a Joe & The Juice cafe . Another chain restaurant- this was a world wide chain . I have eaten at a Joe & The Juice in Iceland ( first time ) and New York . I was always attracted to this cafe due to the pink colour associated with its logo .

I ordered a protein shake ( banana, strawberry and vanilla milk ) . This shake is a pretty pink in colour . I remember drinking this in Iceland and thinking wow . However, it was a disappointment in Vancouver. The bananas tasted overly ripe 🙁 . Never ordering one of these shakes again . Still like the pink logo , maybe will try the coffee next time .

Flight From Vancouver To Honolulu ( 6 hours ) :

Was more tired by this flight . Did some blog writing , napped and watched “Road Runner : A Film About Anthony Bourdain “

Road Runner : A Film About Anthony Bourdain

I am a huge Bourdain fan , and was very sad when he passed away . Watching the documentary and learning more about him was a treat .

The meal in the plane was delicious. Had a salad with balsamic vinaigrette, dinner roll, cheese tortellini and cheese cake . Premium Economy food had been impressive so far .

Rental Car or Not In Honolulu?

My husband and I went back and forth on whether we should get rental car for the whole duration of the trip , partial trip or use a car usage service . We decided on getting a rental from the airport with Budget .

Honolulu Budget Rental Car review

In Honolulu airport you have to take a shuttle to the rental car counters . They are all located around the same area . The wait for the shuttle was not very long . The line for the paperwork also moved quickly. Where it all went downhill was when we went to pick up a car . It was an hour long wait for the car since they had to clean and sanitize the car . In all my years of training this was the first time where it was an hour long wait to get a car . I don’t get how the rental car company couldn’t plan a car for a reservation made ahead of time . It just seemed like they simply didn’t care and we had to accept it .

We almost lost a dinner reservation because of this delay. After about an hour we got our rental car – a white Mazda 6 .

Driving after a long flight in a new country is always a bit tiring . Thankfully we made it to our hotel Laylow under 30 minutes and without fighting.

The Laylow Autograph Collection- Honolulu

The Laylow is off a busy road in Waikiki. It only has valet parking at about $50 USD a night . The valet parking was nice but the price tag was a bit painful. Cost of paradise .

Once we dropped off the car with the valet we took an elevator to the second floor to where the lobby is .

While my husband was checking us in, I went to see if the Hideout ( Laylow Restaurant) can accommodate us . Our reservation was at 8 pm and we were 30 minutes late due to the wait for the rental car !

The hostess was kind and told us to try to get there before 8.45 pm since their kitchen closes at 9 am .

We got through our checkin , dropped off our bags and made it to the Hideout. Ideally I would have liked to take a shower but couldn’t due to the time crunch . Sometimes you just have to roll with it .

Hideout Review – Located inside The Laylow Autograph Collection- Honolulu

The Hideout is beautifully designed with different type of seating , plants and lights . Late at night it is busy with tropically dressed people .

We had an Ahi sandwich, ribs and cocktails. Food was done well . A good option for dinner in Waikiki . It’s kitchen closes at 9 pm .

Goodnight Day One

We were exhausted at the end of day one . Took a shower and was so happy to be getting into a comfortable bed for a good night of sleep !