Local Travel Tip

Have you ever worked hard to get that bathing suit body for a vacation, only to come back five pounds heavier again? Eating out while on vacation can be very fun, but very detrimental to your diet. If you want to avoid the five to ten pound weight gain that often accompanies summer vacations, learning to eat out healthfully is essential. Check out some of these tips to help you keep your bikini body even after the trip is over:

1. Try sharing a meal with your partner. Sharing can help to cut down on giant portion sizes, while still allowing you to indulge in a delicious meal.

2. Limit your alcohol intake–these are empty calories will contribute to weight gain.

3. Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day, instead of three large meals.

4. Exercise wherever you can! Try utilizing the resort gym, or participating in fun, physical activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, biking, hiking, etc.

5. Do not eat after 8:00 pm. This will help your metabolism to stay higher, and will prevent extra weight gain.

Making sure you are eating good food is more than half the cultural experience in Hawaii.  Without stumbling upon or asking the locals where the best places to eat are, chances are you won’t find them.

Most of  the best places are what some may call “holes-in-the-wall.”  Here are some good places to eat while you are visiting the beautiful islands in Hawaii.  It’ll be our little secret.

Mitsu-Ken

If you are interested in trying some amazing garlic chicken and fried rice, Mitsu- Ken is the place for you.  Located on 1223 N School St in Honolulu, it can be hard to miss.  Just make sure you look for the long line of people leading out to the street.  Mitsu Ken is very reasonable but is only open for breakfast and lunch.  So hurry down to Kalihi and don’t miss out on this one.

Liliha Bakery

Talk about those cream puffs! Hawaii’s favorite bakery just a little further from Mitsu-Ken is known for the best chantilly cream puffs on the island, and quite arguably the best cream puffs in the world!  Located on 515 N. Kuakini Street in Honolulu, Liliha Bakery is worth the visit–trust me.

Helena’s Hawaiian Food

Now if you are looking to try some great authentic Hawaiian food, Helena’s is the place to go.  Located on 1240 N School St in Honolulu, Helena’s is right across the street from Mitsu- Ken!  This place is truly amazing.

Again, I know a lot of these places look like legitimate dives but like I said, these are just some of Oahu’s best places to eat.  I promise it will be worth it!

Thailand is the land of smiles.  It is also the land of traveling on the cheap!  We’ll see just how low cost Thailand really is.

The airplane tickets are going to be your biggest expense to anywhere is Asia, between $700-$1200 per ticket.  But once you’re there, you’ll be surprised at how much you dinner will cost.

When eating on the street, you’ll find a meal for $.66.  My wife and I often ate 3 or 4 course meals for $25 total; this was a life I could get used to.

I was surprised at the cost of a Taxi in Bangkok.  It seemed to round out to about 1USD per mile.  If you’re willing to take the bus, you’ll be paying around $.10 per ride.

If you’re going, everyone will tell you to head to Kao San Road.  For the most part, this is true.  I would hop in the taxi and tell them to take you there.

There are plenty of guesthouses, and you’ll find one easily. BUT, and this is a big BUT, I would only book 2 or 3 nights, and go to find something elsewhere.

Kao San Road is expensive compared to other parts of the city.  Even the roads around Kao San will be cheaper.

Personally, I’m not into the party scene, so I didn’t mind being away from Kao San Road, and still found plenty of cultural restaurants, museums, and sites to see.

The trick is getting out there and really exploring.  I had a guide book with me at all times, and was able to find things worth seeing, no matter what part of the country I was in.

Thailand really is as low cost as they say, and is worth checking out!  I would definitely set aside a good 4 weeks to get all the exploring that you want.

So, you heard right, the low cost Thailand really is worth it.