Image of Marcie Cheung, a Hawaii travel expert.

How I Became a Hawaii Expert (Without Living There)

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Here’s my story from the nostalgic 90s to today!
This post about being a Hawaii guidebook author was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.

My first trip to Hawaii was to Kauai when I was 10 years old.

It was the 90s, and Hawaii was a completely different place. No food trucks. No Instagram-worthy acai bowls. And no assigned seats on inter-island flights. You just showed up at the gate and got on whichever plane was leaving next.

I’m not kidding. It was the Wild West of island hopping.

I didn’t know it then, but that trip planted something in me that would eventually turn into a business.

Fast forward a few decades and I’ve been to Hawaii more than 40 times, I hold a certification as a Hawaii Destination Expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

And I’ve spent 20+ years studying hula, a practice that gave me a cultural foundation most tourists never get.

And I do all of this from Seattle.

Yes, Seattle. Three thousand miles away, in the rain.

“But How Are You an Expert If You Don’t Live There?”

It’s the question I get asked most, and I love it because it forces me to actually explain what I do.

I approach every Hawaii trip the way I’d approach a research project.

One visit might be entirely focused on comparing family resorts.

Like when I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui to evaluate it specifically for families, or the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach on Oahu to see how it stacked up against other options in that price range.

Another trip is dedicated to testing budget-friendly dining, or figuring out which activities are actually worth the price tag.

I don’t just go to Hawaii. I go with a purpose and a list.

That’s what I mean when I call myself a professional tourist. It’s not a casual hobby. It’s systematic, intentional, and expensive.

But it means that when I recommend something, I’ve actually done it (usually multiple times, across different seasons and different family configurations).

Living in Seattle actually helps in a weird way.

Most of the families I work with are also mainland-based. They’re planning their dream trip from somewhere cold and rainy, investing a significant amount of money, and hoping it doesn’t disappoint.

I know exactly how that feels. I’ve been that person.

The hula background matters too. Learning hula isn’t just about the dance. It’s a window into Hawaiian history, values, and cultural practices that most visitors never encounter. It shapes how I think about every recommendation I make.

The Website Launch That Almost Broke Me

I launched Hawaii Travel with Kids about a year before the pandemic.

The timing felt perfect. Traffic was growing, I’d finally gotten the site onto an ad network (so it was actually making money), and families were finding my content. I was building something real.

Then, exactly one week after I joined that ad network, the world shut down.

One week.

I was devastated.

Not just because of the business, but because Hawaii was dealing with its own enormous challenges and the last thing I wanted to do was encourage anyone to travel anywhere.

I genuinely didn’t know what role a Hawaii travel blog should play in a pandemic.

So I pivoted.

I started sharing Hawaiian recipes and craft ideas for all the families who had to cancel their trips.

It felt like the right thing to do. It was a way to stay connected to the community I was building without pushing travel content nobody could act on.

About a year in, something shifted.

Families started reaching out again, not to cancel, but to plan. Hawaii had become the light at the end of the tunnel for so many people.

And they needed help: real, detailed, trustworthy help.

I spent the next stretch working harder than I ever had, publishing as much planning content as possible so those families had everything they needed when the time came.

It paid off. The traffic that came back wasn’t just big. It was different.

These were people who were serious about getting to Hawaii and wanted to do it right.

What I’ve Learned From Real Families Planning Real Trips

This is the part I love most about what I do: the one-on-one consultations.

Every time I sit down with a family, I’m reminded of how different every trip is.

And how much a Hawaii travel expert can change the outcome when someone gets personalized guidance instead of a generic blog post.

A few recent ones that stuck with me:

The honeymoon couple. A guy reached out to plan his honeymoon, and he came in with his parents’ honeymoon from 30 years ago as his reference point.

It was genuinely fun to go through what had changed and what hadn’t. Some experiences still hold up beautifully (just at a much steeper price).

Others? Completely different. That conversation was a good reminder that Hawaii has evolved a lot, and expectations need to keep up.

The mom with the school report. A mom wanted to plan a Hawaii trip around her child’s Hawaii school project. She was looking for ways to weave in educational experiences throughout.

This is actually one of my favorite types of trips to plan, because Hawaii makes it so easy.

Farm tours, hula shows, trying new foods, visiting museums, learning about volcanoes. The educational opportunities are endless if you know where to look.

The mom of a teen. She came to me with a specific goal: she wanted her teenage daughter to have opportunities to meet other teens and go on real adventures. Not just beach days. Not just resort pools.

This is a planning challenge I actually love. Hawaii has so much to offer teens if you get away from the typical tourist itinerary.

Each of those consultations reminded me why I do this.

A search result can give you a list. A professional tourist who’s done the research (and listened to what your family actually needs) can give you a trip you’ll talk about for years.

If a full consultation feels like more than you need right now, I also offer a Hawaii itinerary review for $50.

You send me your existing plan, and I’ll go through it and send back written feedback within two business days.

I catch things like driving times that don’t work, days that are overloaded, or experiences you might be missing entirely.

It’s a good option if you’ve already done most of the planning and just want an expert set of eyes on it before you lock everything in.

Why I Started Writing Guidebooks

After the pandemic traffic surge, I started noticing a pattern in my inbox.

Families loved the blog, but they kept asking for something more comprehensive.

They didn’t want to stitch together 20 different posts. They wanted a step-by-step guide they could follow from start to finish.

So I started writing guidebooks.

My brain does not naturally work in graphic design terms, which means the investment in a professional designer was one of the best decisions I made.

Content alone isn’t enough when you’re asking someone to trust your planning system enough to pay for it.

The guidebooks grew from there.

Families with toddlers needed different content than families with teens. Honeymooners wanted my planning approach without the kid-focused activity recommendations. Groups of friends needed something entirely different.

I ended up creating guides for multiple travel styles.

Then came the island hopping guide, because I kept getting the same question over and over from families who wanted to see multiple islands but had no idea how to pull it off efficiently.

You can find the full collection here:

And if you’re a write-it-all-down person, the Hawaii Travel Journal and Hawaii Travel Journal for Kids are worth checking out too.

What “Professional Tourist” Actually Means

I want to be honest about what this title means… and what it doesn’t.

It doesn’t mean I have unlimited time and money to spend in Hawaii. It means every trip has a purpose.

I don’t just wander around hoping to stumble onto good content. I research before I go, I test specific things while I’m there, and I update my recommendations when something changes.

Hawaii changes constantly. Restaurants close. Hotels renovate. Regulations shift. A beach that was perfect two years ago might be completely different today.

Staying current requires real investment… in time, in travel, and in keeping relationships with people on the ground.

That’s the work behind being a Hawaii travel expert. It’s not glamorous. It’s systematic.

And it’s why I feel confident saying: if you’re planning a Hawaii trip and feeling overwhelmed, there’s a shortcut.

You can either spend weeks piecing it together yourself, or you can start with someone who’s already done that work dozens of times over.

Want to Hear More?

If you like this kind of behind-the-scenes content, I talk about Hawaii planning (and occasionally my own travel mishaps) on my podcast, Hawaii Travel Made Easy. It’s a good listen for the car or the plane ride to Hawaii.

And if you want the quickest way to get your planning started, my free email courses walk you through the process island by island:

The Bottom Line

I’ve been going to Hawaii since the days of no-assigned-seat inter-island flights and very questionable souvenir options. A lot has changed. My understanding of the islands has grown with every single visit.

If there’s one thing that trip at age 10 taught me, it’s that Hawaii gets under your skin.

It’s not a destination people visit once and move on from. It’s the kind of place that pulls you back.

And when families come to me, they usually want to make sure that first trip is worth every penny.

That’s what I’m here for.

FAQ

What is a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert?

It’s a professional designation from the Hawaii Tourism Authority that validates knowledge of Hawaii’s islands, culture, and tourism offerings. It’s one of the credentials I maintain alongside my 40+ visits and ongoing hula practice.

What does a Hawaii travel consultant actually do?

In a one-on-one consultation, I help families build a personalized Hawaii trip plan based on their budget, travel style, kids’ ages, and goals (instead of a generic itinerary that might not fit them at all.)

Sessions are 60 or 90 minutes and usually save families hours of research time.

What if I already have a plan and just want someone to check it?

That’s exactly what my Hawaii itinerary review is for.

For $50, you submit your existing itinerary and up to five questions, and I’ll send back written feedback within two business days (including notes on logistics, driving times, pacing, and anything I’d change).

It’s a lower-commitment option if you’re mostly sorted but want a second opinion before you start booking.

How many times have you been to Hawaii?

More than 40 times across all major islands. I’ve visited as a child, as a solo traveler, and more recently as a professional tourist with specific research goals each trip.

Do you only help families?

No, I also have guides and resources for couples, honeymooners, groups of friends, and multi-generational travelers. My consultations are open to anyone planning a Hawaii trip.