Hawaii Travel Made Easy Podcast—Hawaii travel tips, Things to do in Hawaii, Hawaii vacation planning
by Marcie Cheung—Hawaii Travel Expert, Blogger & Guide Book Author
Is this your podcast?Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 6 chart positions in 6 markets.
By chart position
- 🇨🇦CA · Places & Travel#8330K to 100K
- 🇺🇸US · Places & Travel#1635K to 30K
- 🇲🇽MX · Places & Travel#5610K to 30K
- 🇳🇱NL · Places & Travel#1441K to 10K
- 🇳🇿NZ · Places & Travel#873K to 10K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
15K to 55K🎙 Daily cadence·98 episodes·Last published today - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
50K to 183K🇨🇦55%🇺🇸16%🇲🇽16%+3 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
20K to 73K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
Recent episodes
Maui vs. Big Island: The Decision Most People Get Wrong
Jun 24, 2026
7m 02s
The One Thing That Actually Makes a Hawaii Trip Feel Luxurious
Jun 24, 2026
10m 33s
The Oahu Itinerary That Almost Always Works
Jun 22, 2026
10m 58s
North Shore, No Regrets: One Family's Honest Take on Oahu
Jun 17, 2026
37m 55s
How to Get Around Hawaii Without Renting a Car
Jun 15, 2026
16m 48s
Social Links & Contact
Official channels & resources
Official Website
Login
RSS Feed
Login
| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24/26 | Maui vs. Big Island: The Decision Most People Get Wrong | Maui vs. the Big Island: How to Choose the Right Hawaii Island for Your Trip Marcie of Hawaii Travel Made Easy explains how travelers often choose the wrong island by defaulting to Maui because of social media or choosing the Big Island for lower cost while expecting a beach-and-resort trip. She contrasts Maui’s compact, easy rhythm—ideal for a resort base, romance, great food, Road to Hana, Haleakala sunrise, Molokini snorkel, and whale season (Nov–Apr)—with the Big Island’s vast scale and ... | 7m 02s | ||||||
| 6/24/26 | The One Thing That Actually Makes a Hawaii Trip Feel Luxurious | The Real Luxury in Hawaii: Downtime, Oceanfront Stays, and a Better-Paced Itinerary Marcie argues that what makes a Hawaii trip feel luxurious isn’t an expensive resort or amenities, but having intentional downtime and avoiding an overpacked itinerary, which she says is the most common issue she fixes in consultations. She contrasts a relaxed Maui family plan with a stressed couple’s wall-to-wall schedule, emphasizing that memorable moments come from unstructured time. She explains how where... | 10m 33s | ||||||
| 6/22/26 | The Oahu Itinerary That Almost Always Works | Oahu Itinerary Framework: 7, 10, or 14 Days (Geography-Based Planning + Split Stay Tips) Marcie from Hawaii Travel Made Easy shares her geography-based framework for first-time Oahu itineraries, explaining what 7, 10, and 14 days realistically look like and why booking before having a plan leads to excessive driving. She recommends clustering days by island region and often doing a split stay—starting in Waikiki for the iconic experience, then moving to a quieter area like Ko Olina or the No... | 10m 58s | ||||||
| 6/17/26 | North Shore, No Regrets: One Family's Honest Take on Oahu | Honest Family Trip Report: 7 Nights on Oahu’s North Shore After the Kona Storms Host Marcie, a Hawaii travel expert, interviews Kim Fidler about her family’s seven-night spring break trip to Oahu’s North Shore (two adults and three kids ages 12, 11, and 9) staying in a VRBO condo near Turtle Bay with a kitchen to manage costs and be prepared after recent Kona storms and lingering brown water. Kim shares highlights including Waimea Valley’s waterfall swim, lush plant life, and the TOA luau, p... | 37m 55s | ||||||
| 6/15/26 | How to Get Around Hawaii Without Renting a Car | Can You Do Hawaii Without a Rental Car? Honest Island-by-Island Transportation Guide Marcie from Hawaii Travel Made Easy explains when you can realistically skip a rental car in Hawaii and how to use alternatives like walking, shuttles, buses, rideshares, and tours, noting Hawaii’s public transit is not like Europe and planning ahead is essential. Oahu—especially Waikiki—is the most car-free friendly with The Bus (Holo card, daily cap, visitor pass), Skyline Rail connections, trolley, Biki, ... | 16m 48s | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | Where I eat on Oahu | Where I Eat on Oahu: My Repeat-Favorite Spots in Waikiki and the North Shore Marcie from Hawaii Travel Made Easy shares her personal repeat-favorite places to eat on Oahu, starting with a tip to skip the dine-in line at Pa’ia Fish Market Waikiki by ordering takeout (she recommends the mahi-mahi with home fries and homemade tartar sauce). She highlights Musubi Cafe Iyasume for Spam and tuna mayo musubi, Waffle & Berry for thick acai bowls, and urges stopping at Hawaii’s 7-Eleven for musub... | 7m 56s | ||||||
| 6/8/26 | The Comparison Trap: When Other Families Look Like They're Having More Fun | Escaping the Comparison Trap on a Hawaii Family Vacation Marcie of Hawaii Travel Made Easy shares how comparing her family’s Hawaii vacation to other families, “perfect” restaurant moments, or Instagram reels made her question choices like letting her kids use iPads or eating grocery store poke in a Waikiki hotel room. She offers reality checks: what looks ideal is often staged or only a brief highlight, and every family has hard moments. She stresses that a vacation can be successful even i... | 9m 01s | ||||||
| 6/3/26 | Hawaii 101: 2026 Edition | Hawaii 101 for 2026: What’s Changed, Reservations, Islands, and Smarter Planning Marcie updates a “Hawaii 101 for 2026,” warning that much online advice is outdated due to West Maui’s post-2023 fire reality, expanding reservation requirements, new fees, and changing vacation-rental laws. She explains best timing (peak: Dec–Apr, Jun–Aug; shoulder: late Apr–May, Sept–mid Nov; September favorite) and flags logistics like REAL ID, shifting airline routes after Alaska’s 2024 acquisition of Hawaii... | 14m 42s | ||||||
| 5/27/26 | How to Decide Hawaii vs Mexico vs Caribbean With Kids | Hawaii vs. Mexico/Caribbean: Choose the Vacation You Actually Want The episode argues that the better question than “Hawaii or Cancun?” is what kind of vacation you want: a resort-style, all-inclusive trip focused on ease and relaxation, or an adventure trip built around exploring. The host explains that Mexico and much of the Caribbean excel at all-inclusives with included food, drinks, and kids clubs, while Hawaii has no all-inclusives and costs add up quickly through meals, taxes, and act... | 17m 50s | ||||||
| 5/25/26 | Day Trip to Lana'i from Maui: The Honest Version | Day Trip to Lānaʻi from Maui: Ferry Logistics, What to Do, and Who It’s For Marcie Cheung explains how to plan a day trip to Lānaʻi from Maui via the Expeditions Ferry (now from Maʻalaea Harbor), including schedules, booking tips, arrival timing, parking, whale-season seating advice, and motion-sickness precautions. She frames Lānaʻi as quiet, small, and different from other Hawaiian islands, noting limited Hawaiian cultural feel and that it’s best for repeat Maui visitors, off-the-grid trav... | 12m 42s | ||||||
Want analysis for the episodes below?Free for Pro Submit a request, we'll have your selected episodes analyzed within an hour. Free, at no cost to you, for Pro users. | |||||||||
| 5/20/26 | My 12-Year-Old Has Been to Hawaii 14 Times. He Has Opinions. | Owen’s Kid’s-Eye Guide to Hawaii: Acai Bowls, Island Rankings, and Flying Solo at 10 Host Marcie welcomes her 12-year-old son, Owen, to “Hawaii Travel Made Easy,” highlighting his extensive Hawaii experience: about 14 trips, visits to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island, and a solo flight to Kauai at age 10 to see grandma. Owen shares his February “best acai bowl” mission and picks Tropical Tribe in Waikiki as the winner, recommends shave ice, and says the beach is his must-do every trip. ... | 13m 20s | ||||||
| 5/18/26 | How Slowing Down in Hawaii Creates the Trips You'll Actually Remember | JOMO in Hawaii: Stop Optimizing Your Family Trip and Leave Room for Real Memories Marcie Cheung shares a lesson from a Big Island trip when her five-year-old resisted a packed itinerary, leading them to spend a happy day at the Kona pool that became a standout memory. She argues families often arrive in Hawaii exhausted and over-scheduled due to “once in a lifetime” pressure, creating a checklist mentality that prevents actually experiencing the islands. She explains JOMO (joy of missing out... | 8m 23s | ||||||
| 5/13/26 | You Don’t Need to Island Hop on Your First Hawaii Trip | Why First-Time Hawaii Visitors Should Skip Island Hopping (Unless You Have 10+ Days) Marcie explains that first-time Hawaii visitors should avoid island hopping unless they have 10+ days, because switching islands often costs a full vacation day in packing, airport procedures, short flights, luggage, rental cars, and waiting for hotel check-in, plus added expenses like inter-island flights ($80–$200 each way), multiple rental cars, and repeat shopping. She argues a first trip should be a “sc... | 8m 14s | ||||||
| 5/11/26 | If You Only Remember One Thing About Planning Hawaii… | Slow Down: The Key to an Amazing Hawaii Itinerary The script argues that the biggest factor in a great Hawaii trip is slowing down rather than choosing the “right” island or packing in more activities. Based on hundreds of consultations, the speaker says disappointing trips usually come from overstuffed itineraries that ignore traffic, parking delays, and how quickly kids and spouses get tired, even on seemingly small islands like Oahu. They recommend planning just one main thing per day (or... | 8m 03s | ||||||
| 5/6/26 | Is Hawaii With Kids Worth It? A Brutally Honest Comparison | Is Hawaii Worth $10,000 With Kids? How to Decide (and When to Skip It) The script helps parents decide whether an expensive Hawaii trip with kids is worth it, arguing the answer depends on money, time, and what kind of vacation experience they want. It breaks down typical costs for a weeklong family-of-four trip ($7,000–$12,000+), including flights, hotels plus ~19% taxes/fees (with a new green fee added in early 2026), car rentals, food, and pricey activities like luaus and snorkel tours, a... | 14m 09s | ||||||
| 5/4/26 | Where I Eat on Kauai | Kauai Food Guide: Best Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Shave Ice, and Bucket List Spots Marcie, a certified Hawaii destination expert, shares her organized-by-meal Kauai food guide based on what she orders, opening with her arrival tradition of Mark’s Place near Lihue Airport for takeout plate lunch (especially beef stew). For breakfast she recommends Java Kai, Sunrise Coffee, Holey Grail Donuts, Little Fish, and Passion Bakery malasadas. Lunch picks include Tahiti Nui in Hanalei, Kenji Burger (pl... | 11m 30s | ||||||
| 4/29/26 | Big Island vs Kauai: What You Actually Need to Know to Choose | Big Island vs. Kauai: Which Hawaii Island Fits Your Trip Best? The script compares Hawaii’s Big Island and Kauai, explaining that both are less crowded than Oahu or Maui but offer very different trips. The Big Island is huge, often requiring significant driving or a split stay between Kona and Hilo/Volcano to see Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, waterfalls, and varied landscapes; it also offers unique activities like the Kona submarine, manta ray night swims, coffee farms, and a cultural ATV ... | 12m 34s | ||||||
| 4/22/26 | Hawaii Booking Mistakes to Avoid: What a Travel Agent Wants You to Know | Hawaii Booking Myths, Airfare & Hotel Pricing, and When to Use Points (with Travel Agent Kim Tate) Marcie celebrates the 100th episode of Hawaii Travel Made Easy by bringing on her friend Kim Tate of Stuffed Suitcase, a travel agent she trusts to book trips after Marcie’s Hawaii consultations. They cover what confuses travelers most when booking Hawaii: how to judge airfare swings using Google Flights (multiple airports, calendar view, price graph, and typical/high/low indicators), why l... | 46m 56s | ||||||
| 4/20/26 | The Oahu Day Trip Mistake Almost Everyone Makes | How to Plan Oahu Day Trips Without Rushing: Pearl Harbor, North Shore, Windward & Hanauma Bay Marcie, a certified Hawaii destination expert, explains how to plan Oahu day trips with realistic pacing by choosing one main “anchor” activity and building around it, since traffic, lines, and logistics often derail packed Circle Island itineraries. She advises treating Pearl Harbor as a full-day experience due to multiple sites, Ford Island shuttles, security and bag rules, and the need to boo... | 8m 21s | ||||||
| 4/15/26 | Waimea Canyon & the Kauai West Side: How to Do This Day Right | Kauai West Side Day Guide: Waimea Canyon, Kōkeʻe State Park & Kalalau Lookout Host Marcie Cheung shares a cautionary story about driving to Waimea Canyon in fog, then explains how to plan a full Kauai West Side day around Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Park. She describes the canyon’s size, colors, and key lookouts (Waimea Canyon Lookout, Puʻu Ka Pele, Puʻu Hinahina) plus Kalalau Lookout, emphasizing checking the National Weather Service West Mountains forecast, going early, and waiting ... | 13m 56s | ||||||
| 4/13/26 | 10 Hawaii Mistakes First-Timers Make (That Cost Thousands) | Hawaii Trip Mistakes to Avoid: Islands, Costs, Reservations, and Safety Tips Marcie of “Hawaii Travel Made Easy” shares common first-timer mistakes that waste money and time in Hawaii, drawing on 40+ trips and hundreds of consultations. She urges travelers to slow down, limit island-hopping (minimum four nights per island; choose one or two for 7–10 days), and avoid costly one-day interisland detours like Pearl Harbor without a multi-night Oahu stay. She warns about illegal vacation rentals ... | 12m 08s | ||||||
| 4/8/26 | What I Would Cut From Your Hawaii Itinerary | What to Cut (and Keep) in a 4–5 Day Maui Itinerary Marcie of “Hawaii Travel Made Easy” warns that many Maui itineraries are overpacked 10-hour logistical puzzles that leave travelers exhausted and miserable, and explains what to cut and what to protect on short trips. She recommends reconsidering Haleakalā sunrise (suggesting summit sunset instead if you’re on the fence), the full Road to Hāna on a four-day trip (offering a partial drive to around mile marker 25 as a middle option), doing mu... | 8m 54s | ||||||
| 4/6/26 | Every Oahu Luau I've Been To (Ranked Honestly) | Oahu Luau Rankings: Honest Reviews from a Former Hula Dancer The speaker, a certified Hawaii destination expert and former professional hula dancer who has visited Hawaii 40+ times, gives an honest ranking of Oahu luaus and related shows based on cultural care, experience style, and practicality. Top picks are TOA Luau (family-run, authentic Polynesian cultures, small scale, includes Waimea Valley entry but requires a long drive from Waikiki), Mauka Warriors (large cohesive warrior-themed pr... | 16m 11s | ||||||
| 4/1/26 | What Maui Locals Want You to Know: Post-Fire, Post-Storm, and Why You Should Still Go | Should You Still Visit Maui? A Local’s Take After the Lahaina Fire and Kona Storm Host Marcie addresses listener concerns about whether it’s a good time to visit Maui after the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire and March Kona storm flooding and road damage by interviewing longtime Maui resident blogger and Maui Life Podcast co-host Liza Pierce. Pierce shares what locals want visitors to understand: learn basic Hawaiian values such as aloha as a way of life, malama the land (including packing out ... | 42m 17s | ||||||
| 3/30/26 | Maui Ocean Center: Is It Worth It? (A Three-Visit Honest Review) | Maui Ocean Center: Honest Review, Best Exhibits, Tickets, and Family Tips (Plus Ululani’s Shave Ice) Marcie shares an honest, family-focused review of Maui Ocean Center based on three visits over more than a decade, explaining it features only animals from Hawaii’s waters and includes well-integrated, respectful Hawaiian cultural exhibits. She highlights the 54-foot Open Ocean Tunnel with sharks and manta rays, Turtle Lagoon with Hawaiian green sea turtles, baby shark displays, and the Livin... | 8m 26s | ||||||
Showing 25 of 117
Sponsor Intelligence
Sign in to see which brands sponsor this podcast, their ad offers, and promo codes.
Chart Positions
6 placements across 6 markets.
Chart Positions
6 placements across 6 markets.