Author: youshouldgoanyway

Accessible things to do in Honolulu/Waikiki, Hawaii

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I used to live in Hawaii and moved like an idiot. Now I go back for work, visits with old friends, and some tourism as often as I can. Most recently I was there a few weeks ago (April 2019) and thought I’d share a few cool things I figured out this time around.

Accessible Beach Paths

There are several new beach paths for wheelchairs at Ala Moana Beach Park and Waikiki. I can’t guarantee that man will be there during your visit, however.

I was so happy to discover several accessible beach paths at Ala Moana Beach Park and in Waikiki. These blue paths were perfect for rolling my power chair out onto the beach. While the paved walkways are very nice to cruise around, it was so neat to be right on the beach and feel the breeze and hear the wave sound so strongly.

Free Hula and Hawaiian Music Show

Check out the International Marketplace Hawaiian Show every night! You can see all sorts of hula and some great singing an storytelling.

My friends were visiting when I was there and tried to get to a free hula show to no avail. I took them to the International Marketplace which has a Hawaiian show every night at 7pm. It starts at the Kalakaua entrance of International Marketplace with torchbearers and hula dancers who lead you to the center stage which is a magical little spot for the 30-minute performance.

Affordable Accessible Hotels

I am not a huge fan of the big resorts in Waikiki but I have stayed at two places now that were under $200 a night, comfortable, and accessible. I would stay at both of these hotels again.

  • Ilima Hotel — Older, but very clean and spacious hotel with affordable prices. The rooms have a full kitchen. A short walk or roll to the good stuff, but definitely an affordable option in Waikiki that won’t make your skin crawl!
  • DoubleTree Alana Waikiki — The accessible suites are very nice and much larger than the standard accessible rooms here. Situated right near Fort Derussy Park which is great for a quiet roll on paved pathways.

Fort Derussy Beach Park

There’s a smooth pathway along the water that gets you this close to the ocean. It’s really cool at night when there aren’t any kids screaming.

This area along the west side of Waikiki is one of my favorite places to roll on my chair. You can get very close to the waves crashing and there is a large grassy area as well. There are several hotels nearby and beach rentals too. You can also hit the Army Museum for free or take the path to the Hilton Lagoon in time for the Friday night fireworks there.

Japanese Garden at the Honolulu Airport

The Japanese Garden at Honolulu International Airport. The fish may/may not be used to make airport sushi.

I have no idea why I never spent time here in the 20+ years I’ve been flying in/out of Hawaii. In the center of the airport, one level down, there is a wonderful Japanese garden with water features and koi fish, plants, flowers, and ducklings (if you’re lucky). I had a long delay this time around on the way home and found it a very pleasant place to enjoy the last bits of sun before flying back to colder temperatures.

How to plan (or not plan) an accessible adventure

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I used to plan as much as I could about a trip. I’d make sure everything was accessible and figure out how to get there, where to go in, how to get around, where the bathrooms were, and the best way to get back to my hotel. I soon realized a couple things. First, I didn’t need the exhaustion or stress that accompanied this without even having left yet. Second, my anxiety got pretty high if the plan didn’t go as expected. Lastly, things often didn’t always go as expected.

Then I realized some of my best travel days were the ones with no plan whatsoever. No route. No specific trains. No tickets to anything. No to-do list. No must-sees. I could create my own accessible adventure just by going where the sidewalks, paths, roads boats, or trains could take me.

One of my best unplanned days around Auckland including a ferry to and bus ride around Waiheke island. I had no idea if the bus there was accessible but there one was, waiting for me when I got there!

Here is the extent of my planning nowadays after I buy a ticket:

  • Find an accessible, well-located hotel.
  • Figure out how to get from the airport to the hotel and back.
  • Get an overview of the taxi, public transit, and train situation
  • Create a short list of places or events I really HAVE to see or go to.
  • Figure out any possible day trips

The details can just fall into place. I know this would drive some OCD, planning-type people crazy which is why I don’t travel with those kinds of people. Or if I do, I send them on their own way.

I went to the port ticket office, eeny-meeny-miney-mo’d, and ended up on Waiheke. I went anyway even though the previous day someone said it was not very accessible. The public buses there have ramps and it was one of the most scenic bus routes I’ve ever ridden.

Unless there is something I absolutely HAVE to see or something that requires tickets, I don’t worry about it. For example, the last time I went to Paris I had to pre-buy tickets to the French Open. I also knew I wanted to go back to l’Orangerie and see Sacré-Cœur. The rest was up in the air. I did everything I wanted to and more (the museum of hunting and nature was a gem!)

The worst thing I can do is over-plan an itinerary for a trip. Instead of enjoying the things I am seeing, I am worrying about the time, where to go next, and then feel like I’m missing out if I have to skip something. Having a minimal “must-see” lets you make sure you get to those things and allows for some flexibility to see things you might never have known about until you get there.

If you prefer to have things planned-out for you then working with a tour company might be a good option for you. I have found that most pre-planned bus tours are not wheelchair accessible, however. If you need to get a wheelchair accessible tour then your best bet is to work with specialty tour companies who focus on wheelchair travelers.

Waiheke island off of Auckland reminded me a lot of Hawaii, but colder in winter!

An Accessible Weekend Adventure to Singapore

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I took a quick trip to Singapore in November 2018, partly to see the WTA Tennis Finals and partly to get to Platinum Medallion status on Delta. Some might say, “You’re crazy to travel 27 hours there and 30 hours back for four days.” I say, “Screw you, I’ve been to Singapore and you haven’t!”

Singapore Summary

  • The airport is fantastic
  • The metro is super accessible and cheap
  • Autumn flights seem to be cheaper
  • It’s very wheelchair-friendly

The Flight to Singapore

I used my Chase points to get a ticket on Delta from Chicago via Detroit and Tokyo for around $600 in points. I have seen low fares and low mileage award tickets for the fall the last two years. I had a stop in Tokyo where just by exploring the airport I was convinced I needed to visit Tokyo sometime.

Singapore Transportation

I arrived at a really weird time and the metro didn’t open until 5AM so I spent the night mostly in The Haven lounge, which was on the arrival side of the airport. There were shower rooms, food, beverages, and not very many people. I had heard that taxis from the airport were expensive for wheelchair users so it was a no-brainer.

The Singapore metro was sooooo good that I actually got excited to use it. As a wheelchair user, metro/subway systems are hit or miss in most places — mostly miss. But this system was wholly accessible to all the places I wanted to go, WITHOUT HELP. I got the Singapore Visitor Pass at the airport station and used it religiously.

Gardens by the Bay

The Hotel in Singapore

I stayed at The Westin Singapore and the location couldn’t have been better for the price (under $200 a night). It’s near a great metro station and best of all, the harbor. It was very quiet in the mornings on the weekend and I loved it. The room I had was designated accessible and had a HUGE bathroom with roll-in shower.

The Stuff to do in Singapore

I went to the botanical gardens, the Gardens by the Bay, the Marina Bay Sands, Chinatown, Little India, Orchard, and a few other areas. All were accessible enough with my power chair. The only place I had issues was Fort Canning Park because it was hilly and my chair was running out of battery.

The WTA Finals were at the Singapore Sports Hub, which was easily accessible by the metro. The arena had accessible seating and the staff was very friendly.

Marina Bay Sands

My Singapore Memories

One of my wheelchair motor releases was bent during the flight and it kept making this squeaking sound as I motored around the botanical gardens. It was so close to a flagellation sound that people would laugh a little when it would happen.

As I cruised around the bay, this jogger was running barefoot next to me and tried to keep up with me, but couldn’t. He tried to give me a high-five before giving up but I can’t lift my arms up so I just left him hanging and zipped on.

I happened upon a street where the sidewalk was lined with shoes and as I turned the corner there was a pre-Dewali procession going down the road. It was super cool, but I am pretty sure I smashed somebody’s flip flops trying to avoid the crowd.

It cost $50+ for an appetizer platter and skillet queso at the Chili’s in Sentosa. Don’t judge me, I was hungry. I usually only reserve stops at American restaurants for quick, cheap bites when I am really hungry.

Why You Should Go to Singapore Anyway

I had never been to Asia before and was expecting it to be overwhelming. However, Singapore was surprisingly one of the most accessible places I’ve ever been. The people were super friendly and the city was so clean and safe. I would recommend it to anyone who is afraid of Asia but wants to go.

More About Singapore

The #1 way to make yourself travel somewhere

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You can come up with all sorts of reasons not to take a trip, including reasons that pertain to planning the trip itself. A surefire way to go nowhere instead of going to the places you dream about is to worry about minutia like how you’ll get from the airport to your hotel or whether the hotel has free breakfast.

You can’t even do those things unless you do one simple thing first: BUY YOUR TICKET NOW.

You might argue that, “I don’t know when Mary’s wedding is going to be” or “I am not sure if I can get off of work.” Well, fuck Mary and her wedding, not to mention your boss. This is your life! If Mary hasn’t picked a date yet and your boss doesn’t even know what’s happening in six months — then BUY YOUR TICKET NOW.

Everything else can be arranged around your travel. There is no better excuse than, “I booked the trip of a lifetime to Paris. Sorry, I won’t be in town.”

View of Diamond Head from the Hilton Hawaiian Village Lagoon

Now if Mary is your daughter, sister, best friend, or fiancee, I get it. Plan around Mary. But for God’s sake don’t let your boss or your job factor into it unless you’re certain you’ll get fired and have no other job prospects. Unless you’re planning to fly out next week, your job can plan around you.

BUY YOUR TICKET NOW is the best advice for procrastinators and excuse makers. Once you’ve got the dates on the calendar you can move on to the other things like where you’ll stay or what you’ll see. Plus you’ll have something concrete to look forward to and that’s the second-best part of traveling.

The third-best part is telling your boss to go screw herself when she decides to plan a product launch during your vacation. “Sorry, I’ve got nonrefundable travel plans. Bye, Felicia!”

If you want to see what it feels like to BUY YOUR TICKET NOW, go do it! Most major airlines let you cancel within 24-hours or by the end of the next business day. Some airlines don’t even charge your card until this period is up, just in case you cancel. So go ahead, print out those tickets and look at them. Hopefully you’ll keep them!

Don’t think about it so much

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There is a fine line between being prepared and over-thinking something. Dealing with a disability often requires advance preparation. However, preparing for the worst can often change into expecting the worst. When this happens, you miss out on a lot because it’s easy to convince yourself not to do something.

If you have ever had the chance to jump off a diving board, particularly a high dive, then you know what over-thinking can do. It will freeze you right there, on top of the board, your hand up to your face, your knees quivering. Over-thinking stops you from jumping. “Don’t think about it, just jump!” someone yells. This is the same advice you hear people yell at that scared jumper just about every time.

So don’t over-think it next time you plan to do something. Grab your phone, your supplies, everything you know you need, and just go. This applies to everything — making calls, asking for help, traveling, getting a job, going to school, and trying anything new. If it helps, write a list of things you need “just in case.” Get those things and stop your worrying right there. Use the list next time and you won’t even have to think about it.