Rip-offs, Scams, Tourist Traps, and Things to Watch Out for When Visiting Waikiki

In this video, we’re going to talk about the Rip-offs, Scams, Tourist Traps, and things to watch out for when visiting Waikiki on Oahu. Next on Jaycation!

Welcome back to a video here in the Hawaii series. Aloha! We are back in Waikiki, and today we’re going to talk about the Rip-offs, Scams, Tourist Traps, and just things to watch out for when visiting Hawaii, especially Waikiki. It’s a tourist-driven area of Oahu. I have a special guest, Mr. Felix from Amanda and Felix Eats. Let’s get to the first tip for things to watch out for here in Waikiki and Oahu.

Waikiki Beach is Not Real

What’s going on Jaycationers! I’m Felix from Amanda Felix Eats, local born and raised here. The first thing I want to cover is the misconception about Waikiki Beach because it’s not real, guys. Waikiki Beach was originally a marsh that has been converted to a beach with imported sand. So if you guys are from SoCal, this is the same sand you guys are experiencing. There are a lot of other beaches you can hit up that have natural sand and natural local beaches, so check out those. Our go-to is Waimanalo Beach, it’s a very popular local beach. Lanikai, Kailua Beach, anything on the east side, those are awesome beaches to hit up. And of course, North Shore, you guys know that by now.

Paying for a Secure Spot on the Beach

The second scam of Waikiki Beach, or any beaches for that matter in Hawaii, is Paying for a Secure Spot on the Beach. Don’t pay for them, guys. Just come early. Most beach parks here in Oahu open at seven in the morning, so come early and secure your spot on the beach. Don’t pay for those because no one really owns the beach unless it’s a resort. Come early because it does get quite busy on the weekends or during tourism season, which is around right now in August. So do come early. Remember, they open at seven in the morning.

Beach Theft

The next scam to watch out for in Waikiki is definitely Beach Theft. It’s just like any other beach in the world, but this is one of the most popular beaches, if not the most popular beach in the U.S., maybe even the world. Watch out for Beach Theft. If you don’t have people you’re with, whether it’s friends or family or a traveling partner, make sure you’re not bringing your ID, credit cards, cash, or expensive camera equipment onto the beach if nobody’s able to watch it at all times. Sometimes there are people with prowling eyes here trying to steal your backpack. Just be careful.

Things you can do to prevent this is to rent out a locker, leave all your stuff in your hotel room, lock it up in the safe in the hotel room, and just be very vigilant. Maybe if you go out to the water and you’re by yourself, always keep an eye out. It only takes a couple of seconds for somebody to take your stuff. I was over in Hilton Hawaiian Village yesterday, I felt totally safe, but I was with my friends and their kid, and there’s always somebody watching our stuff. Watch out for Beach Theft. Just don’t leave your valuables on the sand if nobody’s watching it because it only takes two or three seconds for somebody to snag your stuff.

Theft from Cars

Another thing that you need to watch out for in terms of theft is leaving stuff in your car. If you’re going for a hike, if you’re doing a stairway to heaven or Cocoa Head or Diamond Head, don’t leave anything valuable in your car. I know it’s hard because sometimes somebody’s checking into a hotel, and you need to have your luggage in the trunk. Just make sure there’s nothing seen in your car in the trunk because it might get stolen. You never know, really, so just be safe.

If you guys are liking what you see so far, do us a favor, do us a solid, subscribe to Jaycation. Also, head on over to our channel, Amanda Felix Eats, for all the local food vlogs and hidden gems and cheap eats you can find here on Oahu and pretty soon, neighbor islands and travel. So check this out. Thank you again. Mahalo again for all the support, guys.

Crazy Hotel Fees

The next rip-off scam on this list actually happens before you even reach Waikiki and Oahu, and that’s all the Crazy Hotel Fees. Sometimes there’s a processing fee, there’s a Parking lot fee, there’s an internet fee, there’s a cleaning fee, there’s a resort fee, and all these resorts definitely vary with their fees. I even recently just canceled a hotel because I had $130 worth of various fees. Processing fee, resort fee, pool fee, whatever it was, I had to cancel it because the room itself was only like 120 bucks, but then you add another 130 just because of the fees.

But the law is, these hotels, they have to show you the fees in small lettering before you actually go to Oahu. So make sure whether you’re booking on a points credit card site or directly through the hotel site, it will tell you all the fees you’re going to have to pay at check-in or after you have your stay. So make sure you’re very vigilant in checking what fees there are.

Here’s a tip: I’m staying at the Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club right now. No Parking fees, Parking is actually free. It’s in Waikiki, free coffee in the morning. They don’t have excessive fees that you have to pay for, so check out the Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club. And there are other hotels around Waikiki where the fees won’t be that much. Just make sure you calculate that into your budget so you don’t feel scammed or surprised.

Paying for Drinking Water

Another rip-off or scam to take note of here in Hawaii is the water. And not just the ocean water, but I’m talking about drinking water, guys. The water here is fresh enough where you can drink out of the tap or at restaurants. Just ask for ice water, don’t buy this stuff from the bottle. Even hotels offer free water from water stations as a free amenity that comes with the cost of staying. Bring your own water bottle or a flask, fill it up, don’t pay for those water bottles at the stores. Don’t be like Jaycation and buy water bottles. Yeah, or if you buy one water bottle, reuse the water bottle.

Street Performers and Caricature Artists

Alright Jaycationers, we’re here on Kalakaua Avenue, which is the main strip on Waikiki. So it’s technically the Las Vegas Strip of Oahu and Honolulu. The Waikiki Strip basically. Over here, you’re going to see a lot of street performers, whether it’s musicians singing, caricature artists, people with parrots, maybe even some characters every now and then. I haven’t seen that many characters, more like street performers and all that other stuff. If you’re coming here, it’s just like in Vegas. They’re going to expect a tip if you’re taking in their entertainment or if the caricature artist is going to paint a picture of you. Make sure you know the prices because sometimes they don’t display the prices. Last night, I was walking around a few of the caricature artists, they didn’t display the prices. So ahead of time, make sure you barter and know the price because you might want to pay them five dollars and value it at five dollars, but then they’re charging you thirty to forty dollars for it. So make sure you know the price beforehand before you take a shot, a picture, or get a caricature done of yourself.

There are street performers, it’s just like the Las Vegas Strip, a little more toned down. There is a lot more honesty over here than in Sin City. The Aloha spirit does exist here, so there’s a lot more honesty going on than in Las Vegas, which is also named Sin City. So just watch out for that, guys.

Souvenirs

Souvenirs, guys, you can get them a lot cheaper and oftentimes they are the exact same product but so much cheaper and at a discount at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. Take it from me, I used to help with my family business there. A lot cheaper than the prices marked up here in Waikiki. Also, you can always barter for a discount if you’re buying in bulk. So check out Aloha Stadium Swap Meet or even local craft fairs mentioned on our channel, Amanda Felix Eats. We list events and upcoming craft fairs where you can really buy and take home locally made Souvenirs here in Hawaii.

Transportation: Uber, Cab, and Bus

Another thing in Hawaii, it’s a rip-off to catch an Uber or a Cab because our bus lines are very easy to take, very convenient. We even have some buses that take you all the way to Kahuku, North Shore side. So guys, go on the website, thebus.com, I think that’s what it is. Find the line you need to take. If you’re staying for three weeks or more, why not get a bus pass? Save yourself some money. I can attest to this. Just dropped off my rent-a-car, now I’m grabbing an Uber. It’s forty dollars into Waikiki. It’s definitely cheaper if you go through Robert’s Hawaii, you save half. You just have to go through all these stops of hotels before you get to your hotel itself. Whatever, 40 bucks, I need to get there, I have bags, it’s all good.

Yeah, he’s right. If you have time and you’re here for two to three weeks or you want to just get around places with, you know, it’s humid, it’s hot, use the bus. In the beginning anyway, it’s okay to take a shuttle into Waikiki in case you got luggages and stuff. Yep, that’s still cheaper than catching an Uber or a Cab. Be mindful of how much it really does cost to get from the airport to Waikiki.

Rental Cars

Another thing about transportation is a rent-a-car. During the pandemic, Rental Cars were at their highest prices. A week or two weeks, you’re paying over a thousand dollars for your rent-a-car. Well, on this trip, my thing was I didn’t need it the whole trip, so I just rented out the first three days. So for those three days, I paid 110 dollars through Hotwire. I’ve had success on Hotwire lately on getting really good rental car rates, so I’ve been using them in Vegas and here in Honolulu. I paid 110 bucks, 26 to gas it up after the three days.

This is that Honolulu traffic that people be telling me about. Holy crap, the place I’m supposed to go to is only a half a mile away from my hotel. Here at Costco, just picked up gas. I’m returning my rent-a-car now. Here’s another tip: only get your rent-a-car for the days you need your car, whether you’re going to the Aulani over on the leeward side of the island or if you’re going to North Shore, Kaneohe Bay. I just got gas over here, it was only 469 a gallon, 26 bucks. I’m going to take this back to the rent-a-car spot and then take an Uber or a shuttle back to Waikiki where we’re going to spend the rest of this trip. And I went the whole circumference of the island, basically went to North Shore, Kaneohe Bay, and all these other places, and it was only 26 bucks.

Just make sure you’re looking at the rental car rates because sometimes there are other places that will sell Rental Cars for cheaper. They have rent-a-car places here on the strip, luxury car rentals, and they’ll be upwards to like 500 per hour if you’re getting a Lamborghini. But hey, if you have money for a Lamborghini to rent out, why not do it, right? If you’re looking to save money and looking to not get ripped off, look online, look at Hotwire, just check out all the direct websites like Budget Rent-a-Car. They may be cheaper all leading up to before your trip. Now, if you book a rent-a-car way months in advance and it was expensive, wait a week or two in advance or just keep checking. Prices go down sometimes, so just be patient. You may get a good rate on your rent-a-car. Turo is also another good car company here that people can rent out their cars. So I know a lot of people use Turo. It’s a little more pricey though.

Parking

The next rip-off is here in Waikiki, and that is the Parking. Not only are you paying a lot already for your rent-a-car, when you get to your hotel in Waikiki, you’re going to find out that Parking per night is anywhere from 35 upwards to like 60 bucks a day. If you’re here for a week or two weeks, that’s going to add up, and you’re going to be paying three to five hundred dollars for Parking. So there is street Parking in Ala Wai Boulevard or by the Honolulu Zoo because I’ve parked there in the past, but it’s hard to get. If you stay in a place like the Surfjack, which I’m at right now, they give you free Parking at the Hyatt Centric, and they also promote that they have free Parking at their hotel. So if you do stay at the Surfjack, that’s another plus for staying at that hotel. Free coffee in the morning and free Parking.

Another note, let’s say you’re going to Ko Olina. Now, over in Ko Olina, which is over on the west side of the island, that’s where you see the sunset, right? Each of the four lagoons that are in the Ko Olina resort area, they have limited Parking. But here’s the catch, it’s free but very limited, and at sunset, these Parking lots close. So you got to get your car out right after the sun sets. If you go to Disney, the Aulani Resort shows that it’s expensive, but if you buy an entree at one of the restaurants, I found out you can get it validated up to two to three hours and enjoy a dinner and pick up some Souvenirs there. So make sure if you go to Ko Olina and you’re only there for a few hours, maybe two hours, park at Aulani, get an entree at one of the restaurants, and they’ll validate it for you. I just did that myself, so I experienced it in real life.

Time is Money: Lines in Waikiki

Your next rip-off would be talking about time is money. And in Waikiki, it’s almost like Linekiki because a lot of the restaurants and establishments over there, there’s so many people that want to try it. It takes you maybe one to two hours just to be in line. Island Vintage over there, there’s a long line each day, but you know a way around it? Order through the app, and then you can come and pick up your food. But Marugame Udon, that line is crazy. I was staying across the street at the Laylow, the lines there even at 10, 11 in the morning is like around the block and you’re waiting in line for an hour to two hours.

Here’s your hack: there’s another location and it’s not too far. You can take an Uber here over to the downtown area, and they have their own Marugame Udon. I haven’t tried it yet, so check out my best eats in Oahu because we’re going to try that out. But that’s your little tip, Linekiki. You can avoid it through ordering through apps or you can go to other locations around the island just like this Marugame Udon.

So like I said, guys, Linekiki. Well, here’s the Marugame Udon on Kuhio. Look how long that line is. This is five o’clock in the afternoon. It wraps around the block. Time is money, and like I said, you can go on reservations, you can order online ahead, or go to this place. Go to the one in downtown, hop an Uber and go over there.

That’s going to be it for this video. Check out this Hawaiian video right up here. Subscribe to Amanda and Felix Eats. Thanks to Felix for giving us all those tips, and his other half Amanda, shout out to you as well. And please subscribe to Jaycation. Comment down below what’s a scam, a rip-off, or something you need to watch out for when visiting Hawaii. I might have missed out on a few, so I’d like to know your comments down below. And we’ll see you in the next one. In the words of me, stay traveling. Mahalo, Jaycationers!