Most people who travel to Hawaii for vacation do so because Hawaii is a superb tourist destination. However, some people travel to Hawaii to visit their son or daughter who is an active duty service member stationed at one of the eleven military installations in Hawaii. Yes, eleven, most of which are located on the island of Oahu, which has the famous cities of Honolulu, Haleiwa, and Waikiki.

If you have a son or daughter who is stationed in Hawaii, why not take advantage of that fact and visit them? Here are a few tips. 

Get a Vacation Rental

Instead of booking a room at a hotel, rent a vacation condo or home. That way, you'll be able to cook your service member a home-cooked meal in the kitchen of the rental, which will also help save you money on expenses. And, since your service member could likely use a vacation of their own, consider choosing a vacation rental that is large enough to accommodate your loved one and perhaps their significant other as overnight guests. 

Book "Refundable" As Much As Possible

Between the flights and the rental home and the rental car (if you choose to get one), try to book everything on a refundable basis. Most places that offer refundable bookings will give you a "cancel by" date. Try to get that date as close to your vacation departure as possible, just in case your service member's chain of command cancels their leave or restricts them to the military base. 

Include Your Service Member's Name In the Booking

List your service member's name in the booking for the vacation rental. That way, you may be able to get a military discount or, if something happens and you are unable to fly to Hawaii, your service member will still be able to use the vacation rental if you are unable to cancel it before the cancel date. 

Select a Vacation Rental for the Amenities 

Consider what types of things you, your service member, and others in your group want to do while on vacation. Then, use that list to help narrow down what amenities you'd like to have in a vacation rental. For example, if you plan on spending a lot of time at the beach, does your vacation rental provide beach chairs and umbrellas? Or, if you'd prefer to play board games with your family in the evenings, does the rental provide games for guests to use? 

For more information about a vacation rental, contact a local travel agent.