Jessica Dana

Much like all of Hawaii, from the moment you board The Pride Of Maui, be prepared to be welcomed to the Ohana and treated like family for the rest of the day! While the boat makes it’s way out to Molokini Crater, which is a crescent-shaped crater that looks like a floating island just off the coast of Maui, the captain and crew went over several safety rules and some optional add-ons for the day. It’s especially great for the wide angle shots where you get both underwater and out of the water and low light settings like you typically find underwater. We use this camera on a daily basis when traveling because it’s easy and quick to use, AMAZING in low light settings, portable, produces great pictures and videos, and the sound quality is great as well.

I am here to tell you that not all swimmable mermaid tails are created equal, the FinFun brand has totally rocked our mermaid loving world! I mean, as an adult, even I secretly want to dive into the depths of the sea with my shimmering tail flowing behind me (don’t worry, FinFun has adult sizes as well! ) This monofin’s design is very well thought out and my girls said that the monofin design itself made swimming with these tails way easier! The FinFun mermaid tails are by far THE BEST ON THE MARKET!

We know this isn’t always possible due to school schedules, time off work, events, and functions, but if it’s possible, travel during the shoulder or low season. For example, maybe a flight from Salt Lake City to San Diego is $249 round trip, but a flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco with a layover in San Diego is only $175 round trip, you would book the Salt Lake City to San Francisco flight and not get back on the flight in San Diego, dropping your last leg of the flight. You CANNOT check bags if you are dropping a leg of the flight, your flight might get re-routed and then you wouldn’t end up at your final destination, and you wouldn’t want to attach flight reward points or miles when doing this because the airline might revoke them. Our favorite place to find great hotel deals is on this travel hacking site The Travel Secret.

While each families needs will be slightly different, when heading to a tropical destination with kids, these are our very favorite things to add to our shopping list! Obviously, you will need luggage, but with so many baggage fees on airlines and tight space in vehicles, having the right size luggage is very important. Sometimes rental shops and tours don’t have the right sizes for children so having your own set that fits perfectly could be a huge benefit! are some great options and don’t forget to find the right pair of fins that fits just right!