Miscellaneous Tips

Paying as You Go
Traveler's Checks  Although we rarely use traveler's checks on trips to Hawaii, they are readily accepted by most businesses of any size.  If you can get traveler's checks free at your bank, savings and loan, auto club, etc. they are a suitable method of paying for expenses.
ATM Cards  Normally there will be no problem getting cash from your mainland bank account with an ATM card. Machines are available 24-hours a day in most popular tourist areas on all the islands. Like mainland banks, most financial institutions in Hawaii now charge a fee for withdrawing cash.  The back of many ATM cards have an 800 number listed you can call to get specific machine locations.  Once our ATM card was disabled by the issuing bank while they were doing administrative work on accounts, so we always take an alternative source of cash.
Credit Cards.  Credit cards are readily accepted by most businesses in Hawaii.  An exception is some discount activity vendors who accept only cash to give you cut-rate prices.  We have occasionally had charges on credit cards turned down for no obvious reason.  We had used the card the day before and we used it later that day without being turned down.  So, we carry two different cards.  If know your PIN number you can get a cash advance charged to your credit card but you will normally be charged interest beginning from the time you receive the cash advance.

Clothing
Leave the ties, jackets, and pantyhose at home.  Nice, but informal, aloha wear is acceptable almost everywhere in the islands.  We have only heard of a couple of fancy restaurants (which we haven't visited) that require even a sport jacket.  We usually dress warm for the transpacific flight (it can get cold on the plane), take another set of long slacks, and then pack short-sleeved shirts or blouses, shorts, and beach wear.  If we are going to hike we take a pair of sturdy shoes.  If you are going to visit high altitude sights such as Volcanoes National Park or Haleakala you should pack a warm jacket.  It would be wise to make it waterproof or water resistant too.  Don't pack too much because condo's and most hotels have laundry facilities.  Even if you spend two hours in a self-service laundry during your trip, it will be much easier to carry your luggage and it leaves room to pack all your souvenirs.