We booked Mark for the first full day of our honeymoon in Hawaii and it was absolutely one of the best decisions we made for this trip. I wanted to get our bearings on the island since this was my first time to Oahu. Mark not only showed us the must sees of the island but also some of the coolest places no big tour buses could ever take you to (loved the Spitting Caves) simply because they wouldn't fit down some of the smaller streets on the island.
Some of the highlights of our day include:
1) Getting a mini food tour of the island (malasadas at Leonard's, the shave ice shop Obama goes to, garlic shrimp trucks on the North Shore and dole whip at the Dole Plantation just to name a few).
2) Learning about the rich history and culture of the island and the locals. I have so much respect for the land and the culture.
3) Swimming with turtles (I can't swim so Mark brought a boogie board for me so I could enjoy the experience without feeling like I'll drown...even in 2 feet deep water).
4) Mark took our picture with our camera and with his. He sent us everything within the same week which was really nice. He even helped some other couples take pictures too. Honestly, he's so nice.
Some people may think, "Hmmmm, what's so different about a private tour vs. a big bus tour? We see the same thing." Let me tell you, the experience is totally different. You actually get to know someone on a personal level and that leads to a lot of great conversation. Mark learned that we both shared a love of cars and real estate and we chatted for hours about both and he even took us on a mini tour of cool real estate on the island.
Private tours also allow you to see all of the things we wanted to see, in the time we wanted to see them in. If we didn't want to spend a long time somewhere, we just packed up and headed to the next spot. If we wanted to take in a place for a little longer, Mark let us stay until we were ready for the next stop. We never felt like herded cattle and we loved the fact that we could do what we wanted to do on our own timeline. It really gives you so much more freedom to see everything you want to see.
Mark, if you see this, we thank you so much for the great time you showed us! We went back to a bunch of places you showed us and the history and culture lesson really helped shape the rest of our trip. We kept saying, "Oh remember when Mark told us about this?" or "Oh where was that beach Mark took us to?" Our trip was so much more richer because of our day with you...to everyone here, do not hesitate to have Mark show you the beautiful sights of Oahu!