Honolulu, Hawaii is probably at the top of every traveler’s list. Honolulu is located in the island of O’ahu, which means “The Gathering Place.” It is a fitting name indeed as it is where majority of the visitors who come to Hawaii go. And who can blame them when there is so much to see, explore and enjoy on the island? All-year-round great weather, pristine beaches, magnificent volcanoes, tropical forests, picturesque sunsets and magical waterfalls are only some of its offerings. Apart from the fantastic natural landscape, there are also great cultural monuments such as the Bishop Museum and the historically significant USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The Waikiki Aquarium Honolulu Zoo, and Honolulu Botanical Gardens are also worth a visit.

With all of these in store, what’s stopping you from hopping on the next flight to Honolulu? Well, if it’s the thought of leaving your beloved pooch behind, there is no need to worry because they can come along, too! Lucky for them, Honolulu is actually considered one of the most pet-friendly holiday destinations. For starters, you have at least three hotels to choose from that will gladly welcome your dogs. Doubletree Hotel Alana Waikiki welcomes pets up to 75lbs. It’s close to the beach, which your dog is sure to enjoy! There’s also the W Honolulu Diamond Hotel, which accepts pets up to 40lbs. For the chic traveler (with an equally chic pet), there is the Hotel Renew, a stylish, designer boutique hotel.

And what’s a trip to Honolulu without some time at the beach? You don’t need to leave your pets in the comforts of your hotel rooms. Take them with you as you soak up some rays. There are several dog-friendly beaches that will only require you to keep your pets on a leash. And if you’d like to take them on a beautiful, scenic walk, there are even off-leash dog parks where they can roam around freely. McInerny Dog Park, Mililani Dog Park, and Moanalua Dog Park are only a few examples. Hungry? There are outdoor restaurants like Bluwater Grill that will be as happy to serve your pets, as they are to serve you.

But before you go, make sure you’ve done your research on Hawaii’s laws regarding pet travel. It used to be that pets had to be quarantined for 30 or 120 days, but new rules now state that they can be quarantined for only 5 days, provided that they have been cleared of the requirements prior to traveling. Some of these requirements are the following: valid health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination within 10 days of travel, a microchip implantation, and two separate rabies titer blood tests to detect rabies immunity. For more information, visit www.hawaiiag.org.

Sure, all of these health requirements could be a bit of a pain, but if you plan ahead and make sure you’ve done all the necessary research, yours and your pet’s travel to Hawaii should be relatively hassle-free. Your pet may dislike you for all those trips to the vet but will realize all the trouble was worth it after their first sight of beautiful Honolulu! Aloha!