Amy Fillinger, Hawaii Travel Agent

08/10/2026

A quiet perk of working with a travel advisor: when a client says "actually, can we move the kayak to Friday?", that is my email to send, not theirs. Small thing. Makes a real difference when you're focused on wedding planning. Planning a trip to Hawaii for late 2026 or 2027? My calendar is opening up now! https://amyfillinger.com/contact

07/05/2026

New blog post! I've just published my guide to the 50 best gluten-free restaurants on Oahu! 🌺

As someone with celiac disease, I know how stressful it can be to eat safely on vacation. Oahu actually has more gluten-free options than any other Hawaiian island, and I've organized them all by neighborhood so you can easily find spots near wherever you're staying.

Including Waikiki, Kailua, the North Shore, Ko Olina, and more. I also included two luaus with solid GF menus, because no trip to Oahu is complete without one.

Check it out here: https://amyfillinger.com/gluten-free-restaurants-in-oahu/

Planning a trip to Oahu and want help navigating it gluten-free? Drop a comment or send me a message!

Here are the 50 best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Oahu. If you're visiting Oahu with a gluten allergy or Celiac disease, don't miss it!

06/27/2026

"Oceanfront" and "ocean view" sound straightforward, but they mean different things at different resorts in Hawaii. At some properties, an ocean view room gives you a gorgeous straight-on water view from your lanai. At others, you're catching a glimpse between two buildings if you stand at just the right angle. There's no standard definition across the industry.

To make it even murkier, many resorts have a partial ocean view category on top of that. But here's the thing: sometimes what a resort calls "ocean view" is really what other resorts would call partial. So the category name alone doesn't tell you much. Don't even get me started on "garden view" and all that can mean!

The only way to know what you're actually getting is to know the specific resort. That's where I come in. I've researched, stayed in, and toured enough properties in Hawaii to know which ones are worth the splurge and which categories are worth skipping. If you're planning a Hawaii trip and want to make sure your room lives up to expectations, I'd love to help:

Hawaii Travel Agent and Sandals Travel Agent. Booking Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Destination wedding and honeymoon travel planner.

06/26/2026

If you have Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, the Big Island can feel overwhelming to navigate. It's the largest island in Hawaii, and there's a lot of ground to cover. I have Celiac myself, so I know how stressful it is to show up somewhere without a plan.
I just published a full guide to 30 gluten-free restaurants on the Big Island, organized by region, so you can eat well wherever you're staying. Whether you're along the Kohala Coast, in Kona, up in Waimea, or exploring Hilo and Volcano Village, there are solid options throughout.
A few highlights: Racha Thai is fully dedicated gluten-free with no gluten in the kitchen at all. Foster's Kitchen on the Kohala Coast has a dedicated GF fryer. And Lava Lava Beach Club is stunning even if you're just there for sunset drinks.
Read the full guide here:

If you're planning a Big Island vacation, check out the best gluten-free restaurants on the Big Island. A must for Celiac or allergies.

06/26/2026

Epic Universe currently has five different "lands", and each one has its own rides. If you are planning a trip and want to know what you will be looking at before you go, here is a quick breakdown.

The biggest thrill rides are Stardust Racers (dueling coaster, 62 mph) in Celestial Park, Monsters Unchained in Dark Universe (Kuka-arm ride, similar to Forbidden Journey), and Donkey Kong Country Mine Cart Madness in Super Nintendo World, which has an actual jump in the track. For families with very young kids, Fyre Drill in the Isle of Berk has no height requirement, and neither does the Constellation Carousel in Celestial Park. Otherwise, this isn't really the park for very young kids - not yet, anyway!

Full ride list organized by world with height requirements:

Here is a complete list of rides at Epic Universe, the newest part of Universal Orlando Resort! These Epic Universe rides are must-dos at Universal!

06/21/2026

Molokini Crater comes up on almost every Maui trip I plan. People ask me: is it worth the early wake-up, the boat ride, the cost? Yes. Every time.

The crater is about 3 miles offshore, and the crescent shape keeps the water inside remarkably calm and clear. The fish life is dense, and the visibility is usually excellent. The whole tour runs about 5 hours, and most operators include breakfast and lunch.

One thing I always tell clients: book the morning tour. The water is calmer! Read the full guide here: https://amyfillinger.com/snorkeling-molokini-crater/

06/20/2026

If you're deciding between Maui and the Big Island, here's what most people don't consider: some experiences on the Big Island don't exist anywhere else in Hawaii.

You can snorkel with manta rays at night off the Kona coast. You can walk across the floor of an active volcano crater.

Now I book more Maui than anything else, and it’s the best fit for many of my clients. But for the right traveler, the Big Island is a fantastic choice. I wrote up the 7 experiences I most recommend. Read the full guide here:

The best things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii. Snorkeling with mantas, black sand beaches, epic waterfalls and more on Hawaii Island.

06/19/2026

There's something I always remind clients before their Kauai vacation or honeymoon: the road doesn't go all the way around the island. That might sound like a minor detail, but it changes how you plan everything.

The most dramatic spots on Kauai, including the Na Pali Coast, the hidden waterfalls in the interior, and certain valleys, can only be reached by helicopter, boat, or hiking. So when people ask me whether the helicopter tour is worth it, my answer is almost always yes. Kauai is the one island where you'll see things from the air that you simply cannot see from the ground.

For anyone planning a trip, I put together a full guide covering the 10 activities I recommend most. Read the full guide here: https://amyfillinger.com/10-best-things-to-do-on-kauai/

06/16/2026

For those of you who like seeing the business side of what I do, here's a look at May!

(Shh, but I've been working hard behind-the-scenes on my course for travel agents; more info coming soon!)

Here are the real numbers:

I ranked #62 among over 13,000 advisors at my host agency, placing me in the top 2%. I also hit #1 in sales with Disney Cruise Line for the first time, and #2 in sales with Pleasant Holidays (I'm usually #1, but I'll take it!). Altogether, it was just under $200,000 in sales for the month.

On the booking side: I planned multiple Hawaii trips (all honeymoons this month!) spanning the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. I also worked with The Hawaii Concierge to secure multiple activity bookings for 5 different existing client trips. 🌺

I booked a few rooms at a Sandals Resorts in Jamaica for a destination wedding in 2027. 💒

Heading to Orlando, I booked a holiday Disney Cruise Line sailing, secured Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets for a returning family, and locked in 5 staterooms on the Disney Treasure for another returning family. A Universal Orlando Resort family trip rounded out the month. 🎢

The small bookings also add up! I had 27 Viator activity bookings across Hawaii, Italy, Cancun, and Florida, fully passive, meaning my blog did the work for me while I slept. 🐚

New clients, returning clients, family groups, honeymooners, wedding guests, Disney fans, and a little bit of everything in between. ✈️

If you have a trip coming up and want help planning, feel free to reach out! https://amyfillinger.com/contact

05/16/2026

Okay can we talk about how sweet is?! 🤩 In honor of Travel Advisor Day last week, they sent me the most amazing gift through Sugar Wish and honestly I was SO excited when I got to customize it with gluten free cookies because as someone with celiac disease, that means everything! 🍪✨

This is exactly why they are one of my most booked properties in Maui. They take care of me and they take care of my clients every single time and that is everything when it comes to where I choose to send my people. 🌺

Ready to book your Maui trip?! Let’s make it happen!