The World Unfolding | April 10, 2025

The World Unfolding – Edition 32
By Jeff Rehmar
A newsletter about seeing places differently — and traveling with your eyes open.

Most people go to Hawaii and miss Hawaii.
And most Americans look everywhere but Canada for their next great trip.

This week, I’m sharing two contrarian travel truths I’ve learned firsthand:

1️⃣ Waikiki isn’t Hawaii
2️⃣ Canada is wildly overlooked

Let’s get into it.

🌴 Waikiki Isn’t Hawaii — It’s Everything You Were Trying to Escape

Let’s be real: if you’re going to Hawaii to relax, recharge, or disconnect — Waikiki is a terrible choice.

It’s busy. Loud. Overbuilt. Full of chain restaurants, overpriced lattes, souvenir shops, and beaches where the only locals are the ones working.

And yet, for most first-time visitors, Waikiki is their Hawaii experience.

They land in Honolulu, stay in a high-rise, and never leave the strip.

But Waikiki isn’t Hawaii.
It’s a tropical shopping mall with a beach attached.

If you want the version of Hawaii you’ve seen in your head — the one with space, quiet mornings, and natural beauty — you’ve got to go further:

• North Shore, Kauai – https://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai/north-shore

• Road to Hana, Maui – https://roadtohana.com/

• Volcanoes National Park, Big Island – https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

• Oahu’s North Shore – https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/oahu/regions/north-shore

Hawaii should feel sacred — not scheduled.

If you come back feeling more tired than when you left, you picked the wrong zip code.

🍁 Canada Is the Best International Trip Americans Never Take

Ask most travelers where they’re headed this year:
Europe. Japan. Southeast Asia.

Ask when they last visited Canada... and you’ll get silence.

That’s a mistake.

• Flights under $400 from many U.S. cities

• No jet lag

• No language barrier

• And the U.S. dollar goes further (finally!)

Canada overdelivers on all the little things:

• Montreal – https://www.mtl.org/en

• Quebec City – https://www.quebec-cite.com/en

• Banff & Jasper – https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff

• Nova Scotia – https://www.novascotia.com/

It’s calm. Clean. Culturally rich.
Not flashy — but real.

It feels different, but not difficult.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what travel should be.

🧠 Why This Matters

Most people travel on autopilot.
They follow trends, check boxes, and try to “see everything.”

But the best trips usually come when you slow down — or when you go somewhere others aren’t looking.

Is Hawaii really Hawaii if you never leave the resort zone?
Why do we cross oceans for charm when Canada is right above us?

You don’t need to go far.
You just need to go different.

📬 I’d Love Your Input

Quick poll — hit reply and tell me:
What type of newsletter edition do you enjoy most?

1️⃣ Contrarian views like this one
2️⃣ Curated YouTube video recs
3️⃣ City interviews with locals or expats

One sentence is all I need. I read every reply.

Thanks for reading,
Jeff

If this resonated, forward it to a friend or share the link:
https://theworldunfolding.beehiiv.com

Next week: I discuss my favorite type of golf