Hawaiian Budget Vacation

[aclov]

I also used to live on Oahu - also military (and young and of course not much money).

Now we own at Marriott's Ko Olina, and go every other year for two weeks. We always use airline miles (otherwise the flights for 4 of us would be a lot!), and these trips (minus the timeshare purchase of course) are our most economical vacations!

I would suggest looking into renting at the Marriott Ko Olina - we've used redweek.com for rentals at other Marriotts before. You'll pay a lot less than if you booked directly through Marriott - but you'll be treated like an owner (no maid service, except for one midweek tidy, but we don't need maid service daily in a condo). We like it over Aulani (yes, I know we love Disney, but the Marriott condos are bigger, they have gas grills which we use all the time to cook dinner and I don't think Aulani has them, plus if you rent from an owner you won't pay for parking, as Aulani owners still have to pay for parking, plus the resort is more spread out; we just like it better).

QUOTE]

I like your suggestion about Redweek, I personally have never rented from there but would highly consider it. Aulani does have grills and owners do not pay for parking. They have a parking garage. If you are a cash guest, the parking daily fee is $35. I enjoyed the Ko'Olina area after staying at Waikiki and Paradise Cove is next door in walking distance. If you book online prior to going it is a little cheaper.

 

[Massillon Dad]

order online----lots of BOGO...plus free ticket to Polynesian cultural center alone will save ya $40

 

[danygirl]

PVC is over priced and not that great. I would recommend haunama bay for amazing snorkeling even for non swimmers. Way better than you can imagine and you can rent gear there.

 

[happymommy]

Sorry about the info on Aulani - I was misinformed!

I'd definitely look at either that or the Marriott - Ko Olina is so much nicer (IMHO) than staying at Waikiki. But it depends - if you don't want a rental car, then Waikiki is doable on the cheaper side for sure. And you can get a car for a day from National/Alamo from Waikiki for driving around.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I thought of one more that's not exactly "cheap", but it is a great deal. Shorebirds in Waikiki has a sunset dinner special. You have to be seated between 4pm and 5:30pm. You get a steak (which you get to cook yourself on a big grill) and their great salad bar for $16.95-- Maybe this could be one "special" meal?! The restaurant is right on the beach. Great location!

There is also a Buy one Get one or Buy one Get one half price coupon (can't remember the exact verbage but it's worth $20) for Shorebirds in one of the Oahu Gold type coupon books you can pick up at the airport. Get all of them and look through them all. It's worth it for the savings.

I would suggest the Hawaiian cultural center. Get the ambassador package

http://www.polynesia.com/

The Hawaii Entertainment Book has Buy one Get one Free for entrance to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It also has some BOGO coupons for some of the Pearl Harbor stuff (the audio tape tour of USS Arizona, the Bowfin, Pacific Aviation Museum and one for kids for the USS Missouri). It was very worth the price of the book. 2013 books are already reduced in price this time of year.

I searched Waikiki hotels on Hotwire for months. The beachfront hotels come up under the hidden hotels sometimes. You just have to watch. You could also try renting a timeshare condo from an owner. The Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk location was perfect.

There is also a very fun catamaran sail on Waikiki Beach for $20 per adult and it includes cocktails. We sailed the bright yellow catamaran that docks in front of the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. I highly recommend it!

 

[danygirl]

There is also a Buy one Get one or Buy one Get one half price coupon (can't remember the exact verbage but it's worth $20) for Shorebirds in one of the Ohahu Gold type coupon books you can pick up at the airport. Get all of them and look through them all. It's worth it for the savings.



The Hawaii Entertainment Book has Buy one Get one Free for entrance to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It also has some BOGO coupons for some of the Pearl Harbor stuff (the audio tape tour of USS Arizona, the Bowfin tour, and one for kids for the USS Missouri). It was very worth the price of the book. 2013 books are already reduced in price this time of year.

I searched Waikiki hotels on Hotwire for months. The beachfront hotels come up under the hidden hotels sometimes. You just have to watch. You could also try renting a timeshare condo from an owner. The Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk location was perfect.

There is also a very fun catamaran sail on Waikiki Beach for $20 per adult and it includes cocktails. We sailed the bright yellow catamaran that docks in front of the Outrigger Waikiki Beach. I highly recommend it!

LOL My job in college (I went to UH) was to sell tickets for that cat cruise and to rent surf boards and umbrellas at the Outrigger!!

Really would recommend other things than the polynesian culture center. So overpriced! Waimea Falls is a great hike, so is Diamond Head. If you hit the north shore in the winter you might see the huge waves at Waimea Bay. And get some shave ice at Matsumotos.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Small world!!!

We actually ran out of time to do the PCC even though we had BOGO coupons for it. It kept getting pushed to the end of our list b/c my teens were skeptical about "fake polynesia"...their words...so I can't really comment on it either way.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) For budgets, I would not do Oahu.
2) In fact, even if not on a budget I would not do Oahu.
3) Oahu is just too commercialized, and too expensive.
4) It is just like Miami, but with water all around it.
5) We have three relative families that live on Oahu and Kauai.
. . . we visit Hawaii every-other year
. . . we usually stay at a Marriott on Big Island for $179/night, or we stay on Kauai
. . . after 1-2 visits, Maui gets too old and to same-o same-o
. . . we do not stay on Oahu, ever
6) We recommend
. . . Maui for activities and partying
. . . Kauai for vegging-out
7) Since they are away for Oahu, the prices are more reasonable.
. . . you can get rooms for as low as $100/night, based upon season
. . . you can get condo-type suites with kitchens for as low as $125/night
. . . the food/gas is the same for most of the islands

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Has anyone used the "Go Oahu Card". Was it worth the money? Costco has a 3day card cheaper than other sights. Could you do enough in three days to make buying worth the expense?

Thinking Pearl Harbor one day, PCC one day, 3rd day undecided. Ideas from anyone who has used the card are welcome. We are staying at Aulani and will spend several days just enjoying the resorts. We plan on 3-4 days exploring and enjoying Oahu. Will not visit any other islands.

I really researched the Go Oahu Card from Costco before we went. I made up our itinerary, priced out all our activities. For my family of 4 it cost less to buy the Hawaii Entertainment Book and use the BOGO coupons from there than to buy the card. After we returned and I added up all our receipts, we def came out ahead using coupons and paying OOP. The card would have cost us alot more. You really have to map out what activities you want to do and do a cost analysis to see which would work best for you. FYI - we did Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay (but didn't snorkle) Iolani Palace, a catamaran sail, Pearl Harbor (Arizona w/ audio tour, Bowfin, Missouri). All these activities took us 4 days. You could cram it into 3 but it would be a frantic pace. We ended up skipping the Polynesian Cultural Center even though we had the BOGO coupons. But even with the PCC cost added in, we still would have come out better than if we bought the Go Cards.

For car rentals check out Discount Hawaii Car Rental. I got better rate with them than through Hotwire, Costco or AAA. I booked about 8 months out and then kept checking it and all the other places once a month to see if I could get a better rate...never could. They were very easy to work with.

 

[manning]

Which ambassador package did you get?

The $126 one will be the one I'd pick. You'll see all of the villages in a small group, dinner and premium seating for the show.

 

[LJSquishy]

We spent most of our time on Maui and a couple nights on Oahu. We didn't like Oahu at all and hated Waikiki beach! lol

We fell in love with Maui, though. We rented a condo on VRBO (VERY affordable!) that was right on Napili Bay and you could walk right out onto the beach. There was amazing snorkeling right off of our condo beach...just walk right into the water and see beautiful fish. We paid for a snorkeling boat tour that also stopped at turtle island and the snorkeling off of our condo was WAY better! Turtle island was amazing, though...swimming with the sea turtles (not allowed to touch). If you do end up staying in Maui, you must do the Old Lahaina Luau. To save a little money, we stopped at a grocery store (we rented a car in Maui) to pick up items to make breakfasts & a few lunches. Groceries aren't cheap there either, so keep that in mind. In 2006 when we went, a gallon of milk was I think $6...at a regular grocery store...and also about $6 for a box of cereal. We bought ingredients for pancakes, sandwiches, etc...things that would make inexpensive meals.

To us, Oahu (the Waikiki area) felt like we were in California...it's a very commercial tourist area. It doesn't really feel like Hawaii. We were just a few blocks from Waikiki beach so we were able to walk throughout the whole area and just hated it compared to Maui. There is a zoo there that is fun, though.

Our entire trip including airfare (from WA state), condo in Maui, hotel in Oahu, entertainment like the luau & snorkeling tour, etc was about $3,000 for 2 adults.

 

[FLAngie]

The $126 one will be the one I'd pick. You'll see all of the villages in a small group, dinner and premium seating for the show.

Thanks!

 

[badiggio]

I also used to live on Oahu - also military (and young and of course not much money).

Now we own at Marriott's Ko Olina, and go every other year for two weeks. We always use airline miles (otherwise the flights for 4 of us would be a lot!), and these trips (minus the timeshare purchase of course) are our most economical vacations!

I would suggest looking into renting at the Marriott Ko Olina - we've used redweek.com for rentals at other Marriotts before. You'll pay a lot less than if you booked directly through Marriott - but you'll be treated like an owner (no maid service, except for one midweek tidy, but we don't need maid service daily in a condo). We like it over Aulani (yes, I know we love Disney, but the Marriott condos are bigger, they have gas grills which we use all the time to cook dinner and I don't think Aulani has them, plus if you rent from an owner you won't pay for parking, as Aulani owners still have to pay for parking, plus the resort is more spread out; we just like it better).

We eat in most of the time, with occasional lunches out while sightseeing. We shop Costco & Target for groceries, but there is a new super Walmart right up the road too, so next trip that's where we'll shop first!

I've been twice to the PCC, and would honestly skip that. If you do want to go, go EARLY so you can do all the little shows. To me, it's just too touristy.

If you drive over to hang out and see Waikiki, you can park at the military hotel hourly (Hale Koa) even if not military, and it's the best place to park (and not expensive) to walk up and down Waikiki.

There are a ton of fun things to do on Oahu - drive over to Pearl Harbor - go early!! I also agree to go to the Flea Market (it's also called the swap meet) - we go there at least twice each trip. You can get tee shirts and other souvenirs, plus dried fruits, nuts, etc... Also, go early - it gets hot!

We like Ko Olina, because the manmade coves are so nice to swim, it's a great area, and Waikiki is just so crazy busy - expensive dining options abound there. We'd rather go sightsee a bit, or hang out at the pool and beach, then grill some nice fresh fish or whatever and eat in at night.

You definitely don't have to spend a lot in Hawaii - just plan accordingly. If it's dinner time, and you're in Waikiki, and you have no plans, you can end up spending a lot on a mediocre dinner. Also most Waikiki hotels charge for parking, and we like to have a car (at Ko Olina you really need one).

We rent from an owner at Beach Villas across the field from Aulani.We have a 2 bedroom suite on the beach ,Beach Tower building.Don't really care for Honolulu,but Ko OLINA is just perfect;the beauty of the islands with availability of all services near by.We were ther in January and going back in 3 weeks.

 

[aclov]

We rent from an owner at Beach Villas across the field from Aulani.We have a 2 bedroom suite on the beach ,Beach Tower building.Don't really care for Honolulu,but Ko OLINA is just perfect;the beauty of the islands with availability of all services near by.We were ther in January and going back in 3 weeks.[/QUOTE]

Ko'Olina area is growing, I went years ago when the Marriott was first built and compared to my recent trip in June at Aulani it is building up. Very pretty and close to North Shore.

 

[kristasmom]

We went in June, booked through Travelocity, spent 10 days at the Aqua Palms, right across the street from Hilton Hawaiian Village, in a partial ocean view room with a balcony, had a rental car, and airfare from Los Angeles for $1100 per person. The hotel offered complimentary use of beach towels and chairs. It was a short walk to the beach. We went to a lot of different beaches, which was free since they do not charge to park. One of our splurge excursions was to Kuhaloa Ranch. We road ATV's up into the beautiful valley. It was the highlight of our trip. DD said she "needs" to move there immediately.

 

[aclov]

We went in June, booked through Travelocity, spent 10 days at the Aqua Palms, right across the street from Hilton Hawaiian Village, in a partial ocean view room with a balcony, had a rental car, and airfare from Los Angeles for $1100 per person. The hotel offered complimentary use of beach towels and chairs. It was a short walk to the beach. We went to a lot of different beaches, which was free since they do not charge to park. One of our splurge excursions was to Kuhaloa Ranch. We road ATV's up into the beautiful valley. It was the highlight of our trip. DD said she "needs" to move there immediately.

We did the ATVs too and also the highlight of our trip. It isn't cheap but well worth it!

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

I went a few years ago. I purchased an Entertainment book and we only ate in restaurants in the book. It was great! We had lots of great meals for not a lot of money.

I also bid on a room on priceline and was able to get a hotel for $32/night and it included breakfast. It wasn't a fancy room but it was clean and we were only 2 blocks from the beach.

We took public transportation and bought the bus pass. It wasn't expensive and I felt like we got to see so much of the island. I liked it better then renting a car because I felt like I discovered real gems in the area.

There are lots of free or almost free things to do. With research you should be able to do a budget friendly trip. Have fun planning!!

 

[manning]

We rent from an owner at Beach Villas across the field from Aulani.We have a 2 bedroom suite on the beach ,Beach Tower building..

How does this compare in cost to hotels.

 

[donnsuz]

I'm a bit off topic and I swear I'll post my thoughts on Honolulu...several things that aren't atrociously priced...but I'm in a time pinch right now. However, does anyone know...is there any sorta Disboards type site for Hawaii? I've perused several blogs and discount and travel sites - but not finding anything like da boards

 

[ekatiel]

I'm a bit off topic and I swear I'll post my thoughts on Honolulu...several things that aren't atrociously priced...but I'm in a time pinch right now. However, does anyone know...is there any sorta Disboards type site for Hawaii? I've perused several blogs and discount and travel sites - but not finding anything like da boards

Trip Advisor Forums are probably the closest you'll get. Here's a link to the Honolulu board: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g60982-i38-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html Happy planning!!