Anyone have any ideas on how to do Hawaii on a strict budget?

[my3kids]

I'm voting Kauai yes since it what we're doing with kids!

 

[MayMom]

Hello- we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon 7 years ago and I hope to go back in 3 years for our anniversary. I love it - it is what I think heaven will be like when I get there
I will say that I loved Maui more than Oahu. It was just a beautiful, magical place. I also wanted to add that we almost ran out of money while we were there. It was much more expensive than we had planned, but that was before I became a serious internet research planner! I hope that you have a wonderful time! Good luck!

 

[WDWfor5]

So a No to Kauai huh?? I was really excited about this place..it sounds wonderful! Any votes for Kauai with kids??

We loved Kauii when we went last February with our 3 kids (then almost 6, 3 1/2 and 21 mos). We stayed at the Marriott and the beach was great for the kids along with the pools. We went everywhere from Poipu Beach where we had a picnic lunch and saw the Hawaiin Monk Seals and swam in the calm waters, to Ke'e Beach on the North Shore where we got to watch the sunset from the water. Our DD 6 was in heaven and still remember swatching the sunset from the water .

I'm not really sure why it's not considered kid friendly except it doesn't have a lot of amusement park/water park/ museum type things to do. For my kids though, they'd prefer to swim, go to the park, play in the sand and enjoy the warm weather. We researched the trip to death (same as I'm doing for Disney) and it was the key the a perfect vacation.

We knew where the playground was and went twice where my kids played with children from Kauai and I talked to their mothers - just like at home. My DD still wants to move there if we can talk Grandma and Nana into moving too.

Anyway, this got too long but I can't say enough about how relaxing and gorgeuous it was. We saw everything in a week that we wanted to with the exception of snorkeling because or DS's were too young to bring on the boat.

PM me if you want to see pictures or want more info

Have a wonderful time wherever you go

 

[MEM]

So a No to Kauai huh?? I was really excited about this place..it sounds wonderful! Any votes for Kauai with kids??

I would say "yes" although I have not been there yet - remember, that's where Lilo is from!

 

[grlpwrd]

I'm from Hawaii and every year we go back home I make sure to take some food with me in my luggage. Hey, you asked for budget tips. A box of cereal is not cheap there - food is not cheap there period except if you venture to the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium in 'Aiea or in downtown Honolulu (Chinatown) for produce. I also encourage you to make a trip to Sam's Club or Costco if you're a member because the basics like milk is a bit cheaper. If you are vegetarian or organic I can refer you to places I know so just post - my dh eats this way so I plan for him.

I used to work for Hawaiian Airlines. If you plan interisland trips and you're getting it ticketed separately, book in advanced online because there is usually a discount if you do. Also, sign up for the frequent flyer program or check to see if you can get points from flying Hawaiian Airlines thru a program you are already a member. I think Northwest Airlines offers (this).

BTW I wouldn't suggest Aloha Airlines because they are having financial problems plus the fact they went to court to take away the pensions of the long time workers to save the company - not sure how you feel about these situations and just wanted to point that out.

Where my dd 4 can play in the water, we can see some turtles, things like this..does Kauai offer this?

Kauai is the most wild and natural island - the least developed. Many of the beaches aren't kid friendly for a child your age, but I agree with WDWfor5... Poipu Beach is do-able where there is a shallow, calm part. There are also sailing adventures, hiking, sightseeing, etc.

I second Maui. That's where some of my family lives and the points of interest and beaches are awesome.

GL and have fun! We'll be there this summer.

 

[Skatermom23]

Kauai is the most wild and natural island - the least developed. Many of the beaches aren't kid friendly for a child your age, but I agree with WDWfor5... Poipu Beach is do-able where there is a shallow, calm part. There are also sailing adventures, hiking, sightseeing, etc.
GL and have fun! We'll be there this summer.

Wild and Natural...those were the words I was looking for to describe Kauai! My kids were 7 & 9 when we went to Maui and they still talk about that trip. We stayed at the Embassy Suites which was just wonderful because DH hates the sand between his toes so he could stay at their huge, and I mean huge pool while the kids and I went back and forth between the beach and pool. As much as we loved Maui we are returning for two weeks to Oahu this summer. We lived there for 9 years and want to just see how things have changed.

 

[lustergirl]

My mother and me are taking a Hawaiian vacation the last week of March. I booked through travelocity. We are going to Oahu staying at a Resort Quest for 5 nights and have tons of stuff to do, booked my activities through travelocity as well. We paid more for airfare than anything else- ouch!!!!!!!!!

 

[nwdisgal]

So...Thank you everyone again! Great discussion going on here.
We have decided on Kauai and that website vbro.com, is awsome! Can anyone reccomend which beach or shore (n,s,e,w) to stay on in Kauai? There is so much to choose from, and its hard to tell which is best. We are looking for a tropical hawaiian experience. Where my dd 4 can play in the water, we can see some turtles, things like this..does Kauai offer this?

Poipu Beach in Kauai is beautiful, has a shallow, protected jetty area for the kids and best of all the weather on the South Shore is decidely more sunny than the North Shore.

 

[my3kids]

I just saw some great 360 tours of the Kauai Beaches. From Expedia, click on Hawaii under popular destinations. Then click Kauai from the map and a lot of beaches will be available to view, along with lists of hotels in each area. Poipu Beach, in the southern part, it seems is one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.

 

[momsgoofy]

If you have military priviliges...the Hale Koa is just beautiful and right in the middle of everything.

Okay, since I'm debating about asking my dad to join us on this trip and he's retired AF...what can you tell me about this place? I've seen it on other posts about Hawaii and am curious...is it something like Shades of Green at WDW? Anything you might be able to share would be great!

Thanks so much!

 

[WDWorld2003]

We have not visited the other islands but loved the Big Island. We spent 9 nights there a few years ago (4 were for a work conference). Hapuna Beach on the Gold Coast is absolutely gorgeous and often listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. We stayed at the Hapuna Prince hotel (http://www.hapunabeachhotel.com/hbp/) with the conference and would LOVE to go back - a beautiful hotel, expensive but work was paying for this. If we stayed again we would eat offsite. We had our two teens 14 and 11 with us at the time. They enjoyed the boogie boarding and the pool there and just loved the hotel in general. They also had a free van to their sister hotel where you could watch the stingrays at night in the ocean. Hapuna Beach itself is part of a state park so you can pay the entry fee and use this beach even if you aren't staying at the hotel. You do need a car on this island to get anywhere.

We also drove to other side and went to Akaka Falls State Park (free) http://www.terragalleria.com/pacifi...-falls-state-park/akaka-falls-state-park.html a large botanical garden (http://www.htbg.com/) (small fee) and a Macademia Nut farm which was actually really fun http://www.maunaloa.com/visitus.htm (small fee). This side is very rainy but absolutely beautiful. The town of Hilo is also very pretty and has some very pretty gardens. We spent two days at Volcanoes National Park (National Park fee) http://www.nps.gov/havo/ and stayed in a bed and breakfast in the town of Volcano which was a fun experience. We had our own large 3 bedroom house with beautiful gardens and went to the main house for breakfast. It was about $135/night and free breakfast (http://www.volcanogallery.com/. The owner was a local with lots of stories we will never forget. The national park is really fascinating and we went hiking in the rain forest and drove out on Chain of Craters road at night.

We spent our last few nights in Kona at a condo which was beautiful but didn't have air conditioning so it go quite warm. At the Entertainment rate this was also only $135 and just steps away from the ocean but no beach. We went on a snorkeling trip which was worth every penny http://www.fair-wind.com/ (used AAA for 20% off and did the less crowded snack cruise) to a beautiful protected area where Captain Cook was killed (the snorkeling was outstanding and we saw many dolphins from the boat), shopped, did a luau (also used AAA), went to the local beach (free). We loved the diversity of this island. The Kona/Gold Coast side is all lava rock so it's not as pretty as the other islands but has it's own beauty and is sunny most of the time. The Hilo side is very rainy and lush and somewhat cool.

We didn't think groceries were that much more than any other vacation place. We did bring snacks with us in a suitcase but they didn't cost that much more there.

We missed so many things on this island as we didn't have time - the large observatory, the horse ranch, coffee plantations, etc.

Lonely Planet puts out some great books on each of the islands that might be helpful to you.

I know you wanted to spend most of your time at the beach but there is so much to do and see! Also, the sun is much more intense there - I burned in a couple of hours with sun screen (and I tan easily) and had to spend a few days away from the beach.

We have vowed to go back some day and will again visit the Big Island and hopefully, one or two others. Have a great time!

 

[OurDogCisco]

So a No to Kauai huh?? I was really excited about this place..it sounds wonderful! Any votes for Kauai with kids??

I vote for Kauai. I've been to Oahu, Maui & Kauai. Personally, I like all the islands for totally different reasons. Kauai is very relaxing and fun for the kids. We went last summer to both Maui & Kauai. Maui had some great snorkeling in Kaanapali area. The beaches are nice but it was very windy. We went last week of July & the 1st week of August. Maui doesn't have the tropical feel that Kauai has with it lush trees and greenry. My kids are 4 and 7 years old. In Kauai the water was a little roughier so it was fun to boogie board. Maui the waves weren't there for us.

I'm definitely divided on the hotel or condo deal. We liked the condo for the space but I didn't feel we saved any money on food. But I'm sure we did by eating breakfasts in and lunches in. We mostly ate out for dinner. Anyways, we did bring a lot of boxed foods with us like cereal, snacks, granola bars, macaroni & cheese, etc...

One thing I didn't like about Maui in the summer was that the restaurants were very busy in the evenings. Most places had 2 hours waits. I wasn't very good about making reservations. On Kauai, we only had to make reservations at one place. Other than that it was pretty easy to get a table anywhere. So in Maui we did a lot more cooking in our condo for dinner and ate out for lunches.

I have tons of restaurant recommendations on Kauai if you are interested let me know and I'll list them.

In Kauai, we have done the Smith Luau, the Fern Grotto Tour, hiked to tons of trails (easy hikes the kids could do), go to the children's museum, hiked around Waimea Canyon, did a snorkel trip up the Napali Coast, boogie boarding, ziplining... We still want to do the intertubing through an all sugar plantation water way (I'll have to look that up) & horseback riding. So don't let anyone tell you there isn't anything to do in Kauai for kids. There is a ton of stuff. Of course, we swam everyday.

GL... Let me know if you have any more questions. Personally, Hawaii is cheaper than DisneyWorld. Once you figure in the park tickets & food..

 

[OurDogCisco]

Here are some of my favorite places to eat in Kauai:

Bubba' Burgers (located North & East Shore) Inexpensive burgers... Not the best I've ever had but pretty good

Zelo's Beach House -- Great Fish (north shore)

Neide's Salsa & Samba -- (north shore) more authetic spanish food very good

Tropical Taco -- (north shore) difficult to find but great prices and good tacos

Cafe Hanalei buffetts are awesome but very expensive around $50 per person located at the Princeville resort

Duke's Canoe Club (East Shore) at the Marriott Hotel in Lihue... Great value for all the food you get.

Brick Oven Pizza (South Shore) the best I've had... family owned and they are from the East coast somewhere at least one parent is. Anyways they have license plates on the wall to look at (fun for the kids to find all the states). Also, sometimes they give the kids pizza dough to play with like playdough.

Puka Dog (South Shore located in Poipu shopping center) Awesome hot dogs. They have a very tropical taste to them. They sell regular dogs for the kids.

Roy's in Poipu or any of the other Hawaiian islands is great. The food is awesome but expensive. Definitely for the fish lover...

Taquieria Nortenos (South Shore) Okay mexican not as good as California but cheap kinda of hole in the wall place

Hope this helps...

Places we have eaten at but didn't like are:

Wrangler's Steakhouse (West Shore)

Smith Tropical Paradise (East Shore) the show and entertainment was great the food was just okay buffet style

Tomkats Grille (South Shore) just average

If you go I highly recomment the Utlimate Kauai Guidebook by Doughty & Friedman. You'll find all the restaurants in there plus great hiking trails tips, etc...

Have fun...

 

[Maria395712]

anyone know about the regency condos in kauai poipu beach area can you fly into kauai

 

[Maria395712]

what about the Hyatt and embassy suites are they on poipu south shore are they at the beach they both offer breakfast
maria

 

[Maria395712]

what 4 or 5 star hotel on the beach in honolulu
maria

 

[Hermosa11]

Here is a totally cool place to stay. I stayed there years ago. If you don't mind an older decorating scheme............Royal Grove Hotel
and I booked my airfare thru: AirToHawaii and got pretty good fare!
You can also check out air fares thru: Here

 

[Maria395712]

should you rent a car or get the 4 day bus pass
maria

 

[Cindi0511]

We went back in 1999, and the biggest saver for us was food. My boss told me to check out the ABC stores -- they aren't for alcohol there. We'd get something cheap for lunch and save our dollars for dinner. After dinner show at the Cultural Center was amazing, though not cheap. We could have done without the luau there -- very dry and tasteless.

Do go to the Punchbowl -- the cemetery on Oahu. You'll never take freedom for granted again! We went on business with a bunch of WWII Marines, and they made the whole trip phenomenal! Semper Fi to all!

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I know you can fly directly into Kauai with United airlines, they connect through San Fransisco or LA. But they are EXPENSIVE, at least from the east coast anyway.