invite to go to Hawaii!!!!!

[dreamin_disney]

One of dh's relatives invited us to go on a trip with them to Hawaii. I guess its a timeshare. Its at a resort suite or a condo but they got two and offered us one. All we have to pay for is the airfare and food.

They want to sit and discuss it with dh and I and see if we want to go with them. They want to go next year. They are also on a budget so it wont be like we need to spend all kinds of money to keep up with them. We like the same stuff so it will be sight seeing, beach, eating locally not fancy dinner(maybe one luau) just keeping it simple.

They have a 5 year old and we have a young teen.


I think this would be a great way to see Hawaii especially if we dont have to pay for a place to stay.

We've never vacationed with anyone before so it will be interesting. We havent said yes just yet.


are simple local food place super expensive? car rentals? Does going on a budget sound doable???


BTW- they are willing to work on a travel time so we dont have to pull dd out of school. What months are the best time to go, nice weather (no humid weather)

We will be traveling from west coast

We've been doing great on our budget. Dh's car will be paid off in March and March we will get a tax refund. I've saved about $1100 from my flex account .
A part of me want to go on this trip and another part of me want to just keep saving my money-lol!

 

[chris31997]

Hawaii generally does not have humdity. So, anytime generally is a good time to go.

But which island are you looking at??

Kaui is waay differant than Ohau than Maui than the Big Island.

Assuming you will probably be on either Maui or Ohau. Things are going to be more expensive in Hawaii. But you can find deals if you look. Find the Farmers Market for dinner. Look for the restraunts not seen in your area. Go to the beach, snorkeling, and find places to hike. Ohau has several places that you can see historical places.

 

[Crystal824]

I would definitely go if you can swing it. Hawaii is one of my favorite places. I've only been there once, but it was amazing. I would love to go back.

 

[AlohaNow]

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity.

Nothing in Hawaii is cheap, but remember that the very best feature of the entire state, the BEACH, is free! There is zero humidity year-round and December through March is considered ‘winter’ and you may read that this the ‘rainy season’. But it really hardly ever rains on Oahu.

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity. Seriously!

 

[borgthe]

Since you will be staying in a timeshare, you will probably have a kitchen. That can save you lots of money. You can prepare most meals there.

 

[Mkebound]

Actually, lots of things in HI are cheap. Rental cars are very reasonable, if you have a condo eat like a local and buy locally grown fruits and fresh fish. All beaches in Hawaii are public access. National Park sights like Pearl Harbor and Volcanoes National Park are very low cost. Airfare from the west coast is often very reasonable

In fact I would suggest your trip around when airfare is lower as that might be the biggest cost

 

[BCV2003]

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity.

Nothing in Hawaii is cheap, but remember that the very best feature of the entire state, the BEACH, is free! There is zero humidity year-round and December through March is considered ‘winter’ and you may read that this the ‘rainy season’. But it really hardly ever rains on Oahu.

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity. Seriously!

We were on Oahu for our honeymoon in October and on our first full day it rained for a few hours straight....worst rain they had seen in a long time and for the next 8 days, we got a little bit of rain every day. Weird. I know, but it happens.

We didn't find Hawaii to be that expensive. Yes, a luau was expensive but we had quite a few dinners which were in the $40 range for two people and we ate well. We had a few $200-300 dinners too but those were by choice and were paying more for the atmosphere or sunset.

 

[cheerky]

We visited Oahu in 2010 for a few weeks. We were invited to stay with friends stationed there (army). If anyone in your party is military or a veteran, there are excellent discounts available for all kinds of attractions.

The food trucks were very affordable and Opal's Thai still ranks as one of the best meals I have ever had... that's right, straight off the truck for about $7. Also, shopping is very inexpensive at the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. The swap meet isn't every day, only a few days a week, but it was very inexpensive and there were tons of vendors!

Go! You will have a blast. I'd love to go back!!!!!

 

[badiggio]

If you're in Oahu,sounds like you might be staying at Marriott Beach Club at Ko Olina.We stayed at the resort between it and Aulani,The Beach Villas.It's the best location in Oahu,where it's been said ,it never rains.We were there last January and October{no rain} and will again in late February,we love it that much.We stay there at a fraction what it costs to stay at Aulani,though we visit everytime.The swap meet is every wed,sat and sunday with some real bargains.GO!

 

[crisi]

Before you commit, know what airfare will be. Some parts of the country can get decent prices, but if you are stuck in a high airfare town, airfare to Hawaii for three can cost more than an entire Disney vacation.

 

[findmewdw]

I would definitely go! We went in October a few years ago and it was by far the best trip we have ever taken. I would love to go back. Pricing wasn't exceptionally higher; I think you could budget entertainment okay. Hey, the beaches are beautiful and free! The worst cost for our trip was airfare. We are from KY though and we spent a fortune on airfare for our family.
Go and enjoy! Traveling with friends can be great, too. You will always regret it if you don't say yes!

 

[turning into fanatic]

Hawaii is my favorite place to visit besides Disney World. I have a friend who is in Hawaii right now and has been texting me pics, wish I was there with her!! You would not regret going!

 

[dreamin_disney]

Dh's relatives want to meet up so we can talk about the trip-lol!

Hawaii generally does not have humdity. So, anytime generally is a good time to go.

But which island are you looking at??

Kaui is waay differant than Ohau than Maui than the Big Island.

Assuming you will probably be on either Maui or Ohau. Things are going to be more expensive in Hawaii. But you can find deals if you look. Find the Farmers Market for dinner. Look for the restraunts not seen in your area. Go to the beach, snorkeling, and find places to hike. Ohau has several places that you can see historical places.

Thank goodness for no humidity or I'd die of misery-lol!
Not sure what Island. The relatives wife mentioned ohau. But they arent even sure. The beach, waterfalls, pearl harbor and sunsets are on the list

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity.

Nothing in Hawaii is cheap, but remember that the very best feature of the entire state, the BEACH, is free! There is zero humidity year-round and December through March is considered ‘winter’ and you may read that this the ‘rainy season’. But it really hardly ever rains on Oahu.

Go. Do not pass up this opportunity. Seriously!

Hows the water in March. I know beach is on the list

Actually, lots of things in HI are cheap. Rental cars are very reasonable, if you have a condo eat like a local and buy locally grown fruits and fresh fish. All beaches in Hawaii are public access. National Park sights like Pearl Harbor and Volcanoes National Park are very low cost. Airfare from the west coast is often very reasonable

In fact I would suggest your trip around when airfare is lower as that might be the biggest cost

Yes we are fine with eating like the locals. We dont need fancy dinners

We visited Oahu in 2010 for a few weeks. We were invited to stay with friends stationed there (army). If anyone in your party is military or a veteran, there are excellent discounts available for all kinds of attractions.

The food trucks were very affordable and Opal's Thai still ranks as one of the best meals I have ever had... that's right, straight off the truck for about $7. Also, shopping is very inexpensive at the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. The swap meet isn't every day, only a few days a week, but it was very inexpensive and there were tons of vendors!

Go! You will have a blast. I'd love to go back!!!!!

Not military in our group. If the swap meet in in the area , we will check it out . Dh and i are budget people but his relatives are also on the budget wagon

If you're in Oahu,sounds like you might be staying at Marriott Beach Club at Ko Olina.We stayed at the resort between it and Aulani,The Beach Villas.It's the best location in Oahu,where it's been said ,it never rains.We were there last January and October{no rain} and will again in late February,we love it that much.We stay there at a fraction what it costs to stay at Aulani,though we visit everytime.The swap meet is every wed,sat and sunday with some real bargains.GO!

I have no idea where we are staying. Once we get more details I will post.

Before you commit, know what airfare will be. Some parts of the country can get decent prices, but if you are stuck in a high airfare town, airfare to Hawaii for three can cost more than an entire Disney vacation.

We will have to start searching airfare

 

[bethy]

I would go, but just be sure and do your research ahead of time and that will really help you keep the cost down. If you are on the West Coast then you can get great airfare deals on Alaska airlines or Hawaiian airlines. However, March is one of the more expensive times for airfare. So is summer and also Christmas. I watch airfare a lot and the cheapest times I've found are generally Sept through Mid December (excluding Thanksgiving). And also late April through May. I've seen fares from Seattle for as low as $380 RT around those times. Especially to Oahu which is a bit cheaper to fly into. Other times of year it's around $600 - $650 IF you book well ahead.

There aren't that many timeshares on Oahu. And most of them are right in Waikiki. Which can be fine and well worth it if you are on a strict budget AND are willing to drive around and explore the island a lot. Waikiki beach is smack dab in the middle of a small city ( think lots of tall buildings and people). It's not bad, but not the first place I'd choose to stay for the whole trip.

Also, many timeshares are extremely hard to book during peak seasons like Christmas and Spring Break. You have to really know what your are doing . . .

 

[crisi]

And from the Midwest you can get stuck easily with $1200 per person in airfare, and be delighted that you got by that cheap!

 

[dreamin_disney]

Thanks for all the info and advice. Please keep it coming. I'm gonna invite the relatives over for dinner and get more info.

My plan was to take dd to Hawaii for her high school graduation . I figure its expensive so it would take me a few years to save but this is a once in a life time opportunity to get a chance with free hotel. I hope it works out, if it does than for dd's graduation I would like to do a cruise

 

[dawnball]

I suggest you write up a plan and budget, then see if it's worth it.

We're currently planning a trip to Oahu this Feb, so some rough numbers might help you.

Airfare - ~600/pp

Snorkeling - ~25-50/pp/trip

Beach chairs - ~50 for 2 chairs & umbrella/day or $10/hr. Buying them at Walmart and giving them to someone on your last day is cheaper.

Meals - I was chatting with a woman the other day - she said her son was in Honolulu, and it was cheaper for her to buy non-perishables in the SFBay area and ship them to Hawaii than it was for him to buy them locally. She mentioned $10/lb for butter. Looking at menus online, restaurant pricing seems about the same as Bay Area pricing (which, IMO, makes WDW pricing look normal.) I'm budgeting ~$100-$150/day in food for 3, figuring a mix of groceries for the room, food trucks and sushi/poke.

Pearl Harbor tour - $55/pp for the Pearl Harbor passport - you can pick and choose which tours you'd like, and I've seen packages for three times this much.

Rental car - we're going to uber/taxi/shuttles or do one-day rentals, in part because of the daily parking fee at our hotel - depending on your parking arrangements, a rental may be less expensive for you.

 

[manning]

There is humidity. However the trade winds take care of that. Wind causes evaporation from the body and evaporation cools you down. You won't notice it.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Great idea on making a list. If anyone has food pictures from Hawaii local restaurants, food trucks , luaus Etc that would be great if you can post or names of food places. I'm going to make a
-food list
-excursion list
- shopping place list
- sight seeing list
- must do list

I've heard a lot of people that go on cruises will stop at the wal mart in Hawaii and stock up on stuff or buy souvenirs . Is wal mart expensive too or are the prices low?

 

[blanq]

There is humidity. However the trade winds take care of that. Wind causes evaporation from the body and evaporation cools you down. You won't notice it.

True that to there being humidity. What are people talking about that Hawaii isn't humid? They are islands with many microclimates including tropical. Humidity in Kauai today is 73%, Maui is 72% and Oahu it's 67%. The trade winds often do make a difference but at times they can be nonexistent, and I have been there when they stop blowing and believe me…you sweat!!

In my opinion, the words budget and Hawaii don't belong in the same sentence. Yes, car rental prices are reasonable…gas, um…no. The price of a gallon of milk, even at WalMart, will make you cringe. That said, a trip there is worth every stinking penny you spend. Having a place to stay as you do, and flying from the West Coast will save you some money. Also, focusing on the beach, which is free, will certainly save you money. But, I couldn't go to Hawaii and just see the beach. I just couldn't spend that much money to get there and not see as much as I could and experience more than that. I can spend a lot less money to see beautiful beaches than going all the way to Hawaii to do it. I could never, for example, go to Kauai and not see the Napali Coast from a catamaran...but that's just me.

I love Hawaii (will be heading back in early December 2014) and would never dissuade anyone from taking a trip there.