invite to go to Hawaii!!!!!

[jsmith]

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.

Hmmm i only intended to copy the part about 55 dollars/pp for a Pearl harbor tour--if you have a rental car DO NOT PAY THIS . All that buys you is transportation. Admission to the Pearl Harbor memorial and Punchbowl Cemetary ofthe Pacifc which are the two premier sites onthosetours is free-the tour company might get to pull tickets for the film and boat to the memorial early but if you get there when they open at 7 you will get one of the early groups any way.
As others have said do good research and be selective when you go. Air fare will vary greatly depending on the time of year-we went last in 2011 and paid 365pp from Denver for travel the first week of Nov-same flight in march as 1200 and in july 950. rental car are cheap-but fall of 11 gas was 4.22/gal. Local food is reasonable-if you know where to find it-its also heavy on protien and starch. fresh fruit, and seafood are good options as long as you have transportation. If you are going to snorkel off the beach not off a boat-rent gear for a week and keep it in the trunk of your rental car -way cheaper than a snorkel tour although i can not give you a fair comparison since we get ours from MWR on joint base pearl/hickam. We never rent or by chairs-dont see them much except at high end resorts. Get reed mats for a couple of bucks at an ABC store and leave them when you fly home.

 

[dreamin_disney]

I'm still not sure about all the details. Dh's relatives have been busy so hopfully we meet up with them during the week if not then friday.

I've been playing with airfare. Looks like $1700-$2100 for the 3 of us ( dh, dd and I). Yikes!!!

If your from the west coast and fly to Hawaii, which airline do you fly from???
I've checked Hawaii airlines and alaska

 

[crisi]

I'm still not sure about all the details. Dh's relatives have been busy so hopfully we meet up with them during the week if not then friday.

I've been playing with airfare. Looks like $1700-$2100 for the 3 of us ( dh, dd and I). Yikes!!!

If your from the west coast and fly to Hawaii, which airline do you fly from???
I've checked Hawaii airlines and alaska

We fly from the Midwest, but I hear Hawaii and Alaska are the ones that usually have the best prices.

Other people have said they've gotten good deals on rental cars - depending on when you travel, and what the rental car supply is like, rental cars can be very expensive in my experience. Its a supply thing - unlike the mainland, there isn't an easy way to get more cars on the islands, so if you go in a high demand time, rental cars get really expensive.

 

[soccerchick]

I'm still not sure about all the details. Dh's relatives have been busy so hopfully we meet up with them during the week if not then friday.

I've been playing with airfare. Looks like $1700-$2100 for the 3 of us ( dh, dd and I). Yikes!!!

If your from the west coast and fly to Hawaii, which airline do you fly from???
I've checked Hawaii airlines and alaska

Go!!!

Those probably aren't great prices for the west coast, but from the east coast I'd jump all over those. We paid $1100/person last summer. Best rates from the east coast I've ever gotten was 700/person.

There are Costco's on Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai, haven't been to Maui, but would assume it's there too). We buy food, gas and souvenirs there. Rotisserie chicken is 4.99 there just like at home. Yes, Walmarts are cheaper than other stores. We actually found that the hotel gift shop at the Sheraton had really good prices for some gifts compared to other places we had been. Take your Safeway card if you have one and if you hit a grocery store like Foodland (not sure if those are on the west coast - we don't have them here), get a Makai card (discount shopping card) to save money.

 

[Green Tea]

Subscribe to BeatofHawaii.com's list and get the airfare sales sent to you. Amazing prices from the west coast. They far and away do the best job of sending out sales as soon as they are detected.

 

[beansmom]

wherever you plan to travel, Tripadvisor.com is your best friend. I wouldn't go anywhere without spending some time on TA first.

We are going to Maui in January and found a beautiful HUGE house to rent for less than a hotel. It will accomodate 8-10 people and that's how many we'll have. We offered to have family join us for only airfare and expenses. We're even buying most of the groceries. We figure it will be a wonderful trip for everyone.

I have only been to Maui but would probably go to any of the islands if the deal was good enough. That said, I don't know if free room is 'good enough' for me. For Hawaii, the lodging is only about a 1/3 of the trip expense so I might prefer to go at a different time, island or resort. But vacation with friends and family can be loads of fun, too, and make great memories.

I would go for it.

 

[aclov]

Definately take the opportunity and GO!! Airfare will be your biggest expense and if your in the west coast should be cheaper. There are a lot of inexpensive things to do and you can eat affordably or pricey whatever is your choice. Check out gohawaii.com, Groupon and Travelzoo

 

[aclov]

Go!!!

Those probably aren't great prices for the west coast, but from the east coast I'd jump all over those. We paid $1100/person last summer. Best rates from the east coast I've ever gotten was 700/person.

There are Costco's on Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai, haven't been to Maui, but would assume it's there too). We buy food, gas and souvenirs there. Rotisserie chicken is 4.99 there just like at home. Yes, Walmarts are cheaper than other stores. We actually found that the hotel gift shop at the Sheraton had really good prices for some gifts compared to other places we had been. Take your Safeway card if you have one and if you hit a grocery store like Foodland (not sure if those are on the west coast - we don't have them here), get a Makai card (discount shopping card) to save money.

There is also a Target so if you have a red card you can use it. If you have a kitchen and can eat one day a meal in the room, that will save you money or grill out, lots of places have grills available. I agree souvenirs were not expensive, the ABC stores had a promotion for a free gift depending how much you spend.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Island is still up in the air but Kauai was mentioned so what can you tell me about the Island on a budget
4 adults, 1 child and one teen
-things to do
-inexpensive places to eat
-must see
-best places to shop on a budget


is it expensive to fly to other islands?

 

[soccerchick]

Island is still up in the air but Kauai was mentioned so what can you tell me about the Island on a budget
4 adults, 1 child and one teen
-things to do
-inexpensive places to eat
-must see
-best places to shop on a budget


is it expensive to fly to other islands?

Yes, it has gotten expensive to fly to other islands. Depending on how long you will be there, it might not be worth the time and money to do so. If you really want to island hop, consider flying into one island, then moving on to another rather than going back and forth. Price was the same when I checked on this last summer and you will save time.

How old is the child? What time of year are you going? That will dictate a lot.

FREE stuff to do = beach and hiking - we love to do both.

We stay in the north at Princeville. I'd suggest that you make your way around the island exploring beaches and towns. North - hike at the end of the road, Ke'e for snorkeling, Tunnels, Hanalei (my favorite spot), Anini (windsurfing), Lydgate State Park if the child is young - has a protected swim area, lots of shopping in Lihue, some in Hanalei and Kapaa. Poipu beaches. See the canyon. Hanapepe.


Expensive things to do:
boat rides (we did Capt. Andy's - loved being able to see the Napali Coast from the water). I would not do this in winter.
ziplining (we did this in Princeville - there are others on the island)
windsurf lessons at Anini - fun!
helicopter rides - haven't done this in a long time. I won't take my kids on one - that's just me.
botanical gardens - three diferent ones, Allerton doesn't allow young kids, unless things have changed. My favorite is Na Aina Kai.
golf- some courses

Moderate $:
rent/take surf lessons
rent paddleboards
kayak
golf- some courses

Cheap:
lighthouse at Kilauea (national park - like $5 admission)

Restaurants run the gamut from cheap to super pricey. Duke's is a must-do for us. I can give you other recs if you end up on Kauai. Most will have specials. Fish and pork will generally be less expensive than other meats.

Kauai is the quiet, garden island. There's very little night life.

I'd suggest becoming a regular on TripAdvisor and getting the book the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (the "blue" book).

 

[blanq]

Island is still up in the air but Kauai was mentioned so what can you tell me about the Island on a budget
4 adults, 1 child and one teen
-things to do
-inexpensive places to eat
-must see
-best places to shop on a budget


is it expensive to fly to other islands?

Cheap things to do:
1. Beaches (Kauai is full of them and they are gorgeous): Ke'e, Hideaways, Shipwreck, Anini, Lawai, Hanalei, Tunnels (snorkle here!)
2. Drive up to Waimea Canyon (there are hikes and beautiful vistas all along the way)
3. Go to Hanalei Town for the day, on the north shore. Cute shops, nice beaches along the north shore. The north shore is lush and gorgeous.
4. Rent bikes from Coconut Coasters and bike all along the Coconut Coast. They have a beautiful paved bike path that flows along the coast.
5. Hike to Ho'opi'i Falls (a good family hike)
6. Other beautiful waterfalls: Wailua Falls, Manawaiopuna Falls
7. Hanapepe Art Night: This is held on Friday evenings and it is a fun place to poke around and spend an evening.
8. Allerton Gardens: This is on the south shore and there is a charge for the 2 1/2 hour tour, but it is interesting, beautiful and I think worth doing. Adults are $35 and kids are $15. http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/allerton-tours.php

Inexpensive Places to Eat:
There are loads of local places to eat in Kauai that are inexpensive. Many are kind of hole-in-the-wall local joints with good food, but don't expect much in terms of atmosphere with many of them. My favorite places to eat on Kauai are Keoki's Paradise in Poipu (cool kitcshe and the food is reasonable but more expensive than the places listed below), along with the Beach House and Hukilau Lanai. The latter two are anything but budget.
1. Little Fish Coffee in Hanapepe (for breakfast)
2. Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee (great for breakfast and lunch)
3. Pono Market in Kapaa
4. Da Crack in Poipu
5. Marks Place in Lihue
6. Koloa Fish Market
7. The Eastside in Kapaa
8. Kilauea Fish Market
9. Rays Plate Lunch & Burgers
10. Kauai Pasta in Kapaa
11. Hanalei Taro & Juice Co, in Hanalei
12. Puka Dog
13. Shave ice: you will find shave ice places all over Kauai and it is a great and inexpensive treat. When in Hawaii, I have a shave ice daily.

Best places to shop:
We don't really shop when on vacation, so I can't help you here, but I will tell you that Kauai has a WalMart, if you want to purchase food for your condo.

Must See:
I would skip luaus on Kauai (others may tell you to go). If I could only do two more costly things on Kauai, they would be: book a catamaran charter along the Na Pali coast. We like "Holo Holo Charter". See Kauai by air with "Wings Over Kauai".

Flying to other Islands:
Is it expensive to fly to other islands? We have done inter-island travel on Hawaiian Airlines. You are likely looking at about $87 pp from Oahu to any of the other islands. From other islands there isn't always a direct flight (you may have to go back through Oahu for example), and then you are probably looking at about $140 pp, one way.

 

[blanq]

Ooh, almost forgot that Keoki's has a great happy hour in their bar (the bar is where we always eat because we love the atmosphere, but happy hour really brings the prices down): http://www.keokisparadise.com/menus/bamboo-bar

 

[Green Tea]

Puka Dog at Poipu Beach!!

 

[trip]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the "Oahu Revealed books". There is one for each island. We lived in Waikiki for 6 months (husband was on a work contract). These books were our favorite place to get information.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Cheap things to do:
1. Beaches (Kauai is full of them and they are gorgeous): Ke'e, Hideaways, Shipwreck, Anini, Lawai, Hanalei, Tunnels (snorkle here!)
2. Drive up to Waimea Canyon (there are hikes and beautiful vistas all along the way)
3. Go to Hanalei Town for the day, on the north shore. Cute shops, nice beaches along the north shore. The north shore is lush and gorgeous.
4. Rent bikes from Coconut Coasters and bike all along the Coconut Coast. They have a beautiful paved bike path that flows along the coast.
5. Hike to Ho'opi'i Falls (a good family hike)
6. Other beautiful waterfalls: Wailua Falls, Manawaiopuna Falls
7. Hanapepe Art Night: This is held on Friday evenings and it is a fun place to poke around and spend an evening.
8. Allerton Gardens: This is on the south shore and there is a charge for the 2 1/2 hour tour, but it is interesting, beautiful and I think worth doing. Adults are $35 and kids are $15. http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/allerton-tours.php

Inexpensive Places to Eat:
There are loads of local places to eat in Kauai that are inexpensive. Many are kind of hole-in-the-wall local joints with good food, but don't expect much in terms of atmosphere with many of them. My favorite places to eat on Kauai are Keoki's Paradise in Poipu (cool kitcshe and the food is reasonable but more expensive than the places listed below), along with the Beach House and Hukilau Lanai. The latter two are anything but budget.
1. Little Fish Coffee in Hanapepe (for breakfast)
2. Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee (great for breakfast and lunch)
3. Pono Market in Kapaa
4. Da Crack in Poipu
5. Marks Place in Lihue
6. Koloa Fish Market
7. The Eastside in Kapaa
8. Kilauea Fish Market
9. Rays Plate Lunch & Burgers
10. Kauai Pasta in Kapaa
11. Hanalei Taro & Juice Co, in Hanalei
12. Puka Dog
13. Shave ice: you will find shave ice places all over Kauai and it is a great and inexpensive treat. When in Hawaii, I have a shave ice daily.

Best places to shop:
We don't really shop when on vacation, so I can't help you here, but I will tell you that Kauai has a WalMart, if you want to purchase food for your condo.

Must See:
I would skip luaus on Kauai (others may tell you to go). If I could only do two more costly things on Kauai, they would be: book a catamaran charter along the Na Pali coast. We like "Holo Holo Charter". See Kauai by air with "Wings Over Kauai".

Flying to other Islands:
Is it expensive to fly to other islands? We have done inter-island travel on Hawaiian Airlines. You are likely looking at about $87 pp from Oahu to any of the other islands. From other islands there isn't always a direct flight (you may have to go back through Oahu for example), and then you are probably looking at about $140 pp, one way.

Thanks for all the helpful info

I don't think anyone has mentioned the "Oahu Revealed books". There is one for each island. We lived in Waikiki for 6 months (husband was on a work contract). These books were our favorite place to get information.

where can I find the books you mentioned? Are the books free?

 

[trip]

where can I find the books you mentioned? Are the books free?

They are not free but are well worth the money.

http://www.hawaiirevealed.com/books-apps/oahu-revealed

While the book is not free they do have some free travel info on their website.

 

[Lisa71]

We love Tidepools in Poipu and The Dolphin in Hanalei..(we split meals)...Gaylord's is nice and kids love the train ride...also cheap and my Uncle's fave was Bubba Burgers

 

[dreamin_disney]

We love Tidepools in Poipu and The Dolphin in Hanalei..(we split meals)...Gaylord's is nice and kids love the train ride...also cheap and my Uncle's fave was Bubba Burgers

Thanks for the info.I've been looking on tripadvisor at food places. Uum I dont know what I was thinking but some of the food is very different-lol! I like fish and fruit. Can someone please tell me what moco loco is? It looks like friend eggs on top of rice then gravy on top, is that right???

Can anyone tell me about flying to other islands? What airlines or are the planes private airlines? If we stay just on Kauai will we keep busy for 6 days?

I want to know would it be super expensive to stay another 2 days , we would have to stay at another place since timeshare condo is only for certain amount of days. What other island would be great to stay on?

 

[Thori]

Can someone please tell me what moco loco is? It looks like friend eggs on top of rice then gravy on top, is that right?

Almost right! =) A loco moco is rice, a hamburger patty, brown gravy and a fried egg and usually served as a plate lunch (with a scoop of rice and macaroni) . There's other variations where they'll substitute another protein source (chicken, seafood, spam, chili, etc.) for the burger patty. We like it but tend to prefer a katsu (fried panko bread crumb crust with chicken or pork) or a pulled pork plate.

 

[crisi]

Thanks for the info.I've been looking on tripadvisor at food places. Uum I dont know what I was thinking but some of the food is very different-lol! I like fish and fruit. Can someone please tell me what moco loco is? It looks like friend eggs on top of rice then gravy on top, is that right???

Can anyone tell me about flying to other islands? What airlines or are the planes private airlines? If we stay just on Kauai will we keep busy for 6 days?

I want to know would it be super expensive to stay another 2 days , we would have to stay at another place since timeshare condo is only for certain amount of days. What other island would be great to stay on?

Its mostly small planes. The plane we took was a twelve seater. It will get expensive fast to move from island to island. With only six days, I'd stay on Kauai - it is not the best island to stay busy on - its set up for beach sitting (one of the things I don't like about Hawaii is that its a long way to go with expensive airfare to sit on a beach - but they are beautiful beaches), but you CAN stay busy on it. It will be expensive to island hop - it added almost $1000 to our trip for our family of four.