Looking into Hawaii for 2014 for our 25 Anniversary. Have questions?

[PolyAddict]

So i have checked flight prices and hotels but i am wondering how much per person for food and "outings" per day should i expect?

Nothing specific, just an average. Will probably see Pearl Harbor Memorial, Polynesian cultural center, snorkeling.

Thanks!.

 

[aclov]

Hawaii is very expensive. Are you staying at Aulani? There is a lot of information on the DVC resort forum. It depends where you are planning on eating, ie casual vs fine dining. The websites for activities can give you pricing.

 

[jsmith]

Agree food is very expensive-espcailly in the tourist areas on Oahu. Groceries and gas are high too. Do you have military IDs? That makes a difference. I budgeted 200 per day for 4 people when we went in Nov of 11 -and we didnt even eat in town every night since we were staying in a beach cottage where we could cook for part of our stay.
Az memorial is free of charge but you need transportation-and budget time as the waits can be quiet long. PCC is spendy but their night show is amazing-skip their luau and go to one of the others on the island-the show was good but the food left alot to be desired. Cost for snorkeling is going to depend on where you go-anywhere from just equipment rental to 75 or so a person for a snorkel cruise.

 

[taaren]

I lived in Hawaii until very recently, and some costs are more fixed than others ... honestly some of the best food is also the cheapest when eating out, but that's if you don't mind eating like a local: eg. plate lunches/bentos/noodle shops/etc. In fact, we often found it cheaper to do take-out than buy groceries and cook at home (though obviously cooking at home was healthier). There are a few higher-end experiences that are well worthwhile (the souffle at Roy's comes to mind, if you're staying at Aulani).

A lot of what the islands have to offer is incredibly cheap ... snorkeling at Haunama Bay has a small fee for non-residents (and buying your own snorkel equipment for $40/person at Walmart or Costco is probably about as cost effective as renting it for a week, plus then you know you're the only one who has used it which is nice, though not very environmentally friendly), enjoying hikes in the various craters and rain forests and availing yourself of the beach are all free or have a nominal parking fee.

Some things are very worth paying for ... whale watching cruises if you're there between Nov-March are phenomenal experiences that never get old for me (and I still remember the one from when I was in 3rd grade ... equally awesome to the one I accompanied DS6 on his class trip). That can run you $40ish-$150 per person depending on the boat and where it goes.

Car rentals are a necessity in my book and will always be pricey.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that the average cost of a vacation in Hawaii can vary widely by what you choose. There are many that go to Hawaii, rent a bike with a trailer and haul around camping gear from beach to beach and stay for a month for a few hundred dollars. (I wouldn't personally, but that's not my style.) Others spend $4K/night or more on the best rooms.

One final tip. Airline pricing can vary widely depending on season, but despite the fact that their service tends to be ... well, not great, we often fly Alaska due to the price (and the fact that one ways and multi-city trips aren't penalized like most airlines do for anything other than a round trip fare). They have a credit card through Bank of America that gives you a $99 companion fare that works going to and from Hawaii, its the only companion fare in the industry that goes that route.

 

[jel0511]

We were at Aulani last summer. We ate breakfast in our villa, but the staples were more in HI than here in the states. A box of cereal was $1-$2 more per box and milk was $2 more per gallon. I actually was surprised the prices weren't higher. We travel to St. John a lot and expected prices in line with there, but St. John was much higher than HI. Lunch for 4 cost about $50-$75 give or take depending on where we where. Dinner was usually 100-200 again depending where we were.... We're going to the big island next year and I'm expecting on spending at least $400 a day for food for the 4 of us, we're not staying in a villa this time. Excursions can vary based on experience as noted above. The best one we did was snorkeling with spinner dolphins which was 130 a person. worth EVERY penny!

 

[PolyAddict]

Off to work...but will try to read some of these at lunch! We are not sure what hotel we are staying at yet.

Thanks

 

[MaryKLady]

We travel quite a bit and Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth so far. If you can do it, GO!!!
We stayed on the Big Island and took a day trip to Oahu, great fun. Pearl Harbor is a must see.
We also did a tour on the Big Island up to see the stars on Mauna Kea.I think that was $100pp but included dinner. That was my favorite tour of all time. What was cool because we live in North America so we see the stars of the northern hemisphere. But on Mauna Kea you can see half of the stars of the southern hemisphere...and see stars like you won't see anywhere else because of Hawaii's light pollution laws are so strict.
And of course a luau about $50pp and included food entertainment and an adult beverage . We made sure however, that we attended one where you could watch them take the pig out of the ground it was cooked in, yum!
It's pricey but we live in NJ so we found it to be about the same as home.

 

[mrsklamc]

!
We stayed on the Big Island and took a day trip to Oahu, great fun. Pearl Harbor is a must see.
.

How did you do your day trip? I am nervous about just flying over for the day because they say Pearl Harbor tours reach capacity unless you are there very early in the AM.

 

[pearlieq]

How did you do your day trip? I am nervous about just flying over for the day because they say Pearl Harbor tours reach capacity unless you are there very early in the AM.

You can book your tickets for Pearl Harbor online ahead of time. I highly recommend that as it saves you the wait in line and the worry about not getting tickets. All you pay is $1.50/ticket for a convenience fee.

http://www.recreation.gov/tourSearchResult.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

 

[trip]

I'd suggest getting the book Oahu Revealed. (There is a book for each Island.)

Decide what you want to see, what tours you want to take and what things you would like to do. I lived in Waikiki for 6 months and found everything that was listed in this book was spot on. Almost everyplace has a website so you should be able to get up-to-date hours and prices. If you are going be there at least 10 days, you might split the time on a second Island. If you aren't going to be there that long, you might try a day trip tour. You would leave early in the morning and return late that night.


Start making your list!

 

[PolyAddict]

Thanks everyone!


I wasn't planning on staying at Aulani but haven't crossed anything off our list.

 

[TifffanyD]

How did you do your day trip? I am nervous about just flying over for the day because they say Pearl Harbor tours reach capacity unless you are there very early in the AM.

You can "buy" your pearl harbor tix in advance! I did this for my upcoming trip. There is a $1.50 "fee" per ticket for convenience but otherwise free. You do have to be there an hour before your time or they are given to standbys.


OOPS I see someone else mentioned this.


I know someone who said the cheapo places are the best to eat at... said the best BBQ of their lives (and they travel a LOT) was the snackbar inside walmart.

We are planning on cooking in a lot to save $$$.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Looking into Hawaii for 2014 for our 25 Anniversary.

1) We have cousinss living in Hawaii.
. . . Oahu (live on the hill overlooking Diamondhead and Waikiki)
. . . Kauai (own a bridal and tux rental shop)
. . . Big Island (work on the cattle ranch)
2) We go to Hawaii every-other-year (alternate with London)
3) We prefer Kauai or Big Island
4) We think Oahu is too much like Miami and Miami Beach
. . . industrial and commercial
. . . crowded
. . . traffic

5) As for your questions, we do like some others mentioned above.
. . . do breakfast in the room or continental breakfast at hotel
. . . figure $40-$60 per person per day for restaurant take-out food
. . . figure triple that if eating at named or fancy eateries for lunch & dinner
. . . buy your scuba stuff at Wally World and save big bucks
. . . take a sailing catamaran tour, usually $40-$70 per person, with food
. . . car rentals are expensive, but necessary

NOTE: For those really crafty travelers, talk with a local at a shop. Ask them
to go with you for "touristy" stuff or golfing. Locals get 50%-90% off the
prices of most tours, golf rounds, and other such visitor experiences. As an
example, we pay $35 for $150 golf, $28 for $75 luaus, and $30 for $100 tours.
There are lots of locals, who for a few dollar "gratuity" will go along with this.
The Islands are expensive, and this is a way to help make ends meet.

 

[PolyAddict]

1) We have cousinss living in Hawaii.
. . . Oahu (live on the hill overlooking Diamondhead and Waikiki)
. . . Kauai (own a bridal and tux rental shop)
. . . Big Island (work on the cattle ranch)
2) We go to Hawaii every-other-year (alternate with London)
3) We prefer Kauai or Big Island
4) We think Oahu is too much like Miami and Miami Beach
. . . industrial and commercial
. . . crowded
. . . traffic

5) As for your questions, we do like some others mentioned above.
. . . do breakfast in the room or continental breakfast at hotel
. . . figure $40-$60 per person per day for restaurant take-out food
. . . figure triple that if eating at named or fancy eateries for lunch & dinner
. . . buy your scuba stuff at Wally World and save big bucks
. . . take a sailing catamaran tour, usually $40-$70 per person, with food
. . . car rentals are expensive, but necessary

NOTE: For those really crafty travelers, talk with a local at a shop. Ask them
to go with you for "touristy" stuff or golfing. Locals get 50%-90% off the
prices of most tours, golf rounds, and other such visitor experiences. As an
example, we pay $35 for $150 golf, $28 for $75 luaus, and $30 for $100 tours.
There are lots of locals, who for a few dollar "gratuity" will go along with this.
The Islands are expensive, and this is a way to help make ends meet.

Thanks for all this detail. I am wondering if you would know the airport code for the Big Island?

 

[PolyAddict]

I lived in Hawaii until very recently, and some costs are more fixed than others ... honestly some of the best food is also the cheapest when eating out, but that's if you don't mind eating like a local: eg. plate lunches/bentos/noodle shops/etc. In fact, we often found it cheaper to do take-out than buy groceries and cook at home (though obviously cooking at home was healthier). There are a few higher-end experiences that are well worthwhile (the souffle at Roy's comes to mind, if you're staying at Aulani).

A lot of what the islands have to offer is incredibly cheap ... snorkeling at Haunama Bay has a small fee for non-residents (and buying your own snorkel equipment for $40/person at Walmart or Costco is probably about as cost effective as renting it for a week, plus then you know you're the only one who has used it which is nice, though not very environmentally friendly), enjoying hikes in the various craters and rain forests and availing yourself of the beach are all free or have a nominal parking fee.

Some things are very worth paying for ... whale watching cruises if you're there between Nov-March are phenomenal experiences that never get old for me (and I still remember the one from when I was in 3rd grade ... equally awesome to the one I accompanied DS6 on his class trip). That can run you $40ish-$150 per person depending on the boat and where it goes.

Car rentals are a necessity in my book and will always be pricey.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that the average cost of a vacation in Hawaii can vary widely by what you choose. There are many that go to Hawaii, rent a bike with a trailer and haul around camping gear from beach to beach and stay for a month for a few hundred dollars. (I wouldn't personally, but that's not my style.) Others spend $4K/night or more on the best rooms.

One final tip. Airline pricing can vary widely depending on season, but despite the fact that their service tends to be ... well, not great, we often fly Alaska due to the price (and the fact that one ways and multi-city trips aren't penalized like most airlines do for anything other than a round trip fare). They have a credit card through Bank of America that gives you a $99 companion fare that works going to and from Hawaii, its the only companion fare in the industry that goes that route.

Thanks so much. The whale watching sounds great!

 

[PolyAddict]

Agree food is very expensive-espcailly in the tourist areas on Oahu. Groceries and gas are high too. Do you have military IDs? That makes a difference. I budgeted 200 per day for 4 people when we went in Nov of 11 -and we didnt even eat in town every night since we were staying in a beach cottage where we could cook for part of our stay.
Az memorial is free of charge but you need transportation-and budget time as the waits can be quiet long. PCC is spendy but their night show is amazing-skip their luau and go to one of the others on the island-the show was good but the food left alot to be desired. Cost for snorkeling is going to depend on where you go-anywhere from just equipment rental to 75 or so a person for a snorkel cruise.

Thanks! A friend told me the Luau was included at PCC or maybe thats just a higher price? I do not have a military ID.

 

[PolyAddict]

We were at Aulani last summer. We ate breakfast in our villa, but the staples were more in HI than here in the states. A box of cereal was $1-$2 more per box and milk was $2 more per gallon. I actually was surprised the prices weren't higher. We travel to St. John a lot and expected prices in line with there, but St. John was much higher than HI. Lunch for 4 cost about $50-$75 give or take depending on where we where. Dinner was usually 100-200 again depending where we were.... We're going to the big island next year and I'm expecting on spending at least $400 a day for food for the 4 of us, we're not staying in a villa this time. Excursions can vary based on experience as noted above. The best one we did was snorkeling with spinner dolphins which was 130 a person. worth EVERY penny!

Thanks so much! Do you prefer Hawaii or St John?

 

[PolyAddict]

We travel quite a bit and Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth so far. If you can do it, GO!!!
We stayed on the Big Island and took a day trip to Oahu, great fun. Pearl Harbor is a must see.
We also did a tour on the Big Island up to see the stars on Mauna Kea.I think that was $100pp but included dinner. That was my favorite tour of all time. What was cool because we live in North America so we see the stars of the northern hemisphere. But on Mauna Kea you can see half of the stars of the southern hemisphere...and see stars like you won't see anywhere else because of Hawaii's light pollution laws are so strict.
And of course a luau about $50pp and included food entertainment and an adult beverage . We made sure however, that we attended one where you could watch them take the pig out of the ground it was cooked in, yum!
It's pricey but we live in NJ so we found it to be about the same as home.

The star gazing sounds nice!

 

[minnierocks]

Subbing for the exact same reason...will appreciate the input.

 

[PolyAddict]

We travel quite a bit and Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth so far. If you can do it, GO!!!
We stayed on the Big Island and took a day trip to Oahu, great fun. Pearl Harbor is a must see.
We also did a tour on the Big Island up to see the stars on Mauna Kea.I think that was $100pp but included dinner. That was my favorite tour of all time. What was cool because we live in North America so we see the stars of the northern hemisphere. But on Mauna Kea you can see half of the stars of the southern hemisphere...and see stars like you won't see anywhere else because of Hawaii's light pollution laws are so strict.
And of course a luau about $50pp and included food entertainment and an adult beverage . We made sure however, that we attended one where you could watch them take the pig out of the ground it was cooked in, yum!
It's pricey but we live in NJ so we found it to be about the same as home.

The star viewing sounds great! Im glad to hear how much you love Hawaii.