Talkin' Hawaii

[knewton64]

You will absolutely love Hawaii. It is PARADISE. Which island(s) are you going to visit?

Ah - feel free to check out "My Adventures into Hawaii" pre-trip report listed below as I have just dicovered the delic world of Hula pie and plan on making a "few" trips up there and having some during my first few days over there.

I am such the history nut so to be able to see Pearl Harbor, Punch Bowl and such is just FAB.
And plan on seeing the new Disney hotel as well.


Tho -

Q: Do you recommend that I pack an umbrella or is it like Jamaica; it rains for 10 minutes then it stops??


Anywho -

Looking forward 2 Maui as well; with the last 4 days of my adventure well....being quite an adventure - esp the "Maui Downhill" part.



T.T.F.N.

 

[LisaTex]

Hi all. We also did the Hawaii ABD the last year it was offered. It was a great trip! The excursions all had a little "Disney extra" included. It was a little more hotel based but the only downside was the few "meals on your own" were always at the hotel restaurants. Yes, I think you could do many of the same things on your own, but as with all ABD trips (and I am a vet) every once in a while it's nice not to have to do the planning someof the excursions for Aulani sound like some of the ones on the ABD trip.

 

[abdmom]

Tho -

Q: Do you recommend that I pack an umbrella or is it like Jamaica; it rains for 10 minutes then it stops??

Hawaii has several different climates. The amount of rain you might see will depend where and when you are going. If you are going in winter, you will see more rain in general.

 

[knewton64]

Hawaii has several different climates. The amount of rain you might see will depend where and when you are going. If you are going in winter, you will see more rain in general.

did not know -

Will now pack a "wet shoe" and an umbrella in my suitcase.


Thanks 4 the suggestion.



T.T.F.N.

 

[Diskidatheart]

This obviously isn't a Disney trip, but if you'd like to see pictures and our newsletter that we did from our 2 weeks in Hawaii (1 week on Kauai and 1 week on The Big Island), below is the link. The snorkeling in Hawaii is absolutely amazing and being only a few feet from flowing lava was by far the most amazing thing that I've experienced in my life!

http://web.me.com/sedlacko/Sedlacko/Hawaii_2011.html

 

[sayhello]

We had the European Coordinator for ABD on my recent K&L ABD, and as best I remember, when I asked, he said ABD were not returning to Hawaii because they felt they could not make it worth the cost. The value just wasn't there in doing an ABD vs doing it on your own. So I'm not expecting there to be a Hawaii ABD any time soon. That makes me sad, but I do know how easy it is to do Hawaii on your own, and am possibly doing that next year. We shall see.

Sayhello

 

[knewton64]

This obviously isn't a Disney trip, but if you'd like to see pictures and our newsletter that we did from our 2 weeks in Hawaii (1 week on Kauai and 1 week on The Big Island), below is the link. The snorkeling in Hawaii is absolutely amazing and being only a few feet from flowing lava was by far the most amazing thing that I've experienced in my life!

http://web.me.com/sedlacko/Sedlacko/Hawaii_2011.html

a huge thank u for this.

I have cut & pasted this link into my email acct and will look at it more this weekend .


thank u.



T.T.F.N.

 

[MrPolarZero]

I'm excited as well. Hope it will turn out great. The reviews looks good. Thanks everyone for sharing.

 

[Diskidatheart]

a huge thank u for this.

I have cut & pasted this link into my email acct and will look at it more this weekend .


thank u.



T.T.F.N.

Enjoy and please let me know if you have any questions. I love talkin' Hawaii!

 

[knewton64]

Enjoy and please let me know if you have any questions. I love talkin' Hawaii!

Were just wonderful.

Esp the golf ones - Man oh Man could I have just kicked myself for passing up an opportunity to play a round (while I was in Ireland June of this yr) over at the Mount Juliet Hotel property. That hotel and their golf course just rocks!!


HHHHmmmmmm..... I just noticed on my Hawaii travel docs that the state oif Hawaii has issued a new tax beginning July 1st 2011 - a $10 per day "transient tax" that is applicable on my stay when I am in Maui.

But....

Time to reframe and think of my comped Dr. Pepper while I am over in Hawaii:

Dr Pepper = the beverage I run off of while on my adventures.



thank you for the tip about packing an umbrella and I just found out I can do some snorkeling my the Sheraton (Maui) so I also packed my snorkeling gear as well. Looks like all things are a go for me -

Q: Fair to say a 20 minute cab ride will run me about $30?? Just curious as I have two cab rides I have to take going from the hotel to dnwtn Maui.



T.T.F.N.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Glad you enjoyed the pictures. The golfing on Hawaii is unbelievable. If you get a chance, you've got to play The Plantation Course in Maui. It's just north of Kaanapali where you are staying.

I'm not sure what you mean by downtown Maui as there really isn't a downtown. You may mean Lahaina, which is the old fishing village in Maui and is about a 10 minute drive from the Sheraton and it's where a couple of the popular luaus are located and many different restaurants and shops too. Make sure you check out the Banyon Tree while you are in Lahaina. I can't describe it, but you'll know what I am talking about once you see it. You may want to check with your hotel for free shuttles to/from Lahaina. I know some hotels are now offering that to entice you to stay with them, so that would be a much better option than a taxi. We've always rented a car while there, so I couldn't help you with the price of a cab. If I were you, I'd rent a car, even if it is a compact car, to get around. Although the Sheraton is a great location, it's so worth having your own car to explore a bit more as you don't want to limit yourself to just the surrounding Kaanapali area.

 

[knewton64]

all the suggestions.



Now...........

in 24 hours, my adventure begins!!





T.T.F.N.

 

[carpenta]

In Lahaina the parking is tough so bring $$$$ for the meters....plus one thing I took away from a local art dealer that a large company is buying up alot of small business and supplying them with the hockie tourist crap.....Another thing in Lahaina is the whale watch out of the port there....We saw multiple whales and their off spring....

 

[Bobo912]

In Lahaina the parking is tough so bring $$$$ for the meters....plus one thing I took away from a local art dealer that a large company is buying up alot of small business and supplying them with the hockie tourist crap.....Another thing in Lahaina is the whale watch out of the port there....We saw multiple whales and their off spring....

carpenta, what month were you in Lahaina? Do you know when the best time is for spotting whales? I was thinking about a trip for Spring Break but our break is Easter week, which is has never been before and won't be next year, and prices are higher. So I'm thinking we might do Fall Break next school year. I'm sure any time is a great time to visit, but it would really be cool to see whales. We saw humpbacks and orcas in Alaska, and it was amazing.

 

[sayhello]

carpenta, what month were you in Lahaina? Do you know when the best time is for spotting whales? I was thinking about a trip for Spring Break but our break is Easter week, which is has never been before and won't be next year, and prices are higher. So I'm thinking we might do Fall Break next school year. I'm sure any time is a great time to visit, but it would really be cool to see whales. We saw humpbacks and orcas in Alaska, and it was amazing.

Bobo912, the whale-watching season in Maui is mid-December through mid-April. It's definitely the most expensive time to go to Hawaii, but not necessarily when it's the nicest there. I'm going mid-May. Much nicer weather, but no whales, unfortunately. But, then again, no crowds, either!

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

carpenta, what month were you in Lahaina? Do you know when the best time is for spotting whales? I was thinking about a trip for Spring Break but our break is Easter week, which is has never been before and won't be next year, and prices are higher. So I'm thinking we might do Fall Break next school year. I'm sure any time is a great time to visit, but it would really be cool to see whales. We saw humpbacks and orcas in Alaska, and it was amazing.

We were in Maui at the end of May. It was wonderful seeing a mom teaching her little(hmmmm?)one breach. They may be the same whales because that is their migration plot. Our guide said that lately the whales have been staying longer but who knows? The Old Lahaina Luau is fantastic. You can Google it. We had a great time and it is open bar with your meal. Really a great talent in the show and our daughter had a memorable time meeting the dancers after the show. The food was very good but I'm not a poi fan...but I like Spam...the #1 seller in Hawaii.

 

[sayhello]

We were in Maui at the end of May. It was wonderful seeing a mom teaching her little(hmmmm?)one breach. They may be the same whales because that is their migration plot. Our guide said that lately the whales have been staying longer but who knows? The Old Lahaina Luau is fantastic. You can Google it. We had a great time and it is open bar with your meal. Really a great talent in the show and our daughter had a memorable time meeting the dancers after the show. The food was very good but I'm not a poi fan...but I like Spam...the #1 seller in Hawaii.

You saw whales at the end of May?? Cool! Maybe I *will* see some!

What company did you do your whale watch with?

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

You saw whales at the end of May?? Cool! Maybe I *will* see some!

What company did you do your whale watch with?

Sayhello

I hope you do. We went with the Pacific Whale Foundation....or something like that. Thay are a group that educates and tries to save the whales. They have a store front on the main street accross from the Banyon tree. They give you alot of info on the lifes of whales BUT are not those crazies that only focus on their cause. It was a great cruise and we did learn alot. The store sells everything from T shirts to DVD's and they gave you a coupon for a free poster which was pretty nice. We have some great video because the whales breached pretty close to our ship and our guide said they were "showing off".Don't forget to go to Haleakala. Loved Mauii but we really loved Kuaii. We went to a Luau Kalamaku and it was an old plantation and the actors in the show were all locals from Kuaii.

 

[sayhello]

I hope you do. We went with the Pacific Whale Foundation....or something like that. Thay are a group that educates and tries to save the whales. They have a store front on the main street accross from the Banyon tree. They give you alot of info on the lifes of whales BUT are not those crazies that only focus on their cause. It was a great cruise and we did learn alot. The store sells everything from T shirts to DVD's and they gave you a coupon for a free poster which was pretty nice. We have some great video because the whales breached pretty close to our ship and our guide said they were "showing off".Don't forget to go to Haleakala. Loved Mauii but we really loved Kuaii. We went to a Luau Kalamaku and it was an old plantation and the actors in the show were all locals from Kuaii.

Oh, thanks! That's perfect! The Pacific Whale Foundation are the group I was trying to remember! I came across their storefront in Ma'alaea (near the Maui Ocean Center) when I was there 10 years ago. But it was the end of my trip, so I didn't do any excursions with them. I couldn't remember the name! I'm definitely going to check them out. It looks like they do whale watches through May 15! But I'd much rather go out of Ma'alaea than Lahaina, as I'm staying in Kihei. (I got a wonderful deal renting friends' timeshare for 2 weeks, so it's Maui again this time. Kauai next time!)

Any other suggestions for Maui? It's been 10 years for me, so I know some things I want to do (road to Hana, Haleakala) but I'm open to suggestion!

Sayhello

 

[ucfgirl81]

so jealous! the hawaii resort looks gorgeous. If I wasn't in school I'd go to a casting audition to work there!