Hawaii Vacation Blog

An island hopping vacation does not need to be expensive. Multi-island packages typically combine travel arrangements, such as car rental and air transportation. Specifically, they will usually include round trip airfare between two island destinations and car rental time for the selected destinations.
Individuals can customize their Hawaii travel packages for a short period of time, such as one day to extend periods of time lasting up to several days in length. With Go! Airlines in the market airfare between islands are as low as 29.00 per person one way.

One decision you may be faced with when planing your Hawaii Vacation is if you should stay at a Hawaii Hotel or a Hawaii Condo. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. Let first look at the main reason people would consider staying in a Hawaii Condo, Space. Condos have more space then Hotels. Condos have a living room, bedroom and kitchen. You get more of a feeling of living at home in a Condo then a Hotel. Another advantage of a Condo is the kitchen. With a kitchen you can make your own meals instead of eating out all the time. Also Condos have a full-size refrigerators, and can often be cheaper then a Hotel. The disadvantage of staying in a Hawaii Condo is that they usually lack air conditioning. Another disadvantage is that each Condo is individually owned, which means your Condo may not be of the same quality as the other Condos in the building because your particular owner didnt updated as well as others. Hawaii Vacations

The advantages of staying at a Hawaii Hotel over a Condo is the quality of the room is more predictable, since all rooms are maintained equally. Also services like daily maid service is more likely at a Hotel then a Condo. Plus Hotels are more of a complex, having restaurants, shops, recreation areas, and more elaborate grounds. They also can have better views and closer to the beach. Hawaii Vacations

The bottom line is Hawaii Condos can be more like home, but Hotel's standards and grounds are more predictable.

# Keep your vacation planning information in one place. Create a labeled file folder ("Hawaii Vacation") and use it to keep your airline, hotel, car rental information, as well as maps or guide books, tourist information, contact information for people you know in that city, etc.

# Plan ahead for your wardrobe. Think about all of the activities you might do, and imagine what you'd want to wear for each activity. For example, on the beach you might want a swimsuit, cover-up, slip-on footwear or water shoes, a sun hat, sunglasses…maybe even a face mask, snorkel, and some flippers. Will the kids want shovels and buckets to build a sand castle? Do you need to supply your own beach towel, or will you be staying somewhere that supplies these for you? What about waterproof sunscreen? The more you can visualize yourself on the beach, the better prepared you will be.

# Use a travel checklist. Once you've tailored this to your needs, keep it in the travel file you've created. This will help you remember to pack both the basic necessities, as well as some of the more obscure things you might not remember but would want to take with you.

# Let children pack their own travel bags, and make sure their bag is small enough that they can carry it themselves. Help them select things they can do on the road or in the air: Walkman and cassettes or CDs, books, handheld video games, portable crafts, card games. Talk about seating arrangements ahead of time to avoid conflict among siblings about who will sit where.

# Pack a carry-on that is small enough to stay with you at all times. Include necessities that you must have, in the event that you get separated from your other luggage for a day. If you need to take medication on a regular basis, be sure this is with you, and not in your checked luggage. If you are combining a business and vacation trip and need something for a presentation the next day, take it in your carry-on rather than checking it.

# Plan early to get the best selection and to get early booking discounts. See my previous blog and podcast on "getting cheap airfare to Hawaii". Make usre you select dates in advance and stick to them.

# This is the most important tip of all: pack the right attitude. Let go of the "what if" and enjoy the moment. Remind yourself what matters most, and focus on that. If this is a vacation to get away and relax, then focus on activities and thoughts that will be relaxing. If your goal is to reconnect with family and build memories together, that can be done regardless of circumstances (missing a flight, not getting tickets to an event you wanted to attend, etc.). If your goal is to sight-see and take in some special attractions or shows, then plan ahead and make the reservations necessary to ensure that you can do what you want to do when you get there.

From Pacific Business News

Airlines are flying 2,584,027 seats to Hawaii this month through September, a revised state analysis showed Wednesday.

The Scheduled Seats Outlook, by the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, is a rolling three-month average drawn from the airlines' own published schedules.

The new outlook, removing June and adding September, shows 4.1 percent more seats despite Japanese capacity that is still down more than 11 percent.

Seats from east of the Rockies are down 8.4 percent but capacity from west of the Rockies is up 11.5 percent. This does not necessarily reflect a shift in where visitors come from, but does suggest that more visitors from U.S. East will be catching the final leg of their flights in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Phoenix.

Phoenix continues to be the big new source of air capacity to Hawaii, having overtaken Seattle as the third leading market for seats to the islands. Phoenix capacity in the new report is up 153 percent from last year.

STARWOOD VACATION OWNERSHIP has launched sales at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, the first Westin-branded timeshare property on Kauai. Work on the project started in June, with the first units set to open in 2008 on what is described as "a classic, plantation-style resort," with 179 timeshare villas and six hotel rooms. Hawaii Vacations

UNITED VACATIONS IS OFFERING A FREE ALAMO car rental for complete Hawaii vacation package booked from Aug. 20 through Dec. 1. Car upgrades at steeply reduced rates are another option on select dates. Packages are available on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai, with four-night stays starting at under $400 per person, double, including fuel surcharge. Call (800) 843-8771. Hawaii Vacations

THE HANALEI COLONY RESORT on Kauai's North Shore is now home to The Mediterranean Gourmet Restaurant, featuring fresh fish with "a Mediterranean twist." The oceanside restaurant, once home to Charro's, adds a fine-dining option for visitors to Kauai's scenic North Shore and is within a few minutes of Haena Beach. Hawaii Vacations

by Christine Porter - Hawaii Aloha Travel

The Hilton has a free show every friday night on Oahu with a band and dancers and fireworks. I shared this with some of my customers as they don't have to be staying there to attend. It is held at the superpool there right inside the lobby.

Not sure about all airlines, but northwest leaving honolulu is strict about the weight of baggage. If it is an incling over 50 pounds they will charge $25.00 per bag that is overweight. My parent's didn't have a problem leaving florida but on the way out they had to rearrange things to make all the bags weight limit, as was a lot of people so I don't think people know about that rule and the charges as we witnessed a very distraught man yelling at the northwest lady in the airport.

I have seen at the hilton, but I recall seeing elsewhere a service where they will deliver your bags to the airport for you and you can print your boarding passes right there also, although of course everything at the hilton comes for a price. It is $25.00 a person for this service though some people may find it worth it especially if they are traveling with a bunch of kids or something. (Note though that if the bags are overweight they won't have the chance to rearrange things like my mom did at the airport and then may be stuck with the overweight charge if they think their bags may be overweight.)

My mother also didn't know about the TSA approved locks for the luggage which I find a lot of people don't know about. I got mine at home depot but I know kmart,walmart, and those luggage stores have then also. If anyone didn't know TSA has a master key for those locks so they are allowed to be used. Most people just don't lock their bags nowadays but ever since my bags were delivered to the wrong room at the westin unlocked I prefer my bags locked nowadays.

Holidays & Traffic: The Honolulu Marriage License Office is open only during normal business hours, but not on the usual 13-14 State holidays. With a population of 850,000 and over 600,000 vehicles registered on Oahu, traffic & parking can be quite a challenge. Plan to get going early, check out your site before your scheduled day and make sure sure you keep to our schedule to avoid overtime fees or conflict with other events for which the minister & other performers may be obligated. Keep holidays in mind when choosing your Hawaii wedding date. Valentine's Day is a hugely popular date for weddings in Hawaii and while it might seem romantic, you may change your mind after waiting in line for a minister. New Year's Eve is another busy wedding day in Hawaii. It's also party central for tourists, which means your out-of-town wedding guests may have trouble finding a flight or a hotel room unless you book well in advance. Keep in mind that reception sites may also be booked solid during these holidays. Weekends at popular parks can cause parking delays of more than 30 minutes, so beware! Get there early or let us get you a limo. Hawaii vacations

Weather: Hawaii has beautiful, sunny weather most of the year. However, even though the summer months are popular for weddings, the weather here can be hot and humid so would be uncomfortable if you're dressed in a tuxedo or a long, heavy gown. The sun can melt everything from the bride's makeup to the icing on the wedding cake. Hawaii temperatures can top the 90 degree mark, but this is not the usual case. Temperatures are pleasant at night, so you might want to think about a shady site or a late afternoon ceremony during the summer. During Spring & Fall, rain may be more common, but showers are usually brief and centered over the mountains and windward sections. Most beaches are exposed with no shelter from wind or rain. We provide umbrellas if needed. Windward beaches tend to have more wind. We get lots of rainbows so maybe you'll be lucky to have one on your day! Check the weather for current conditions in Honolulu. Hawaii vacations

Sunsets on O'ahu: As the sun makes its journey North of West in the winter & South of West in the summer (due to Earth's tilt), the view of sunset at any particular beach changes daily. As viewed from shore, the sun sets a little farther to the right every day until the end of June, then a little farther to the left until end of December. Most beaches in Areas 4 & 5 (closest to Waikiki) face South so the sun will go down to the right as you face the ocean. This means that the winter months offer the best opportunity to view the sun setting over water from some of these beaches, not all. During the summer, you'll need to get to a beach facing West (Areas 6 & 7) to be sure to see the sun setting over water. Want to do your own calculations? Go here.
The dress: Since Hawaii has no waiting period for getting married, spur-of-the-moment weddings are a common occurrence. So, where can you find a wedding dress with only a couple of hours notice? Many brides simply purchase a beautiful aloha print dress or simply come dressed in your bikini top and sarong. Check out our favorite shop: Hilo Hattie.

Legal: Even though Honolulu is known for quickie marriages, that doesn't mean you can just waltz off the street into a chapel and get married. There are legal requirements you must meet before being issued a marriage license. Check out our section on the legalities of getting married in Hawaii. Rumors that public beach weddings are not legal in Hawaii is wholly false. For other legal questions, check with the State Health Dept.

Witnesses: If you're one of those couples who decide on a last minute wedding, you might not have any guests in town, which brings up the question of having a witness at your ceremony. Not to worry -- Hawaii does not require a witness. That said, since most couples hire our professional photographer to shoot the ceremony, he will serve as a witness for your happy occasion at no extra charge. Hawaii vacations

Time: If you have your wedding on one of the hundreds of beaches around Oahu, don't expect a long ceremony or a lot of quality time afterwards. Many beaches are crowded with people and it may be difficult to find a really "secluded" beach. You'll probably opt to get back into the limousine and cruise the coast, or drive to another site for your reception. The most popular time of day is sunset, so be well advised to book early to secure a minister and site for sunset, which only occurs once per day in Hawaii and is not fully visible from every beach. Ask for recommendations according to your expectations. Check our link to the sunset chart and remember the sun goes down in the West!

The official: Wedding officiates, ministers, in Honolulu offer only a religious ceremony. Only a magistrate can perform a civil ceremony. Keep in mind that prices vary widely among ministers that perform the religious ceremony. Hawaii vacations

Unusual weddings: If you come to Honolulu to get married, you don't have to have a traditional ceremony in a chapel. Why not make it a wild and crazy experience? Our ministers offer custom services that cater to your special needs. You can get married in a rainforest under a waterfall, on a hilltop overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean, or even have a naturist ceremony.

Hair and makeup: If you're from out of town and you're in Honolulu for your wedding, you will probably want to find a hairstylist to help you prepare for the big day. Many hotels have salons or spas right on property. You may also want to try a local salon in Waikiki. In either case, be sure to book your appointment well in advance and keep those holidays and weekends in mind. The salons can get booked up fast. There are also some services in town that will come directly to your hotel room to fix your hair for your wedding. On our frequent windy days, especially on windward beaches, you may find your hair blowing all over the place, so style accordingly.
Lastly: Our ministers handle collections (whenever fees are due to be paid) after the ceremony. They do not accept checks or credit cards without prior approval, or make change. Keep this in mind as you gather your things to go to your wedding site -- remember to bring your license, rings, & money. Military and some other couples need to present a copy of their license to their personnel officers to begin family benefits back home. Copies may only be obtained from the State of Hawaii Office of Vital Records. Check with your finance officer if our Marriage Certificate will suffice until the certified copy comes in. The State charges a fee of $10 to expedite copies that may normally take 4 months to get.

Artists of all kinds find the Big Island seductive. They find inspiration everywhere to paint, sculpt, sing, dance, write. Creative expression is an especially heartfelt kind of aloha.

And even if you can’t draw a straight line, or have two left feet, you can still appreciate the continuously-changing lights and shadows, the mind-bending contrasts -- riotous exuberant forests snuggle up to somber, desolate lava fields. the glorious palette of flamboyant flowers, and the subtle tints and hues all around. Or it just might be the strong currents of spirits and spirituality underlying daily life. Whatever it is, art is part of island heartbeat. It is all seasons, all life

THiking, performances and some attractions and services are free or almost free. These activities are available all year around that can make an otherwise budget-busting vacation affordable without feeling destitute. Hawaii Vacations

Fresh Flower leis! They are quite inexpensive - ranging from $3.00 upward - and can come in a range of colors and fragrances that will amaze you. You can buy them in Chinatown on Oahu or at any florist in the islands. Buy one for your new bride or simply to make your wife's Hawaii vacation more special. Take one home for that special someone or show a client your appreciation. Most people will opt for the airport lei greeting. This is a long-standing Hawaii tradition that provides for an official lei greeter to meet you as you step off your flight in Hawaii. The lei greeter drapes you with a fresh floral lei and then you are escorted to the baggage claim area and left to claim your bags. This is a great way to get through the airport and have an opportunity to have someone to assist you with your questions as you arrive. Costing about $10 per person, it's a perfectly unique and inexpensive way in which to be welcomed to the islands. Hawaii Vacations

Hiking trails are available on all islands and most are free. There are many types of trails, from flat coastal area trails to inland waterfall and strenuous mountain ridge trails. By far the most popular and widely used trail on Oahu is the Diamond Head Crater Summit trail. This hike begins on the crater floor and continues up along the inside of the crater rim toward the summit. Once at the top you are rewarded with a sweeping view of the entire south shore of Oahu from the remnants of an old World War II bunker. Near Hilo on the Big Island is Akaka Falls. What used to be a muddy hike is now a short, safe paved loop from the parking lot through a canopy of tropical trees and flowers which culminates in spectacular views of one of Hawaii's largest waterfalls. Hawaii Vacations

The Honolulu Zoo is a very popular spot that is enjoyed by many. Situated across Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, it is Hawaii's largest and most comprehensive zoo. During the summer, concerts are held on the zoo's grounds in the late afternoons. Zoo admission is $6.00 for those 13 years and older, $1.00 for ages six to 12 and free for those five and under. Admission for the 1999 concert series is only $1.00. Hawaii Vacations

The Waikiki Aquarium is located in Kapiolani Park - just steps from Waikiki Beach. It showcases over 240 species of Hawaiian Islands and South Pacific marine life. You can also get a closer look at Hawaii's state fish (the Humuhumunukunukua'pua'a). Admission for adults is $7.00 and free for those six-12 years of age. Hawaii Vacations

The Arizona Memorial also is a free attraction; however, tickets are not given in advance so it is recommended that you arrive early and secure a ticket before browsing through the visitor's center. Ticket distribution begins daily at 7:30 a.m. The most efficient method of getting to or from the Memorial is via the Arizona Memorial shuttle. Round-trip transportation is available for under $10 per person. Hawaii Vacations

The Royal Hawaiian Band has weekly scheduled performances at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand in Waikiki every Sunday between 2 and 3:15 p.m., and on the grounds of the Iolani Palace in Downtown Honolulu every Friday between 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. Also on Fridays in Downtown Honolulu is the Mayor's Aloha Friday Lunch Time Music Break at Tamarind Park on the corner of Bishop and South King Streets between noon and 1 p.m. Bring a sandwich along and make it a picnic! Hawaii Vacations

On Friday nights, take the time to enjoy the "Strolling Hula Dancers" on Kaläkaua Avenue. This is a unique strolling hula show held between 8 and 10 p.m. Join Clyde Lono, Auntie Pudgie Young and their hula dancers as they stroll along Kalakaua Avenue performing at various points along the way in Waikiki (including the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and King Kalakaua Plaza). Hawaii Vacations

Molehu I Waikiki (Twilight in Waikïkï), where you'll find a torch lighting pageant, Hawaiian music and hula dancing, is held every Saturday and Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. at Kuhio Beach Banyan near the Duke Kahanamoku statue. Hawaii Vacations

Most of all, remember that the best of Hawaii's sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, beaches, sand, marine life, scenic vistas, ocean views and waterfalls are ALL free Hawaii Vacations

PACK LIGHTLY, COOL, AND CASUAL. You won't need nylons or neckties. Pants or casual dresses are fine for restaurants. Don't bother with rain gear. Any showers are usually short. You dry off quickly. The rule of packing for Hawaii is: "If in doubt, leave it out!" DO PACK your driver's license, credit card, ATM card, plane tickets, hotel and car rental papers. Bring your Safeway and Blockbuster cards and a calling card if you plan to make long distance calls. Hawaii Vacations

Bring (or buy there) your favorite sunscreen. Insect repellent is smart to have for jungle hikes. Sunglasses and a visor/hat are good items to pack. Don't forget your camera! Please remember NOT to carry scissors, knives, knitting needles, glass bottles, etc. in your carry-on luggage. The airlines are confiscating all of these items. If you need these items at your final destination, please pack them inside your checked luggage. Hawaii Vacations