These days you have a variety of ways to put together the elements of your Hawaii vacation on line. Basically, you can do a package or you can cherry pick the best deals you can find for all the elements.
In general, you’ll save money by booking a package because the airlines and hotels give the wholesalers generous volume discounts for booking those elements together. A lot of agents add discounts and incentives on top of the lower prices coming from the wholesalers.
A good agent who books Hawaii regularly will be able to help you figure out whether booking a package or buying a la carte is the way to go. One of the disadvantages to cherry picking is that you usually are buying published airfares that have very strict regulations and carry very stiff penalties. And you will have to pay for your trip in advance.
When we urge you to book a package, we are not trying to get you to buy more. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. You win because the price will be right and the service is great; the agent wins because commissions are good; the suppliers/wholesalers win because they can sell their inventory in advance and see larger earnings in shorter periods of time.
All the agents at Hawaii Aloha Travel are Hawaii specialists and we all deal regularly with the suppliers and wholesalers who provide the inventory. That earns us some favoritism and gives us considerable clout. You benefit from both.
But the main reason to use Hawaii Aloha Travel is that your agent – or a backup — is with you 24/7. If anything goes wrong at any time of day or night, you contact us by phone or e-mail and we deal it. That simply won’t happen when you try to contact an airline, hotel or car-rental agency directly.
Try it out. Pick an agent from our Web site home page (hawaii-aloha.com) or call, toll-free, 1-800-843-8771.
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 22nd, 2008
You’re looking ahead, planning your next vacation (or is it your first?) You’re considering where to go: The U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Far East, South America, Africa, the South Pacific? Maybe you’re considering taking a cruise. You’re debating whether to take the whole family. You’re studying your finances.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Okay, you finally decide on Hawaii. But where? Oahu and Waikiki, the Big Island and the volcanoes, Kauai and its splendor, Maui and Haeakala and the super resorts, or one of the smaller islands with their isolation? You should even consider visiting more than one island.
Once you’ve decided on Hawaii, what kind of accommodations are best for you? Imagine, to begin with, traveling by yourself. Do you simply determine where you’re going to be and book a hotel room? The decision — especially if there will be more than one of you — takes more thought than that.
Do you want and appreciate the creature comforts of a nice hotel where the staff become familiar with you and anticipate your needs and all you have to do is pick up the phone and they “bring it”? Do you like being surrounded by an array of activities and attractions and upscale restaurants with imaginative menus? In Hawaii we have grand resorts and fine hotels at all prices ranges in great locations on all the islands with eager, professional staffs.
Or do you anticipate a laid-back, quiet, away-from-it-all vacation? You can keep to yourself, do what you want when you want, do most of your own cooking, have space among several rooms, bask in the ideal weather and recharge? There now is a huge inventory of condominium apartment vacation rentals where the accommodations are lovely, the included rooms are furnished according to the taste of the owners, the conveniences are at hand, but you pretty-much fend for yourself.
And there are compromises between those extremes. If you like the idea of sharing your vacation with some hospitable local people who gladly will offer advice and friendship as they put you up, consider a bed and breakfast. If you want to combine luxury hotel service with upscale apartment living, we have condo-hotel properties that offer both … at a price, of course.
That’s what we do at Hawaii Aloha.com. We help you with those decisions. We make suggestions, track rates and facilities for you, determine what you would enjoy seeing and doing, and put together a package for you that exploits all the deals, special offers, discounts and hidden bargains available. Then we book everything for you, keep in touch with you, and solve any problems you might encounter on your trip and while you’re in our islands. (Be sure there will be problems wherever you go in the world. Trying to get satisfaction yourself directly from an airline, hotel or car-rental company can be a time-consuming, frustrating adventure.)
So as you’re doing your vacation planning, pick an agent from our Web site home page (hawaii-aloha.com), or call 1-800-843-8771. You’ll have found a loyal friend with clout to be there for you every step of the way.
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Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 19th, 2008
For a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is avoiding severe winter weather where you live, Honolulu is a lovely place to be during the holiday season.
"Honolulu City Lights,” now in its 24th year, is Hawaii’s premiere holiday event. Each year it draws hundreds of thousands of people to Honolulu’s City Hall and the Civic Center grounds. Its opening day – December sixth — kicks off the holiday season. Indoor Christmas trees and beautiful wreath exhibits will be on display in the City Hall lobby. Outside, the grounds are filled with giant illuminated displays. Companies all over the island sponsor bus and trolley excursions through the area, usually winding up at restaurants and bars for celebratory evenings.
Admission is free. It’s a month-long holiday celebration that includes the beautiful City Employee’s Christmas Tree Exhibit, a decorated 65-foot Norfolk pine tree, strolling musicians and entertainment, and nightly visits with Santa.
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 17th, 2008
Arkadi Kuhlmann has been called a "rebel with a cause" with his unconventional approach to banking — offering customers saving accounts with high-interest rates and no minimums. His philosophy has always been that saving money and investing should be as simple as having a cup of coffee.
His company, the online bank ING DIRECT, has opened its first Waikiki Cafe on Kalakaua Avenue. It expects an average of between 500 to 600 people to walk in daily, even though all of ING DIRECT’s banking takes place either online, over the phone or by mail. It has a base of about 25,000 customers in Hawaii.
The 9,500-square-foot space will provide ING Direct, an online bank with no branches, with a place where associates can discuss financial products with clients. It also features a conference room where the company can hold financial seminars.
Younger customers seem to like the convenience of online banking, and seniors appreciate the high interest rates.
Aside from a full-service cafe that serves espresso drinks, there are pastries as well. And ING DIRECT also offers a meeting space for nonprofit and community groups.
If you’re in Waikiki check it out, its a great place to relax, and enjoy Waikiki. The Honolulu cafe, is the largest in the U.S.
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 16th, 2008
People who vacation in Hawaii almost always place “the people” really high on their lists of things they enjoyed about their visits. They mention the prevailing aloha spirit. They rave about the friendly service and how warm and helpful everyone is.
Apparently there’s a logical reason for that. Those of us who live here really like it.
A study called The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index shows that Hawaii is tops in the whole country — at eighty-two percent — when it comes to having the highest number of people who are satisfied with their standard of living. Local residents seemed to be worried about the economy getting worse … but not as concerned about it affecting their standard of living. Surely one’s own sense of well being would be reflected in the way he or she relates to others. We’re happy … and we want you to be happy, too.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is the most recent indication of the satisfaction of Hawai`i residents. Recent reports have also reflected successful efforts by the Lingle-Aiona Administration in seeking an improved standard of living.
This is the first time the Well-Being Index results were given for states. Previously only numbers for the nation as a whole were announced.
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 15th, 2008
Some come to see Waikiki, Diamond Head and the view from the Nuuanu Pali Lookout. Others want to see the lava flows or the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. Still others want to gaze at Waimea Canyon or the Na Pali Coast. Haleakala attracts more than a million visitors every year.
Now entrepreneurs are scrambling onto a new tourism bandwagon: Places with Connections to Barack Obama, who will become our 44th president in January.
Tour companies are reporting that there’s a growing demand from visitors who are eager to learn more about the Hawaii-born Obama, who spent all his formative years in the Islands, and they’re cranking up the tour machines. Several companies have modified existing bus tours to create smaller companies that offer special Obama tours; others are creating tours from scratch.
- Here are some of the stops being considered or already incorporated:
- A stroll past the apartment tower where Obama and his late grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, lived
- Another apartment building where Obama’s mother and sister lived briefly
- The Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor where he worked as a teenager
- Sandy Beach, on Oahu’s east shore, where he surfed as a teenager, and then swam during his vacation in August
- The Chowder House restaurant, a modest local eatery in a shopping center near Downtown Honolulu
- The site where Obama’s high-school basketball team regularly went to eat
- The bakery where the team devoured malasadas
- The local fast-food places where they consumed plate lunches
- His birthplace, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children
- The school where he went to kindergarten
- The University of Hawaii, where his parents met
- Halona Blowhole, where Obama scattered his mother’s ashes and tossed a lei into the water in her memory in August
There also are stops outside of Punahou School, where Obama attended from 1971 until high school graduation in 1979. The school is politely referring people to its Web site (www.punahou.edu) instead of the campus, where they are not equipped to handle public tours.
Will this be a tourism boom, or will the interest fade after the inauguration in January? A lot of companies are betting on the boom, but only time will tell.
Stay tuned.
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
December 5th, 2008
Narrowing down your Hawaii vacation destination is even more difficult than it may seem to be at first. Most people try to decide which island – or islands – they think would appeal to them most.
The problem is that, except for little Molokai and Lanai, each of the islands actually has three or more distinctly different areas within their beaches.
On Oahu, Waikiki – on the south shore – is where the action is, and it’s close to most of the island’s other attractions. On the north shore, Turtle Bay is a full-blown resort near “Old Hawaii,” those humongous winter waves and the quaint little town of Haleiwa. Ko Olina is a newer, sprawling, self-contained resort area well west of Honolulu in leeward Oahu.
On the north shore of Kauai, the beautiful Hanalei and Princeville area is quiet and scenic with nice resorts. The south shore has Poipu and a whole bunch of ritzy resorts with all kinds of things to do. On the east shore, the town of Lihue is the island’s business and population center, with good accommodations that are convenient to most of Kauai’s spectacular attractions.
Maui is said to be two islands. West Maui has Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua and those spectacular resorts. The island’s larger portion contains the rustic Upcountry, the mammoth Haleakala crater and the Waimea resort area. Way to the east, the fantastic Hana area is an isolated destination unto itself.
The Big Island is generally divided into the Hilo side – the east – and the Kona side – the west. But it’s far more than that. On the Kona side, the coast is lined with one spectacular resort after another, and farther inland is ranch country in the rural areas of Waimea and Kamuela, the majestic Mauna Kea and the world’s most powerful telescopes. The Hilo side is far less touristy, but that’s where you’ll find Volcanoes National Park and the amazing lava flows.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider beyond a choice of islands. The best thing to do is pick an agent from our website and begin a relationship (No obligation, of course). Our agents all are experts in Hawaii – have lived here and can guide you with passion and professionalism. Or, if you prefer, call 1-800-843-8771.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
November 26th, 2008
Winter’s approaching. That’s significant in Hawaii, when the season brings the big waves and attracts the big surfers from all over the world. They arrive in early November in anticipation of competing for one of the most coveted awards in international surfing – the Vans Triple Crown. The event started its six-week run on November 12th and run through December 20. This year’s prize purse will be the largest in the Series’ history: $815,000.
More than 260 of the world’s best competitive surfers — men and women — will seek six titles as well as the series crown. The events all will take place at three venues on Oahu’s North Shore: Haleiwa, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline.
Each event will have a 12-day window in which it must be completed.
You may have considered surfing to be a very personal activity, surfer against nature, but the Vans Triple Crown is an enormously popular spectator sport and crowds will gather to see the best in the world compete on huge, awesome waves in a gorgeous setting. You might consider being there yourself. Find a hotel near Oahu’s North Shore to watch the surfers compete!
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
November 17th, 2008
It’s probably too late for you to see the show in Honolulu, but Hawaii residents have been blown away by the Cirque du Soleil show “Saltimbanco,” which has been in town since last month. Its final performance here is November 16th, at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena.
Saltimbanco, which literally means "to jump on a bench" in Italian, looks into the universal urban experience — the people who live in cities, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, their families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of its skyscrapers. The show takes its spectators on a spectacularly acrobatic journey into the heart of a metropolis. It’s a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope.
It’s full of nonstop tools and techniques: Adagio (based on acrosport), Chinese poles, juggling, boleadoras (percussion instruments), Russian swing, hand-to-hand, bungees and trapeze. All those form the language the characters of Saltimbanco use to assert their identities, and the audience journeys with them at the heart of an imaginary city brimming with optimism.
The characters include the Baron, Eddy and the Sleeper, who interact with one another under the eye of the Ringmaster, who guides the audience on this whirlwind journey into the heart of the city. The orchestra’s music keeps things moving along at an almost frantic pace.
Everybody here loved the show. The kids, in particular, have been spellbound with even the little ones sitting quietly in amazement throughout.
If you are in Honolulu now, plenty of seats remain for the final performances. You can get tickets at the Blaisdell box office or on line at www.ticketmaster.com
If you live in or near one of the following areas, make note of when Saltimbanco will be in town:
Prescott Valley, AZ
Tim’s Toyota Center, Nov. 20-23
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Arena, Nov. 26-30
Oklahoma City, OK
Ford Center, Dec. 3-7
Tulsa, OK
BOK Center, Dec. 10-14
Hidalgo, TX
Dodge Arena, Dec. 17-2
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
November 13th, 2008
When Hawaii became a state in 1959, our residents were relieved, excited, optimistic … and a little sheepish. We still were out here in the middle of the Pacific. Sure enough, we had been recognized as a tourist destination, but so had Tahiti and Bali. Most of our visitors referred to the mainland as “the states” as if we were pretenders. We were, it seemed, just “sort of” a state, not a full-fledged one.
Half a century later, presidential candidate Barack Obama’s citizenship was questioned during the campaign. After all, his father was Kenyan; Barack had been born way out in Hawaii and had attended schools in Jakarta until sixth grade when he returned to the islands.
In spite of ourselves, we Hawaii residents (Can’t call ourselves “Hawaiians” unless Hawaiian blood is pumped by our hearts) have felt a little like second-class Americans – proud of our islands and all they offer, but not quite fitting in with the contiguous states.
It would take something special for us to get over that hump.
The West Coast went through the same process. The “West” was part of history – the “Wild” West of pioneers, settlers, ranchers and gunfighters – but beyond the mountains lay an area the rest of the country cared little about although big cities had been established and Easterners were moving west.
In 1957, Walter O’Malley took the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and Horace Stoneham took the Giants from Upper Manhattan to San Francisco.
Virtually overnight, the West Coast was in the Big Leagues. The Bay Area and Southern California were recognized nationally as key players.
Half a century later, our islands began to creep into the hierarchy of national prominence.
No, we can’t be called “Big League.” Our professional sports remain restricted to surfing, a few pro golf tournaments and competitions such as the Iron Man Triathlon and the International Billfish Tournament.
But there have been strides.
Hawaii’s music now is being recognized and honored. Not so long ago, a laid-back Don Ho was our voice. Today, Israel Kamakawiwo`ole, posthumously, is leading the way, and our music is being heard and respected around the world.
Big-ticket international performers know they can fill our venues, including Aloha Stadium, with ardent and passionate fans.
Hawaii has become an international film center, hosting The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) and gaining worldwide respect as an ideal location for myriad projects. Long-running TV series find ways to locate here for episodes – often several episodes.
The Sony Open, the UH football team’s undefeated 2007 season, the NFL Pro Bowl and the Honolulu Marathon all have attracted top-of-the-mind attention from sports fans around the world.
Our islands are among the more appealing travel destinations globally. Our better hotels are authentically world-class. Our beaches and natural wonders are many and splendid.
Our cuisine has become as distinctive as New Orleans’s. Hawaii Regional Cuisine uses our islands’ fresh produce, meat and seafood to concoct wonderfully creative and toothsome dishes, imaginatively presented. Not only has Hawaii Regional Cuisine taken Island dining to a lofty international level, it’s also established Hawaii-grown products as being among the finest in the world.
Our physicians, scientists and teachers are amazing the world with discoveries, new techniques and, yes, cures. Honolulu has become an international business center and technology mecca.
New York would trade its skyline for our climate. Philadelphia would jettison its slogan if it had our aloha. San Francisco would give up its bridge for our neighbor islands. How many Chicagoans have ever seen a rainbow?
But until very recently it seemed that we still were reflecting a sense of being “way out here in the Pacific.” We hadn’t had confidence in who we are and where we stand. We continued to think we were insignificant members of the USA community.
Boy, has that ever changed!
One of our guys is going to be President of the United States. Another one, Sen. Daniel Inouye, will hold the nation’s purse strings as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. One of our athletes, Shane Victorino, is a key member of the world-champion Philadelphia Phillies and acknowledged as the best center fielder in his league. Another, Bryan Clay, is the Olympic decathlon champion.
We’re making news – positive news. We sense the rest of the world has noticed us and has acknowledged our contributions to its progress.
Suddenly, we can consider ourselves players. We can feel proud of who we are beyond the beaches.
We’re prouder than ever to show ourselves off to you. Hurry on down.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Published by Bruce Fisher
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
November 12th, 2008
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