The basic rule: pack light. Restaurants, for example, don’t require jackets. Nobody but lawyers in court has to wear a tie. In fact, most of the local men don’t even own ties. Ladies certainly won’t need furs, and you won’t even need cold-weather clothing unless you want to venture up the slopes of Haleakala on Maui or Mauna Kea on the big island. It does sometimes get chilly at night, so as sweater or two or a light windbreaker would be a good idea. The style in the islands ranges from casual to ‘nice’ casual.”
Once you arrive, you’ll probably decide to buy some local clothes so you can blend in with the locals and not flaunt the fact that you’re a tourist. Board shorts and a t-shirt, with a sun hat and trendy eyewear is the right combination for the beach. (You actually should wear a hat and sunglasses whenever you’re out in the sun.)Hawaiian print aloha shirts paired with shorts or slacks and sandals or slip-ons will be appropriate for exploring, shopping and sightseeing.
Be careful of the material you buy. Consider that you’d like your purchase to last a while, and you’ll want it to be appropriate to wear after you get back home. Buy silk or cotton shirts and dresses. Ladies of every age like simple shifts, or matching shorts and tops in Hawaiian prints. And watch those Hawaiian prints. You’ll see some inexpensive shirts and mumu with garish colors and prints. Stick to subtler patterns. The better shops, department stores and boutiques carry shirts with “reverse” patterns in which the bright, intense colors are stylishly muted and comprise the inside of the fabric. Island wear is available in virtually any price range, pattern and color. Select loose-fitting shirts. Rubber slippers and sandals are a must. Don’t wear socks with those, and leave your black, knee-high, black socks at home.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
People ask us all the time where the good beaches are in Hawaii. On the island of Oahu there’s a great beach that’s off the beaten path that tourists don’t frequent as much called Bellows Beach. This is located on the southeastern side of the island in Waimanalo. It’s an amazing stretch of white sand beach and is the perfect location for a picnic or group outing. Unfortunately, it’s only open on the weekends because it’s actually an Air Force Base and used for amphibious training and other exercises. Many presidents have stayed here when visiting Oahu and active military personnel can rent cabins and use the property for vacations. It’s a very safe beach for swimming and it’s a perfect place to learn to do boogie boarding.
Trying to figure out where to stay on Maui? Today I gave a quick primer for various geographic locations that you can stay on the island. I talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each of these locations and discuss how you can save money by booking condos. In general I like the west side of Maui at best it will be Lahaina town and a lot of activities has a lot more action. I also usually advise us if they behave because the same price you could actually stay on the west side which in my opinion is more preferable.
We also go over Hawaii Vacation packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours which gives us an opportunity to take new customers for their business and also the agents that put them. It’s also a chance for you to get an idea of what things are costing for Hawaii we do this on every podcast so if you’re trying to get an idea of how much vacation to the islands would cost, that’s a great segment to listen to. Go to sleep.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
We will be at the Hawaii Five-0 premiere next Monday Sept. 13th, streaming LIVE, covering the red carpet and the premiere episode at Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki. I have a feeling that we won’t be the only ones streaming; yesterday we were up at the Waikiki Beach Hotel and a local radio station was scouting out the Coconut Room, 22 stories above the action where the premiere will be taking place. There’s a lot of excitement and buzz in the air about the show and it’s success. Most believe this is going to be a successful series for CBS. Some of the trailers we’re seeing are full of action excellent special effects. We’ll be getting there early on Monday and will start broadcasting just as soon as we get there at about 1PM Hawaii Time.
Waikiki Edition Set to open
The Waikiki edition is set to open up on schedule October 1. We’re getting really excited about this new property which plans to giver guests a six star experience. We had a chance to actually see the property for the first time a few days ago but cannot share any pictures. To actually see it firsthand made quite an impact. The rooms are a lot bigger looking then I thought and the public spaces are so unique and fun! We still have some great rates for 195 per night and I and will be sharing with you more information about The Waikiki Ediiton when we are allowed to share with you.
Ziplining on Maui
A couple of months ago I did a podcast about ziplining in Hawaii. Over the years this has become a very popular activity. I have to admit it was something that I’ve never done before. We did some research on the various ziplining companies that are out there and made recommendations based on the research to our listeners. At that time I said I was definitely going to be doing this soon because it looks like just so much fun. Once in the past we were going to do this but chickened out but I knew that the next time I went to Maui I was definitely going to do it. Well I got my chance a couple of weeks ago when we took our trip to Maui.
There are several choices on Maui to zip. Our condo was on the West Side of Maui and didn’t want to dive far so we went with Skyline Eco adventures in Kaanapali. Another option on the West side which I understand is equally as good, if not better, is in Kapalua with a company called Kapalua Adventures.
The first thing that you should know about the zip lining is there’s two different types of harnesses that are used. Skyline Eco Adventures uses the old school harnesses and you must use two hands to hold on or to move while you’re zipping either to the left or the right. The other type of harnesses is a swing which looks more comfortable however, you won’t be able to do as much maneuvering as you would with the old school harness.
Old School Harness Swing Harness
Most of the tours run anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. The one we took a total of four hours. You meet at the tour company’s storefront and then are driven up to the site where the various zip lines are located. For us it took about a half-hour to get up to the location where we got ready to do the zip line adventure. The one we chose had eight different zip lines. They all had different difficulty and were at different heights. They give you a brief lesson on how to do the zip and then you’re on your way. The basic thing you have to remember is to lay back and relax as if you’re in an easy chair and you keep your arms straight, if you do that you’ll be able to zip successfully across the lines. What happens is that once you start zipping the person on the other end waits for you and then slows you down so that you can land. These guys are pretty good at it too and very good at estimating where you’ll be when you start to come in to the platform because they do it so many times. If you get stuck out in the middle or don’t make it across you can easily be rescued but the main thing is to remember to not panic or freak out. I thought that the zip lines actually got more difficult as we went along. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.
I would highly recommend that you try this out if you’re coming to Hawaii. My wife ad I got addicted to it and can’t wait to do it again, we’re even considering doing it we go to Mexico next week. While I can’t say that this is the best zip line because I haven’t been on all of them yet this certainly was a great introduction to zip lining and a good one to do if you’re a first timer.
If you need more information give us a call AT 1-800-843-8771 also check out the video we did of the experience.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
We’ve been talking a lot about Maui lately and a couple of weeks ago we had a chance to do a site at the Honua Kai Resort and Spa. The first thing that struck me about this property was just how large it is with over 643 condos and then another 75 townhomes. The second thing that struck me was just that this is not your ordinary condo, it’s a full on resort. We’re seeing more and more of this; condos becoming full on resorts with all the amenities that you expect in a hotel. They have a huge super pool with a couple of aqua lounges, slides and kids pool. Speaking of kids, they even have a kids camp where they can be entertained all day . There is a huge expansive lobby beautifully furnished with rich wood tones. The hotel lobby is also the home to the Aina market which is an organic market run by Chef James who owns the Pacific-O restaurant and also caters all of the food at the Feast of Lele. So you get the best of both worlds here; great amenities of a hotel and the connivance of these gorgeous condos.
I was really impressed with these large modern condos. You can get a studio or one, two and three-bedroom units. All of them are impeccably decorated, very comfortable, the kitchens all have really high-end appliances in them, and they have awesome views from the private Lanai’s. The units are very spacious and include these Nano Doors which are doors that fold out so that it really brings the outside in.
You can make this an affordable option if you’re going to be traveling with other folks. For example, a two bedroom can actually hold six people so that’s only 80 bucks a day or less if people are going to split the cost. In fact this is a great way to get more out of your Hawaii vacation. Just bring people with you and you may be able to stay in a luxury Hawaii condo for the price that it would cost you for a much lesser hotel.
Of course all the units have washers and dryers, barbecue grills and everything you need to cook a meal in the unit. There’s also daily maid service and they do the dishes for you if you really want to be on a lazy Hawaii vacation..
Things to remember about renting condos on Maui:
The smaller more affordable condos do not have the amenities of a hotel
You get more bang for your buck if can share the cost of a Luxury 2 or 3 Bedroom Condo
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Yesterday we had a team meeting and were visited by Hawaii Hotels, who run the Royal Lahaina on Maui and the Royal Kona on the Big Island. Today the focus is the Royal Lahaina because we actually did a site inspection there last week so the property is very fresh in my mind.
The hotel is located in the, Kaanapali area on the west side of the island on a beautiful stretch of beach. The property is really made up of three different properties, the main hotel, the cottages and a little inn called the Kaanapali Ocean Inn.
There is no question that you’re in Hawaii when you enter this property. The public spaces are very Hawaiiana, reminiscent of the old days in Hawaii with lots of bamboo, rich wood tones, Tapa and Tiki Torches . There’s thatched roof shacks that double as cabanas around the pool area and the atmosphere is very circa 60s & 70s.
The main hotel is my best recommendation for this property. Three years ago the property was renovated and it was tastefully done. Custom designed furnishings made of teak and koa give the rooms a bold Hawaiian feel . The beds are custom-made so that you can put your luggage underneath them easily. The rooms are very spacious and the ocean views are spectacular. The rooms we saw were very clean the bathrooms included a vanity that had the bamboo faucet, a minibar (empty), free coffee and coffee maker. Between the bedroom and the bathroom area of their louver panels which open up the room space.
Tip: The best way to remember to get there if you’re driving from Kahului Airport is to take a left at the next exit after that, Kaanapali Parkway, the name of the street you make a left on is Kekaa Street.
The cottages are not really cottages. Basically they are wood frame units that are on the ocean side of the property. You get one hotel room in fourplex. The rooms are small, very old but adequate. There are some larger units there which you might want to consider, which has a separate bedroom and a small kitchen. It would make sense to stay in the cottages if you are on a budget or part of the larger wedding party cost was a concern.
Finally there’s the Kaanapali Ocean Inn. This is about as basic as you can get for a hotel room on Maui. You get what you pay for at this property; it’s is very rustic and in need of renovations. However they do their best with this property and if you’re on a tight budget and you are really good location you might consider staying here. One of the advantages is that you get to use all of the amenities of the hotel. If you have to stay here stay in one of the oceanfront rooms because it’s as close to the beach you can get! Keep in mind a lot of the rooms are adjacent to the luau so there might be some noise considerations.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
We did something we never did before which was fly into Maui to the smaller Kapalua Airport. This is the smaller of two airports that are located on Maui and it’s up on the northwest side of the island. Only the smaller planes fly there so we took Island Air which seats about 80 people in their planes. I’ve always recommended flying in the smaller planes between islands for years now because it’s a great way to get a sightseeing experience as you fly over the islands.
On this hop you want to sit on the left side of the plane so it will be on your right side when you’re walking into the airplane. There’s no assigned seating so it’s best to get as close to the gate before boarding as possible so you’re one of the first people to walk on the plane. If you’re staying on the west side of the island in the Kaanapali Area is just very convenient because if you have to drive to Kaanapali from the larger Kahalui Airport it takes about 50 minutes as opposed to 10 minutes from Kapalua.
Here are some tips know if you are going to fly there:
Keep in mind that most planes fly Kahalui it may be just unavoidable to fly in to the smaller airport.
Smaller airports usually cost a little more
You can rent cars, you need to use a courtesy phone in the lobby and from the airport lobby and when you return your car it must be before 5PM.
There is taxi service from the airport
no concession stand, broken vending machine
The 9th annual Dukes oceanfest is happning in Waikiki for the next few days if you coming in for your HAwaii Vacation. It’s Four days of ocean sports competitions begin in Waikiki, including Duke’s Legends Surf Classic, C4 Waterman/HonoluA Surf Paddleboard Championship and Stand-Up Beach Boy Paddle Surfing Championship, AccesSurf Challenged Athlete Surf Meet, Duke’s Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim, Surf Polo Tournament, and the Waterman Challenge.
Duke’s OceanFest concludes with a sidewalk surfboard parade and draping of Duke Kahanamoku’s Statue with the beautiful flower lei of Hawaii. Fore more info give us a call or go to www.dukefoundation.org
Tihati Productions is adding a Polynesian revue at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the south side of Maui. The “Te Au Moana” luau celebrates the island of Maui with contemporary songs and hula. The luau show will be held at the resort every Monday, Thursday. Friday and Saturday evening starting at 4:30 p.m. Guests will witness the unearthing of the imu, or underground oven, used to steam a whole pig for the traditional luau dish of kalua pork and be offered a buffet of luau staple. The hour-long show will follow the dinner. Kamaaina rates are $75 for adults and $38 for children (6-12 years) with free admission for children under 5 years. Regular prices are $98 for adults and $53 for children (6-12 years)
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Written by Bruce Fisher
We will be at the Hawaii Five-0 premiere next Monday Sept. 13th, streaming LIVE, covering the red carpet and the premiere episode at Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki. I have a feeling that we won’t be the only ones streaming; yesterday we were up at the Waikiki Beach Hotel and a local radio station was scouting out the Coconut Room, 22 stories above the action where the premiere will be taking place. There’s a lot of excitement and buzz in the air about the show and it’s success. Most believe this is going to be a successful series for CBS. Some of the trailers we’re seeing are full of action excellent special effects. We’ll be getting there early on Monday and will start broadcasting just as soon as we get there at about 1PM Hawaii Time.
We’ve been talking a lot about Maui lately and a couple of weeks ago we had a chance to do a site at the 
I was really impressed with these large modern condos. You can get a studio or one, two and three-bedroom units. All of them are impeccably decorated, very comfortable, the kitchens all have really high-end appliances in them, and they have awesome views from the private Lanai’s. The units are very spacious and include these Nano Doors which are doors that fold out so that it really brings the outside in. 
Yesterday we had a team meeting and were visited by Hawaii Hotels, who run the Royal Lahaina on Maui and the Royal Kona on the Big Island. Today the focus is the Royal Lahaina because we actually did a site inspection there last week so the property is very fresh in my mind. 
We did something we never did before which was fly into Maui to the smaller Kapalua Airport. This is the smaller of two airports that are located on Maui and it’s up on the northwest side of the island. Only the smaller planes fly there so we took Island Air which seats about 80 people in their planes. I’ve always recommended flying in the smaller planes between islands for years now because it’s a great way to get a sightseeing experience as you fly over the islands. 
