Halloween In Hawaii
It’s that time of year again; the holidays are right around the corner. Halloween is happening this weekend so we talk about a big festival that’s on Oahu. It’s called Hallowbaloo and it’s a four day music and arts Festival with events all over the island. Each year it gets better and better in this year it promises to be the best ever.
Hawaii Airfare pricing
On today’s show we discuss how airfare is priced to Hawaii. You can purchase published or bulk air and today we discuss the difference between the two. In general bulk air is pre-purchase airfare that we get from the airlines in advance. The advantage of booking in bulk air is that you never have to put all the money down at once and very often it can be cheaper than published airfare. Published airfare refer to the actual published rate that airlines offer and they are found everywhere. They come with restrictions and pretty much the price will be the same anywhere you look and you have to pay at the time of booking in full.
New budget Hotel in Waikiki
This week we found a newly renovated budget property in Waikiki called Stay Hotel. This was formally a student housing building which has been converted into 73 hotel rooms. The property is priced just right at $79 a night and we think it’s a great value. We show some pictures and talk about our impressions of this hotel.
Questions Answered
Today we answer a couple of really good questions from our social media friends. Had he wanted to know if hotels provide transportation from the airport here in the islands. Unfortunately except for a select few mostly five-star properties you have to get your own transportation to the hotels here in Hawaii. Darcy wanted to know if we suggest that people take a tour or drive themselves toeakala on Maui. I always recommend that people get the tour however he certainly can drive it yourself. The disadvantage and doing it yourself is that whoever is the driver doesn’t get to see as much as the people who are passengers. It’s really nice on a long drive like this leave the driving somebody else.
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.
Don’t make it a big if you can help it!
Today we touch a little bit on having the right hotel etiquette when vacationing in Hawaii. We talk about not letting little things bother you too much because in the end it’s probably not worth the trouble. Very often when people are on vacation expectations are raised and things might bother us that normally we would just brush off. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying choose your battles, this applies when your on vacation too.
Old Hawaii lives
If you really want a taste of what old Hawaii was all about, we highly recommend you check out te "House Without a Key" at the Halekulani. On most days you’ll find Kanoe Miller, oneof the most respected Hula dancers in Hawaii. It’s a beautiful atmosphere on the ocean underneath an amazing game tree that you’ll never forget.
Outrigger Waikiki Renovations
Today we got a question from Carol who is asking about renovations at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. This popular hotel will be going through an extensive renovation from March to June. During that time some of the public spaces will be closed including the pool. As a result the hotel will be offering some discounted construction rates starting at $169 a night.
Winter Hawaiian Weather
Louise wanted to know what the weather is like in December and January in Hawaii and whether or not it’s possible to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The weather only changes about 10° between summer and winter in Hawaii. It’s for that reason that you enjoy water sports all year round. You can also see whales during this time as they come to Hawaii for their mating season.
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.
There’s so much see and do on Oahu. We’re surrounded with stunning vistas and miles of incredible coastline created by volcanoes. You can pretty much see and do anything outdoors you can imagine. Sometimes it’s hard to forget just how treacherous these same beautiful places can be when water comes crashing in from the Pacific after traveling miles across the Pacific. Last Friday three people lost their lives in accidents along the shores of Oahu. We talk about this and remind folks the importance of never turning your back to the sea.
Our Facebook friend Carol who wants to know what the meaning of "Kamaaina rate" is. This is a special rate people from Hawaii get mostly in hotels but also local businesses. These are the lowest rates available from Hawaii hotels and are very often cheaper than travel agent rates. We explain that it’s only available to people that have Hawaii State ID or driver’s license.
Larry, a podcast listener is coming to Oahu and wants to sample a micro brew and needed some ideas. Unfortunately there’s not a lot of choices. We suggested Sam Choy’s Big Aloha Brewing Company. It’s located in the restaurant of his same name on Nimitz Highway not too far from downtown Honolulu. Another very popular micro brew is the Kona brewing Company. If you just want to taste some great beers the best place to go is Murphy’s Bar and Grill in Chinatown.
Today we reflect on the passing of Steve Jobs. He took podcasting to the next level with iTunes and made doing this show something they never could have produced few years ago. Locally many tourists visited the Apple stores leaving leis and notes of condolences to this great man. He will surely be missed and if there’s a heaven he will probably revolutionize the by creating iWings.
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.
Experiencing Hawaii Local Style
Today we get a question from Jessica who is traveling to Oahu for the third time and wants to see the island like a local during her Hawaii Vacation. She’s staying in Makaha on the leeward side of the island of Oahu. On this part of the island she’ll have no problem experiencing things as a local because very few tourists ever venture to that side of Oahu. Also known as the Waianae coast, you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii. I offer her some tips about the best beaches and recommend some of the local restaurants that we enjoy.
Tips for visiting Hawaii’s Volcano
Have you ever wondered what’s the best way to see the volcano on the Big Island? We answer this question and offer some advice on how best to experience this amazing natural wonder. In order to really experience Hawaii Volcano National Forrest, I highly recommend that you stay on the Hilo side at least one night so that you can avoid a long drive from the Kona side which is where most of the hotels exist. Renting a car and driving there on your own is probably the most efficient way to to go. Once you arrive at the visitor center the Rangers will give you all the instructions you need on how to view the lava and where it’s located because it’s constantly changing.
Common questions answered
We also cover a couple of very common questions on today’s show which include; When is the best time of year to visit Hawaii? and What is the best way to get around without it costing too much? For the most part you really need to rent a car on all islands except Oahu where there is very affordable public transportation.
WIN WIN WIN
If you have a question please e-mail it to me at Bruce@hawaii-aloha.com and if I answer it on the show to be treated to a bag of Hershey Macadamia not kisses which can only be found in Hawaii.
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.
Hawaii Vacation News
We start the show off today with a little bit of news about Disney bringing a cruise ship to Hawaii. Starting in April of 2012 they’re offering of 15 to Hawaii cruise. This is the first time for Disney as they expanded the Hawaii market with the recent addition of the Aulani Disney resort at Ko Olina on Oahu.
Hawaii Airfare Pricing
The Hawaii visitors Bureau is doing a advertising blitz in key states so we decided to take a look at what the airfares are running which coincide with this promotion. Traditionally, in May we start to see airfare wars so it will be interesting to see where prices land. We’ve also been getting a lot of calls from people who want to book last minute in April so we share some pricing for April dates.
We looked at Denver Phoenix and Dallas round-trip airfares and this is what we came up with for pricing.
April: 4/20-4/27
Den-HNL $567.00 with 2 stops united
PHX-HNL: $481.00 with 1 stop AA
DFW-HNL: $573.00 with 0 stop AA
May: 5/10-5/17
Den-HNL $567.00 with 2 stops united
PHX-HNL: $438.00 with 1 stop delta
DFW-HNL: $412.00 with 1 stop united
June: 06/8-6/15
Den-HNL: $667.00 with 2 stops united
PHX-HNL: $515.00 with 1 stop delta
DFW-HNL: $538.00 with 2 stop Continental
July: 07/06-7/13
Den-HNL $807.00 with 1 stop united
PHX-HNL: $586.00 with 1 stop US airway
DFW-HNL: $610.00 with 1 stop United
Podcast, Facebook and Twitter Questions
As we do every Friday we answer questions from Facebook and twitter friends. Mary wants to know if it’s really true that people get offended when someone honks airport in Hawaii. Actually that is true people in Hawaii don’t honk their horns and find it quite offensive so make sure when you’re here on vacation you don’t lean heavy on the horn.
Did you know that we have fantastic farmers markets here in Hawaii where you can enjoy local food at great prices. Kenya talk about some of the popular farmers markets and offer some ideas about enjoying this great part of Hawaii. Most locals feel it’s important to live local and buy local and we discussed the importance of doing that on your Hawaii vacation.
Finally we offer Jennifer a couple of ideas about beginning surf lessons when she comes to Oahu. There are lots of choices and most of them are good ones right on Waikiki Beach. If you’d like a little more formal teaching there are surf schools and one that’s very popular in his home that I’m in located in the lobby of the Park Shore hotel right across the street from the beach.
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.
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make about your Hawaii vacation is what kind of hotel room to choose. You may just want hotel that’s on the beach and not very concerned with the room type or you could be the opposite and want to have some kind of oceanview. Today we explain the various room types that are available for Hawaii hotel rooms. We cover the advantages and disadvantages and also show some examples.
We also go over Hawaii vacation packages that had been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours so if you’re planning a trip to Hawaii this is a great way to get an idea of what kind of pricing is available.
Download our FREE App, available for Iphone, Android or Blackberry!!
Whether you’re just dreaming of Hawaii, an ex-patriot, or looking to book a memorable Hawaii vacation, it’s all now in the palm of your hand.
The Hawaii Aloha App is produced by people in Hawaii for those who wish they were here, we see our role as "Ambassadors of Aloha". Contributors to the app live on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawaii (the Big Island). They provide information on topics ranging from practical advice, to historical and cultural sites, to local favorites. Look for the app in the App store, market or App world. Click here for more information
Whether you’re just dreaming of Hawaii, an ex-patriot, or looking to book a memorable Hawaii vacation, it’s all now in the palm of your hand.
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.
Halloween In Hawaii
Written by Bruce Fisher
There’s so much see and do on Oahu. We’re surrounded with stunning vistas and miles of incredible coastline created by volcanoes. You can pretty much see and do anything outdoors you can imagine. Sometimes it’s hard to forget just how treacherous these same beautiful places can be when water comes crashing in from the Pacific after traveling miles across the Pacific. Last Friday three people lost their lives in accidents along the shores of Oahu. We talk about this and remind folks the importance of never turning your back to the sea.
Download our FREE App, available for Iphone, Android or Blackberry!!
