Hawaii Island Hopping Tips

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On today’s show we’re excited to announce a new guest co-host, veteran broadcasting journalist, Angela Keen! She adds a new dimension to the show and is a delight to have on board. Angela is akamai (knowledgeable)and passionate about Hawaii …..a perfect fit for the show! We’re hoping she will do more with us Mahalo Angela

One of our most in-demand options for Hawaii vacationers is our island hopping packages; for the simple reason that people want to see and experience as much as possible while traveling. And Hawaii is the ultimate destination for inter-island exploration, as each island is merely 20 minutes from the next. However, there are what we call “guidelines” when it comes to island hopping, mainly for the purpose of maximizing your vacation and minimizing your stress.

For example, we recommend a minimum of four days of relaxation on each island, which includes your travel days. We believe it is possible to do three days per island, but this greatly decreases your chill out time, as 2 out of your 3 vacation days are allocated for travel. Although flights to outer islands are so quick you’ll wonder why you didn’t just swim, they do require packing, driving, waiting in lines, security checks, and everything else that comes along with flying. You may not think this is important, but we know from experience that most people become tired after even the shortest flights.

And what about timing? How will you know to coordinate your flight with your hotel check-in time? Or which flight option is better for your day’s activities? Or which airport is closer to your final destination on the island? This is where it can get quite tricky, which is why we suggest using a local travel company for scheduling. With so many variables, it is important these factors run smoothly, otherwise you run the risk of cutting back on your leisure time.

Maybe you didn’t know this, but Maui harbors three different airports; Kahului is the main one on the northwestern side, and the two smaller airports, Kapalua and Hana are on the west and east sides, respectively. It is worth knowing the flight options, timing, and proximity of these airports to your hotel, as this will help maximize your time on the island. Flying into an airport that is a 10 minute drive from your hotel is a much better convenience factor than a 45 minute drive, which is very common to book when you’re unsure of the variables. Again, we recommend an experienced travel agent, and we are more than happy to accommodate and help you with all these seemingly small factors during your travel. It’s what we do best, and our travel agents are specialized in this exact type of planning.

Another big aspect of island hopping is the cost. You can book an inter-island flight for anywhere from $60 to $100, depending on whether you are flying roundtrip, but also depend heavily on your timing and advance planning. Flights out on Fridays are the most expensive, hands down. Because everyone wants to fit in an island hop during the weekend, this spikes Friday flights to the most expensive inter-island travel day of the week. Also, booking flights last minute is a bad idea because this is another way to jack up the cost of travel. If you book a multi-island package in advance, this is all taken care of way ahead of time, saving you money and ultimately, your time.

A good way to island hop if you have limited vacation time is to do a daytime trip, where you leave in the morning from one island, let’s say Oahu, and explore for the whole day on, let’s say Kauai, and then fly back to Oahu in the evening or at night. This allows for a power packed day full of adventure and traveling, and for some, this is more ideal than spending multiple nights on multiple islands. It also saves money, because you are not paying for hotel stays, transportation, or meals in various locations, which can sometimes be time consuming and difficult if you are unfamiliar with the territory.

If you’re traveling to Hawaii and have at least a week of vacation time, we highly recommend a multi-island destination package. You get to see a lot more of Hawaii than just one island, which offers a more diverse experience and a whole lotta fun! Check out our rates or check us out online and fill out a quote request form. We’ll have a price quote ready for you sooner than you can say, “that’s the cheapest island hop Hawaii deal ever! Book it!

Hawaii Vacation News

2012 Maui Film Festival Gives Accolades to the Frontrunner
This year, Maui’s Film Festival runs from June 13th-17th, with big name actors and movie masters such as Owen Wilson, Clint Eastwood, Zoe Deschanel, and Adrian Brody as honoraries at the event since its inception in 2000. With the beauty and vibrancy of the cinematography, on screen scenery, actors, and guests who attend, it’s hard to beat the splendor of the event. But leave it to Valley Isle Maui to steal the show. With its verdant golf plateau as the grounds for the event, mountainous and sun setting background, and colorful landscape, this outdoor setting for the festival is the real showstopper.

The Maui Film Festival takes place in Wailea, located on Maui’s south side, which is known for it’s crescent-shaped beaches and world-class golf. The event takes place under the stars, just after sun set, at the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course’s Celestial Cinema. Located at the base of Mount Haleakala, this is one of Maui’s most gorgeous expanses of landscaping, within the desirable resort community of Wailea.

The Film Festival runs 35 features and 15 short films, with newly included culinary events throughout the week. Thomas Steinhauer, general manager at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea states that the film festival showcases some of Maui’s best natural attributes. In response to the event, he also says, “To me the film festival is one of those destination promotion events that are so crucial,” he said. “It’s unique because it’s relaxed, it’s typically Maui, it has this incredible outdoor venue [and] during that particular week we always have a visible uptick in leisure travel.”

If you’re visiting Maui during mid-June, be sure to buy tickets to one of the most spectacular outdoor amphitheatres in the country. Maui is sure to please any movie buff or vacationer with its ideal setting for this important film festival.

Island Air Adds More Flights
Island Air, an Oahu based commuter airline specializing in inter-island flights is adding two more flights between Honolulu and Kapalua, West Maui starting June 15th, 2012. This brings the number of inter-island flight options between the two locations up to 12 for Island Air, giving vacationers, locals, and business travelers, and other frequent flyers greater variety for flight times and availabilities.

Mokulele Airlines, one of Island Airs competitors, is scheduled to increase their flights between Honolulu and Kapalua two weeks later on July 1st, 2012, who is launching four daily roundtrip flights.

Island Air uses a 37-passenger aircraft carrier in between islands, a smaller plane which flies lower than the other jets, allowing passengers an unparalleled view of the scenery below. They also offer complimentary coffee, water, and POG juice upon request. This increase of flights between the two islands is based on improving market performance, states Lesley Kaneshiro, Island Air CEO. She also says, “The West Maui traveling community has been solid and we’ve been anticipating growth for quite some time”, which is good news for travelers and the tourism bureau.