Hawaii on a Budget - Yes! Hawaii can still be affordable!
December 11, 2008
Here’s a great secret - you don’t have to spend a fortune to spend time in Hawaii. Don’t get me wrong - if you want to stay at first class properties, fly in the front of the plane and eat at some of the world’s finest restaurants, Hawaii will certainly afford you the opportunity. However, it is also possible to visit Hawaii, see the sites, eat well and experience the Islands up close and personal without breaking the bank.
Airfares are a real trick, but here’s the trick - don’t buy a published fare! Any good Travel Agent (like me) will know how to purchase your ticket through a tour operator holding contracts with the airlines flying to Hawaii. Purchase a ticket with an online site and, chances are, you will pay hundreds of dollars more than the fellow sitting next to you on the plane.
In addition, remember that most of Hawaii has many, many budget-friendly accommodations. In fact, one of the suggestions we will make that applies to each of the islands below is to ask your travel agent about condominiums and smaller lodges and inns. Many of these establishments are perfectly well located, charming and offer a real opportunity to meet the locals in a way that the larger hotels and resorts do not.
The one quality that every island has in abundance is its scenery and the easy accessibility to the scenery via a rental car. Self exploration by automobile is one of the most exciting and least expensive ways to enjoy the islands.
Stay tuned for free/affordable activities while visiting my islands of aloha! Or better yet, email Teresa@Luxuryhideaways.net or call me at 800 644-6659 and hele on over here to the sunshine and palmtrees!
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Hawaii - What is the difference between the islands?
September 14, 2008
Oahu: is home to Honolulu and the world-famous Waikiki Beach. 95% of the people that live in Hawaii, live on Oahu. Famous Waikiki has a lively nightlife and great shopping. Days can be spent either relaxing on the beach or surfing the huge waves on Oahu’s North Shore.
Visitors may like to take the opportunity to visit the Iolani Palace - A Hawaiian national treasure and the only official state residence of royalty in the United States, `Iolani Palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs–King Kalakaua, who built the Palace in 1882, and his sister and successor, Queen Lili`uokalani. During the monarchy period, the Palace was the center of social and political activity in the Kingdom of Hawai`i.
Visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial - the final resting place for many of the battleship’s 1,177 crew members who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. The Memorial commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States. Experience history through the national memorial’s program tour, museum, and wayside exhibits.
Maui: is the Valley Isle of white-sand beaches and breathtaking vistas. Maui is the island to visit for the vacation of your dreams. On Maui you can experience the “real” Hawaii, go on a heart pounding adventure, or simply relax on the beach.
Our favorite time of year to visit is between November and March when the Humpback whales make their way to Maui to birth their calves and are frequently sighted offshore enjoying the warm Maui waters.
Hawaii: is referred to as the Big Island to distinguish it from the state of Hawaii. As its name suggests, it is the largest of Hawaii’s islands - in fact, it’s twice the size of all the other islands put together. The Big Island has it all - fiery volcanoes and sparkling waterfalls, black-lava deserts and snow-capped mountain peaks, tropical rainforests and miles of golden, black and even green sand beaches. This tranquil island is renowned for its beautiful exotic flowers, especially orchids. Its been described as looking like the inside of a barbeque pit on one side and a tropical rainforest on the other side.
Kauai: is known as the Garden Island and offers a landscape of luscious shades of green. Formed by one central volcano, the sheer height of the mountain means that the peak experiences excellent rainfall and the island has a number of picturesque rivers.
On any list of the world’s most spectacular islands, Kauai ranks right up there with Bora Bora, Huahine, and Rarotonga, you don’t just go to Kauai, you absorb it with every sense. Kauai may get more than its fair share of tropical downpours, but that’s what makes it so lush and green, and creates an abundance of rainbows.
Molokai: More secluded and less developed than Hawaii’s other islands, Molokai calls itself “the friendly isle.” It’s best known for its former lepers’ colony, now Kalaupapa National Historical Park. The remote park can be reached by hiking, on muleback, or in a small plane.
Those who drive Molokai’s coastal highway encounter St. Joseph’s church and tropical gardens, ancient temples and fishponds, a rainforest, and scenic waterfalls.
Lanai: Get away from it all on Lanai. There’s no public transport on this tiny island, but you can rent a four-wheeler and drive 100 miles of paved and unpaved roads, past uncrowded beaches and pastoral terrain. Despite its size, Lanai offers a large variety of activities, including hiking through ancient ruins, horseback riding, shooting clays, golf, sampling traditional Hawaiian fare, and snorkeling in waters where spinner dolphins frolic. The island is a multifaceted place that’s so much more than a luxury resort. The traveler who comes to discover the island’s natural wonders, local lifestyle, and other inherent joys is bound to have the most genuine island experience.
Kahoolawe: Is an island that was used as bombing practice until recently. At this time there are local volunteer groups traveling to the island to plant vegetation and restore plant life to the island.
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The Aloha State Became the 50th State in 1959
July 21, 2008
But the history of Hawaii goes back centuries earlier. More than 1500 years ago, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on Hawaii’s Big Island. With only the stars to guide them, they miraculously sailed over 2000 miles in canoes to migrate to the Islands.
500 years later, settlers from Tahiti arrived, bringing their beliefs in gods and demi-gods and instituting a strict social hierarchy based on a kapu (taboo) system. Hawaiian culture flourished over the centuries, but land division conflicts between ruling chieftains were common.
In 1778, Captain James Cook, landed on Kauai at Waimea Bay. Naming the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, Cook opened the doors to the west. Cook was killed only a year later in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii’s Big island .
In 1791, Kohala born Kamehameha united the warring factions of the Big Island and went on to unify all of the Hawaiian Islands into one Royal Kingdom in 1810. In 1819, less than a year after King Kamehameha’s death, his son, Liholiho, abolished the ancient kapu system.
In 1820, the first Protestant Missionaries arrived on the Big Island filling the void left after the end of the kapu system. Hawaii became a port for seamen, traders, and whalers. Throughout these years of growth, western disease took a heavy toll on the native Hawaiian population.
Western influence continued to grow and in 1893, American Colonists who controlled much of Hawaii’s economy overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom in a peaceful, yet still controversial coup. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
In the 20th century, sugar and pineapple plantations fueled Hawaii’s economy bringing an influx of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese immigrants. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Oahu. Four years later, on September 2, 1945, Japan signed its unconditional surrender on the USS Battleship Missouri , which still rests in Pearl Harbor today.
In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th State of the United States. Beyond the sun and surf of the islands, we urge you to discover the rich cultural history of the Islands of Aloha to add even more depth to your visit.
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Why should your next holiday should be a cruise?
May 30, 2008
A Hawaii cruise ship is a floating resort, with all the things a fine Hawaiian resort has to offer and more! As a matter of fact, cruise vacations have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience. What are you waiting for?
Overall, a Hawaiian cruise vacation can be up to 50 percent cheaper than a Hawaii resort vacation and provides the opportunity to visit the four main islands of Hawaii: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. And one price includes accommodations, transportation, entertainment, dining, cultural activities, children’s programs and more.
Dollar for dollar, the price for Hawaiian cruise vacation packages including both room accommodations and airfare is relatively consistent between cruise ships and comparably rated resorts. But you’ll save big on the total cost of your Hawaii cruise vacation because all of your meals are included. Cruise ships provide tremendous variety and unlimited quantities of fresh food that you’ll pay at least $100 per person per day to duplicate on land.
In addition to the savings for food, entertainment and accommodations, there is no additional cost to go from one island to another. No inter-island airline tickets, no rental cars, not taxis, no daily tipping for bellhops and sky caps. Your ship gives you the entire Hawaiian experience, sailing from exotic port to another all while you sleep and for no additional cost.
Finally, a Hawaii cruise not only saves you money, it saves you valuable time as well. No packing and unpacking, checking in an out of hotels, dropping off rental cars, standing in line at airports, claiming your luggage, renting another car, or checking into another hotel.
Stay tuned, the Travel Gal will have more tips for your trip…
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