Hawaii (State of) Travel Forum

My grandson age 12 and I are visiting Honolulu in June 2010. He is interested in WWII and volcanoes. He's not a beach or surfing type kid. We will be there two days before we get on a ship to take a trip around the islands and we will come back and fly to Kona for more up close and personal time at the Volcano NP.

Other than the Pearl Harbor Memorial which is definitely on my list, what kinds of things would be good to do in 2 days? Where would be a good convenient place to stay near enough to Pier 2 that we could get their from the hotel easily?

Hi anyone got any suggestions about which luaus to visit in ohau thanks

My wife and I are considering a trip to Kauia in March to celebrate an anniversary. We've never been to Kauai, so we would appreciate any advise regarding accomodations. Activities are not a big deal, as we reside on the Big Island and have probably been there and done that. Priorities would be nice views, friendly people (staff and guests). A little cheesey is OK in the big picture!

Aloha

Hi,

I've discovered what looks to be a pretty good deal with this hotel, and although me and my girlfriend aren't overly fussy, 2.5 stars does concern me a little bit.

Has anyone stayed here, any good/bad bits about it, and is it good enough for 2 20-somethings with no real airs and graces, but who enjoy a comfortable, clean, stress free stay?

Also, is it worth hiring a car for 5 nights, or is there plenty of public/tourist transport? I would quite like to go up and check out the North Coast, Waimea Bay, Sunset, Pipe, etc. Would this only be possible with a hire car?

Thanks for your help

Hello Friends,
I see that most of the hotels in maui are priced at $85/day and above and convertibles at $75/day. I was wondering if there are cheaper accomodations and car rentals that are not posted on the internet.

I have a group staying at the Ohana East Hotel on Kaiulani Avenue next year. They are seeking a meeting room that would hold about 40 people within walking distance to the hotel, as well as a restaurant (not fast food) for their farewell dinner. The hotel prices are somewhat high. Is there any place you can recommend?

Many thanks for your help.

Trudy Liuzzo
President
Travel Junction, Inc.
email: traveljunction@verizon.net

I read in my guidebook about this Elvis impersonator who is apparently really good. In the guidebook it says he performs at the Waikiki Beachcomber, but there is nothing on their website about it.

Does anyone know if he's still performing there or if he's performing somewhere else? We'd really like to see him if we can!

Hi,

We are a married couple visiting beautiful Hawaii for the first time. Our main interests are to explore the amazing scenery of the islands, hike, do some activities like snorkeling, sail plane/gliding rides (is it worth it??) and definitely check out the Volcano National Park. We would also like to relax on some of the beautiful/peaceful beaches...but we are from San Diego...so do not want to spend too much time on the beaches there and instead want to check out some aspects unique to Hawaii. Below is an itinereary I have put together and I am struggling between trying to explore as much of these beautiful islands and at the same time not making the trip to hectic by packing too much into 8 days. We are travellign between Dec 5 and 13 and (as just mentioned) have 8 full days in Hawaii.
I will be thankful if you could comment on my itinerary and suggest any islands/places to leave out/must add -

december 5th, 12:40 PM landing - OAHU - waikiki beACH, WALK AROUnd AND RELAX
December 6th OAHU - SNORKELING, KAENA POINT hike
December 7th OAHU - Gliding/Sail Plane Ride, Diamond Head Crater
December 8th MAUI - drive along hana highway
December 9th MAUI - haleakala crater sunrise, kihei coast
December 10th MAUI - pipiwai trail, relax and eat well
December 11th HAWAII'I -volcano national park
December 12th HAWAII'I - tropical botanical garden, Punalu'u Beach Park
December 13th OAHU - Pearl Harbor ,Polynesian Cultural Center fly back night

The prices for car rental were the same between Dollar and Thrifty.

Any reason to pick one over the other?

I know everyone hates questions about the weather in forums, but oh well! I've been to Oahu once before, in December. I'm going again next week for 8 days. I've glanced at the forecast, and although it's still warm, almost everyday has chances of rain (20%-60%). The forecast, however, only goes up until the day before we leave.

So I'm just wondering, is it really rainy this time of year? Should I expect to be trying to find thing to do inside? Or will it just be a quick sprinkle and not much to worry about?

I'll be leaving a snowy city for Hawaii, so I'm just really hoping to be able to spend lots of time on the beach! :)

I heard this placed discussed on the radio: http://www.pukadog.com

Has anyone tried it? If so, what do you think? In terms of overall taste and enjoyment, how do these hot dogs compare to ones you've tried in other cities?

Robert

I am looking to rent a condo in Maui but mainly want to known what the different beaches in Maui are like. I am looking for a long wide white sand beach with a gentle dropoff and no waves. If it has a reef further out, that's great.
Which beach would best fit this description? I will search for condos based upon the beach . I will have a car but want to be ON the beach . thanks

Going to Kauai soon. Which company should my husband and I use?

Help PLEASE, with some or all of these Kauai questions! 1.Best Luau? 2.Best Helicopter tour/company? 3.Best Napali sunset dinner sail and water tour(that goes in the caves)? 4.What's the best way to see Wailua River? 5.Should we take guided tour of canyon or just go see it? 6.What about "Backcountry Tubing Adventure"? 7.Any submarine rides? My husband and I are going next month and staying at the Grand Hyatt.This weary mom can hardly get excited for trying to decide on which tour providers to use. I would really appreciate some insight. I'd like to prebook before we get there so we can quit sifting through so much info. And enjoy paradise! Thank you in advance. :)

When looking at travel the above referred to...is it just like the uk where you can smoke outside restaurants and bars in designated areas. And what are the rules re public open space smoking?
Thanks in anticipation
Claire

My husband and I may go to Kauai in February and will be staying on the south shore (per recommendation), do you think it will be too cold to snorkel during that time? Is there a good snorkeling beach on the south shore during the winter months? Also, are there any nice condos for rent on the south shore on the beach?

Thanks so much!

My husband and I are planning our honeymoon in Kauai for February and would like some advise on where to stay. We are looking for beachfront accomodations so we can walk to a nice beach from our room and we can lay in the sun! We arent overly concerned about the price, just want a really comfortable easy access to the beach place to stay. If there was a nice outdoor bar/lounge area that would be a bonus along w/ good food. I know this cant be too much to ask for as we have heard Kauai is the most beautiful place!

We're headed to Kauai on saturday to visit my wife who's opening the new St Regis hotel in Princeville, and we'd like to try a luau. (when in Rome....)

Can anyone recommend a luau on Kauai, preferably on the North to East side of the island?

Thanks!!

My husband and I are planning to go to Hawaii from 09/29-10/08, this is our first time there, we are not divers, will probably just do some snorkeling, site-seeing, shopping and mainly just relax and enjoy the sun and beach, can someone suggest which island we should visit?? I also notice a lot of people saying renting a car and drive around, if we don't want to drive, is there any other ways of getting around?? Thanks in advance.

Is the [url=http://www.bigislandlandcompany.com/]real estate[/url] in Hawaii as bad as in Europe and the rest of the world? Bad in a sense that it's way too cheap?

Can you swim or body surf or wade out at least on sugar beach at the Sugar Beach Resort

I'm taking my grandson on a cruise around Hawaii which starts and ends in Honolulu

I have never been to Hawaii. My grandson is very interested in volcanoes. Neither of us is really into beaches, he's not into dinosaurs, or horseback riding or surfing. I am not going to be doing anything in the nature of strenuous except I do like snorkeling.

I expect to go to Hawaii a couple of days early and also maybe leave a day or two after the cruise is over.

The cruise goes from Honolulu to Maui where we are for two days - I expect to do something at Haleakala Crater while we are there. Then we go to Hilo where I would like to do both the Volcanoes National Park excursion and the helicopter ride but we are only there for one day and I don't know if that is enough time. Then we go to Kona for one day, and then are in Kauai for two days before we return to Honolulu.

It seems like we will have plenty of time in Maui, so I thought we might go to Hilo before the cruise and see the area of the National Park in more depth, and then finish up with a short stay in Honolulu to see the Pearl Harbor memorial.

Does that seem like a good plan? Is it relatively easy to get to Hilo? Should we stay at the lodge in the National Park?

Hi All,

We are travelling to Hawaii and staying in Waikiki next Monday 14th of September. There is 3 families (all related) consisting of 6 adults and 5 teenagers and 1 baby.

What can people suggest about shopping. Where are the bargains. Where are the value for money food eateries.

And for the guys where are the best places to grab a coldy.

What places should we steer clear of?

Basically after any advice you can offer. We will be doing the Pearl Harbour tour as I don't believe you can come to Hawaii without paying your respects.

Cheers,

Shane
Melbourne Australia

Hi

Do any of you know where to throw a barbecue in Waikiki. I have read that Fort DeRussy has grills and is a nice place. Any suggestions for places to grill, and for good food to serve and where I can buy it. I'm going to Costco for steaks, dog and burgers. Any cool deli suggestions or food I should serve:
age group is 20 to 55 in a wedding party mode,

Thanks for any help.

Hi there, I just thought I check it out to see what response I get . . . my husband and I will go this winter for 1 month to the Big Island, found a great place to stay for reasonable money.
I was wondering if we do need a car to get around or if we can reach most sites by bus too . . . I kind of can guess the answer already, but just wanted to make sure to see if there are some experiences either way.
Would be nice to read those.

Thanks a bunch :)

Hey guys,

(Last question - I promise)!!! We were looking at going to the Old Lahaina Luau which I hear is gorgeous! My only concern is the long drive back to Kihei after a mai tai or two. Should we just go to the one in Wailea? It looks a little more commercial than the Old Lahaina one, but still pretty nice. Thanks again to all of our virtual tourist friends who have given us advice on our Maui trip.

Cheers,
Carol.

Couple of questions...

1. anybody heard of justmauied.com for a wedding planner? Seems like a well organized site and reasonable priced. Just wondered if they follow through.

2. Any suggestions fro clothing store 9 maybe in Lahina) that sell matching his/hers Hawaii outfits for a casual beach wedding.

Hey guys,

You were so helpful with the accommodation advice. Thank you everyone. Can I ask your advice again regarding a snorkel trip to Molokini? I think I have narrowed it down to 3 boats.

Alii Nui
Paragon
Trilogy

Do any of you have experience or advice regarding any of these boats? We would like to be on a boat that isn't too crowded and also enjoy a nice cruise, food, and of course great snorkeling!

Thanks again,
Carol.

Has anyone used the local Discount car rental co.? I see on the web site it is
1/2 the price of national chain's can anyone advise if this is a reputable co.?
Thank-You

I saw 2 local car rentals on the Kauai web site that are much cheaper than national chains, one was Island Car Rental. Can anyone advise if these are reputable company's? Since they are 1/2 price? Thank-You