Such a thing as a low budget trip to Hawaii?
Jun 2nd, 2004, 05:19 AM
#1
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Such a thing as a low budget trip to Hawaii?
Message: Would like to start planning a trip to Hawaii for next summer July 05 for myself, husband and 15 yr old son. Would like any tips on what is the most economomical way to go, but still hit all the highlights. We will be flying in from Detroit Mi. When is the high season in Hawaii? What are the must sees? should we island hop or stay in on location?Which island? Is it better to rent a condo or hotel? We like to try everthing! I would just like to go there!!Any and all tips are greatly appreciated, thanks!
Jun 2nd, 2004, 07:19 AM
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Anna -
The ideal thing is to have two weeks and see two islands. Winter is considered high season. The weather is always warm and pleasant with little variation. The wetter areas like the north shore of Kauai tend to have more rain in the winter. Resorts with all their amentities are more costly than condos. although good deals are often obtained on Priceline. To me the biggest cost is airfare then accommodations can be suited to budget. Start doing some reading about the various islands and decide about that first. Oahu has Waikiki and the big surf of the north shore beaches. The Big Island has Volcano National Park and lots of area to cover! Maui has a wide variety of both natural beauty (Haleakala, Road to Hana) and culture/upscale shopping and dining. Kauai is lush and laid-back. Lanai and Molokai are really off the beaten path and best visited after the other major islands have been explored IMHO. You can do whirlwind tours and see 4-5 islands in a couple of weeks. - I've done it and enjoyed it. BUT it's tiring. Don't give in to the temptation to do the cruise thing. Too much time stuck on the artificial environment of the cruise ship and not enough time on the beautiful islands! There was a post here not too long ago entitled "I'm jealous! How are you all doing it?" that got a lot of replies regarding how to plan a low budget trip to Hawaii.
The ideal thing is to have two weeks and see two islands. Winter is considered high season. The weather is always warm and pleasant with little variation. The wetter areas like the north shore of Kauai tend to have more rain in the winter. Resorts with all their amentities are more costly than condos. although good deals are often obtained on Priceline. To me the biggest cost is airfare then accommodations can be suited to budget. Start doing some reading about the various islands and decide about that first. Oahu has Waikiki and the big surf of the north shore beaches. The Big Island has Volcano National Park and lots of area to cover! Maui has a wide variety of both natural beauty (Haleakala, Road to Hana) and culture/upscale shopping and dining. Kauai is lush and laid-back. Lanai and Molokai are really off the beaten path and best visited after the other major islands have been explored IMHO. You can do whirlwind tours and see 4-5 islands in a couple of weeks. - I've done it and enjoyed it. BUT it's tiring. Don't give in to the temptation to do the cruise thing. Too much time stuck on the artificial environment of the cruise ship and not enough time on the beautiful islands! There was a post here not too long ago entitled "I'm jealous! How are you all doing it?" that got a lot of replies regarding how to plan a low budget trip to Hawaii.
Jun 2nd, 2004, 08:48 AM
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The cheapest way to do Hawaii is use frequent flyer miles for free airline tickets and then rent a condo(s) so you can eat some meals in. It's not too late to get a credit card that will give you air miles, but it may be difficult to redeem the free ticket(s) since people are reserving them sometimes a year in advance.
Which island is really up to you-what you like, how long you have to spend etc.
Which island is really up to you-what you like, how long you have to spend etc.
Jun 2nd, 2004, 09:02 AM
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Anna, as crazy4 mentioned, your biggest expense will be airfare, followed by accomodations. We fly out of Detroit also and it can be pricey. Summer, spring break and holiday airfares will be the highest, not because the weather is nicer, but because there is more demand with school being out. If you can book your trip earlier than July you might find a better deal. I get e-mail specials from a lot of carriers and have a list of favorite cities that my Yahoo page checks airfares to every day. I watch those and when a great fare comes along we jump on it.
If you do a search on condo rentals and you are not picky about being right on the water, you should be able to find very reasonable accomodations that way. Try www.vrbo.com or type "vacation rental Hawaii" into Google. We loved north shore Kauai the best for it's laid back atmosphere and so much natural beauty, with lots of hikes and adventures. We stayed at a beautiful two bedroom, two and a half bath home in the Princeville area for $1080/week. (www.kauaivilla.com)
You can also find much cheaper rentals, such as this condo on the north shore for $595/week. (http://www.vacationrentals411.com/vacation/395.html)
Food can be gotten very cheaply with carry-out "plate lunches" for about $5-7, which can fill you up for the whole day. Or, better yet, you can stock up at the supermarket (be sure to get their store membership care for discounts) and eat in the condo. You could realize a huge savings doing this. Even at a super cheap restaurant, you will spend at least $10 per person per meal which could add up to at least $100 day for food alone. You wouldn't spend $700 per week at the grocery store.
One area you shouldn't scrimp on is transportation. You will definitely need a rental car to get around, you will miss too much if you don't have one (except directly in Honolulu). But for three persons you should be able to find a great deal on a compact.
Don't let a modest budget stop you from enjoying this beautiful state. The best things in Hawaii truely are free - the sun, the sand and the surf.
If you do a search on condo rentals and you are not picky about being right on the water, you should be able to find very reasonable accomodations that way. Try www.vrbo.com or type "vacation rental Hawaii" into Google. We loved north shore Kauai the best for it's laid back atmosphere and so much natural beauty, with lots of hikes and adventures. We stayed at a beautiful two bedroom, two and a half bath home in the Princeville area for $1080/week. (www.kauaivilla.com)
You can also find much cheaper rentals, such as this condo on the north shore for $595/week. (http://www.vacationrentals411.com/vacation/395.html)
Food can be gotten very cheaply with carry-out "plate lunches" for about $5-7, which can fill you up for the whole day. Or, better yet, you can stock up at the supermarket (be sure to get their store membership care for discounts) and eat in the condo. You could realize a huge savings doing this. Even at a super cheap restaurant, you will spend at least $10 per person per meal which could add up to at least $100 day for food alone. You wouldn't spend $700 per week at the grocery store.
One area you shouldn't scrimp on is transportation. You will definitely need a rental car to get around, you will miss too much if you don't have one (except directly in Honolulu). But for three persons you should be able to find a great deal on a compact.
Don't let a modest budget stop you from enjoying this beautiful state. The best things in Hawaii truely are free - the sun, the sand and the surf.
Jun 2nd, 2004, 09:50 AM
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My family still lives in HI so I am back every couple of years, and even though I have a free place to stay I will often buy a cheap hotel and plane combo deal and save more than if I just bought the ticket. May tends to be a good time to shop for combo summer fares. But it is risky. I would reccommend picking up snorkles there or at home to take with you as there is so much to see underwater. Stay away from Waikiki as it is a touri$$t trap. We have great hiking trails which are usually free and of course the beach is free too. And don't be afraid of the lunch wagons for good local food, it really does tend to be good food, and no I have no idea why we serve so many things in scoops.
