Ok, well recently I've been feeling stuck in a rut at home in rainy England and I want to get out there and explore. Finding somewhere to start was a little difficult but I've always wanted to go to Hawaii and I think because of the comparatively small size of the Islands, it would be a perfect place to start my independent travelling.

In the past 3 years I've travelled to Canada and Istanbul, but both with a companion and this time I'm going solo!

So I was wondering if anyone could give me tips and advice on spending a month in Hawaii, from everything to cheap B&B's & Hostels, places to meet other young like-minded people etc etc.

How much money do you have? Have you figured out a budget, even a rough one for how much money per day you will have? Do you want to go to all the islands, stay on one island? If you put Hawaii into the search box you'll get more than you ever want to know.

I have never gone to Hawaii on the cheap, so can't help you with lodging etc. Perhaps Dusty will see this and link some of his many threads and there are a couple other people who post that live in Hawaii...but a budget number from you would be a great help.

I would post on some other travel forums, like The Thorn Tree at Lonely Planet. Fodor's folks are a smart bunch but mostly older and well past the staying in hostels phase.

That said, I do Hawaii on the (fairly) cheap and solo. I have my 5th trip planned next month. I prefer to stay in Waikiki/Honolulu (which is a city) because there's more options of places to stay and things to see & do. Also you don't need a car there. The othert islands you would need a rental car which significantly increases expenses for a 1 month stay.

The problem with sticking in Waikiki, is you will miss the 2 most beautiful islands in Hawaii: Maui and Kauai. To educate yourself on what is to see and do in Hawaii, I would recommend the following travel guides: Maui Revealed and the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (both by Doughty). You can rent some pretty cheap studio condos by the week (see vrbo.com). Then you can eat cheaply by cooking your own food.

I would stay one week each on the four biggest islands and as Montereybob suggested rent a studio on each for the week and utilize having a kitchen. Oahu you could use the bus but as suze pointed out would probably need a car for the others. You should plan on bringing (or buying there)snorkle equipment to use on all the islands. I think with the current exchange rate you would find doing it this way very reasonable.

Hawaii is beautiful and I think you would have a blast but as an altrnative you may consider going to Austrailia and or New Zealand where there are lots of young people traveling via buses and hitching between hostels. In other words traveling a little more like I think you invision doing.

>>

21-year olds generally have to pay a significant premium over the regular car rental price, maybe 25-50%?

I love the Hawaiian islands but I just don't think it's a big draw for international 20-something backpackers. It's more a family, honeymoon, couples kind of destination for people from US mainland and Japan.

That's part of why I was suggesting at least some time in Waikiki. I don't know how a person is going to meet other "young like minded people" staying all by themselves out in a studio on Kauai, for example. And I don't think it's practical to see Big Island without being able to rent a car, another for example.

I think you could probably spend most of the month on Oahu. It's definitely the best island for a young person and the easiest to explore cheaply.
Maybe spend a week or so on the Big Island as it's the most diverse island (environmentally)if you can afford the car hire for a 21 year old or if you're fit enough to cycle or take tours to the volcano etc..
You could stay at Arnott's Lodge in Hilo which is a cheap hostel for backpackers where they rent bicycles. We stayed here for one night in 2004 and it's basic but clean and friendly.

http://www.arnottslodge.com/HOME.HTML

Take a look at http://alternative-hawaii.com/ which might help you with hostels, etc.

Lee Ann

Lots of info including sites with free brochures for all islands. You can also read the online version of some of them. The online versions have clickable links for lodging, etc.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...trip-to-hi.cfm

If you don't plan on renting a car, then Oahu is the only island where you can get to most attractions using public transportation.

If beaches are a major interest, Maui has many of the best beaches in Hawaii. We saved a lot and stayed longer by renting a place with a kitchen and outdoor grill and cooking most of our own meals. There are great farmer's markets and seafood markets on the island.

If you're going for a month, you should try to do some island hopping. I would plan on spending about a week each in Honolulu, Maui, Big Island and Kaui. Although I haven't been to Kaui, I've been to the other three and they're all great. You won't need a car in Honolulu, which will help a bit with the cost. Also, priceline is your friend here. I used it to get a pretty good deal at the Marriott on the Big Island, a great place right on a postcard beach.

You might also consider spending a few days in the mainland before continuing on to Hawaii, like San Francisco or LA, just to break up the flights. It's about five hours from the West Coast vs. eight to 10 from Chicago or the east coast.

As for can't-miss sights, here are a few.
Oahu -- Pearl Harbor, Diamondhead hike, Hanauma Bay, a day driving around the island (particularly Lanikai beach and Sunset Beach for sunset).
Maui -- Haleakala, Iao Valley if you don't go to Hana, snorkeling by Black Rock.
Big Island -- Volcano National Park (drive around the rim and down to the shore, see the night lava flow).

You might check into Couch Surfing, a network of travellers in different parts of the world. There are members in Hawaii. Check their website.

The University Inn in Manoa has affordable rooms, as do the YMCA in Ala Moana and YWCA in Manoa.

Though camping might work for a few days, Hawaii really is not very camper friendly and I cannot say with confidence that it would be safe.

You could enroll at UH or one of the community colleges for a semester during the regular school year or the summer-the summer sessions are 4 weeks long. The dorms are fairly inexpensive.

Good luck and have fun!

Transportation is going to be a major problem on the islands other than Oahu.

As others have pointed out, you really need a rental car on the other islands, and your age is going to mean you must pay a significant insurance surcharge for car rental. Car rental prices are also going up in Hawaii, so you might have to pay $60 or $70 a day, all in all, to rent a car.

I also suggest you post this on Lonely Planet Thorn Tree USA forum.

Bus service on Maui has improved greatly in the last few years. There are 12 routes covering most of the island, and they operate 7 days a week. I first became aware of the bus service when I stayed in Maalaea last year and saw all the buses coming and going from the Harbor Shops, which appears to be a major hub. Lots of people getting on and off. I actually considered not renting a car for a short visit this past July as I was on a pretty tight budget. I studied the route maps and found a condo for $85 a night that was near a bus stop. At the last minute I decided I wasn't quite ready to give up the freedom of a car. Maybe next time. It is certainly do-able.
Here is the website with route and schedule info:

http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?nid=609