Hawaii on a budget?
 

I have been reading posts on Hawaii and trip reports, and ran across one that said you need about $7,000 for a week in Maui. Is it true for other islands? Is there a way to do Hawaii cheaper? Any ideas for those on a budget?

Hawaii lovers, share your experience!

Define "budget." Do you mean cheap, cheap, like stay in a hostel and don't rent a car, cook your own food budget? Or do you just want to find a way to stay at a good but not exclusive resort for a good price?

I just did Oahu as a solo travler on a modest budget - stayed in a cheap hotel not a hostel. I did rent a car because I wanted to see all the beaches and take pictures, but if you are content with the highlights you can take the public bus (Oahu has a great bus system) and get to nearly everything you'd want to do by bus, if you are patient. I got a half-decent, clean hotel 1 block from the beach for $65/night though this was not during a busy time (early December the week before the Marathon). It's going to cost more in the summer and at peak times.

Some hotels have a little efficiency/mini-kitchen so you can cook your own food, because Hawaii restaurants do tend to be more expensive than on the mainland.

Sure you can do a week in Hawaii a lot cheaper than that--depends on what you want. For example, my husband and I just spent a week on the BI--Nov 8-15. We spent approximately $2300--which included one round trip fare on United (the other was FF ticket). We rented the Middle Ke'ei Studio for a week at $595 + tax for the week. http://www.konaweb.com/middle_keei/ It was roomy, airy, had a great lanai with a view of the Pacific (wonderful for having a drink and watching the sunset)and a fully-equipped kitchen. It was located with 10 minutes of Kealakakua Bay, Ke'ei Beach and Place of Refuge/Two-Step snorkeling area. It was about 30 minutes south of Kailua/Kona (non-rush hour). Food and booze purchased mostly at the supermarket was $300. Two dinners out (Ke'ei Cafe and Kenichi Pacific) were total $220 and one lunch at Killer Taco in Kailua ($20). Rental car (Thrifty $240) and one tank of gas $40. We didn't partake in any of the usual tourist activities (sunset cruises, whale watching cruises, helicopter rides). We didn't go to VNP--have done that in the past and will again in March.

We did three nights on Kauai at $85 a night than five on Oahu at $62 a nightthis past April and May. Got the airfare at about $500 a piece and the interisland flight was $39 a piece. There are many fastfood places at least on Oahu and plate lunches are pretty inexpensive. Also most places have a kitchenette with a m/w and fridge some have a full kitchen. The place we had on Kauai was across the road from the ocean and on Oahu it was two blocks to the beach.

Lots of ideas for Oahu. Most are free or inexpensive:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

All islands:

http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt...aii/index.html

needsun- I'm going to Oahu in January (from Seattle). My plane ticket is $347. I am splitting a 2-bedroom apartment with kitchen with a friend so my half will cost $650 for 1 week. Sure I need a little spending money, but so far my 1 week in Honolulu is more like $1000, not $7000!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus aLOT depends what you do once you get there (any island)...

I cook for myself some of the time, or grab food from the ABC Stores, shop at the grocery store and fruit stands, walk, walk, walk, hang around on the beach, do mostly free activities, eat 'plate lunch' or noodles or something, and use public transportation (this works best on Oahu).

I'm guessing the $7000 budget is for 2 people who do things like: rent a car, take helicopter rides, fancy cruises, eat at expensive restaurants, and other typical tourist things.

Try to live like a local and keep it if not exactly cheap... at least "cheaper"
;-)

We've stayed in B&B's on Maui and Kauai for $50.- to $75.- a night (this was in the 4 - 10 year ago time frame). Although, current prices at same or similar places don't look a lot higher (maybe $55.- to $85.-). One was a 1 bedroom apt. with a small kitchen (no oven/ larger than a kitchenette). It can be done, and Suze has good Waikiki info.

needsun- I got together with my travel friend yesterday. We're really into bringing our trip in cheap this time, not because we don't have the cash but rather for the fun and challenge of it.

I'll check back with you all at the end of next month and share any successes we have (hotels or activities) worth noting. Wish us luck!

Good luck, Suze! Looking forward to hearing your trip report and budget ideas when you get back.
Thank you everyone who responded. Looks like I can pull it together w/t having to spend $7000:-0

Check out these deals to Hawaii:

http://deals.virtualtourist.com/view...-viewDeal.html

http://deals.virtualtourist.com/view...-viewDeal.html

Goo luck

Teresa

We went to Maui with a day trip to Oahu. Yes, our trip cost around $7,000. We did get screwed by our TA on the airfare, which was 1,500 for 2 round trip tickets. We stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, which was $2,500 for one week. That did included breakfast each morning, a rental car, one dinner at their resturant and a $50 gift certificate at their sister resturant. Also included one tour of our choice, which we choice the a whale watching cruise.

We did many tours including the Maui Ocean Center, Road to Hana, Sunset Dinner Cruise, the Reef Dancer Semi-sub Warren & Anabel Dinner Show, went to a Luau and took a day trip over to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor Memorial and the USS Missouri. We also drove by Wakiki Beach and took a few pictures.

We've been to several Caribbean Islands and Mexico. Hawaii was the most expensive destination for food and drinks. We did not eat out lavishly and didn't drink alcohol like we would at an AI hotel in the Caribbean/Mexico.

We are not the type of people that can go to a destination and just lay around on a beach and spend time in our hotel cooking meals just to save money. We are glad that we took this once in a life time trip and actually got out and saw the Island and did things. Would we do it again? No. We did not care for Hawaii or the overall expense and have no desire to return.

Yes, you can go to Maui and have a vacation for less than what we spent. It all depends on what kind of deal you get with air/hotel and if your willing to spend the money to experience the Island or just hang around your hotel/beach for a week.

Yes you can do Hawaii on a budget!

I'm from the UK, late-twenties and I'm on a very average income. I've loved Hawaii ever since I was fortunate enough to go there when I was a young teenager. A couple of years ago I made the effort of saving over a couple of years to get back there. When I tell people here I've gone to Hawaii they seem surprised I can afford it, but its all about perception. There is more to Hawaii than luxury resorts and expensive restaurants.

In Maui I stayed at the Kihei Surfside condo, oceanfront, for $120/nt. Similarly in Oahu, we stayed at the Waikiki Circle, across the street from the beach, I can't remember the exact rate but it was less than in Maui.

You just have to compromise on things. For accommodation my priorities are an ocean view - so I did loads of research on getting the best deal.

Since getting back from my trip last year I've been saving for the next one - I'm back to Oahu and Kauai in September next year. I can't wait!!!

Hi Needsun.
Maui is the definitely the most expensive Hawaiian island, and outside of Oahu, it's the most commercialized. If you have never been to Hawaii before, I recommend considering Kauai or Hawaii (big island).

Go to the library and check out The Ultimate Guidebook by Wizard Publications (there is one for each island) i.e. Kauai revealed, Maui revealed, etc. These are great guide books with tons of free activity ideas, and plenty of recommendations for bed and breakfasts, condo rentals and budget dining establishments. We have been to the islands many times over the years, and 95% of the time, I agree with their recommendations.

Southwest airlines started flying to Hawaii last year. I'm not sure where you are located, but it's definitely a less expensive flying option from the mainland.

You won't have to spend $7k for the week, but your trip won't be cheap either! Even if you cook your own food, you'll be shocked by the prices in the grocery stores! I recommend getting a Costo Membership Card before you go. This is where the locals shop, and for most islands (except Maui) the cost of membership will be saved in gasoline alone (they don't offer gas in Maui)!

Have fun, it's a beautiful place. (PS If you go to Maui, go zip-lining!)

Dont think for a minute that Hawaii out of reach. Keep your eyes peeled for good airfare and look for advertised deals on packages in the travel section of your paper and magazines like Budget Traveler and you will find something that fits your budget. Even on Maui!

<<willing to spend the money to experience the Island or just hang around your hotel/beach for a week.>>

I really must strongly disagree with this statement. It is not an either or situation. That if you can't afford to spend 7000 that all you can do is hang around the hotel.

There are all kinds of cheap or free activities that you can seek out on any of the islands. You don't have to do a dozen expensive activities to experience an island.

I do think Maui is an expensive island and it is easier to keep a budget and have a good experience or Oahu or Kauai.

I also think travel agents may not especially be your friend in this situation, as KVR found out the hard way.

That said, every destination is not for every person. Mexico or the Caribbean may be much better suited than Hawaii for many people for many reasons (travel distance, expense, culture).

We stayed 6 days on the Big Island for right around $2300. We flew out of Montana which is notoriously expensive. I swear we subsidize the airline industry with our outrageous airfare prices.

We stayed at the Outrigger Kanaloa condos just a mile or two south of Kona. We shared a huge 2 bed/2 bath condo with my BIL and SIL.

We pricelined an SUV for $25/day.

We ate out most meals. Although, we were there for a wedding and so two nights were the rehearsal dinner and then the wedding dinner. We bought most of our groceries, alcohol, and gas at Costco.

I didn't really find food much more expensive than any big city. We had a couple of nice dinners that ran over $130, but that's not any different than cities like Seattle or Portland. And there were several less expensive options. Plus, the Farmer's Markets are absolutely incredible and so is the selection of fresh fish at many of the grocery stores.

We had a great time! We boogie boarded every morning before breakfast. We went snorkeling after breakfast. We spent a day at Volcanoes Nat'l Park and watched the lava flow into the ocean at night. We spent a lot of time just driving around the island and exploring the different beaches and microclimates. We took several hikes.

I encourage you to look into Hawaii. We're looking at Kauai for Sept. 2008.

suze, I totally agree. We do lots of activities whilst on the islands but manage to keep costs down. Any special activities we want to do we plan for and save in advance.

On Maui the only trip we spent money on was a guided kayak trip (we'd never kayaked before). Aside from that we saw all of the island using our rental car.

Hiking, surfing, boogie boarding and viewing the scenery are either very cheap or free - and you can get good deals on car rental. It doesn't have to be all guided tours and helicopter trips!

Transportation and lodging costs account for the majority of expense to an destination like Hawaii. We spent 10 days on Big Island, stayed 5 days at a nice resort (Hapuna) and split the other 5 days at lower cost lodging in Hilo (3) and Volcano Lodge (2). We did get our auto rental packaged with airfare. You need a vehicle to get the most out of your stay. The longer your stay -- you will also want to include some special activities (luau,or night snokel with manta rays). We also played golf which added to the cost but was an incredible experience and was quite glad we played. Research and decide what you want to see/do before securing your lodging -- to many posts for folks booking 7 days at one spot and then trying to sightsee all the way around the BI. When I added up all our costs including helicopter trip (this was an expensive option), flying from an MidWest city,including, air, lodging, food, souvenirs, cost was $2,600/per person.

Stick to one island -- limit your meals out -- condos can be a great way to save money -- travel during off peaks (avoid Christmas week - Easter week - etc.).

You can ABSOLUTELY do Hawaii on a budget!! ((R))

My husband and I just spent 9 days on Oahu and Big Island this summer. We stayed at Hiltons on both islands -- not the most expensive, but still four-star hotels. We got breakfast included in the room rate, had mostly plate lunches, but ate at a nice restaurant every night. We visited the national parks, rented a kayak to do Kealakekua Bay, hiked Diamond Head, hung out on the north shore. Our total cost including airfare from Philly and between islands was $4500.

If we went again, we'd go budget and I have NO DOUBT both of us could spend seven nights there for under $2000.

((*))One major help: We bought a Hawaii Entertainment book (thanks to a Fodorite's tip) and got lots of our nice dinners buy-one-get-one. That cut a few hundred dollars off our trip right there!!((*))

We usually spend $2,000-$2,500 (2 weeks) above and beyond airfare and lodging. I usually look at $100 per day per person. But, we do tours if we feel the urge, we normally always have a nice dinner out...and even tho we do a lot of freebies, you have to remember gas will getcha in a hurry. And, by the time you have a glass of wine or a cocktail or 3, that will get into your pocketbook.

I just booked a hang gliding trip on Maui for the DH and that took a chunk of $190 out of the daily budget.

A place with a kitchen is great for budgets. We usually have fruit and cereal in the mornings and fix sandwiches to take on daily excursions.

Have fun, you can do it!

We've done it from the west coast between 2,200 and 2,500, for two a week. That includes air and lodging.

I meant to add car and food as well as a small amount of entertainment is included also (so the total trip).

Funny I didn't see where anyone said that they had to stay on the beach all day and cook all their meals to save. We did a tour to the BI which while it was informative and we met some nice people we would rent a car next time. This year we did a day trip to Maui and rented a car saw alot of the island before flying back. The little cooking we have done was by choice and at least one night have a nice dinner.
Tours can be alright but if you research a little bit you'll find you can drive most it yourself.

LOL, I experienced the islands and didn't hang at the hotel all day. In fact one of the week's was on Maui (with the budget I gave), and we ate out all of the time. In fact, I wished for more down time. Nice, clean and pretty roomy places.

I rechecked my reply and when I double checked the actual spreadsheet I found that I in fact spent far more than the $2,600 indicated in my earlier post. Here is the final tally -- don't tell my DH as my DD and I did the trip together. It should also be noted that we drank very little alcohol. Maybe you can start a budget off of these numbers to suit your vacation style.

Summary of Trip Costs:
Air & Car $1,896.00
Lodging
10 nights 2,281.00
Food & Dining Out 534.96
Souvenirs Jewelery $277 547.74
Gas 128.25
Activities:
Helicopter Tour 356.80
Luau 177.08
Manta Ray Snokel 177.08
Golf - Hapuna 200.00
Golf - Mauna Kea 312.00
Activities Total 1,222.96

Grand Total 6,610.91

Per person $3,305.46

Travel period: 1st week of May, Big Island only island visited airfare from Midwest city.

Thanks for the update Miss Maple. I thought that budget sounded a little low to be including things like helicopter rides and golf. Those are pretty big ticket items for those aiming for a smaller budget.

Our upcoming budget for 3 weeks. one each on Maui, Kauai & Big Island:

Round trip airfare for two from Phoenix: $1100
Interisland flights: $350
Vacation rentals: $2400
Car rentals and gas:$850
Food: $400
Miscellaneous: $200
Activities: Mostly FREE
----------------------
Total: $5300

That is for THREE weeks in Hawaii!

Now, we fly from the West Coast which obviously helps on airfare. But we are staying, not in hotels, but lovely cottages with at least one bedroom and a full kitchen on two islands, and a two bedroom condominium on the other island. We booked these on the VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) website, which feature cottage, condo and home rentals starting at about $400 a week. There are literally thousands of properties in Hawaii listed on this site.

We also enjoy cooking our own meals, which makes a full kitchen great and each of our places has a gas bbq grill. We make sandwiches to take with us on our day trip activities. We may eat out at restaurants perhaps a couple of times during the week, which is the biggest expense saver of all. Plus that $6 bottle of wine at home vs. $25 for the same bottle at a restaurant.

We really do not consider ourselves "budget" travelers, just "smart" travelers. There are a many ways to travel, but we feel that hotels and restaurants are overrated in terms of the vacation experience. Give us a cottage and a bbq grill everytime!

This one is kind of amusing. R/T air for 4 to Maui, $450 pp. 10 days in a two-bdrm condo (across the street from beach, $1,250. Beach, free. Cook/grill the food (bought at Safeway with shopper's card), cocktails courtesy same, much as would have been spent at home. Rental car, $160 (10 days, including tax). How could you even spend $7 k, unless you were really wasteful?!

sylvia, Just read the list of what other people like to do on their vacations.

It's not hard to spend a lot of money (and I'm sure they do not consider it "really wasteful" because it is what they enjoy) when people do tours and activities such as: helicopter rides, luau, high-end restaurants, dinner cruises, whale watching, snorkeling, golf, spa treatments, shows, nightlife, etc.

needsun: Hawaii can be expensive, but the islands are more than doable on a tight budget. You didn't say where you're flying from, but I live in Chicago and have never paid more than $500 for a roundtrip DIRECT flight. Here are my past trips:

In 2004 I spent one week in Kauai: $400 for airfare, $700 for a 2 bedroom condo rental, $150 for my car rental, $350 on food, and $200 on activities. Total was about $1800.

In 2005 I spent 1 week in Maui: $470 for airfare, $600 for 1 bdrm condo, $225 for car rental, $500 on food, $300 on activities. Total about $2100.

This February I'm going to Oahu for 5 nights: $500 for airfare, $350 for 5 nights at the JW Marriott Ihilani resort, $175 for car rental, $200 for activities and planning on $300 for food. Total - $1525

The totals I've given are per person. What I've found works best is to go during the off season, pick your dates and book your lodging. Then about between 2 and 3 months prior to your trip start checking airfare. When I'm searching for deals I check a few times daily for my specified dates. Sometimes you can get lucky and do a flexible date search, but I prefer to have a definite target. Lodging tends to be the most expensive part of the trip. I prefer condo rentals, and am a little picky so my lodging expenses may be on the high side. All the islands I've researched have places to stay going down to around $100 a night, there are deals to be had.

Thanks to all for great posts! You 've convinced me that "Hawaii on a budget" is doable. I am flying from Alaska and just found a great airfare for March on Northwest $ 575 roundtrip Anchorage to Oahu. Have to start looking into hotel/condo options. Condo with a kitchen sounds great, would not have to eat out a lot.
Sylvia mentions $160 car rental for 10 days. Where people find such deals? Is it Priceline? I Guess Ihave to learn how to bid.

Years ago a friend lived in Alaska and bragged about incredibly great deals from Alaska to "outside" - especially to Hawaii. I wonder if you can do better then that airfare?

It's all in the time of the year Starrsville. For March, I think that sounds good.

we "only" spent about $4K on our "budget" trip to maui in november.

it's true-- it's tough to eek out a deal. our airfare was a bargain, relatively speaking. we paid $303+ taxes on American - direct flight, LAX to OGG.

then we found accommodations for 7 nights at the maui prince + free rental car for $2,000.

we pretty much ate on the cheap- not super cheap (no yucky chain restaurants and no mcdonalds or the like)- but we never got dressed up to go out to eat. breakfast consisted of a banana and a latte for me and a croissant and a coffee for him from the coffee bar inside the hotel- an ave of about $7- $8/morning. we did indulge in poolside drink at $15 for both of us each time. but we didn't go overboard or anything!

hawaii is just plain expensive, no matter how you slice and dice it. we bought plenty of souvenirs, but nothing too expensive and we didn't go overboard.

sorry, i should mention that it definitely can be done for less. i just prioritized being on a good beach in a decent place to stay. i wanted it to <i>feel</i> like a vacation. i didn't want to do the condo thing because to me, cooking while on vacation, isn't a vacation.

i only get to take one trip per year due to time off and budget, so we really try to get the best bang for our buck, and still get good value in comfortable, nice accommodations.

i can easily see spending $7K on maui for 2 for a week, without being wasteful as another poster put it. stay at the 4S and there ya go.

L

I want to add about having a kitchen... It does save money and is a little luxury for me, rather than a normal hotel room. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to deal with restaurants every single meal.

That said, I don't actually do much &quot;cooking&quot;.

The biggest savings is probably having wine and cocktails at the hotel rather than restaurants and bars.

I eat a lot of light items from the grocery or ABC Store and keep some in the frig (cut up fruits, salads, sandwiches). Also use the frig for restaurant left-overs for lunch the next day.

Point being, it's not like I'm slaving over a hot stove or washing a bunch of dishes all day long, just because I have use of a kitchen.

The best thing about a condo with a kitchen is the big fridge to chill wine, keep the beer cold, and hold the big batch of mai-tai's.

We never really cooked in our condo kitchen either, but we made use of the full size fridge! :)

DH and I are going to Hawaii in January (Maui). We got our airfare for $312 each through priceline! So yes, there are deals out there. We are also getting a GREAT deal on our hotel. Spending, we will probably take about $2000 for 5 days... we like to go out to eat, and we like to do tours...etc.

On my lower budget trips, I never cooked more than 1/2 of the meals. And most of the trips, I just used the fridge for drinks and snacks. You can do low budget without cooking at all. Many of us have said that already, though others aren't understanding. And out of my 4 trips to HI (all were low budget), on two of them we took Helicopter trips and went to a Luau on one of them.