fireflyparents

Hi, We are planning a trip to Hawaii to celebrate out 10th anniversary. I have a 6yr old and a 1yr old with me. As I am trying to plan, the options look limitless and I am confused as to where to stay, what to do and how to plan my days. We will be travelling for 2 weeks or so. Planning to go around the 3rd week of May during Memorial day weekend.
We chose Big Island and Maui to explore. But now when I sit down to plan, the possibilities looks endless and I am totally confused as to where to fly in, where to stay (the resorts look awesome but very expensive), what fun stuff can I do with kids?
The airfare is high too. All you guys who have travelled to hawaii, did any of you use Priceline for the tickets or hotel?
Any input will be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile I will explore the forum and learn as much as I can.
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

gigib

As you search, you will see that your best choice for lodging with children may be a condo. On Maui, the most reasonable ones are in the Kihei area, but Napili Bay up at the "other" end of the island has some nice places. On the BI, the condos are mainly in Kona.

Smear sunscreen on them, your kids will be happiest just playing at the beach! The beaches on Maui are numerous and beautiful, while on the BI there are not as many.

If your kids aren't great car travellers, beware of the distances on the BI. For example, on the BI it will take you all day to take a day trip from Kona to the volcano. Your 6 yr old may think it's cool, though! Travel on Maui from place to place is shorter, unless you go to Hana.

Where are you flying from?

suze

Hawaii is the trickiest destination I've yet to come across! Seriously there are so many options


First I would start with airfare and figure out what options you have. Likely Hononlulu/Oahu provides more flight options than the other islands (arriving from most places).

Will you rent a car on each island? Do you want to try to find an affordable resort hotel or would you look into condos or other kinds of rentals?

fireflyparents

I will be travelling from Dallas (sorry, should have mentioned in original post).
My first thought while planning this vacation is EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE!!! So why choose this destination? Because it has been on our mind for years, and I know it will ALWAYS be expensive!!
Yes, I know the kids will love the beach, or so I think true, this will be the first time of driving around with the little one and he is not a grt traveller. My 6yr old is a good one though. Will try to stay at Hilo so that we can visit the volcano in peace.
Air tickets - I dont know where to get them from. I am thinking Priceline, but they dont tell you the travel time unless you buy the tickets.
As I said, there are so many things to consider. So many choices and so little time. You think 6days in Big Island and 5 in Maui should be enough?

Yes, we will rent a car on both the islands.

jcb

Congrats on your 10 year anniversary. !

I personally would not do Priceline for airfare w/ kids b/c you could have some bad flight times, layovers, etc. We fly out of DFW, but usually on FF miles. Let us know approx how much the flights cost that you are finding, so someone can tell you if that is a good price or not. I did a quick peek, and it looks as though US Air is cheaper than AA during that time. You may also want to look into the following for flight ideas.

- DFW to HNL. Then another multileg flight from HNL to BI to Maui to HNL on someone like Hawaiian Air.
- DFW to Phoenix or LA or San Diego or Vegas. Then another flight to your HI destinations.
- AAVacations.com - occassionally, they have decent deals.

Booking additional flights may not be the ideal situation, but it could save you some money.

Happy planning!

suze

Hawaii does not have to be so expensive. I only know Maui and Oahu but you can rent a condo, make your own meals, go to the beach, all those kinds of things for free or cheap.

It is only when you start doing fancy activities (cruises, helicopters, shows) or stay at high-end resorts that the price can add up.

There's a great thread here from a while back about prices in Hawaii. I'll try to find it and bring it up for you.

chav

ATA airlines I judt paid 410.00 each for a round trip in May.

oregonmom

I have given my story before, but we took our two kids to the BI for a week when they were 11 and 3. Had a great time. There is a free zoo in Hilo, we did the volcano (although we drove from Kona) beach time every day usually early-ish in the morning and late afternoon, some shopping, farmers markets, just sight seeing. Stayed in a condo with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms and tv's for everyone to be comfortable. Took Grandma as well and she loved it. We are planning to return on Christmas break this year. BI is laid back and not as crazy as Honolulu. We loved it. We went to Wal-mart and Costco and bought groceries, did all our breakfasts and some dinner from the condo. Did some plate lunches, roadside bbq and pizza, etc, family food that wasn't too expensive. Avoid like the plague Outback steakhouse or chains like that. Terribly overpriced and the wait was excruciating. Our whole trip for 4 cost around $3000.00. (condo was a gift)

bluefan

i've used priceline in the past for hawaii with great success (usually for may). using biddingfortravel.com to see recent winning bids really helps. just never book a level if you don't want any hotel on that list - you'll usually get it or the worst. and be prepared for the negatives: can't choose specific hotel and normally won't get ocean view rooms (but i'm very courteous at check-in and have gotten no worse than a partial ocean view room so far).

another option if you prefer hotel/resorts is to get hyatt $250 elite stay certificates and use them on maui or kauai, which normally run min $350-$450 respectivley per night. sorry, no hyatt on BI.

here are my past HI priceline results:
oahu - '05 3* raddisson prince kuhio (now a hilton) for $60, '06 4* marriott waikiki for $160
BI - '06 resort hilton waikoloa for $120 (got great ocean view
maui - i've seen people get the sheraton, hyatt and renaissance wailea from $150-$200 per night. so if you don't mind the negatives, priceline can help when you've got champage tastes but a beer budget

btw, the hilton waikoloa is a terrific family resort on BI. my boy when he was a little over 1 loved the sand-bottom kiddie pool and all the various modes of transport within the resort

fun stuff with kids: maui - maui ocean center, sugar cane train, iao valley and hawaii nature center, beaches, lahaina with the old banyan tree and front street; BI - short hike to akaka falls view, hawaii tropical botanical garden, hilo farmers' market, panaewa rainforest zoo, mauna kea beach, place of refuge (puuhonua o honaunau), turtle sighting at punaluu black sand beach

ncrory

We're doing the same thing...BI and Maui with our 5 year old and 2 year old this summer. We're doing 1 night on Honolulu due to late arrival, 3 in Hilo, 2 at the Hapuna Prince and 5 at the Sheraton Maui. We got a great deal on airfare to Honolulu via Southwest...$198/pp from RDU to Honolulu...so check it out at least to compare. We're flying back First Class with FF miles on Delta.

Unfortunately, we arrive at 9:30 PM in Honolulu...too late for interisland flights so we will spend our first night at an airport hotel.

I was born in Hilo so that's why we wanted a little more time there. But there's tons of stuff including all the local waterfalls, farmer's market, parks, and of course, the volcano.

I suggest you become a Prince Preffered member to check out the prices for the Prince Hotels (Hapuna Prince on BI, Maui Prince, and there's one on Oahu too). The prices are pretty good and will come close to Priceline, plus you're assured of one of the best beaches in the world. We've been to lunch at the Hilton Waikola on the Big Island and it's really big and awesome (think Jurassic Park meets Disney World). Your kids will love it and you can get some pretty good deals there. We're traveling with my parents who insisted on the Hapuna Prince which is why we'll be staying there. But we're definitely going to do the Dolphin Experience at the Hilton Waikola for our 5 year old. I hear it's incredible and our daughter is already so excited about that opportunity.

We'll also be doing the Fairwinds Snorkel trip out of Kailua/Kona, which we've done before and it's fantastic. The snorkeling, boat, food, everything is good.

We're going to the Kona Village Resort for the luau experience as the last time we went to Hawaii (sans children) we did the one at the King Kamehameha and I was disappointed we didn't do the KVR one.

Another tip for a great hotel with an awesome view is the Royal Kona Resort. It's just undergone renovations and while it has a postage stamp beach (literally), it is within walking distance of Kona and has a decent pool with a fabulous view. I suggest a Corner Ocean Front room in the beach building (Lagoon building). The lanais are gigantic and you'll pay less for the best room in this hotel than for the lowest class room at any of the Kamuela (i.e. Hapuna and Hilton Waikola resorts). It's a fairly compact resort and would be great with children.

Here's a link to Sheraton discounts. You'll need to be a Starwood member to get the discount, but at least you'll be able to determine if you'll qualify. 35% of on all islands and 35% off with 5th night free at some resorts:
http://hawaii-exclusive.destinations...ii_SPG35HI_ALL

On Maui, we're just planning on relaxing since that's the last leg and the longest of our trip. I know we're going to do the Sugar Cane train and probably a day trip to Molokai. Other than that I have no plans.

Good luck...I know what you're going through.

fireflyparents

ncrory, you seem to know so much! thank you so much for all the input. We decided to visit big island only as it is getting a bit too hectic with an infant and all the time difference and the resulting jet lag. i assumed we will be missing a few days with the kids sleepy and unsure of time.
i will look at all the places suggested by you. priceline is giving me choices of mostly garden view rooms and not at that grt hotels/resorts either.
your trip planning definitely helped me a lot. you seem to know what to do, where to eat and what to see! It just reminds me how much i need to plan and how much is left to do!!
Thanks a lot!

fireflyparents

ncrory, if i register for sheraton discount, do i need to stay at hotels BEFORE i can get the discounted price? or do i get discounts at the first time booking itself?

suze

Good decision, one island! It will simplify your planning without sacrificing any enjoyment.

Often it's the adults that have a more difficult time with time change and jet lag than little kids.

robsmom

We made the same decision last august. We have one sone who was 7 at the time of the trip and we thought it would be easier to stay on one island and it was!! We flew into Kona and spent the first 6 nights at the Hapuna Beach Hotel. The beach was great for kids. the surf was very mild in the early morning and seemed to get stronger as the day went on. We would switch to the pool. From the Hapuana we explored the northern part of the island including wailea and day trip to waipea canyon (mule tour was great). We also went south to Kona and did the fairwinds snorkelinb boat. My 7 yr old loved that! On day 7 we drove to volcano. We went north and did the clockwise circle which let us stop at Alakea falls and see Hilo. We made a few other quick stops. We spent the late afternoon and 1 night at volcano and toured that area. we finished up the next day and then later in the day finished the island circle stopping at the black beach. We then spent the next week at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. yes, it is a bit disneyworld with the monorails etc. but we loved it. The lagoon is perfect for kids. No waves, soft beach, fish and sea turtles for viewing. We purchased the week long activity pass from red sail sports. this gave us unlimited "beach toys" and 50% on catamaran sails. it paid for itself in the discounts because we did a morning snorkeling trip and a dinner sunset trip. Both were wonderful. With the pass, we could take out any items we wanted at the lagon for as long as we wanted. My son loved being able to walk up and ask for a kayak or paddle boat or snorkel equiment. He discovered a great way to make friends by asking other kids if they wanted to kayak and then getting a two or three person boat. It also worked out well because his legs were not really long enough for the paddle boats so he would find an older kid who wanted to do it and go for the ride!! Sorry this is so long but i could go on and on about what was our best vacation ever. Any questions pls let me know.

fireflyparents

robsmon,
thank you for writing. i loved reading every bit of it. we just booked the tickets and now i have to do the hotel booking. the places you stayed in are awesome but unfortunately i have not been able to get good deals. everything that i see is very very pricey. We are on a budget and so we are looking for something cheaper, but not the cheapest!
I would love to hear where all you stopped by and if you recommend any good places to eat. Also what would you absolutely recommend as a part of our trip?
anything you write will be information to me and maybe a part of the trip too. there is so much information on the internet but nothing comapares to hearing people's experience and recommendations!

robsmom

Keep looking for deals you never know what you will find. What i often do is book something (refundable) that i would be happy with even if it is not what i really want. Then i just keep watching for specials/deals on the places i really want to stay. I have been able to switch a number of times!!

I would say that going to Volcano National Park is a must do. With children I would really stay over night. The ride from Kona is 2-3 hrs each way. The full island circle is about 5. There are a lot of bed and breakfasts and there is lodge in the park. The ride to Hilo from VNP is less than an hour and i think the rooms are cheaper than in volcano.

For restuarants, we stuck close to home and ate at the hotels alot. We did go to Cafe Pesto which i read about here and it was quite good. In volcano we stayed a Kileua Lodge and the dinner we had there was the best of our trip. Pasta Alfredo on the kid's menu was my son's favorite!

There are Walmarts in both Kona and Hilo which were great for stocking up on water, soda, snacks, and little things we needed. The water and soda saved us a lot of money. Akaka falls are free and a must do stop. They are cloer to Hilo than the Kona resorts.

The beach and the pool were really my son's favorite activities. We planned a really slow paced trip - basically every other day we did not leave the resort. I found this kept us relaxed and not spending too much time in the car. The big island is exactly that - big and most of the activites will take some driving time so it was nice to alternate them a bit. If you like to snorkel you can buy cheap equipment for your 6 yr old at toysrus or even target/walmart before your trip. You can get yourself a set as well!

ncrory

Sorry it took me a while to respond...both children have the flu...

You don't have to have stayed at a Sheraton to enroll in the Starwood Preferred Members club. I found the link I posted on this Fodor's site by another poster and it saved us nearly 50% off the room rate with the 35% off and 5th night free offer. I haven't been able to find a better deal for the Sheraton Maui and I've looked. There is a Sheraton Kona (although it's a couple miles from town).

We stayed at the Royal Kona for our honeymoon and my parents stayed there on their last trip 2 years ago. My parents are staying there again this summer when they're there with my sister's family (a couple weeks before we arrive) and it's really a good deal. It's an old Hilton hotel, but we found it quite nice (indoor koi ponds, luau onsite, great breakfast buffet, bar, restaurant, small beach--hardly any of those in Kona).Definitely get one of the renovated rooms and I would definitely recommend an Oceanview room at the very least. It gets mixed reviews, but we're generally high-end hotel people (Ritz Carlton, Marriott and Renaissance)and I loved the Royal Kona Resort. You can't beat the value for the view.

We're staying at the Hilo Hawaiian hotel in Hilo. It's old, not-so-glamorous...but again a great value for the view and it's a fraction of the price of the Kamuela resorts (also has a fraction of the amenities).

I think you'll find that most of the B&Bs don't allow children that aren't potty-trained. I was disappointed when I called around at several B&Bs and when I told them I had a 2 year-old, they basically said, "No thanks." One lady said she had just put brand new $2000 mattresses in all the rooms and wouldn't risk having any accidents. I guess I can't blame her, but I was disappointed.

I'm jealous that you've pared your trip down to 1 island. I had to tell my dad that we weren't doing 1 night at the volcano because I just can't imagaine 1 night, 2 nights, 1 night, 2 nights, 5 nights at various hotels with the kids. When I think about the flights over and back and switching hotels with the kids 4 times already, it starts to stress me out.

Ag3046

What is your accomodation budget? We don't really care, except it helps to give you more specific ideas about what is realistic. You keep mentioning "very very expensive", but I have no idea what range that means.

highflyer

Check out www.artandorchids.com for accommodation. It's about 15miles from Hilo.

It's a great B&B and has one family room which we stayed in Nov 2005.

fireflyparents

ncroy, thank you for writing back. I know how it is when the kids have flu, just went thru it last week. i hope they are feeling better now. yes, narrowing down the itenary to one island has helped me plan and made it less stressful. i can always go back to mauii and see it better next time. my kids will be older then, and i can look forward to visiting one island

ag3046, my budget per night is around $200 but with that amount, i dont get an ocean front room anywhere. every post i read tells me to get an ocean front room but i dont see that happening. i am not expecting the star or the moon but when i am spending $10,000 on a trip and going to hawaii for the first time, i do want to do what everyone is doing......i dont know if i make sense!


anyway, i am staying at outrigger in kona for 5 days. i booked it thru priceline so they wont guarantee a room with a view.......but as my husband said, its a vacation so lets keep it less stressful. i called the hotel and tried to ask what kind of room i can expect but the lady was not helpful at all. dont want to complain, but so far, not good exp talking to customer service. priceline wont help me either coz i signed the contract....my BAD

highflyer, i checked the link you posted. wonderful b&b, one of the first ones which even mentions kids!! i will surely check it out.