lisa

Just back from 5 days on Maui (October 7-12) and 5 days on Kauai (October 12-17) and had a wonderful time. This was a mother-daughter trip. Thanks so much to everybody here who posted advice in response to my numerous questions during the planning phase. Here's a trip report:

Day 1: Flew American Airlines from Washington DC through Dallas to Honolulu. Flight to Dallas was on one of their reconfigured planes with seats removed to give more legspace, which was noticeable and quite comfy. Therefore had a rude awakening when our flight from Dallas to Honolulu was on what seemed to be the world's oldest plane, with very cramped seating. However, all flights were on time so can't complain too much. Only brought carry-on luggage to eliminate the possibility of lost luggage. Took Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu to Kahului, Maui. Open seating (no seat assignments), short easy flight. Very chaotic check-in and boarding process in Honolulu; if there was a check-in system in place it was indiscernible despite our repeated inquiries; flight numbers and gates were changing constantly and some flights were cancelled at the last minute (fortunately ours was not). Arrived Maui around 4pm and picked up rental car through National Car Rental ($130.88 for five days, including all taxes & fees & unlimited miles for midsized car, Olds Alero, reserved through National's website, using Entertainment Book coupon for one free day).

Drove to Renaissance Wailea. Had reserved 2 free nights using Marriott rewards points in a garden view room, and three additional nights in a terrace view room (because they had no garden view rooms available when we made the reservation) at Entertainment rate of $155 per night, plus tax. Upon checkin, were given a complimentary upgrade to a garden view room for all five nights. Had been told that there would be a parking fee of $7 per day at the Renaissance but we used their self-parking lot rather than valet and incurred no parking fees. Our room was room 316, which faces the ocean but is on the ground floor so it is termed a garden view rather than ocean view, although we could see the ocean somewhat through the foliage. We LOVED our room and the hotel. It definitely exceeded expectations. The hotel's lobby and grounds are absolutely breathtaking. Our room's sliding glass door led to a terrace with a chaise lounge chair and a small table and two chairs. We often left the glass door open so that we could hear the tropical birds. The room had two queen-sized beds (VERY comfortable), a mini-refrigerator, and an armoire with TV and VCR. The concierge desk has a complimentary video lending library which is quite substantial and we did make use of it a couple of nights. There were 3 phones in the room – one bedside, one on the desk, and one in the bathroom. The bathroom had a deep soaking tub which was very nice, Bath and Body Works products, and a coffeemaker with various coffees and teas available. The service at the hotel was excellent in every respect.

Our first night we had dinner in the hotel at the Sunset Terrace restaurant which was very good. They had an extensive salad buffet that included poached salmon, soup, cobb salad, shrimp salad, salad nicoise, roasted vegetables, etc. which was around $13 per person and well worth it. The full buffet including hot entrees (fish, chicken, beef) and the dessert buffet in addition to the cold buffet was around $32, or you could also order a la carte.

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lisa

Day 2: The next morning we decided to drive up to the top of Haleakala to see the sunrise. We had originally thought about doing one of the bike tours down the volcano or horseback riding, but a few days before we were to leave my mother sprained her ankle and it was still a little sore and swollen, so we decided to take it easy and just drive up and back down. As an example of how great the service was at the Renaissance, the night before we decided we might like to take a thermos of hot coffee with us in the car the next morning on the way up the volcano. I called the restaurant to ask them if they might have a thermos we could borrow. Not only did they bring one within 3 minutes of my call, but they simply knocked and left it outside our door without even waiting for a tip. By the time I answered the door, whoever left the thermos had disappeared.

We left the hotel at 4 a.m. for the drive up Haleakala, and the drive took 2 hours. It was pitch dark, but we could see lots of stars. By the time we got to the top around 6, it was just starting to get light. Sunrise was at about 6:20 a.m. I did wish we had gotten to the top about 15 minutes or so sooner, because watching the sky get lighter and lighter from ABOVE the clouds was gorgeous. It was definitely worth getting up for (and since we were still on east coast time anyway, it wasn't that hard to wake up early, since by 4 a.m. it was already 10 a.m. to us). Haleakala is a national park, and admission costs $10 per vehicle. It was FREEZING at the top. We had planned for the cold and wore long pants, socks, hiking boots, long sleeves, and windbreakers with hoods, but it was still very cold and windy and once the sun was up we did not want to linger because the temperature was simply uncomfortable, unfortunately. From there we drove to Kula to have breakfast at Grandma's Coffee House, which was very cute and had tasty scones and croissants and good coffee. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to seek it out again though. Afterwards we drove back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach, which was GORGEOUS. There were lots of fish by the rocks to the left side of the beach. You didn't even need snorkel equipment to see them; the water was very clear. Around midafternoon we got hungry and drove up to Kihei for lunch at Alexander's Fish and Chips. I had ono and shrimp and liked it but Mom had ahi and thought it was nothing special, and for a takeout stand and the size of the portions their prices are a little higher than one might expect. Their cole slaw is fab though. For dinner we drove up to Kaanapali, walked around Whaler's Village for a while, and went to Hula Grill, which was EXCELLENT and one of the best meals we had the entire trip. We sat outside at their barefoot bar and shared a salad, some spicy coconut calamari, and a macadamia nut pesto pizza – all delicious and highly recommended (especially the calamari and the pizza). Afterwards we walked up the beach a short distance to Black Rock by the Sheraton. It was extremely windy on Kaanapali Beach and I was glad it wasn't that windy on our beach in Wailea.

By the way, while we were in Kaanapali we checked out the Marriott just out of curiosity, because we had considered using our Marriott rewards points to stay there. It was a total mess and we were SO glad we weren't staying there.

lisa

Day 3: The next day we had breakfast at our hotel (definitely try the macadamia nut bread!) And drove the road to Hana. We did not get a particularly early start, maybe around 8:30 a.m. We stopped at the place with the orange awning to rent the cassette tape/CD for the self-tour. It was $20 but I thought it was worth it. By the way, there is a discount airline ticket place in the same strip mall where we (on our concierge's recommendation) bought our discounted Hawaiian airlines coupons for our flight from Maui to Kauai which were around $59 apiece (having previously made our reservations on the Hawaiian Airlines website). I think the place is called Cut Rate Tickets. We tried to buy them at the airport ATMs but you can't unless you have a credit card that has a pin number, which ours don't (we have check cards and cash cards with pin numbers, but the ATMs won't accept those to purchase airline coupons for some reason).

We really enjoyed the road to Hana, and ended up driving all the way around including the back way. The roads were not nearly as bad as we had been led to believe, and we had no problems. However, it was LOT of driving and I was very tired by the end. We did stop at several waterfalls, at the black sand beach, at the general store in Hana, at Oheo Gulch ("Seven Sacred Pools"), and at Lindbergh's grave (which was not easy to find). The scenery was gorgeous and I was glad we did it. We were back at the hotel by 5pm and were exhausted so just stayed at our hotel for dinner. We both did the full buffet at the Sunset Terrace which was delicious. The desserts were mediocre but most of the main dishes were very good.

Day 4: The next day we had reserved the Trilogy trip to Lanai (received a discount using the AOA Gold Card). We enjoyed the boat, the crew, and the other passengers. We did wear the patches prescribed for motion sickness and did not get sick, but I'm not sure we really needed them because the water was not that rough and I didn't see anyone else get sick. The breakfast served on board was delicious and the ride over to Lanai was a lot of fun. Once we were there we took a van tour of the island with a Lana'ian named Jo. She was really charming and very down-to-earth. I have to say, even though the 2 major hotels on Lanai look very impressive, I was really glad we weren't staying there. To say there is not a whole lot going on on Lanai is an understatement. It was interesting to see and hear about how the locals live though, and to get a bit of the local history from Jo's perspective. After the van tour they took us to the beach, which was very pretty and relaxing. However, the snorkeling was not impressive at all. I saw a couple of fish and that was it. We enjoyed the beach though. Afterwards we all ate lunch in a pavilion a short distance from the beach. Lunch was salad, rolls, barbecued chicken, stir-fried noodles, peas, iced tea, and guava juice – all very tasty and as much as you wanted. Then we got back on the boat and sailed back to Lahaina. On the way back we saw dolphins spinning and playing, and lots of flying fish which I had never seen before. They were much smaller than I imagined and reminded me of grasshoppers, or something out of science fiction. It was mesmerizing. We arrived back in Lahaina by 4pm, drove back to our hotel, and ordered in room service and watched a movie.
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lisa

Day 5: The next morning we decided to visit Iao Valley State Park. On the way we stopped in Wailuku at Maui Bake Shop for breakfast. This place is to die for. It is a bakery started by a Frenchman and his wife, and everything is absolutely delicious. We tried a number of their pastries and liked it so much we bought several more things to go for later, and even went back the next day! Best bets are the French toast (which is not like any French toast I've ever had before in my life, but more like pastry filled with egg custard – soooo good!), windmills (puff pastry with custard), and brioche. However, every single thing we tried was excellent and I don't think you can go wrong here. Best of all, it was incredibly inexpensive. Most items were around $1-$2. This and the Hula Grill were our two favorite eats on Maui.

Thus fortified, we went to Iao Valley State Park, which is lovely and very dramatic. It is smaller than I thought and there are only 3 short paths to wander, all of which afford some really nice photo ops. It only takes about 20-30 minutes to see the whole thing. There is a very nice gift shop there also. Afterwards, we decided to drive north and go up and around the "back way" to Kapalua. This drive was breathtaking both for its beauty and because it was really really scary. Unlike the road to Hana, the road really does narrow to one car width in many places, and the hairpin turns around narrow clifftop roads is harrowing. In several places we were forced to back up around a blind curve to let another car pass, and others had to do the same for us. While we both loved this drive, it was more frightening than we expected, and I would recommend it only for hardy souls. Unfortunately by the time we got to Kapalua, it was raining, and the rain continued down to Kaanapali and Lahaina, so we drove back to Wailea for the afternoon, where it was sunny as it was every day we were there! That evening we went to the Old Lahaina Luau, which was a great way to spend our last night on Maui. The food was not as good as I expected, but it was OK, and the show was really wonderful as was the service and the setting. I definitely recommend it, but don't go for the food – go for the show.

lisa

Day 6: The next morning we walked the 3-mile roundtrip path that runs along the beach from the Renaissance south past the Kea Lani, Four Seasons, Grand Wailea, etc. It was a terrific walk and fun to see the other hotels, but just based on the beach/pool/grounds, without going inside, we didn't see anything we liked better than where we were staying. Later we checked out and headed to the airport (with a stop in Wailuku at Maui Bake Shop for more provisions!). The rental car return went fine, as was the Hawaiian Airlines flight to Kauai (which stopped on the way in Honolulu). For some reason, the Hawaiian Airlines operation in Maui seemed much more organized than the one in Honolulu.

We landed on Kauai midafternoon, picked up our car at National which is right across the drive from the terminal ($124.88 for a midsized car, a Pontiac Grand Am, for 5 days, including all taxes, fees, and unlimited mileage, using another Entertainment card coupon for one free day, reserved through National's website). From the airport we drove up to Hanalei Bay Resort which took just under an hour. To be honest with you, after our room at Renaissance Wailea, our room at Hanalei Bay Resort was a disappointment. We had a mountain view standard room (5308) for $85 per night plus tax, using the Entertainment discount. While the price was right, the room was pretty run down. The walls were marred, the carpet was stained, and one of the doors was falling off of the armoire. The air conditioner was a wall unit. The bathroom was average. The hotel charges you if you use your room safe (Renaissance did not). It did have a small refrigerator and a coffeemaker. It also had a balcony which overlooked the smaller of the two pools and looked west toward the mountains. If you stood on one corner of the balcony you could see the ocean a bit, but there was another building blocking most of the view. While the main pool at HBR was nicer than the pool at Renaissance, overall we enjoyed Renaissance much more. HBR does have a spectacular setting though, and a very nice beach. We enjoyed watching the sunset from HBR's restaurant and bar areas. The service at HBR was pretty lousy though. One day housekeeping never came to make up our room (we arrived back at our room at 4 pm only to find the room just as we'd left it; when we called the front desk they said housekeeping mistakenly thought our room was one of the timeshares rather than a hotel room, and they did come over to make up the room after we called about it). The front desk staff and restaurant staff were both VERY slow in every instance, and one of the gift shop employees was downright rude. The concierge did try to sell us on timeshares, although we declined to attend the presentation. The concierge did give us many coupons – some for discounts in the Bali Hai Restaurant for dinner and lunch which we used, one for a free "manager's party" in the Happy Talk Bar which is apparently held every Monday and includes free drinks and appetizers, and some additional coupons for other restaurants on the island. These did save us some money. You have to make reservations in order to have dinner at the Bali Hai restaurant, so we ate dinner that night in the bar area (I had crab cakes; she had a fish burger – both were pretty good).
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lisa

Day 7: The next day we had reserved Captain Andy's Na Pali Adventure tour which was from 1-6 pm. That morning we got up and drove to Wailua and had breakfast at Caffe Coco which was good. Then we drove down to Poipu and stopped at the beach there for about an hour, and slowly made our way west to Ele'Ele and Port Allen. Captain Andy's Adventure tour was one of the highlights of our trip. The water was very rough though and I was very glad that we both wore the patches. There were about 33 passengers on board and I counted 8 of them who got seasick, some of whom were absolutely miserable for the majority of the 5-hour trip. The water on the way up the NaPali coast was rougher than it was on the way back. We saw spinner dolphins again which were a lot of fun to watch. The scenery along the coast was spectacular, and the crew was very nice. Soft drinks and light snacks were served in the early afternoon. On the way back, beer and wine were served as well, and dinner at the end which consisted of very good burgers and chicken sandwiches, baked beans (delicious), pasta salad, fruit, etc. We anchored for a while for swimming but no snorkeling because visibility was not good. I would definitely do this tour again. I liked it better than the Trilogy trip to Lanai, and it was less expensive as well ($109).

Day 8: The next day, after breakfast at Hanalei Wakeup Café (which was good) we decided to hike the first 2 miles (4 miles roundtrip) of the Kalalau trail along the NaPali coast. This was another highlight of our trip. It was a more difficult hike than we had anticipated, but very rewarding. The views were spectacular. I highly recommend this, but good footwear is a must, as the trail is wet and muddy and slippery in places. Bring lots of water and some kind of light snack to keep you going if you get hungry. It took us about 4 hours roundtrip to do this hike, counting rest breaks and lots of picture-taking. In the afternoon we relaxed at our hotel, and later had dinner at Postcards Café in Hanalei which was really excellent – they have the best selection of fresh fish we encountered on either island, and the sauces and vegetables accompanying the fish are fantastic too.

Day 9: The next day, we drove to the west side of the island and saw the Kalalau Valley from the other side – the lookout at Kokee State Park. That was gorgeous. Kokee State Park also has a nice gift shop. Afterwards we did a short hike in Waimea Canyon. Since I had visited the Grand Canyon earlier this year, Waimea Canyon was interesting – similar colors, but on a much smaller scale. Very pretty. That night we had dinner at Bali Hai – the shrimp and scallops were very good.

Day 10: The next day we kayaked the Huleia River Wildlife Refuge, which was an easy guided trip of about 2-3 hours. We did not see as much wildlife as I had hoped, but it was still fun and relaxing, and it ended with a short guided hike out of the wildlife refuge during which a local guide pointed out various plants and their traditional medicinal uses. The cost was around $50 per person. (continued>>)

lisa

Day 11: On our last morning, we toured Limahuli Botanical Gardens. This was interesting and pretty, but we were a bit disappointed that there weren't more flowering plants. We did learn a lot about indigenous plants and those introduced by the Polynesians, but next time I think I would want to tour the Allerton Gardens to see how those are different. Unfortunately on this trip there wasn't enough time to do everything. With a few stops for souvenirs on the way to the airport, we were headed home (Kauai to Honolulu on Hawaiian, Honolulu-Dallas-DC on American – all flights basically on time or very close, and uneventful).

A few more things. First, we were very glad we packed light on this trip. Both hotels had coin-operated laundry rooms for guests (we used the one at HBR). Everything was very casual on both islands and we didn't need much except shorts, t-shirts, beach sandals, hiking boots, bathing suits, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, one pair of long pants (for Haleakala), camera, lots of film, and reading material for the long plane ride. Even though I brought very little, I still brought too many clothes.

Gas was just over $2 per gallon – a little more on Maui, and a little less on Kauai. The cheapest gas on Kauai was $1.95 per gallon at a Shell station in Lihue.

Traffic was bad only around the Kapa'a area on Kauai and around Lahaina-Kaanapali on Maui.

Weather was great – highs in the 80s and lows in the 70s, mostly sunny. There were several very brief showers on both islands (more on Kauai than on Maui), but they never lasted very long, and we saw LOTS of rainbows!

In terms of the amount of time, I thought 5 days on each was about right, although 6 or 7 on each would have been better because we didn't get in as much beach time as I would have liked. I don't think I would have wanted more than 7 days on either though.

Finally, I have seen lots of questions on these boards about various Caribbean/Latin American destinations versus the Hawaiian islands, and about Kauai vs. Maui. To be honest with you, I found that Kauai did remind me of both St. Lucia and Costa Rica, in terms of the rugged terrain, tropical foliage, and the lush mountain views. While they are all very special and different from each other, I would have to say that I enjoyed Costa Rica the most simply because of the biodiversity and the animal life there. Occasionally on Kauai I found myself scanning the tree canopies for monkeys, only to remember that there aren't any. I also enjoyed the fact that St. Lucia was less developed than Maui or Kauai. Kauai and Maui, for all their charms and beauty, are a bit less enticing to me simply because they are less exotic and more familiar (common language, currency, etc.). I know others feel differently but that's just my humble opinion. Of the two, I enjoyed Kauai more than Maui. Someday I would like to go to the Big Island and Molokai.

That's it. Feel free to post questions.

kalenakg

Hi Lisa.

Enjoyed your trip report, but you must be a travel agent. But seriously...

Yes, it is difficult to compare the Caribbean and Costa Rica to Hawaii. I have traveled there, and lived in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico briefly. One thing to remember is that Hawaii is very young geologically, and although its bio-diversity is not as obvious as Costa Rica's (I remember the monkeys too), it has its own unique wonders. I'm glad you had a pleasant trip with your mom, and yes, you'd probably really enjoy the Big Island and Molokai. Walking to the back of Waipio Valley gives you a sense of what life was like in Hawaii's not too distant Polynesian past.

Happy travels!
k

Lani

Thank you so much, Lisa, for letting us know about your trip! I had planned to stay at HBR next year - strangest thing, you hear either RAVES or TOTAL THUMBS DOWN for HBR! Nothing in between - but don't think I'll chance it! Wish you'd gone to Caffe Coco for dinner as it's lit up at night, and really shines then!

Remember I'm one of the people who RAVED to you about the Renaissance? Isn't it just the best!!! I'm now planning a trip over next May, and getting ready to make my reservations there. Did you love the breakfast buffet? I love everything about the place!

I think you'll enjoy the Big Island and Molokai very much as they are less developed than the others.

Thank you again for your report!

Aloha,

Lani

Paul

Glad to hear that you loved the Renaissance. We had stayed in a garden room just like you described. I think that the thing we loved best about the hotel was the peacefulness. Sorry you were disappointed with Alexanders. We found it to be good food at reasonable prices i.e. a great value in such an expensive Maui setting. Alexanders and Maui Taco were fun to go to when we wanted to be away from the expensive tourist setting. We also thought the Hula Grill was outstanding.

dana

I'm most envious that you got to have the macadamia/pesto pizza at Hula Grill.
They weren't offering that at the Barefoot Bar when I was there in June. That's what I was looking forward to ordering, that and a Kula greens salad.
What a bummer about HBR, as I was looking forward to maybe going back there next year. Definitely not to the hotel rooms after all the rants it's getting.

Tom

EXCELLENT and DETAILED report, Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing it all! However, you must admit that Hawaii's standard of living is excellent in comparison to St. Lucia's poverty and downtrodden appearance! (By the way, how did your mother rate the islands?)

Brian in Atlanta

I'd like to nominate Lisa for the Trip Report of the Month Award.

The prize is a coupon for 50% off a single counseling session with Dr. Betty (with no black-out dates like in the ones in the Entertainment Book).

lisa

Lani & Dana -- Maybe my report was a bit too harsh on HBR. It was fine in all the crucial respects -- e.g. the beds were comfortable, and the price was good. Maybe I expected too much, considering that the price was only $85 per night. My mom commented that we probably wouldn't have been disappointed if we had gone there first and then to Renaissance -- it just paled in comparison to Renaissance. My mom even commented that she would consider staying at HBR again if she returned, just because the scenery was so pretty, and we were hardly in our room anyway. I think I was partially disappointed in HBR just because I wanted someplace special for my mom, but I guess you don't get "special" for $85. All I can say is I was really glad we weren't paying the regular rack rate for our room ($170), or we would have been REALLY disappointed. I did forget to mention that we loved the beach at HBR and wished we had been able to spend more time there -- there were TONS of pretty fish in the water, the water was clear, and the setting is pretty idyllic. It seemed a little weird to me that HBR does not have beach chairs on the beach there though, unlike Princeville which does.

Paul -- Actually I liked Alexander's pretty well and would go there again. My mom didn't like it as much, but I think that's maybe because she ordered her fish broiled and with rice, which really isn't the thing to order at a fish-n-chips place (that's what she gets for trying to eat healthy on vacation)...

Tom -- Yes, I do agree with you that Hawaiians definitely enjoy a much higher standard of living than St. Lucians, but I personally did not find St. Lucia to have a "downtrodden" appearance. We really loved St. Lucia. I think my mom liked Kauai better than Maui too, although she did say the highlight of her whole trip was seeing Lindbergh's grave on Maui (she is very into the Lindberghs).

Thanks Brian in Hotlanta!

Kristi

Lisa -- thanks for the great info. My husband and I are travelling to Hawaii in November -- 5 nights in Maui and 5 on Oahu. We're also flying on American from D.C. To Hawaii we stop in Chicago, on the way back we stop in Dallas. Although we saved up miles to fly first class, I've heard horrible things about the planes American flies to Hawaii. Were they really old? How was the service? Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

lisa

Hi Kristy. Since you are flying first class I'm sure you'll have no worries. The plane on the way back was a little newer than the one on the way there, with a tiny bit more room, but not much. It was bearable in coach but 1st cl. should be fab. Food was edible even in coach. Service was great on the way there, good on the way back, save one testy flight attendant who apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed. American's flight attendants to Hawaii wear unusual uniforms that look more like robes or kimonos than anything very Hawaiian, but who cares (they looked comfier than regular straightlaced flight attendant uniforms anyway). They showed movies both ways and a bunch of pretty lame TV stuff that was mostly promos for CBS's new fall season (nothing like paying $5 to watch ads -- shouldn't they be paying us for that rather than vice versa?). On the way there the headsets were $5 and on the way back they were free because the sound on the movie was bad. Again, in first class I don't think this is an issue. There were lots of magazines on board which helped pass the time.

Dawn

Thank you Lisa for a great trip report. We are going to Maui,Kauai and the Big Island next July/August for 5,5, and 7 days. I was not able to get the Rennisaince (sp) with the Entertainment book nor government rates but I was able to get the Outrigger Wailea, which I understand just had major renovations. Did you have an impression of that resort? We need two rooms whenever we travel (6 of us) so I had to keep the $$ in mind. Also, did you get any feedback on the condos at HBR? We have a three bedroom condo reserved there for 5 nights, no maid service but ocean view. Dawn

lisa

Hi Dawn. We walked by the Outrigger Wailea and it looked nice. Very large hotel if it's the one I'm thinking of. I seem to recall the stretch of beach immediately in front of it was on sort of a rocky point, but if you walked just to the side of the hotel in either direction there were great beaches so that would not really matter. There is a boardwalk up and down the beaches that you can walk that is wonderful that goes past a bunch of the major Wailea hotels -- if you walk it from one end to the other and back it is about 3 miles. I have a feeling the Outrigger should be pretty nice because I believe they are or were in the process of remodeling (seems like when I called around to price rates on Maui they told me they had no rooms available for our dates because they were remodeling then, although I saw no signs of construction when we walked by). We didn't go inside but I do remember seeing it and thinking it looked pretty nice. Also, a couple of travel agents I talked to when we were pricing packages (which we decided not to use) told me that Outrigger hotels tended to be good value for the money, especially for families with kids.

No, I did not get any feedback on the condo units at HBR, but it seems like they would have to be a better bet than the hotel room we were in! The pool at HBR is really pretty. There are tons of tennis courts on the property if you're into that (we don't play). The beach is a little hike but not bad. Re: saving money -- You should take advantage of the dining coupons the concierge has. We received two coupons for "buy one entree or sandwich, get one free" at Bali Hai (HBR's restaurant) for lunch, and another coupon for dinner there which was "buy one entree, get the second for half off." Portions were huge, so you could definitely share entrees or sandwiches at either lunch or dinner, or take leftovers back to your room in styrofoam containers & put in the frig. The coupon book the concierge gave us also had lots of other coupons for local restaurants & activities. You could get even more $$ in either dining credits or shopping credits at local places if you attended HBR's timeshare presentation, but we didn't do that.

Hope you have a good trip.

Michelle

Thank you for such a great detailed trip report but I'm dying to know - Did you keep a journal to remember all these details? It really added to my enjoyment to read everything about your trip - kind of like being there.

Mike

Note to KRISTI: I don't know if it's too late, but the wide-body DC-10s that American flies to Hawaii are really quite nice, so if you are able to fly on those on as many "legs" of your trip as possible, then do so (certainly not nearly as claustrophobic as the single aisle planes, but then again, 1st class IS too claustrophobic for me personally -- on ANY flight)!!