My wife and I just returned from a 9 day vacation in Hawaii and I just wanted to share our thoughts with the board – as this forum was of great help as we planned the trip. These thoughts are in no particular order, and I’ll be glad to answer any questions or clarify: <BR> <BR>1. We stayed five days at the Ali’i Tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village (not our choice, as we won a five day stay there). Nice location as it’s on the end of Waikiki Beach and out of the way of the huge numbers of tourists walking throughout Waikiki. Located on the Bus line and the Bus makes transportation easy throughout the Waikiki/Honolulu area. <BR> <BR>2. Buy the Entertainment Book ($30), especially if you’re going to travel between two islands. There’s a “buy one – get one free” airline ticket from Aloha Air in the back. My wife and I got two round trip tickets from Oahu to Maui for $168 (I think the best alternative are the ticket books that require you buy 6 $60 coupons or $240 for that trip). There’s an Aloha Air ticket counter at the Sears in Ala Moana Mall that will take the E Book savings coupon and issue your tickets. The Bishop Museum is also in the book for a “buy one –get one” deal (saves $15). There are numerous restaurants, many of which are in the Waikiki Hotels, also in there. Bottom line – you’ll easily make up the cost of the book. <BR> <BR>3. If you go to the Arizona Memorial, go early. We got there at 7:45 and still waited 45 minutes. They say the wait can run easily to 2 and 3 hours. <BR> <BR>4. Bishop Museum is worth the visit, good summary picture of how things got the way they are in Hawaii and the other Polynesian Islands. Good craft demonstrations throughout the day, and hula also. <BR> <BR>5. While walking around the lei shops in Chinatown, we stumbled on a great pan-Asian restaurant that gets great reviews among the locals – Indigo Restaurant. They have a very filling dim sum buffet lunch for $12.50 with salmon, tenderloin, chicken, three different dim sum and many other salads. Their flavored teas are tremendous. The outdoor area is particularly nice, with waterfall, if the weather is cooperating (rained that day for us). <BR> <BR>6. Stayed at the Hyatt in Ka’anapali in Maui, top notch place with a real nice pool area. Beach is just so-so, not very deep in sand, perhaps 10 or 15 feet of beach. We really liked the hammocks for two strung between the palms down at the beachfront. The Senior PGA tournament was their while we were, so walking 600 yards or so down to the Ka’anapali Resort course was easy and the game was fun to watch. <BR> <BR>7. Ate at the Hula Grill – really nice, reasonably priced (but not cheap by any means). Fresh fish was well prepared and the service was good. <BR> <BR>8. I wouldn’t go back to Roy’s if someone paid me. Bad experience. Two days in advance I clearly made 7:30 PM reservations for Roy’s Nicolina Restaurant – a quiet, formal restaurant. Roy’s Kahana Bar and Grill is right next door, but with an open kitchen, noisy and overlooking a brightly lit McDonald’s. When we made the reservation, the hostess asked where we were staying, and I replied the Hyatt (bad mistake). Two days later, when we got to Roy’s Nicolina, the hostess told me she had no reservation for us and that perhaps it was at Roy’s Bar and Grill – and she didn’t have to good sense to call over to find out, she just sort of shooed us out to deal with it, extremely poor customer service IMHO. There was a reservation at the Bar and Grill in our name, but I believe what happened was that a local called up for the prime dinner time I had at the nicer Nicolina restaurant and they bumped the vacationer in a heartbeat. On top of that, the service was very slow, and the waiter was cheesy saying “excellent” after every menu choice we made. After another disappointing Roy’s experience in their Scottsdale, AZ restaurant, I’ll never return to a Roy’s. <BR> <BR>9. Now, for the best meal of our entire stay – David Paul’s Lahaina Grill (Maui). First class operation in every respect. The chef was moving among the tables, the wait staff was faultless and the food was truly inventive, memorable and very, very good. But that experience doesn’t come cheap. We spent $130 for appetizers, entrées, two glasses of wine, desserts and a cappucino. Reservations 1 or 2 days in advance are recommended for better dining times. By the way, this restaurant is not on the water if that’s important to you. <BR> <BR>10. We had reservations for the Old Lahaina Luau in Maui made through Hawaii Guide at
www.hawaiiguide.com - booked by calling them direct 5 weeks before we left. When the night came in Maui, it turned out we didn’t have a reservation. If you book that Luau, I suggest doing it directly with them, not through any third party. <BR> <BR>11. We used frequent flyer miles to fly first class – from the East coast, it’s a long flight and if you can use the miles, I’d do it. Sure makes the flight almost bearable. <BR> <BR>12. We stayed one day (birthday) at the Grand Wailea – absolutely a day to remember. The resort earns every one of its five stars. I had a one hour water treatment (they have some Italian word for it that escapes me now) and a one hour massage that is hard to describe it was so good! And the spa is gorgeous, marble everywhere. By the way, everywhere you walk on the grounds you hear flowing water and there’s even a little chapel (small steeple and all) on the back grounds. <BR> <BR>13. I played a wonderful round of golf on Makena South in Maui. The South course has some incredible vistas along the ocean and many of the holes that aren’t on the ocean are within earshot of the crashing waves. Very nice way to play golf. <BR> <BR>14. On the advice of a Maui local who worked at the Hyatt, we snorkeled at mile marker 14 in the Lahaina area. Pretty shallow, good bit of reef and many fish. We met up with some folks that took a snorkel boat out to Molokini, but they said it was a real zoo – too many boats, too many people in the water at the same time (as in kicking one another). <BR> <BR>15. If you want to rent a car, I suggest going to
www.smarterliving.com for rental car coupons and more. We used one of their “one day free” coupons and wound up with a 4-day compact car (between economy and mid-size) for just under $20/day. I recall gas was around $1.70/gallon for regular. <BR> <BR>16. Because of 3 ½ days of rain during our trip, we didn’t do the road to Hana or Haleakala, this just became a local touring and relaxation visit – so I can’t comment on either. <BR> <BR>17. Hanauma Bay is outstanding snorkeling, just get there early as it does get busy. We paid about $12 for two very basic, but workable, snorkel outfits right there on the beach at Hanauma Bay. <BR> <BR>18. Since the buying genes get particularly active on vacation <g>, be careful to ask about the return policy. Some stores will only offer a merchandise exchange, no cash or credit return. <BR> <BR>19. Deli on the Rock in Kihei (Maui) is in the E Book and the owner, a former competitive female body-builder, is into health and makes a great sandwich. <BR> <BR>20. Keo’s in Waikiki is real good for Thai cuisine, but go to the original (they’ve opened up a second location) where Kuhio Ave. meets Kalakua
