Two month stay in Hawaii
 

I am Canadian and am retiring the end of this year and will be given two air tickets to anywhere in North America. My husband and I have always wanted to visit Hawaii and go somewhere warm for Jan/Feb to get out of the cold! So our dilemna - we'd like to rent a condo/apt. - doesn't have to be fancy. But with the Canadian dollar we do have to be somewhat frugal. I think we can swing it if we can do a lot of local shopping and cook at home. Is there anywhere you can suggest where we can park our old bods for two months and do it on a budget that won't break our Canadian bank account? Somewhere where we won't have to rent a car but will be central enough to keep us from being too bored? Or should I pack our bags and head for Mexico??

Hawaii will be more expensive than Mexico, no doubt about that, but you won't have to deal with Montezuma in Hawaii either.<BR>If you type "Hawaii condo rental" or similar cues in the text search box you'll find some web addresses for condo rentals. Good luck.

Oahu has very good bus service , so you can manage pretty well without a car, esp. in the more urban areas. <BR><BR>If you don't have to be right on the beach, there are many reasonably priced condos with monthly rates. <BR><BR>Maximizing local produce and seafood in your diet and minimizing grocery items imported from the mainland will help keep your costs down. Try to bring as many non-perishable boxed and canned goods as you can with you. <BR><BR>It might be worthwhile for you to use <BR>http://www.akamaigrocerysvc.com/ for your grocery needs, if you don't have a car. Akamai shops for and delivers groceries to you for a 17% flat-rate. They use club cards at major stores to get discounts and when you combine that with what taxi fare would cost you to bring the groceries home, it would very likely make more sense to use the svce.<BR><BR>There are many agencies that rent-out condos in Waikiki, which would probably be the best location for you. A few suggestions:<BR><BR>1. The condos. at the Ilikai are supposed to be a good value. Call the Ilikai hotel and ask for the condo. desk. <BR><BR>2. Try http://www.captaincookresorts.com/, which I think is one of the more reputable agencies and they have some very good rates at several properties.<BR><BR>3. Search the accomodations directory at the HCVB website: gohawaii.com<BR><BR>4. Try the B&B agencies, as they often represent accomodations in residential areas that have kitchens.<BR><BR>3. Look under vacation rentals as well as condos. Consider vacation rentals in the Kailua and Lanikai areas.<BR>

Jack..thanx for all the good info..I'm on the hunt! A friend of mine goes to Barbados for 2 months every year and boxes up all her meat - steaks, hamburg, chops, etc. She freezes them of course and then wraps them in newspaper and puts in a box that she checks thru. Says she's never had a problem and theyre still frozen on arrival. Can you still get away with stuff like this now?

Maui I would rent a condo in Lihiea (sp) did this about 6 years ago. Oahu is fun but if this was a once and only trip I would head for the wide open spaces of the outer islands. Another option is Big Island. Heads up retiree. So far El Nino forcast are for a dry winter (MAUI Great for whale spotting that time of year) so don't be put off by talks of rain. I would still avoid Kauai that time of year.<BR><BR><BR>ON THE OTHER HAND Oahu does have activity, for expample; not sure if you like to dance but Oahu has a very active ballroom dancing organization. People from all age groups join this but not so many 20 or 30 year olds. Dance classes are cheap and it will give you a chance to mingle with locals. Many chapters you will always be in large groups, can be fun. Local highschools often offer evening classes for free or little money, where you can learn everything from a language to Haiku lei making. Perhaps these opportunities exist on the outer islands as well seems that often these are state sponsored projects. Dancing is a non profit organization and on of the largest ballroom dancing organizations in the country.

This sounds like a heavenly retirement thing to do...not knowing anything about Hawaii..where would you go? I've heard Maui and Kauai are good choices. How can we find out a place that we could rent from an owner for a couple of months?

I'd strongly recommend Grand Champions Villas in Wailea, Maui. Just put Grand Chgampions rental condo Wailea Maui in any search engine and you'll find condos at Grand Champions for rent directly thru an owner.

You said that your tickets will be good for anywhere in North America.<BR>Sadly, HI doesn't count for that. Maybe you can get vouchers toward HI<BR>airfare!<BR><BR>Sorry to be the worm in your lei, I hope you have a marvelous<BR>retirement!

visitor,<BR><BR>You might start with www.vrbo.com

That is brazen Cindy think you knows more about retiree's FF allocation than she does.

was it even a FF alocation seemed like a gift

If you have a Costco card forget about bringing a "whole side of frozen beef" with you. Many retirees, I notice, make a weekly bus trip out to Hawai'i Kai to stock up on provisions. Also, Foodland (at least in Hawai'i Kai) has a section for outdated meat that goes for anywhere from 25% to 75% off. Don't be put off by the fact that it's outdated. For beef connoisseurs, it's aged properly and is just as good and safe and tastier! Agree that O'ahu's the best for someone w/o wheels. The bus system is terrific. There are monthly bus passes that you can inquire about....

xxx ([email protected]),<BR><BR>I apologize if I sounded unpleasant. My objective was to help stave off a huge disappointment. The original message says, "...two air tickets to anywhere in North America".

Cindy maybe you were thinking she had these tickets for the Northern U.S?North America, the 3rd largest continent includes Canada, Greenland, Mexico, the United States, all the countries of Central America and the island countries and dependencies of the Caribbean. Hawaii is part of U.S<BR>Go online if you need to confirm this.<BR><BR>

Just to clarify..it's not FF points..my company will give me these two tickets as a gift. Previous recipient went to Hawaii.

Retiree, check this website<BR>www.slowtrav.com <BR>they have some great tips on long-term rentals in Kauai and other tips on longer stays on that island (check the US section).

Retiree! Thank you. My concern is bread from being burned in a similar situation. The only exlusion on mine was HI. Sorry for the digression.<BR><BR>Have a wonderful trip and a delightful retirement!

Oops, excuse me, I meant "bred".

Cindy usually when something it excluding Hawaii it will say something to the effect "anywhere in the continental U.S". Think that is what you need to look out for.

For the record, Hawaii is part of the United States, but is NOT part of North America. The Hawaiian islands are in the Pacific Ocean, and not on the continent of North America. <BR>Retiree's case aside, often there are separate rules for using FF miles to Hawaii, and you always have to use more miles to fly to or from Hawaii. It burns us up that it costs 10,000 more miles to fly from HNL to Lax than from San Diego to Maine and they are farther apart with more connections. I know, I know...Price of Paradise. (Still isn't fair!)

Just saw this posting and am a Canadian retiring in another year or so as well. But the prices on the sites mentioned on this thread are pretty steep for us snowbirds. Would one expect to be paying in the neighbourhood of $2500US or more for a month in paradise? For a condo? I know we can get something in Florida (I know, I know!) for around $1000 - I guess this is out of the question for Hawaii?

For who's record Tani?<BR>http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/na.htm<BR><BR>Think that the confusion comes in when you discuss the continent. Think Hawaii is part of North America but is not part of the Continental U.S. Just as Great Britain and Ireland are considered part of Europe but not on the continent. <BR><BR>Yes FF miles frequently refer to Continental U.S not North America otherwise people would be trucking over to Hawaii or down to the Caribbean. But Retiree has already stated that she is not using Frequent flyer miles.<BR>

topping for wannabe..any budget condos?

You can stay at the ilikai in Waikiki for about 1000 and it faces a marina. There are also options on other islands that would not take you over. Do need to search though. I say a rental in princeville for 400 a week. <BR><BR>Once you go to Hawaii though you will never compare it with Florida. I think a closer comparison is New Zealand or Costa Rica. Apart from landscape Florida is a very poor state with many of the problems that go along with that. Yes there are affluent communites but many many drifters find there way down there. I understand they have one of the poorest educational systems in the country. Been to both states think the economies are visually vastly different . Think this is why it can be so cheap to stay there.

Call a realitor on your island of choice. Diamond head is another option. Go online also.

Thanks everyone. xxx - I've been trying to go online for 2 weeks and can't get any budget accommodations. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places! And Sam, I'll check the ilikai.

call the condo desk you can get there number by calling the hotel. City views are really reasonable parking is free or use to be. Ask them to fax or mail you a map of the main building I have never been fond of the annex. I stayed there three summers in a row. Thing is the outer islands are more rural and that is more to some peoples liking or expectation to Hawaii. But you can get a great sense of community on Oahu and there are a million and one activities to take part in. <BR><BR>I can help you search retiree. What is your budget? Will come online after work and tell you what I know about on Kauai rentals. Where do you want to go? I am not a travel agent just a tad obsessed with Hawaii. <BR><BR>

don't know last time Sam was in Ilikai but having done search best price I could see at the Ilikai Marina was $553 and that was per WEEK! And where in Princeville can you rent a place for $1200 week?? Retiree is looking for a place for cooking so that means a furnished apt. or condo and in Jan. Feb. to boot!! No way at $1000 for that kind of accom at that time of year! And sarah - where are you talking about? You never gave the name of the place??? Florida may be grey rinse city but its affordable for snowbirds - Hawaii is not!

That is if you rent from the hotel you must call the condo desk on the second floor see Sarah's email

I rent in Hanalei every year for under 1200 last year a three bedroom stand alone house this year a 2 bedroom stand alone house. Just have to open your eyes. That 1200 figure was for one month and in Princville condo not the hotel if that is what you were thinking. Will give details later but it is not hard to find. It is the only reason I can go to Kauai every summer for a couple of weeks.

My properties I have rented in Hanalei are for 1-2 weeks at a time expect for Ilikai (Honolulu)were I stayed 1-2months for three consecutive summers. Have noticed that prices do fall when you rent by the month and some realitors deal exclusively in monthly rentals seem to remember one in Diamond head like this. Retiree just let me know your budget but if you are uncomfortable doing that I will list links later this evening or tomorrow.

OK folks time for a reality check here. I have been retired for 8 years and we are "snowbirds", escaping the cold winters every year. The Canadian dollar sucks. I have tried to find accommodations that are "reasonable" to our dollar for many years in Hawaii and there just aint any. Sarah - you rent in the summer. That's a huge difference for us canadians wanting winter accommodations. Our dollar is 1.6 which means for $1000US, we pay $1600 Canadian. There is no way there is a decent apt., condo, whatever anywhere in Hawaii in the winter for $1000US a MONTH. We have had to abandon our hopes of spending the winter there. Arizona and Florida is where we have to go. I would love to hear same type of stories as Sarah has but in the WINTER!

Thanks Sarah for the information. I was hoping to find a one bedroom place with a kitchen (would love a pool too!) in a place where a rental car is unnecessary. I was hoping to pay around $1000-$1200 for a month. But "iam" is correct - we do want to rent in the winter - probably Jan and Feb.

Retiree I lived on Oahu and we took summer breaks in Waikiki Ilikai when family came into town. We also saw retirees at a winter rental we had from Nov to Feb for 800 a month (97) a small studio with a balcony/kitchen overlooking the pacific. I prefer the ilikai. Geez I forget the name of hotel it was on Seaview avenue. Will do a check and get you a name. This place had a large pool, hot tub and sauna. Back a few blocks from beach. Will list later. Never saw price increases unless it was over Christmas holiday. When you live in Hawaii it seems that every season is high season or that is what all the place renting tell you so no never mind to Iam. We also did interisland hops in January and Feb each year and were never ever in crowds at that time. Always found last minute budget accomodation. Restaurants and activities were kind of sparse with people. Another option is going to Honolulu Star Bulletin classifieds. <BR><BR>Retiree call the ilikai before the weekend. Talk to you later with more ideas

Remember to get the number for the condo desk on the second floor from the hotels main reception and call them. Room prices through the hotel will be significantly higher.

I'm with iam - no way, no how you can get a (nice) apt. anywhere in Hawaii in winter for $1000 bucks. And I challenge anyone to find one! specially with a pool and kitchen? Yeah right.

Retiree,<BR>Check rentals directly by owners<BR>www.vrbo.com<BR>I did not check other islands but in Kauai there were a few in $1000-1200 per month range.<BR>Good luck.

You know retire the more I think of the more I think I would feel pretty stranded on any island without a car and I don't drive. Oahu is your best bet but I have waited for that bus and it makes many local stops. The best food stores are outside waikiki. Outer Islands you must have a car<BR><BR>Anyway my computer at home is kind of slow this is all I found so far at 1400 and I am a bit tired. Island Colony on Seaside Avenue is the condo I stayed at Nov-Feb 97 at 800. I suggest you call realitors also on Oahu and ask if they have any deals if someone is renting for 2 consecutive months. Any luck with Ilikai? Check out that Star bulletin classified<BR><BR>http://www.goin2travel.com./h108.htm $1325 studio with kitchen in Diamond head.<BR><BR>Island Colony. This place is 1400. http://www.goin2travel.com/a458.htm<BR>Our unit was through a private owner. <BR><BR><BR>