Planning a trip to Hawaii with wife, both in late thirties?
knvb78 asked:
Any suggestions on Hotels, resorts? We basically like nice beaches and snorkeling and just relaxing. Dont like crowded resorts or partying that much. We are figuring on heading to maui and Waiakkai for around a week. We are from NJ, and wondering with the economy being horrible, if its going to be astronomically expensive to fly, stay, and do things there. Thanks.
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Any suggestions on Hotels, resorts? We basically like nice beaches and snorkeling and just relaxing. Dont like crowded resorts or partying that much. We are figuring on heading to maui and Waiakkai for around a week. We are from NJ, and wondering with the economy being horrible, if its going to be astronomically expensive to fly, stay, and do things there. Thanks.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:55 am
Go to either Maui or Kauai. If you do not like crowds, and partying and such, then stay away from Waikiki(that is on Oahu). Oahu is very much like any city (lots of people) but with great weather and great beaches. Maui is more quiet with plenty to do and Kauai is very kicked back and hardly any city at all, just beautiful towns. Talk to a travel agent and they will tell you the same thing. My favorite is Kauai and my 30 something kids also loved Kauai.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:03 pm
All you have to do is find a hotel slightly off the beach. For starters, as you move away from the beach, the prices go down. Secondly, its quieter. Also, you still have full access to all the beachfront areas in front of the resorts, cause beaches are 100% public in Hawaii.
You can find cheap airfares at comparison sites like farechase.yahoo.com. I just checked for you, and a round-trip fare for two, from NJ to Honolulu, has low fares of around $790 from Northwest and average of about $1000 from multiple carriers.
Waikiki resort areas are generally full of tourists, but this summer is a bit different, and lots of hotels are offering discounts and specials, which doesn’t happen usually. For cheap hotels and attractions, see the source link.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 am
There’s a hotel a few blocks north of the Lahaina Cannery Mall that used to be an apartment complex. It is surprisingly affordable, and it is Quiet with a capital Q, unless you count the sound of the waves breaking on the seawall.
It is also kitschy as all get out. You’re just about guaranteed to get a hula girl lamp in your room, but you may not get a beaded curtain. You probably will have a kitchen and a sitting room, though. I’ve stayed there 6 or 7 times myself.
I’ll link you to a page in their website that doesn’t play Don Ho. May I recommend the Plumeria Suite, at $150/night?
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Gas is creeping upwards towards $5 a gallon on Maui. Interisland flights are more expensive since Aloha ceased 60 years of operations. Most attractions should charge about the same.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I’m in my mid thirties, husband is in early forties. We’re definitely not the partying type! We like snorkeling and hiking. We tried Kauai for the first time this year and loved it. My favorite island is the Big Island, because it has so many cool hiking trails and because of the active volcanoes. But Kauai beats the Big Island with it’s beaches, which are much more accessible than on the Big Island. They’re also a much better quality, as the newer beaches on the Big Island tend to be rockier and/or have coarser sand.
My best money saving tip for Hawaii is: first stop after checking in at the hotel–> WALMART. Stock up on bottled water, snacks, coffee (Kona coffee for cheap? YES!), souvenirs, cheap beach towels and mats, snorkeling gear. Expect astronomical gas prices. Try doing free things over expensive stuff like helicopter tours, charter boats. Jerry Sprout writes books for each of the islands that lists hiking trails, bike trails, snorkel spots, surf spots, beaches, etc. Indispensable.
Enjoy your trip!
December 8th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Maui definitely has what you are looking for. Oahu is too crowded/touristy. Maui has great beaches, great shopping, great sights and day trips:Volcano, Road to Hana(!!!!), Io State Park, Lahaina. During winter, great whale watching. Lots of places to go snorkeling. Almost every dive shop (and there are only about 50 of them) rent snorkels,fins and mask. I think I paid about $20 for the week and they were not the cheapest by far. My wife and I are going back to Maui in October.