The Complete Kauai Vacation Guide

February 23, 2010 by admin-help · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Kauai, Kauai Activities, Prices, Vacation Planning 

So, you’re planning a vacation to Kauai. This is the complete Kauai Vacation Guide based on my experiences, opinions, and preferences. I hope it helps you plan your trip. It is the online version of my ebook, Plan Your Best Vacation to Kauai Ever, Where to Stay and What to Do on Kauai. If you’d rather save it to your computer and read it there, right click on the link and download it.

Topics in this guide

Aloha!

So you’re planning a vacation to Kauai –

Congratulations! You are going to have SUCH FUN! First, you’ll be flying in to Lihue (airport code LIH) and you may be able to find a direct flight from your city or at least the west coast of the U.S. Mainland into Lihue. A few airlines do this these days. If not, your airline will probably schedule your connecting flight from Honolulu for you. If you have to do it yourself, you’ll want to contact either Go! Airlines http://www.iflygo.com/ or Hawaiian Airlines http://www.hawaiianair.com/

My Favorites on Kauai

My Favorite area is either Poipu (or Koloa) or Princeville.

They both have their own charm. Princeville gets a bit more rain than Poipu, but not too much.

My favorite hotel:

Hands down, the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Koloa (near Poipu). This is one of those places that I just love. Lots to do, they’ll watch your kids or help you get married. The grounds are awesome. Nice place. $299 a night at expedia.

And, if you are military or GS and have access to them - I also *really* enjoyed the beach cabins on barking sands beach within the Navy’s Pacific missile range facility. This was in 1996 (on my honeymoon), and I haven’t stayed since, so I don’t know the current condition, but they were so fun and isolated and on the most awesome, empty beach you’ve ever seen.

Activities :

The hiking on Kauai is amazing, if you are into that kind of thing, and the Na Pali Coast boat trips are also a must-do in my opinion. Every time we have gone out on the rafts, we have seen dolphins. The rafts can’t leave from the North Shore anymore, so these days I mostly recommend so these days I mostly recommend Na Pali Catamaran.

Best Weather on Kauai

Kauai is an island full of great weather

Sure, there’s a bit more rain on Kauai than some of the other islands, but there’s never much on the south and west shores (so you can always find sun) and there’s still not a whole lot. Passing showers means 5 minutes of (warm!) rain and then 1 to 5 hours of Sun. We never give up on what we are doing for a passing shower.

Sunniest weather is in Waimea (20 rain inches per YEAR) and second sunniest is in Poipu or Koloa.

Kauai in the winter is still warmer than California much of the year, and the ocean is still 72 degrees. Oh yeah.

Best Hotels in Kauai

These are the best hotels in all of Kauai, in my opinion.

If you consistently find higher prices than what I have found, maybe prices are up due to season high season or some other reason. If you find lower, don’t question it, just book it!

Best Overall, Beach-Locations, or Luxury Hotels On Kauai

Best Family Hotels in Kauai

  • Aloha Beach Resort Kauai, $84 at priceline
  • Lae Nani, $147.00 at website, $158 at priceline
  • Hyatt Regency Kauai, $299.00 at expedia
  • Sheraton Kauai Resort, $189.00 at expedia
  • Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club, $199.00 at expedia

Best Budget-Priced Hotels on Kauai

Many of these hotels don’t list with expedia and priceline. If you call them directly for reservations, be sure to ask “do you have any discounts that could bring my rate down?” You could get a yes and a better rate off the bat.

I also highly recommend bidding on priceline. Many of these smaller operations do not sell rooms to priceline, and so if you are bidding on Priceline you will normally get something like a resort or a 2 to 4 star hotel. Remember, you can’t pick your hotel if you bid, just your desired star level.

You’ll have the most luck with getting low bids accepted on priceline when the hotels are hurting for visitors, but try anytime. You could really get some good deals.

As an example, if you visit bidding for travel you’ll see the Kauai Marriott has accepted bids around $110 to $125 in the past. Compare this with the best price I could find at $199 a night, and the savings are substantial.

Best Romantic Hotels and Hotels for Weddings On Kauai

Bidding on Hawaii Travel at Priceline and Hotwire

Bidding on Priceline and hotwire is a great way to save money on hotels and sometimes even flights to Hawaii. I have personally bid and gotten $55 at the Royal Kona Resort, and $120 at the Waikoloa Marriott. My friend got $110 at the Waikoloa Hilton, and $85 at the Hapuna Prince. All of these hotels are on the Big Island.

I know someone who bid and received a roundtrip flight from San Francisco to Honolulu for $250. These are good deals!

Oh, and don’t forget car rentals. You can get great deals on car rentals by bidding.

The only issue with bidding for hotels is that you won’t know what hotel you get until you are locked in to paying for it. You just specify a certain star level or class of hotel.

The only issue with bidding for flights is that you won’t be able to specify an exact time, but they do tell you it will be sometime between x morning hour and x evening hour, so not too bad.

So How Should I Bid on Hawaii Travel?

Hotels:

I like to decide on a hotel I like, then find out what its star level is. Then on Priceline, I go directly to naming my own price, and during the process priceline will tell you what the average price is for that star level. I then bid half of that.

The priceline website will have a ticker of recently accepted rates in the area you are searching for that is helpful.

An awesome resource is the bidding for travel forum. If you scroll down on the home page you’ll see three Hawaii forums, based on which islands you are planning to visit. People bid, and then come here and post their accepted and rejected rates.

I have heard that the posted ‘median retail prices’ at priceline are sometimes inaccurate. I don’t worry about this in Hawaii because I am so familiar with what the hotels cost here. You, however, may want to check prices on the website of a few hotels that are the same star level as you want. You can then try to bid 50% of that.

Rental Cars –

$15 a day is a good place to start, and check the recent winning bids on Priceline.

Flights –

I like to bid 50% of whatever the going rate is and then bid up in $50 increments if that is refused.

Most Fun, Must-Do, Activities and Things to Do on Kauai

This is my list of the most exciting and fun things to do on Kauai in my opinion.

Inexpensive or Free Activities on Kauai

  • Queen’s bath – mostly cool because it looks so idyllic. Only good in the summer months when the surf is not high http://www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/sites_to_see/QueensBath.htm
  • Check out Waimea Canyon. Looks out of place in Hawaii but is pretty darn cool to look at.
  • Hiking – the hiking on Kauai is the best in the state. If you are into hiking, you are in for a good time.

Best Ways I like to Save Money on Kauai

Bidding for travel

I like bidding at priceline for hotels and rental cars and airfare. This can save a lot of money right away.

Hawaii Entertainment Book

Normally here, I would recommend the Hawaii Entertainment book from Entertainment.com . However, if you will just be on Kauai, it won’t be much good for you. If you will be island hopping to Maui or Oahu, then think about it.

The book is typically best for Oahu, second best for Maui, and marginal for the Big Island and Kauai. I can’t recommend it for Kauai or the Big Island, really. Sigh. Wouldn’t it be nice if that changed in the near future.

Best Kauai Beaches and Must-See Beaches on Kauai

Don’t hit all of these unless you are really into beaches. Just pick a few and take your time.

Note:

In Hawaii, all beaches are public. Anywhere that there is water, there must be public access to the shoreline. If you are in a residential neighborhood and want to check out the beach, just look for the blue signs that say “shoreline access” and follow the path, even if it’s directly between two houses.

Sometimes, though, residential beaches do not have restrooms or showers.

Don’t worry about directions too much. Kauai is a small island and you can see the ocean from almost everywhere. If you can see the ocean, you can find your way.

  • Kee Beach (north shore) - Calm with good snorkeling and swimming in the summer, a famous movie filming location
  • Tunnels - Large beach with good snorkeling and deep water caverns for scuba, no facilities
  • Hideways (north shore) - Amazing beach, 10 minute hike from parking area. Secluded but accessible. No facilities. Calm in summer.
  • Anini Beach (north shore) - Huge, protective reef, easy to get there, great snorkeling and swimming
  • Moloaa Beach - Protected, beautiful cove with good swimming
  • Lydgate State Park (east shore) - Awesome for families, very protected area, nearby playground
  • Poipu Beach Park - Excellent facilities, excellent swimming and snorkeling. Great beach
    Kauai really is an island of awesome beach after awesome beach and much of the shoreline is beach around the entire island. You can‟t go wrong, so I just listed some of my favorites here.

Tags:

The Complete Oahu Vacation Guide

February 11, 2010 by Lisa · 1 Comment
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Most Popular Questions, Oahu, Oahu Activities, Vacation Planning 

Plan Your Best Vacation to Oahu Ever - Where to Stay and What to Do On Oahu

This is the Complete Oahu Vacation Guide, which is just about everything I know about Oahu that I think a first time oahu visitor wants to know at one time. This is the online version of my ebook, Plan Your Best Vacation to Oahu Ever, so if you’d rather read this in ebook form or be able to download it to your computer, you can right-click on the ebook link and save it.

Topics in this guide

Aloha!
So you’re planning a vacation to Oahu – congratulations! You are going to have SUCH FUN! First, you‟ll be flying in to Honolulu Airport (HNL). You may not need a rental car because the public and activity transportation is so good (and because parking fees are sometimes pretty high).

This is all my opinion, based on my preferences and resources. I hope my opinions help point you in the direction you most want to take based on your preferences and resources.

My Favorites on Oahu

Honestly, I like Waikiki the best. Probably because I live in Hilo (which is slow and quiet with not too much to do) so I like to visit the high energy with tons to do area of Waikiki. We always stay in Waikiki, we love Waikiki Beach, and we like to walk around downtown and ride the trolley around at night.

My favorite hotel: We generally stay in a different hotel every time we go but if I had to pick an absolute favorite, maybe it would be the Hilton Hawaiian Village (typical best price: $171 on expedia).

Rental Car or not.
My husband likes to get a car because that’s how he is, but if just my son and I go, we don’t. We take a shuttle from the airport to the hotel ($11 per person) and avoid the parking fees and headache.

Activities Outside of Waikiki:

If we want to do something outside of Waikiki, we consider the bus, a shuttle, or renting a car for the day in Waikiki. Don’t worry, this will all be incredibly easy to figure out once you get here. People will be falling over themselves to get you to take their shuttle or rent their car.

Availability of transportation: In the busy season (when we’re not in a recession ) availability might be an issue, but not usually. I wouldn’t worry about it.

Staying outside of Waikiki:

If I wasn’t going to stay in Waikiki, I would stay on the North Shore (turtle bay resort – best price I’ve found: $218 at Priceline) or maybe in a vacation rental on or near Lanikai Beach (Kailua area).

West Side? I’m not a big fan of the West side, probably because there are minimal tradewinds and I just get too hot, but there are some wonderfully inexpensive beachfront, long-term rentals out that way (Makaha Beach Cabanas, Hawaiian Princess).

Best Weather on Oahu

Oahu is an island full of great weather – you really can’t go wrong, winter or summer. Waikiki is great weather; the best you really need. The West Side has the least rain and the most sun, but it is far from everything. The East side has a bit cooler weather and not TOO much rain, especially close to the ocean.

Best Hotels in Oahu

These are the best hotels in all of Oahu, in my opinion. Generally, in Oahu you will find small pools with minimal extras at the hotels, because the great swimming beaches and extras are so easily available scattered around the island. Expect *not* to spend your whole vacation at the hotel.

If you consistently find higher prices than what I have found, maybe prices are up due to season high season or some other reason. If you find lower, don’t question it, just book it!

Best Overall, Beach-Locations, and Luxury Hotels On Oahu

This is my opinion - the prices given are the best price that I could find based on a search of Priceline, Expedia, hotels.com, and the hotel website for the same time period. Prices could change, I just wanted to give you an idea of what the hotel rooms cost for each hotel.

You can click through to expedia for a review, or download my book for a very short blurb on each hotel.

Best Family Hotels on Oahu

Best Budget-Priced Hotels On Oahu

Many of these hotels don’t list with expedia and priceline. If you call them directly for reservations, be sure to ask: “do you have any discounts that could bring my rate down?‟ You could get a yes and a better rate off the bat.

I also highly recommend bidding on priceline. Most of these smaller operations do not sell rooms to priceline, and so if you are bidding on Priceline you will normally get something like the Waikiki Prince Hotel, which is a nice hotel. I have seen bids accepted for $75 there.

You’ll have the most luck with getting low bids accepted on priceline when the hotels are hurting for visitors, but try anytime. You could really get some good deals. When the hotels are hurting for visitors, I would even bid $95 or so on 4 star hotels. According to the Bidding for travel, the 4 star Hawaii Prince Marina has accepted bids at $75 in September of 2009 (last minute bids).

Best Romantic Hotels and Hotels for Weddings On Oahu

Bidding on Hawaii Travel at Priceline and Hotwire

Bidding on Priceline and hotwire is a great way to save money on hotels and sometimes even flights to Hawaii. I have personally bid and gotten $55 at the Royal Kona Resort, and $120 at the Waikoloa Marriott. My friend got $110 at the Waikoloa Hilton, and $85 at the Hapuna Prince. I know someone who bid and received a roundtrip flight from San Francisco to Honolulu for $250. These are good deals!

Oh, and don’t forget car rentals. You can get great deals on car rentals by bidding. The only issue with bidding for hotels is that you won’t know what hotel you get until you are locked in to paying for it. You just specify a certain star level or class of hotel. The only issue with bidding for flights is that you won‟t be able to specify an exact time, but they do tell you it will be sometime between x morning hour and x evening hour, so not too bad.

So How Should I Bid on Hawaii Travel?

Hotels: I like to decide on a hotel I like, then find out what its star level is. Then on Priceline, I go directly to naming my own price, and during the process priceline will tell you what the average price is for that star level. I then bid half of that. The priceline website will have a ticker of recently accepted rates in the area you are searching for that is helpful.

An awesome resource is the bidding for travel forum. If you scroll down on the home page you’ll see three Hawaii forums, based on which islands you are planning to visit. People bid, and then come here and post their accepted and rejected rates. I have heard that the posted “median retail prices‟ at priceline are sometimes inaccurate. I don’t worry about this in Hawaii because I am so familiar with what the hotels cost here.

You, however, may want to check prices on the website of a few hotels that are the same star level as you want. You can then try to bid 50% of that. Rental Cars – $15 a day is a good place to start, and check the recent winning bids on Priceline.

Flights – I like to bid 50% of whatever the going rate is and then bid up in $50 increments if that is refused.

Most Fun, Must-Do, Activities and Things to Do on Oahu

This is my list of the most exciting and fun things to do on Oahu in my opinion.

Wild Side Specialty Tours – small group, eco-minded, really cool, wild-dolphin swims. One of the most awesome things you‟ll ever do.

  • Atlantis Submarines tour. Good fun for kids and adults, very interesting, not scary. We had dolphins circle us when I went. That was really cool.
  • Learn to surf on Waikiki Beach, just show up and look for signs
  • Bodysurf at any beach with some wave action
  • Dolphin Quest at the Kahala Resort is good fun
  • The Arizona memorial is interesting to some, but my family enjoys the USS Bowfin Submarine museum and the Mighty Mo more.
  • Sea Life Park is cool if you have kids or are interested
  • The Polynesian Cultural Center is well-done with plenty of interesting shows and exhibits
  • The Bishop Museum is interesting to people who have an interest in Hawaiian culture and history
  • Charter Boat Fishing
  • Glider rides, sky-diving, or hang-gliding if you‟re brave
  • Helicopter or airplane tours of the island
  • Hiking Diamond Head, Manoa Falls, or Kapena Falls
  • Kayak Kailua Bay
  • Stand-up Paddleboarding, the newest craze around the world and in Hawaii. Easy, and good fun, but you may be sore the next day. If balancing is hard or if you have a wiggly child on the front, just paddle on your knees. Easiest for beginners with flat water and no wind. Go in the morning.
  • Sunset Sails in Waikiki. Just walk up to the boat on the beach and ask about it. Amazing sunsets every night and in your face
  • Whale Watching December to May – Whale watching is actually better on the other islands for some reason, but if you do manage to find a boat you like and see some whales it‟s an awesome experience
  • Hanauma Bay is cool for many – snorkeling with TONS of fish in a protected cove, and on 2nd and 4th Saturdays you can do it at night. Cool.

Inexpensive or Free Activities on Oahu

  • If you have kids, the Waikiki aquarium is worth a look and fairly inexpensive.
  • A Hanauma Bay snorkeling trip – this is the only beach in Hawaii you’ll have to pay to visit, but it’s not expensive at all
  • Rent snorkel gear, a paddle board, surfboard, boogie board, or kayak
  • Body surf at any beach with mild wave action, except Sandy’s, or anything with big waves. You want to enjoy your vacation, not see what the inside of Hawaii’s hospitals look like.
  • Hike anywhere. The hiking is really good and sometimes quite easy on Oahu, with great rewards (think waterfalls)
  • Honestly, Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park is a fun day at a decent price. My family likes it.
  • In the winter, head out to the north shore to watch the big wave action. You‟ve never seen anything like it.
  • Dole Pineapple maze – a hedge maze in the Guinness Book of World Records. It‟s cool and only $5.
  • Chinatown – authentic! And interesting
  • Hawaii‟s Plantation Village
  • Sea life park admission is relatively inexpensive if you don‟t do anything extra
  • Waimea Valley Audobon Center – used to be adventure park but now it‟s more of a garden. If there’s a lifeguard you can swim in the pool under the waterfall at the end of the park.
  • Beach-hopping - Just drive, walk, or take the bus until you find a beach and hang out. It’s really that easy on Oahu.
  • Catch the free torch lighting hula show every other evening in Waikiki. Just ask your hotel staff. It’s a great show.
  • I like to walk through the lobbys of the grander hotels on Waikiki beach to see what’s going on there. They don’t mind. No one questions you, but if someone ever did, you could just say you are scoping out the hotel for your next trip.
  • The Marriott Waikiki Beach has a mini-version of the Halona blowhole that goes off in their lobby every once in a while. Some places have cultural demonstrations, live music, or hula shows.

Best Ways I like to Save Money on Oahu

Bidding for travel
I like bidding at priceline for hotels and rental cars and airfare. This can save a lot of money right away

Hawaii Entertainment Book

Entertainment.com sells coupons books for dozens of locations across the country. The Hawaii book is pretty good if there are two of you, especially for fine dining deals. The Buy One Get One free Entrees are phenomenal.

There are also activity and casual dining coupons, national coupons (like free upgrade or free day car rentals, six flags coupons, and hotwire coupons) and supposed hotel savings. In my experience, the hotel savings are not any better than what you can find on the internet, and so I don’t recommend them. If you have a different experience I’d love to hear about it.

The book is typically best for Oahu, second best for Maui, and marginal for the Big Island and Kauai. I can’t recommend it for Kauai or the Big Island, really. Sigh. Wouldn’t it be nice if that changed in the near future. Check to see if the book works for your trip.

Go Oahu Card
The Go Oahu Card is a discount card that you pay a one-time fee for and then you can do whatever activities covered under the card at any time. I really like it for a certain class of vacationer: The type that consistently gets out and GOES to activity after activity. If you plan on lounging on the beach most of the day, this is not for you.

I also really like this for a gift to honeymooners or vacationers. What a great gift! (and I like the entertainment book as a gift too). Check to see if the card works for you.

Best Oahu Beaches and Must-See Beaches on Oahu

Don’t hit all of these unless you are really into beaches. Just pick a few and take your time.

** Note: In Hawaii, all beaches are public. Anywhere that there is water, there must be public access to the shoreline. If you are in a residential neighborhood and want to check out the beach, just look for the blue signs that say “shoreline access” and follow the path, even if it’s directly between two houses. Sometimes, though, residential beaches do not have restrooms or showers.

Don’t worry about directions too much. Oahu is a small island and you can see the ocean from almost everywhere. If you can see the ocean, you can find your way.

Waikiki Beach - This is where all the action is. Instant surfing lessons, paddle an outrigger canoe, walk up to a catamaran and be riding it over the open ocean an hour later … Waikiki Beach is an awesome whirlwind of activity and people with consistently awesome weather and mellow surf.

There’s a protected area for babies to play, plus wide spots and perfectly sandy spots. It’s like a giant, beautifully clean bathtub that you are sharing with the world. I love Waikiki Beach. A must-see beach.

Ala Moana Beach - This is a locals beach, and it’s very close to Waikiki Beach. It fringes Ala Moana Park, which is a great place to walk or picnic. It’s well protected and wonderful for kids.

Kahala Beach - A pretty beach in a very rich, residential area. Shallow reef with good snorkeling in some areas.

Hanauma Bay - The value here isn’t so much in the beach as it is in the snorkeling. The fish are everywhere, and they don’t run from people too much. They are used to us.

Kailua Beach - Awesome beach with tons to do. Rent kayaks right at the park and head out to the offshore islands.

Lanikai Beach - One of my favorite beaches ever. Really what a Hawaiian beach that is not a cove should look like. Lazy, gorgeous, relaxation beach.

Laie or Hukilau Beach - Really cool beach with one awesome off-shore island. Mostly calm and swimmable.

Sunset Beach - In the summer (may – September) this is an awesome, fun beach to play at. In the winter, the waves will scare you out of the water, but drop your jaw when they are rocking. It’s fun either way.

Sharks cove - An amazing snorkeling cove in the summer. In the winter the waves get too big.

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Awesome, awesome beach. Beautiful and fun. Turtles like it, people like it, definitely check it out for swimming in the summer. In the winter, you want to check it out but for the WAVES. Waimea Bay is where some of the biggest and wildest surfing waves in the WORLD are.

The south side and the west side have some very nice beaches that I have not mentioned (Ko Olina Lagoons, Makaha Beach Park, Papaoneone Beach …) but I am not going to go into them. If you are staying out there, you‟ll find them. If you are not staying out there, in my opinion it‟s not worth a trip because the beaches in the areas where you will be already are just as good. The only difference on the west side will be less people for the most part.

Oahu Areas, Weather, and Seasons

Waikiki/Honolulu Overview

Waikiki is where most people who visit Oahu stay. It is essentially the beachfront area of the large city Honolulu. It is incredibly safe for a large city. In fact, all of Hawaii is very safe. There are some thefts from cars, but person on person crime is very rare. There are over 80 hotels in Waikiki alone. The beach is packed every day – but it’s a good and fun kind of packed; lots to do and lots of happy people running around doing it.

The water is clear and refreshing (72 degrees year round) and the beach is clean. I like Waikiki. Some people will shun it because of the rampant commercialization and the skyscrapers and the buildings packed on top of each other, but as long as you know this is what it will be like, you can still enjoy Waikiki. The beach is phenomenal and makes up for all of that, plus the “country” of Oahu is a short ride away by car or bus. Good deal. Waikiki Hotels will offer the best deals in all of Hawaii and Waikiki activities such as surfing lessons and sunset or dinner cruises will also offer the most competitive prices in the islands.

Waikiki Weather and Waves

Average Temperature in Summer (May – September): High: 87 to 89 degrees F Low: 72 degrees F
Average Temperature in Winter (October –April) High: 80 to 84 Low: 68 to 70
Avg Rainfall per month in Summer ½ inch Avg Rainfall per month in winter 2 inches Waves in Winter Generally small waves in winter – still usually big enough for a beginner to learn to surf, but almost never so big your babies can’t play on the shore.

Waves in SummerHawaii gets South Swells in the summer, which means that occasionally, the waves will be so big on Waikiki Beach that you won’t feel comfortable being in the water unless you are an expert swimmer. There is an area in the center called Kuhio beach or Baby beach where there is a wall blocking the waves, so people can still get in the water. I wouldn’t try first-ever surfing lessons during a south swell though.

The Rest of Oahu Overview

Outside of Waikiki and Honolulu, you can find one Hotel on the North Shore, the Turtle Bay Hilton, and a few hotels on the West Side of the island like Makaha Bay Towers and Ko Olina Resort. All of these hotels are at least a half hour drive from Honolulu and the airport. There are also countless vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts scattered around the island.

Ewa Beach area

Location: South side on the other side of Pearl Harbor from Waikiki

Weather: Hot and sunny all the time, even at night this area will be slow to cool down Rain: very little – 20 inches or less a year

Waves: occasional big waves in the summer Beach: Ewa beach is long and pretty, with houses lining it. This is a residential area, and some of the beach leads to clear water, some is full of coral, rocks, and seaweed. We still swim in it but this may not be what you are looking for. Activities: Nothing really except hanging out on the beach. You‟ll have to go elsewhere for boats and attractions.

Hotels: None. There are plenty of vacation rentals.

West Side of Oahu This is Ko Olina, Nankuli, Waianae, and Makaha.

Safety Issue?
You may have heard that Makaha and Waianae are not safe areas. Well, it’s true that they are considered a poorer areas but that image of being not safe is outdated. Don’t leave valuables in your car and you’ll be fine out here.

Weather:
Hot and sunny all the time, even at night this area will be slow to cool down Rain: very little – 20 inches or less a year Beach: There are many awesome beaches in this area.

Activities: The Ko Olina Hotel has some ocean activities, and Wild Side Specialty Tours: operates a wild dolphin swim in the area too.

Hotels: Ko Olina Resort , Hawaiian Princess, Makaha Beach Cabanas, and Makaha Valley Towers. You‟ll also find vacation rentals. Some of the places in Makaha offer great long term rental opportunities.

East Side of Oahu

This is Waimanalo, Kailua, Lanikai, Kaneohe, Kaaawa, Waimea, and Laie, although Laie is practically on the North Shore.

Weather:
A bit cooler than the South and west sides thanks to constant onshore winds. Rain: A bit more rain, than other areas too, but not too much if you are on or near the beach. Between 30 and 60 inches a year.

Beach: Tons and tons of blow-your-mind-awesome beaches.

Activities:
Lots of stuff to do: hike, windsurf, kayak, shop, sightsee, snorkel, lounge on the beach, and tons more. Hotels: None. Many phenomenal vacation rentals. I like Waimanalo area, Kailua, and Lanikai area – especially Lanikai for the beach.

North Shore of Oahu

This is Waimea, Kahuku, and Haleiwa. Small, laid-back, surfing towns.

Weather: Hot and sunny Rain: Between 20 and 40 inches a year.

Waves: Waves big enough to shake the ground in the winter months. People come from every country just to look at these waves. No waves in the summer months.

Beach: Great beaches and snorkeling coves. Swim in the summer, come just to look in the winter, unless you are an expert surfer.

Activities: Lots of stuff to do: hike, shark dive, gliding, kayak, shop, sightsee, snorkel, jet ski, lounge on the beach, and tons more.

Hotels: Only the Turtle Bay Hilton. Lots of right-on the-beach vacation rentals.

Summary

So that’s it, have a wonderful, wonderful vacation. Hawaii is a great place and you really can’t go wrong here. Leave me a comment if you want to share any stories or ask any questions.

Tags:

Hilton Waikoloa Village Hotel Questions

February 5, 2010 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Beaches, Big Island Hotels, Vacation Planning 

(to the sender of this email - your email failed when I tried to reply to you :( )

My husband and I have booked a 6 night stay at Hilton Waikoloa Village (end of July – over my birthday!!!).

A few questions:

1) Can we get snorkeling gear at the hotel and simply snorkel off the beach at the hotel….will we get to see much? We are just looking to see some colorful fish and a turtle would be nice! (We usually pay for a snorkeling trip on other vacations) –we also plan to enjoy watching the dolphins on site – we will likely not pay the $$$ to swim with them though!

2) We plan to rent a car for at least 1 day (if not 2). If you could only pick 2 destinations (day trips) on the big island which would they be? (Is there a rental place nearby?)

a. We would be willing to drive up to 2 (maybe 3 hours) from the hotel, enjoy nature, and would be open to moderate to light hiking if it meant we ended up somewhere worth it (waterfalls…etc)

b. We don’t want to cram too much into each day (especially if driving a far distance to and from)

c. Things that spark our interest from our research. Akaka Falls, the black beach, the volcano (especially the idea of seeing molten lava at the waters edge), Coffee Plantation Tour.

d. We see the Hilton has a Luau on site and were planning to go to that, but you mentioned another Luau on the big island as being your favorite. I am guessing we would need to rent a car to get to this. How far away is it from the Hotel and worth renting a car to go off site too? Have you been to the one at Hilton Waikoloa – how does it compare?

e. Please include any great stops for a good lunch along the way (relatively inexpensive to moderate cost)

3) Are there shuttles from Waikoloa Hilton to other area attractions and/or grocery stores (We would like to stock the room fridge with lunch snacks)?

4) What price range should we be looking at for meals at the restaurant options at the Hotel – just trying to determine budget?

5) Is there a special place that you would recommend on the Hilton Property that is relatively private and is great for viewing the sun set?

Well thank you :)

and how fun! wonderful! Ok …

snorkeling gear, you know, we always brought our own so I am not 100% sure about this, but it seems like a really good bet that they will have something - you will have to rent it though. The Hilton employs an onsite company called red sail sports to provide all the boats and stuff for people who want them. If rental prices seem too much you will probably be able to buy snorkels at the gift shop.

There is no real beach outside of the hotels grounds, only a lagoon with a beach inside, and snorkeling in the lagoon is pretty good. We see turtles, eels, and fish all the time. The turtles like to eat the leaves of the trees that around the lagoon between the waterfall and the steps.

Some people go out into the cove, and snorkeling is probably good there too.

For the car … well, maybe you could plan a trip to the Volcano, and hit the coffee plantation and the Black sand beach (punaluu) at the same time - they are on the way. You’ll want to check the current status of the volcano to see if it’s worth a trip the day before you plan to go - what’s going on down there changes daily.

Here’s my blog about it, but I only do general updates about once a month if nothing crazy is going on.

I think there is a budget rent a car on property at the Hilton.

The luau at the Hilton is also very good. I would just stick with it.

There is a trolley from the Hilton to the nearby Queens shops where there is a grocery store.

The hilton restaurants range from expensive to outrageous (but with really good food :). The grill by the pool may be your most inexpensive bet - $8 or so for a burger if I remember correctly.

as for the sunset walks - you can see the most awesome sunsets from anywhere on the grounds. There are a few hammocks here and there and many beach cabanas. There’s a point by the ocean tower that juts out and walking down there is good at night.

Have a great time! Lisa

Tags:

Beach Color in Hawaii and Beaches Quality in Kona

February 4, 2010 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Areas, Big Island Beaches, Hawaii - general, Vacation Planning 

I’m planning a trip and have read your q&a on doing so. My question that I can’t seem to figure out is, on what island/beach will I find the ocean water to be that crystal blue/green so clear that you can see through. I know it may sound silly but that’s what I’m looking for, I prefer white sandy beaches with that aqua turquoise color. I’ve done some searches on “what color is the ocean in hawaii” etc but haven’t found what I’m looking for.

I’d like to visit waterfalls, do some snorkeling, visit a volcano (not the highest priority) I’m thinking that I’ll take two weeks. I’m traveling with a friend who is providing me with free airline passes to get there, he said something about going to the big island first, then on to kona, he’ll be with me the first few days and then he’ll be leaving me on my own. I’d like a place to relax, enjoy the water, snorkel, do some sight seeing.

Ok, that crystal blue-green you are looking for, I think that comes from a play of the sunlight through the water, and only happens with very shallow, long, open beaches (meaning not coves) where the bottom is all white sand.

Hawaii is not the best place for these types of beaches, in my opinion, because of how quickly the water becomes deep almost everywhere.

You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of it when the sun is right on most any island, for example, look at the second to the last picture here on Kauanoa beach on the big island - and the last picture of Abay on the big island here - and look at the last couple pictures of Kailua beach on Oahu here - and then a pic of anini beach on Kauai here.

Now, although I have two examples on the Big Island, the Big Island will really be the hardest island to see something like this on - only beaches on the west side would even have a chance.

Here’s one more thing to kind of get you thinking. See my pictures here from a boat tour we did in the Kealakekua Bay. Notice the difference in the colors of the water in the pictures. we were in 50 to 75 foot deep, perfectly clear water, and all those pics were taken within 10 minutes and 20 feet or so of each other - to this day I don’t know why the extremem difference in the color of the water.

The beaches right in Kona are interesting, but not spectacular. The little beach to the left of the Kailua pier sometimes has the pretty green color, but it’s not a beach to hang out on - more like a tiny strip of sand that sometimes gets swallowed by the ocean when the tide is high. Kids like it.

There’s a few more beaches along Alii Drive like Magic Sands and Kahaluu, but none of them will wow you that much. Kahaluu has lots of turtles which is cool.

Many places on the west side of the Big Island, which will be up north of Kona 15-30 miles, will make you happy.
… hmm, rereading I see you are going to be at the Marriott - if so, that would possibly be the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, which is on the West side and right on Anaehoomalu Bay (or A-Bay) and you willl probably like it, especially if you can make a trip to the Hapuna beach and maybe even the Kauanaoa Beach.

anyway, have an awesome time! Lisa

Tags:

Molokai Tours and Times from Oahu (Father Damien)

February 1, 2010 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Molokai, Oahu, Vacation Planning 

Hi. My husband and I will be on Oahu through February and want to go to Molokai. Will we have to go via Maui, or can we fly direct from Oahu? We have plenty of time but need to know how long a visit to St Damien’s church and site will take.

Hi - you should be able to fly direct from Oahu, but your plane may be quite small :)

By visiting father Damien’s church - do you mean going down to Kaluapapa where he did all his work? That’s an all day thing because you have to take a mule down, unless you take the air tour.

You can also take your own plane right from Oahu if you want to spend that kind of money.

Tags: