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.

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Hawaii Honeymoon Booking Questions

January 26, 2010 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Oahu, Oahu Activities, Prices, Vacation Planning 

Hi Lisa: Wanted to get your input on some things.

We are planning our honeymoon and would like to stay in Oahu for 7 nights. We are looking at July 26 - Aug 2. I understand that flying on a workday is cheaper, than the weekends. It is so hard to find the best package and know which one to trust. There are so many sites to choose from, but it worries me to use one of these 3rd party on line websites, such as “Priceline, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc” .

I have personally used expedia, priceline, travelocity, and orbitz and they are all reputable businesses that provide valid services. really :)

I found yet another website that took me to “Great Hawaiian Vacations”. They are a travel agent who will help you choose your best package. Are they trustworthy?

I have not personally used great hawaii vacations, but it looks they are members of the better business bureau. I also found this post at tripadvisor where many people like them

Do any of these 3rd party websites get any commission if you use there services/website?

Yes, anybody who does booking for you will get some sort of a commission.

We are wanting to stay on the beach in Waikiki. I found that the “Outrigger Reef on the Beach” has the options we want. Do you recommend that hotel? If I go through a 3rd party to make the reservations, how would I communicate to the hotel that it is our honeymoon and what kind of special deals can we expect?

Yes, I recommend the Outrigger Reef on the Beach- I like all the Outriggers and this one is a nice one.

The booking party may be able to input notes that it is your honeymoon, if not you can let them know when you get there. You will not get any special deals probably, unless you specifically book a honeymoon deal and that is normally through the hotel itself. You may get a bottle of wine or champagne though.

When talking to an agent from “Great Hawaiian Vacations”, he mentioned that instead of renting a car from the airport and paying that price everyday + a $25 parking fee at the hotel, he recommends just renting on a daily basis. We can usually go through the hotel to rent a car and not have to pay that parking fee. What do you recommend?

This is a valid idea, especially if you won’t need the car everyday. If it’s important to you, you could actually do the math, confirm with the hotel that their parking fee is $25, then add up the car rental fee, then see how much it would be to just rent it per day.

There are certain activities that we would like to do while we are there. Do you recommend that we reserve ahead of time or wait until we arrive?

Activities consisting of:
snorkeling
go to a dinner luau (the one that has flame dancers). What is the best to go to?
rent a Harley Davidson for one day.
take a Pearl Harbor tour.

You are going during the busy season, so I would recommend prebooking your harley davidson rental and your luau. They are all good in Oahu but I recommend the paradise cove luau. There’s nothing to book for snorkeling unless you take a boat tour, for which case I would recommend prebooking, and for pearl harbor you are not able to prebook - you have to do it onsite.

When should we book our vacation/honeymoon to get the best price?

Well, I would ask the great hawaii vacation guys what they think, but generally, if you aren’t going to book last minute then you will want to book as early as possible. 2 months out is smart if you can do it.

Congratulations, and have a wonderful time!

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Shopping Locations in Hawaii

January 11, 2010 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Prices 

Now Lisa, Can you say on which Island the Shopping is the best? Such items as Shoes, clothing, perfumes?. Can you give an address or location to make it easier to access them?
If we can know that answer then it may pay us to stay on that Island for the last 4 nites prior to flying back to Aussie and means we do not need to “Carry” all the shopping with us!!

Shopping is the best on Oahu, in Waikiki - this is high end and low end shopping both. whatever you want. All the islands also have a Hilo Hatties that will have all the Hawaiian-themed stuff you want, especially clothing. Here’s the locations of all the hilo hattie’s

also, Walmart and Kmart are both on all the major islands and both will have a souvenir section with much of the stuff you would buy other places for usually better prices. They will also have stuff like mac nuts and Hawaiian sweet bread.

Have fun!

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Best Price on Luaus on Oahu

December 10, 2009 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Oahu, Oahu Activities, Prices 

I am planning a trip to Oahu this January but I am on a budget. The cost of luau’s are pretty steep on this island. Are there any economical luaus and where can I get any specials or discounts?

well, you have a few options - there’s something called an entertainment book that has a lot of coupons for Oahu.

in the 2010 edition (coupons good now) there is a coupon for 25% off Germaines Luau and Paradise Cove Luau for four adults.

There are also luaus at the Polynesian Cultural Center, if you were planning to go there anyway you could just purchase a ticket that includes a luau.

There are also coupon books available at the airport andyour hotel that may offer discounts, although probably not as much as 25% off.
Have a great time! Lisa

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Value of Hawaii All Inclusive - All Included Vacation Packages

December 4, 2008 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Most Popular Questions, Oahu, Oahu Activities, Prices, Vacation Planning 

I’m in the process of planning my honeymoon and would love to visit Hawaii. I read some of the articles on your site and you seem to have a lot of knowledge about Hawaii. There’s a deal that I found on the internet, but my fiancé and I are unsure whether it IS really a good deal, like they claim. I copied and pasted it below. I would really appreciate it if you give me your feedback as to whether we should go ahead and book w/ them, or if we should book everything separately? (i.e. flight, hotel, activities, food, etc. to be separate) In other words, is the quoted price really worth it? Also, how much money should we plan to spend on top of this quoted price? (that is, for additional activities, food, etc.) We are trying to make it as affordable as possible. Thanks a lot!

**** Note. I was asked to remove the copied and pasted all inclusive waikiki vacation itinerary and I did. The itinerary included 1 to 2 activities per day, plus some meals, airfare and hotel, shuttle, transportation, tips, and trolley for a day.

So, I took your email and got the VALUE of what you are being offered as this: $1418.5 per person low-end, $1868.5 high end. Now, this is not a figure that can really be locked down, because I am figuring my values based on a low-moderate of what prices I know are available. For example, I did not determine the price of the Breakfast Buffet, but since I know breakfast buffets can be had in Waikiki for as little as $6 and as much as $30+ I decided on a low-moderate value of $12. The meal you may be booking could cost significantly more.

You also could go to Subway and get a breakfast Burrito and drink a bottle of water you got from the supermarket for $.60 and pay about $4 for breakfast .. it’s all relative.

That being said - here’s how I arrived at my figure:

I looked on Expedia fare tracker, and although most flights cost $900+ when you want to fly, there was one to be booked for $450.

Outrigger Waikiki West has an Internet Special at $89 per night. add taxes and fees and take this up to $105 or so. They also have higher priced rooms so I averaged $700 and $1050 and divided by 2 (per person) for 437.5 per person for 7 nights.

Lei greeting one person - $20
food plus tips: $200
activities: $300
airport shuttle each way plus tip $11

So, in terms of absolute money, I don’t think you are getting the best deal you could get. However, to have everything done for you and someone else worry about all the details and barely even have to bring a wallet? That may be worth it to you. Some people who work for themselves know the value of their time - and someone whose value per hour is $60+ or so would definitely find value in this trip.

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Cheapest Budget Way to Travel Between Hawaii Islands - Interisland Hopping, Flights, and Ferries

September 12, 2008 by Lisa · 2 Comments
Filed under: Big Island, Hawaii - general, Kauai, Maui, Most Popular Questions, Oahu, Prices, Vacation Planning 

What are the cheapest ways to island hop from Oahu? I heard of a hydrofoil boat that takes you to the other islands. Do you know about this and what the cost is? Thanks

I think the boat you have heard of is the Superferry, and it seems rates are about $49 one way now - compared with $69 one way which is the lowest you’ll occasionally find at Hawaiian Airlines and Go Airlines, it is indeed the cheapest. However, it only goes to Maui and back right now. It won’t come to the Big Island till sometime in 2009 and Kauai is having a legal battle about it right now - so who knows when it will go there.

Sometimes prices are higher, and sometimes they are lower. During high travel seasons things sell out quickly and what you can get goes at a premium, so maybe $104 each way is the best you’ll get at the airlines. Sometimes the airlines get into pricing wars for various reasons and their prices drop drastically. When Go! first entered the scene prices were dropping as low as $19 one way, but then one airline went bankrupt and all those deals disappeared.

The superferry hasn’t been around long enough for me to draw any conclusions about what it will or won’t do, but their prices have mostly held steady since they started.

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SuperCharge your Big Island of Hawaii Vacation Planning; Hawaii Big Island Revealed Review

June 29, 2008 by Lisa · 1 Comment
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Activities, Big Island Areas, Big Island Beaches, Big Island Hotels, Big Island Rentals, Hawaii - general, Hawaii Revealed Guides, Hawaii Volcanoes, Prices, Vacation Planning 

If you are planning a trip to the Big Island I highly recommend you get the book Hawaii the Big Island Revealed

I have lived in Hawaii for well over a decade, I’ve done just about every activity and hike I care to do, and I still refer to this book when someone asks me something I’m not sure about or just don’t know. I have each one they wrote. I don’t know who the authors are personally, but I have talked with many businesses and hear how they have been ’shopped’ by the authors.

The authors don’t put their pictures on the book and they don’t talk about who they are. When they go to research an activity or hotel they don’t try to get a free room or good service, they try to be treated like anybody else so they can give honest, accurate reports on just about everything there is to do on every island. They are even funny. And they are, really, brutally honest. If something is a dump they call it a dump. If something really rung their bells, you can tell.

The book is broken down well in categories like Activities and Adventures and Beaches and also by location. The index is very thorough. There are lots of spectacular pictures and area maps and complete driving directions. AND, maybe best of all, they provide aerial pictures of the hotels showing how close (or not) the hotel is to the ocean and which building is which (so you can request what building you want to have a room in).

Get the book, you will not regret it. Hawaii the Big Island Revealed

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Kailua-Kona Airport Taxis and Shuttles - Cost and Availability

June 10, 2008 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Big Island, Prices, Vacation Planning 

Our flight arrives in Kona after all the car rental companies are closed (I was told they all close at 10:00 p.m.)

My questions is - would it be best to take a cab from the airport to Keauhou - if so, roughly what wouild be the cost? Should it be reserved in advance? I’m concerned because 300+ people may be looking for transportation to their hotels as they cannot pick up ther rental cars that evening.

Any information on the best way to get to our condo would be appreciated.

I called a couple of taxi companies, and the airport to Keauhou will cost $36 to $39. It doesn’t seem like they take advanced reservations but one company gave me a number of the closest company to the airport if you find yourself unable to get a cab - she said call 329-1977 Mel’s Taxi and they’ll come right down. I can understand your concern, but if the taxi companies know the flight is coming in and they know the car rental companies are closed I am sure they’ll all be ready and waiting.

You also could reserve with speedishuttle- their phone message says they operate every day of the year, from the first flight in the morning to the last flight in the evening.

Have a wonderful vacation! Lisa

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Inexpensive or Cheap Luaus in Honolulu - Waikiki - Oahu

March 11, 2008 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Oahu, Oahu Activities, Prices, Vacation Planning 
Hi we are a family of 4 2 adults and 2 children under 10, we are going to hawaii next week. I need information about not so expensive luaus in Honolulu, all I have seen are very expensive!

Hi, what are you wanting the luau for? Is it just for the hula show? because there is usually a free Hula show on Waikiki Beach - ask your hotel for details. If you absolutely want to do a luau, then wait till you get to Honolulu and pick up the free coupon books at the airport or in any bin that line the streets of Honolulu and leaf through them. You will get a sense of what the cheapest one is that you can find that you want to go to. Also, if you were planning to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center they have a luau that may help you offset the cost a bit. The cheapest price I see is $69 at Germaines - is that what you are seeing? You can probably find it a bit cheaper if you look in the coupon books once you get there.

The Entertainment Book sometimes money off tickets at the Polynesian Cultural Center or similar entertainment.

Good luck!

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I Know Nothing about Hawaii and Want to Plan a Vacation - Tell Me Everything

January 8, 2008 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Big Island, Hawaii - general, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Most Popular Questions, Oahu, Prices, Vacation Planning 

Our family is considering taking a vacation in Hawaii. Maybe in the next year or so. Being pretty clueless when it comes to Hawaii, what would you suggest? It would be for 6 adult and 1 child. Is one place cheaper to fly into than another? What about hotels and such?

Many people start with Oahu on their first trip, and it is generally the easiest to fly into and cheapest because it is the most popular - of course being the most popular it has really gotten developed and a lot of people complain there are more buildings than trees, but it’s still a beautiful island and has fantastic, easy-to-get-to beaches (that you’ll be sharing with a million other people :) ) but that’s ok, they are big. You might want to look into Oahu and see if it’s what you want.

Don’t think about hotels till you decide on an island - do you have rewards with anybody like Hilton or Marriott? That might also be a good way to decide where you want to go - you could find the hotel that would get you the best deal and then see what you think of the island it’s on.

my husband and l had some interest some day of traveling to hawaii, he has been reading the lonely planet book about and sounds very beautiful. just wondering if you had any suggestions for me not sure what time of year we would go, but we were thinking of three weeks. we do know someone that lives in kihei - how would we go about setting up an itinerary, where would we start and where would we end? is it best to stay in b&b’s any suggestions for hotels, renting vehicles, what would you suggest to budget yourself per day, any suggestions would be great

Wow, this is a huge question and I’m just not sure I can do it justice - it’s huge and broad and usually I do best with very specific questions, but I’ll try to point you in the right direction here:

  1. Decide what island you will visit - if you know someone in Kihei and want to go to that island then start looking into Maui.
  2. Decide what area - if, for your first trip, you stick to the very touristy areas you will be ’safe’ meaning you will find great beaches and great weather typically - so on Maui that would be Wailea, Lahaina/Kaanapali, and Kihei.
  3. Decide what hotel you will stay at - alternatively, this could be your second item on your list, because if you prefer say, Hilton hotels because you like them or have rewards with them and there is only one Hilton on the island, well then what area choice is pretty much made for you. easy :)
  4. As for should you stay in a hotel, vacation rental, condo, or bed and breadkfast — this is all personal preference. Do YOU prefer hotels or bed and breakfasts. Do you want to eat out every meal or cook your own food? Do you want to have your vacation in a place that feels like home or do you prefer a hotel where everything is done and provided for you? see what I’m getting at here? Me, I like condos because you can save money and eat healthier stuff but I like hotels because you can forget about all that cooking and cleaning cr– and concentrate on playing. I like vacation rentals because you are hanging out by yourself away from all the other visitors but I like hotels because there are lots of other people around ;)
  5. As for budgeting yourself per day - well, what is your budget? Do you have $10,000+ to spend on this trip, or only $4500? This will make a big difference. There are books that will show you how to make the most of a budget - Frommer’s Hawaii on $80 a Day is one of them. I don’t know how relevant it is to today since it was written in 2005, but it will get you started I think.
  6. As for what to do - you could out your daily itinerary before you go down to the very last activity (this is what my husband does) by doing a google search for Maui activities (if that’s the island you’ll be staying on) and seeing what comes up or you could just fly to Maui and see what looks fun to you (this is what I do)

I hope this helps get you started, write me again if you have more questions. Aloha, Lisa

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Should I Rent a Surfboard in Hawaii or Bring my Own?

January 14, 2007 by Lisa · Leave a Comment
Filed under: 808Talk Answers, Big Island Activities, Kauai Activities, Maui Activities, Oahu Activities, Prices 

Vicki from Australia asks

My friend is visiting Oahu in March. Would it be cheap enough for him to hire surfboards there or would it be better to bring his own?

Hi Vicky,

Well, before we explore prices and availability of surfboard rentals in Hawaii, let’s talk about whether it’s even a good idea to bring your own surfboard to Hawaii for use on your vacation. The How to Pack Your Shortboard for an Airplane Trip article at eHow.com reveals that surfboard noses are commonly broken in baggage holds and that airlines can charge big bucks for handling surfboards - so that’s a pretty big strike against bringing your own surfboard.

At Hawaii Surf Board Rentals.com on Oahu they state they offer free, island-wide delivery and pickup of quality surfboards for between $50 and $90 for the first two days and $10 each additional day. (Prices may change, check the website).

Also, anyone who wants to just try surfing in the Waikiki area can walk onto Waikiki Beach and rent a surfboard for about $20 for an hour or two. Just look for the rental booths and the racks and racks of surfboards. There are several spots along the beach.

So, Vicky, it appears to me that renting a surfboard once he gets here is your friend’s best option. I hope he has fun!

More rental websites:

Maui Fun Tours on Maui

Hanalei Surf Company on Kauai

Kona Boys on the Big Island

… Neal wrote and suggested this - thanks Neal!

I would like to make a suggestion to let visitors know that they can also buy a surfboard when visiting Oahu. While many may prefer to rent, there are other surfers who can buy a cheap used surfboard here and then take it home as surfboards back home cost way more than they do here. Hawaii, being the home of surfing also boasts a wide array surfboard shapes and types and lower end prices. Aloha, Neal

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Finding Short-Term Work and Cheap Places to Stay in Hawaii

January 7, 2007 by Lisa · 18 Comments
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Jobs in Hawaii, Most Popular Questions, Prices 

Dear Lisa

I was surfing the web for info on Hawaii when I came across your great website. I’m a 19 year old girl currently living in Brussels, who’s planning on going to Hawaii from september ‘07 and staying for approx two or three months (90 days is maximum on a travel visa). My plan is to buy a plane ticket, book an acommondation for a week or two and then figure out what to do next.. My question is; how difficult is it to get a job on Hawaii? Thinking of jobs like bartender, lifeguard, waitress - basically whatever to get some cash. And is it absolutely necessary with a U.S work permit (which is kinda stressfull to get in my country), or is it possible to get work, and get paid in cash, and work - well, you get the picture.. “illegaly”.

My other question; is it possible to find a place to stay for 2-3 months? Obviously I can’t stay in an hotel or something pricey for such a long period of time. Is it possible to live somewhere for free if you help about, work for them etc ? Do you have any helpful advice?

I would really appreciate it if you would take time to answer my questions.
Thanks for a great site and happy new year by the way!

Well, especially right now, it’s pretty darn easy to get a job. Employees are *desperate* to hire because there are many more jobs than people right now. I don’t think you’ll have a problem. Unfortunately, I know NOTHING about getting a job under the table :).

Update! Now, in 2009, unemployment is going up a bit, so employers are probably not quite so desperate to hire anyone … but the rest of this post still stands, and in a few years employers will be desperate to hire again :)

I’ve never done it and I just don’t even know where one would start. I think that what you need is to get in on the Hawaii hostel scene. Hostels are places where people can stay for a while for free or cheap and they probably would be able to give you advice on where to get work. Start here: (hawaii hostels search at google) if you don’t know anything about hostels, and look for a forum where maybe you can get a contact before you come. Good luck! Have a great time! Lisa

I am a 21 year old college student who is considering moving to Hawaii to live for the summer 09 May-August. I just got back to Vermont, where I study and grew up, from a 5 month exchange in Sweden. While I was in Sweden I fell in love with a student who lives in Mexico. The distance is killing us and we both want to move some where new for the summer just to be together and work. I need some advice as to where to start looking.

I have a lot of waitressing experience in the US and a job of this manner would be fine for both of us. Mostly we just want to be together and experience a new place. Which island would you recommend we consider moving to? Do you think it pertinent that he apply for a working visa? Do many people move there just for the summer? Are there any local websites we could check for job listings and, most importantly, housing?

Well, I would say anyplace on Oahu, most places on Maui, or maybe even Kailua-Kona on the Big Island - although Honolulu-Waikiki, Oahu is your most obvious choice. I don’t want to advise on the visa - I don’t know anything about visas. People move here just for a few months all the time.

Craigslist is getting pretty big here - so check the Hawaii craigslist listings and the newspaper classifieds of whichever island you decide. Best of luck to you! Lisa

Craigslist
Honolulu advertiser classifieds

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Current Gas Prices in Hawaii

October 22, 2006 by Lisa · Comments Off
Filed under: Hawaii - general, Prices 

December 22, 2008 - $2.40 a gallon!! I heard Costco on Oahu has gas under $2.00 for the first time since they opened in the 90s! crazy! It was really fun watching the gas prices fall like a brick .. . and even more fun filling up at $40 for a full tank instead of $70 :)

September 8th, 08 - prices held at $4.48 a gallon for a month but are now falling slowly. Today, I filled up at $4.35.

July 1, 08 - prices go up a few cents every day it seems. Here in Hilo we are sitting at $4.48 a gallon for the cheapest.

I live on the Big Island and will try to remember to post the current gas price here every time I fill my tank. Prices on Oahu will normally be a few pennies less than on the Big Island. Prices on Maui and Kauai will normally be a bit more, while prices for gas on Lanai and Molokai could be up to $.50 more.

Just as a historical reference so you can compare prices with wherever you are from, I think I remember prices hovering around $2.00 a gallon in 1998. Prices of $2.70 were normal between September 11th and Hurricane Katrina, and after Katrina, the highest price I remember is $3.70ish a gallon.

December 10th, 2007: $3.35 a gallon - well, just before thanksgiving prices shot up to here and they are holding steady.

September 18th, 2007: $3.17 a gallon - OK, summer prices are coming down slowly.

June 12th, 2007: $3.40 a gallon :( Prices were fine until about April, and then WHAM, they’ve been sitting at 3.40 for a while now.

December 20th, 2006: $2.909 a gallon :)

November 5th, 2006: $2.959 a gallon (wow!)

October 21st, 2006: $3.059 a gallon (lowest I’ve seen in a long time)

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