Go Visit Hawaii

You may recall my post about the extraordinary hapuu tree ferns in Hawaii.  On my recent visit to the Big Island, I noticed a strange looking, furry variety that I hadn’t yet seen.  This fern is the Hapu’u I’i that is endemic to Hawaii.  The photo above shows the fern’s fiddle head (coiled frond).  It’s difficult to tell the perspective from this photo, but just to give you an idea, the size of this fiddle head is bigger that a man’s outstretched hand.  I captured this photo on the hike along the Waipio Valley rim. 

So what do you think of the looks of this fern?  Pretty strange, huh?

Here’s your Aloha Friday news edition:

• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has announced the festivities for their 28th annual Cultural Festival on Saturday, July 12th.  If you are going to be on the Big Island then, you should make plans to attend this free event.  This year the festival will honor the year of the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy). 
• You can now bring rental cars on the Hawaii Superferry.  You can read more about which rental companies have approved this process on the ferry’s website. (Hat tip to Charley.)
• Kudos to the Kauai Grand Hyatt for installing solar panels that will generate up to 20% of the resort’s power needs. 
• Expedia recently named it’s worldwide top hotels in terms of value and quality.  It’s called the Expedia Insiders’ Select list.  I was a bit surprised that the Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort and Spa on Kauai was the best hotel (condo) from Hawaii.  This resort was listed at 21. 
• Earlier this month I told you that a new boutique resort, Koa Kea, is opening on Kauai in late August. When we looked at rates then, the lowest rate was $445 for a garden view room.  I got word that they are offering special opening rates of $299 for a garden view room.  You must use this link to get the special rates. Note that there is an additional resort fee, but it’s not been specified.

One of the many things I love about Hawaii is the abundance of beautiful waterfalls. Wailua Falls on Kauai and Akaka Falls on the Big Island are just a couple of my favorites. As magnificent as Hawaii’s waterfalls are, you need to be aware of some of the lurking dangers if you get too close.

Sadly, in recent days, two men seeking adventure at Boiling Pots and at Onomea died. (You can watch the KGMB video about this news.) This unfortunate news should be taken as a reminder that we all need to be careful around waterfalls and streams. Now, I don’t want you to be terrified to see a waterfall in Hawaii. That’s not the case at all! In fact I encourage you to see the waterfalls, but in a safe manner. It’s so easy to safely view many waterfalls without any danger whatsoever. Please bear these simple safety points in mind:

• At the risk of sounding like a mother hen, I’d like encourage you to simply admire waterfalls from designated viewing points or from a distance. Don’t venture past guard rails or climb around rocks by the stream.
• Please read and obey all signs posted around waterfalls and streams. The signs are there for a very good reason.
• Take extra care during rain. Streams can quickly flood making them extremely dangerous. The popular sight-seeing spot of Oheo Gulch (also known as the Seven Sacred Pools) is an example of a place that you need to pay attention to the potential for dangerous flash floods. This stream with its cascading waterfalls is part of the Haleakala National Park. Its website advises to “always check at the visitor center before entering the water and heed all posted warnings.”

Can you think of any additional safety points to add to our list? Please share them in the comments.

• TripAdvisor announced the top 10 free US attractions. The beautiful and amazing Waimea Canyon on Kauai made the list at number three, while the solemn USS Arizona Memorial in Oahu’s Pearl Harbor came in at number six.  When I wrote the series of the best budget friendly things to see and do on each island, I listed both of these places as my number ones for Kauai and Oahu.  So, it’s nice to see that TripAdvisor members and I agree.
• American Express is doing their Going Once promotion again for card members.  There is an 8-day Hawaii package that includes Maui and Kauai.  Basically, they price out a package including airfare, accommodations along with tours and activities.  Every 20 minutes they drop the price.  If you see a price enticing enough, you can buy it.  Watch their video on their website to see how it works. The Hawaii package goes on sale June 2nd and you can set up alerts to remind you. 
• When you go hiking or into rainforest areas of Hawaii, you should make sure you have mosquito repellant with you.  I just learned of a new deet-free mosquito repellant that comes in the form of a patch.  You can order a free sample of it from this link.

Check out eCouponsHawaii.com before you go on vacation and you may find some valuable savings. I’ve been clicking away on that website and finding some nice deals that would definitely benefit Hawaii visitors and residents, too.

To save you some steps, I’m linking to coupon pages that I felt were worth pointing out to my fellow Hawaii travelers. The offers do vary from island to island. After you click on the island link for each category listed below, access the specific coupons by clicking on the individual business logos.

• Car rental coupons for Maui, Oahu, Big Island, and Kauai. Definitely take a look at these coupons and compare them to quotes you get from some of the websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc.
• Looking for discounts on tours and activities? You’ll find discounts for everything from guided tours to luaus to kayak rentals, bike rentals, and much more. You’ll even find coupons for helicopter tours. Here are the links for the offers for the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Molokai.
• Spas! See these spa and beauty coupons for Oahu and the Big Island.
• Are you getting married in Hawaii? Then check out these coupons for weddings including photography, transportation, flowers and beauty needs for Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.
• A free DoleWhip with the purchase of two DoleWhips at the Dole Plantation on Oahu. A DoleWhip is a refreshing frozen pineapple treat. If you have the time a stop at the Dole Plantation is a neat little place to visit, though it is a bit touristy. I enjoyed just walking around the gift shop and seeing some unique souvenirs.

I like to thank the LA Times Daily Deal Blog and a comment from Hawaii Money Saving Mama for introducing me to eCouponsHawaii.

While we’re on the topic of coupons and discounts, I’d like to point out that the 2008 Hawaii Entertainment books are currently on sale for $9.99. You may recall we talked about these Hawaii coupon books last month. The consensus from the comments is that the coupon books were particularly valuable for Oahu, but not as useful on the other islands.

When you’re sight-seeing on the North Shore of Oahu, don’t miss seeing Laie Point. Here you will find several small sandstone islands just off shore. The main attraction is this natural sea arch shown in the photo above. The hole was punched out during a tsunami in 1946. Here’s another view of it.

Laie Point is located just a couple turns off the Kamehameha Highway (Hwy 83) in Laie. Use this Google map link or the interactive Hawaii vacation map to find directions. There is a small free parking area. If you want to walk around, be careful as the rocky surface is very uneven.

Wednesday, May 28th update:  It appears that all the lower fares are possibly all gone, but it’s still worth looking into as Kayak.com is reporting some lower fares.

Tuesday, May 27th afternoon update: These fare seem to be fluctuating erratically. I just checked Charlotte to Honolulu for myself and the best Continental fares were gone, then 10 minutes later, I rechecked and they were back. The good news is that American Airlines fares were $588, which is still a very, very good fare from the East Coast to Hawaii. I’ll keep my eye on this situation for you.

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United Airlines and Continental have dropped fares to Hawaii with prices as low as $297 roundtrip. So far, these great airfares only apply from these hubs:

• Newark (United)
• Houston (United)
• Charlotte (Continental)
• Philadelphia (Continental)
• Pittsburgh (Continental)

You must fly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays and stay for three nights minimum. Per the Frugal Travel Guy, the travel dates that apply are:

Jan 9 to Feb 15
April 24 to June 7
August 21 to Nov 10
December 5 to Dec 14

Continental is only offering the best airfares into Honolulu (HNL), while United is offering the good deals to both Honolulu and Kauai (LIH).

Use Kayak.com to help you find the best airfare. With the fantastic hotel deals in Hawaii combined with these excellent airfares, this is an amazing time to go visit Hawaii.

A big mahalo to the Frugal Travel Guy for the heads up!

This photo was taken at Pearl Harbor and shows US Navy Sailors with the USS Missouri in the background. 

Happy Aloha Friday and Memorial Day weekend! Here are some interesting newsy bits and enticing Hawaii deals for you.

• Dr Beach announced his 2008 list of the ten best US beaches.  Hanalei Beach on the North Shore of Kauai made the list at number 2.  Hamoa Beach on Maui near Hana is this year’s seventh best US beach.
• BookIt.com named ResortQuest’s Waikiki Beach Hotel in their top ten list of Memorial Day weekend getaway deals.
• Starwoods hotels have some fantastic Hawaii hotel deals.  They’re offering 35% off, fifth night free and a $100 dining credit. .  The offer is only available for Starwoods Preferred Guests, if you’re not already a member, don’t worry, sign up is quick and free.  The offer is valid for stays through December 25th, but you must book before June 30th.
• Four Seasons Resorts are offering a couple of freebies that vary by Hawaii location.  They’re offering a free night’s stay on Lanai, and free breakfast for two on the Big Island and Maui. 
• American Airlines announced that it will be charging a fee of $15 for the first checked bag. Elite status passengers are exempt from the fee.  Other airlines are considering adding this fee, but Delta said they wouldn’t. Remember that you’ll save yourself money and time by packing light. 

Hawaii’s beaches are free and open to the public.  Sometimes finding access to the beaches can be a bit tricky, though.  Look for shoreline public access signs like the one shown in the above photo. Public access should generally be well marked, so stay on the designated paths and be careful to respect private property.

If you want to access a beach near a hotel or resort.  Look for signs that indicate free parking for beach access.  If the resort entry had a guarded gate, tell the guard that you are looking for beach access and they should be able to direct you to parking and a path to the beach.