So you’ve picked the Hawaiian island that’s perfect for you and now you must determine the logistics of getting there. Every first time visitor has faced the head scratching challenge of finding the right airport to begin their Hawaii vacation. I want to help you understand how to navigate with ease in Hawaii.

As you may have been researching airport options in the Hawaiian Islands, you may have noticed that some islands have multiple airports. Though some islands may have a small regional airport that appears to be more convenient on paper, I recommend you opt to fly into the major airport of each island and here’s why:

• There’s many more flights and airlines servicing the major airports providing you more options to suit your time schedule.
• Larger planes fly into the major island airports, with the exceptions of Lanai and Molokai. That means that you are less likely to fly on a propeller-type aircraft.
• There’s significantly more car rental companies and rental car inventories at the major airports.
• The major airports are all within an easy driving distance (less than an hour) from all the major resort hotel areas.

Let’s take an island by island look at the major airports and special flight considerations.

OAHU
Oahu’s major airport is in Honolulu with the airport code of HNL. It’s by far Hawaii’s largest airport and hub.

Most transpacific flights fly into Oahu. As you research flights from your home airport, you’ll likely discover that almost all your options require you to fly into Oahu first. From Oahu’s HNL, you can easily connect to any other island in Hawaii.

MAUI
Maui’s major airport is in Kahului with the airport code of OGG. There are a limited number of flights from the US Mainland that fly directly into OGG, but most visitors connect in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport.

The only circumstance where you might want to consider flying into another Maui airport is if you plan on making secluded Hana (HNM) your Maui vacation base.

You may notice there’s an airport in Kapalua that appears to be convenient to West Maui resorts, however, for the reasons mentioned above, I still recommend you fly into Kahului (OGG). Kapalua is a small regional airport.

KAUAI
Kauai’s major airport is centrally located in East Kauai in Lihue with the airport code of LIH. There are a very limited number of flights from the US Mainland that fly directly to Kauai, but most visitors connect in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport.

BIG ISLAND (West Kona Side)
Most folks coming to the Big Island for a vacation tend to stay on the west side of Hawaii’s Big Island in Kailua-Kona, Keauhou, and the Kohala Coast. The major airport on this side of the island is north of Kona in Keahole with the code of KOA.

Just like Maui and Kauai, there are a limited number of flights that arrive directly into Kona (KOA) from the mainland, but connecting in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport is easily done.

BIG ISLAND (East Hilo Side)
Though the west side of Hawaii’s Big Island is home to the beautiful beach resort hotels, the east side does have its attractions, namely Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the active volcano, Kilauea.For first time Big Island visitors with a week or more vacation, I recommend you fly into the east side airport of Hilo with the code of ITO to begin your vacation exploring the volcano wonders. Then drive over to the West side for your beach vacation. See more on where to stay on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Just like Maui and Kauai, there are a limited number of flights that arrive directly into Hilo (ITO) from the mainland, but connecting in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport is easily done.

LANAI
Lanai’s major airport is near Lanai City with the airport code of LNY. To fly into Lanai, you must connect in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport.

MOLOKAI
Molokai’s major airport is Kaunakakai in with the airport code of MKK. To fly to Molokai, you must connect in Oahu’s Honolulu (HNL) airport. If you are visiting Kalaupapa National Historic Park, you will need to fly into Kalaupapa Airport with the code of LUP.

—

I hope you’ve found this guide to flying into Hawaii to be useful. If your Hawaii vacation includes visits to more than one island, please review my guide to inter-island travel in Hawaii.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

While we’re in between holidays, I thought we’d revisit this blast-from-the-past post with a checklist of what to do before going on your Hawaii vacation. I’d really appreciate you’re input,, too. So, please comment to add your checklist items.

—

I wrote this checklist while I was recently in-flight while all the “going away” preparations were fresh in my mind. Preparing to go on vacation can be stressful, but hopefully this checklist will help you stay organized and calm.

Prep yourself and your home before you go away

1. Check and pay your bills.
2. Take out trash – so that you don’t come home to a smelly home.
3. Wash dishes – don’t let ick grow in your sink or dishwasher while you’re away
4. Hold your mail or arrange for a neighbor to collect it daily while you’re away. For US Postal Service customers, you can very easily arrange for your mail to be held by the post office while you’re away, and then redelivered when you get home, at USPS.com.
5. Put your newspaper delivery on hold.
6. Check your calendar for any appointments that you may have accidentally scheduled during your vacation. Also check for any special occasions like upcoming birthdays and anniversaries that you normally acknowledge with a gift or card.
7. Set your heat or air conditioner on a more economical temperature; as there’s no need to waste and pay for that energy while you are away. For example, we usually set our heat to 62 and our air conditioner to 82.
8. Do you have a pet that needs to go to a boarder or friend? Make plans well in advance for these situations.
9. Check your prescriptions. Do you have any that will run out while you are on vacation?
10. Notify your credit card company that you will be traveling to Hawaii to prevent your card from declining payment under fraud suspicions.
11. Call your alarm system company to let them know you’ll be away. Provide them with any of your temporary telephone numbers.
12. Charge your mobile phones, iPods, mp3 players, laptops etc. Don’t forget to bring the chargers with you.
13. Verify your hotel booking. If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other significant event, let the hotel know. They may upgrade you or provide an amenity for the occasion.
14. Print or otherwise electronically store your travel details such as car, hotel, tour confirmations.
15. Research and print directions from the airport in Hawaii to your hotel and/or bring your portable GPS navigation system, if you have one.
16. Determine the parking situation at your hotel. Can you self park? If so, where is the parking? What’s the valet charge?  It’s best to know your choices before you arrive.
17. Pack your suitcases. Here’s my handy dandy Hawaii packing list. .

Prepare for your flight

1. Check that your flight is still scheduled as planned. Sometimes when you book through a third party, you are not directly informed when a flight is either canceled or has a departure time change.
2. Check your seat assignments on the airlines website or by calling them. If you have a bad seat assignment, your chances of finding a better seat improve within 48-hours of your flight; as frequent fliers with elite status get upgrades their exit row seats become available.
3. Plan your in-flight meals. Most airlines don’t offer any free food in economy/coach class. Non-alcoholic beverages are free, though. So plan or prepare snacks and meals.
4. Though you’ll be headed to the warm temperatures of Hawaii, the in-flight air might be chilly. So, bring a light sweater or jacket for the flight.
5. Make sure you have your prescription medications packed in your carry-on baggage in case you need them in flight or your checked luggage is lost. Make sure you are hydrated before you get on board.
6. Plan to keep yourself entertained on your flight. It’s a long way out to the middle of the Pacific. Most airlines offer some sort of in-flight entertainment, though you will need to either bring your own earphones or purchase them on board. Bring books, puzzles, magazines, music, movies to watch on your iPhone, iPod or laptop to keep entertained in case the in-flight system doesn’t work or you don’t care to watch the movies they are showing.
7. Create a little flight necessitates and comfort kit for the long flight. I shared my own list of necessities when flying to Hawaii.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

To hike to waterfalls and traipse through a rainforest, you really need to be wearing shoes that you won’t mind getting wet and dirty. Ideally, you should bring hiking shoes or sandals that are designed for quick drying. I always bring my water sandals to Hawaii. They’re perfect for Hawaii adventures. They work really well for hiking, biking and kayaking. Several activities like ATV riding, zipling, and horseback riding require you to wear closed toe shoes and these water sandals fit the bill.

If you don’t have quick-drying water sandals, I recommend you bring your old, beat up sneakers on your Hawaii vacation. On my first trip to Kauai, I brought an old pair of sneakers knowing I would be hiking the Kalalau Trail. I knew the trail would be muddy, but I had no idea I’d have to cross some streams. At the end of the hike, I had to throw those old sneakers away.

Land’s End and REI are good online sources for hiking sandals. I purchased mine from my local REI on sale for about $40. They’ve been well worth the investment.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Andy likes to wear zip-off pants (left) while I like my convertible trousers (right).

With Hawaii’s weather being warm and tropical, you might not think of packing long trousers, but they are very useful.

Several Hawaii vacation activities either require or are best done in long pants. Some of those fun activities are:

• horseback riding
• hiking over lava – to protect your skin in the event you fall on this very hard and uneven surface
• ATV riding
• sightseeing in the upcountry (elevated) areas that have cooler environments. Note that you’ll definitely appreciate long pants if you go up to Mauna Kea or Haleakala.
• ziplining is best done in either long shorts or pants (the safety harness tends to hike up what you’re wearing
• sightseeing and hiking in rainforest areas and botanical gardens to protect your legs from mosquito bites

I recommend quick-drying pants because your adventures might include a passing rain shower or crossing a stream. Most quick-drying pants are also moisture wicking to keep you feeling relatively dry even when you’re sweating.

Since we’re big on packing light, we usually wear our trousers on the flights to Hawaii. That serves two purposes — saves room in our luggage and keeps our legs warm when the plane temperatures get chilly. As both of our trousers are convertible to shorter lengths, we normally zip off or roll up when we get close to landing in the warmth of Hawaii.

Where to buy moisture-wicking, quick-drying pants:

REI and other outdoor sporting goods stores carry a variety of these trousers. Prices typically start at about $35. I actually found the black trousers in the photo above at Walmart for $15, which was a big bargain.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Andy has been wearing his rash guard top in Hawaii for a few years now. I only found mine earlier this year. I won’t go to Hawaii without one now.

What makes rash guard tops so valuable?

The built in sun protection is the main reason I recommend a rash guard top. Whether we’re kayaking, snorkeling, or just spending a day at the beach, these tops offer exceptional sun protection – usually the equivalent of SPF 50. We don’t have to keep slathering on sticky sunscreen, making sure we’re not missing a spot.

Studies have shown that sunscreens can be damaging to coral. With a rash guard top, that’s less sunscreen required and less damage to the coral.

Surfers wear rash guard tops to protect their skin from scraping lava rocks and sand if they fall. So, when we wear our rash guard tops we feel like we look like a super cool surfer – well, sort of. 

Where to buy rash guard tops?

Since rash guard tops are not commonly sold in department and discount stores, there probably  not super easy to find in your neighborhood. I have found several good sources after  searching for my top.

- Seasonally, LandsEnd.com offers a nice selection of rash guards for everyone in the family. My top is from Lands End. Go to Landsend.com and search for “rash guard” in their search box to see what they have available.

- REI

- Surf shops in Hawaii. Andy got his rash guard a Honolua Surf Co. shop in Hawaii.

—

Do you have a rash guard top? How do you like it? Where did you find your top?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Do you remember the old American Express commercials with the famous tagline, “Don’t leave home without it”? Well, I’m going to start a new series of posts that somewhat plays on that tagline. This new series is – Don’t go to Hawaii without – will highlight all the the items that are our must brings for Hawaii vacations. I’ll publish this series of tips periodically in the coming weeks.

My aim in this series is to help highlight some of the things you might not think about as you pack for Hawaii.  I hope you find this series to be helpful for your vacation planning.

—

1st article: Don’t Go To Hawaii Without: Rash Guard Top

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

To illustrate what a difference polarized glasses make, I want to show you a couple of photos that were taken from basically the same spot with iPhones. Andy took the first photo by holding his polarized sunglasses over the lens of his  iPhone.

I took this next photo within feet of same spot with my iPhone. The only difference was I didn’t hold my polarized sunglasses over my lens. Well, there was that difference and the fact that I didn’t have my horizon straight, but you know what I mean.

They’re both good photos, but as you can see with the polarized version, the colors are much more vibrant. You can also see more of what’s in the water.

Do you use polarized sunglasses on your Hawaii vacations?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Sunset is one of the best times to capture west-facing photos of landscapes. In an interview with my uber talented portrait photographer friend, Natalie Norton, she explains that the natural light is softer at sunset.  Natalie says, “The sun also has warmer tones at those times as well. Nothing will help your images say “paradise” like a naturel filter of warm yellows and soft pinks.”

Let’s take a look at some examples of some photos we’ve shot at sunset. First, here’s a photo of Kapalua Beach that I took with my iPhone from Merriman’s Kapalua. While everyone else was focused on the sun, I looked around to see the golden glow of the beach.

On a visit to Oahu, Andy and I had a nice little Waikiki Beach picnic at sunset. We glanced back from the sun to see Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach lit up with a warm radiance as shown in the next photo.

Sunset is not only a good time to capture the illuminated west-facing landscape shot, it’s also a super opportunity to shoot a flattering photo of your travel companions. Natalie explains that, “[The sun is] coming down at an angle so you won’t get the dark shadows under your eyes and nose typical of shooting mid-day.” No unflattering shadows? Um, yes please! After capturing that shot with the sun in the background, you and your travel pals should turn to get that flattering shot with a sun-kissed glow.

For  more Hawaii vacation photography tips, see:

• Andy’s Photography Tips: The Perfect Hawaii Sunset Picture
• Advice For Taking Incredible Vacation Photos From A Hawaii Photographer
• Advice On Choosing A Wedding And Family Portrait Photographer in Hawaii
• Vacation Photo Advice from Oahu Photographer Joe Philipson

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

You don’t have to worry about stumbling upon scary snakes in Hawaii , including poisonous snakes. The most vicious critter you might encounter is a mosquito. That’s my kind of destination!

With all that said, you do need to take care and avoid certain situations on your Hawaii vacation. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the more common safety hazards that tourists might encounter.

OCEAN SAFETY

Hawaii’s beautiful blue ocean waters can sometimes appear to be deceivingly safe. I highly recommend that you check  Hawaii Beach Safety website before you plan your swimming and snorkeling activities. This excellent site provides real-time beach alerts, list of recommended beaches and a list of beaches with lifeguards.

Some other ocean safety tips and ditties to keep in mind:

• Never turn your back to the ocean. When you are swimming or even waking by the shoreline, you never know when a strong wave might sneak up on you. So it’s best to be watching the ocean and aware. Actually, this very sad news of a missing tourist at Nakalele Blow Hole on Maui prompted me to write this entire post. He had his back to the ocean when he was knocked by a large wave.
• If in doubt, don’t go out. If you aren’t sure of the conditions, please don’t go out.
• Check for posted safety signs.
• Avoid swimming at night, dawn and dusk. Why then? Well, that’s when sharks tend to be the most aggressive and active.
• On Oahu, Box jellyfish usually arrive to the near shore approximately 7 to 11 days after the full moon of each month. For Oahu, check this Box jellyfish arrival prediction calendar.

HIKING SAFETY

Hawaii’s hiking trails are oh so rewarding with outstanding views that make the trek more than worth it. I encourage you to check out at least one of the many great trails on your Hawaii vacation.

Overall hiking in Hawaii is quite safe, but use these savvy hiking tips to prevent any unplanned visits to the urgent care:

• Wear proper footwear like hiking shoes, hiking sandals or at a minimum a trainer or running shoe with gripping tread. Flip flops do not qualify for proper footwear. Over our numerous Hawaii hikes, I’ve seen so many people struggling on the trails with flip flops. Actually, I saw one guy struggle to the point of falling in slippery mud.
• Bring water. I recommend bringing a little bit more that what you think you might need.
• Avoid the danger of flash floods by not hiking where rain is in the forecast. Never attempt to cross a flooded stream. Flash floods in Hawaii can be extremely hazardous.
• Keep on the designated paths to prevent getting lost and stranded. It is important to stay on the marked paths at all times, but I would like to add that it’s even more critical that you stay on the path over lava fields — where you can easily loose your orientation.
• Wear mosquito repellant for your comfort and safety.
• See other Hawaii hiking safety tips under the “Day Use Trail Safety heading here.

OTHER GENERAL TIPS

• Wear sunscreen and/or other forms of sun protection. Hawaii’s proximity to the equator, puts you closer to the suns strongest rays. Wear sun protecting products with SPF/UPF much higher than what you would wear on the mainland. Check out these tips for avoiding a sunburn on your Hawaii vacation.
• Don’t venture beyond guardrails. They are there for your protection. Sadly, two people died a few years ago because they had ventured beyond guardrails to get closer to waterfalls.
• Don’t drink water from streams without chemical treatment. Streams in Hawaii can contain Leptospira, a bacteria that’s causes Leptospirosis, a mild to severe flu-like illness. Read more about Leptospirosis in Hawaii.
• Don’t eat the yellow snow. Okay, that was just a check to see if you were actually reading.

What other Hawaii vacation safety tips would you add?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

—-

If you don’t already have a pair of polarized sunglasses, do yourself a favor and get some to bring on your Hawaii vacation. They really do make a difference. (See my followup post on seeing what a difference polarized sunglasses make.)

You know the phrase, “Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know”? Well that was the case with me until I had a chance to try polarized sunglasses for myself. Andy had a pair of polarized glasses and I noticed that sometimes he’d make comments about things he could see, but I couldn’t. Then Andy would let me try on his polarized glasses and I could see what he was seeing. Wow, what a difference!

Polarized sunglasses are perfect for Hawaii because they cut down on the glare of the sun on the ocean and sand. When the glare is removed, you are able to see a greater depth of colors. Sometimes, polarized sunglasses help you see into the water, making coral and fish visible.

Another advantage of polarized sunglasses is that it prevents your eyes from getting fatigued. When you’re out driving and sightseeing, not only are you able to see more without glare, your eyes aren’t getting tired. They’ll make a big difference when you go out on boating tours, too.

So, where do you purchase polarized sunglasses and how much do they cost? I’ve noticed that polarized sunglasses have become more widely available – even within the last year. I’ve found them at discount stores like Walmart and Target for under $20. I purchased mine from my local REI store on sale for less than $30. Designer glasses are more widely available in men’s styles. I’ve shopped for ladies designer glasses and the selection is very slim. When you are shopping for polarized glasses look for a sticker or tag that says they’re polarized. If it’s daytime when you are shopping, test glasses by looking though a window or around any surface that might reflect a glare.

Have you tried polarized sunglasses? Are you a fan of them, too?

Find more tips on what to bring for your Hawaii vacation.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Curious what you do about sunscreen since it has to be packed in “checked” luggage. Is that a “purchase when you arrive” item?

With the current Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 3-1-1 rules, passengers are limited to bringing liquids, aerosols and gels in containers sized  3.4 oz or less in their carry-on luggage. Plus, all your liquids, aerosols and gels must fit into a single quart-sized zip-top bag.

The TSA rules make bringing sunscreen a challenge for people like me who are bound and determined to travel with only carry-on luggage. (See my article, Savvy Reasons Why You should Travel Light.) As you know most sunscreens are sold in containers much larger than 3.4 ounces.

Here’s how we continue to travel light, while still bringing sunscreen to Hawaii:

- We shop around to find containers of sunscreen packaged in 3.4 oz or less containers. There’s not an abundance of sunscreen options in that size, but they can be found in stores like Target,  Walmart and drugstores.

- We stuff in as many of the  small-sized sunscreens that we can fit into our  one-quart, zip-top baggies along with our other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols. We both bring a one-quart baggies to maximize the amount of liquids we can bring between the two of us.

- We both have rashguard tops with built-in sunscreen. We love our rashguard tops and highly recommend them, especially for water sports like snorkeling and surfing. If you don’t have a rashguard top, a couple of good places to order them online is at Zappos.com and LandsEnd.com.

- If we think we’re going to use up the sunscreens that we’ve brought from home, we purchase more sunscreen in Hawaii. The prices of sunscreens at the Walmarts, Targets, ABCs and drugstores are comparable to what we pay at home on the US mainland. The resort shops might charge a bit of a premium, but paying a couple dollars more will still save you bunches of money as opposed to paying checked-luggage fees. Right?

What about you? Are you a light packer, too? How do you bring sunscreens while still traveling with only carry-on luggage?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

- Mauka (mow-kah) means on the mountain side of the road in the context of directions.

- Makai (mah-kigh) means on the ocean side of the road in the context of directions.

Picture yourself driving along this road on the right side. In that scenario, you'd be driving on the makai side.

I think these words are actually more descriptive than left and right especially since most of the main roads circle along the coastline. Plus, when you understand these directions, you never have to worry about which direction from which you came. Whether you’re driving from the North or South, the makai side is always going to be on the ocean side side of the road.

You will likely discover that mauka and makai are used very frequently without a further description in Hawaii. So, now you’ll know when you go what these words mean and you’ll be navigating Hawaii like a local.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

We had this Whaler's Cove (Poipu, Kauai) pool in all to ourselves in April 2010.

Recently, two different friends have asked me when is the slowest time to go to Hawaii. Neither friend likes crowds, so they’d like to take their first visits to Hawaii at a quiet time.

I like to avoid going to Hawaii during the high seasons. That being said, I have been to Hawaii during some peak times (New Years Eve and Easter) and I had fantastic visits. Once again, I have to say that anytime is a great time to visit Hawaii. Some times are just greater than others.

I’d like to mention that the slowest seasons in Hawaii also correspond to the lowest hotel rates and usually better airfare deals. With demand down, hotels and airlines lower rates to entice visitors.

In my article Best times to Visit Hawaii – Weather, Price, Crowds, I provide an overview of some of the slowest times. With this article, I want to expand upon that a bit with more detail. The following months and periods of time are either low or shoulder seasons, making them great times to avoid crowds.

April

With weather warming up on the Mainland, the “snowbirds” aren’t in desperate need for a Winter warm up.

Exceptions:

• the days immediately around Easter when the holiday falls in April
• the last week in April is a known as Golden Week in Japan with three Japanese Holidays in the same week.  To escape crowds, you’ll want to avoid Waikiki, during Golden Week as it is very popular with Japanese tourists.

May

With the mainland weather warming up even more, Hawaii isn’t crowded as mainlanders are content to stay at home with signs of Spring

Exception: Memorial Day Weekend (around the last Monday of May)

June (first week only)

The reason the first week of June is quiet is that most Mainland schools are still in session. The first week is a relatively slow time before the busy summer vacation season begins.

September

Mainland schools have started their new year, the crowds of summer are gone.

Exception: Before and around Labor Day Weekend

October

This entire month is a quiet time to visit.

November

This month is one of the quietest times of the year.

Exception:  Thanksgiving weekend around the last Thursday of the month.

December

Like November, December is very quiet as most Mainlanders are preparing for the holidays. Up until about December 20th, you’ll practically have the islands all to yourself. After that, don’t even think about going to Hawaii is you’re hoping for a very slow time.

Exceptions:

• Around December 20th, folks who are flocking to Hawaii to celebrate Christmas begin to arrive.
• The days during and around Christmas
• New Years Eve

—-

In a nutshell, Hawaii is busiest during holidays, when it’s Winter in North America, and when kids are out of school.

Have you been to Hawaii during a quiet period or during a busy holiday? When did you go? What was your experience?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

As I’ve previously mentioned, renting a vacation condo/villa is a great way to save money on your Hawaii accommodations. The only issue is that there’s not a perfect rental site that covers all the islands.

When I start to look for a vacation rental, I tend to gravitate to VRBO.com because I believe it has the largest inventory of Hawaii vacation rentals from all islands, plus I get to choose the exact unit I’ll be renting. I like having that kind of control. That being said, VRBO is far from perfect and a royal-pain-in-the-you-know-what to use.

As you search for a Hawaii vacation rental, how can you make sure you’re not getting a dud? Sadly, there are scammers who are looking to take advantage of tourists. So, what can you do to protect yourself as you use VRBO or any other vacation rental company? Here are six tips that should help.

1.  Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Don’t waste your time considering any rental that only offers a minimal number of photos. Virtual video tours are a definite plus. When I look for a rental, I want to see these photos:

• Views of and from the lanai (balcony) and not just one cleverly angled photo that’s zoomed in a bazillion times to make a far away condo look like it’s oceanfront.
• Multiple kitchen photos
• Multiple photos of all bedrooms
• Multiple photos of all baths
• Multiple photos of the living area
• Photos of the shared amenities, such as pool, tennis courts, hot tub, etc.

Do the photos indicate that the unit is well kept? Don’t be shy about asking the owners to email you additional photos.

2.  Talk to or email with the owners.
Ask them as many questions as you can think of. You need to be comfortable that these people really do own the place, that they’ve honestly described their rental, and that they’ll take care of any problem that pops up. Politely ask the owners to provide proof of their ownership such as a link to online tax documents. Ask them what their procedure is for getting a key. Ask them what they will do to respond to any issues that might pop up with their rental during your stay – for example, what would happen if the refrigerator didn’t work. Ask them where the nearest grocery store is. Politely ask, ask, ask until you’re comfortable with the owners.

3.  Pay with protection.
On the last rental we chose from VRBO, we paid by credit card on PayPal. That’s probably the safest possible way to pay because only PayPal has access to your credit card number, plus if a dispute arises, PayPal will act as the intermediary. Your credit card company may also offer you a level of protection. Please note that you do not have to have a PayPal account in order to pay via PayPal with your credit card.

4. Search for reviews.
Fortunately, vacation rental reviews have become more readily available in recent years. I’ve noticed that TripAdvisor has lots of vacation rental reviews. To find rental reviews, google the name of the condo resort along with the unit number or address.

5.  Check around for pricing to make sure you’re paying a fair rate.
If you google the name of the resort complex, you’ll find other sources for renting in that area. From that you’ll be able to compare pricing.

6. Negotiate.
We are not hard core wheelers n’dealers, but I don’t think we’ve ever paid what the owners asked. It never hurts to ask for a better price, especially if you are staying longer than a week.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Hawaiian Happy Cakes –  I wrote this about Happy Cakes, “These moist and golden pineapple, macadamia nut and coconut cakes are crazy good!” Any sweet tooth on your list would enjoy a Hawaiian Happy Cake. The folks at Happy Cakes also sell Kona Coffee.

Handmade natural candles – These beautiful candles are had made by artists on the Big Island of Hawaii. I have purchased these candles for myself. They smell fantastic and are very high quality made with soy or beeswax. See this link for options.

Macadamia nuts – Most any Hawaii fan goes nuts over macadamias. You can order them online, but if you want to save on shipping, check your local grocery store, World Market, or Costco.

Honolulu Cookie Company – For Christmas, the Honolulu Cookie Company is offering special holiday packaging of their delicious cookies. They have flavors like Pineapple Macadamia, Dark Chocolate Lilikoi, White Chocolate Coconut, and do I need to keep going? Holiday packaged gift  pricing starts at $4.95. See this link for more information.

Photo books – You can create some beautiful, high-quality photo books from your own personal digital photos. Pick out your favorite Hawaii vacation photos to build your own book online. We made a photo book for my parents last year with photos from their Maui vacation. They really seemed to like it.  Shutterfly and Snapfish are two of the most well-known companies that offer photo book making services.

Hawaii Coffee –  The Big Island’s Kona coffee is the most well-known coffee, but coffee is also grown on the Oahu, Molokai and Kauai. You can either order Hawaii-grown coffee online or look for it locally. I have found Kauai coffee in my local Walmart.

Music from Hawaii – With Amazon and other online suppliers, it’s easy peasy to add to your Hawaii lover’s music collection. Need ideas for artists? Check out our readers’ list of favorites.

Hawaii prints and calendars – One of my favorite Hawaii-based artists in Mike Carroll from Lana’i. I’ve met Mike and his staff and they pay attention to detail in everything they do. You can find lovely, ready-to-frame prints starting at $23 from the Mike Carroll online gallery. Another good gift idea is the Mike Carroll Island of Lanai 2011 desk calendar starting at $14.95 or purchase in packs of three or five for more savings.

Hawaii Snacks – Oahu-based CyberSnacks offers all kinds of snacks and treats that Hawaii locals love. My friend Nathan from Oahu is a fan of CyberSnacks. For your Hawaii aficionado, consider their gift baskets or a candy lei.

So, those are my ideas for what to get the Hawaii lover on your list. What else would you add?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

I wrote this checklist while I was recently in-flight while all the “going away” preparations were fresh in my mind. Preparing to go on vacation can be stressful, but hopefully this checklist will help you stay organized and calm.

Prep you and your home before you go away

1. Check and pay your bills.
2. Take out trash – so that you don’t come home to a smelly home.
3. Wash dishes – don’t let ick grow in your sink or dishwasher while you’re away
4. Hold your mail or arrange for a neighbor to collect it daily while you’re away. For US Postal Service customers, you can very easily arrange for your mail to be held by the post office while you’re away, and then redelivered when you get home, at USPS.com.
5. Put your newspaper delivery on hold.
6. Check your calendar for any appointments that you may have accidentally scheduled during your vacation. Also check for any special occasions like upcoming birthdays and anniversaries that you normally acknowledge with a gift or card.
7. Set your heat or air conditioner on a more economical temperature; as there’s no need to waste and pay for that energy while you are away. For example, we usually set our heat to 62 and our air conditioner to 82.
8. Do you have a pet that needs to go to a boarder or friend? Make plans well in advance for these situations.
9. Check your prescriptions. Do you have any that will run out while you are on vacation?
10. Notify your credit card company that you will be traveling to Hawaii to prevent your card from declining payment under fraud suspicions.
11. Call your alarm system company to let them know you’ll be away. Provide them with any of your temporary telephone numbers.
12. Charge your mobile phones, iPods, mp3 players, laptops etc. Don’t forget to bring the chargers with you.
13. Verify your hotel booking. If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other significant event, let the hotel know. They may upgrade you or provide an amenity for the occasion.
14. Print or otherwise electronically store your travel details such as car, hotel, tour confirmations.
15. Research and print directions from the airport in Hawaii to your hotel and/or bring your portable GPS navigation system, if you have one.
16. Determine the parking situation at your hotel. Can you self park? If so, where is the parking? What’s the valet charge?  It’s best to know your choices before you arrive.
17. Pack your suitcases. Here’s my handy dandy Hawaii packing list. .

Prepare for your flight

1. Check that your flight is still scheduled as planned. Sometimes when you book through a third party, you are not directly informed when a flight is either canceled or has a departure time change.
2. Check your seat assignments on the airlines website or by calling them. If you have a bad seat assignment, your chances of finding a better seat improve within 48-hours of your flight; as frequent fliers with elite status get upgrades their exit row seats become available.
3. Plan your in-flight meals. Most airlines don’t offer any free food in economy/coach class. Non-alcoholic beverages are free, though. So plan or prepare snacks and meals.
4. Though you’ll be headed to the warm temperatures of Hawaii, the in-flight air might be chilly. So, bring a light sweater or jacket for the flight.
5. Make sure you have your prescription medications packed in your carry-on baggage in case you need them in flight or your checked luggage is lost. Make sure you are hydrated before you get on board.
6. Plan to keep yourself entertained on your flight. It’s a long way out to the middle of the Pacific. Most airlines offer some sort of in-flight entertainment, though you will need to either bring your own earphones or purchase them on board. Bring books, puzzles, magazines, music, movies to watch on your iPhone, iPod or laptop to keep entertained in case the in-flight system doesn’t work or you don’t care to watch the movies they are showing.
7. Create a little flight necessitates and comfort kit for the long flight. I shared my own list of necessities when flying to Hawaii.

Please feel free to share your tips of what you do before you go on vacation.

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Portuguese sausage, egg, cheese, lettuce and tomato breakfast sandwich plus a slice of fresh pineapple for $5.25 from Kauai's Kalapaki Beach Hut

Dining at resort breakfast buffets every morning of your Hawaii vacation can quickly become a hidden cost that steals your vacation budget. Most breakfast buffets in Hawaii range from $15 to $35 per person. From my observation, the average breakfast buffet costs around $25 per person. A couple traveling to Hawaii for a week can easily spend $350 on breakfast buffets. To put that in perspective, that’s probably more that what a couple would spend on their grocery bill for an entire month at home.

When it comes to buffets, there’s common mentality that you need to get your money’s worth. Well, at $25 per person, that’s a heck of a lot of breakfast calories. Returning from vacation with a larger waistline isn’t the kind of souvenir most of us want to bring home.

It’s a treat to splurge on the breakfast buffet one or two days of your trip – you are on vacation, after all. Maybe you’d like to save some money to spend on a  tour or a meaningful souvenir. If you’d like to save a bit of cash and calories on your breakfast in Hawaii,consider these more affordable alternatives:

- Many resorts have a coffee shop on-site that also sells fruit cups, yogurt and pastries. Check to see if your resort does.

- Ask if the hotel restaurant serves an ala carte breakfast menu. By ordering from the a la carte menu, you can have a nutritious and filling breakfast for a fraction of the buffet cost.

- Pick up some breakfast items at the grocery store. Most resort rooms have a mini refrigerator where you can store juice, fruit, etc.

- Bring granola and breakfast bars from home.

- Find a restaurant that’s a favorite for locals.They know where to find the best restaurants at the best prices. Plus, you get a little insight into the local culture.  (See eat where the locals eat.)

- Look for hotel deals offer free daily breakfast. That sort of deal has been fairly common recently.

These are strategies we’ve used to save money on breakfasts in Hawaii. What strategies have you used?

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

Did you know that it’s possible to send mail from a volcano? It’s true. On Hawaii’s Big Island, there’s a  village called Volcano and it’s located along the caldera of Kilauea Volcano just a mile or so from the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

One fun vacation idea is to send a letter or postcard from the Volcano Post Office to your friends and family. I know this may sound odd, but I’ve even mailed myself a postcard from Volcano as a souvenir. Stop in during the post office business hours and politely ask the staff to hand cancel your letter or postcard with the Volcano stamp. Your friends and family will be impressed to receive your thoughtful post from a volcano.

See this link for this post office’s business hours. Volcano Post Office is located at 19-4030 Old Volcano Highway, Volcano, HI.

View Larger Map

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

View of Oahu from the Air

One of the most predictably unpredictable expenses of traveling to Hawaii is the cost of airfare. Fares fluctuate so often that it’s difficult to know when to purchase tickets. Finding the absolute lowest airfare is a mix of luck, knowledge,and skill. In the absence of an exact science, we have make use of the available tools and make some calculated guesses. Here are some strategies to help you make a sound decision on when to purchase your flights to Hawaii.

Use Flight Search Engine Alerts
To make the best decision on when to buy flights to Hawaii, you need to make an informed decision. The best way to start getting helpful information is to sign up for the free email alerts from these flight search engines:

• Kayak
• Farecompare
• airfarewatchdog

Another search engine that I like because it’s very easy and intuitive to use is CheapAir, however, it does not include estimated taxes and fees like the others that I mentioned. See this link for a chart comparing all the major airfare alert sites.

If you have the option, get the updates daily. Yeah, it’s going to stuff your inbox, but fares can fluctuate daily, so it’s best to be in the know on a daily basis, especially if you are anxious to book.

If you are headed to the Big Island, Kauai, and/or Maui, I recommend that you also check airfare to Oahu. Hawaii’s major airline hub is in Oahu’s Honolulu Airport (HNL), so that majority of flights from the mainland go in and out of Honolulu. On top of that, the vast majority of inter-island flights connect  or originate in Honolulu. Let’s say you are going to Kauai, it’s possible that you could save some money by flying into Honolulu first and getting an inter-island flight from there. So, consider all your options. (See my guide to inter-island travel in Hawaii.)

If you come across a great airfare, also check directly with the airline to see if you can find the same or better rate. I prefer to book directly with the airline to cut out the middle man. For example, let’s say that airfarewatchdog found a low fare to Honolulu on Expedia. I check the flights and find that they are all on American Airlines. I’d rather book directly with American if I can get the same fare. If a problem happens with the flights and reservation, that becomes American’s responsibility and that eliminates any finger pointing that could happen between Expedia and American.

Check the Crystal Ball of Airfare Purchases
After educating yourself with the email alerts from the flight search engines, you’ll get to know when airfares lower. If you think you’ve found a good fare, check with Bing’s Farecast. It’s the closest thing we have to a crystal ball. Farecast recommends if it’s best to wait or to pull the trigger now on your flight purchase.

Another useful tool to consult is Hotwire’s TripStarter, which shows the historical average airfares for your particular route. You’ve probably heard the phrase that past behavior is an indicator of future behavior. To some extent, that’s true for airfare. There’s certainly some seasonality to airfare prices that tend to be the same year in year out.

Be Flexible
If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you can get better deals. Use the flight search engines flexible search features to find the cheapest days to travel. You can really save some big bucks by being flexible.

Another way to be flexible is to consider flying from alternate airports. For example, Raleigh-Durham (RDU) is my preferred airport. If I found a fare that’s low enough, I’d be willing to drive to Charlotte (CLT) or Greensboro (GSO) for the savings. So, set alerts up for nearby airports.

Aim to Fly on Weekdays
Weekend travel to and from Hawaii is in highest demand and therefore more expensive. If you can travel weekday to weekday, you tend to get lower fares and the flight may not be as full.

Best Time to Buy
In this ABC News article, one of the top airfare gurus, Rick Seaney, says, “Typically, airlines start actively managing their cheapest seats about four months before departure….Don’t buy too early; tickets purchased before this four month window will generally be priced at a midtier level. An exception: shopping for busy holiday times (Thanksgiving, Christmas); due to current price hikes and ever-increasing fuel surcharges, you may want to purchase these tickets earlier than usual, to lock in the price.”

Act When You See a Deal
When you come across a deal, snag it. Aim to make that purchase as quickly as possible as it could be gone the next day or even the next hour. I’ve experienced “purchase paralysis” and lost deals. I still remember a brief fare war a couple of years ago. I could have flown from Charlotte to Honolulu for around $250 round-trip, but I took too long trying to decide what to do, that I lost the chance to get that super low rate.

Beware of Sneaky Snake Advertising
When you see exceptionally low airfare, be sure to read the fine print before you get excited. Airlines will try to hook you in with a fly to Hawaii for $379. At first, that sounds great, but what they don’t tell you is that the fare is one-way based on round-trip travel and taxes and fees are an additional charge. So the flights to Hawaii that you thought were $379 are going to end up costing over $800 – not exactly the deal you were expecting.

Cheapest Isn’t Always Best
All flights to Hawaii are not created equal, so know what you’re getting when you book. Andy and I will often choose a slightly more expensive fare because it offers less stops, shorter overall travel time, and a bigger plane. We fly from RDU and most of the cheapest fares have us going through Dallas to Los Angeles to Hawaii. We much prefer to cut out the Los Angeles stop, fly in the larger planes, and save time. So, spend a little time educating yourself on the shortest routes and aircraft sizes to suit your preference.

I wish you the best of luck in finding the lowest cost airfare to Hawaii!

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.

My Trader Joe's Reusable Shopping Bag Filled with Beach Towels

Happy Earth Day! Since the purpose of this day is to highlight ways to protect the environment, let’s look at one simple tip that is not only eco-friendly, it’s very practical for Hawaii vacationers, too.

When you travel to Hawaii, bring one or two of your reusable shopping bags. Use these bags to:

• carry your vacation groceries
• carry your souvenirs when shopping
• carry your beach towels, sun screen and snacks
• use as a an extra carry-on to bring home your souvenirs.

You may be wondering if using one of these reusable bags makes a difference. How do they help Hawaii’s environment? Here are a few interesting facts about the problems with plastic bags:

• Plastic bags are likely to be caught in Hawaii’s tradewinds and quickly blown away to become litter. I think we can all agree that it’s a crying shame to see litter anywhere, much less Hawaii.
• If not secured and properly recycled, plastic bags can easily get into the ocean waters. Sadly, marine animals mistake plastic bags as food. Plastic bags look like jelly fish to sea turtles and whales. Globally, up to 1 billion seabirds, sea turtles, whales and other wildlife die each year due to the ingestion of plastic bags.
• Plastic bags can take over 1,000 years to biodegrade.
• Only 13% of plastic bags are ever recycled.
• Plastic bags are made of petroleum and natural gas, both non-renewable resources.

I hope this simple idea and these facts have been helpful to you. So, won’t you please consider doing this one simple thing to help Hawaii’s environment when you visit?

Sources:

• Earthfare Tomato Talk
• Banning plastic bags in Hawaii debate

© Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com.