Planning a trip to Hawaii. Tips from locals? - Orchid Board

Royal · #1 11-14-2008, 10:33 AM

Aloha,

My 5th wedding anniversary is coming up next spring. I want to do something pretty big. I joke about going to Hawaii or somewhere tropical. Traveling is a pretty hard for us (finances, obligations, orchids). But I know that I could afford to surprise my wife with a trip - if I had some travel tips from locals or travel-wise members. We've never been, so I don't know where to start.

We are not huge tourists. We don't need to swim with dolphins or para-sail. We'd rather steer clear of the big crowds and stay somewhere a bit secluded. We'd probably snorkel, take in the beauty, just relax. I'd love to see some natural areas and experience the culture - but I don't want to spend tons of money on large guided tours with a bunch of Texans.

Any ideas or tips to help plan a cheap, but nice trip for a young couple? Thanks in advance!

Learner · #2 11-14-2008, 11:38 AM

We were in Hawaii last February and visited Maui and the big island of Hawaii. Maui was loaded with tourist sites and expensive. Being more oriented to natural areas, we found more to do on Hawaii. Our base city was Hilo on the NE. A few miles away there was some nice shallow places to snorkel and an hour or so away we could be in the snow fields. The volcano activity was pretty low at that time but a trip through the park was interesting.

There are also a number of huge orchid greenhouses and retailers. We liked Carmela's which is a few miles west of Hilo. The Kona coast of the island also has some nice shallow reefs but is more expensive than Hilo.

We were there for 10 days and found something new to do each day. Even street markets with huge blooming orchids for five bucks. Wheeee.

Jim

Royal · #3 11-14-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Learner

We were in Hawaii last February and visited Maui and the big island of Hawaii. Maui was loaded with tourist sites and expensive. Being more oriented to natural areas, we found more to do on Hawaii. Our base city was Hilo on the NE. A few miles away there was some nice shallow places to snorkel and an hour or so away we could be in the snow fields. The volcano activity was pretty low at that time but a trip through the park was interesting.

There are also a number of huge orchid greenhouses and retailers. We liked Carmela's which is a few miles west of Hilo. The Kona coast of the island also has some nice shallow reefs but is more expensive than Hilo.

We were there for 10 days and found something new to do each day. Even street markets with huge blooming orchids for five bucks. Wheeee.

Jim

Thanks Jim. That's what I'm talking about. Close to Carmela's sounds fun.

I may need an extra suitcase.

isurus79 · #4 11-14-2008, 04:06 PM

Royal,
Ive lived on both sides of the Big Island, currently live in Honolulu and have been to Kauai and Maui plenty of times. Hands down, without a doubt, the Big Island is da bess brah! There is almost no one there, the island is freakin HUGE and there is sooo much to do where there are very few tourists. I cant wait to move back there!! Also, the State of Hawaii's tourism industry gurus are doing their best to make Hawaii affordable so that we are able to get atleast a few tourism dollars during this economic downturn. Basically, a Hawaii vaycay is dirt cheap right now! If I were you, I would get a condo in Kona because they are waaaaay cheaper to stay in for a week than in a hotel and you are usually on the water with a kitchen so you can cook for yourself. I would recommend visiting Hilo for the orchids and the volcano (a must see!!) but do not stay there. Winter is the rainy season in Hawaii and Hilo gets most of its 120 inches per year in winter. Not to mention the town is not a great place to be, trust me, I lived there. The Kona side has the some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world and all the deserted (yes, many are EMPTY!) white sand beaches your heart could desire. Check out a guidebook called "The Big Island Revealed." Im not much of a 'guidebook' kinda guy, nor do I like touristy stuff, but this book will take you off the beaten trail to some of the most remote, unknown locations in Hawaii. In fact, the authors are often criticised for talking about Hawaii's 'secret' spots. Trust me, the Big Island has a LOT of secret spots!! If you need any info at all on the B.I. or any of the other island, feel free to PM me and Ill be happy to help you out!

Royal · #5 11-14-2008, 04:19 PM

Thanks Steve, I almost PM'd you before, but figured I'd start a new thread instead. I'm glad you chimed in. A condo in Kona sounds about perfect. I'm all about "secret" spots too. I'll definitely try to check out that book. Do you know names of any condos or where to look? I've never really done a "vacation" or package deal.

Any tips on transportation to and from? How about once we're there?

isurus79 · #6 11-14-2008, 05:55 PM

If you Google "condos Kona" you will get a whole lot of options. Most of them will be on "Alii Drive" and they are all pretty good. You will probably pay about $100 per night, which by Hawaii standards is pretty cheap. Expedia also has lots of condos and is often the best price. Ill will be in Kona at the end of the month at the "Bali Kai." Its a place Ive stayed before and it was great. I would just hunt around and compare prices. Most of the condos are individually owned, so you can often get similar condos at different prices, depending on the owner. Its not that tough to find a condo that you like, but you will have to do a bit of hunting. Its actually pretty fun to do because there are lots of pics of the places and they all usually look great! You should fly directly into Kona if you can, or connect in Honolulu. Your condo will be a 20 minute drive south of the airport and since the island is HUGE you definitely need a car and be ready to drive! Or just chill by the beach, totally up to you I guess. Ive always just rented a car from expedia. Its usually like $25-35 per day I think. While I havent tried this site myself, my girlfriends uncles swears by it: Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Airfare & Discount Travel Deals - Kayak.com I guess they have really cheap travel stuff, so you might be able to get a good price on tickets and a car, though you should probably get the condo by searching Google or expedia.

Ross · #7 11-14-2008, 06:17 PM

Royal, I would agree with everything Steve said (why not, he's a local). We spent 2 weeks on Big Island a couple years ago, so that is my only frame of reference, but the island seems to have it all for adventurers and non "bling-bling" tourists. We stayed in Waikiloa at a private condo owned by my brother-in-law, so the rent was cheap. But please be aware, you can go from less than $20 for a dinner to well over $300, if you are not prepared. There is a really great "dive" just south of Waikiloa in the "town" of Kawaihae just north of Kawaihae Road. Maybe Steve knows the place? It's on the right (inland side) of the highway. Great food, not expensive. Good contacts for food, etc. are essential. Other thing to know, Costco just north of the airport has the only cheap gas on the island. Hard to find, so if you go, do a Costco search and be sure your membership is paid up. We did our whole stay food purchases there (they carry acoholic beverages as well) for the whole stay and that saved a bundle. Hilo side is wet, but that's where all the orchids are. The "market" in Kona has vendors, but the prices are way better in Hilo area. Be sure to get any purchases done towards end of your stay and get the vendor to seal the box and place "Ag Stamps" on the box. Only way to get the box out of state. If you fly into Kona, the ground guide guy is a personal friend of my brother-in-law. We ate dinner with him and his wife and thru this meeting, my wife and I were able to get extra service on check out (we had too many bags, but he personally tagged the extras for us.) Let me know if you decide to go here. I may be able to set you up with a couple connections. Be sure to see the Volcanoes NP. It's more to the Hilo side, but at top of the island. Also be sure to go to the observatory on the highest peak (Mauna Loa?) near dusk. There will be lots of locals there with telescopes to let you see stars and galaxies, etc. and explain things. Be sure to bring a coat (not jacket) as it does get cold up there.

Learner · #8 11-14-2008, 08:18 PM

Royal. Sounds like the locals and the more recent info sources are kicking in. I would go with their advice but be sure to check all the special offers in this economy. I suggest a good guide book because there are soooo many special places to visit. I can't think of the name right now, but there is a beautiful valley and beach on the north coast that is only accesible by four wheel dirive or foot. A special place.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Anniversary and many more.

Jim