Hawai'i: You too Can Save Money. My Guide to Hawai'i on a Budget
Written: Aug 12 '02 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Pros: A magnificent state and you can go on a budget.
Cons: It will be expensive if you aren't careful.
The Bottom Line: Hawaii was on my to do list but it is far an expensive. We saved money. You too can go on a budget.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Hawaii |
This review of Hawai’i, hopefully, will be one that you will find useful. It will be in two parts. The first part addresses general ways to save money and the second part addresses specific ways. I am not reviewing any place at which we saved money, but I will certainly say whether I recommend it or not. The reason for this review is a simple one. We intended to go to Hawai’i for 2 weeks and had budgeted for that. When we decided that this would probably be the only time we went to Hawai'i since we live 5500 miles away, the 2 weeks turned into 3, but the budget stayed the same.
General Tips
1. To save you money on doctor’s fees and medication for your sunburn, use a waterproof sun block with an SPF of at least 15 and wear a hat or sit under a tree, especially between 11:00am and 2:00pm.
2. This is not meant to be a wise crack but to save money on funeral expenses be very careful in the water. “More people drown in Hawai’i each year than anywhere else in the country.” (Doughty & Friedman.)
3. Save money on Ace bandages and other first aid items by only doing activities that you can handle. I am all for taking risks, but be careful when walking. Watch where you are going or you will find yourself with a sprained ankle using crutches which you will have to rent or buy.
4. To save money on new clothes when you get home, bring clothes you can throw away. A lot of Hawai’i has very sticky sand, orange sand, black sand and mud which doesn’t come off of your clothes easily. If you bring clothes you don’t care about, you won’t have to replace them. The same for footwear.
5. You will see sand mats for $.99 that roll up and you will want to buy one. They are better than towels or blankets because the sand shakes off of them easily but, if you are going to go to more than one island, it will most likely not fit in the luggage you brought.. Spend $2.49 and get the same mat that folds into a square then you can carry it from place to place. You can also take it home rather than leaving it for the next person or throwing it out.
6. Food is expensive in Hawai’i especially in grocery stores. If you can take some food you like, trail mix, energy bars or crackers, then do so. You will save a lot of money that way.
7. I have read that it is a good idea to buy film on the mainland to save money. We were in Hawai’i very recently and found the film to be no more expensive than in Massachusetts. In fact in Wal-Mart an underwater camera was less than the first one I bought here.
This is a good segue into souvenirs. You will be told by everyone that you should buy your souvenirs in Wal-Mart and that you will save a lot of money doing so. That is only true up to a point, in my experience. Wal-Mart is a great place for magnets and key chains. You will also find poor quality t-shirts that are 3 for $10.00 and those will be hard to resist. I am not suggesting that you buy everything in Hilo Hatties, a store on every island. There are some items (clothes, especially) that are very expensive there, but in Hilo Hatties you will pay $1.00 or more less than at Wal-Mart for the Macadamia Nut Brittle and the various varieties. I bought calendars for the year 2003 for $.99 at Hilo Hatties. If you are going to Oahu, hold out for t-shirts on that island. You will find a huge marketplace where 7 t-shirts can be bought for $20.00 and the quality is much better. You will also find some good jewelry on Oahu and if you know what you are looking at and aren’t afraid to bargain, the jewelry vendors on Oahu will bargain.
8. Buy Frommer’s guide to Hawai’i. It will say from $80 a day. There are 2 versions of Frommer’s Hawai’i so make sure you are buying the correct one if you are on a budget.
9. The best advice we were given came from Frommer’s. The Entertainment Book is sold all over the country. We have one for Massachusetts and have sent them to our children wherever they have been living. There is one for Hawai’i and you can find it at www.entertainment.com. The prices change yearly but expect to pay about $25.00 for it, which you will get back the first day or two you are on these islands.
10. When you get off the plane at each island and if you rent a car get every brochure available. You will find countless coupons in them. This will take a bit of time and patience, but it is worth it.
11. If you have a cell phone and have unlimited time for a certain region, this is a good time to upgrade so you can call anywhere in the United States (yes, Hawai’i is part of the United States). Unless you plan on not having to call home, this will save you more money than I can express. The time difference from Massachusetts to Hawai’i is 6 hours so having unlimited time across the country was worth it to us. Whether it is worth it to you will depend on where you live and who you have to call. But think about that one.
12. Bring your own snorkels, fins and mask. I was surprised how inexpensive many beaches were renting this equipment for, but if you go to 3 beaches in one day, that is $15.00. Do that 10 times and you’ve spent $150 you didn’t have to. Surprisingly they didn’t take up much room in our luggage.
12. I read reviews before I left and one stuck in my mind so profoundly. The writer noted that unless you do not plan to visit and tour the islands in the state of Hawai’i, then spending $300 a night for a resort or all-inclusive may make sense. He went on to say he was disappointed because since he had spent so much money he felt he shouldn’t leave the resort. If your intention is not to see these amazing islands, go elsewhere. Hawai’i is meant to be visited and as the reviewer said, he spent so much money on a resort from which he wanted to be away! I took his advice and spent less than $100 a night on every island for various accommodations. There is no need to spend 3 times that amount and if you are on a budget you won’t be able to.
13. Don’t be shy about asking for upgrades in hotels. You will be surprised at how easy it is to get upgraded but you won’t get a nicer room unless you ask! So ask and you will get a bigger and better room for the same price you were about to pay.
13. Many shops, especially the vendor-type shops will give you a discount if you offer cash so keep that in mind.
14. The last general tip before I get into specifics is be prepared to do research, and more research. We found one place we stayed in listed at 2 different prices at 2 different websites. If you have the patience to keep going back to various sites to see if prices have changed, you will save a lot of money. Use www.priceline.com also. We went to Hawai’i for 3 weeks and had a fantastic time on a budget for 2 weeks – you can too.
Part II
I am going to note what we did, where we stayed and where we ate by island if we saved money.
The first island we went to was Maui. One dinner was at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. We had a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book (buy one entrée and get the second one free) here. If you don’t buy The Entertainment Book, Kobe has $10 off coupons in many of the brochures I referred to in #10. This is a highly recommend.
Another dinner on Maui was at Bangkok Cuisine. We had a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book. The bathroom was outside and this is an avoid. This may be a good time to tell you that we found several restaurants that were out of business. That is true in the Massachusetts’ book as well. Some restaurants close almost as soon as they open. Before you drive out of your way and waste gas, save the gas money and call the restaurant to make sure it is there.
On the same island we got lunch to go in the morning at Beach ‘n Bagelz Café’. This was a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book. The sandwich was delicious. The salad was fine. I definitely recommend stopping here and taking something to go.
At the Kukui Mall, still on Maui, we had ice cream at The Sweet Spot. This was a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book and worth the stop and calories.
Another dinner here was at Lemongrass. This was a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book. I am not sure how the Board of Health hasn’t closed them down so this is an avoid.
Another lunch-to-go was at Mr. Sub. The sandwiches were among the best I’ve had and with a deposit you can get a cooler to go. This was a 2 for 1 in The Entertainment Book and a highly recommend.
A quick stop was at Maui Coffee Roasters in Kahuli where we had 2 coffees for the price of one from The Entertainment Book. Again this is worth the stop. As you travel around you will come to the Shirt Shack (After Koke’e State Park). The prices for shirts are terrific there and the owner is very nice.
Our last dinner on Maui was at Lahaina Fish Company in Lahaina on Maui. The bed and breakfast we stayed at had 50% off the second meal coupons so we took advantage of that. You will find these coupons everywhere though. This is an expensive meal even with the ½ off the second meal but worth splurging for.
The Red Lantern in Maui is no longer in business.
Our second island was Kauai where we stayed at a villa found through www.vrbo.com. (Villa Rentals By Owner - the same group we went with for our Orlando stay.) I really do recommend that you check the villas out. Both times we got great deals.
We had dinner at Pizzetta, a well-known restaurant and not the best one to have pizza at. We had a $3.00 off coupon, though, of a large pizza from our car rental book.
Stay away from buying anything unnecessary at Whalers General Store. Go into it to browse, but wait until you get to Hilo Hatties for the canned brittle I mentioned above.
If you visit a timeshare you will get discounts on various places to eat and perhaps a sunset cruise. We chose not to because there was so much to do. We knew we wanted to do a cruise of some sort and decided on a sunset cruise through Holoholo Charters which has a 25% off coupon in The Entertainment Book. There are many charters. This one was great and I would go with them again thus recommend them.
A new-age type coffeehouse called Kalaheo Coffee Company in Kalaheo had a 50% of the second coffee in The Entertainment Book which we took advantage of. This is also worth the stop.
One dinner was at a well-known eatery called Brennecke’s. This was in The Entertainment Book and we got one free dish with one bought. The food was very good but expensive. I will recommend it.
At some point you will probably find yourself in Kaapa. There is a Lappert’s ice cream shop there as well as in Princeville and AlohaTown. The ice cream was delicious and even more so with a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book.
Our third island was The Big Island where we stayed at The Royal Kona Resort for $76.00 plus tax. Do your research and you too can stay at a nice hotel for under $80 like the Frommer’s book says!
We had dinner at Pancho & Lefty’s on Ali'i Drive in Kona Marketplace. We had a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you do also. It is worth the free entrée.
How can you pass up a 2 for 1 banana split at Baskin & Robbins while doing a Wal-Mart run? This coupon was from The Entertainment Book.
There are a few Farmer’s Markets on The Big Island. Go to the new one on Ali'i Drive. The prices are good. This was one of the places we bought coffee and I bought an Aloha shirt. (Hawai’ian shirts that are very colorful.)
In Kailua-Kona you will find the Keauhou Shopping Center and Daylight Donuts. Use the 50% off coupon from The Entertainment Book. Try the apple fritters and cream cheese swirl.
Golden Chopstick on The Big Island is no longer in business.
The French Bakery is not open on Sundays even though The Entertainment Book says it is. . They are in Haahumanu Plaza in Kailua-Kona. You will get a lot of very delicious pastries here also for $10.00 with a 50% off Entertainment Book coupon. The UFO’s are really good, as are the whole-wheat croissants.
The Mac Pie Store has moved to Honokohau Plaza. The address, which is different than that in the 2002 Entertainment Book, is 74-5035 Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. We got 2 6-inch macadamia nut pies (You cannot go to Hawai’i without trying these!) for $6.00. It was a 2 for 1.
Our last island was Oahu where we went to lunch our first day there on a 2 for 1 compliments of The Entertainment Book at All Star Hawai’i. It was very good and I would recommend it.
One very good dinner was at the Royal Steak & Seafood House. We had a 2 for 1 coupon from The Entertainment book and I would definitely recommend it.
Remember the Marketplace I told you about? I suggested holding off on t-shirts if you were going to Oahu. Well here it is. I got a pair of earrings which started at $35 but for which I paid $15. We did buy 7 t-shirts here for $20.00 and they were a hit with our family. Very popular (although the guidebooks may say not to do this because it is so “touristy.”) are matching clothes for men and women. We went into almost every booth in the marketplace and found Sunshine Fashion & Gifts, owned by Linda Chang (The actual address is 2330 Kalakaua Avenue #41) whose store is #41 – and if you want to find her you will have to know that number.) to have the best prices and selection. She is also very nice and since we paid cash we saved $5.00 on my outfit which matches my husband’s shirt.
Another dinner was at the Lobster & Crab House in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave. The food and service is great but note that they are owned by the Royal Steak & Seafood House so the menus are very similar but with a 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book, who cares!
A tourist attraction, Dole Plantation, has a maze and with a coupon in Oahu Gold we got 2 for 1. For $5.00 it was worth finding our way through the maze.
A dinner we had was at Eastern Garden, a simple restaurant with delicious food. We used our 2 for 1 from The Entertainment Book and I would recommend this restaurant if you find yourself in the neighborhood. They have 3 locations: Honolulu, Aiea and Kaneohe.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is something you probably will do and probably should especially since you will save $29.00 from The Entertainment Book!
If you tour Chinatown, parking is difficult. Look around for the 50 cents per ½ hour lot on Maunakea Street. It says Municipal Parking. There is a great mall at Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Boulevard where you will find, among other things, a Dairy Queen, where we used our 2 for 1 coupon from The Entertainment Book.
At 572 Kailua Road in Kailua is a coffee shop called Morning Brew. It is very cute. The Iced Chai was delicious and my husband got coffee. His coffee was free from The Entertainment book.
In conclusion:
As time permits I will be reviewing these island more thoroughly but I hope I have given you some tips on how to travel through Hawaii and save a lot of money. In case you think I am mixing up names, the alphabet in Hawaii only has 12 letters so many names look the same and in some cases are the same.
Going to Hawai'i has to be a luxury trip unless you never eat out, rent a car or go anywhere. We spent more than $200 a day (about $250-$300) but that included everything. Some days we were able to get by on much less and some days we couldn't.
Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions.
Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:
Traveling to Hawaii on a Budget
The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel
Aloha Airlines
Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast in Maui
Maui
LahainaTown Maui
Hana Highway in Maui
Haleakala National Park in Maui
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaiian Airlines
Puff the Magic Dragon Lived in Kauai
Waimea Canyon on Kauai
Poipou Beach Area, Kauai
Na Pali Coast, Kauai
Hideaway Cove Villa, Kauai
Royal Kona Resort,The Big Island
The Island of Hawaii - The Big Island
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island
Oahu
USS Arizona Memorial on Oahu
DiamondHead State Monument on Oahu
Polynesian Cultural Center,Oahu
Wailua River State Park in Kauai, Hawaii
I have no financial interest in any establishment, book or service mentioned in this review.
© Jo L, 8/2002
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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