Parking at the Grand Wailea

I saw that the Grand Wailea offers valet parking at $20.00/day. Do they have self-parking? If so, is there a cost involved? Thanks.

Parking at the Grand Wailea

Yes, they have self parking in a parking garage. No fee other than the normal resort fee they all charge.

Parking at the Grand Wailea

ps: The parking spaces are tight so think about renting a small car.

Thanks!

they can often fill up fast ... since the self parking is free and valet is $20. there were some nights that we had to do valet because the lot was full. just FYI

Thanks for letting me know :)

My ';Pog Tai';

Has anyone visiting Kauai seen that wonderful Whalers Dark Rum that Trader Joes usually carries? I love it with a good light rum and pog juice...my version of a Mai Tai!

My ';Pog Tai';

DazzleD,

I think I got the little airline size bottles at either Whalers General Store or ABC Store. It may have been the Mai Tai in a little bottle, but that is really good mixed with POG.

~ syd

One-Way Car Rental (ITO to KOA)

I am struggling trying find decent rental car rates for a pickup at Hilo and dropoff at Kona. It would be a 4-day weekday rental. Normally I would use Priceline or Hotwire, but they don%26#39;t have one-way rental options. Does anyone have any tips for getting discounted one-way rates on the Big Island?

One-Way Car Rental (ITO to KOA)

hawaiicarrental.com

discounthawaiicarrental.com

or Costcotravel.com

Going direct through Alamo with the discount code %26#39;hipromo%26#39;.

There may be an additional charge for the %26#39;drop off%26#39;.

Be aware that rental car fleets have been reduced. Rental rates can change daily - some types of vehicles may not be available.

One-Way Car Rental (ITO to KOA)

We rented through National who doesn%26#39;t charge a drop off (or didn%26#39;t when I was looking a couple months ago). My plan of attack when renting is to look at www.carrentals.com . They%26#39;ll show you the end price including all the taxes and fees that you%26#39;ll be charged. I then will do a search on the web for discount codes for a particular car rental company to apply when booking. I%26#39;ll book and then keep checking every few days for rate changes.

I guess first you need to let us know what you consider decent. You might incur a drop off charge depends on the rental company. Most all of the sites I have ever used do have one way options, you fill out the pickup location and the drop off if it is different. I know for sure Orbitz does that.

discounthawaiicarrental.com is great. When are you visiting?

Dear Toronto:

If you want best beaches w/ only 4 days I recommend staying Waikoloa (best beaches) or Kona (good snorkeling and site seeing) and ranging from Captain Cook in the south to Pololu Valley in the north.

If you want to focus more on waterfalls, gardens, Volcano then maybe range from Black Sand Beach east to Waipio Valley north (staying in Hilo or Volcano).

That avoids the car drop off penalty if any. Remember the Big Isalnd is 220 miles around on the main road not including side trips, so there%26#39;s no way you are gonna see everything in 4 days anyways.

Happy Planning, TheodoreJay

TJ has just pointed out why it is a good idea to rent in ITO and drop off in KOA if you are coming for a short trip. The 3 hour prime time driving is very valuable time when you are here for a short trip.

Thank you for the feedback. I guess I%26#39;m used to getting great rates thru Priceline, so my definition of ';decent rates'; may be skewed. For instance, for the other Hawaiin islands I%26#39;ve been able to get a compact for around $12/day+tax and SUV and convertibles for around $25/day+tax. The one-way rates I%26#39;m finding for the Big Island are around $50/day for a compact and around $100/day for an SUV or convertible (car rental dot com). Crazy! Before I bite the bullet and pay these insane rates, I thought I%26#39;d better do some more digging.

That sounds a bit high but it depends on when you are coming. If it is during Ironman in October those would actually be decent rates and I would book them, they tend to run out of cars during that timeframe.

We are visiting for four weeknights near the end of May. I don%26#39;t believe there are any large events going on during this time.

No events... hmmm did you try the web sites we gave you? Did you check what a weekly rate would be? Sometimes it is less than a 4 day rental..

More tipping Questions

I was just have a couple more questions about tipping - hope they don%26#39;t seem too silly!

With regard to bar service - do you just leave say a couple of dollars sitting on the bar from the change you receive back from the bartender?

If we paid by credit card in a restaurant is that sufficient if we just add on an extra 15% -20% to the bill or would some staff expect cash for service - say as we would tip a porter a few dollars for delivering our luggage?

What would be a normal tip for a day tour for the guide and driver?

thanks for any replies.

Jem

More tipping Questions

Rich Americans always leave a 20-25% tip, no matter what.%26#39;/]\

More tipping Questions

But us regular people leave 15 to 20%.

Jemtide - yes to both questions. As far as for a tour guide, I usually don%26#39;t tip them unless they went out of their way and worked hard and/or they were really nice.

Standard safe tipping is a dollar on every five---twenty per cent. More if you feel the service was extraordinary.

I truly love my Aussie friends but jeez---just what is the tipping expectation in Oz?

I can only comment personally - not for all australians but we tip (at home in australia) if we appreciate the service or quality of food but it%26#39;s not compulsory and I don%26#39;t think service staff have an expectation to receive a certain percentage of the total bill as a tip - Restaurants/ cafes here commonly have a container of some description by the till for tips so when people go to pay they can tip what they can afford or want to.

The bar tender %26amp; waitress will still serve you in australia (from my experience) if you don%26#39;t tip them - you may receive better service if you do but they are supposed to be on a fixed wage and probably under the scrutiny of a manager who wants the customer to spend - so I guess it won%26#39;t win any favours with a boss for an employee to ignore someone trying to buy a drink or wanting service! that said we would leave change on the bar when we leave and hope the staff pick it up! So some of us tip - (but not all the time)it%26#39;s just not compulsory and basically what you feel is fair.

Jem

If you pay with a credit card you can just add the tip to the card, you don%26#39;t have to leave cash.

Yes, I you leave cash on the bar for drinks. I usually tuck it under my empty glass ($1 per drink).

It%26#39;s just fine to add the tip on the charge card. There%26#39;s a line just above, before you fill in the total, for that purpose.

Sorry, never had a guide or driver :) suze

If you use a credit card - it is very easy to just add the tip - whatever the amount - to the total. It%26#39;s the norm. You don%26#39;t have to leave cash.

Same goes when you sign off a bar bill to your room account.

Tour guides - it depends on the tour. If it%26#39;s a few dollars for a driver - great. Catamarans - for a good crew - $20.00.

You will find that on some tours, they are utterly shameless about asking for tips. Do what you feel is best.

suggestions for a quiet condo with great ocean view?

Am I asking too much?

I am looking for a condo, with a great ocean view, where I can sit on the lanai and watch the waves (i.e. not the pool, or a road, and not have lots of trees interrupt the view!) which is reasonably quiet (i.e. not full of Spring Break crowds) with 2 or 3 bedrooms.

Any suggestions?

suggestions for a quiet condo with great ocean view?

Check out the views from the Kahana Village condos. We have a number of pictures we made while there in 2006 at www.boilermaker.smugmug.com. Just open the Maui album. The Kahana Village website is very reliable for true pictures as well. We are returning there in December as they do offer 3 bedrooms.

Have a wonderful trip!

suggestions for a quiet condo with great ocean view?

In South Maui: Makena Surf, Wailea Ekahi, Wailea Beach Villas, Polo Beach Club. These are all beachfront on good swimming beaches. Also see some in North Kihei that are oceanfront, but not on good swimming beaches; same story at Maalaea. One exception there that IS on a good beach: Sugar Beach.

See aerial views of all Maui condos at:

www.wizardpub.com

check out www.hphresort.com

You might check out Hale Hui Kai....especially if you will spring for a more ocean front location...I haven%26#39;t stayed there but have neighbours that do every time they go to Maui and they love it! It is on Keawakapu Beach which is a lovely stretch of sand! Not much in the way of beautiful grounds and the pool is very small (but it is a lovely beach) and there are no washers and dryers in the units...and that makes this property a no go for me! Still if directly oceanfront is important to you...check it out.

http://wizardpub.com/maui/mrhalehuikai.html

Depends a lot on your budget. Makena Surf is ideal in South Maui for ocean views and quiet. Elua is alsonice if you get the Ocean Front places but there is a public pathway between you and the beach. Ekahi might be a bit of a stretch to hear the waves. Wailea Beach Villas if you stay in one of the expensive villas and not the condos is good but you will probably pay over $2500 A NIGHT. In Kihei, there are a couple but they will be noiser with more crowds. Kihei Beach Villas, Sugar Beach, and Royal Mauian are all on the beach side and you do not have to walk across the road. I would stay away from Kaanapali if you want quiet but head a little further up and you will find there are some places in Kapalua that are right on the ocean%26#39;s edge. You need to book the GOLD villas to get the ones close to the ocean otherwise you need to ride a shuttle down to the beach and you will definitely not see the whales from way up the mountain. The other option is a home. Contact Villas of Hawaii or Tropical Villa Vacations for the higher end type of places and Kapalua Resort if you want West Maui.

you don%26#39;t give us you%26#39;re budget but check out the condos in the Kahana, Napili areas. There are many small ocean front condos with at least 2 bedrooms. Add www.chasenrainbows.com to your searches...good luck.

I second the recommendation for Hale Hui Kai. You can%26#39;t do better than to be in one of their ocean front units.

A cheaper place is Punahoa which is farther north but nice and quiet and direct ocean front. No pool there but it%26#39;s a short walk to Kam 1 beach. Not fancy at all but quiet and a great view.

We%26#39;ve stayed at both these places over the years and liked the ambience.

Kim

We are always looking for waterfront accomodations that include:

-washer/dryer

-high-speed internet

-two bedrooms

-dishwasher

-lanai

-view of waves

-$300 a night

Mahana and Papakea in West Maui are places we looked at. We also looked at Kamaole Nalu and Royal Mauian. We%26#39;ve stayed twice at Kamaole Nalu and were happy there even though the condo was pretty small. I know you can spend $100 less per night by staying across the street from the water in Kihei. We%26#39;ve had no luck finding anything in our price range in Napili or Wailea.

Hololani in Kahana. 2 Bedroom units, corner units have ocean views from both windows. No road noise, just the sound of the ocean. Mostly middle-aged, retired and family crowd (the kind of families that supervise their kids for the most part). Check wizardpub.com for aerial views. There are a handful of units on vrbo but most go through the on-site management.

Check out the Mahana... you can rent condo rooms through individual owners or through ResortQuest.

...just stayed there a few weeks ago and could not have been happier. I challege you to find a more ';ocean-front'; view!

makeup help

get time from datetime

Swine flu/air travel restrictions?

I guess I%26#39;m a worrywort, but I was wondering if this flu becomes a pandemic, how will air travel be affected? I%26#39;m set to leave in two weeks and wondering if air travel could become restricted in an effort to contain the outbreak.

Swine flu/air travel restrictions?

You can worry about something that is out of your control. Just count down the days until you leave. According to the google maps application that tracks the swine flu the only deaths are in Mexico. I honestly think they are making a bigger deal about this than it really is.

Maui trip report

Our trip was a 5 night stay at the Sheraton Maui. A great property that was spacious enough to be comfortable despite the fact that it was a major hotel and resort. It was chosen for the pool and the beach. Lots of room where the kids and families could be on one side and adults on the other of the pool area. We upgraded our room to a suite on Black Rock and it was beautiful. The downside: it overlook the handy man%26#39;s workyard and guest parking lot. And had the stench of a dumpster. We didn%26#39;t use the balcony so it didn%26#39;t matter. The room was spacious and gorgeous anyway.

Day 1: Sunset Dinner Cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation. We signed up for the Premier seating on the upper deck but maybe that wasn%26#39;t a good idea because it made for a rough ride everytime we turned away from the harbor. The food wasn%26#39;t great either. The food%26#39;s temp was warm and not tasty at all. The only good thing about the dinner cruise was that some of the proceeds of the price of the cruise goes to the Foundation%26#39;s whale conversatory.

Day 2: Took the advice from all the books that I read and TA posters and planned our trip to see the Sunrise at Haleakala on the day after our arrival (since we haven%26#39;t adjusted to the time zone). Still 2am is early. I booked with Maui Mountain cruisers. A good company that is always concerned about the safety of the riders. It was a clear morning and the sunrise was beautiful. Which I hear is rare. Really? Anyway, the ride downhill was fun and all riders arrived at sea level without a scratch. After a little rest, we headed to dinner at the hotel%26#39;s teppanaki restaurant. Which was probably the best meal we had there.

Day 3: Pool day! We had breakfast at the hotel%26#39;s buffet breakfast. I don%26#39;t recommend. I am from San Diego so maybe I am used to the spice and heat in my foods. The food that we had been eating was so bland. That night we headed to Lahaina for the Old Lahaina Luau. The hotel offers a shuttle into Lahaina so that we could drink up at the open bar and not worry about driving. We arrived early so we headed to the mexican food restuarant at the Cannery Mall, Los Pelones for some drinks. Ronnie is a great bartender with great stories and awesome tropical shot concoctions, he set up the night for us! The luau was great! Great show. Food...I enjoyed the pork but everything else was not so tasty. I need to bring a bottle of Tapito. I am not faulting anyone, I just think the cuisine of Hawaii is not made with a lot of spice.

Day 4: The road to Hana! We started the morning early and went to breakfast at the Gazebo. What a great meal! Classic cafe food. So yummy and the staff was very friendly. Go early, there is always a line. After breakfast, we filled up the gas tank and headed out on the day%26#39;s adventure. I was a little nervous about the possibly of driving this notorious road with my BF. We argue about stop lights when he is driving at home. I couldn%26#39;t imagine driving this road together. But it was alright. The one lane bridges were a little hairy with oncoming traffic but the drivers were all courteous and cautious. We drove all they way around the island, but it is not recommended for passenger cars. The mostly unpaved road is closed on and off and not recommended for tourists. We had an insider tip so we did it, but it takes a 4 x 4 and a great driver. (yes he did great for that part of the road.) We made it back to the hotel after 6p and ate dinner at the hotel.

Day 5: Shopping in Lahaina on Front street. That night for dinner we headed back to our favorite mexican food restuarant hoping our bartender would be there. We ate at the bar so we could watch the NBA playoffs and hear those great stories from Ronnie. The meal was good. I had warned my BF since we are from San Diego with so many great Mexican food places that we shouldn%26#39;t eat mexican while we were in Maui. But I had a really tasty meal. We closed the place...not saying much since everything is closed by 10p.

The weather was clear and beautiful with no wind. We left for Maui a few days after Easter Sunday and except for the convention of Insurance employees at the hotel, we felt we missed the crowds of Spring Break. We enjoyed our trip to Maui and are looking forward to more adventures on the other islands in the future. Bring Tapatio.

Maui trip report

Thanks for the report. The upgrade didn%26#39;t sound like one, especially for those of us who love to use our lanai.

Maui trip report

Journeyme,

I appreciate the trip report. It is always good to everyone%26#39;s perspective on things. I%26#39;m glad the weather held out for you. I guess some upgrades aren%26#39;t as good as they sound but it sounds like it bother you too much. Thanks for sharing with us!!

Very helpful report. My sister and 3 daughters (16, 18, 21) will be in Maui for 7 nights end of July. Are there any stops along the road to Hana you recommend or any you don%26#39;t recommend. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing. Some good info for my next trip to Maui.

journeyme - Appreciate you taking the time to write your trip report, sounds like a good vacation.

Funny isn%26#39;t it, amazing when you get used to spicy foods how some milder things just taste bland - %26#39;have tobasco will travel%26#39;.

Thanks for the trip report! I%26#39;m headed to Maui in less than a week. How did you dress for the sunrise at Haleakala? Were you warm enough?

Julie

For the Luau, I wore a sun dress with a light wrap for my shoulders. I was very comfortable.

For the sunrise, I was layered. I was in jeans, tennis shoes, and 2 shirts and 2 pull overs. In addition, the downhill company gave us wind breaker suits and gloves! It was cold up there!