Inter island airfare sale

I dont know if you have seen it, but GO and Hawaiian Air are having a sale, I just got one way tix%26#39;s for $34 incl taxes, between OGG and HNL, that is over half off.

Inter island airfare sale

Mokulele Airlines starts jet service between Kahului and Honolulu on February 1st, so that%26#39;s where the price war starts. The sale appears limited to the Honolulu-Kahului runs at this point....

Inter island airfare sale

Flights between Maui %26amp; Honolulu are currently on sale on all3 airlines for $27-28 each way (plus taxes %26amp; fees brings it to around $34 each way) for the 28 days of February 2009.

Thank you, guys, SO much!!!!!

We fly to Maui on January 30 so have to pay $69 going there but get the sale price returning!!!

Since I have to buy six tickets, that is saving a bit of $$$ and every bit helps!!!!!

I just bought Maui to Honolulu for June for $39! The price dropped from $69, on Hawaiian Air.

www.booksecure.net/Mokuleleair/criteria.aspx

https:/鈥efault.aspx

http://iflygo.com/

Thanks IUBBFan for posting this message. When I came in earlier in the evening I saw it and checked the pricing for July. I had just checked over the weekend but today was my lucky day. Purchased 11 tickets for r/t HNL to KOA for $76 each through Hawaiian Air. Nice discount!

2 hikes in a day?? Can it be done? :)

Staying in Lihue...

Want to hike the following in 7 days:

waipoo

hakaipai (first 2-4 miles of kalalau)

kuilau

pihea

and mahaelpu (sp? lol, i know this isn%26#39;t really a hike)

(what do ppl think of this? too much? defintely doable?)

but my question is based on location to each other, and length of the hike, is it possible to hike one from maybe like 7a-11a, take a break for lunch and rest and then hike from 1p-5p or something?

thanks to so much of koloagirl%26#39;s help (i am a bit neurotic on the PMs, I apologize!!), told me that Waipoo and Pihea are quite close to each other...would hiking these 2 in one day be insane or is it doable?

where are the other hikes in terms of location relative to one another and to where we are staying in Lihue, at the Marriott Beach Club...

thanks to all of you for all the help! I want to do all of this, but the point is to try to avoid driving the same 1 hour stretch 4 of our 7 days if the hikes are near each other we could just do them in one day instead of driving there and back, next day same drive and back, etc etc.

2 hikes in a day?? Can it be done? :)

We just came back from Kauai and we did all of those hikes....

If you are a really avid hiker with good strong legs AND if you start early (remembering that it takes a good hour or more to get to Pihea trailhead) AND if you take extra water and refill before second hike...then YES, you could do Pihea and Waipoo in one day. That is, if you do Pihea, you don%26#39;t march right down into the depths of the Alakai Swamp (I think you could spend a couple of days in there alone!). We turned around where the boardwalk intersects the next trails (actually wandered down one side a ways, but turned around since we were travelling with kids).

Neither are really long hikes - but if it has been wet, they can be slippery which slows you down a bit. If you are two adults hiking with strong legs...it is totally doable.

Mahaelapu can be a hike if you want to make it one...if you start at Shipwrecks you can hike past the horse stables to Gillins Beach and then another mile down the way to the next point. It is a hot hike though, so take LOTS of water. The Kokee hikes are cooler - but you work to climb up and down.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,

Susan

2 hikes in a day?? Can it be done? :)

awesome, thanks Susan!!

we%26#39;re not going til the end of March, so expecting it to be a bit cooler, but great to know that it%26#39;s definitely doable!!

So Waipoo and Pihea are close enough to each other to hike both in one day

what about the locations of Kuilau, Hanakaipai (Kalalau) and Maha?

thanks again!! I think we%26#39;ll plan to do both waipoo and pihea in one day!

Pihea is at the very end of the road in Koke%26#39;e (which is several miles up a long, narrow and windy road). There are several lookout spots along the drive which you will not be able to drive by without looking (the first time up!) - so you may want to budget some extra time, or steel yourself to keeping your eye on the prize (ie the hike) and keep moving. You drive past the trailhead for the Waipoo falls on the way up. It will probably take you a half hour or so to drive back down from the Pihea trailhead to the Waipoo trailhead (which is on the side of the highway at the Halemanu trail start). Pick up a hiking guide for Kauai - these will be in there for sure.

If you are adventurous - you might slip you swimsuit on under your clothes at the start of the Waipoo hike (or change at the falls if you are not too shy about changing behind a big rock). You will be hot enough to enjoy the chilly waters at the falls!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Susan

I%26#39;m not sure it would be too easy to hike the kalalau and then combine with one of the other hikes. Especially if you are hiking to the falls. And also because the trail is not close to any of the other trails you have listed.

The others may be doable as 2 in one day. We also did all these hikes. You would need to look at a good map to see where all the trail heads are.

Kuilau and mahaulepu are in the east and southeast respectively, so they might be combined.

I would agree that if you hike the Pihea Trial, that you take off from the Pihea to the Alakai Swamp Trail. to the end of the alakai...About 8 miles round trip ( total ). You will see things in the alakai that you more than likely never experienced before.

Also on the Pihea, you will have magical opportunities for photos of the Kalalau Valley.

Also you can stop, on the way up, to Koke%26#39;e at the Waimea Canyon Lookout, for more great photos.

Everythng is on the same road, and easy to find.

Also, how about doing the :

Awa awa phui, cliff, nualolo loop ( up in Koke%26#39;e.)

about 11 miles total, and walking back to the awa awa puhi trial head, along waimea canyon road, to the car park at the trail head. You can try hitching a ride after finishing up on the nualolo back to the car. Erica is usually successful at this.

Both the pihea/alakai and also the awa awa puhi, cliff/nualolo loop will take care of a days each worth of hiking, and you will see quite different views, and geology.

If you are on the east side...

Near the Wailua River, head up Kuamo%26#39;o road to the trail head for the wonderful Kuilau Ridge trail ( easy ) , and extremely lush and beautiful. Views of Mt. Waialeale in the distance. You can hike up to the meadows and picnic table view, have a picnic lunch. This is only about 2 miles round trip, but different than you have already done. ( you can also continue on for different views out toward the ocean ).

Then, within a 10 minute drive heading back to the hwy, still on kuamoo road, you can take the Sleeping Giant trail head, all the way to the top, past the groves of Capt. Cook ( Norfolk ) pines, to the super 360 degree vista..what a view.

Also , stop on kuamoo road, as you return toward the coastal highway in Wailua, for photos at the overlook for Opeakea Falls.

Then it is only a 5 minute drive to the hwy, and your hiking day is complete.

We have been hiking the trails here for about 16 years now, both as visitors and residents, and never run out of places to explore, and we even like returning and hiking the same fabulous areas. Never get tired of Kauai%26#39;s beauty.

please read up on these trails and learn about what you will be experiencing, the difficulty level, and probably hiking boots might be in order for all the walking and climbing you will be doing.

Two great pubs are the Ultimate Kauai Guide Book and

Kauai Trails. We always read up in both of these for any trails that we plan on hiking. Yep, both !

We also have a great hiking map, as well as the $1.50 hiking pamphlet from the Koke%26#39;e Museum...a definite stop after the waimea canyon lookout and before any hiking up in Koke%26#39;e.

Do we bring all of the above on our hikes...you betcha. They Don%26#39;t do much good laying on the table at the condo.

Get the scoops on the trail conditons from the ladies at the museum. Good plan !

The above are quite diversified...but you also mentioned other trials, and no worries. Just pick what feels good to you.

But the above, really reduce the driving between trail heads.

Happy treking...

Denny

Thanks a ton everybody!!

ALso, we won%26#39;t be swimming in the falls as I%26#39;ve heard too much about Lepto and now am very nervous about swimming in the fresh water there....

Thanks again, we%26#39;ll look to combine waipoo and pihea and go from there! :) I also expect the concierge at the hotel to be able to help us with the planning a bit of these things! I have a map and a guide book so we%26#39;ll see! :)

Why just 2 hikes?

How about 3?

Assuming good weather, get off to an early start on the Pihea trail to maximize the chance for good views. You could proceed to the junction of the Alakai Swamp trail and return. A shorter version would be to return before you make the descent into the swamp. The previous route might be about 2 miles round trip. Then you can combine the Canyon trail to Waipoo Falls and then a good chunk of the Kukui trail as I described a couple of days ago:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29218-i304-k24271…

Hopefully at the end of March you will have just enough daylight to do this. All these trail heads are fairly close to each other.

Ka`upulehu Cultural Center

Can anyone give me more information on the Ka%26#39;upulehu Cultural Center at the Four Seasons? Is it open to the public? I%26#39;m interested in going with my husband and two sons. How much time would you allow for it? How did you get the daily schedule, if available? This is what I found so far...

fourseasons.com/hualalai/ka_upulehu_cultural…

www.hualalairesort.com/index.cfm…

Thanks

Ka`upulehu Cultural Center

honestly, I think what you want to do is pick up the phone and call the 800 number at the top of the page you linked. It costs you nothing and chances are you will get all your questions answered much better.

Don%26#39;t be shy. It%26#39;s only 1 pm Monday here, so it%26#39;s a fine time to call.

Ka`upulehu Cultural Center

Still wondering if anyone has anyone been to the Ka%26#39;upulehu Cultural Center and would they recommend it?

I can%26#39;t help you there. I%26#39;ve never seen it mentioned here. Most non-guests of the Four Seasons go there for food and drink. Maybe a former guest will see your post ...

but I would still call and see if it%26#39;s open to the public. The Four Seasons is an exclusive resort. That whole area is not particularly welcoming to the public, the exception being the restaurants and beach BBQ, for which you of course pay through the nose. People who come to do free stuff, may or may not be treated warmly. I think the Center is something they offer the guests as an amenity.

But if you talk to them and they are welcoming, great.

Yes, I have been there. Yes it is open to the public. It is very small but lots of hands on stuff. The staff is a wealth of information on hawaiian culture and they are eager to help.

I would allow 15 or 20 minutes.

Bill

Thanks all. I%26#39;ll call and get more info as we get closer to our trip. I noticed they also have tide pool talk, feeding mantas, etc. If they are friendly and welcoming to others, great. I%26#39;ll post and let you know.

Getting to Lanai

Hello all..

I%26#39;m sorry if I%26#39;m repeating this.. I%26#39;m planning to take the ferry service to Lanai, what%26#39;s the cheapest way to travel from the airport to the ferry terminal? Thank you =)

Getting to Lanai

I assume you mean the airport at Kahului on Maui to the ferry dock in Lahaina. I am not an expert on this, but I understand there is a shuttle you can take which is much cheaper than a taxi. Hopefully some Maui experts see this and have more info on the shuttle. Otherwise, I would post on the Maui forum with the question ';cheapest way from airport to ferry in Lahaina';.

Is there a reason you are flying into Maui? It might be easier to fly into Honolulu and take an Island Air flight to Lana%26#39;i (no need to go across an island to catch a ferry that way).

Getting to Lanai

Hey DrV - This is a bit off-topic, but I noticed you have also stayed at the FS Hualalai. Have you travelled from Lanai to the Big Island? If so, did you take Island Air?

If you mean OGG airport then you might want to look at Executive Shuttle. They are reliable and will probably be the most reasonable. It will be about $50 for two one way from the airport to the harbor.

I would second Bill. Take the Maui Executive Shuttle. They are located on-site at the OGG airport, within walking distance of the baggage claim. A trip to the dock in Lahaina will run about $50 for two people. This is much cheaper than a cab and just as nice.

Aloha jbillin,

No we have never combined a Lana%26#39;i trip with a Big Island trip. We always get to these islands via Honolulu. In fact, if you want to go between these two islands you would have to change planes in Honolulu. Island Air could certainly do that.

Thanks DrV. We were hoping that we could avoid the plane change in Honolulu between Lanai and the Big Island. Oh well!

dog

booking excursions on line

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has ever booked an excursion on line. I was checking out www.travelhawaii.com and you can save up to $20-30 (per person) in some cases. For example, Safari Boat Excursions is $30 cheaper and the savings for Pacific Whale Foundation is $20. My husband and 2 kids will be in Maui next month and there are a number of things they want to do, so I%26#39;m trying to find a deal if I can!

So far the only thing we%26#39;ve booked is the Old Lahaina Luaa. My 16 yr. old daughter wants to take surf lessons (any recommendations would be great) and my son wants to go on a snorkel/whale watching trip. Thanks!

booking excursions on line

Booking on line is fine. The best way to do it is by booking on the companies web-site. The brokers have great deals but usually there are strings attached or the times aren%26#39;t the best for the excursion. ie: snorkel trips. Offered by brokers for really cheap in the afternoon. That is the worst time to take a snorkel trip due to the tradewinds coming up in late morning early afternoon. Makes visibility near zero!!

booking excursions on line

Yes, I have booked activities on-line. I%26#39;ve never had a problem upon arrival. Once time I forgot my confirmation in the car ~ and since my name was on the manifest, they let me go, no problem. I don%26#39;t know if that%26#39;s standard, however. It%26#39;s nice to not have to worry about being able to do something because you waited too long.

jc

I would recommend booking your activities with the vendor themselves.

Many sites that offer deals that seem to be too good to be true may also be connected to timeshares, or others has noted they may be afternoon trips.

Many of the individual companies also offer additional discounts when you book directly through their website.

Try Goofy Foot Surf School in Lahania.

www.goofyfootsurfschool.com

My son and I did it three years ago and loved it. The waves were the perfect size for learning. In fact we will be going again next month and we use them again.

I also suggest booking directly with a place, rather than through a booking agency - do print out any confirmations and pages that are pertinent to those reservations.

I second the idea of snorkel trip in the morning, much calmer seas and the sun will be less harsh. Budgeting is serious business, but if you find a bargain that is far below %26#39;usual rate%26#39; I would really look at the fine print.

In Kihei we thoroughly enjoyed Maui WaveRiders for surfing lessons.

Thanks! I checked out the web site and it looks like fun. I may even give it a try. :)

I was wondering the same thing, so thanks for the post katrinm. Obviously, then, if I%26#39;m booking online, I%26#39;ll book directly with the company. But do these really get sold out early? I mean, do I have to book online prior to my February 11th trip, for whale watching and a snorkelling trip to Lanai, or can it wait until I';m actually THERE and know what day I want to do what? And what about renting (good) snorkelling gear, should I do it in advance online? Advice very welcome!

I%26#39;m wondering the same thing. Now I%26#39;m thinking of waiting until we get there to book. I%26#39;d hate to book a month in advance for a snorkel trip and then it rain all that day! I%26#39;ll just keep my fingers crossed that there will be some availability when we get there.

I%26#39;ve booked online both direct, and with brokers. The brokers are often cheaper, even with no strings attached. Of course you%26#39;ll want to make sure of the specifics of you trip, but I can say that I%26#39;ve used Activity Wharehouse and Boss Frog%26#39;s as brokers with no problems and no time share obligations.

katrinamOntario - i booked that Safari whale watch online and called to make sure pricing was correct (it is) funny how check with the company direct gave me higher price quotes but that TravelHawaii.com was $10 ea cheaper AND kids free.

Something to keep in mind. .they dont%26#39; charge you until you get there. I was told we go in to pay for the trip.. . they%26#39;re located behind the Hard Rock Cafe. For TravelHawaii.com they don%26#39;t run your card at booking time but arrival time :)

oily skin blackheads

Sunrise Bike Tour

Has anyone does this recently? So hubby was browsing TA last night and saw this. Although we aren%26#39;t bike riders, it sounded like fun. The only company we saw was maui downhill. The last reviews on doing a bike tour I found on this forum were from a few years ago. Any thoughts or opinions on it?

thx :-)

Sunrise Bike Tour

I have not done it, nor do I want to b/c of the biking, but I have friends who swear by this excursion! She was not a biker either, but they say the experience and the sunrise make it worth it. And also they have a van so if you end up not wanting to bike u can ride in it. I%26#39;m not sure what company they used, but know it was on Maui.

We%26#39;re doing a sunrise sail, so i figure that will be where we see it.

Sunrise Bike Tour

Sunrise sail? Well that sounds nice!! Do you have any more info you could share with me?

thx :-)

This is the company we went with and thoroughly enjoyed...

http://www.bikemaui.com/

I would advise though, if you%26#39;re not regular bike riders, this is not the trip to re-learn on. Your total attention must be focused on what you are doing, which is staying on your side of the road.

Just do the drive to the top for the sunrise, stop at Kula Lodge for breakfast on the way back down.

Bike riding down a 10,000 foot mountain is not for those who aren%26#39;t bike riders!! White knuckling down a steep slope trying to avoid cars is not what I would call a ';fun'; time. Practice by biking down from Glen%26#39;s Cove on Pikes Peak. If you like it, you could probably do this. There won%26#39;t be as much traffic on Pikes Peak as Haleakala though!!

I did this about four years ago on Maui and it is fantastic. It is a bit of a killer to get up at 5 am but well worth it. I can%26#39;t remember the bike company but I think that they offer pretty much the same thing. It is amazing; you don%26#39;t have to be a hard core biker. I certainly wasn%26#39;t. You can go as fast or as slow as you like and a good company will have a guide at the top to start you out. My friend was not an experienced biker and just went slower than I did. I am not an experienced biker but like a bit of speed. Some companies have guides the whole way but I don%26#39;t think that you need it. Important thing to remember is to wear warm clothes...I mean a sweater, warm jacket and long underwear. Bring a backpack to put the stuff in when it starts to get warm (I peeled off the layers as we went) but remember the top of the volcano is cold cold cold!!! Totally amazing experience and I do recommend breakfast at one of the breakfast places on the way down. I hope that you go...it is fun.

When I mentioned my friend was not an experienced biker I should add that I meant that she bike rides but not regularly. You do have to be able to ride a bike well and I agree that it is not he time to re-learn. Safety first!!!

I think we are going to skip this. LOL Sounded fun at the time but i don%26#39;t want to put myself in a position I can%26#39;t back out of!

Westin Villas (North) Kids programs

This will be our 5th trip to the Villas but our first with young kids! We have a 9yr old and a 11 year old joining us and I was wondering if anyone has experience with the programs they offer, the only groups I%26#39;ve ever noticed appeared to be in the 5-8 yr old range. Don%26#39;t know if their folks will be interested, we have a lot planned, but thought I%26#39;d go to my ';experts'; for the option! Thanks

Westin Villas (North) Kids programs

Don%26#39;t know about programs. But an option : Just wanted to share that our 9 %26amp; 11 yr old nieces loved the small $10 boogie boards we got at ??maybe Longs. They played in 3 to 4 ft water, staying ';on'; the boards helped to keep them up and in the sun and warmer. Since we were out of the water by 11 they never got sunburned. Also you can p/u sand toys at 2nd hand store or Salvation Army in Lahania.I thought they were too old for snad toys..I was wrong. They did use the mask/snorkel and fins we rented to look for ';sea'; glass in the shore break. They got to cold to fast to snorkel further out.

South swells had our beaches closed, so we drove to Kapalua Bay 4 days in a row for them.

It was fun having them along...opened our eyes to seeing Maui another way, We enjoyed them so much we didn%26#39;t even miss our usual every morning snorkel.

Have fun with your group.

Westin Villas (North) Kids programs

Thanks for your input, these are very savvy young travelers. HAve been to Maui several times, know snokeling and own their own equipment, but first time with us. And we want to make it special.

Mamma, I%26#39;m sure they will think it%26#39;s special just being with you.

They will have fun just playing and sharing ';their Maui'; with you.

Thanks Barefoot..you put tears in my eyes! The boys do love us and spend a lot of time up here, but Maui is special...their parents ';Christmas gift'; was a night at the Sheraton, by themselves. Figure we will take the guys into Lahaina for dinner and wing it from there. They are awesome kids!

Are these the grandboys? How special to get have them for a day w/o parents. Maybe they will have a special place to take ya%26#39;ll. Be sure and let us know what you end up doing. Whatever it is it will be special. I%26#39;ll be watching for the trip report or PM.

We took the girls Sept 05 and the boys in 07 when they were 14 %26amp; 16. Neices and nephews but like grandkids. Youngest of the crew is now 8 he wants to know when we will take him.

I guess that these are ';sort of grand boy%26#39;s'; But we view them as grand%26#39;s! As the World turns in this day and age...They are my daughter%26#39;s SO%26#39;s boys and we have been having a blast with them for the last 3 years. We roll with it and love the guys and their Dad! I am very excited to have them join us on Maui!

This is gonna be a great trip!

We have 4 kids - our youngest 2 are 10 and 11, one of the things they really enjoyed was ';fishing'; - that is looking for sea life in the tide pools, they would catch the fish (we went to Longs and bought them a net for $5) and a plastic pail they would put some ocean water and sand in the pail and then ';catch'; a couple fish, show us and name the fish and then release them! They did this everyday for 2 weeks, along with playing in the surf, just jumping in the waves, we had so much fun watching how much fun they were having. We had offered to put them in surf lessons and but they didn%26#39;t want to, they just wanted to hang with us.