ependydad...Doug 176 Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 This idea is firmly in "zany idea"-land, but it's gaining some traction. My wife and I bought into DVC so that when we end up out west this year, we are thinking of flying to Hawaii to Aulani for a week's vacation (figuring costs would be cheaper flying from the west coast vs. anywhere else). But, I got thinking- if we already flew to Hawaii and are nomadic anyway, why not spend a month living/working from there. I think I should be able to find a passable yet inexpensive VRBO/furnished home rental for a month (that comes close to matching my current RV site budget of $1,500/month). Aulani is on the island with Pearl Harbor & Honolulu. I'd want to spend my month on another island ... I think / just because. But, I seriously know zero about Hawaii. A few searches have yielded rental results on the Big Island. Thoughts? Opinions? Witty commentary? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 The Big Island has Volcano National Park, which is amazing. My wife and I utilized my job with the military to stay at the Hale Koa in Honolulu, and thought that island was great, especially Pearl Harbor and the Dole Plantation. We then headed to the Big Island and stayed at the Kilauea Military Camp in a nice cabin. That place was incredible, being able to see lava flows into the ocean and hike across lava lakes. It was a great experience. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 150 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Doug, We went to Hawaii back in July of 2014 and stayed at Aulani.... All I have to say, is if you can get there (which is the hardest part), GO! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, but just stayed on Oahu only and didn't venture out to any of the other islands. If you want to see some pictures, you can go to my one and only trip report and see them here. As for staying and doing some island hoping, I would think the transportation cost would be the biggest issue... Everything is spread out unless you are going to focus on one particular area for a period of time. Like when we landed in Honolulu, we had to drive between 30 to 45 minutes east of the airport just to get to Aulani. It was at least 45 minutes to an hour to get to the North Shore from Aulani. Can't speak to how it is on any of the other islands, but I'm sure others will be along to weigh in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted October 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 We are definitely looking at Oahu because of Aulani and Pearl Harbor. Right now I'm seeing a few 2-3 bedroom houses available for right about $2,000-2,500 for a month on the Big Island. That and some of the parks on there sound really cool (getting to see actual lava!). I haven't priced our a rental car for a month or even how you get from one island to another, but that's on my list of things to figure out. My food budget is already inflated having a tiny fridge, but I do understand it'll increase quite dramatically with this trip. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 I'm not sure when or why I ever had this conversation but I swear someone told me a gallon of milk Is like $6 in Hawaii! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted October 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 I'm not sure when or why I ever had this conversation but I swear someone told me a gallon of milk Is like $6 in Hawaii! I've also heard like $10 for watermelon of all things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 I vote for Maui. I haven't been to the big island, and it certainly sounds appealing, but I think Maui has more to offer. Some ideas on cool things to do on Maui: 1. Take a sunrise downhill bike tour at Haleakala volcano. Absolutely spectacular and unforgettable. Here's a link to one tour provider, but there are a bunch. The one we used included a sit down, full service restaurant on the way down. It really is awesome seeing the sunrise over that crater, and then riding 26 miles all downhill- all you need to do is hit the brakes: http://www.hawaiiactivities.com/en/hawaii/maui/a/15729 2. Drive to Hana. Read this National Geographic description of the road trip: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/maui-hana-coast-road-trip/. Many, many moons ago, Mrs. TCD and I rented a convertible and did that drive in a day. Along the way, we stopped a black sand beaches, numerous waterfalls and the Seven Sacred Pools. If I ever do it again, I'd plan to spend a night or two in Hana, and stop at even more places along the way. 3. Kaanapali beach- Has everything you think of when you think of Hawaii. 4. Lahaina- A cool old whaling town with a distinct vibe. 5. Snorkeling/Sailing trip- We did one of these both times we visited Maui. The water is unbelievably clear. We also took a sunset cruise once which included food and drink- beautiful 6. Whale watching- it's a big deal all around Hawaii, but it seems to be more of a thing in Maui. There are lots of overlooks and places on the island where you can see whale activity. 7. Windsurfing- it's huge in Maui. I've never done it, but if I was there for a long visit like you're planning, I would take some lessons and do it for sure. 8. Helicopter ride- If you've ever wanted to ride in a helicopter, there are lots of opportunities to do so on Maui, and I can't think of a place that would have more beautiful scenery to enjoy. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 4 hours ago, ependydad...Doug said: 4 hours ago, Beckers said: I'm not sure when or why I ever had this conversation but I swear someone told me a gallon of milk Is like $6 in Hawaii! I've also heard like $10 for watermelon of all things. Things are very high in Hawaii but keep in mind almost everything has to be imported so that pushes up the cost of everything. Even moving local stuff between islands isn't cheap. You might want to consider staying where you can get the best price then island hop for a few day stays at the other islands. All of the accessible islands have regular air service so getting around isn't hard but it isn't exactly cheap either. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 14 minutes ago, keith_h said: Things are very high in Hawaii but keep in mind almost everything has to be imported so that pushes up the cost of everything. Even moving local stuff between islands isn't cheap. Then how come I can order some doohickie on Amazon for $1.64 and they can ship it from Taiwan in 3 days? The world has changed, and I bet Hawaiians are just getting gouged now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 37 minutes ago, DaveInTN said: Then how come I can order some doohickie on Amazon for $1.64 and they can ship it from Taiwan in 3 days? The world has changed, and I bet Hawaiians are just getting gouged now. They get gouged on shipping. While that doohickie might be inexpensive even Amazon charges more to ship items to Hawaii. Almost all of Hawaii's groceries are shipped from the mainland. This adds 50% or more to the price due to shipping costs. Similar costs occur for things like lumber and appliances. I have several friends still living in Hawaii who say costs are the biggest factor that would affect them returning to the mainland after they retire. I also had some good friends when we lived in California who were native Hawaiians and left Hawaii due to the cost of living. While incomes are higher for many jobs it is not enough to really offset the additional costs of living there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Going to Pearl Harbor is a moving experience, however the rest of the island is touristy. I agree with TCD regarding Maui. it is gorgeous and relaxing. we played golf on some public courses for $30. I'm not a great golfer, but who cares when your tee box is on a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lightbikes 73 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 We did four weeks in Hawaii last year (November 2015) - we use our DVC points and put them into RCI to cover our accomodation. We were able to spend a week at Aulani to see Oahu, a week on Hawaii, a week on Kauai and finally a week on Maui. Our two favourites were Hawaii and Kauai. We found Oahu very, very, very commercialized and just like anywhere else you might got to. Lots of things designed to seperate the tourist from their dollar! The island of Hawaii was amazing. Just the sight of the black lava everywhere is stunning. And the trip up to the volcano is not to be missed. If you decide to do it spend the extra money and have a driver, it is so much easier to see everything then The island of Kauai was our favourite for the sense of what we would call the old Hawaii, very quiet, laid back, lots of hiking and beautiful natural landscapes. Kauai was nowhere nearly as commercial as the other islands. Maui is kind of in between. It is more commercialized that either Hawaii or Kauai, but nowhere nearly as much as Oahu. There is lots to do and see. If you decide to do the Road to Hanna I would suggest you do the tour with a driver that takes you all the way around the Island. The road around the south of the is not open to anyone with a rental car. We were advised they track your GPS to make sure you don't actually go on it. Food is expensive but really, depending on your accomodation, you can do a lot of meals yourself and manage not too badly. We stuck to foods that were available locally and ate a lot of fish. There are are couple of really good websites to do your research. Especially the tourist boards for each island. Check out a website called Viatour for excellent rates on any number of tours. On Oahu I would recommend the On-Off Trolley bus. You have to drive down to the mall form Aulani to catch them but they will take you absolutely everywhere you might want to go EXCEPT THE MUSEUM, which is a MUST SEE if you're on Oahu. Also the places we stayed all had "tour" desks that were extremely helpful at booking things for us. Aloha and have a good time! editing to add - we did at least two dive trips on each of the islands and had a ball - if you get a chance at least go snorkeling in some of the quiet bays. BUT be very careful of the rip - it's brutal in some places. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Starbuc71 162 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 I would give my thoughts but TCD nailed it. Oahu is too over populated and too much of a tourist attraction these days. We spent a night in Oahu just to see Pearl Harbor then 7 days in Maui at Kaanapali beach. I also agree with the road to Hana. We rented a jeep convertible. Loved it. Just remember to keep an eye on your things. We got all our beach bags and cameras stolen watching kite surfers not even 20 feet from the jeep. Locals told us many people prey on tourist there. Other than that, I would definitely spend the majority time of a Hawaiian vacation on Maui. I get enough Disney here I don't need it half way around the world Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Growing up in the PNW, I've been blessed with 8 or 9 trips to the islands. I've been to 3 of the major: Oahu, Maui and Kauai. My folks and several friends have been to the Big Island: they loved the black sand and the volcanoes. My thoughts are: Oahu: You have to do it. Too much there, to not spend a few days on the island. Is it a tourist trap? Yep, you bet. In certain areas that's specifically what it is...but asK a few locals and you might be surprised with the gems they share with you. There are some truly beautiful, magical parts to the island. Really is a can't miss. Maui: Yuppie. Yes, some laid back areas...and it is the first place that I learned to yell "ALOHA" (you have to draw it out ), but the island still has a yuppie feel to it, to me. The road to Hana is breathtaking (IF you don't get car sick). Make sure you swim in pools/waterfalls. Kauai: My favorite. For me, that island felt like what I always thought Hawaii would be. You really feel the spirit of Ohana on that island. There use to be an ordinance (it may still be that way) that limited buildings to two stories (I believe the saying was no taller than a palm tree); so you'll find no huge resorts or buildings there like you will in Waikiki or Honolulu. If I remember correctly, they filmed some scenes from Jurassic Park (first one I think) on the island. However you do it... you really can't go wrong with a visit to the islands. Enjoy and.... ALOHA!! djsamuel 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.