The Financial Trail of My Hawaiian Vacation
As previously mentioned, I took the liberty of planning our itinerary and made sure all activities were fun, reasonably priced, and the best value. The most memorable AND affordable were:
[warning: lots of pictures, may load slowly]
Dinner at Gionvanni’s: ~$50 total
By the time we settled into our room, it was only 4pm, but our bodies thought it was 10pm. We were exhausted and needed food. I asked the hotel concierge for the closest place to have a good meal at a decent price and she recommended Giovanni’s. We arrived around 4:30 and their Happy Hour had just begun – 50% off all drinks and appetizers. Between the two of us, we had four drinks, two appetizers, and one entree. This was my first introduction to the Lava Flow.
VIP Welcome Breakfast: $0
I can’t take credit for this one because I didn’t make the reservations for our trip. I’m not sure what he did or how he did it, but it felt like we had a personal concierge during our entire visit. Remember the company that greeted us at the airport? Well, they were our points of contact during the entire trip and also invited us to attend a VIP welcome breakfast the first morning. It was delish!
Every meal was served with a pineapple and a flower. Isn’t that cute! And the pineapples were soooo juicy and sweet – mm mm good. By day 3, I was so hooked on the pineapples, I had to order some to be shipped home. After breakfast, we were given:
- a list of tourist activities on the island(s) and their estimated cost
- a history of the island(s)
- an intro lesson to the Hawaiian culture and their language
- fresh flower lei (me) and kukui nut lei (him)
- a fresh flower for my hair (worn on the left because I’m single)
- and a ‘welcome to our home’ Polynesian performance
The location was decorated like a volcano so all of my pics are dark (or have one of us in them). The financial takeaway for this event: It was all FREE!
Paradise Cove Luau: $75 each
We attended a luau at a private estate called Paradise Cove in Ko Olina, HI. They taught us how to make traditional Hawaiian leis, hula dance, blow the conch shell, gave us Polynesian tattoos, showed us the Hawaiian net fishing technique, showed us how they roast pig in the ground and other traditional activities, served a traditional Hawaiian feast, and presented an hour long event of traditional island song and dance.
Lunch AND Dinner at Shore Bird: $0
One day we had lunch and another day we had dinner at the Shore Bird Restaurant & Beach Bar. The total cost was $0 because we sat through an hour long “update” of his timeshare portfolio. After 15 minutes of the boring sales pitch, I was losing my patience. But it was worth an hour of my time. The reward: $100 beach bucks and two free lunch vouchers. Plus, this restaurant was oceanfront so the view was breathtaking.
I didn’t really care for traditional Hawaiian meals, which isn’t saying much because I’m a picky eater anyway. I’ll try some things once, but I tend to stick with what I know. Almost everything was served with white rice and there was always some kind of pulled pork. Then, there was your Hawaiian variation of chicken, fish, and special sauces. Me no likey the brown, funny smelling sauce. It tasted like paste. However, I love-ed-ed their tropical drinks. Between the Lava Flow and Tropical Itch, I was drunk as a skunk. LOL!
Ali’i Kai Sunset Dinner Cruise: $69 total
One evening was spent aboard the Ali’i Kai Sunset Dinner Cruise. Thanks to the 2-for-1 coupon that I picked up while shopping at Hilo Hattie, the total cost was only $69 for both of us. We were given perfect window seats, two fresh flower leis, another fresh flower for my hair, served a Makahiki Buffet, and presented with more traditional song and dance. It was a mixed romantic and party atmosphere. This evening was the most fun of all and highly recommended.
Pearl Harbor: $30 each
We arose early to go on 6:30 tour of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. The total cost was $0 (entry into the museum) but transportation on the tour bus was $30 each.
As you know, December 7, 1941 is a memorable date in American history. Next to September 11, 2001, it was probably the most catastrophic. Over 2,000 men lost their lives and over 1,000 were wounded when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, which sparked the beginning of World War II.
Some ships were repaired, some were decommissioned, and one – the USS Arizona – became a memorial and final resting place for the crewmen aboard the battleship on that faithful Sunday. The ship remains in the same position when it sank after the bombing (pieces of the hull can be seen above water) and a memorial was built on top of it to honor the 1,177 men who were buried with the ship.
As you can see in the above pic, the line was crazy long – at 7am – but it was worth it. When I saw the memorial wall with all the names, I shed a tear. All of those fathers, brothers, uncles, and husbands – many from the same family. As a result of Pearl Harbor, we were told the Navy doesn’t allow family members to serve on the same ship anymore. The risk is too great and the loss of more than one family member at any given time is too painful.
After Pearl Harbor, we also visited the “Punch Bowl” where other military men and women are laid to rest. We were told it was one of the largest memorials in the US and one of the most visited places during Memorial Day weekend. On this day, I’ve never felt more proud to be an American.
My impression of Hawaii
We didn’t venture outside of Honolulu (although we did visit the north/east/south/west of the island), so my perspective is limited. For the most part, it’s a beautiful place, although not quite the “paradise” that I expected. Once you leave the Waikiki Beach area, the blue water, white sand, and greenery disappear. Honolulu is very populated, has a thriving downtown area with businesses, high rise buildings, and congested traffic! Yes, traffic! I didn’t expect to see that on an “island.” I was like WTF! This looks like NY! Take me back, I want palm trees! LOL!
The weather is finicky too. For the most part, it was 80-ish the entire time we were there. Not too hot, and with a cool summer breeze near the ocean, it was darn near perfect. But the rain…it rains off and on in short spurts. One minute, you see this…
and this…
5 minutes later, it could look like this…
Then this again…
Weird. It never rained hard. Just a light mist, like the feeling you get when stepping in the shower. I wasn’t sure what to expect. One minute, I thought the whole day would be ruined, then it was bright again. I felt like Mother Nature was playing tricks with my emotions. LOL
But the Hawaiian people – maaaaaaaaan, they are VERY hospitable, VERY friendly, VERY family oriented (everyone is your COUSIN lol), VERY committed to their ancestors/tribes (some had HUGE tattoos that took several days – and I’m sure very painful – to complete because it was considered an honor), and VERY laid back. Everyone I met was the same, just good people.
They are like night and day when compared to the impersonal nature and fast pace of a northeast metropolitan area. After about two days, I began to “hang loose” and quickly learned the meaning of 15 “Hawaiian” minutes. LOL! Uh, that’s about 100 NY minutes. LOL!
Other Financial Tidbits about Hawaii
- The homes were not what I expected. They are very small, VERY close to each other, and look a little run down. We were told the average cost is $500,000-$700,000, excluding land!
- We were also told over 50% of the land in Hawaii is owned by a handful of wealthy native families. In certain areas, natives who are at least 25% Hawaiian can lease a piece of land (not sure how large) for $1/year for 99 years and build a home if they wish.
- Donald Trump is building condos on Waikiki Beach and all units were sold before construction even began. A 1 bedroom studio sold for $1M.
- ADDED: Gas (87) was $4.40+
- Out of state tuition at the University of Hawaii is only $7,000/year. But get this. The primary school that Barack Obama attended now costs $16,000/year.
- The Honolulu Cookie Company has the BEST cookies ever. I bought (and ate) five Kona coffee cookies dipped in white chocolate (aaahhh…decadent!), then had 40 more shipped to my house for $32. Yea baby! I can’t wait to get them!
- You haven’t had a pineapple until you’ve tasted a real Maui Gold Hawaiian pineapple. For $45, you can have 3 shipped to your home. Otherwise, pay $23 and get hassled by TSA.
Natives and residents, feel free to add more or correct me where I’m wrong.
Single Ma Summary
Overall, I think Hawaii is an affordable vacation. If I had to guess, I’d say we spent ~$3,000 (excluding timeshare lodging), but almost half of that was for airline tickets (10+ hrs each way and ~10,000 miles round trip is expensive!). Needless to say, I had a great time and didn’t want to come home. If given the chance, I’d go again in a Hawaiian minute! LOL
But reality awaits.
I’m going to pick up BabyGirl on Friday (gosh, I miss her!), she returns to school on Tuesday, then life will officially return to normal. Despite the daily grind of living in the DC metro area, this vacation (actually my entire summer) is one I will NEVER forget.
I hope you enjoyed my “condensed” recap.
Mahalo Cousins!
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WOW! Thanks for sharing with us! I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii….maybe one day!
Great photos, I hope you got one of the Arizona’s anchor… it’s at the entrance to the museum and it’s absolutely enormous.
Yep, got the anchor. Couldn’t post it b/c I’m in the pic. LOL [-SM]
As for Hawaii being a paradise, it’s more “paradise-like” on the other islands. We stayed at Kauai for our honeymoon and it was absolutely gorgeous. Honolulu, especially Waikiki, is very touristy and city-like, so you don’t really get as much of the Hawaiian feel. It’s still a great time though… gotta love those lava flows!
There was an island hopping tour to Kauai and the big island. We both wanted to do that one (amongst many others), but we ran out of time. Only so much you can do in 5 days. Next time, I want to stay at least 10 so I can hit up everything I missed this go ’round. [-SM]
Thank you for the recap. Sounds like a great trip.
I have a question: does one need to rent a car while in Hawaii, or there are other means of transportatioin to get to the main attractions? If you can, please respond. I would like to visit Hawaii at least once in my life, however I do not drive (living in NY , I do not need or want a car-looking for parking would take half of the lifetime).
Thanks.
Depends on which island you visit. In Honolulu, there’s plenty of transportation. Besides, traffic is crazy anyway. You have your choice of bus, taxi, tour guide bus, limo, etc. The other islands are more island-y, so transpo is probably not as plentiful. Besides, if you want to island hop, you can’t do that by car anyway. LOL [-SM]
That drink looks yummy…..I’ll have to be on the look out for something like that locally.
You mean to tell me I could have gotten a cheaper education in Hawaii……LOL
Glad to hear you had a good time, thanks for sharing the pics and the experience.
Thanks for the recap. I went to Hawaii back in 1996 on a very limited budget – my sister was stationed in the military then. However, I did make it to Paradise Cove and was able to take my grandmother to see the USS Arizona. I too shed a tear. There were WWII veterans there and plenty of Japanese tourists.
There were A LOT of Japanese tourists all over the place. I figured it was the norm and a hot vacation spot for them. Many signs were translated in Japanese and almost all of the tour guides were able to speak Japanese. [-SM]
I’m going back in February for the Pro Bowl and while my main focus will be the events, I am going to try to catch that dinner cruise.
It was really fun. I’m sure you’ll love it. [-SM]
This is great – thanks for the pics and tips! Sounds like a great time – you deserved it!
YUP.. I KNEW you wouldn’t forget the cookies.. :) I’ll be over on Thursday to pick them up.. and just a slice of the pineapple.. dont need you trying to cut me.. Hmph
HA HA did you tell me to get cookies or was that a sister from the other mister connection again? I thought you were tryna run some “Mac” game on me. LOL
By the way, I’ll share the cookies, but I don’t know about the pineapples. Let me think about it. LOL [-SM]
Single Ma,
I’m glad you had a wonderful time. I, too, felt like you after my first visit – it was nice, beautiful, tropical but not what I had dreamed it would be. I’ve only visited during January and February and the weather was still perfect which makes the getaway worth the long travel time and jet lag – LOL!
When we visit Oahu, we stay at the Ihilani JW Marriott because of Handsome’s job; otherwise, IMO it’s too pricey. I’ve been to Paradise Cove too, and I always make an arse of myself when it comes to spear throwing.
All in all, its a great place to vacate.
~ Mahalo ~
Also, did you get to see the “surfer dudes and gals” in action? Awesome to see…
In all directions,
Blessings, LiGhT & LoVe
Sage
I imagine ANYTHING in HI during the mainland winter months would be expensive.
I didn’t throw any spears, just watched.
Crazy as this may sound, we didn’t get much beach action. So much to do, so little time. But yes, I saw the surfer dudes and dudettes. Water sports are not my thing. [-SM]
Looked like a great time. I’m shocked at the low price for tuition at the University of Hawaii! A girl who just graduated from my daughter’s high school is attending UH and I thought it would be super expensive (well, she got an athletic scholarship). Hmm I need to look into this!
i’m sending out a big internet hug for all the great pics…thank you! {{hugz}} Right back atcha! [-SM] makes me feel closer to home lol :). i’m really glad you had a great time and got to experience the Aloha spirit first hand (you should try hawaiian time on the other islands…now THATS hawaiian time lol). I’m operating on Hawaiian time for the rest of my life. LOL! My boss looked at me today like I was crazy when I gave him the hand sign and said hang loose. LOL [-SM] and even more happy that you and mr. ec found it to be affordable! one of the most common things i hear from tourists is how expensive everything is (which is true, but you just have to try a little harder to make it work). The most expensive thing was the flight. If we stayed longer than 5 days, I’m sure the cost would have added up. Plus, we didn’t pay (out of pocket) for lodging, so that’s a big savings. [-SM] crazy about the house prices right?! that’s one of the reasons why my family and i moved here to LV. in the more wealthy areas with houses that look more like a middle class suburban homes on the mainland, prices easily go over a million. and traffic! yes honolulu is terrible when it comes to traffic; there’s this big debate now about building a monorail system to go from the west side of the island to downtown and it would cost some billions of dollars to build :P (did you happen to check out the gas prices…how much is it? Yes! Can’t believe I forgot to include that in the post. I think gas was about $4.40 and up. [-SM]). such is the nature of oahu…a beautiful island with big city problems lol. but the weather more than makes up for it! it’s not so bad sitting in traffic with the windows down, trade winds blowing, clear skies up above, and a view of the pacific ocean straight ahead :). i hope the next time you go for a visit, you’ll be able to go to the outer islands, especially maui!
did you try the chocolate macadamia nuts? No, I’m allergic to nuts. [-SM] we brought several boxes when we moved here lol. and if you’re into the sweet and sour type, try sprinkling some li hing mui powder on the pineapple….really really good! I loved the pineapples BECAUSE they were so sweet. I’ve never tasted a pineapple THAT sweet before.
Glad I was able to take you down memory lane. ;-) [-SM]
Sounds like good fun and at a really good price too. I am trying to plan a few days a way here in the Uk but everywhere is so expensive I’m not sure i will be able to go after all.
Lets hope my frugal anntenea will find that bargain break.
Sign up to receive travel deal notifications from Travel Zoo. Have your travel stash fully funded, vacation time in the bank, and keep your destination options open. If possible, and you don’t mind spontaneity, don’t make reservations for anything until you get to your destination. Take your computer to search the net, pick up ALL tourist brochures, and use your concierge. [-SM]
sounds like you had fun. my best vacations were in Hawaii. When we lived in Asia we took holiday in Hawaii
Wow – did you guys pay for the timeshare condo or did you go on a trip where the use of the condo was free for attending the sales presentations?
He owns 4 timeshares in other locations where the owner’s points can be transferred. The sales presentation was an ‘update’ to his portfolio (read: an attempt to buy/sell, transfer, or upgrade an existing timeshare). [-SM]
I’ve been to four of the Islands – The Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu (Honolulu). Each island is different, my favorite overall is Kauai – but for SCUBA diving and general sightseeing, The Big Island can’t be beat!
For your readers – a rental car is a must… unless you are on a Honeymoon and plan not to leave the resort. (My honeymoon was spent on Maui at The Grand Wealia Resort… it was amazing and we never left the property.)
We were in Honolulu for 5 days, we were not on a honeymoon, nor did we stay on a resort. We saw the entire island of O’ahu and never had the need OR desire to rent a car. [-SM]
I personally enjoy having a beach front or ocean front hotel room, but these are few and far between and very expensive, so a view room on a beach front property is the way to go.
Aloha – I am happy you had a nice time while visiting Hawaii – and I definitely hope you’ll come back. There is so much to do, I agree – 5 days is not enough! I’ve lived here for 5 years and there are still many things I haven’t done yet. I haven’t even been to Paradise Cove Luau yet – but I’m actually taking Tahitian dance classes with my daughter (Tahitian is the fast hip shaking dancing). Maybe next time you visit you’ll see me performing in the luau – lol!
That price is for resident tuition. I think you pay more than double for out-of-state tuition. I’m 34, and when I went to UH Manoa, it was $1500/semester for residents. Ko Olina has amazing beaches, and my baby sister just got married at Paradise Cove. The view is beautiful.
If you paid $1500/semester, that’s $3,000/year. Therefore, $7,000 for out of state tuition IS more than double. [-SM]
I’m so happy to read your reviews… I’m going back after several years to take my husband for his first time in May. I’ve been to almost all the islands but I think Oahu is a must for first time visitors since it’s more “touristy” so more of the must sees. Unlike you, we will be renting a car since we’ll be in Ko Olina which won’t be as easy to get to different things as Waikiki is! Anyways, you just made me that much more excited for the trip even though it’s still over 8 months away! BTW, for those talking about how expensive it is… if you do your research and plan far enough in advance, its much cheaper. Our flight has already doubled in price since we booked as soon as the flight was available!
Wonderful! Single Ma, thank you very much for sharing those photos. Entertaining travel experience you had.
Deena was right. Tuition for in-state students at UH Manoa is about $5952. Out-of-state students will have to pay about $16,608 for the 2008 – 2009 academic year. http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/about/
Per semester, the tuition on each of the campuses range from about $5784 to $8304. http://www.hawaii.edu/academics/tuition.html
According to UH webpage titled, annual full time tuition & fees, undergraduate non-resident tuition for the 2007-2008 school year was $7,200. [-SM]
Single Ma! I can’t believe we were in Hawai’i at the same time! I just got back too and MAN, I am still exhausted! lol. We were there for 8 days and stayed in a beach house on the North Shore, O’ahu. I feel like you need at least 2 weeks in order to truly appreciate the island. I will say though, the water is not blue just in Waikiki…. Ohhh, it’s truly remarkable all along the North Shore. We pretty much drove around the entire island (except for Leeward, because ‘they say’ is not so safe) and experienced nothing but turquoise waters!!! Kailua Beach was our favorite… it was literally like we were swimming in a pool… crystal clear for miles. I also didn’t appreciate all of the buildings, traffic and fuss in Waikiki… I mean, it suppose to be about the palm trees, right?!! LOL
Thanks for sharing…. Oh, how I miss Hawai’i! :(
SM said, “According to UH webpage titled, annual full time tuition & fees, undergraduate non-resident tuition for the 2007-2008 school year was $7,200.”
Hi Single Ma,
It’s pretty rare that this happens on an official site, but the person who created that particular web page mis-titled the tuition chart.
If you click on the pdf link right under the title of the chart, page 3 of the Executive Memorandum also shows the $7200 figure, but the chart is titled “Undergraduate and Graduate Per-Credit-Hour and Full-Time SEMESTER Tuition Schedule, All Campuses.”
So the $7200 figure is for just a semester. Not the entire year. Though, I wish! I’d send my kids there if that was the case. I’d move, too. Just to keep an eye on them. ; )
Mary–Have your kids go to grad school at UH Manoa in the sciences. Great programs, and science grants fund the tuition, fees, and pay them a stipend on top of that…get paid to live in Hawaii and get your degree! (that’s what I did)
But whatever, that’s not the point of the post. Looks like you had a grand time, SM!
As an aside, the Hawaiians had many words for the different types of rain in Hawaii (like Eskimos with snow)–the light misty ‘lace-like’ rain you described is the ‘female’ rain, and the heavy, soak-you-to-the-bone rain that’s more often found in the rainy season or up high on the pali (mountains) is the ‘male’ rain. I always thought that was interesting…don’t remember the Hawaiian words, sorry.
I’m feeling a bit homesick for a moment. Sigh. I believe you would not want to rent land for $1 for 99 years because the land sucks. You’d have to do a lot of improvements to live there.
I can’t believe you went. I am thinking it’s too expensive currently.
I’m late to this post but thought I’d reply anyway. :)
The deal with land, Hawaii has many leasehold properties (where you don’t own the land). Still the median home price is around 600k and that does include the land. You don’t get much for the price though! When we were looking a couple years ago, a 600k house was around 1000 sqft, built in the 50s and falling apart. Lots of condo living here since you get more for your money that way.
A large % of land in the state is owned by Bishop Estates, which was founded as a trust by the last heir to the monarchy for the Hawaiian people. Much of this land is government land, though there are lots of homes too. The estate also funds a collection of schools for Hawaiian children called the Kamehameha schools; it’s actually their primary purpose. (I’m an alumni).
If you have at least 25% Hawaiian ancestry, you can apply for Homestead land, though it’s pretty hard to get.
I’m glad you enjoyed your stay! If you can, get to Kaua’i the next time or the big island. Both are worlds different from O’ahu and for the most part, completely lacking in “city-ness”. Maui is a good happy medium. If you come in the winter, be prepared for rain. It’s been raining for over a week straight now. :(