I traveled to Hawaii 13 times before finally moving there!
This is not going to be a history lesson, rather it is some random thoughts about the islands and some information which may help you in your trip.
Hawai`i is actually 132 islands and atolls stretching across 1600 miles of the Pacific Ocean. The islands are born of volcanic eruptions and lava, and some islands show their volcanic origins more than others.
The islands are home to and a destination of a varied ethnic culture. Thus, there are many opportunities to meet and make friends with people from all over the world. With these cultures come a variety of ethnic foods also.
While in Hawai`i you will notice that there are many opportunities to relax and enjoy yourself. Everybody is so friendly that it is contagious.
Some of the islands are more famous than others. See the main page for
a description of each island.
Getting
There
My travel to Hawai`i was always from Atlanta to Honolulu. All of my trips were exceptionally cheap too! I listen to a local Atlanta consumer and travel expert, Clark Howard on WSB Radio.
When a trip to Hawai`i comes up, he announces it during the Travel Tip portion of his radio show. You can hear his travel tips live by listening to his show on the Internet. On Fridays he does a Travel portion of his show. These specials are cheap airfares which major airlines make available (sometimes with great fanfare and others with a whisper). Imagine my surprise when I heard that United opened up seats, from Atlanta to Honolulu round-trip for under $182! Those seats disappeared in an hour or so. Then often I was able to get tickets for a not quite so low $330 on numerous airlines.
Atlanta seems to be a good spot for cheap tickets to Hawaii. Dallas is another site to check. I signed up for the free service called Travelocity (http://www.travelocity.com) where they will e-mail me if a price to a city I am watching changes by $15 or so. Although it may not show me the cheapest flight leg from here (they only check prices once a day and airlines constantly change prices), at least it shows me that a fare is moving lower and I can do further checking. What I found was that Travelocity looked for sales overnight and emailed me, often too late to take advantage of short sale offers. It is betetr to browse 2 or 3 times a day for cheap fares!
Now I check my prices every few hours at http://travel.yahoo.com.It is very easy to find the cheapest prices by doing the following:
Go to Travel.Yahoo.Com and click on AIR. Then put in your origination and destination airports and say that your dates are flexible. ENter the maximum number of connections also. Then click on SHOW ME AIRLINES. By not entering dates at the bottom of the page, you will be presented with the cheapest flight. Then just click on the calendar and see what dates are offered at that price. I hear that you may still beat these prices by going to a travel agent, but it gives me an idea every few hours as to what the current going airline prices are.
I also use the same site to find hotel rooms in Waikiki. It is quite easy to find inexpensive rooms in Waikiki at $50 and up by using Yahoo and clicking on Hotels. I similarly book rental cars the same way (see a trend here?)
If you start looking at fare often the way I described, you will soon be finding all sorts of special fares.
Because these cheap fares can come and go quickly (and sell out fast), I always have a calendar with me and a number for a travel agent! Should you hear of a cheap airfare, book it! It could disappear in minutes!
Always book with a travel agent as the airlines usually won't find you the lowest prices. Also, always pay for your travel with a major credit card. Even major airlines have been known to go bust and with a credit card you can get your money back.
I find it helpful to take a pair of comfortable shoes like loafers with me for the plane. That way I can slip out of my shoes easily as it is a long ride!
Twice now I have taken twice as many clothes and I needed. You can get by with shorts and a pair of jeans or two. Most islands have laundromats or you can always buy something you forgot. The larger islands have Wal-Mart, COSCO, Sam's Club, Sears and many of the comforts of home. Again, I suggest traveling light!
Also, leave room in your suitcases for presents and souvenirs. I had to buy an extra gym bag just to take candy home!
Getting Around
There are a number of local and national airlines serving inter-island travel and generally, you can purchase an inter-island ticket. Travel agents can get you tickets or you can book online at perhaps a discount. Sometimes, you get to the airport and they may let you catch an earlier or later flight, just ask. The "local" airlines (Aloha, Hawaiian, Mokulele, Island Air, etc) have pretty good fares. Aloha has the best if you sign up for their AlohaPass program, then log in with that ID and look for fares! Travel inter-island is quite simple and more like a crosstown bus trip than a flight. I once took an earlier flight and ended up waiting for the later flight anyway as my luggage was still on the later flight. It was no big deal, I was in Paradise wasn't I?
Many of the airports are neat too. The Kona airport on the Big Island is really neat. You may exit a plane from the rear gangplank and walk across the tarmac (airstrip) to the gate. The whole airport is outside and open. They have open-sided pavilions which you wait under, but no need for heat or air conditioning.
If you are getting ready for a flight back home (where time may be of the essence), try to arrive early to check in. You have to pass through customs and/or agricultural checks of baggage. Of course, there MAY be a tour group which hits the airport seconds before you do.
Rental cars are in good supply on the major islands and you can inquire about inter island rates if you will be visiting more than one island.
Speaking of rental cars, some rental companies have restrictions as to where you can drive. Heed those restrictions! I found some roads which were not restricted that I would not drive on again. Because of the road conditions and the lack of competition on Molokai, you will find few deals and rental cars on that island. You must supply your own insurance too. Most other islands have no such problems.
Directions can be easy or hard. Many streets and towns sound alike or are spelled in a similar manner. Get a map.
If you really want to sound like a local, just ask if the place is "makai" (towards the ocean) or "mauka" (towards the mountains [inland]). Getting lost is not very easy, even for me!
Also, for the most part, drivers are extremely friendly and will often wave you in the lane in front of them. It is quite easy to get caught up in this and start letting other people pull in front of you. When I got back to Atlanta, my friends could not believe that I was actually waving people in like this.
Except for Honolulu and parts of Oahu, there really are few traffic jams. Oh the islands have traffic, but not like back at home.
Hawaiian Language
The Hawaiian language is quite interesting and fairly easy to master
in general.
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Now the few exceptions.
Wahine (female, woman) is pronounced wha HE ne ("wa" as in water,
HE knee)
A street name like Kalaniana`ole Highway is pronounced as Kalani ana
`ole.
Wiki (We key) means quick, so Wikiwiki means to hurry.
I'm not all that great in pronounciation, but I hope that you get the
idea that the language is fairly simple and quite beautiful.
General Tips
There is a growing political item concerning Hawai`i.
Many feel that a chain of events robbed Hawai`i of their own destiny.
They are now asking for Hawai`i to be returned to Hawaiians.
| 500 AD | Polynesians travel 2,000 miles in 60-80 foot canoes to the islands. |
| 1778 | Captain James Cook "discovers" the islands and names them the Sandwich Islands. |
| 1785 | Island isolation ends as British, American, French and Russian farmers, fur traders and whalers arrive. |
| 1819 | The old tabu's begin to be abandoned by Hawaiians |
| 1820 | Missionaries arrive from Boston and hawaiians become receptive to Christianity. Western culture also introduces disease, liquor and moral decay. |
| 1840 | The US Coast and Geodetic Survey pinpoints Pearl Harbor as a potential Naval Base. |
| 1849 | Kamehameha III turns Hawai`i into a constitutional monarchy and wins official recognition as an independent country by the US, France and Great Britain. |
| 1850 | The Great Mahele, a land commission, reapportions land among crown, government, chiefs and commoners, thus introducing western principles of private land ownership. By the end of the 19th century, white men owned four acres for every one acre owned by a native. |
| 1852 | As western diseases depopulate the Islands, a labor shortage increases. A steady stream of Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Koreans, Portuguese and Puerto Ricans pour into the Islands. |
| 1875 | Hawai`i signed a reciprocity treaty with the US as a duty-free market for sugar. |
| 1887 | The treaty is renewed, giving the US exclusive use of Pearl Harbor as a coaling station. |
| 1893 | Queen Lili`uokalani is removed from power by American business interests. She is imprisoned for eight months. |
| 1894 | The provisional government converts Hawai`i into a republic and proclaims Sanford Dole as president. |
| 1898 | With the outbreak of the Spanish-American war and Hawaii's strategic military importance, President McKinley annexed Hawai`i on August 12th. |
| 1907 | Fort Shafter becomes the first permanent American military vase. |
| 1919 | Pearl Harbor is dedicated and the first bill is proposed to make Hawai`i a state. |
| 1941 | Pearl harbor is attacked by the Japanese and the US enters World War II. |
| 1959 | Congress grants Hawai`i statehood. |
| 1993 | After Hawai`i commemorates the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of Queen Lili`uokalani, a call for sovereignty is sounded. Congress issues an apology to the hawaiian people for the annexation of the Islands. |
According to one internet site,
"In 1893 the Hawaiian government was illegally overthrown in a conspiracy with participation of citizens, agents, and the military force of the United States. In 1898 the United States annexed Hawaii without a treaty, unilaterally and unlawfully abrogating all of Hawaii's existing treaties. In 1900 the Territory of Hawaii was falsely established with the imposed Organic Act. In 1946 Hawaii was placed under the United Nations Charter, Article 73, as a non-self-governing territory under the administering authority of the United States. In 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States through an invalid special vote."
Then in October 27, 1993
The U.S. Senate passes Joint Resolution 19 (by a vote of 65-34).
"To acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the January 17, 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and to offer an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii."
There are a number of internet sites devoted to the return of Hawai`i to the native people. Here are a couple.
http://www.hawaiian.net/~cbokauai/butch.html
In Closing...
Each island has it's own charm. You will need to determine just what "paradise" means to you and pick the island most suited to you. For some, paradise is being pampered like a king with room service. To others it is nightlife and to some it is empty beaches and hidden beaches.
My descriptions come from experience and a few travel brochures. You should write to the Hawaiian Convention and Visitors Bureau for some brochures, maps and magazines.
Each island also has numerous climates and varying options for rooms
and dining.
Drop me a line at [email protected]
if you have any comments.
