All-inclusive Hawaii Vacation

After pondering the popular question 'Is Hawaii a good place to live', Best Hawaii Vacation blog is about to reveal what we think about the claim of 'All-inclusive Hawaii Vacations'. As Americans got so much used to all-inclusive vacation packages in Mexico at bargain price, including air fares, hotel room and free meals three times a day and even alcohol and cigarettes, there is no surprise that the average traveler, who is not that familiar with Hawaii travel, is looking for an all-inclusive vacation in Hawaii!

Vacation advertisers are well aware of this ever alluring search term all-inclusive vacation. Unfortunately, there are quite a number of Hawaii travel websites using the all-inclusive Hawaii vacation term for attracting customers or guests, which is to my mind quite misleading. Sorry to have to disappoint you but there is not such a thing for all-inclusive vacation in Hawaii in the sense as in Mexico, including meals and drinks and entertainment 'all-inclusive'. Don't mix up Hawaii with Mexico.

However, there are different vacation packages available, combinations like: Hotel + Air fare, Hotel +Air fare + Car rental, which are mostly offered by the leading Hawaii airlines: Hawaiian Air or Alaskan Airlines (with promo deals for Big Island, Kauai, Mauai + Oahu) and of course, by the big online vacation and travel companies as Expedia Hawaii, TravelocityHawaii Deals and Orbitz Hawaii Specials. By now, we all know that it's worthwhile spending some time to check out those online companies for special Hawaii vacation packages, get quotes and compare rates.

If you made up your mind and want to stay at a hotel in Hawaii instead of renting a fully equipped vacation rental with kitchen and other 'all-inclusive' amenities (free Internet, free beach stuff, welcoming tropical flowers or/and fruit basket), it might pay off to check with the Hawaii hotel website what special amenities packages they offer. Most quality Hawaii hotels offer special hotel room packages, combining room + breakfast, room + spa, room and golf! Those offers also save you some money on your stay when you compare to paying individually for these amenities. You will be very lucky, if/when your hotel offers breakfast with your room rate. And believe me the hotel figured those expenses into the equation.

Hawaiian island tours, like your intended trip to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or snorkeling, scuba diving or sunset cruises will have to be paid for by yourself. The Hawaii hotel concierge will help you to arrange it. It won't be wasted money.

Well, it all depends what Hawaii visitors want to do on their Hawaii vacation and how much they can afford to spend. You can have a wonderful vacation on Waikiki's white sand beach at an affordable rate. You don't need or want to go anywhere, just hang out on the beach, have a great dinner (sometimes offered 2 for1!) at the hotel restaurant but definitely not all-inclusive and have a wonderful time in Hawaii.

You can also have a great Hawaii vacation and save money by booking air fare and car rental through one of the big travel companies and then decide for a Hawaii vacation rental on your favorite island which meets your budget and expectations. Fall Hawaii accommodation rates are the lowest in a long time!

Hope this helps our Hawaii visitors and was not too disappointing. There is no place like Hawaii! It's worth every penny you pay. Have a great vacation on the Hawaiian Islands Maui, Big Island, Kauai or Oahu. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation
p.s.
Our today's Hawaii post girl is beautiful and sexy Hawaiian girl Amber from WahineStyle.com

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Is Hawaii a good place to live?

Here is the Hawaii vacation scenario which happens again and again, whether it's for first time visitors to Hawaii or those who are spending frequent vacations in Hawaii: You sit in a jacuzzi at a fancy Hawaii beach resort and the question 'Is Hawaii a good place to live?' appears naturally. If you are lucky, there will be a few Hawaii residents who can answer that question for you and even give you some specific information about the costs of private schools, electric bills for running AC, median housing prices and more. Lucky you! Sometimes this is already the end to your Hawaiian dream of living in Hawaii.

Here is Best Hawaii Vacation's blog answer to 'Is Hawaii a good place to live?'. What a question! Of course, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places to live on this earth with:

- warm weather all year round
- warm waters of the Pacific Ocean attract surfers, divers, swimmers...
- abundance of tropical flowers, plants and fruits
- white sand beaches and so much more.

We say 'There is no place like Hawaii'!

What you should Do before moving to Hawaii

However, if you want to enjoy all these wonderful things which make people want to move to Hawaii for good, it takes commitment and dedication and the right attitude.
1.
Do your homework with research on all the Hawaiian islands. Best island to start out with is Oahu, as it has public transportation, lots of jobs and yet nice beaches.
2.
Stay in touch with Hawaii through daily reading online publications of Hawaii newspapers. Pay close attention to classifieds in regards to job offers and sharing rooms. Don't forget Craiglist Hawaii in your resources for Living in Hawaii.
3.
Don't rely on other people, even if they are your friends. They might be able to provide you with advice but you got to determine what you want.
4.
Make sure that you have housing and job lined up, before you go to Hawaii.
5.
Good idea before moving to Hawaii, try a longer vacation on the island of your choice and talk to as many locals as possible.

Even if you have done all the necessary preparations, be aware that Hawaii is not for everybody to move and live there for good. Hawaii has the biggest fluctation rate in the states. Young people often get 'island fever' but guess what, if you lived in Hawaii for 2 years and after that you move back to the Mainland, it will be probably the most adventurous years of your life. And you can say 'I lived in Hawaii'!

Yes, Hawaii is a wonderful place to live! With the right preparation, you can do it too. Hope our Hawaii Moving Tips come handy. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Do something 'touristy' when Hawaii Vacation...visit a Hawaiian luau.

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Best Big Island Luau

When visiting Hawaii on vacation, attending a Hawaiian luau is kind of a must, at least when you are visiting the islands for the first time. From our many years as hosts in the Hawaii vacation rental business, we know that not everybody likes the luau food or even the show. Some visitors consider the luaus extremely 'touristy' plus it takes a lot of money out of your vacation budget. We have been to many luaus and many luau shows in Hawaii, mostly on the Big Island or Kauai where we spend several vacations and must admit we always had a great time.

We wrote about Best Hawaii luau show before, however, when we were asked by Big Island visitors who are planning their Big Island vacation for October this year, what we think is the best luau on the Big Island, we thought it's time to update the Big Island luau information on our website and share with our Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors what we think is the Best Big Island luau.

Well, when we updated all the prices for Big Island luau shows - we had to call quite a number of the Big Island hotels which offer regular luaus to their guests and tourists in general - we were quite shocked how the prices had climbed within the last few years. So, for those who are on a budget travel to Hawaii, the most expensive luau ticket might not be the best decision. Finding the nice medium seems to be key in our search for the best Big Island luau: decent Hawaiian luau food combined with a quality fun show of Hawaiian or Polynesian character.

Generally, Big Island visitors will find out that luaus on the Kohala Coast are more pricey than in Kona Hotels. In the past, many Kohala Coast tourists would just do the short trip to Kona. Nowadays, you have to figure your gas prices for that 'short' trip into the equation. Maybe you'd better stay where you are and book a luau on the Kohala Coast, at least when you are just a couple. For a family with teenagers, you might be better of to book the Kona luau, where the tickets for adults are generally much lower and children receive quite a discount.

Kona luaus

Let's start with the Kona luaus. On top of the list of Big Island luaus is the King Kamehameha Island Breeze Luau, which is very popular among Big Island visitors with its best Big Island luau price and top beach location:

King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel Luau

The Island Breeze Luau is the most popular Hawaiian lu'au and show on the Big Island. A Hawaiian buffet combined with dramatic Hawaiian and Polynesian entertainment provide guests with an unforgettable evening under the stars by the ocean from 5pm - 8:30pm. At each luau the Hawaiian Royal Court arrives by canoe.
Sun, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri $65/adult, $29/child under 12.

Tel. (808) 326-4969 or toll free 800-267-2111

Royal Kona Resort Luau

The Royal Kona Resort invites guests and visitors every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the oceanfront Coconut Grove for an evening of traditional Hawaiian celebrations. Royal Kona Resort presents Polynesian Luau by award-winning Tihati Productions dancers, musicians & fire artists. Luau includes shell lei welcoming and photo opportunities, Open Bar with standard cocktails, mai tais, beer, wine, soda & fruit punch, Traditional Imu Presentation and Hawaiian Luau Buffet with traditional island food. Great location right next to the water.
Mon Wed Fri. $75/adult. $25 for children under 11.

Tel. 808-329-3111

Kona Village Resort Luau

Each Wednesday and Friday evening, Kona Village celebrates the culture and heritage of our island home with its longest-running luau, which includes a sumptuous buffet with kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, fresh island fish, tasty chicken and tropical fruits. Experience Hawai‘i's sacred traditions and history, passed down through the generations, as revealed in hula and chant in Kona Village Hawaiian luau show. Located at fish ponds. There are discounts for children younger than 13. This is one of the most expensive luaus on the Big Island but well worth the price!
Wednesday + Fridays: $86/adult and children 13 and older

Tel. 808-325-5555

Kohala Coast Luaus

Kohala Coast luaus have had a great tradition and are very popular among Big Island visitors staying at the fancy Kohala Coast hotels. Let's start with our personal favorite, the Marriott luau. Shell lei greeting welcomes guests. The fast paced Polynesian show soon gets everybody in its aura.

Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort Luau

This Polynesian kind luau at sunset over beautiful Anaeho'omalu Bay offers great Polynesian entertainment including music, traditional dances of the South Pacific and a wide selection of Hawaiian food. Located adjacent to the fishponds at A-Bay beach.
Wednesdays & Sundays: $80/adult.

Tel. 808-886-6789

Hilton Waikoloa Village Luau

Hilton greets its luau guests with exotic Polynesian dances, music of the Pacific Rim, highlighted by a Big Island Luau Buffet: kalua pig, roasted chicken, short ribs, a variety of tropical fruits, salads, fresh island fish and island-style desserts. Hilton luau starts at 5:30 p.m. The imu presentation is at 6 p.m. and is followed by buffet-style dining. The Legends of the Pacific show begins at 7:15 p.m. Discounts for seniors, teenagers and children, kids under 5 are free.
Tuesdays and Fridays: $85/adult.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Luau

The hotel and golf course are currently still closed for renovation. All the return guests to the Big Island's most favorite beach and hotel, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, will have to wait a little longer. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Grand Opening, which was planned for middle of December 2008, was recently announced for Spring 2009. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel luau is more a traditional kind Hawaiian style luau.

If you have been to any of the above Big Island luaus, let us know what you think which one is the Best Big Island luau and why. We'd love to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

p.s.

For best luau locations, visit our Big Island map.

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Moving to Hawaii

Our regular Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors know that we occasionally answer questions in the Honololu Answers section of Yahoo Travel. Why not share our knowledge with all of you interested in Hawaii and desperate for helpful answers. I noticed though, not everybody who answers, is giving well researched or experienced advice. Keep an open mind and judge with common sense when reading Yahoo's Hawaii answers.

One of the most frequent asked question is about 'moving to Hawaii': which island is best to move to, what does it cost to live in Hawaii, available jobs in Hawaii and housing market are reoccurring questions. If those questions interest you, keep reading, what I think you should know about 'Moving to Hawaii'.

In all my years of living in Hawaii, I have come across many people playing with the idea of moving to Hawaii 'for good', so they think. Some never made it here, it always stayed the dream. Some did and from those who did, I'd say half of them packed their cases again after approximately 2 years trying. Hawaii has the biggest fluctuation rate of all the states.

That being said does not mean you cannot make it. Anyhow, when you are young and motivated and/or have a job fitting right into our Hawaii tourist industry with lots of hotels and hotel service associated jobs, chances are you will be making it in Hawaii.

Here are a few 'Moving to Hawaii' tips:

1. Easiest way to start Hawaii life is Honolulu on Oahu

-No need to buy a private car as you can rely on affordable public bus transportation system till you got settled in.

-Affordable housing in downtown Honolulu by sharing a condo with room-mates, which you still need to find.

-Plenty of Hawaii hotels offer all kinds of service jobs. Good chances to find a job there.

-No need to drive far to relax after work on Waikiki's beaches!

Homeworks to do for Moving to Hawaii:
1.
Read all the classifieds of 'Honolulu Advertiser' on a regular basis for job offers matching your training and finding affordable housing. I encourage the idea of using Craigslist as well. The more resources you use, the better.
2.
Write your resume and put all your certificates together with it. Make copies of originals. As soon as you are ready, get job applications from hotel where you intend to work and mail application with your resume to hotels. Don't give your originals (certificates) away.
3.
Read everything about Hawaii, island life and of course Honolulu, so you have an idea what to expect in your new life.

If you consider moving to Maui, Big Island or Kauai, be aware of the following:

There is no public transportation system.
Regular housing in the hotel areas is not available or very expensive and beyond your means. For example, most Big Island hotels are on the Kohala Coast, west coast. However employees cannot afford to live there. They live on the East coast, Hilo side. There are buses for them which are free but in order to get to their job in time, they have to get on a bus like 4am in the morning.

Bottom line, I still think the easiest way to start out when moving to the islands is Honolulu. I have seen families moving kids + all their belongings to the Big Island without having a secure job or an affordable house lease. They ended up spending double the money relocating everything from the Big Island to Honolulu.

When doing your homework thoroughly, you may enjoy island life in the end and never look back as many other Hawaii residents! One has to make a living, if not independently wealthy, so why not at the best location in the world!

Last but not least, when you found that place in Hawaii where you would like to move to, plan a Hawaii vacation (September and October are perfect months to do that) there for a longer period. Talk to as many locals as possible and get a feel for the weather, climate, community, housing and job situation in the area. Hawaii is so diversified in all these aspects. Make sure beaches are not too far away. When working hard, you want to relax too and enjoy the Hawaiian island life, which made you move to Hawaii.

Good luck for your moving to Hawaii project. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Tags: Hawaii, vacation, travel, moving to hawaii

Hawaii family vacation in October

We are certain that we got with our recent post about 'Cheap Airfares from Seattle to Hawaii' the attention of Hawaii travelers from the Pacific Northwest. That was definitely good news for everybody who plans a family vacation this fall 2008 in Hawaii. Most kids get a fall break in October. So there is a great chance to take the kids on a special family vacation to the Hawaiian Islands: Maui, Kauai, Oahu or the Big Island.

If you consider Kona on the Big Island, be aware that Kona gets busy at the beginning of October with some athletes flying in early for some training of ocean swimming at the original swimming contest place, trying out the bike ride to Hawi in North Kohala and get a feel for running in the not to merciful Kona sun. The busiest week in Kona in October will be from 10/5 - 10/12/08 with the day of the Hawaii Ironman on 10/11/08 hustling and bustling with thousands of visitors and Ironman participants from all over the world. Kona Ironman accommodations will be harder to get every day now!

Apart from the Ironman week on the Big Island October school break is the perfect time for taking a family vacation in Hawaii with the kids. As mentioned several times before: There are no all-inclusive vacation packages in Hawaii, at least not the cheap way you find in Mexico. However, most Hawaiian hotels offer kids specials for meals and complimentary activity programs they can join, like learn to to hula, make a flower lei or Hawaiian umeke (bowl from a gourd) or even make a hula skirt from ti leaves for the older kids.

When you visit Hawaii in October, you can expect the same nice weather and warm ocean as at other months. Actually, it's even nicer than during the hot summer months July and August. September and October are low season months in Hawaii, when plenty of affordable vacation rentals on all the Hawaiian islands are available. Most of the hosts, include all the beach equipment, booggie boards, snorkel gear etc. in their rental fee for free. Kids love to snorkel and boogie board. Make sure they will be safe on the beach and pay attention to beach safety updates.

When deciding for a vacation rental, make sure that the beaches are not far away - rule of thumb though, you pay more for ocean view and much more for ocean front - that's why you and the kids come to Hawaii.

You will have to rent a car on all islands apart from Oahu which has a very well developed bus service at decent rates. When you call the car rental companies, let them give you a quote. Write it all down and compare. October is low season, which is perfect for decent airfares and best car rental rates.

If your kids are over 10, you want to share some adventure in Hawaii with them. The Big Island has some pretty good ones with a live volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Kea summit for stargazing. The Big Island's Kohala Coast (West Coast) has the best Big Island's white sand beaches for the kids and you and the best sunny weather.

Another rule of thumb for all the islands regards the Hawaii weather, east coast has more rain, west coast is drier and sunnier.

Go to the library and get the 'Frommers Hawaii' Guidebook. It's one of the best Hawaii information books about all Hawaiian islands. Hope this will get you going. It's a little big for taking it with your for reference on your Hawaii vacation with your kids. Once you figured out which Hawaii island you want to go visit in October, buy the 'Hawaii Revealed' book for this island. There is a 'Revealed' book for each island with maps, best activities, restaurants, hiking and places to stay. The book is handy and can be taken on your Hawaii road trips when exploring the island of your choice.

Any recommendations for Hawaii family vacation with kids in October are most welcome. Good luck for your Hawaii travel plans this October 2008! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Just found out more good news for your October vacation in Hawaii on 'travel specialist' Beat of Hawaii, which prides itself to provide the latest updates on Hawaii travel deals: round trip from Newark to Hawaii for $520 with latest travel 10/27. Seems a fantastic deal to me for travelers from the East Coast to Honolulu Hawaii.

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Cheap Airfares from Seattle to Hawaii

This blog post is for our Best Hawaii vacation visitors who live in the Pacific Northwest and look for cheap airfares from Seattle to Hawaii. To find cheap airfare deals, with fuel prices rising, had become top priority when currently planning a trip to Hawaii.

Hawaii visitors did not always find air ticket prices they could afford this summer, which was reason for a slowing down our Hawaii summer tourist business and caused private vacation rental owners to offer the lowest summer rental rates ever. Actually, the good rates for Hawaii vacation rentals continue all the way through August 2008.

It's tough to follow all the Hawaii airline offers, deals and specials, while time consuming and appropriate knowledge required. I just came back from a visit to Beat of Hawaii, where I was happy to find Jeff's article from August 1st about 'Pacific Northwest to Hawaii deals' - Fly to Honolulu for under $400 RT (including all taxes, fees, surcharges).

So, maybe the announced rates including Round Trip Seattle to Honolulu for $402 (HA, NW) and Round Trip Portland to Honolulu for $392 (HA, NW) will work for you. Hope these cheap airfare deals - cheap always in comparison to recent high ticket prices - will come in time for our Hawaii visitors from Seattle and Portland.

Jeff starts his good airfare news revealing article: "This morning I see that both Hawaiian and United have joined the airfare sale that we noted yesterday from Northwest Airlines." If you want to take advantage of those airfare deals from Seattle to Honolulu, read the whole article by Beat of Hawaii. Last but not least, I did not double check the instructions Jeff advises how to book these cheap round trip tickets to Honolulu Hawaii but when Arthur Frommers from Frommers Budget Travel mentions Jeff's blog as a resource for Hawaii travel deals, it seems to be worthwhile to check it out.

Let us know what your current experience with airfares to Hawaii is. Detailed travel info: month of travel to Hawaii, airline and rate for round trip and where you booked your airfare special are appreciated information for our visitors. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
With all the excitement about cheap tickets to Hawaii, we should not forget that Tina is our beautiful Hawaii post girl from WahineStyle. BTW, if you love Hawaiian music, you want to read about the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals coming up on the islands + watch Hawaiian music youtube video.

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Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar

We, Keoki and I, love Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. Who doesn't?! In addition to the warm tropical air, the mellow sounds of Hawaiian slack key guitar music welcomes visitors to Hawaii when arriving in Honolulu Airport. One can't escape its magic. Listening to Hawaiian slack key guitar music is like coming home after a long journey. Whenever we have a chance to listen to one of the masters of this instrument for typical Hawaiian music, we embrace and enjoy it, like we did on our visit to the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi on the Big Island.

So, when I updated Kohala Coast Events for August with the Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival on the Big Island at the end of August, I remembered the many times we listened in the past to one of Hawaii's best Slack Key Guitar players, John Keawe. John regularly plays at many Big Island locations like Kona Village Resort, Kings Shops and the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi.

Slack Key Guitar is the music of the islands. No wonder that each of the Hawaiian Islands has its own Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival. The annual Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival on the Big Island is coming up soon: August 31, 2008. This annual festival which features the greats of slack key guitar like John Keawe, will be held at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, from 1-6pm. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Wear a hat, bring an umbrella for shade and don't forget to apply plenty of sunscreen. This is Kailua-Kona, which can be pretty hot in summer time. When you are on Big Island vacation in the Kona and South Kona, Captain Cook area, make it over to the Slack Key Festival at Keauhou-Kona, a Hawaii experience you won't forget will await you.

Let's get you in the mood for listening to Hawaiian music and Hawaii slack key guitar. Unfortunately, the few John Keawe youtube videos were really poor quality. That's why I decided for 'Hawaiian slack key guitar live with dancers' where George Kuo, Martin Pahinui & Aaron Mahi perform and sing Hawaiian slack key guitar, with an out-of-costume Hawaiian hula troupe.

Chances are that you are vacationing on the other islands. Let's get all our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors dates and locations for the Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festivals:

26th Annual Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival Oahu takes place on 8/17/08 at Kapiolani Park In Waikiki.

16th Annual Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival Kauai takes place 11/16/08 at the Hilton Kauai Beach Hotel & Spa, Lihue.

17th Annual Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival Maui already took place 6/22/08 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului.

Looks like our Oahu and Kauai visitors still have a chance to listen to Hawaiian Slack Key guitar when on their Oahu or Kauai vacation. Have fun with the sounds of the islands. Experience Hawaiian music at its best. Don't want to wait so long till your next Hawaii vacation, visit HawaiianRainbow and listen to music from the islands NOW! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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