We’ve run into an odd opportunity here and thought I’d see if anyone has advice.
The beach cottage that we’ve rented together as an extended family for 20 years had a kitchen fire last week and has been taken off the market for this summer. Given the lateness of the event (and the fact that this beach is very popular) all other houses are gone and the rental company has given us a full refund.
So now we are looking for alternatives. Due to a series of points and vouchers, i believe I can fly the 4 of us (two teenagers) to hawaii for a modest amount of cash. but then how to keep it affordable once we get there?
The details
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want to avoid the cities (obviously, fine to land in one
avoid the more manicured resorts
can’t go for more than 10 days so we have to be efficient with our time. And the ideal would be to stay on one island (so we can avoid the additional air fares).
We’re big hikers/outdoor people but the kids have become more reluctant participants as they’ve gotten older. So I have to keep that in mind.
shabby/rustic is cool with us but camping is not.
How much money are you planning to spend? VRBO and Airbnb have some options. There is more nightlife and city things on Oahu than most of the neighbor islands. There are some places for about $100-200/night; save when you have a kitchen and can prepare some meals. Meals at lunch wagonswagons are generally $7 or so per person or buy groceries at Costco or other grocery and just dine out to supplement. There are Costcos on most islands.
There are Costcos on the 4 bigger islands, for sure!
I recommend looking at VRBO, because motel properties outside of cities for under $200 in July will not be nice. You are probably looking for a house if you want to bring more than 4 people. Our kiddos usually rent a small one in Oahu North Shore (we are hotel people). Contrary to what some think, Oahu is not Honolulu. There is plenty of wilderness for hiking and exploring (even there was even a nude beach, ahem, which we had no idea existed. lol).
I saw a nice house on Captain Cook area in the Big Island with view everywhere for about $1000/week on VRBO. I don’t know if that is cheap for you, but it seems reasonable.
Oahu has Kailua, where President Obama & family like to stay. It has nice beaches and more of a small town feel. You would need to rent a house or B&B there. There are other neighborhoods as well, which are not as well known. North Shore certainly does have good waves for surfers, but we aren’t surfers, so have no personal experience. Pats at Punaluu has rentals on Craigslist and other places. You can rent some of the units that can sleep up to 4 or more people. Some even come with kayaks and other water equipment. It is not near nightlife, but you might want to stay a night or two in Waikiki for some variety. Ala Moana Hotel is adjacent to a huge shopping mall with luxury stores as well as a food court, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Macy’s, B&N, Old Navy and more. They often have rooms under $200/night, a 15 minute walk to Ala Moana Beach.
I know you said you want to avoid resorts, but sometimes you can get great deals of you are willing to sit through a timeshare presentation.
We have only been to Maui and Kauai. We love them both, but Maui would probably appeal more to the kids.
Resorts in HI are very low key, with very few organized activities. A condo complex such as Honua Kai in Maui is a “resort”, but in reality, it is just a couple of tall condo buildings with a couple of nice pools and some minimal service (room cleanup, snorkel rentals, etc.).
If you look in places such as Chasenrainbows, a 2bed/2ba condo can run anywhere from $1,500 - 5,000 and up per 10-day stay in July (just checked). Our friends really like the Papakea property in North Kaanapali, Maui.
“…you can get great deals of you are willing to sit through a timeshare presentation.”
True, but you have to know the property, because some of them are completely opposite of what OP wants. I personally would stay away from Westin properties - they are noisy and very resort-y. Ditto Disney in Ko Olina - that one is a real zoo. The Marriotts in Kauai and in Ko Olina (Oahu) are simply wonderful. Marriott recently had some deals for a 5-night stay in a 1 bed/1ba condo, but if you want to stay 10 days, you will be better off at another place (or renting said Marriott condo from VRBO/timeshare owner).
You may want to look at the Big Island, something like 7 days in Hilo and 3 days in Kona. Rent AWD SUV and do day trips. Teenagers will participate if you offer them the opportunities to do scary stuff like walk on hot lava or jump into the huge waves. There are many unusual attractions and options to kill yourself. Nature there is overwhelming.
We wanted to do the helicopter ride to see the volcano but my husband didn’t think it was worth it, the price. Something around $400-$600, depends on the type of helicopter, what kind of seat, where the take off point.
If you decide to come to Kauai, PM me. Kauai has great outdoor activity opportunities, but not much “night life” and nearly zero high-end shopping. I can point you to some places to stay, eat and play on Kauai, but I’d probably suggest the Big Island if you want to stay on one island, since the volcano is awesome for all ages and there are lots of different places to go and things to do (drive up Saddle Road, snorkeling at Kealakekua, the rolling ranch lands up north, etc.).
So for now, looks like we’re flying over in July or early August…our vouchers will allow for near free travel (yahoo!) so then it becomes the cost of day to day life. Right now, we’re looking at the Big Island and at houses like this one: http://www.vrbo.com/297312 (kapow!)
Highly recommend the Big Island especially now that the lava is flowing again! You can fly into hilo, tour the national park, see some waterfalls (maybe 3-4 days) and then move to the even more beautiful West side. Then do a day trip up the mountain and other day trips north and south! It’s an amazing place. No need to island hop. For no additional charges (on united) we flew out of the west side airport. We bought boogie boards and lots of food at Costco ,(donated the boards to the housekeeping staff when we left). It was amazing! Stay as cheaply as possible and splurge on a helicopter tour. Pricey, but well worth it!
Sadly, we avoid the Big Island, as it makes all of us have trouble breathing (we’re all asthmatic). My breathing doesn’t really get back to normal for a week after a visit there. My BIL & niece enjoyed flying over the erupting volcano there.
My BIL & niece enjoyed flying over the erupting volcano there.