Should I request help from a travel agent? (We have AAA)
How long should I plan the trip for? (1 or 2 weeks? 1 seems a bit short if I am gonna be hopping islands)
How much money would it cost total? I plan on buying tickets way in advance and staying away from peak summer season. Maybe fall or winter.
Should activities like parasailing, hiking, etc. be planned way in advance… or planned on the spot in Hawaii.
Or is an interisland trip even worth it? I’ve been to Oahu before and it was alright. It seems like a “partying” type of place and I don’t know if its worth going back for my honey moon.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

The number of families taking vacations is on the rise along with the need for something different. Some families want ski vacations while others might want to go to the beach or a popular tourist attraction. Regardless of the destination, impersonal hotel rooms are being ditched for vacation rentals and holiday homes.

Vacation rentals and holiday homes are a great alternative for those who wish to have more privacy and space to maneuver, something that hotels don’t really have. Staying in a hotel involves tipping porters and valets; there is the added expense of dining out daily. Plus, if staying at a hotel for several days, it can be a bit tedious to stare at the same four walls and share a room with family members without a modicum of privacy. Just like there are hotels everywhere, there are vacation rentals and holiday homes all over the world ready to be booked.

The secret to a great vacation is having a “home base” and vacation rentals or holiday homes provide that service to travelers. Among the many other advantages to booking vacation rentals or holiday homes are:

1. More bang for the buck – Incorporated in a hotel room fee is the overhead for running the place, allowances for tips and even marketing costs. When booking vacation rentals or holiday homes, the price does not factor in for those big ticket luxuries that hotels have. If there are multiple people sharing a vacation rental, the cost per person is a lot less than it would be in a hotel.

2. Privacy and space – When traveling with families or groups, space and privacy is essential for maintaining the peace. With vacation rentals and holiday homes, family members could have separate rooms. There is also little worry about being too loud for the neighbors down the hallway.

3. Kitchen privileges – Vacations can be expensive and one of the major culprits is food. Dining out for every meal can not only be costly, but also boring. With vacation rentals and holiday homes, there are kitchens with cookware and appliances … all the comforts of home. Keeping some breakfast items, snacks and other foods on hand can save big bucks while still having the option of traveling to local area restaurants.

4. Convenience of coming and going – Vacation rentals and holiday homes offer travelers the flexibility in schedules as well as take care of the problems with hotel parking and security issues if late night excursions are part of the vacation plan.

5. Variety in vacation venues – A country cabin, a villa by the lake or a condo overlooking the ocean … variety in lodging is readily available. Swimming pools, game rooms, gourmet kitchens, easy walks to the beach – these amenities are just a few of the things requested when travelers book vacation rentals or holiday homes.

Vacation rentals and holiday homes provide vacationers something different from hotels – a home base in which to travel back and forth to various tourist destinations. Personality and comfortable surroundings are also big selling points with vacation rentals and holiday homes over hotels. The biggest decision however is this: where is the vacation going to be?

About the author: Milan Matchev founder and Manager of Mexico-Holiday-Homes.com and Greece-Holiday-Homes.com

Aloha…
Anyone have good ideas for a clean, friendly, cheap place for 2 or 3 nights in Maui?
I’m going to grad from Maui Community College this summer. I have some people from outer islands and the mainland coming and I need to find a place for them to stay for a reasonable price. I looked at the specials on Hawaiian Airlines (great if your staying in Oahu) and the best I found were the Kahului Beach Hotel…and the Maui Lu (which would have been great if I still lived in Kihei!) I live upcountry (Kailua side) and want to find some sort of “vacation” rental or something either close to where I live, further towards but not all the way to Hana or in Kihei. Budget is $50-100 (which unfortunately doesnt go as far on Maui as it does on Oahu)
Mahalo Nui Loa!

The Hero has a military background and arrives to hawaii to a funeral. Arrives in a plane which i assume is a military plane. What is it? Looks cool. Thanks for any info.

I’m planning a vacation for my mom and dad for their anniversary.
I’m planning on paying for them to fly from Pittsburgh to Hawaii next January for an 8 night vacation.
I want to fly them to Honolulu for 4 days on Oahu with an economy rental car, and then fly them with a Go Hawaii flight from Honolulu to Maui for 4 more days with a convertable, and then finally a flight from Maui back to Honolulu, and from Honolulu to Pittsburgh.
Since my plan involves a 4 night lodging on 2 different islands, 2 different rental cars, and an inter-island flight inside of the main roundtrip flight from Pittsburgh to Honolulu, I can’t find a website that has the brain to compute all these factors in lol.
Have any of you ever planned a multiple-destination vacation online?
If so, where at? And how easy was it?

Throughout New Zealand
Buy the Lord of the Rings location guide, and do some hunting out of familiar scenes from the LOTR trilogy.

North Island
Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach
Swim with the dolphins in Paihia, Bay of Islands
Vertigo Climb, Auckland Skytower – beyond the observation decks, and wear an orange suit to do it.
Take a ferry or kayak from Mission Bay, Auckland to Rangitoto Island & climb to the top.
Waiheke Island – only 35 mins by ferry from Auckland, for some great wineries, maybe spend the night.
Raglan- & catch some wild surf.
Waitomo Haggas Honking Holes and tubing the glow-worm caves
Kayak from Whitianga to Cathedral Cove – then go to Hot Water beach and dig your hole in the sand
Drive from Opotiki to Gisborne then around the East Cape and back to Opotiki
Hawkes Bay- wineries, East Coast, North Island
Whakatane- Take a scenic flight over White Island, an active volcano.
Rotorua – to see the geysers, thermal activity and smell, visit Te Whakawerwera for your Maori cultural experience.
Drive out to Lake Tarawera near Rotorua- check out the Blue and Green lakes on the way
Taupo- Tandem Skydive 12,000ft
Craters of the moon outside of Taupo
Tongariro Crossing- one of the best one-day walks in the world, stunning scenery with volcanoes
Walk up Mount Taranaki- West Coast, North Island
Watch the sun rise at Te Araroa – the eastern most place in NZ
Martinborough- wineries- bottom East Coast, North Island
Te Papa Museum in Wellington- you could spend all day here learning about NZ / Maori -culture

South Island
Abel Tasman- for relaxing walking and kayaking around the National Park
Walk the Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough Sounds- Top, South Island
Marlborough- wineries, top East Coast, South Island
Kaikoura- for whale watching and swimming with dolphins
4 day hike, Banks Peninsula – East Coast, South Island
Moeraki Boulders – East Coast, South Island for unusual round boulders
Christchurch- Arts Centre
Akaroa- for a bit of French New Zealand history
Dunedin- for historic homes, albatross, yellow eyed penguins and seal colonies
Oamaru- for Old Oamaru Stone buildings and Penguin watching
Pancake Rocks and blowholes- Punakaiki, upper West Coast, South Island
Mount Cook – South Island
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers- West Coast, South Island
While looking at the glaciers in the Fox/Franz Josef area take a cruise out to Lake Matheson first thing in the morning to take some amazing photos of the reflection of Mount Cook in the water
Wanaka- a relaxing place in Central Otago
Arrowtown- an old Central Otago Goldfields town with an old Chinese village, 20 minutes from Queenstown
Queenstown- for adventure activities and party atmosphere
Pipeline Bungy Jump in Queenstown
Drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy- have a beer at the Glenorchy pub, after stopping and taking plenty of photos whilst on the drive
Queenstown- wineries
5 day trek of Routeburn/Greenstone Track
Walk Milford Track- one of the Worlds best.
Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park- lower West Coast, South Island
Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park- swim with dolphins
The Catlins- for nature East Coast, South Island
Stewart Island- for nature bottom South Island

Once you have done all these things you will have had a great look around beautiful New Zealand

Hi there,
My boyfriend and I are going to Hawaii in February 2009. We won’t have a rental car, so we’ll need to take other means of transportation. We will be in Oahu for 6 days and have most of our activities/transportation planned out. However, in our down time (to explore), I need some help with bus lines.
We will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki…
1) Where is the closest bus stop to our hotel?
2) Which bus will take us to Kapahulu Avenue and back to our hotel? We have a number of restaurants that we are planning to try on this street (Ono Seafood, Waiola Shave Ice, Ono Hawaiian Foods, Rainbow Drive-In, Leonard’s Bakery, Tokkuri-Tei etc.)
3) Which bus will take us to the Ala Moana Center and back to our hotel?
4) Which bus will take us to Waialae Avenue? We want to try Ninniku Ya Garlic Restaurant at 3196 Waialae Ave.; afterwards, how do we get to Bubbies at 1010 University Ave; then back to our hotel?
5) Are Puka Dog (2301 Kuhio), House Without a Key (2199 Kalia) and Hau Tree Lanai (2863 Kalakaua) all within walking distance from the Hyatt Regency (2424 Kalakaua)?
I know it’s a lot, but i truly appreciate it!!! Thanks a billion, and I can’t wait for this vacation!

Hawaii is a US state located in the Pacific Ocean away from mainland United States. The beautiful island has the United States to the north east, Australia to the south west and Japan to the north west. This exotic island is a very famous vacation spot. Everyone who visits this place even once, aspires of relocating to Hawaii to make it his permanent abode.

When relocating, it is very important to know the place where you are planning to stay. Sometimes people tend to regret relocating to a particular place, because though the place looked beautiful and tempted them to move here when they visited it as a tourist, actually staying in this place is a tough task, taking into consideration factors such as weather, economy, standard of living, etc. Therefore, before planning to move to any new place one should do a thorough research about the place.

Moving to Hawaii
If you have visited Hawaii even once in your life time, you must have been enticed by the locale of the island, and at least once thought about settling there. Relocating to Hawaii is not an unimaginable idea, it is quite possible to have your dream home there. But you need to consider some factors before finalizing about your dream plan.

The foremost thing to remember is that this state is formed from a number of small islands, but the life on all these islands is not the same. Economically, the islands vary in terms of cost of living, job opportunities, etc., while socially, they vary in terms of standard of life and social structure. For instance, Oahu is the busiest Hawaiian Island. The economy of Oahu is largely dependent on tourism. So if you plan to shift to this island, then the ideal time would be somewhere between January and May or September and November. The tourist inflow during these months is relatively low, which means easy availability of resources like transport and short-term accommodation. It is always wise to arrange for accommodation before you arrive here. Other islands like Maui and Kauai are relatively less populated, and these scenic islands are ideal for people who seek peace of mind away from the hustle-bustle of cities. If you want to enjoy the nightlife, you can opt to reside in Waikiki which has several nightclubs, bars and restaurants.

In Hawaii, it’s not difficult to find a fully-furnished place for living. It’s important that you posses all the necessary documents, including identity cards and personal as well as medical documents. Renting a place on the island of Hawaii is comparatively more expensive than what it is on mainland United States. The cost of property on this island chain rises every year. While moving, if you have too much luggage, you can opt to ship your belongings via mail. Even the shipment of a car from the mainland to Hawaii can be easily managed.

The only Hawaiian Island where the public transport system exists is Oahu. Known as The Bus, it is the most convenient and affordable way to commute on the island. Traffic is another problem on Oahu Island, wherein it’s very difficult to make way on busy streets, especially during the peak hours. Though parking space is also a problem, facilities which allow renting a parking spot on monthly basis make it much more easier, but that’s if you are ready to shell out some money. Around 90% of food items are imported in Hawaii. Food at an affordable price can be bought from retail chains like Walmart and Costco.

Some strict rules on the part of the administration makes it difficult to get plants and animals onto this island. If you want to carry your plants to Hawaii, you will have to undergo inspection by the authorities, while if you want to import your pets to the island, then you will have to get an acknowledgment from the Animal Guarantee Section at least four months before you relocate.

Moving to Hawaii may seem to be a tedious task, but once you are here, the delight of staying in this exotic place with beautiful beaches and enchanting valleys would be immeasurable. Once you have taken all these things into consideration, and you are comfortable with the norms of the island, then you can make your dream of moving to Hawaii come true.

My boyfriend and I plan to go to Hawaii during mid-October for a 4-days trip. I’ve done a lot of researches yet I can’t decide which island I should go to. We are looking for a somewhat romantic trip that doesn’t include much sightseeing. We prefer being active at outdoor activities such as diving, snorkeling, laying/swimming near the beach, sailing… etc. So far I’ve come down to Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. Can you please give me some advice on which island I should pick and recommend me some activies that I definitely cannot miss? Also, if possible, let me know which hotel comes with a beach that we can actually swim. I gotta have this trip plan out as soon as possible, please help~~!!

Hawaii Islands is one of the main vacation spots in the entire Pacific region, attracting a huge number of holiday makers not only from the US, but also from Australia, Japan, or European countries like the UK, Germany, Norway, and many others. All this people travel to Hawaii due to the stunning scenery, gorgeous tropical nature and pleasant climate, wide variety of outdoor activities, and extraordinary accommodation offered by a large number of hotels, most of them settled in exquisite beach resorts. Hotels in Hawaii are in the top of the best accommodation units not just from the US, but even from the world, lying in areas with breathtaking views and featuring excellent amenities, high level services and a well trained and useful staff which make tourists feeling like at home.

Hawaii is one of the states of the USA (from 1959) and is since a long time one of the preferred vacation destinations of the people from this country. In fact, it is an archipelago which comprises eight bigger islands and many islets. The main islands of the volcanic chain are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii, better known as the “Big Island”. Most holiday resorts are built on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Lanai and the Big Island and are visited annually by very many tourists who are looking to enjoy great accommodation offered by luxury 4 & 5 star hotels, excellent food in restaurants with local and international cuisine, splendid warm weather, and a multitude of vacation activities such as swimming with dolphins or even sharks, scuba diving, reef snorkeling, sailing, horseback riding, hiking on tall mountains, trekking in dense rain forests on the coasts of dormant or active volcanoes, cruising, helicopter tours and the list could almost endless continue!

Kauai is one of the islands where can be spent a great vacation in Hawaii. Island of Kauai is the fourth largest in the Hawaiian archipelago and is also known as the “Garden Isle” due to the splendid tropical vegetation. Its beaches are main holiday attractions, since most vacationers are looking to spend great moments outdoors and enjoy the reinvigorating sunny weather and warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Still, on this island are a few other natural attractions, the most important ones being the canyons with scenic waterfalls. Waimea Canyon, part of the Waimea Canyon State Park, is one of the most impressive canyons in the entire world, being also named “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific”.

Most of hotels in Kauai are settled on the shores of the island in beach resorts which contain, beside accommodation units, many restaurants, shops, tennis courts, golf clubs, ports and marinas, walking areas, diving and surfing schools, parks and others. Housing in any of the hotels in Kauai is great, just like the sights to inland or to the ocean, and some of the best resorts are Hotel Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, Hotel Resort Quest Islander on the Beach, Hotel Resort Quest Kauai Beach Makaiwa, Hotel Castle Kaha Lani Resort, Apartments Outrigger Lae Nani Resort, Hotel Castle Lani Kai Resort, and Hanalei Bay Resort & Hotel.

A vacation in Hawaii is a dream for many people and tourists who are enough lucky to spend there a shorter or longer holiday, once arrived back to home, don’t stop to relate about their life experience for weeks or even months! This is because the gained memories during a trip to Hawaii Islands are so impressive that make emotions to flow out spontaneous and without any obstacle …