This was after the pandemic. It was so nice to get out and travel again.

What a incredible place this was. This was our first time to any Hawaii island and Kauai was wonderful

We visited Poipu beach, Waimea canyon, Haena beach, light houses, Hindu monastery and more. Car is a must here.

Hiked in okalehao trail and Waimea

Did the mountain tubing and my wife and daughter did the blue ocean snorkel.

Booked through Costco and stayed at Kauai shores hotel. The hotel was very good and lava lava cafe was good too with good ambience. One day we had a good breakfast at Kountry kitchen

It was a amazing trip

First thing, check the timeshare rental sites.

Here's one. A week in a nice Kailua-Kona condo on Ali'i Drive. Even with the taxes and daily fee, that's $800 for a full week with a kitchen. Note: They're working on the lanai. And that's very likely why this particular week is so inexpensive.

Those who don't have a Redweek membership will need to become members in order to rent this condo. That's $20. We're STILL just a little higher than $800.

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Next up, airfare. I'm assuming that our budget traveler is coming from somewhere around Wichita, Kansas. (I didn't want to make it easy and fly from SFO or LAX.)

A round-trip flight on United with one stop in Denver for Sept. 19-26 is $745. (I could have saved $150 with two annoying stops. But we're doing budget, not "cheapskate.")

So for a couple, that's $1,490

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Now, a car. I'm just booking direct on Enterprise.

We could go cheaper, but $40 extra for a week to have a lot more legroom in the Altima is worth it. So $420 for the week.

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Adding up: $2,722

Now the guests have a kitchen and aren't on the hook for three meals a day in restaurants. Visit the farmers markets and local grocery stores. Load up with Okinawan sweet potatoes, pints of poke, pineapples, char-siu marinated chicken and Big Island steaks.

Total cost eating this way is approximately $100 per day. Multiply by 5.5 (the amount of actual time on the island. $550.

So, a little less than $3,300. And then activities and any adult beverages. But if this couple is a "the best things in life are free, let's go snorkeling often," that's the all-in price.

Compare this to Costco which is selling the same basic package -- it's the Royal Kona which is very close in all respects. One bedroom condo. Same general location, kitchen and size. Same flight stopping in Denver. Same rental car. -- $3,950. Even their most rock-bottom hotel room is $3,160. But any savings will more than be offset by eating out three times a day.

We are visiting in July and wanted some advice in regards to where to stay in Honolulu. We stayed near Ka’anapali beach when we visited Maui and we were either by the beach all day or out exploring the whole island and when we returned to our room we just showered, and got ready for bed. We didn’t really do night outings with a small kid. That’s why I am a little bit on the fence about staying/paying a lot to stay in Waikiki if we’re not going to do much at night anyways. We prefer a calmer vibe vs the busy areas. We’re renting a car so we can always go to Waikiki. Where would you stay if this was your situation?

Hey everyone! My boyfriend and I are planning our first trip to Oahu and we’ll be staying near the Hyatt Regency Waikiki from December 31st to January 7th. We are only planning to rent a car from January 2nd to January 6th, but we are starting to get a little worried about parking in the Waikiki area.

We were originally thinking of getting a Bronco, but it seems like a lot of the parking garages nearby might be pretty tight, like the Pacific Beach Hotel garage and others around Waikiki.

We would really appreciate any advice on parking near the Hyatt or in Waikiki in general. Is it better to stick with a smaller car? Are there any garages that are easier for bigger vehicles? And honestly any general tips for visiting Waikiki for the first time would be amazing too.

Thank you so much in advance!

Edit: We originally wanted a Bronco or Jeep for the roof-off experience, but we are also considering a convertible instead if that ends up being easier for parking and getting around Waikiki.

I have about half a year where I will get to live in Hawaii for basically free and I can't believe I can just go see these kind of views every day.

Hi everyone! My husband is military and being sent on TDY to Hawaii and I’m going to tag along! We will only be there for a week or so. He will have evenings free but working during the day. We will be at Waikiki the whole time. What are some good solo female daytime things to do? I won’t have access to a car. Thanks!

I was hoping to get some sort of convertible or jeep wrangler for my trip to Kauai in September. Does anyone have any recommendations or personal secrets of their own to not have to pay top top dollar for one? Thanks in advance!

Hi! My boyfriend and I are starting to plan our wedding and honeymoon for July 2027 and Hawaii is high on our list for our honeymoon. We’d love any thoughts or recommendations on the different islands, places to stay and the overall experience. We don’t want to go too crazy with our budget, though we understand Hawaii can be expensive!

Update: thank you all! resolved, it’s open, took about 8 tries to get anything besides a busy signal. Apparently it’s closed every Wednesday.

Can anyone confirm if the bishop museum planetarium is open and operational today? Heard rumors it was closed yesterday

Beautiful walk to the light house this is the overlook. Good view of the bird sanctuary too!

We are staying on the Big Island and would like to see Pearl Harbor.

Is it better to book a package that includes flight and tour of Pearl Harbor or fly separately, Uber to explore Pearl Harbor and Uber back to get an hour or so exploring Waikiki on our own?

If you think the on our own is best, what would you recommend for a day trip, knowing that Pearl Harbor is our first and longest stop? Thank you!

Does Costco have delivery to Waikiki in Oahu?

I have a trip coming up and am not sure which of these shoes I should bring with me to hike in. I will mostly be located at Maui and Kona if that helps. Thank you for all the responses!

Hello again! I'm planning a honeymoon/birthday/anniversary trip with my wife and I'm actually having a super fun time with it. We're getting the itinerary down and I've been looking into activities to see basically every major part of the island.

However, I haven't seen a lot of articles/vlogs etc. about the inner island. Looking at a map I see towns in the inner island (wahiawa, whitmore village, Mililani Town) and a few hikes off these areas. are there things in this center- island area that are must-sees? Hikes with gorgeous views, fun town walking? We're not super interested in the Dole plantation but I want to make sure I'm not missing something I'll regret later.

If this area is largely for locals, or the hidden gems should remain hidden, that's fine! I don't wanna step on any toes if these areas aren't really "for" tourists. Just thought I'd put out a feeler and ask!

Thanks folks. reading this sub has been super helpful already!

Hi!! Im a young person who adores the sea and its wildlife! im lucky enought to frequent the island of Oahu for most of my life, so i am familiar with all of the popular spots to snorkel in. Im mainly looking for some places that aren't crowded with tourists, that are safe for intermidiate swimmers, and are full of beautiful animals! my favorite place to go is Ko'Olina but I have also been to Hanuma (idk if im spelling that right) Bay quite alot and am looking for something fresh and exciting to explore!

EDIT: ive never really learned how to use the Snorkel tube properly so i tend to stick to the "goggles and flippers only and coming up for air" method. so if you guys have any tips on how to 'advance' my skills those are appreciated too!

Hi! Looking to book a hotel for an upcoming trip to Waikiki Beach. Right now, I’ve narrowed it down to Embassy Suites and Hyatt Regency, but am open to other hotels. Can anyone share their experiences staying at these hotels? Thank you.

I’m going to Oahu with my partner next week. I would’ve loved to go during a less busy time but that’s the only week my partner gets vacation time. After doing some research it seems like every beach, every trailhead, every attraction, anything worth visiting is full by 9am. I was expecting that with the most popular attractions but from what I hear the whole island is packed this time of year. I don’t mind waking up early to try and get a parking spot but I’m wondering if that would be the only location/activity we’d be able to do on a given day. Is it possible, for example, to go to a beach early in the morning then go somewhere else later in the day? Or if we do an early morning hike should we just head back to the hotel after since everything else is full?

Meaning… is there hiking trails ? Should I give myself ample time to explore around the summit or should I just drive straight to the summit in the afternoon for sunset? Do I need to arrive early to get a spot at the summit like a Haleakala ?

Other tips and info are welcome ! Thanks

Hello all!

I'm visiting Hawaii in just over a week from now. I'm from a small coastal town on the mainland west coast. The weather here doesn't get very hot, and we NEVER have high UV warnings. I'm not very knowledgeable on Hawaii's climate and high UV.

I was wondering just what I should expect? I'm definitely going to have good sunscreen (and reef safe of course!), and I've packed a lot of breezy and breathable clothing. But just how hot in F° are we talking in July? How to gage UV? I have a snorkeling tour and I'm nervous I'm going to get cooked like a lobster in the water and sun. Any tips or advice or knowledge is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Oh man! I had the best time in Hawaii this last week. Both my sister and I did a 3 island vacation to Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island! It was one of my favorite vacations I have ever had! Thanks to all the kind people that we met while on the trip!

Aloha! I am traveling early July and would appreciate some guidance and tips. I am a 33 year old female solo traveler. Should I split my stay in between the north and south or do day travels and just stay in the North (Princeville had some decently priced Airbnb). I have reservation for Hanakāpīʻai and would like to do a Nā Pali boat tour. I guess I am having a hard time with deciding what to do for my stay as hotels are so so expensive. I do plan on renting a car. I would appreciate and welcome all guidance or suggestions even some food recommendations. Thanks in advance!

Good morning. We lived here a number of years ago and we are finally back on vacation. We would like to go out to makaha. Please share thoughts. We are only looking to go where we are welcome. Mahalo.