Travel Tips

Hawaii Summer

Hawaii

Oahu, the gathering place.
Hawaii in the summer months is a perfect destination and less expensive. Hotels and tours offer their lowest prices during the summer months. The beaches are less crowded and if you are a nature lover you will have the hiking trails all to yourself.
We started our summer adventure on Oahu.
We choose the Outrigger Reef Hotel.
The summer rate was way lower then the pricey winter rates for a ocean view room located right on Waikiki Beach.
We also chose the hotel because it was the perfect location to watch the 4th of July Fireworks.
If you have never watched the fireworks on a beach in Hawaii put it on your list of must do’s.
Sitting on the beach with the stars above, a cool summer ocean breeze mixed with the sounds of waves and watching the fireworks with 5000 of your closest friends is an experience you will never forget.

Waikiki beach offers the perfect climate for one of the world's most popular vacation destinations.
The temperature of the ocean varies from a summertime high of approximately 82°F. The two mile stretch of white sand coast is fronted by hotels and restaurants.The area is excellent for swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, catamaran and outrigger canoe rides.
When visiting Waikiki don't miss an amazing Hawaiian evening with the Waikiki Starlight Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village! You can also experience a traditional gourmet Hawaiian feast fit for royalty at the Royal Hawaiian Luau.
Take the time to explore historic Honolulu's royal palaces, museums, and art galleries.
Drive to the legendary North Shore and see the rustic surfing towns, local crafts, and famous beaches such as Banzai Pipeline. A great place to photograph some of the worlds best surfers.
Oahu has a lot to offer and may be just the summer island paradise you have been looking for.

Maui, the garden island.
We chose the Royal Lahaina Resort. Thanks to the lower summer rate we upgraded to an Ocean front room with fabulous views.
The price even without the upgrade included daily buffet breakfast, sunset cruise, luau, $250 dollars food and beverage credit, valet parking and two daily Mai Tai’s.
If you are a natural lover, start your early morning sightseeing journey at the House of the Sun.
It is a perfect way to start your day with breathtaking views from 10,000 feet above the ocean at the Haleakala Crater.
After the sun is up and you feel warm enough, take the time to explore the park's unusual plant species. Few plants can live this high up in paradise but you will find a rare plant only found here, Haleakala Silversword cactus.
For more exploration of the Island, drive the Road to Hana.
Hana is an isolated, undeveloped tropical paradise on the eastern end of Maui.
Your drive to Hana will take you along scenic rugged cliffs and shoreline with picturesque views. So plan to make stops along the way. There are a number of waterfalls cascading down into tropical pools to photograph.
The drive to Hana can be a bit demanding but exciting so you will need a place to talk about it and reward yourself. A good way is to have lunch in luxury at the Hana Hotel.
If you are planning to stay for the night, the ocean view from the sea ranch cottages is superb.
For more sightseeing visit the wonderful historic town of Lahaina, This is the crown jewel of Maui.The beaches of Maui are first on the list but Lahaina is the second most visited place on Maui. This charming historic whaling village has many of the old buildings still standing. They are now boutique shops and restaurants. Some are located on Front Street. Lahaina's Front Street is located right on the western beaches of Maui. So you will have some exciting views of the ocean when you are shopping or dining!
If you need to get away from the beach scene, Maui has world renowned golf courses to play. A short drive from Royal Lahaina Resort is the world famous Kapalua Resort with two world-class golf courses, The Bay Course and The Plantation Course.

Kauai, the garden island.
Kauai lies 105 miles across the Kauai Channel, northwest of Oahu.
We chose the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort for our lodging. The Hotel is located in Koloa next to the Popipu Golf Course. Part of the hotel amities included a discounted golf round at Poipu’s Bay course. The Summer package also included a very large and elegant Deluxe Ocean-Front room along with a daily buffet breakfast and a $ 25.00 dollar a day resort credit.
Kauai is the rainiest island but dryer in the summer months of July and August.
Normally during the summer months the ocean is calm but we where treated to some very large waves cresting over 20 feet. This was caused by a storm the week before in the Fiji Islands.
It did not stop our sunbathing or swimming, the hotel has a large saltwater swimming lagoon and two freshwater pools with connecting river pools. All located right on the beach where we watched the sufers ride the big waves.
Kauai has numerous offerings for its sightseeing visitors such as rainforest, striking waterfalls and The Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon. Waimea is one of the most scenic canyons in the world. It is 3,000 feet deep, formed by the Waimea River and the extreme rainfall running off of Mount Waialeale.
Mount Waialeale is known as the wettest place on earth and averaged more then 462 inches of rain a year.
To add more to your sightseeing pleasure many of Kauai's white sand beaches have been backdrops for the film industry. Hanale beach is where the movie South Pacific was filmed. However, if you are not making a movie you will find beaches with something for every beachcomber. Beaches for walking, sailing, surfing, sunbathing, fishing, picnicking, hiking, snorkeling, swimming, or just kicking back to relax and people-watch.
If you love Pizza and a good bar, you are just a short drive to old Koloa town and the Pizzeta restaurant.
Pizza and Kona beer that broke the mouth ( hawaiian slang ) The combo is awesome! The atmosphere of the bar is old wood and Elvis movie posters. Remember the movie Blue Hawaii? Part of it was filmed on Kauai.
Princeville is located on the North Shore of Kauai. It has two championship golf courses and great sightseeing. So I would recommend staying on that side of the island for a few days to see it all.
You can plan a sightseeing trip but it is a long slow drive from Koloa to Princeville.
The Garden Island has a lot to offer for your summer vacation.The hotel summer rates are less expensive and the island weather is perfect.

Hawaii, the big island.
We rented a condo at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. Our retreat was located in Hali'i Kai a beautiful oceanfront complex.
The panoramic views from our lanai were breathtaking! We had unobstructed ocean views with the Waikoloa Beach golf course in the foreground. When you rent in Waikoloa a majority of the rentals include a membership at the Waikoloa Golf Club. You can use the owners membership and golf at a reduced rate.
The pool area at Hali’i Kai has a private Club House for owners and guest with a full time chef so they are open for lunch and dinner.
The views from the Club overlook the three tiered pool area with panorama vistas of the Pacific Ocean. It is a great place to have dinner with friends as you watch another gorgeous Hawaiian sunset.
There is a lot to explore on the Big Island. volcanoes, waterfalls, sandy beaches, nature trails and numerous other outdoor activities.
Kona has wold class sports fishing, where there is a huge fleet of fishing boats available for charter.
The Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament is scheduled for August 13-18th 2012 where anglers from around the world gather to win the prestigious HIBT’s Governor’s trophy.
If you are not into fishing take a drive to Honokaa and eat a malasadas ( Portuguese donut ) at Tex Drive in. They are delicious, be sure to try the cream filled ones. On the way to the Tex Drive in you will pass through the town of Waimea the home of the Parkers Ranch visitors center. There you can learn about the Paniolo, Hawaiian cowboys and the history of Hawaiian ranching.
We took the time on our trip to visit the Hawaiian Vanilla Company located on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Vanilla Company holds the distinction of being the only vanilla farm in the United States. The owners are Jim and Tracy Reddekopp, a family company since 1998 and we had the pleasure of taking the tour with their son. He told us how they hand-pollinate each orchid blossom; vanilla is the pod of an orchid plant that bears a celadon-colored flower. You need to hand pollinate to form vanilla bean pods.
It is a fascinating tour and if you are on a tour with a group they offer a luncheon at the mill.
The Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii is located southwest of Hilo, about a two hour drive from Waikoloa. Be sure to check the National park service website before planning a visit to check on the conditions in the park. We were there when they had restrictions in areas when the volcanoes were active.
Hawaii is a big win for summer vacations but you have to take care, the Hawaiian endless summer can be additive.
Aloha,