Honeymoon Discussions

Hawaii on a budget?

jenphotochickjenphotochick member
5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
edited June 2013 in Honeymoon Discussions
Hello!! It seems you ladies have some experience on hawaii I have seen a lot of postings. FI and I are really hoping to pull off HI for our HM but trying to see where there's a way to lower some of the costs with booking. We would be going the end of march of 2014. Ive been looking at the travel sites like expedia and they are all relatively the same price, a low cost resort and airfair from STL is looking 3800 right there (for Maui) with a 7 night stay. We are torn between Maui and kauai. Plus having some spending money for exploring while we are there! Are there private rentals or timeshares that may be cheaper? Any suggestions please let me know!
image 165 Asked to join at our big day.
image 7 Are coming; cameras in hand ready to party!
image 5 Are missing out on the fun.
image 153 Haven't found the mail box back to us.




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Re: Hawaii on a budget?

  • Awesome! I've never heard of that site so I will check it out! We definetly want to have spending money when we get there and driving around I hear there's so much to look at on Maui!
    image 165 Asked to join at our big day.
    image 7 Are coming; cameras in hand ready to party!
    image 5 Are missing out on the fun.
    image 153 Haven't found the mail box back to us.




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  • I've been to Kauai and Maui-Kauai is significantly cheaper. Lodging, gas, food-all waaaay less expensive then Maui.

    I personally liked Kauai a lot more- it was less tourist-y, less crowded, every inch of the island is beautiful. Whereas there are some downright ugly parts of Maui (the drive from the airport to the west side reminded me of LA under a severe drought). It definitely depends on what kinds of activities you want to do. Both islands have great beaches, snorkeling, hiking, etc. Maui has more "hidden gems"- red sand beach, hidden waterfalls, etc. And hiking the trails in Haleakala was one of the best experiences of my life. Kauai has the gorgeous Naapali coast.

    If budget is your primary concern, I would stick to Kauai personally.
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  • I just got back from Kauai two weeks ago. It was my second time there. I have only been to Maui once and have similar thoughts to daria when it comes to comparing the two islands. Kauai is my favorite of the two. Kauai does have a few condo/timeshare type places that are nice and since they usually have kitchens and BBQs, you can save a lot of money by buying stuff at Costco/Walmart and making your own meals. Since you have awhile, watch the airfare. It will go down. March 2014 airfare was just released in April, so there is a good chance that it has creeped up a tad and will most likely go back down again.

     







  • Look into a travel agent too - we're doing Hawaii on a budget and got a very surprising quote from the travel agent. We're doing Maui and the Big Island. I've also planned out all of our expenses including food, gas and activities. For activities, we're only doing a few that cost a significant amount of money (zip line and tours). The rest are either cheaper or free. For food, we're planning on stocking up at Walmart and doing mostly picnics.
  • When I was planning our HM to Maui (which we ended up changing to Key West due to budget reasons) I had looked into VRBO.com  Renting a place was going to be a heck of a lot cheaper then staying at a resort.  And as others have said it gave you the option of cooking in for any or all your meals which will also save you some major money.

  • I've been to all of the major islands, though I spent the least amount of time on Maui, so I don't have a ton of suggestions for there.  Kauai was my most recent trip last year and we loved it, even though it rained a ton (we went during the rainy season).  First of all, I think you are too early to book anything, but definitely keep an eye on prices, you can set up a fare alert through Tripadvisor that will email you when airfares drop.  On most of our previous trips, we booked them about 6-8 weeks out because the prices were much cheaper, however, this is coming from PHX, so we can get direct flights, but it might not be the same time frame from your location.

    As for where to stay, definitely check out 'alternative' properties (ie, timeshares/condos/etc) that have a full kitchen.  We usually stop at Costco/Walmart to pick up several items to last us through the week.  Generally, we eat every breakfast in our room (usually bagels, but sometimes bacon & eggs...you just have to be careful to not overbuy groceries since you'll have to leave them there).  We buy sandwich stuff for lunch, our last hotel had a cooler in the room for us to use, which was great to make sandwiches and take it to the beach.  Then we usually buy stuff to cook 2-3 dinners. 

    For activities, I highly recommend renting a snorkel set for the week.  I believe Snorkel Bob's are on all the islands, where you can get a mask, snorkel, and fins for about $30/wk.  Then buy the Hawaii Revealed book, which will have all the great snorkel spots.  It's a great activity to do, and it's practically free.  I also recommend doing a few excursions, which generally run about $100pp.  They are pricey, but definitely worth it to be able to get the full experience of the islands. 
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  • Thanks everyone!!!! I am still new to all this traveling thing so keep them coming haha. I haven't been on a vacation since 2006 and my fi has never been in a real vacation!
    image 165 Asked to join at our big day.
    image 7 Are coming; cameras in hand ready to party!
    image 5 Are missing out on the fun.
    image 153 Haven't found the mail box back to us.




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  • KiMA3KiMA3 member
    First Comment
    Hi OP - check out Vacation Rentals By Owner (www.vrbo.com)! You may be able to find a nice cottage or home for rent at a really great price :) I was in Hawaii a couple months ago and my family found a 3 bedroom cottage on the Big Island for $760/week, but I've seen smaller rentals for as low as $85 a night depending where you are on the islands.

    Between Kauai and Maui, it depends on what you're looking to do. Kauai is much more old school and has a more relaxed atmosphere than Maui, but from what I DID get to see, the island itself is goooooooooorgeous (especially if you take a helicopter tour). It's perfect for a very low-key honeymoon if you want to get away from it all.

    Maui is kind of a mix of the other 3 islands I visited (Big Island, Kauai, Oahu). If you do end up going to Maui and you're up for some spectacular sightseeing, driving the Road to Hana and driving up to the summit of Mt Haleakala are 2 great ways to see the island without spending too much money. Snorkel Bob's is great as well if you plan to spend some time at the beach, as one of the previous posters stated.

    Another idea is to choose one island but take a day tour to another island. It's pricey, but you do get to see some of the key things that the other islands get to offer. http://www.outrigger.com/ usually has some discounts on activities and inter-island trips, as well as hotels that are more like condos than actual hotel rooms, and they always offer promo codes for booking if you look under the Specials section. I got a 2-bedroom oceanview condo in Kona for $145/night with one of their promo codes, and they didn't have resort fees either, which was awesome!

    These are just some of the things I did to save money in Hawaii. The condos and cottages with kitchenettes were the best way to save money, as food CAN get expensive. Even if you only use it to make breakfast, it's still worth it as breakfast tended to add up to about $30 each time between my FH and I. :/

    Hope this helps!
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