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Caveat wrote:
Never been to hawaii - is all travel between the islands by air? |
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Caveat wrote:
Never been to hawaii - is all travel between the islands by air? |
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Joe English wrote:
Never been to hawaii - is all travel between the islands by air? If you are referring to public transportation between Hawaii's islands, almost all of it is by either Aloha or Hawaiian Airlines. The reason is that most people who visit the islands are on vacation and have limited time. There are probably some limited cruise packages available to certain islands, but I would guess that most of those are stops on a longer cruise -- but I don't know much about those. There is, of course, a huge private boat fleet on the islands. If you visit Ala Moana Yacht Harbor on Oahu, and Lahaina on Maui, you'll see hundreds of fancy sailboats and ocean-going cruisers. In fact some people hitch-hike around the world by crewing on private yachts. But for most of us, it's the joys of dealing with airport security and a bankrupt airline that we have to deal with. Oahu is the air hub, and most flights are into and out of Honolulu Airport. There are direct flights from the mainland to Hilo on the Big Island, as well as Maui, however. Savvy travelers will try to arrange a trip from the mainland into Hilo, but out of Honolulu. With a stopover on Maui, they get a nice 3-island circuit tour. Unfortunately flights to Kauai are usually separate out-and-back trips from Honolulu. But most of would say that it's worth it :-). Caveat |
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Joe English wrote:
Never been to hawaii - is all travel between the islands by air? If you are referring to public transportation between Hawaii's islands, almost all of it is by either Aloha or Hawaiian Airlines. The reason is that most people who visit the islands are on vacation and have limited time. There are probably some limited cruise packages available to certain islands, but I would guess that most of those are stops on a longer cruise -- but I don't know much about those. There is, of course, a huge private boat fleet on the islands. If you visit Ala Moana Yacht Harbor on Oahu, and Lahaina on Maui, you'll see hundreds of fancy sailboats and ocean-going cruisers. In fact some people hitch-hike around the world by crewing on private yachts. But for most of us, it's the joys of dealing with airport security and a bankrupt airline that we have to deal with. Oahu is the air hub, and most flights are into and out of Honolulu Airport. There are direct flights from the mainland to Hilo on the Big Island, as well as Maui, however. Savvy travelers will try to arrange a trip from the mainland into Hilo, but out of Honolulu. With a stopover on Maui, they get a nice 3-island circuit tour. Unfortunately flights to Kauai are usually separate out-and-back trips from Honolulu. But most of would say that it's worth it :-). Caveat |
#17
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Caveat wrote:
If you visit Ala Moana Yacht Harbor on Oahu... Actually the name of the Yacht Harbor is Ala Wai. It's at the entrance to the Ala Wai Canal, near the Ala Moana Shopping Center, and boats exit to sea past Ala Moana Beach Park. |
#18
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Caveat wrote:
If you visit Ala Moana Yacht Harbor on Oahu... Actually the name of the Yacht Harbor is Ala Wai. It's at the entrance to the Ala Wai Canal, near the Ala Moana Shopping Center, and boats exit to sea past Ala Moana Beach Park. |
#19
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"Caveat" wrote in message
... Oahu is the air hub, and most flights are into and out of Honolulu Airport. There are direct flights from the mainland to Hilo on the Big Island, as well as Maui, however. Savvy travelers will try to arrange a trip from the mainland into Hilo, but out of Honolulu. With a stopover on Maui, they get a nice 3-island circuit tour. Unfortunately flights to Kauai are usually separate out-and-back trips from Honolulu. But most of would say that it's worth it :-). Hilo? Divers would do much better flying direct to Kona. American, United, and Aloha all have nonstops from the mainland direct to Kona. And you're wrong about Kauai too, of course. United flies there nonstop from LAX and Oakland. |
#20
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"Todd H." wrote in message ... Greetings, I'm looking for some recommendations to narrow down plans on a 2-stop itinerary, 2 hotels, and dive operators for a trip we're pondering Hawaii in March for a 2 week stay. At this point, I'm not even sure the best place to fly into! From what I've read and investigated, about all I have it narrowed down to is "you'll really like Maui" "skip Honoloulou-you've got enough of that big city crap in Chicago," and I think we'd enjoy staying week 1 and week 2 in different places, and above all else this trip should be relaxing. We're both early 30-somethings, and pretty active. We've been to the Carribbean and Thailand in the past. Having the beach or water close at hand for snorkeling is a priority, and we will be looking to dive oh... say, 4 or 5 days over the course of our 2 weeks. I've got about 25 dives under my belt over the past 7 years and my SO was certified last year, so we won't be looking for adrenaline filled diving or anything. :-) Our last vacation was way overpacked on a go go go itinerary, so the m.o. for this trip is "relaxing." For me that involves planting my hiney near a large body of water in the sun, snorkeling, and some diving. If there's beach volleyball to be had that's a pleasant bonus. I wanna see the volcanoes, maybe some kayaking, maybe rent a car and drive around the island. And I think I'd like to pick up camp and move only once during the stay (so, I guess i'm looking for 2 hotels, one in Maui somewhere, and one on another island..unless inter-island transport is too much of a pain). We don't have money to burn by any stretch, but I'm also willing to pay to be in a place that's clean and not run down. I've got a mental idea of wanting to stay under $225 a night but I've also not looked enough to whether that's terribly realistic. I'd welcome any recommendations to narrow it down some! Thanks for any experiences you can share! Best Regards, Hi, I feel I should weigh in on this one since I live on Oahu, am a diver, and have been to, and dove off all the major islands in Hawaii. Maui is nice. Go there and have a good time. Get a condo. There are lots of them to be had at very reasonable prices. Make sure you get one with a kitchen and washer/dryer. You'll save some bucks by not eating out at every meal, and have to pack a whole heck of a lot less clothes. Go to the aquarium. http://www.mauioceancenter.com/ Go there before you go diving. It's one thing to listen to the divemaster talk about the fish you might see but quite another to stand in front of them and read about them. It will make your dives much more interesting. Who to dive with? Lahina Divers is a good, respectable, cattle boat. http://www.lahainadivers.com/ If you are more advanced and want a less crowded boat, then go with Ed Robinson. http://www.mauiscuba.com/erd1.htm But, be warned, they are selective in who they will accept so you should call ahead. Also, notice that Ed Robinson is out of Kihei, on the South Shore, and that can be a long drive if you are staying on the West Side. What to dive? Molokini Crater is definitely worth it. So is the back side of Molokini but that is an advanced dive. You'll have to prove you're qualified. Five graves is also a nice dive if the swells aren't too bad. http://shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/...aves/index.htm This is mistakenly called "Five Caves" (there are only three lava tubes/caves) but if you do it as a shore dive, you will understand the real name (you enter the site through an old grave yard.) There are some other dives but most can be done as shore dives if you want to save the money and are willing to schlep the gear. http://shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Maui/index.htm Otherwise, do a three tanker over to the Island of Lahina. There is some good diving there, if you can stomach the crossing. The channels between these Islands are notoriously rough water. If you have any training in physics, and spent some time playing in a wave tank, you can figure out why. That should also answer your question about inter-island travel. One last bit of advice about Maui, do the "Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tour." There is talk of shutting it down so do it now. It will be a highlight of you trip. However, plan ahead. Remember the rules of ascending to altitude. Also, consider a kayak tour. We own kayaks and go out all the time. When we have guests, we take them out kayaking. They always enjoy it. Something about getting out on the water, seeing the Islands from offshore, being one with the ocean... It's fun. As for what other Island to do? No choice: the Big Island. Right now the Volcano isn't just erupting but it's flowing into the sea. This is very worth seeing, especially at night. Just one bit of advice, wear good hiking shoes (lava is tough stuff to walk over,) bring a flashlight, and wear a hat with a very large bill. The one thing they don't warn you about is what happens when lava flows into the sea. It creates a mist that contains sulfuric acid. It stings the eyes and is uncomfortable but the experience is worth a little discomfort. As for diving on the Big Island, the only must do is the Manta Ray Night Dive. And it's a must do! We always use Jack's when we're there but there are plenty of other excellent operators. http://www.jacksdivinglocker.com/welcome.htm Jack's is kind of pricy and when you see their new shop, you'll understand why. Maybe you'd rather not pay for all that shine-ola. What else to do on the Big Island? Horse back riding. It's a Big Island and you can go horse back riding in the interior and think you were in Wyoming. Also, consider an air tour. They are costly, but they really give you some perspective about these Islands. Each of these Islands are small but complete ecosystems. Within just miles of each other you can have parched deserts and tropical rainforests. Seeing it from the air really brings it all together. It's a good brain stimulator for thinking about our planet as a whole. And along that vein, if you happen to find yourself in Hilo, there is a museum of the Hawaiian Islands run by NOAA http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/center/welcome.html and it's worth a look. It's not worth going all the way to Hilo just for that museum but if you find yourself there... Anyway, hope all that helps. Enjoy your stay. eeo -- Todd H. http://www.toddh.net/ To reply by email replace _invalid_ with tdh |
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