Hawaii Vacation Connection

There’s no easy way around the topic… a vacation is expensive. It takes many couples and families years to save up for one, and it’s no surprise why. Hawaii is a pricey destination for a few reasons. First, it is a very remote location and requires a flight overseas. And flights these days only seem […]

There’s no easy way around the topic… a vacation is expensive. It takes many couples and families years to save up for one, and it’s no surprise why. Hawaii is a pricey destination for a few reasons. First, it is a very remote location and requires a flight overseas. And flights these days only seem to be going up, up, up in price. Second, Hawaii is a popular vacation destination, highly sought out by travelers, so there is high demand here. Which means hotels, activity companies and travel agencies can charge what they like. And lastly, everything costs more in Hawaii. Food, accommodations, gasoline, rental cars, souvenirs, you name it. You can expect to pay around 30% more than you would in the mainland. It’s no secret that Hawaii is one of the most expensive states to live within our country. Lost to today's show and learn how to get started budgeting for your Hawaiian Vacation or if you want to really simplify the process, just give us a call at 800-843-8771

There are a ton of ways for travelers to save on vacations, especially with new companies popping up like Airbnb and VRBO for accommodations, Uber for transportation, and review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. This is a great thing because it provides the budget traveler with tools and options. Trust me, for a newly married, late 20’s, hard working, 2 weeks off a year individual like myself, it’s these types of outlets that allow for cheaper travel so I can experience the world. But here’s the thing. Budget traveling is for travelers and not necessarily for vacationers. I think there is a major difference so let me explain. Traveling is seeing the world, experiencing new cultures, taking risks and sometimes getting yourself into unpleasant situations. Travel is free-spirited and fancy free, where you don’t know the exact pinpoints on the map or the precise hostels you’ll be staying in. Travel can also be purposeful, where you seek out museums and landmarks, cities and islands. Where you pursue a new language or an understanding of someplace you've never been before. Vacationing, on the other hand, is a word almost synonymous with relaxation. Lazy mornings, afternoons by the pool with cocktail in hand, spa treatments, hotel amenities, fancy dinners out. Vacationing is different from traveling because it is intended to require little effort. Taking a break from normal life means not washing your own dishes or preparing your own meal. It’s all about luxury and indulgence, otherwise, we wouldn’t call it a vacation. If you're traveling to Hawaii  you should be vacationing here, so toady we focus on talking about how you do just that! Enjoy!  

There are a ton of ways for travelers to save on vacations, especially with new companies popping up like Airbnb and VRBO for accommodations, Uber for transportation, and review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. This is a great thing because it provides the budget traveler with tools and options. Trust me, for a newly married, late 20’s, hard working, 2 weeks off a year individual like myself, it’s these types of outlets that allow for cheaper travel so I can experience the world. But here’s the thing. Budget traveling is for travelers and not necessarily for vacationers. I think there is a major difference so let me explain. Traveling is seeing the world, experiencing new cultures, taking risks and sometimes getting yourself into unpleasant situations. Travel is free-spirited and fancy free, where you don’t know the exact pinpoints on the map or the precise hostels you’ll be staying in. Travel can also be purposeful, where you seek out museums and landmarks, cities and islands. Where you pursue a new language or an understanding of someplace you've never been before. Vacationing, on the other hand, is a word almost synonymous with relaxation. Lazy mornings, afternoons by the pool with cocktail in hand, spa treatments, hotel amenities, fancy dinners out. Vacationing is different from traveling because it is intended to require little effort. Taking a break from normal life means not washing your own dishes or preparing your own meal. It’s all about luxury and indulgence, otherwise, we wouldn’t call it a vacation. If you're traveling to Hawaii  you should be vacationing here, so toady we focus on talking about how you do just that! Enjoy!  

Can you believe September is coming to an end? Honestly I feel like summer didn’t even happen- it seems to have come and gone so quick! Well, autumn doesn’t technically start till September 22nd, but Hawaii really only sees two seasons a year, summer and winter. But I feel like winter will be upon us before we know it! And you know what that means… holidays in Hawaii! Right now is a great time to book your Christmas vacation to the islands. We’re seeing great deals from the hotels come through, with discounts on activities, rooms and family vacations on almost every island. If you’ve been considering a getaway to Hawaii this winter, whether for business, romance or the whole family, now is definitely the time to plan! Give us a call at 1 (800) 843-8771 to find out more about what is being offered- you’ll definitely be glad you did! Even though summer is over technically, many folks are still looking forward to a vacay  here in the islands over the next few weeks, let’s talk about something that everyone enjoys here in Hawaii… the food. I recently posted on my Facebook a question for fans to answer and I loved the variety of responses. My question was: Hawaii has unique "accompaniments" on your Hawaii Plate Lunch and at the dinner table. You might see things like pickled ginger, a slice of pineapple, a slice of mango, etc. Or how about siracha sauce, spicy mayo, or red chili? If you could have one Hawaii "accompaniment" on your plate today... What would it be?? Listen to today's Show for the responses.

Can you believe September is coming to an end? Honestly I feel like summer didn’t even happen- it seems to have come and gone so quick! Well, autumn doesn’t technically start till September 22nd, but Hawaii really only sees two seasons a year, summer and winter. But I feel like winter will be upon us before we know it! And you know what that means… holidays in Hawaii! Right now is a great time to book your Christmas vacation to the islands. We’re seeing great deals from the hotels come through, with discounts on activities, rooms and family vacations on almost every island. If you’ve been considering a getaway to Hawaii this winter, whether for business, romance or the whole family, now is definitely the time to plan! Give us a call at 1 (800) 843-8771 to find out more about what is being offered- you’ll definitely be glad you did! Even though summer is over technically, many folks are still looking forward to a vacay  here in the islands over the next few weeks, let’s talk about something that everyone enjoys here in Hawaii… the food. I recently posted on my Facebook a question for fans to answer and I loved the variety of responses. My question was: Hawaii has unique "accompaniments" on your Hawaii Plate Lunch and at the dinner table. You might see things like pickled ginger, a slice of pineapple, a slice of mango, etc. Or how about siracha sauce, spicy mayo, or red chili? If you could have one Hawaii "accompaniment" on your plate today... What would it be?? Listen to today's Show for the responses.

I feel like a lot of things big have happened in Hawaii pretty recently… Big Island had an earthquake, two hurricanes threatened the islands, (which had all grocery stores cleared out of water and canned goods across the entire state and everyone on high alert), primary elections took place, freak hurricane swells have surfaced on the North Shore, Robin Williams passed away (that’s not really Hawaii related but it’s definitely newsworthy) and to top it all off, statehood day is happening this month on Friday the 15th. Sounds like a lot huh? Amongst the current events happening here, I’ve kept up my own conversations through Facebook, and recently posed a question I thought listeners might like to hear about. I asked Facebook fans “How would you describe Hawai'i in 2 words to someone who knows nothing about it?” and the response was overwhelming! Almost 130 people responded, each with their own unique, fun and quirky way of describing Hawaii. And since the responses are quick- only two words! - I’m going to share some of them with you now. Hopefully you’ll get as much of a kick out of them as I did. “Beautiful sunsets” “Ancient and humbling” “Like paradise” “Paradise found!” “Must go!” “Future address” “Gorgeous utopia” “No worries” “Aloha spirit” “Love it” “Soul-stirring” “Snake free!” “Dream vacation” “Killer waves” “Move there” “Life changing” “Recovery discovered” “Sunshine state” “Pure bliss” “Effortlessly beautiful” “Wonderful world” “My sanity” Reading through the entire thread of comments online, it’s easy to see what the most popular words in people’s descriptions were: “beautiful”, “paradise” and “amazing”. This just goes to show how truly incredible of a place Hawaii is. Sometimes living here, we can forget how lucky we are to call these islands home. But my fans are always a wonderful reminder of this blessing and I love this kind of feedback.

I feel like a lot of things big have happened in Hawaii pretty recently… Big Island had an earthquake, two hurricanes threatened the islands, (which had all grocery stores cleared out of water and canned goods across the entire state and everyone on high alert), primary elections took place, freak hurricane swells have surfaced on the North Shore, Robin Williams passed away (that’s not really Hawaii related but it’s definitely newsworthy) and to top it all off, statehood day is happening this month on Friday the 15th. Sounds like a lot huh? Amongst the current events happening here, I’ve kept up my own conversations through Facebook, and recently posed a question I thought listeners might like to hear about. I asked Facebook fans “How would you describe Hawai'i in 2 words to someone who knows nothing about it?” and the response was overwhelming! Almost 130 people responded, each with their own unique, fun and quirky way of describing Hawaii. And since the responses are quick- only two words! - I’m going to share some of them with you now. Hopefully you’ll get as much of a kick out of them as I did. “Beautiful sunsets” “Ancient and humbling” “Like paradise” “Paradise found!” “Must go!” “Future address” “Gorgeous utopia” “No worries” “Aloha spirit” “Love it” “Soul-stirring” “Snake free!” “Dream vacation” “Killer waves” “Move there” “Life changing” “Recovery discovered” “Sunshine state” “Pure bliss” “Effortlessly beautiful” “Wonderful world” “My sanity” Reading through the entire thread of comments online, it’s easy to see what the most popular words in people’s descriptions were: “beautiful”, “paradise” and “amazing”. This just goes to show how truly incredible of a place Hawaii is. Sometimes living here, we can forget how lucky we are to call these islands home. But my fans are always a wonderful reminder of this blessing and I love this kind of feedback.

If you’re vacationing in Hawaii, then chances are you want to sample local fresh seafood that comes straight from the fishermen of the islands. Hawaii is premiere when it comes to this, plus you’ll find a plethora of restaurants with chefs that serve up delicious Hawaii regional flavors. From the popular picks of mahi mahi […]

If you’re vacationing in Hawaii, then chances are you want to sample local fresh seafood that comes straight from the fishermen of the islands. Hawaii is premiere when it comes to this, plus you’ll find a plethora of restaurants with chefs that serve up delicious Hawaii regional flavors. From the popular picks of mahi mahi and opah to the lesser-known flavors of hamachi and unagi you can find good fresh fish seafood in Hawaii. You don’t have to dine at the 4 star restaurants for 4 star flavor. You can sample succulent shrimp from food trucks and fresh fish from plate lunch spots, so don’t worry about breaking the bank if you have a taste for fresh seafood. If you’re new to the Hawaiian fish scene, then let me introduce you to a few of the regulars. When dining out at seafood restaurants, it’s most common to find mahi mahi on the menu. A white, sweet, moderately dense fish, mahi mahi is Hawaii's most popular fish and the one that is most often exported to the mainland. I love it crusted with macadamia nuts and drizzled in a beurre blanc sauce… mmm.

Today we’ll be talking about the recently released Hawaii’s Best 2014, which is an annual celebration hosted by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. This people’s choice award is a list of the top voted best restaurants, bars, retail shops, activities, health & beauty care, neighborhood hangouts and more. With 144 categories, there’s obviously too much to go […]

Today we’ll be talking about the recently released Hawaii’s Best 2014, which is an annual celebration hosted by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. This people’s choice award is a list of the top voted best restaurants, bars, retail shops, activities, health & beauty care, neighborhood hangouts and more. With 144 categories, there’s obviously too much to go over in this short podcast, so we’ll narrow it down to the relevant stuff for Hawaii vacationers. We have some intriguing news topics to discuss on todays show too,  including the recent announcement from TSA about ‘power on’ requirements. We’ll also let you in on a couple new developments in the entertainment industry, such as Hawaii’s newest movie theatre and Mililani’s newest bakery, plus we’re divulging the top five best nude beaches in Hawaii. Despite nude sunbathing being prohibited in the Aloha state, it doesn’t hurt to know where you can be left alone to enjoy your birthday suit during vacation. Also listen about Larry Ellison’s newest plan for Lanai, which we like because it has to do with food and wine, and find out where Hawaiian Airlines ranks in the airline industry.

Hawaii seems to have it all. Year round warm weather, a gorgeous ocean, beautiful beaches, high-end hotels, incredible shopping, tropical fruits, unique eateries… I could go on. It’s hard to think of something that Hawaii DOESN’T has. So for fun, we posted this question on our Facebook page for fans to answer: “What Hawaii DOESN'T have; We don't have Ikea in Hawai'i. We also don't have a JC Penny or TGI Fridays. Up until recently we didn't have Bath & Body Works! Is there anything we DON'T have in Hawai'i that you wish we did have?” While I like the idea of NOT having an Ikea, JC Penny or TGI Fridays, there is certain things I DO wish Hawaii had. And our fans had some interesting responses as well. Aside from the overwhelming amount of people that responded to the question saying “me, I am the one thing that is missing from Hawaii!’ there was also a lot of other good ideas too. Here are a few of our favorites: Lou Nakapalau said, “A bridge from California to Hawaii.” We like this, because while it wouldn’t be environmentally or economically sound, it sure would make seeing our friends and family back on the mainland easier! Dina Georgiou, Audrey Nabor, David Nash, Nick Green, Linda LaMont Luedtke and Donna Wong Kyono all said a Trader Joe’s would be a good addition to Hawaii. I totally agree! The only things we have in Hawaii that semi resemble a T.J.’s is Whole Wallet (whoops I mean Whole Foods) and Down to Earth. But these two natural food stores are very expensive, and Trader Joe’s is committed to saving money themselves to save their customers money. They don’t charge a suppliers fee for stocking items on their shelves (like so many other grocers do), they buy direct from suppliers whenever possible and bargain hard, and they buy in volume and contract early to get the best prices. Okay, I’ll end my love affair rant for Trader Joe’s. Moving on… Another personal favorite that was mentioned from our Facebook fans was In-N-Out Burger, the beloved burger joint of California. While Hawaii has its own unique burger restaurants like Teddy’s Bigger Burger (island-wide), Seven Brothers (in Laie) and Kua Aina (island-wide), I have to agree that there is many hot days I could really use an In-N-Out milkshake! Some of the other mentions included Red Robin, Togos, Lane Bryant, Kohls, Bev Mo, 99 cent stores, Dunkin’ Donuts, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, Sonic, White Castle, IKEA, and the Australian spread Vegemite (never tried that stuff but I heard it’s gross). Anyways, we thought it was interesting to find out what visitors coming to Hawaii missed most, and if you ask me, sounds like most responses were focused around the comfort foods they’re leaving behind when traveling to Hawaii! You know what that means? Break away from your comfort zone and experience the new, delicious and exotic flavors that Hawaii has to offer! We actually have many blog posts about this topic, so if you want to learn more about the foods and flavors of these Islands, check out our Hawaii Vacation Blog  Or, check out our exclusive Hawaii Aloha Food Plate Tour if you’re visiting Oahu anytime soon. We’ve got a great experience for all you foodies out there, and it’s curated by Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race winner Lanai Tabura. It’s a great tour that introduces you to the authentic flavors of Hawaii, complete with plenty local experiences and tons of incredible foods!

Hawaii seems to have it all. Year round warm weather, a gorgeous ocean, beautiful beaches, high-end hotels, incredible shopping, tropical fruits, unique eateries… I could go on. It’s hard to think of something that Hawaii DOESN’T has. So for fun, we posted this question on our Facebook page for fans to answer: “What Hawaii DOESN'T have; We don't have Ikea in Hawai'i. We also don't have a JC Penny or TGI Fridays. Up until recently we didn't have Bath & Body Works! Is there anything we DON'T have in Hawai'i that you wish we did have?” While I like the idea of NOT having an Ikea, JC Penny or TGI Fridays, there is certain things I DO wish Hawaii had. And our fans had some interesting responses as well. Aside from the overwhelming amount of people that responded to the question saying “me, I am the one thing that is missing from Hawaii!’ there was also a lot of other good ideas too. Here are a few of our favorites: Lou Nakapalau said, “A bridge from California to Hawaii.” We like this, because while it wouldn’t be environmentally or economically sound, it sure would make seeing our friends and family back on the mainland easier! Dina Georgiou, Audrey Nabor, David Nash, Nick Green, Linda LaMont Luedtke and Donna Wong Kyono all said a Trader Joe’s would be a good addition to Hawaii. I totally agree! The only things we have in Hawaii that semi resemble a T.J.’s is Whole Wallet (whoops I mean Whole Foods) and Down to Earth. But these two natural food stores are very expensive, and Trader Joe’s is committed to saving money themselves to save their customers money. They don’t charge a suppliers fee for stocking items on their shelves (like so many other grocers do), they buy direct from suppliers whenever possible and bargain hard, and they buy in volume and contract early to get the best prices. Okay, I’ll end my love affair rant for Trader Joe’s. Moving on… Another personal favorite that was mentioned from our Facebook fans was In-N-Out Burger, the beloved burger joint of California. While Hawaii has its own unique burger restaurants like Teddy’s Bigger Burger (island-wide), Seven Brothers (in Laie) and Kua Aina (island-wide), I have to agree that there is many hot days I could really use an In-N-Out milkshake! Some of the other mentions included Red Robin, Togos, Lane Bryant, Kohls, Bev Mo, 99 cent stores, Dunkin’ Donuts, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, Sonic, White Castle, IKEA, and the Australian spread Vegemite (never tried that stuff but I heard it’s gross). Anyways, we thought it was interesting to find out what visitors coming to Hawaii missed most, and if you ask me, sounds like most responses were focused around the comfort foods they’re leaving behind when traveling to Hawaii! You know what that means? Break away from your comfort zone and experience the new, delicious and exotic flavors that Hawaii has to offer! We actually have many blog posts about this topic, so if you want to learn more about the foods and flavors of these Islands, check out our Hawaii Vacation Blog  Or, check out our exclusive Hawaii Aloha Food Plate Tour if you’re visiting Oahu anytime soon. We’ve got a great experience for all you foodies out there, and it’s curated by Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race winner Lanai Tabura. It’s a great tour that introduces you to the authentic flavors of Hawaii, complete with plenty local experiences and tons of incredible foods!

Let me begin by first stating that the customer is always right. I like to subscribe to this philosophy because it’s a good attitude to maintain when providing a service for people. It’s important to keep clients happy and I usually go out of my way to make this happen. Happy customers equals a healthy […]