|
|
|||
   |
The First Friday Honolulu Art Gallery Walk is September 3, 2010 from 5 to 9 pm (with after hour activities until 2 am). Get to the Chinatown/Downtown area and visit the galleries and merchants who open their doors, offering an impressive array of exhibits and events. There’s lots going on; full schedule below the jump. Continue reading First Friday – 9/3
 Lisa Mann with her kids Hawai‘i has a reputation for being an expensive place to visit. Sure, a person could drop a big chunk of change on a fancy pants dinner, or spend $7 on a single beer instead of (sensibly) heading to the nearest grocery store for an entire six-pack at close to the same price. But Hawai‘i can be done on a budget. Don’t just take it from me. Here, seven savvy bloggers share their number one tip for saving money on a trip to the islands. From O‘ahu residents to akamai travelers, their smart advice will help you save on your next trip to Paradise. Lisa Mann is a travel writer and the budget savvy voice behind Sonoma On The Cheap. Twitter: @lisaandersomann Home exchanging can be a great and inexpensive vacation option for families. The concept is pretty simple: you stay in a home in your vacation destination, while the owners (or renters) of that home stay in yours. Home exchangers frequently exchange cars as well, so the savings on lodging and car rental can quickly add up. There’s no room service, but there are laundry facilities, the use of a kitchen, sometimes toys for the kids to play with, plus you get to see the area the way locals do—away from hotel row. We exchanged our wine country home with a lovely family on the windward side of Oahu. We lounged on the beach; they went wine tasting. We borrowed their boogie boards; they borrowed our golf clubs. Google home exchange and you’ll find dozens of home exchange organizations.  Jeanne Cooper at Coffees of Hawai'i on Moloka'i Jeanne Cooper travels to Hawai‘i frequently, but even when she’s at home in the Bay Area she keeps the islands close as a student of Keolalaulani Halau ‘Olapa O Laka, the hula school of kumu Aloha Dalire. She writes the Hawaii Insider blog for the San Francisco Chronicle. Twitter: @Hawaii_Insider Waikiki has many budget lodging options, but few are steps from the beach, and many suffer from the noise of all-night traffic. On the tranquil North Shore, Camp Mokule’ia offers both individuals and groups inexpensive, rustic lodgings and safe campsites overlooking golden sand and swirling turquoise waters. Operated by the Episcopal Church as a a conference center and summer camp, Camp Mokule’ia is open to the public year-round and includes a pool, rope course and optional meal service. Double rooms with private bath start at $95 — the peace and quiet is free. While you’re in the area, check out the Saturday morning farmers market from 8:30 to noon in the old Waialua Sugar Mill, which boasts bargains on prepared and fresh local foods.  Liza Pierce Liza Pierce has lived on Maui since 2006. She writes A Maui Blog where she covers – not surprisingly – all things Maui. Twitter: @amauiblog When planning your Hawaii vacation on a budget, make sure you research or read about the public parks near your accommodations. Plan some picnic days there while on vacation. You’ll get to see the great view and enjoy the facilities the public parks offer without having to pay an entrance fee or activity fee. Plan according to your need: If you are coming with small kids in the family, identify which parks will have good playground so they can run around and have fun. If you want to spend more time at the beach, find a good beach park – many have picnic tables nearby. On Oahu, I suggest Kapiolani Park. [Note from Kris: visit the Honolulu City and County Parks and Recreation site for more options.] Jennifer Miner, is a co-creator, writer and editor at The Vacation Gals, a fun, friendly travel blog featuring family friendly destinations, tips for traveling with kids, and more. She is the luxury travel columnist at Suite10, and contributes regularly to other sites such as Hilton’s SuiteTrip (the hotel company’s family travel blog) and Hybrid Mom. Facebook: jenniferminer  Jennifer Miner snorkeling with her family on Maui Hawaii is one of my favorite vacation destinations in the United States, if not the world. There are several top-rated luxury resorts in Hawaii, but budget-minded travelers would be justified to be worried about their costs. It’s easy to save money on a high-end Hawaii vacation, though; it just takes a little research. Most resorts’ websites post seasonal packages that bring high-end Hawaii within reach for tighter travel budgets. For example, Oahu’s JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa “Escape All-Inclusive Special” includes accommodations at this lovely resort, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at any of the Ihilani’s restaurants (including the award-winning Azul) and room service, free Internet and self-parking, and a 20% discount at the Ihilani Spa and reflections retail store. This resort package is good through December 21, 2010…but successful resort packages have a way of becoming evergreen. Sandi Yara writes about affordable travel in Honolulu for Examiner.com. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Sandi has been working in Hawaii’s visitor industry for more than 25 years. Twitter: @sandi_pr  Sandi Yara Watching a hula show during your first visit to Hawaii is a thoroughly enjoyable must see. In Waikīkī, you can enjoy authentic Hawaiian hula performances at the FREE Kūhiō Beach Hula Show every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, at the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound near the Duke Kahanamoku statue. Hula was born in Hawaii and this show promises only authentic hula – no Tahitian, Fijian or other Pacific Island dances here. Onlookers are introduced to kahiko (ancient hula style) and auwana (modern hula style) dances, with and without hula implements. The one hour show starts at 6:30 pm (6 pm in November, December and January) and opens with torch lighting and the blowing of a conch shell. The beautiful outdoor setting is casual with seating on the grass but beach mats and beach chairs are welcome, as are digital and video cameras. Kailani, a wife, mom, and flight attendant living in Hawai‘i blogs at An Island Life. Our favorite inexpensive family-friendly restaurant is Gyotaku located in Pearl City, Honolulu & Niu Valley. Plan to go on Mondays or Tuesday where for every adult full-priced complete meal purchased, one child (10 or under) can select an item from the kids menu for free! Each kid’s complete meal comes with a generous sized portion entree, drink, dessert, and toy. My kids love to eat here!  Sarah Burns, The Ohana Mama Wondering what it’s like to parent in Paradise? Sarah Burns, The Ohana Mama, shares that and more. Twitter: @SarahBHawaii Ask a local! Talk story with your server at dinner, the local eating a shave ice next to you. Ask them where the deals are. They will undoubtedly share where to find the best and cheapest poke, shave ice, local food, you name it! We like to talk story, so pull up a chair and ask a local! Whole Foods has been in Honolulu for two years and they invite you to their birthday bash. Free cake, samples, and sales from 11am-2pm on Saturday, September 18, 2010. My son has taken an interest in researching his family tree. He’ll be excited about this! Through September 6, 2010, you can use Ancestry.com’s online immigration databases for free. The site promises to be the world’s largest online collection of immigration records. Via Jody at Charlotte on the Cheap. Update: I just read that for the first time in 50 years the Royal Court is a Hawaiian family! The Aloha Festivals opening ceremony will be held at Royal Hawaiian Center at 5 pm on Thursday, September 2, 2010 in the Royal Grove. The Ceremony will debut the Royal Court for the 2010 Aloha Festivals on Oahu. Admission is free and open to the public. If you’re visiting the island, this is a great chance to see the tradition of the Royal Court. It’s fascinating to see the reenactment of the court and a definite chicken skin moment. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 from 9am-2pm enjoy a cultural healing arts festival at the Hale‘iwa Farmers Market on Oahu’s North Shore. The day includes healthy & green activities, cultural presentations, speakers, exhibitor booths, children’s programs, cooking demos, natural products, and healthy local organic food with special focus on a zero waste event. Healthy vendors & Farmers’ Market booths will showcase Hawaii’s organic foods & products, cultural healing art practitioners, agricultural specialists and more. Presentation Stage schedule:
Join a Baskin-Robbins Facebook group or create your own, and once you have 31 people in the group, you each get a free scoop of ice cream. Baskin-Robbins details here.  Waiola Rainbow Shave Ice Don’t call it a snow cone. Sure, it has a base of ice topped with circus-bright colors, but the similarity ends there. Where snow cones are made from tiny, crunchy chunks of ice, Hawaii’s favorite treat is made of finer stuff. It’s fluffy and airy, much like freshly fallen snow. While most of the island residents refer to these as ‘shave ice’ or ‘shaved ice,’ folks from the eastern side of the Big Island may confuse you when they call it ‘ice shave.’ No worries; it’s all the same stuff. Order yours with azuki beans or li hing mui for real island flavor! Check out these favorite island spots for shave ice: OAHU Matsumoto Shave Ice: Located on the North Shore of O‘ahu, this is the place to stop for refreshment when you’re out exploring the island. They make their own syrups. Aoki’s Shave Ice: Another North Shore shave ice shop, they have shave ice as well as ice cream, smoothies, and snacks. Waiola Shave Ice: Ask for a snowcap if you’re up for something new! Located at 2135 Waiola Avenue at the corner of Paani Street, Waiola’s is just 6 or 7 blocks from the Doubletree Alana Hotel Waikiki. Planning to island hop over to one of the neighbor islands? They’ve got shave ice, too! MAUI Annie’s Island Shave Ice: On Prison Street in Lahaina, Annie’s is off the beaten path, but worth looking for. It’s just a short walk from the budget Best Western Pioneer Inn. KAUAI Hawaiian Blizzard Shave Ice: Only open in the afternoons, you’ll want to time your trip accordingly. Located in Kapaa down the street from the Kauai Coast Resort in the Kapaa Shopping Center. BIG ISLAND Scandinavian Shave Ice: Located just across from Kailua Bay in downtown Kailua-Kona, look for the long line of people. Happily, the line moves quickly and you’ll have an oversized cool treat in your hands in no time. (Photo: Flickr user TracyElaine) I love the idea of exposing my kids (and yours!) to theater, but I’m often put off by the price tag. I was happy to read that the Hawaii Theatre Center is offering educational programming this season with four productions that will bring the excitement of live theatre to young audiences and their families. They include TiQri, The Little Snow Fox; The Legend of Rusalka – Opera’s Little Mermaid; Wishes and Wings; and William Shakepeare’s As You Like It. Show times for each of the productions include school matinees for public, private and homeschool groups as well as public performances for families to enjoy together. Tickets for the school matinees are just $5 per student and chaperone, and with every group of 20 students, one teacher receives free admission. Ticket reservations are available by calling the Hawaii Theatre school reservation line at 791-1310. Tickets for the public performances are $5 for children and youth 5 to 18 years and for seniors and military with ID. General adult admission is $10 per person. Children 4 and under are FREE. Call the HTC Box Office at 528-0506 or visit www.hawaiitheatre.com. Check out the 2010-2011 Student Matinee Series and Public Performances below the jump. On September 10, 2010 Ala Moana Center joins the fashion capitals of the world in celebrating Fashion’s Night Out, an exciting evening filled with fashion shows, chic cocktail receptions, gift-with-purchase promotions, and limited edition products for shoppers. This event will also support Dress for Success Honolulu, which provides professional attire and career development tools to help disadvantaged women thrive in the workplace. From 5-9 pm, more than 80 retailers will offer special incentives for shoppers to celebrate fashion. Neiman Marcus hosts a “Project: Trends” event where local fashion students will compete in a styling contest by dressing live models judged by a panel of fashion and media personalities. Nordstrom features mini fashion seminars and a gift with purchase. Luxury stores Escada, Fendi, Gucci, Harry Winston, Miu Miu, and more host cocktail and refreshment receptions. Stores including Brontibay Paris, Custo Barcelona, Folli Follie, Island Edge, J. Crew-on-the-island, LeSportsac, Maui Divers, Pandora, Sears, Swatch, and True Religion Brand Jeans are just a few of the stores offering gift-with-purchases. Curious about solar? Sunetric energy consultants will be at Whole Foods on September 7, 2010 from 6-8pm to discuss solar with shoppers. Whole Foods Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa invites the public to sample an ideal wedding day at the upcoming Bridal Newly engaged couples will get a first hand look at a sample wedding day, complete with decorations, wedding cake, a buffet, samples, and more. Those who have already started organizing for their day will benefit from fresh ideas from Hyatt Regency Waikiki wedding specialists. The Bridal Event features: decorated ceremony and reception sites, suite and room viewing, buffet menu and wedding cake tasting, door prizes, a review of the latest wedding trends, and more. For more information or to register, please call (808) 237-6230 or send an email to hnlrwedding@hyatt.com. The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa is located at 2424 Kalakaua Avenue in Honolulu. If you’re planning on doing some shopping this Labor Day weekend, note that Kahala Mall is offering a savings pass good for 20% off one item at these stores:
Click through to print out a coupon before you shop! Are you pumped about the new Hawaii Five-O? Planning to extend your fascination with Daniel Dae Kim? Why not do it right on Waikiki Beach? In an event that may rival the oceanfront screening of the LOST finale, CBS debuts Hawaii Five-0 at Sunset on the Beach on Monday, September 13, 2010. Hawai‘i residents and visitors can do some celebrity spotting as they watch the red carpet arrival of the all-star cast including Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Taryn Manning, and Jean Smart. As if that’s not enough to entice you, there will also be musical guest artists, prize giveaways, and local grinds. I recommend that you get there early! 5 pm Live Hawaiian Entertainment |
  |
|
|
Posts Feed |
|||
