Howdy All,
From ozbarginers experience what would be a good thrifty airline to get there and back from sydney. And what hotels have people used and their experiences with them.
Also what did you do there apart from go to the beach, what would be a good tourist thing to do ?
Cheers
Thanks neil much appreciated.
Jetstar is good, but watch the luggage, u don't get much and will have to add it on
Hawaiian is also a budget airline, but slightly better than Jetstar in terms of entertainment and food (included in the price)
also with Hawaiian you get 2, 32 kilo bags each
a hand bag and a personal item (carry on luggage)
so you will never have to worry about weight
tickets around 1k though (base Jetstar is like 600)
if you want you can go to vagas too with Hawaiian, that's pretty awesome, casino's and massive outlets there (Hawaii one is really small compared to Vegas, prolly 3 times bigger!)
maui is very nice
expensive though!
not sure I would recommend the road to hana
very nice
but its waterfall after waterfall after waterfall… lol
and the roads are windy, if you a re one to get car sickness, stay away! lol
Hawaiian is definitely not a budget airline. It's very nice and does include bags and meals.
and the roads are windy, if you a re one to get car sickness, stay away! lol
Yep and tourists driving on very narrow roads. Makes for an exciting ride!
Hotels and restaurant are a bit more expensive in Maui probably because Waikiki has so much competition which keeps the prices competitive. I would hardly call any place expensive compared to Australia for the exception of perhaps Switzerland. :)
true Hawaiian aint budget
yeah although with the falling dollar its getting a little more expensive :(
and don't forget the tax and tips!
bad thing about ameeria is most prices don't have tax! although Hawaii has the lowest at around 4.5%
and they kinda expect 15-20% tip on food!
but most places, their entrees are the size of a main here o.O
like cheesecake factory, so awesome, but their salads or even nachos come out on a plate the size u see in Chinese restaurants when they have steam fish! lolz
Agree with Neil. Honolulu is pretty grubby, but Big Island is excellent. Pearl Harbor is worth seeing though.
Edit: we flew Hawaiian between the islands and it was mediocre. International may be OK.
Is there anything to do on Big Island aside from the active volcano? Just thinking of an interisland trip and which one to pick.
Keep in mind there won't be enough time to do a day trip if you plan to see the lava so you will need to stay overnight. Lava can only be seen at night unless you "illegally" hike to the active flows.
I went on a sunset flight which was fantastic and cheaper than the helicopters. Highly recommend.
Snorkeling… Probably applicable to all islands.
Kona coffee which is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. I think there are some plantations you can look at as well.
Of course, there is shopping with the usual Target, Kmart etc.
Yep it would be overnight - maybe for 5 days. But compared to say the other islands like Kaua'i? Is Big Island better?
Snorkelling at Big Island is it better than Ohau? Where did you go?
Never been to Kaua'i.
Personally, I don't like lounging around the beach. I need engaging activities.
I like Hawaii over other tropical places like say Fiji because its developed like any other city. Skyscrapers, Costco, big name shops, freeways, fast Internet. They are even building a train from the airport to the city. We can't even get one in Melbourne!
I used hotels.com
and stayed at Hilton by the beach (not the village) that was around 220-250 a night
you can find cheaper than that but it was a nice hotel
I used these guys for shuttle
http://go808express.com/
25 one way for 1-2 people
private shuttle (so only pick you up!)
that's a pretty good price (used them 4 times
also they have day tours which aint too bad, 50 bucks I think and they drive yiou around to the beaches, lookouts, pineapple plantation, macdainama nut factory and shrimp for lunch, guy was very friendly
other things besides what neil said to so
- outlet shopping
I used these guys
http://www.pgplover.com/
that are good and they come! we used VIP transportation for pearl harbour and they left us in the rain for 2 hours!
- just past alam monala is "ward"
its outlet shopping aswell, head to TJ maxx and ross, they are like discount clothing stores, which sell like old season stock at crazy low prices!
- you have to eat at cheesecake factory, eegs and things and duke, all three are usually packed! so go early (like at 5pm). for cheesecake factory u can just get takeaway cheese cake, that's awesome
- don't go to the ABC stores, very expensive, there is a food panty just off the main road in wakaiki, but if you can go to walmart near •Alamoana that's best (go to Nordstrom and go to the bottom level and walk out)
- watch out for crazy rains! got caught out twice, but they then to pass fast!
- if you have Costco membership or want to sign up do it, so much cheaper than Australia!
- the palace is quite good, can get guided tours (u can do Costco afterwards)
- recommend getting a sim card, using google maps which have timetables for buses was awesome
- bring ur licence and if you a motorbike lover u can rent bikes quite cheap (like 100 a day)
- when on buses, ask for a transfer ticket, when u catch a bus, u can transfer for free onto other buses within 1 hour, however some bus drivers are nice and rip the ticket to give you more time
- also bring nothing! or things you want to throw, and buy luggages there! I got Samsonite luggage for 80 bucks at TJ maxx or ross
What month did you go ?
both times I went to May
also don't forget to try and time it for a us holiday
memorial day sales were quite good, usually the week leading to holidays have sales!
when I went in May, usually it rained in the afternoon
so beach in the morning and shopping in the afternoon!
Ross Dress for Less shops have very reasonably priced suitcases. Save money going over by taking hand luggage only (it used to be 10kg on Jetstar, now maybe 7Kg, fill up all your pockets). That will pay for a new case and buy say 25kg of luggage for the very inexpensive clothes and shoes etc that your gonna buy.
Ross also sells a lot of clothes (new, sort of left overs - some very good brands). Ross shops in Waikiki and Ala Moana.
Waikiki is nice for shopping. I wouldn't recommend Hilton Hawaiian Village. It is like 10 hotels serviced by one service desk and its crazy! Don't expect to be able to sit by the pool or the lagoon. It's nuts! In Waikiki go to dinner on the main strip. As suggested above, go to the Cheesecake factory. As a warning, the meals are HUGE. I ordered a salad so I'd have room for cake….the salad came in a platter!! Everyone recommends Dukes, I didn't think that much of it. Ala Moana shopping centre is good but the outlet shopping is even better!
Maui is very beautiful. I highly recommend the Four Seasons if you have the $$. Make sure you do the road to Hana.
The Big Island is also beautiful. Again, the Four Seasons is amazing. Active volcanoes are a must see!
Kauaii is gorgeous. The hotel we stayed at was cool but I wouldn't recommend it because my sunglasses were stolen from my room! (At the Four Seasons, if you leave your sunnies, they clean it for you and leave a glasses cleaner cloth under it with the FS insignia!) I thought Lanaii is was pretty too. Again, the Four Seasons at Manele Bay was great. There isn't much to do on the island but relax.
Your kidding this is the only hotel we stay at, it has its own beach and is many different pools in the complex
Highly recommend staying there. Every time we have gone there we have never missed out on a seat there are always people getting up.
I agree. I stayed in the Hilton Hawaiian. Plenty of spots by the pool but I guess that depends on the tourist season. The only issue I had with the pool was that it wasn't heated. Very cold pool.
However, I think there is definitely better value for money in Waikiki. The HH charge resort fees on top of their hotel rates.
Outrigger Regency on Beachwalk apartments, king bed, sep dining and kitchen with full size fridge, stayed there twice recent years.
Factory outlets are awesome, book their bus $10?. Skechers shoes about $35 pair.
Hilton Hawaiian village beach bar at sunset.
Hire full 6 seater stretch with bar from ABC limo $225 for excellent 4 hour island/beach tour.
Have a feed at Bubba Gumps
Top steak at Cheescake factory main drag opp. Forever 21
Fiji Airways is a good airline (earn Qantas ff points as half owned by Qantas) & usually cheapest of full service airlines, but be aware of arrivel & departure times at Honolulu.
Have to go via Fiji in both directions & a stopover is worth it.
In Hawaii, get out of Waikiki. It's really awful. Worse than Surfers Paradise.
Plenty of cheap flights from Honolulu to the various islands.
The flights using Fiji airways tend to have really random flight times via Fiji and would probably require overnight stay.
I have considered this in the past…
yeah Hawaiian airlines is quite a good time
leaves at 9:30pm and arrive around mid day in Honolulu
I usually take the Friday night flight after work
Fiji Airways fly Fiji/Honolulu 3 times a week.
At present the Friday flights are direct SYD/HNL (around 2 hours on ground in Fiji)
Interesting, and what's the time on the ground on way back?
@anna10: on Sun & Fri early am departures 1 hours 25 mins & 1 hour 10 mins actually on ground in Fiji (1 hour is minimum we think)
By time deplane, the next flight will probably be boarding. Probably not enough time to buy duty free at NAN. Hopefully flight NAN/SYD might be delayed a little so you can haggle over duty free booze prices.
They take any currency or any mix of currency.
Good way to get rid of odd USD$.
Note Tues flight out of HNL doesn't connect at NAN at all, so minimum 1 nights accom required at your cost not airlines, but that said, plenty of good cheap accom near airport.
thanks travelwiz, those are good conn times. I'll keep an eye on FJ SYD-NAN specials and NAN -HNL. Can those 2 flights be on the same tkt?
yes cheaper to buy on one ticket, but need a travel agent if looking to stopover in Fiji for any number of nights, as most online sites can't handle stopovers very well or at all, or give you options.
Thanks, but no TAs for me, I'm a do it yourself kinda person.
do it yourself-good luck.
Ever seen a special advertised, go to a website & can't find it ?
It maybe hidden, but a good agent maybe able to find it.
Am yet to find any online website that can handle stopovers.
A travel agent can tell you in 2 seconds, options, such as stop for 2 nights & save big $$$ which will more than pay for accom etc.
Online can never tell you that.
A bit bias given you are a travel agent…
Some airline and booking sites do multileg. I have definitely done it on a United flight from here to NY with a free stopover in SF for a couple of days. Just did it directly through their website for same price as direct.
yes but we're talking about flights when only 3 per week.
Say for example, there are cheap seats Honolulu to Nadi, but not on connecting flight from Nadi to OZ.
An agent with a crs in front of them can tell within seconds if eg. any cheap seats day or 2 or 3 later.
actually if you bought separate ticket OZ/Fiji & Fiji/HNL you would be up for 2 lots of Fiji departure tax, that's roughly AUD$120 x 2.
Almost always it's much cheaper to buy ticket straight thru, however, occasionally exceptions to that rule.
is that ending at 8pm today AEST or 8pm SYDNEY time ?
?? Sydney is AEST. Same timezone.
no SYD is on dodgy time.
BNE & QLD are only places on eastern time.
Oh yeah, I forgot Queensland likes to be different .
Yes, ADST=Sydney. AEST=Queensland. I suspect it's VIC/NSW/TAS time as that's where most of the population lives.
Jetstar will always be the cheapest from Sydney. Jetstar sales.
There are so many hotels there. Just find ones with the best price and see the reviews. All the hotels are walking distance to Waikiki beach.
Things to do in Oahu/Honolulu:
Not too much to do there. I recommend going to the Big Island (active volcano) or Maui (Best drive in US, waterfalls) or some other islands.