Is There Any Way to Do a Cheap Family Holiday to Hawaii?

Buyingcrap on 02/01/2020 - 14:18
Last edited 02/01/2020 - 14:20

I see a lot of cheap flight deals but in the post comments people always mention the price of actually being there. Hotels, tips, valet parking, eating etc all seems to add up.

My missus and I used to travel Asia a lot and we were content to stay in a dive hotel, ride scooters, eat cheap and snorkel for entertainment. Having kids now turns all that on it's head a bit. I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 4 year old and a 6 year old in a country with lower end health care and with myself having a poor grasp on the language.

I really have a craving to see a tropical island again though and I'm tempted by all the deals I see for cheap flights. My kids are coming into an age that I would trust them on a longer flight without the fear of being that arsehole on the plane with the screaming brats… because Ipads haha.

I would love to hear people's experiences with supermarket food, cheap car rentals, air bnb's etc and the most frugal ways to make something like this an affordable experience. We really make our own fun and are happy to play on the beach, bushwalk and just enjoy the experience of being in a new place.

If anyone has any advice or anecdotes I'd love to hear them. Surely this can be done on a reasonable budget!

Travel

Comments

  • Hybroid on 02/01/2020 - 14:19

    Define 'reasonable budget'. Anything is possible if you're willing to compromise.

    • Buyingcrap on 02/01/2020 - 14:31

      I just want some perspective from people who have been there and done it on the cheap.

      Buying a couple of two man tents and staying in caravan parks (do they even exist there?), motorhome rental?, private car rentals?, low end bnb's?, one star hotels? or anything. I'm just curious to hear how people have conquered this seeming expensive proposition with an ozbargain frame of mind.

      So I guess better than sleeping on a park bench and stealing restaurant leftovers, but less than 5 star hotels and caviar?

      I'm really just hoping to hear some first hand advice on how people have beat this apparent money drain once the plane lands. I'm trying to save up a house deposit but man, I really need a holiday.

      • jojo13 on 03/01/2020 - 08:09
        +1

        Hi Buyingcrap, I have been to Hawaii a few times now. The first was an amazing trip….all the hotels, the food, the tours were dirt cheap….but that was back in 2005. The next 2 trips were off the scale….got a cheap flight there, but the accomm….includung airbnb, the food the tours were like Brisbane prices. Beautiful place to visit, but save up your pennies for it.They are always advertising cheap flights there, but thats where it stops. Good luck. :)

  • [Deactivated] on 02/01/2020 - 14:26
    +15

    I'm just here for the scomo jokes

    • GaryQ on 03/01/2020 - 07:35

      Q: How good is Australia?
      A: Good enough to (profanity) off to Hawaii for a holiday

      The cheapest way to go to Hawaii on holiday is get the taxpayer to pay for flights

      Hawaii is God's own island - so poor people are stopped at the border

      Best I could do on short notice

  • spackbace on 02/01/2020 - 14:27
    +3

    a 4 year old and a 6 year old

    Go to Green Island, Rottnest etc ;)

    • kerfuffle on 02/01/2020 - 14:49
      +1

      Second Rottnest Island.

  • petry on 02/01/2020 - 14:28
    +1

    run for government

  • Meho2026 on 02/01/2020 - 15:01
    +16

    Ok, I like roughing it and doing stuff on the cheap and my other half likes resorts but doesn’t have the cash to pay for them.
    We did Hawaii last year and I thought it was naff
    Honolulu is a big bad city so you end up in Waikiki.
    Waikiki once was ugly mud and mangrove mud flats they dumped quarried sand on, many people don’t realise this. It’s not a natural paradise. The beach and the water does look good though.

    The hotels are overpriced dumps. The only people who like going there are the ones that pay $A300+ a night for a room.
    There’s resort fees and hotel taxes added to all the accommodation.

    The restaurants are expensive and average quality, it’s a struggle to find cheap eats.

    There are a couple of dive bars to drink cheaply and local buses are pretty good.

    That outlet shopping mall outside the city is crap, especially for an ozbargainer.

    We went to Kauai which was better, less commercialised but still very touristy, cooler climate, cheaper accommodation but terrible food everywhere.

    If in the past you have been pretty adventurous and independent it might be a struggle cos most Hawaii tourists are the type who like resorts, package holidays, organised tours and like being in a tropical climate with all the modern amenities of home.

    Many many people love Hawaii and go back again and again but they are the sort of Jetstar posh bogan like that arsehole running the country into the ground.

    Just go to the Gold Coast it’s the same but half the price

    • [Deactivated] on 02/01/2020 - 15:17
      +1

      Thanks. Looks like i'll avoid hawaii in the near future.

  • djkelly69 on 02/01/2020 - 15:37

    Maybe look at Fiji? Fairly cheap flights (particularly if you can go outside school holidays) and seems to be quite a few all-inclusive packages available.

    (Prob doesn't really meet the non-lower end health care criterion however.)

    • Meho2026 on 02/01/2020 - 16:34

      No! That was ScoMos last holiday destination before Hawaii

    • blueyez on 03/01/2020 - 11:48

      Just got back from Fiji, it is pricey and I tend to backpack.

  • Arthur Dunger on 02/01/2020 - 16:02
    +2

    What's wrong with Thailand and taking out travel insurance? (which you should be doing anyway) It has top level hospitals, some are better than Aus.

  • MsBin on 02/01/2020 - 16:37
    +3

    In a nutshell to answer your question- NO. Hawaii is an in-demand tourist destination, which people will happily pay a premium to visit. The US dollar is a killer for Aussies right now, and nothing is ‘cheap’ to start with.

    We went 2 years ago before it got really bad, and stayed at the Ilikai apartments which can be booked here- https://www.waikikibeachrentals.com/ilikai.jsp
    The Ambassador Hotel is also cheap in comparison to others and while basic, it has family rooms available- https://ambassadorwaikiki.com/

    We Uber-Ed it to Costco as we had a kitchen, which saved us lots of money on drinking and eating out. We also hit up Groupon/ Travelzoo for vouchers for tours and dining. We rented a car to explore the North Shore and ‘Jurassic Park’ and went shopping in residential areas off the tourist trail, where we found some decent clothing bargains. Nice holiday, but as I said not a cheap one!

    It may be better to take your kids to somewhere like Singapore so they can go to Universal. Or even Hong Kong if you’re not scared off and avoid the city but head straight to Discovery Bay and hit up Disney. Also look into a South Pacific cruise where you can at least use the kids club for some respite!

  • JimmyF on 02/01/2020 - 16:59
    +3

    Is There Any Way to Do a Cheap Family Holiday to Hawaii?

    No… Simple as that. The USA is very costly for Aussies with the dollar being so crap.

    Hawaii is costly for a place to stay, food isn't cheap, prices are all plus taxes and tip. With the dollar its basically 50% more, ie 10USD is about 15AUD.

  • Donaldhump on 02/01/2020 - 17:05
    +5

    thailand with kids is fine…

  • Soluble on 02/01/2020 - 17:19
    +5

    When my daughter was born, I thought there no way I was ever taking her to Bali/Thailand. We did a trip to Koh Samui with her first when she was 3, lots of discussions and we went with family. It was amazing. At 4 we went to the Philippines(get out of Manilla ASAP though), at 5 took her to Bali. Never had an issue with the people or the environments. Koh Samui was absolutely fantastic, the locals absolutely adored her. All 3 of them speak quite reasonable English. If they don't there's always someone at arms reach who does!

  • thatonethere on 02/01/2020 - 18:28
    +2

    Hawaii is expensive for tourist families. Especially now the AU dollar is week.

    Better off Malaysia, Vietnam or Thailand.

  • jonnochen on 03/01/2020 - 09:00

    Rarotonga (Cook Islands) is great and reasonably priced. Still need travel insurance. It's like tropical new Zealand without the hospital. Use NZD, prices similar to NZ, English speaking. Just an idea.

  • Hoju on 03/01/2020 - 09:39

    I love it there and the flights are often so cheap that we find it a better option than anywhere else. Especially anywhere in Australia.

    We go annually with the kids and stay in Kihei, Maui every time though have stayed on all the other islands in the past.

    We stay in a condo so Our food expenses are no more than they are in Sydney. It really isn’t any more expensive if you know how and where to get your groceries so we just consider it replacing our normal weekly shop that we do here anyway and isn’t an added holiday expense

    At times we’ve tucked into smaller condos that are $150-200 a night. Across the road from the beach but still ocean views and beautiful. Kihei Akahi is a nice one.

    Anyway, it all comes down to what affordable is to you, but my number one thoughts would be get off Oahu, stay in a condo and stock up on food at the supermarket

  • TheSmegger on 03/01/2020 - 10:20

    Norfolk Island!
    We were there half a dozen years ago, it's a beautiful place with nicest people you'll ever meet.
    In some ways it's like a step into the past, but with modern conveniences. Nobody locks…. anything. You leave your wallet on a park bench, it'll be there the next day, untouched.
    Oh, and the food is something else.

    • kiitos on 03/01/2020 - 13:35

      You leave your wallet on a park bench, it'll be there the next day, untouched.

      Is that speaking from personal experience? :-)

      Sounds lovely, though, I'm picturing rugged landscapes, or did it also have swimming beaches etc?

      • TheSmegger on 08/01/2020 - 11:31

        Both! Also amazing fishing and snorkelling.

  • OzHunterNSW on 03/01/2020 - 10:34
    -4

    Think of the other plane passengers with your 4yo kid kicking the back of the seat in front for what 10H…
    Get some responsibility and stay local

  • Reverse Snorkel on 03/01/2020 - 10:36

    Go somewhere close like NZ or Fiji and test the water before going over to Asia. They all speak English well in Fiji.

  • RecklessMonkeys on 03/01/2020 - 11:03

    Be the PM.

  • misstwist on 03/01/2020 - 13:09

    I went a few years ago when the dollar was .90C and it was starting to get expensive then, especially eating out. We are a family of 3 & stayed at Sand Dunes Villa. Only a few short blocks walk from the Duke on the beach. Sand Dunes does not add resort fees and if staying a week pick up from Airport if booking directly with hotel, I think you can also hire a microwave. Solid 3 star accommodation. https://www.waikikisandvillahotel.com/

    At the local grocery stores one near hotel brought out hot meals about 4-5pm each day for dinners and if we weren't eating out we would grab our cheap dinners from there. Picnics in the parks with family. Free Fireworks at Hilton Hotel Beach. Use Local Transport - Buses are good.

  • tabitha731 on 03/01/2020 - 21:51

    With. The aussie dollar being pretty low, i dont think u can do a family trip to hawaii, cheaply. Much of the food in hawaii is imported from the mainland, so there is already additional costs theere.if ur insisting on doing hawaii, do a cruise of the islands..accomodation, food & transport all in the price.

    But for a young family such as yours, if u want tropical.. why not fiji?

  • blutek on 05/01/2020 - 20:24

    20% hospitality tipping and low foreign exchange rate makes US expensive.

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