Getting Around Hawaii (State of)

These travel guides proved very useful for both their insight and maps with directions to the off-the-beaten-path places they write about. This is not an advertisement for them nor do I receive anything from them. It's just a fair endorsement of a very fine product.

They opened our eyes to the real beauty of Hawai‘i. I believe they can do the same for you.

Even if you've been there a dozen times without them, I believe if you look through their pages, you WILL find places you never knew about. Incidently, the authors do brag in the book that they have written about places that even the locals knew nothing about.

You may have heard some of the bad press these books have received lately. It seems there are a lot of locals who do not appreciate their little secret places being revealed. They feel that their little piece of paradise is being overrun. It's not that they do not want to share, it's just that they would like a respite from the hordes of tourists who have invaded their lands. And these little hidden places offer just that.

Therefore, you need to be respectful. If there is a "No Trespassing" or "Private Property" sign, please heed it, regardless of what the books might lead you to believe.

If you are planning a trip to Maui, Kaua‘i, The Big Island, or O‘ahu, be sure to buy these books and plan your trip with them. You WILL NOT be disappointed!

Are you wondering what the weather will be like? Sure you are. You are hoping that it will not rain during your stay, right? Well, I can honestly say that it WILL! But maybe not where you are at.

It rains just about every day somewhere on most every island. This has to do with the way the ocean breezes interact with the high mountains. Just remember that it is more likely to rain on the north and eastern sides of the islands since this is from which direction the typical trade winds blow.

But a bigger concern would be a hurricane or tropical weather system like in the photo here. If you want to see current satellite pictures, go here: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-epac.html Or, for more info from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, go here: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/

If there is a tropical system heading towards Hawai‘i, there is a good chance of rain everywhere or, at the least, clouds everywhere. So start looking at these sites about a week before your trip to see what's in store for you.


Return to my main Hawai`i page.

Do you want to relish the thoughts of that wonderful vacation you had in Hawai‘i all those years ago? Do you want to plan another vacation there with a closer look at the culture that is Hawai‘i? Or, if you've never been before, do you just want to learn more about the Islands of Aloha before you plan that big trip? Or, (if you're like my wife and I) since you've been to the Islands several times and just can't seen to get enough of it, do you want to live and breathe everything Hawai‘i while back home until that next trip?

I have one suggestion if you answered yes to any of these questions: HAWAI‘I MAGAZINE

For planning your trip, you'll find a section for each island that highlights the local activities, a listing of scheduled events, and plenty of web links for you to obtain more details. This alone is worth the price of subscription.

Then there are the stories that dive into the Islands' past, explore points of interest, detail the lives of prominent Hawai‘ians, or just detail cultural aspects of Hawai‘i. As an example, in the Jan/Feb 2004 issue, there was a wonderful article entitled A Culture Speaks that dove into the history of Hawai‘ian chant, which was such a vital communication tool for this civilization that had no written language.

Whatever your disposition on traveling to Hawai‘i, you will definitely want this magazine sitting on your coffee table while you plan that next trip.

No need to rent a car really. Public transportation is good. One way ticket ride costs $2 (and you are allowed 1 transfer).
You are better off buying a 4-days bus pass for $20, which gives you unlimited bus rides for 4 consecutive days (excludes special service buses) . It can be bought in ABC and 7-Eleven stores and the BusPass Office at 811 Middle Str.

The cheapest way to rent a car in Hawaii is to start your online pricing a few weeks before your trip. Dont be picky with a specific company. Ive used a different company each time. Usually Alamo, Dollar, Enterprise , Budget of Thrifty never Hertz or Avis. If you search daily online and call their 1-800 #'s ,you will get an outstanding deal. There prices fluctuate but their is always one company that ends up about half the price of the rest. I highly recommend getting a 4 wheel drive jeep with a soft top to get the true Hawaiian experience. They are also great for transporting surfboards and almost all companies have them in Hawaii. Dont forget to get the online codes for your companies discounts or AAA discounts to maximize your deal.

Renting a car while on your visit to Hawaii is an excellent way of getting around to all the sights that you want to see. It is also by far the easiest. Whether it's driving up to the North Shore of Oahu, or taking the road to Hana on Maui, you can set your own schedule and pace by having a car at your disposal. Car rental agencies are very prevalent on the islands. Major chains such as Hertz and National have branches scattered about. You can generally arrange for one to be picked up upon your arrival at any of the airports, or have your hotel set up a rental after getting settled in. Most compact cars rent for around $30 - $40 per day, depending on which island you are visiting. And if you opt for a Jeep or an SUV, the prices jump up substantially. Word of warning, try to be as conservative as possible with your gas mileage on the islands. Prices are way more expensive here than anywhere on the mainland. But since you will be on a relatively small island, and unless you plan on hydroplaning to Tahiti, don't let it be a major concern.

We flew in to Oahu then got on a little prop plane (kinda scary) to Molokai. You can also fly into Maui and then get on a smaller plane to Molokai...or you can sometimes find a boat that will take you to the small islands. :)

Well since we were under 25 we walked, biked, and hitched hiked everywhere. This is the only place that we are not the slightest bit scared. It is thee only place where I will do it on ocassion. The island is only 7 miles by 20 something...there are hardly any tourists mostly all friendly natives! The natives will recognize and ask where you are from. Whenever we would meet a new local they would say awww you must be the Colorado girls.

They seem to enjoy new faces and want to get to know you and show you everything about Molokai,t heir culture, and just to have fun with you. Soon we didn't have to hitch hike the locals would offer to take us everywhere. Most of the time they were the ones that wanted to take us someplace new on their island. We were invited to Luaos...graduation parties...family gatherings...We didn't run into one person that didn't greet us with a smile and open arms.

we made a mistake by paying for a taxi ride to the town...very expensive. This is us hitchiking from the town of Kanakaki to the farmers market...the taxi driver picked us up and took us free of charge..lol

That's when we decided to hitchike only on this small friendly Island. :) The only problem is there is no traffic on the island so we did a lot of walking...lol :) The scenery made it all worthwhile. That is until the island and us got to know each other. I love Molokai what a way to live! :)