Drive Time

We are staying in Keauhou for 5 nights in May. We need to drive to Puna, Hawaiian Paradise park to be exact to look at some property that a family member owns. What is the quickest route?

Drive Time

I am not an expert, for sure, but I think it would be the southern route. The only problem would be current activity at the park and if all roads are open, etc. Honestly, I don%26#39;t know how much quicker one is than the other. We stayed at HPP in January but traveled at such a slow pace, I don%26#39;t know if you would rather enjoy the northern route (I would) or drive on a mission.

If you put a search into the box, like southern route, northern route, I think you will get hits with posts you could use.

Just curious, where is their propery? We stayed oceanside there and enjoyed it.

Drive Time

The South route certainly is quicker to HPP and if you know the shortcut through Hawaiian Acres and Ainaloa it will be even more shorter.

In case you don%26#39;t know, this is your tip to click on typicallytropical%26#39;s name and send a message to ask for those special directions, in case you family member doesn%26#39;t have them. Do it. It will probably save alot of time. Have a great trip.

allow at least 3 hours....maybe 3.5 to get there under good conditions

Well, whichever way you go, you leave Hwy 11 at Kea`au (unless you take that local shortcut through the subdivision), so check the map to see which is shorter.

Once you get on Highway 130, there are four roads that turn into HPP, and it%26#39;s best to know which your property is closest to, because the lateral roads are red cinder, dusty, and have some potholes, and the less of them the better.

What is the address? I can tell you which road to take.

From Keauhou it is about halfway around the island to Hilo, and Kea`au is basically Hilo, so your main consideration, I would think, is whether you want to see anything else on the way.

Are you doing it in one day? If so I would probably drive there via the north and return via the south, simply due to the way you get longer sunlight in the afternoon on the south, and more morning light on the north.

Thanks to all for the advice! I would take a short cut in a split second, however the hubby hates to do that when he is in an unfamiliar area.

KamaainaK,

Once I have the exact address I will take you up on your offer for directions. We will be doing this drive all in one day. I like your idea of driving clockwise.

Thanks Again

If it%26#39;s an unimproved lot they probably don%26#39;t have an address and you will never find the property. Make sure you get the Tax Map Key number (TMK number) from them and we can give you the direction based on that. It should start with 3-1-5 followed by two more numbers.

oh, that is so true. It%26#39;s impossible to tell one unimproved lot from another without some very specific directions. If it%26#39;s adjacent to a built lot, that%26#39;s helpful. I would take TT%26#39;s offer to look up the TMK number.

As for which road to take down, just ask your family member whether it%26#39;s closest to Kaloli, Paradise, or Maku`u, and take that one. Also print yourself out a map, like from Google maps, of the HPP area. A regular drive map that comes with your rental car won%26#39;t have any details on HPP.

The best guides are the Ready Mapbooks, for about $12, sold in some grocery stores and in bookstores. (Like Borders in Hilo, which you pass by on your way)

With a Ready Mapbook you can even take on shortcuts. ;-)

But in Puna you don%26#39;t want to take any shortcut through a subdivision unless you%26#39;ve been told that it goes through and is good, or you may find yourself on a gawdawful road surface (and possibly on a dead end).

If you%26#39;re willing to pay shipping you can get a Ready Map book here:

http://www.hiloagent.com/readymap.htm

Thanks again for the suggestions. I am in the process of getting the prpoerty information and the hubby works for a large title co. The plan is to get all the info and search for specifics thru work. As always, the experts on this board are amazing!

Best beach near Kailua Kona?

My girlfriend and I are going to be in Kailua Kona on May 11 and we are trying to find a great beach in the area. Originally we were planning on going to Kua Bay (Manini‘owali), and even had a jeep rental reserved for that bumpy road to get there. However, I%26#39;ve recently read that the road has since been paved and this is attracting a lot more people to the beach, and it%26#39;s no longer ';isolated'; like it was.

We don%26#39;t want a completely deserted beach, but we also don%26#39;t want to fight the crowds to find a spot on the beach. Any suggestions for a great beach near Kailua Kona that isn%26#39;t going to be absolutely teeming with people on a Sunday? We%26#39;re willing to drive up to an hour away. Thanks!

Best beach near Kailua Kona?

there are no other accessable beaches available to you....sorry... no secrets...no isolated Hapuna to the norht and Beach 69, both county parks with paved roads. You will have to share

Best beach near Kailua Kona?

So there are no other beaches you can recommend that we might like? What is your favorite beach on that side of the island?

Aloha,

Makalawena Beach may be what you are looking for. It is a 30 minute hike, bring lots of water, over dry hot lava. The trail starts at the Kona Coast State Park parking area.

Kua Bay Beach Park (Manini‘owali) will still be a nice choice for you. If you can avoid the weekend when it tends to get busy. It is a beautiful beach and oh so close.

Hapuna State Beach Park is a drive, but worth it if the ocean is calm, give a call to the resort prior to heading up there and ask about conditions.

Mauna Kea Beach (Kauna%26#39;oa Beach) is one of my favorites but parking/passes are limited so go early or late. Again weekends are more crowded.

the thing is that people who live here go to the beach on Sundays, so it%26#39;s the worst day to be set on not busy. But I%26#39;ve never ever had to fight for a spot on any beach on this island. That would be Waikiki.

The issue here is limited parking for some beaches, such as Kua Bay and Kauna`oa and Kukio, and Beach 69.

Best bet also is to avoid beaches with BBQ facilities and tables.

Is this Mother%26#39;s Day you%26#39;re talking about? A busy day!

If you want to walk in, I%26#39;d do Makalawaena. If not I%26#39;d try the beach north of Honokohau Harbor. It%26#39;s generally lightly used.

Jeep rentals aren%26#39;t good for the bumpy roads here. Trucks with lift and big fat tires are what%26#39;s needed. And the rental contract prohibits taking your jeep on unpaved roads. Just FYI, I drove to Manini%26#39;owail before it was paved, and a Jeep would have been toast with no undercarriage before it ever got there. BIG lava boulders and deep ruts. That%26#39;s changed, but whatever you read that said to do that was a poor guide.

You won%26#39;t find an uncrowded beach on Mother%26#39;s Day here. That%26#39;s where many, many local families spend Mother%26#39;s Day (including mine!).

store properties

money,money,money

I am going to Oahu in August and I am reading conflicting info on ATM%26#39;S. I have a Bank of America debit card. Am I going to have a problem getting money? Do they allow you so much a day or can you withdraw what your bank allows you.

money,money,money

BofA does not have any banks or ATMs in Hawaii.

';I am reading conflicting info on ATM%26#39;S.'; What type of conflicting information? Maybe if you explain, we can help.

';Do they allow you so much a day or can you withdraw what your bank allows';. Who is ';they';? Chuck...

money,money,money

Most banks have a pre-set limit on how much money you can withdraw from your account each day using ATMs. Contact your bank directly if you want to raise/lower that limit.

Sorry I will try to explain better. My bank allows me to withdraw 1000.00 dollars in a 24 hour period. If I go to any ATM in oahu will I still be ok to withdraw that amount? Thanks for all your help.

Well, since BofA has no ATMs in Hawaii, you%26#39;ll have to use another banks ATMs. There will be a fee to do this and you will be governed by the rules pertaining to withdrawals from the bank whose bank owns the ATM you are using. You will have to figure the ownership of ATMs that you will use and contact that bank for their limits. Chuck...

Both First Hawaiian Bank and Bank of Hawai`i have limits on daily ATM withdrawals, $400 for BoH and $700 for FHB, as I recall. I can%26#39;t imagine you needing anywhere near that much cash for anything here, and I would avoid carrying that much just on general principle. Most places you%26#39;re going to use a credit card anyway.

agree with pzp you won%26#39;t need that much cash you can use your checkcard as a credit card at most places. we use our a/e delta sky miles card for most things to get the airmiles we did bring some cash for things like the farmers market and some small local restaurants do not accept credit cards.but most places do so no worries

aloha marie

Just remember that in places with high tourist turnovers, you will get a higher than normal amount of credit card fraud. Be very careful and NEVER let your card out of your sight and always pay attention that the person who has your card does not swipe it in two machine(one being bogus and gets the data off your card for later fraud) or copies the info off your card with pen and paper. Chuck...

yes no problem, most of the hotels have ATMS and there is a Hawaiian bank in the center of town, also all the ABC markets have ATMs. The only problem might be that you could not take it out all at once so you will get more fees. I don%26#39;t bring a lot of cash and hit the atms often, I hate dealing with travelers checks.

Is Kailua too far for Waikiki activities?

It will be our first time in Hawaii and we are considering renting a house in Kailua. Is this city too far of a commute for activities like going to Pearl Harbor, going to a Luau, etc.

Should we try to find accommodations in Waikiki instead? Thanks for the feedback

Is Kailua too far for Waikiki activities?

Kailua is a nice area. It is not too far from Honolulu/Waikiki. About a 30 minute drive to downtown Honolulu. 35 minutes to Waikiki.

Make sure the rental in Kailua is legal.

Lots of info:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862…

Is Kailua too far for Waikiki activities?

We stayed in Waimanalo, which is just down the road from Kailua and had no problems going back and forth to Waikiki. Straight shot through the mountains.

We thoroughly enjoyed having a beach to ourselves and getting away from the hubbub of the city. You%26#39;re making a wise choice.

Have fun!

Should I admit to making it from Honolulu to Kailua in about 20 minutes?

I don%26#39;t think there%26#39;s much of a time difference between driving the Pali into town and driving the streets in Waikiki when trying to go somewhere (not located within Waikiki). Plus you aren%26#39;t paying for parking in Kailua.

You should be fine, just avoid rush hour when people are heading to Honolulu to work in the AM and back from Honolulu to Kailua in the PM.

Aloha,

The only problem would be if you wanted to take bus tours to such things as Pearl Harbor, a luau, etc. Otherwise, as long as you don’t mind driving for yourself, you are fine. When we first moved here I thought, how lost can I get, it’s an island! But, most of the street names are in Hawaiian, and it can be confusing, so I’d be sure to Mapquest your trips.

You may want to “add up” all the activities you want to do and if more than half actually take place in Waikiki (in particular restaurant or shopping opportunities), it may be easier to stay there. If enjoying a gorgeous beach as much as possible is your goal, you will love the Windward side.

Marriott

Since so many flights leave so late out of Lihue, has anyone looked into the possibility of a day room at the Marriott? I%26#39;m thinking from 11AM to 6PM. If so, I would appreciate knowing what the cost was.

Thanks,

G

Marriott

Questions (and answers) about the day room use at the Marriott come up from time to time ... and it sounds wonderful with a long lay-over. But - I%26#39;d suggest that you give them a call and ask about prices. They change from time-to-time ... and you may qualify for a discount (I wish!) or something.

Marriott

Thanks BLBL. I did plan on calling or having my TA do it. Just wondered if I could get a ballpark price to see if I wanted to persue it.

Aloha from Kaua%26#39;i!

This question just came up recently in regards to someone%26#39;s mother having a very long wait at the airport and what the alternatives were.

All hotel properties vary in their policy about day use rooms -- some require the property to be at a certain occupancy level or lower in order to offer it -- some simply don%26#39;t offer them at all.

In my experience the price varies considerably - usually from $100 and up depending on the hotel.

I%26#39;d suggest you call the property directly to ask about their policy on this - some will not reserve the rooms, but require you go in the day you want it and take your chances.

Good luck!

Malama Pono,

Janet

The question about a day room at the Marriott has been bugging me since a similar thread a couple of weeks ago about this issue. Does anyone remember the one where they were going to leave their mom at the airport for 9 hours? They weren%26#39;t aware there just wasn%26#39;t anything to do there. So, I called the Marriott in Kauai today 808-245-5050 and was advised that they do not have day rooms. You can book a room for the day/night only. I have a similar dilemma about my trip in June. So, just for kicks I checked on availability for a room at the Marriott and they are booked! So good to plan in advance!

Just for kicks I called Hilton Kauai asking about day rooms. Although the person I spoke to didn%26#39;t really understand what I was asking about, he said they do not have day rooms but do have hospitality rooms for the guests only. The overnight rate is $189 for the date I checked; they do have free shuttle to airport. 808-245-1955.

I%26#39;m surprised to hear they do not have day rooms. It seems as if it might be a nice bit of profit on lower season times due to their location so close to the airport. I checked their availability during my late May date and they are wide open, so I might just give it a try. Thanks for your efforts and info on this.

That%26#39;s what I was thinking -- Cha-ching???$$$ Any entrepeneurs out there?

Why would a hotel want to book a ';day room'; at 1/2 the price when they can rent it for full price? My advice for so many people who are taking these late night flights is to book another day at the hotel or condo you are staying in. It is well worth the extra time you have on the island to chill and relax. If you can%26#39;t afford that then 1. Ask the hotel for a possible late check out option. Usually if the hotel is not full they will let you stay until 1pm. 2. If you are staying in a condo, call the owner the week before and see if anyone is arriving that day. If not ask for a late checkout or ask if they have a special rate for checkouts past the usual time. I know I do. If I know I do not have a back to back I offer the room at 1/2 the daily rate as long as they don%26#39;t stay past 6pm. Past 6pm is the full day rate. This gives guests time to relax, do that sunbathing, leave in the late afternoon and have dinner at a nice place before they get onto the plane.

I agree with Jebett. I wish we would have booked an extra day at our condo. On our last day, we had to check out at 11 a.m., but our flight didn%26#39;t leave until midnight! It was really hard to enjoy that last day because we were so worried about our luggage in the back of our rental car (we didn%26#39;t want it to get stolen). We booked our condo first and didn%26#39;t end up booking our flights until much later -- so we didn%26#39;t realize that we would have needed to pay for an extra day when we originally booked. Needless to say, we will do it differently next time :-) The owner of the condo we rented did offer late check-outs if available, but there was a guest coming right after us, so it didn%26#39;t work out. Just something to think about . . .

Jebett,

All of that is very good advice. We%26#39;ve checked on all the avenues you mentioned. Guests coming in right behind us. The Marriott appears to be wide open, so I guess I figure some $s is better than no $s. We%26#39;ll see what I can find out.

makeup help

One night @ start of trip & at end

Need some suggestions please:

My flight arrives @ OGG @ 1:45 pm on 8/15/08. I can%26#39;t check into my condo until mid-afternoon on 8/16/08. (about 24 hrs later)

I have the same problem near the end of my stay. I will check out of my condo early in the morning of 8/22/08, and my flight back home is at 8:30PM on 8/23/08. (about 36 hrs later)

Need HELP VERY BADLY on places to stay my first and last nights, as well as help with an itenerary for these first and last days! I do not want to spend my entire trip checking in/out of hotels and I want to make sure I make the most of my time on the island!

Thank you much!

One night @ start of trip %26amp; at end

I just read your post about doing the Road to Hana from Kanapali. You could do it your last day and stay overnight at the hotel in Hana -- or stay there your first night.

Maybe you%26#39;d like to splurge on the Grand Wailea (and its pools) for one night? Or not splurge, at Best Western in South Kihei? Mana Kai Maui? A hotel in West Maui? One of the two ancient %26#39;motel-type%26#39; hotels in Kahului (only as last resort)?

One night @ start of trip %26amp; at end

why did you book a condo where you cant check in for 24 hr AFTER you arrive and you have to check out 36 hr before your flight -- werent there any other condos that would suit your needs a lot better timewise

I actually booked my condo before my flight... and the flight was MUCH more expensive to have it closer to my actual condo dates (I was saving HUNDREDS of dollars by being flexible a day or two with my flight dates!)

Hmmmm, I gotta say I was thinking the same thing as Lougee asked, and the %26#39;hundreds%26#39; of dollars you%26#39;re saving on airfare are probably going to be spent on your before/after accommodations now.....but hey, at least this way you%26#39;ll get more time on Maui rather than putting that money on a plane!

Chisue gave some good suggestions, if it was me, I%26#39;d make it worth my while and splurge for at least the last part of the trip...always nicer to end a vacation in a nicer resort hotel, than a cheap one.

Just make sure to pack light (carry on) so you%26#39;re not carting around too much luggage between all the check-ins/outs....it%26#39;ll ease the stress a bit!

Enjoy the beach! :-)

We ran into a similar problem because of having to rebook our flight due to ATA. We decided to try and make the most of it by booking at the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina. That way we could have a nice dinner and enjoy some shopping the night we arrive and the next morning til we check into our bungalow. It was something we had planned to do anyway so just decided to make that the beginning of our trip. Good luck!

I too read your post about the long day to Hana your are thinking about.

I agree with ChiSue. Why not check out on the 22nd and head to Hana early that morning? Plenty of nice places to stay over there. Get checked into a cottage, go on your hike, (it%26#39;s awesome and something you don%26#39;t want to rush through) then relax that evening in beautiful Hana. I couldn%26#39;t think of a finer place to spend my last night on Maui.

Next morning you could go check out Hamoa Beach and the State Park and take your time driving back, stopping at any of the stops most people do on the way there. Have your last dinner in Paia before heading to the airport.

I agree with the very good Hana suggestion. For the other night, I would also pick someplace other than the area of your condo to stay. Not knowing where that is, I%26#39;m not sure where exactly to recommend.

I also agree with the packing suggestion. Put everything you%26#39;ll need for that one night/days into one suitcase (or carry-on) so you don%26#39;t have to waste a lot of time packing up for the moves.

Thank you all for your suggestions! My condo for the 6 nights/7 days is in West Maui... so I think I am going to spend my first night somewhere near the Crater so we can get up early and do the sunrise on that first day!

The last night in Hana also sounds great, as long as I have some assurance I can make it to the airport on time... and if I can keep myself clean enough until then ;)

Check out the Kula Lodge for the first night, very close to the entrance of the park. If I had a do-over, that is what I would do. Then the Hana stay-over, the rave now is the Yurt if you can get reservations. If not, check out alternavivehawaii.com for lodgings. Have a great trip.

Sorry about the mispelling for website...

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/index.html

Great site to use for info.

Has anyone taken Na Pali Explorer from the North Shore?

We%26#39;ll be staying at HBR in June and would rather go from the North Shore to avoid all of that driving just to get on a boat and sail back almost to where we started. Has anyone here taken Na Pali Explorer%26#39;s newer boat, Ocean Adventurer on the snorkel tour out of Hanalei? I had pretty much decided to avoid boats and do an ATV tour instead, but reading about everyone%26#39;s boat tours has made me reconsider. Since I cannot fathom the idea of getting into a helicopter (chicken!), it sounds like a boat tour is the only way we will be able see the Na Pali Coast. We would do the 8am tour...any reason that would not be advisable?

Lisa

Has anyone taken Na Pali Explorer from the North Shore?

I have not been on that boat, but since you%26#39;ll be staying at HBR it is the smart thing to do. If you take the other tours out of Pt Allen you have an hour and a half drive at 5:30 A.M. The trip to the coast is much faster from Hanalei. I have heard nothing but great things about it. An early morning departure is probably smart too. That way you have the entire afternoon to enjoy more of the North Shore.

Have fun at HBR. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

Has anyone taken Na Pali Explorer from the North Shore?

jebett, thank you! You have already been a wealth of information as I%26#39;ve been lurking around here for a month or so. I am going nuts with anticipation for this trip. My husband thinks I have completely lost it with my 3-ring binder and incessant forum reading.

So I%26#39;m not the only one using a 3-ring binder for all the travel planning!! I have all of my confirmations (airline, condo, car rental) organized in it, as well as information from the TA forum that I print out here. I can be excessively organized when it comes to my travels, but I find that it%26#39;s the way to maximize my preparation so I can be more relaxed when the time comes.

Anyway, I have taken a Na Pali cruise from the North Shore. Two years ago I took Na Pali Catamaran. I really do think that, no matter where you stay, a North Shore departure is great because you spend more time actually in and around the Na Pali coast. This tour was absolutely stunning. I was staying in Poipu, so I had to be up VERY early to arrive on the North Shore in time for the trip. I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with any tour out of the North Shore. Since you%26#39;re already going to be on the North Shore anyway, you are ideally situated for this too.

I took the explorer I last summer and loved it. Best thing I%26#39;ve ever done in my life. You won%26#39;t be disappointed.

Labs---I too am staying North Shore in June (and also South Shore same trip), but decided to do the boat tour out of Hanalei because if you look at the routes on a map from both shores, you spend most of your time on the boat getting to Napali from the South Shore (not to mention the time in your car). Look at the route to Napali from Hanalei-----there%26#39;s no comparison that you%26#39;ll get to the Napali Coast much faster from North than South. Leaving from South Shore when you%26#39;re staying North could be an all-day excursion.

We did the 3 hour napali explorer afternoon cruise in November (leaving from the south) and it was so great that we will be doing the morning 5 hour napali explorer cruise this May when we return.

I just got off the phone with Lisa at Na Pali Explorer and booked our tour! We%26#39;ll be taking the 4-hour snorkel expedition departing at 8am from Hanalei on June 17th. It is early enough in our stay that if they have to reschedule due to conditions, we%26#39;ll hopefully have enough time left to fit it in. Lisa was really friendly and helpful. I had actually booked online a couple of nights ago, and according to the screen on my end, the reservation was accepted. I was glad I called today to check up on it, because it never made it through on their end. A note of caution to anyone booking these tours online -- always call to confirm they actually received your reservation!

We have been with Napali Explorer several times, and they are a great outfit.

There was some problems with sailing out of the boat yard up in Hanalei, but perhaps they have that all squared away now.

Hope so, they are wonderful folks, and loads of fun.

Our 3 trips with them was out of the kikiaola small boat harbor on the west side.

Denny

Thanks, Denny. They happily took my reservation, so I sure do hope they have their problems ironed out by then! I don%26#39;t even want to think about how early we%26#39;d have to get up to make it from Hanalei Bay to a launch on the other side of the island at the crack of dawn.

Lisa

get rid or hyperhidrosis