Beat of Hawaii and Beyond: Travel Tips, Deals, Events, Culture

We’re scratching our heads over this one. The New York Times lists Kokee Lodge as a suggested property in their Kauai Travel Guide.

The referenced Frommer’s review in the New York Times does not provide an accurate representation of what you’re going to find here.

Your Beat of Hawaii team has stayed at Kokee Lodge every year. We’re showing photos of our recent visit. As you can see the cabins are beyond rustic. They may be too frugal for most visitors to Hawaii.

Kokee Lodge is at 4,000 foot elevation so plan on cool nights with temperatures as low as the 30’s. There’s no heat in the cabins. Be sure to pack warm clothes, extra blankets and wood for the stove. You’ll also need food. The Lodge has a small building with restaurant (open 9-3) and gift shop.

Techies beware: there’s no cell service or Internet so you’ll be out of touch during your stay.

The cabins at Kokee Lodge will appeal to those who enjoy the outdoors, can live without comfort for a few days, and want to spend part of their vacation exploring the wonderful trails at Kokee State Park and Waimea Canyon.

If your interest in Kokee Lodge is based on price, I’d keep looking for someplace closer to the beach.

Details: Cabin price for two is $92.80 the first night. If you stay longer the rate drops to $72.80. For reservations call 808/335-6061. The cabins are located 45 minutes from the highway on Kauai’s West side. Kitchens included in all cabins. There’s a Big Save in Waimea where you can stock up on food before the 45 minute drive up to Kokee.

With many first time visitors on our island roads each day, the Beat of Hawaii has come up with its Top 10 Driving Tips to ensure a safe vacation for all. Continue Reading »

The Pride of Hawaii cruise ship will set sail from Honolulu one last time on February 4. Instead of following its normal Hawaii itinerary, this special sailing will be a five day trans-Pacific crossing to Los Angeles.

NCL has some great deals on this repositioning cruise. Inside cabins start at $198. If you need a room with a view like me, it’s available for $298. For an extra splurge their balcony cabins start at $448.

The Pride of Hawaii will be rechristened the Norwegian Jade and moved to Europe for summer sailings. NCL will continue to operate the Pride of America and Pride of Aloha exclusively within Hawaii.

This is one Aloha shirt that is easy to care for, on everyone’s budget, and fun to give to family and friends. If you can fold paper you can make one too. I made the Aloha Shirt card that’s pictured here. Next time I’ll add buttons for a more authentic look.

I learned this new skill at Ben Franklin Crafts which is located on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and The Big Island. For the cost of supplies you can take a class and meet some locals. They have a monthly craft calendar on-line with all of the details. This may be a good activity on a rainy day in Hawaii. Some months have more Hawaii theme crafts than others.

To read more about the history of the Aloha Shirt, check out the Hawaiian Shirt Shop.

Start folding and share some Aloha!

What to expect?
The New Year is looking unusually bad for finding deals from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii. Why? Basically, the airlines now have excellent control over inventory (seats) and, with no new competitors, they aren’t likely to be offering the kind of deals we’ve seen as recently as last fall.

While there will be occasional and mostly last minute deals to watch for (which we plan to tell you about), West coast hub cities to Honolulu or Maui are starting at about $300+ round-trip (much more, say double, during peaks including spring break and summer). If you are willing to fly poorly-rated ATA (which I am not) rather than Hawaiian, Aloha or the majors, they often have some of the best deals.

To the Big Island and Kaua’i, normally add $100 round-trip for the connection, or $200-$400 round-trip more for non-stops from these cities. But there are no generalities, so check all of the options, and again, you might consider ATA.

When should I buy airlines tickets for spring break and this summer?

Continue Reading »

This is a follow-up to our recent Supeferry post.

Today’s Pacific Business News report reveals an “Emergency Situation” due to low ridership. In a recent letter to the State, Superferry attorneys’ stated they were averaging only 150 passengers per run (866 passenger capacity).

Continue Reading »

Step away from the beach and inside the rich history of the Hawaiian Kingdom. America’s only royal palace is here in Honolulu. Iolani Palace, built 125 years ago in 1882, was the home of Hawaii’s last two monarchs.

For this two part series, Iolani Palace joins the Shangri La estate as my two homes every visitor should see in Honolulu. Continue Reading »

Say the word Shangri-La and images of a paradise on earth come to mind. The late heiress Doris Duke found her Shangri-La in Hawaii. With advanced planning you too can step inside Ms. Duke’s five acre Shangri La estate on your next Honolulu vacation. This is a must see attraction and reservations must be made early.

Built in 1937, and always a work in progress under the watchful eyes of Ms. Duke, her Shangri La estate boasts a fantastic collection of Islamic art. A total of 3,500 art pieces are on display; collected and arranged by Ms. Duke over a 60 year time period. Continue Reading »

We love to share our local knowledge of the islands and invite you to ask questions by contacting us here.

Q: We are hoping to come to Hawaii the end of next month (February) and are wondering what to expect weather-wise.

A: The traditional rainy months are November to early December and March. During those months you can expect state-wide rainfall that is unavoidable, and which can typically last for one or two weeks, day and night. When coming during those times, it is wise to plan for alternate activities. We’ll be posting more on these ideas soon. So far this season, the island chain has had consistent rain from about Thanksgiving through New Years, which was longer than normal.
Posted by: Rhea.

Did you know that as a visitor to Hawaii you can apply for a library card? This tip can save you money if you want to use the Internet or borrow books, CD’s and movies during your Hawaii vacation. Your library card can be used at all 51 locations throughout Hawaii.

There are two types of library cards available for non-residents. A 3 month, non-renewable card is available for $10. There is also a five year non-resident library card for $25.00.

Continue Reading »