Staying with friends in the islands not only saves money but gives you an opportunity to experience local life. We like hosting people in our home and have come up with some ideas on how to make this a good experience for both host and guest. Arrival Tips: 1. Shoes off at door. Here in [...]

Big Island’s beloved Mauna Kea Hotel is scheduled to reopen next Spring. I received this preview today of what it’s going to look like. The hotel was closed due to damage from a 2006 earthquake, which was strong enough to be felt throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands. When the hotel opened in 1965, it [...]

I was walking along the beach the other morning and came across this beautiful Hawaiian Monk Seal. Usually these guys are napping when I take their photo. This time I caught one wide awake.  I hope you enjoy.

Here’s installment three of my four-part series on travel insurance. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to post them. Shopping On-Line (Four Basics) 1. Know Your Insurance Company. On-line agents like Insure My Trip and Travel Insured are not the companies who will be providing coverage. It’s always best to check who [...]

The long-awaited roll out of airline WiFi is upon us. The airlines are convinced that we are willing to pay to use it, so they intend to buy and provide the service. How much are you willing to pay for WiFi? A recent survey by Forrester Research, reported by the New York Times, indicated that [...]

I previously used last minute reservation sites, and often found great hotel deals in all price ranges, especially within the 14 days just prior to arrival. Lately, however, it seems that things have really changed. Here’s the bad news on last minute sites: Wotif and Need it Now, no longer have the great deals that [...]

Okay New Yorkers (and neighbors), here’s your chance once again.  This is a great deal, and one to jump on as quickly as you read this, if you are interested. Delta, Northwest and United Airlines Advance Purchase: 14 days Latest Travel:  October 27, 2008 Minimum/maximum stay:  3/60 days I used Travelocity flexible date search to [...]

I’m always searching for the best deals. One of our regular readers, Honey Ward, knows this and suggested I explore credit card promotions that offer frequent flier miles. Honey forwarded an article that recommended obtaining two different US Airways credit cards, for a total fee of $139. The two credit cards together would provide up [...]

  Thanks to a cross-agency U.S. Government website, you can now keep constantly informed about the changing levels of VOG (volcanic smog) emanating from Kilauea on the Big Island. The continuous eruption, which began in 1983, is presently spewing about 2,000 tons of gaseous fumes into Hawaii’s atmosphere each day. Here on Kauai, the tradewinds [...]

Understanding trip insurance is critical for anyone who travels in today’s world. In this second part of my month-long series on travel insurance, I’ll cover a number of additional and important clauses. Some you may never have thought about, such as emergency evacuation and hospital of choice coverages. It is critical to read a policy [...]