BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

One of our favorite events every holiday season takes place at Kauai’s Historic County Building.  Each December, the facility is transformed into an amazing recycled folk art extravaganza.

Over half a century ago, Auntie Josie (Chansky) began turning trash into treasures.  For decades she crafted holiday decorations from things as unusual and seemingly odd as plastic 6-pack holders, Spam cans, bottle caps, now antique IBM punch cards, toothpicks and more.  Her Christmas artworks were displayed at her home here in Kapahi, where thousands of people came annually to see the unique, beautiful, and inspired, recycled holiday decor.

For the past 12 years, since Auntie Josie’s husband died, the annual Kauai custom has been magically resurrected through the help of volunteers at Kauai’s Historic County Building.  That miracle ironically occurred when Auntie Josie decided she was through with the tradition.  In spite of offers to help (including from the Kauai Fire Department), she had a garage sale to sell the collection.  Elizabeth Freeman showed up at the garage sale, and bought up a majority of the art, with the intention of donating it to the County of Kauai for preservation.  When Auntie Josie found out what Elizabeth intended, she donated the remainder of the collection. The rest is history.

The much loved and anticipated annual tradition is now assisted by many volunteers, who together donate approximately 2,000 hours of time, as well as the efforts and financial contributions of countless individuals, businesses, schools and other organizations.  It is also supported by the County, the Kauai Visitors’ Bureau, A.M. Knudsen Memorial Fund, Young Bros., Ace Hardware, and the Friends of the Festival of Lights.

Auntie Josie has been honored by both the Hawaii Senate and Kauai County for her 50 years of folk art contributions to Hawaii’s holiday season.

If you missed the Kauai Festival of Lights this year, be sure to put it in your plans for next year.  This is truly a unique piece of Kauai Americana.

On leaving, Auntie Josie always reminds us that “Christmas is not the only time for loving, caring, giving and sharing.  It is all year round.”

Thank you Auntie Josie, and Happy New Year!

Should you stay at a Hawaii hotel that’s in foreclosure?

I think it’s a risk I’d rather not take.  With at the very minimum, changes in management, hotel brand affiliation and frequent guest programs, your stay may not be all that you had hoped for.  Here’s an update on several properties in foreclosure:

1.  W Hotel Honolulu in foreclosure and ending its contract with Starwood effective January 9, 2009.

For now, the hotel will apparently be managed by its pre-foreclosure owner, Brian Anderson’s Anekona.  It will also be rebranded, according to Starwood’s announcement.

There goes the Starwood third night free offer and your guest points.  While I was writing this post, the deal was removed from their site.  No new name or additional management information has yet been disclosed.  The hotel has operated under Starwood’s boutique luxury brand for nearly ten years.

2.  Waikiki’s Illikai hotel.

Its Anekona-owned units are already in foreclosure and will likely be sold at public auction.  These included 343 units, the hotel lobby, operations and retail areas, although nearly 100 of the units were previously sold.

3.  Aloha Beach Resort.

Wells Fargo Bank filed the foreclosure lawsuit in August against Anekona. The hotel sits on 10 acres leased from the State, and is adjacent to Kauai’s Lydate Park and the Wailua River.  The hotel was branded ResortQuest earlier this year.

4.  Hilton Kauai Beach Resort.

In July, the Kauai Beach Resort went into foreclosure, with a claim that Anderson’s company was in default on nearly $30 Million.  At this point it continues to fly the Hilton flag, as it has for the past two years.  It was previously branded Radisson.

As we get ready to ring in the New Year, I’ve been thinking about what visitors should expect here in Hawaii in 2009.  These are the six things that come to mind:

1. Best deals in a decade are coming for winter and spring travel.

We’ve already seen hints of what they will be like, and they are great.  Just take a look here.  The offers will be valid through early June and will cover most all originating locations.

2. Summer 2009 will be a mixed bag.

There are still good deals for next summer’s high season.  If you 1) get them now, or 2) and this is only a maybe, wait until the very last minute; you may get summer deals at a fraction of the normal rates.  Do anything else and you’ll pay through the nose for next summer’s Hawaii vacation.

3.  Unprecedented savings on the ground.

Hotels, car rentals, activities, and even the cost of food will likely keep pace with air fares in terms of discounts being offered.  Don’t be shy about negotiating.  It works, it really does!

4.  More open space.

For those of you who make the decision to come to Hawaii in 2009, you’ll see Hawaii in a way rarely experienced by tourists.  I predict more room at the beach and everywhere else, especially on the outer-islands.

5.  Less chance of rainy weather (this is a stretch).

We’ve already had an unusually wet rainy season.  It started early November and we’ve had more rain than normal.  Based on that, it’s likely that most of the winter rains are behind us and that visitors coming between now and March (traditionally rainy times), should have stellar weather.

6. Deals will remain fast-paced and illusive.

Do your planning and be prepared to act on a good deal.  As we’ve seen in the past six months, travel deals can come and go so quickly.  They are often gone before you find out about them.  We receive a lot of mail from readers asking where their deal went.  The answer is, it’s likely already gone (as is the link to the offer).

Conclusion:  Beat of Hawaii will stay on top of all of the travel deals affecting Hawaii tourism.  We want our readers be the first to take advantage of them.  The only way to find the deals is to either check the site daily, or better yet subscribe to our site’s email or RSS feeds.

Happy New Year from Beat of Hawaii!

Photo information:  I took this at the 23rd Annual Wreath Competition, 2008 Honolulu City Lights.  Wreath artist is Marian Bernal.

This morning United announced a brief Season’s Greetings fare sale that includes Hawaii destinations.  While some of the prices are great, others are not.

Better examples include:

• Boston to Maui:  $367 RT
• Los Angeles to Honolulu:  $287 RT

Worse examples include Chicago to Honolulu $494 RT, whereas American is priced at $343 RT.

Details:

• Purchase by December 26, 2008
• For travel between January 7 and March 4, 2009.  Fares for travel between March 5 and April 30, 2009 are slightly higher.
• Travel is valid on all days of the week.
• Minimum and maximum stay requirements vary by destination

Have fun and again, happy holidays!

First, Mele Kalikimaka, Hau’oli Hanukaha, and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to all our friends and readers!

Now the answer to the question:

The airlines have to a large degree been holding off publishing new airfares.  Most of the current great deals from the mainland to Hawaii are expiring early in February.  I expect to see new fare offerings begin showing up within the next week or so.  These will likely be valid through early June, at which point the fares will rise for summer vacation.

My holiday gift (suggestions):

• If you’re planning on visiting Hawaii between now and June, and the few excellent fares out there don’t cover your departure city, then just hold off.  We’ll have those for you shortly.  These will be the best deals you’re going to see, possibly ever.  There will be great hotel and car rental prices too.
• For those of you planning for summer 2009, here’s even better news:  This is an excellent time to be buying.  The summer fares now available are some of the lowest I’ve seen in decades!  They will likely rise very soon however, so absolutely do not wait.  As an example, Los Angeles to Honolulu is still available during June, July and August for approximately $400 RT (all-inclusive).  We normally see this in the $700 range.

Has this ever happened to you?  After a long flight to Hawaii you rush down to the beach only to see Jellyfish warning signs.  This let down can be avoided with proper planning.

Tip: Check the full moon calendar when planning your vacation and add 8 days.  This will give you the approximate date jellyfish arrive on south facing beaches.  Expect them to be a problem for 3 days.

Examples of south facing beaches are Waikiki, Ala Moana, Haunama Bay, Waianae Coast (Oahu) and Poipu (Kauai).  Maui and Big Island have less frequent problems.

If you’re here during a jellyfish invasion, talk to the lifeguard for advice.  Also check the beach to see if any jellyfish have washed ashore.

We had our swimming interrupted this weekend by jellyfish on Oahu.  There were 170 people stung on Oahu this past Sunday and 1700 jellyfish collected.  While we stayed out of the water on Sunday, we swam at Ala Moana Beach Park early on Saturday before the jellyfish started to arrive.

The best way to see a jellyfish up close is at Waikiki Aquarium where we took this picture on Sunday.

If you can handle stairs, uneven ground, and a steep climb, consider a hike up Diamond Head Crater.  I hit the trail before 7am this morning when the sun was still on the rise.  It’s one of the best times to be there.  The sun is not shining directly on the trail and there are not many people around.

This is quintessential Honolulu to me.  It is also sacred ground to Native Hawaiians and is called Le’ahi.  Western explorers in the 1700’s gave the 300,000 year old crater it’s other name, “Diamond Head.”  Without a Tiffany guide around, they mistook the crystals in the rocks on the slope of the crater for diamonds.  In the early 1900’s, the Federal Government stepped in and designated Diamond Head for military use.  Le’ahi and its heiau (temple) saw the construction of gun emplacements inside it’s slopes.

Up until five years ago, you needed a flashlight to navigate a 225 foot long narrow tunnel and spiral staircase near the summit.  It was fun because you never knew who you might bump into.  Now both areas are lit and the sense of danger eliminated.  You’ll still need to bring water, a hat and money.

Diamond Head is no longer free.  It’s going to cost $5 for parking (passengers free) or if you walk-in you’ll pay a dollar.  Budget travelers have two options to lower the cost.  On the weekends, you can park for free at the college across from the entrance and hike up to the parking lot.  The other option is to pick up hikers on the road to the parking lot and have each chip in the dollar fee (this time towards your parking).

After my hike this morning they closed the entrance road due to a rock slide.  You may want to check for any unforseen closures.

I don’t like paying $20 or more for overnight parking in Waikiki.  While hotel parking used to be quite inexpensive here, it’s edging up towards the unreasonable.  With the car rental bargains available, it’s easy to spend more on the parking than on the car itself.

Before accepting your hotel’s charge for parking, you might want to do some checking on your own.

We typically prefer staying at one of the two ends of Waikiki (either near Ala Moana or the Zoo).  This week, we’re staying close to the Zoo, and came determined to do some quick research and avoid the $120 charge for six days of hotel parking we would have otherwise incurred.

At the far end of Waikiki, near the Honolulu Zoo.

• We’ve found free parking available 24 hours a day along Montserrat Avenue, which is off of Kalakau just beyond Kapahulu.
• There’s also unlimited free parking in the lot next to the Waikiki Shell, just off Montserrat.  We park here overnight.
• The Honolulu Zoo, on Kapahulu, just off of Kalakaua, has 24 hour metered marking, for just 25 cents an hour.  It’s closely monitored so don’t forget to bring your quarters and watch your time.
• Nearer to central Waikiki is the Waikiki Banyan Hotel (on ‘Ohua Street), which charges $10 per day or $60 per week for unlimited parking with in/out privileges.

Near Ala Moana.

There is still free parking along the Ala Wai Canal, on Ala Wai Boulevard.  We’ve heard rumors, however, that this may change to metered parking soon.

If you have suggestions on discount parking in Waikiki, we’d love to hear about them.

For under twelve dollars, I enjoyed this hearty bowl of Udon noodles tonight at Jimbo’s in Honolulu.  This local style eatery has been a favorite of mine for years.  It’s not easy to find, tucked 50 feet back from the sidewalk on King Street, but definitely worth the effort.

Their homemade Udon noodles are always done right.  Thick, chewy and fluffy.  The bowl I had tonight included eggplant, shrimp tempura, green beans, green onions and a wonderful rich and salty miso broth.  You can also opt for cold Udon, among other choices.

Jimbo’s is a casual place to eat that’s always busy.  If there are no tables when you arrive, you’ll find a list posted to the window to sign in.  Take a seat outside and you’ll be called when a table is ready.

The best way to eat Udon is to slurp.  Don’t cut the long noodles.  Grab your chopsticks and do a continuous feed.  It also helps to keep a short distance between mouth and bowl.  If you need help, just look around and watch how the locals eat.

For an after dinner treat, I recommend their green tea ice cream with azuki bean topping.

To reach Jimbo’s from Waikiki, go Mauka (away from the beach) on McCully Street until you reach King Street.  Jimbo’s will be a block to the left.  Unfortunately, it’s a one-way street and you can’t turn left so just go around the block.  It’s about a 5 minute drive from the Ala Moana side of Waikiki.

Details:

Credit cards: Accepted if you dine in; take-out is cash only.

Price Range: $7.95 to $17.20 for lunch or dinner.

Location: 1936 South King Street

Phone: 808-947-2211

Reservations: Not accepted so get there early.

Updated 1/7/09:  The best available price is currently $48.  Inasmuch as Mokulele will start competing to Kahului Maui starting February 1, I expect to see a resumption in the airfare war at any time.  So if the current deals don’t fit into your plans, keep checking back for more inter-island deals.

As promised, the inter-island battle between Go!, Hawaiian and Mokulele continues. Today the fare war was again sparked, this time with all three players offering fares of $39 through December 31, and $48 through January 31.  Fares are one-way plus tax.  While availability is very good, these fares aren’t available on all flights.

At present, tickets must be purchased by this Wednesday, so if you can take advantage of this current offer, I’d do it by tomorrow at the latest. On the other hand, this isn’t the end of the fare wars, so stay tuned here for more.

Note:  These fares are valid between Honolulu, Kona and Lihue.  Maui should get its share of good fares when Mokulele starts flying there early in the New Year.

As you’ve undoubtedly heard, we’ve just had another extremely soggy week here in Hawaii.  I’ve been hold up at home, with fireplace burning and most all doors and windows shut tight.  This is most unusual, as we’ve already had between two and three weeks of very stormy weather, since our rainy season began just last month.

This latest episode has been quite a serious storm and has caused much damage and flooding.  We even had an unusual tornado come very nearby on Saturday.  The governor signed a state disaster proclamation covering Kauai, Maui and Oahu, to aid in recovery from damage caused by the storm that began hitting the state last Wednesday and continued through Saturday.

Rain is Hawaii can be quite unlike anything on the U.S. mainland or other continents.  The intensity of the rain can exceed six inches per hour.  If you’ve ever experienced it, you know exactly what I mean.

I’ll break this into some good and bad news, from my viewpoint, for visitors and locals alike:

Good.

1.  All of the major islands were suffering from moderate to severe drought as recently as October.  More than three-quarters of the state was under drought conditions.  You won’t soon be hearing about drought in Hawaii again.

2.  With all of the rain we’ve already had, it would seem unlikely that we’ll have more storms over the upcoming holidays.  Spending Christmas and New Year’s Day at the beach in Hawaii is an unforgettable experience for visitors, and a long-standing tradition for locals.

Bad.

1.  The flooding and wind damage were severe with many homes damaged or destroyed.  Many water rescues were reported.  State and County Civil Defense agencies and the Red Cross are still assessing the situation.  Hereafter problems of mildew and mosquitos will add to the issues.

2.  Brown water advisory.  It may be a number of days until it is safe to go into the ocean (or rivers/streams).  Due to the extreme runoff, as well as sewage spills, everyone is advised to stay out of the water until at least today, Monday.  By then we should have some analysis of bacteria levels.  Not heading the warnings put you at risk for staff infections or leptospirosis.

3.  Parks closed.  On Oahu, which this week has taken the hit the hardest.  Waimanalo and Bellows beach parks are closed as is Diamond Head National Monument, Foster Botanical Garden, Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden and the Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden.

4.  Superferry cancellations.  I know of at least one set of voyage cancellations between Oahu and Maui this week, although I couldn’t find how many more occurred.  With the rough seas (twenty foot swells), even if they had sailed, you definitely would not have wanted to be on board.  As you may recall, we’ve mentioned before that Superferry during rough winter ocean conditions is only for the hardiest of souls.

Note.

Last month, I wrote about the rainy season here in Hawaii, which runs primarily from November through March.

Updated 12/22/08:  Deal gone for now, with best price $157 each way. Subscribe to our deal email (or feed) in order to get it timely when it returns.

Updated 12/15/08:  Delta/Northwest has joined this deal, but so far the other airlines have not.

For you economic contrarians, the great deals to Hawaii will continue to entice you.  Expect them to keep rolling out for the January through early June time period (except for Spring break).

With Hawaii hotels now posting historically low occupancy rates, hotel deals are starting to surface as well.  We’ll definitely keep you posted on those too.

Hawaiian just released a $112 fare for the New Year that is excellent, and definitely worth mentioning.  It’s essentially the same as the earlier Fall deal I wrote about, minus the $100 gift certificate (which has expired).

• Valid for departures to/from LA; January 1 through March 13
• One-way plus tax (approximately $244 round-trip, all-inclusive)
• Availability is very good