BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

From United (and via code share on Continental), a good January and February deal from often deal-deprived Chicago.  Having spent time in Chicago in winter, I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year.

This is especially good value to the neighbor islands since inter-island airfares have risen again, now to $58 each way, plus tax.

Here’s the deal:

• Price:  Honolulu $632, other islands slightly more (round-trip, all inclusive).
• Advance purchase:  14 days.
• Minimum/maximum days:  3/none.
• Travel dates:  Starting approx. January 11 through mid-February.  Other dates are slightly to significantly more.

Most of the deals we write about are either from the mainland to Hawaii or work in both directions. This deal however only works starting in Hawaii. The prices are very good inasmuch as they are valid on most prime holiday travel dates. Here are some examples (one-way, plus tax).

• United Airlines.
• Dates:  Purchase by December 8 and travel December 7 through January 14 (Mondays through Thursdays).
• Advance purchase: 7 days.
• Minimum/maximum days:  3/60.

It’s not the accommodations that draw you to Molokai. You come here to get away, slow down and feel the pulse of a quieter life style and perhaps walk in Father Damien’s path.

Teri Waros, owner of Kalele Bookstore in Kaunakakai, says it best, “Molokai is like a pilgrimage.”

Regardless of what brings you to Molokai, you need a place to rest your head at night. The choices are few with the closure of the Molokai Ranch last year. What remains is not perfect.

Hotel Molokai

Recently re-branded an Aqua resort, we liked the comfortable bed and down pillows, large room and oversize lanai, plus the well stocked kitchen. Hotel Molokai also has the advantage of being the most central place to stay on the island located two miles from Kaunakakai. It’s also the island’s only hotel.

There were three problems we experienced on our recent visit; a) an outbreak of ants in the kitchen and bathroom, b) loud music every night until 10:30 p.m. that penetrated the walls of our room, c) blowing a fuse each time we tried to use both stovetop burners at the same time or the burner and microwave simultaneously.

Wavecrest

We stayed at this condominium two years ago. Our unit was a one bedroom with kitchen. The grounds are well kept but the room décor varies as each unit is privately owned.

We didn’t like the room layout which placed the bedroom at the front facing the parking lot. After the first night we switched the furniture between the living room and the bedroom in order to take advantage of the view and trades.

You’re also going to be charged a cleaning fee and daily housekeeping is not included.

Wavecrest is located a distant 13 miles from Kaunakakai on the east side of Molokai. There are some good beaches close by and spectacular scenery as you drive to the end of the road.

Ke Nani Kai

This condominium has the advantage of being near Papohaku Beach which is one of our favorites.

We’ve never stayed here, but long-term visitors we talked to in town swear by it. It’s located at the Western end of Molokai and you’ll be 12 miles from the main town of Kaunakakai. The landscape around here is dry compared to the eastern side of Molokai where Wavecrest is located.

The town of Maunaloa near the resort feels like a ghost town with the closure of the Molokai Ranch.

Like Wavecrest, an additional cleaning fee will apply.

Details

Reservations for Hotel Molokai can be booked on-line directly with the hotel. For the two condominiums mentioned, you can check VRBO, Molokai real estate offices or search Google to book directly with the property owner.

If you have any favorite place to stay on Molokai or have experience with any that we’ve mentioned, please add your comments.

Disclosure: On our recent visit we paid full price for one night at Hotel Molokai and received two nights complimentary.

Vietnam Airlines has just agreed to purchase four Airbus 380’s and two Airbus 350’s.  The planes will supplement the airline’s currently long-range fleet of 10 Boeing 777’s, which are being used primarily for service between Vietnam and Europe.

The reason I found this news especially noteworthy, is that the company plans on flying the new 500+ seat A-380’s and 300+ seat A-350’s between the United States and Vietnam!

Vietnam and Hawaii have a number of similarities.  Sun, sand, sea and surf among them.  Water sports and marine life are two additional Vietnam features. Vietnam has a long coastline, with its best year round beaches primarily in the southern half.  There are also many tropical islands.  Among its most famous beaches are:

• Nha Trang:  The vietnamese Riviera.
• Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet.  Beautiful white sand beach.
• Phu Quoc Island.  Vietnam’s largest island and national park.

In addition to its beaches, Vietnam is said to offer fascinating cities that combine classic with modern, otherwise incredible scenery, a rich history, culture and wonderful food.

While we’re dyed in the woof Hawaii-files, Beat of Hawaii plans to visit Vietnam in the near future and report on it personally. Do you plan to visit Vietnam?

One of the most beautiful places in Hawaii is also the site of much hardship and enforced imprisonment. Those with Hansen’s Disease were called “lepers” and sent to live here, on Molokai’s Kalaupapa Peninsula, against their will.  They represented all ages, ethnicity and economic status.

For $50 I was taken on a tour of the settlement in an old school bus following my hike down the Pali Trail. It gave me a sense of what forced quarantine might be like. My freedom to explore on my own was taken away. Most buildings were off limits to me including the U.S. Post Office. I was truly an outsider.

There are currently 19 patients left and they are elderly. The rest of the 100 people who live here are employed by the Park Service and State of Hawaii.

What happens to Kalaupapa when the last patient dies is unclear. No longer under quarantine they choose to live here because this has always been their home.

The 4 hour tour begins in Kalaupapa which became the second settlement starting in 1890.

It was warmer and drier than the first settlement at Kalawao which began in 1866.  Kalawao is where Father Damien lived and worked. We were taken there for the last hour of the tour and to enjoy our lunch.

Native Hawaiians lived here for 900 years before the first Hansen’s patients arrived.

As I looked at the world’s highest sea cliffs to my right I gazed out to the surf and the two islands in the distance where the first ships dropped anchor. Patients were taken to shore in small boats to the beach below. Those who refused were pushed off the ship into the water and made to swim.

I tried to imagine their voices from back then and felt honored to walk in their footsteps and Saint Damien’s. We toured the church he built and visited his grave site before returning to the starting point of the tour. Father Damien’s remains were returned to Belgium in the 1930’s and the relic of his right hand is now buried here.

As I began the steep trail back topside, I left wanting to return and learn more.

Details:

Kalaupapa is a national historical park but entry is restricted.

Visitors Policy: You must be at least 16 years of age and be invited by a resident or have an advanced reservation with Damien Tours.

Damien Tour Reservations: Hikers must reserve in advance by calling (808) 567-6171 between 7am and 9am (HST). You can leave a detailed message if no one is around. Since tours fill quickly it’s best to reserve early. There are no tours on Sunday. The daily tour starts at 10:00 a.m.

If you opt for the mule ride or fly in on an organized tour, there is no additional fee or reservation needed for Damien Tours.

Cost: Hikers pay $50 per person on arrival by cash, personal check or traveler’s check. No credit cards accepted. Lunch is not included.

Our thanks to Hotel Molokai for providing accommodations.

Pleasant Holidays has some good pricing for air plus hotel from either LA or San Francisco. Travel dates for this first deal are December 1-16.

In addition, Pleasant Holidays together with Starwood Resorts has another sale, this one valid through January 28.  Air plus three nights accommodation starts at $399 on Oahu and Maui, $449 on Kauai and $639 on the Big Island.

Since their new website isn’t due out until next year, it makes it hard to find the dates these deals are available.  I suggest that if you don’t find the deal you’re looking for, just give them a call.  I was pleasantly surprised the last time I did.

Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Improving

First, on a bright side, we’re finally seeing a little glimmer of hope in Hawaii tourism.  Occupancy rose in September, albeit slightly, for the first time in 18 months.  Hospitality Advisors LLC reported September statewide occupancy of 64.6% vs. 63% a year earlier as the state saw a a 7.2% increase in monthly visitors to the state.

That bucks the nationwide trend, in which at nearly the same time (measured the week of November 7), occupancy fell 3.7%. This was reported by Smith Travel Research.

Hawaiian Air Strike Continues to Draw Nearer

The national mediation board will soon decide on declaring an impasse that will allow the pilot strike to proceed. That decision will follow talks scheduled for the week of December 7.  Pilots have already voted to strike, although several steps remain before a strike can ensue.  Its now safe to say that should a strike occur, it won’t happen until sometime after the beginning of the year.

Kauai’s Poipu Bay golf course will be closing in April for eight months to convert from Bermuda grass to salt water and hurricane resistant Paspalum turfgrass.

Paspalum, also designed to provide a more consistent and faster putting surface, has been around for over 30 years, and is popular both in Hawaii and other island locations.  It is already installed at Kauai’s nearby Kiahuna course as well as at Princeville’s Makai course.

Recently, friend and local golf pro Luke Shanahan wrote about two of the other Kauai courses he loves most, Puakea and Prince.

Luke also has a new golf tip to tell you about, this time on technique:

You’re supposed to bring back the club “low and slow,” right?  Wrong.

As Tour Tempo author John Novosel points out, even the syrupy swing of “the Big Easy,” Ernie Els, isn’t really so much slow as it is fluid and athletic.

1.  Hit fast.

Tiger Woods’ coach Hank Haney advises, “Most people swing the club too slow. Most people hit hard, not fast. You want to hit fast; as fast as possible.” According to Haney, the old adage about “slow back” is “nonsense.”

This doesn’t mean you should jerk the club back either. But it does mean that, if your swing has left you—or if it mysteriously disappears as you walk from the driving range to the first tee—the problem may not be that you’ve picked up your tempo, but that you’ve slowed it down, trading in a backswing for a back-lift.

2.  Try this drill.

At the range, try speeding up your backswing progressively, while maintaining balance, relaxed shoulders, and maximum extension (hands away from the head). Trade in speed for strength, hitting fast for hitting hard. Start with a sand wedge and work up to driver. Watch PGA pros during a tournament, and try matching their tempo (if in your living room, save the lamps and use an imaginary club). You might be surprised how quickly a quicker tempo can dial in your swing.

About Luke Shanahan.

When he’s not golfing, Luke is co-author of a new book Deep Nutrition, and the drcate.com alternative health and nutrition website.  Following his love of cooking and nutrition, he is currently writing a cookbook based on The Four Pillars of World Cuisine.

Luke studied creative writing at the University of Iowa workshop and earned his MFA from the University of Arizona where he won several awards. Since retiring from teaching college English, Luke has been a freelance writer for The Pacific Journal, the Garden Island Newspaper, and organizes creative writing and screenplay workshops.

Barbara De Lollis at USA Today is reporting that Expedia’s TripAdvisor will soon be adding direct links to properties.  The catch to adding this long overdue and badly needed feature, is that hotels will have to pay up.  The cost will be from $600 to $15000 per year, depending on the property’s size.  The fee will reportedly be discounted, at least for now.

Watch for the new feature to be added starting in early January.

TripAdvisor stands to rake in a bundle from this feature.  According to their VP of partnerships, Nathan Clapton, perhaps 150,000 hotels fit into the category of those likely to pay up.  The math is simple and TripAdvisor may have found a way to turn fixing a severe shortcoming into a cash cow.

Nobody said Expedia has a shortage of ideas on how to make money, even in a down travel economy.  Last month, the company reported profits of $117 million, up from $95 million a year earlier. Revenues increased 2% to $852 million.

Here’s an e-certificate from Hawaiian Air that will save you and a friend $50 off your next round trip to or from Hawaii.

Here’s how it works:

• Register (or obtain then register) your HawaiianMiles number at their web site and receive a $25 E-Certificate for 2 in your account the following day.
• Then, when you sign in at HawaiianAirlines.com to book for you and a friend, $50 will automatically be deducted from your total airfare.
• Booking period: November 16–December 7.
• Travel period: January 5–March 11.

I’m fascinated by developments in the global civil aviation industry, and wanted to share what I’m learning with you. Since I first wrote about China’s commercial aircraft aspirations 1 1/2 years ago, they have greatly accelerated their efforts.

China already has an Airbus A-320 assembly line in full operation at Tianjin. This past June that facility delivered its first completed airliner.

Last week, China’s commercial aviation industry picked up a good deal more steam with these announcements:

1.  Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer’s announced that they will manufacture their E-190 120 seat jet in China under an agreement with China’s AVIC.  As a result they will close down their own E-145 production line.

2.  Next, and of greater interest, General Electric just signed on to supply the avionics (brains) for China’s new planes through a joint venture with AVIC.  GE seems to take China’s entry into the prior Boeing Airbus airliner duopoly very seriously.

“This market is huge, and the Chinese aviation industry likely over the coming decades will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, of the world.” This according to General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt.

Other commercial jets being produced in China include:

ARJ-21 regional jet.  The 70-105 passenger plane just completed its first long-range test flight and is expected to be available for deliveries starting next year.  That jet had original design elements from McDonell Douglas, and so resembles to a large degree the DC-9/B-717 family.  Orders were primarily from Chinese carriers, although General Electric Commercial Aviation has a confirmed order for 5 planes and an option for 20 more.

C919 mid-size jet.  This 168-190 seat narrow body jet, similar to the A-320, will be China’s largest airliner to date, and is expected to enter service within 5 years.

There are two hikes I’ll never forget. The first happened 30 years ago when I hiked the Grand Canyon. My second memorable hike occurred last week when I walked the 102 year old Pali trail to Kalaupapa.

Kalaupapa is a spiritual place of great beauty and a reminder of tremendous suffering.  It’s where Saint Damien lived with and cared for the Hansen’s Disease patients.

The trail is challenging, slippery, muddy, with a 1700 foot elevation drop.

At one point I wanted to turn back. I was determined to keep going.  In addition to our supplies we were bringing fresh produce to Father Felix who lives at Kalaupapa.

Each step down was carefully placed to avoid slipping.

The hike to the bottom took 2 hours and 15 minutes; much longer than I had expected.  When we heard the sound of the surf and looked up the steep cliff from where we started, it was a feeling of exhilaration knowing we had arrived.

Going back topside after the tour was much easier psychologically without the chance of slipping, but still strenuous.

We felt the hike for a few days after.  In spite of the discomfort, it was worth the experience and I recommend to all in good condition.

My next post will talk about the tour of Kalaupapa organized by Damien Tours.

Rob’s hiking notes for those considering this adventure.

Training Routine: It’s important to be in good aerobic condition for this hike. Three weeks before going we ramped up our walks looking for streets with steep inclines and used the stair master at the gym.

Packing Supplies for 2: Water (2 liter bottles) which can be refilled before the trip back topside, 4 sandwiches (we saved one each for the hike up and it helped restore energy), protein bars and nut snacks from Outpost Natural Foods in Kaunakakai plus an extra T-shirt to change into at the bottom for the return hike.  Be sure to check the conditions of your shoes.  Jeff’s sneaker sole was sucked off by the mud, making the hike up more challenging. We also packed hats and sunscreen.

If I go again I’d bring: Swimsuit for the beach at the end of the trail and hiking poles.

Start your hike early: We began at 7:00 a.m. which put us ahead of the mules and gave us the time needed to hike without feeling rushed.  You must arrive by 10:00 a.m. for the tour.  We left Kalaupapa at 2pm and arrived topside at 4:30 p.m.

Trail Markers: There are 26 switchbacks and each one is marked.  The further down you go the shorter the distance is between numbers.  Once you’re at the bottom of the trail you’ll walk 20 minutes along the shore to where the tour begins.

What to Expect: 1700 foot elevation change each way, a steep and muddy trail, lots of steps, and 6 miles round trip. Most of the trail is shaded.

Location of Trailhead:  From Kaunakakai, take 460 west, then turn right at Highway 470. The trail entrance is 15 minutes at the top of the highway, past the mule stables, on the right at a metal gate with a sign warning not to enter without a permit.

Visitor Qualifications: You must be at least 16 years of age and meet one of the following: a) invited by a resident, b) have a pre-arranged tour at bottom with Damien Tours, or c) be on a mule trip.

Alternatives to hiking: Take the Mule Ride for $175 or fly-in on Pacific Wings.  Another option is to drive past the trail head to the end of the road where there’s an overlook of the Kalaupapa settlement.

(In 1980 our State Legislature again decrees “Hansen’s Disease” rather than “leprosy” to be the official terminology in Hawaii).

Our thanks to Hotel Molokai for providing accommodations.