As a regular feature at Beat of Hawaii, I enjoy sharing comments I’ve made elsewhere on the web: Day trips from Honolulu.
Questions Visitors Ask About Hawaii
Hawaii Travel Tips
Don’t Get Burned On Your Hawaii Vacation
Hawaii is the only state where the sun passes directly overhead in summer. Have fun under our tropical sun but be sure to exercise caution. Here are some tips and ideas to help you protect your skin. A. Check out the Skin Deep database from EWG. Find the sunscreen that’s best for you. You’ll be surprised by their best […]
Just How Bad Is The VOG?
We’re starting to think that VOG, volcanic smog, may be a part of Hawaii’s landscape for the foreseeable future. It eminates from Mt. Kilauea on the Big Island, 250 miles south of Kauai, and has all the look and feel of real smog. The volcano has been belching more acid-rich air pollution than the dirtiest U.S. power plants for […]
The Most Important Money-Saving Summer Travel Tip You Aren’t Reading Elsewhere
Here’s my contrary tip to save money this summer and have your dream vacation too: Don’t book early. In fact, don’t book at all. Booking early and paying the max is exactly what airlines, hotels and car rentals are counting on right at this time. If you’re reading USA Today’s article Cheap Tricks for Summer Travel, you’ll see their […]
Jellyfish Invasion Hits Europe; Is Hawaii Still Safe?
If you think that the exchange rate from Dollars to Euros isn’t enough to spoil your European beach vacation, and send you packing to Hawaii, there is a new and potentially serious problem arising there. The Economist is reporting an unprecedented invasion of jellyfish on European beaches this summer. Theorists point to global warming, overfishing and ocean pollution as […]
Reconsider Travel Insurance For Hawaii Trip: Tutorial
See our February post about why you should consider travel insurance for your upcoming Hawaii vacation. In light of recent developments, I thought it timely to revisit the subject. Travel insurance, bought online, can protect your family vacation in the event of failure of an airline (or other carrier) to provide services contracted for. While hopefully we have seen […]
Can You Trust Trip Advisor?
I’m having a difficult time wearing the free hat that Trip Advisor sent me with its, “Get the truth, then go,” slogan. The problem is I no longer feel that I can always trust their site. After posting many reviews on Trip Advisor, in November they declined to publish my negative review of the Pacific Monarch Hotel in Honolulu. […]
Best Deal in Hawaii: $69 Oceanfront Room on Big Island
The Kona Tiki Hotel has to be one of the best Hawaii deals on Big Island. Where else can you pay $69 a night for two and get a clean, comfortable, oceanfront room? Update: Rooms are now from $80 nightly. We just returned from a 5 day stay and give Kona Tiki in Kailua-Kona our two thumbs up for […]
Should I Buy Travel Insurance to Protect My Hawaii Vacation?
Travel insurance can be complicated and confusing. So when is travel insurance appropriate and advisable and when is it just a waste of money? In the past, travel insurance was often not recommended for domestic travel. That was because airline change fees were minor and hotels allowed cancellations up to the last day. In today’s market, however, hotel cancellation […]
Shop and Swim at Ala Moana
When I visit Ala Moana Shopping Center near Waikiki, I always stop at Book-Off and Honolulu Coffee Company.Coffee and books are two of my passions. If you love to shop you’ll enjoy Ala Moana’s 260 stores and 70 dining options.It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.This spring, on March 7, Nordstrom will join the line-up of stores.You can […]
