Aloha!

Have you ever seen a destination photo and thought to yourself "I must find out where that picture was taken and then plan a trip!"??

Well, I have and it resulted in the photo that you see in this post.

 This photo was taken on the Hawaiian island of Kauai a few years ago when my husband and I were fortunate enough to visit for the 2nd time! If you've never visited Hawaii you're definitely missing out!

 I know, it seems like a BIG trip - and it is - but it's not as crazy expensive as people tend to think. Add to that, there are ways of getting there that will not break the bank!

Let's start, though, with the basics...

Hawaii consists of 4 main islands: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the "Big Island" of Hawaii. These islands, along with the teeny island of Molokai, are the counties that make up the state of Hawaii! Each one is very different as I'll explain below.

Oahu

Nickname: The Gathering Place

This island is arguably the most well-known of the 4 main islands. It's the home of Waikiki beach, Pearl Harbor, and Diamond Head crater, just to name a few landmarks. It's the most crowded of the islands and also houses the only major city (the capitol, Honolulu). To give you an idea of the way the population is spread across the islands, Oahu is the home to the majority of Hawaii's population. It’s also home to Disney’s beautiful Aulani which is located Northwest of Waikiki in an area called Ko Olina.

Maui

Nickname: The Valley Isle

 The island of Maui is known for its beaches, which many argue are some of the best in the world! Not only are Maui's beaches beautiful, they are diverse! You can find white sand at Kaanapali beach, black sand at Waianapanapa beach or even red sand at Kaihalulu beach. Maui is also home to "the road to Hana" which is a breathtaking drive along the Northeast coast of the island. 

Interesting fact: the Hana coastline has been featured in several famous movies, most notably Jurassic Park!

Kauai

Nickname: The Garden Isle

The oldest of the Hawaiian islands is also the most “natural”! It has a much more laid-back feel than the other islands. The Western side of the island is home to Waimea Canyon, which is also affectionately known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. Kauai also features a very well known and beautiful coastline along the North shore - the Napali Coast! The land access to the Napali Coast is at the most Northern public beach (Ke’e beach) and involves a sometimes-treacherous 11 mile hike! I would recommend seeing it by helicopter - breathtaking!

Hawaii

Nickname: The Big Island

Many people don’t realize that this island is an island of it’s own because it shares it’s name with the entire state. Therefore, most people refer to it as “The Big Island” which is a very fitting name given its size (it’s larger than all of the other islands combined). One of the most distinctive characteristics is the fact that you can find 11 of the earth’s 13 climactic zones on this one island! Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in all of Hawaii, can often be seen snow-capped! Lastly, the Big Island is also home to Kilauea, which is one of the world’s most active volcanoes!

Getting to Hawaii…

This is where the bulk of your cost is going to be when considering a trip to one of the Hawaiian islands! If you’re coming from anywhere other than California a “cheap” flight to Hawaii is around $1,200 per person! However, there are some ways of getting that cost down.

First, fly during the week if possible. A round-trip flight Saturday-Saturday might cost you $1,700 per person, swap that to Tuesday-Tuesday and the price goes down to $1,150 per person!

The second way to save on airline cost is to build up sky-miles on a credit card. I know what you’re thinking… “my family doesn’t use credit cards”. Well, think of it this way - you spend money each and every month on groceries, gas and other necessary expenses. Instead of using a debit card why not use a credit card with reward points and then pay off the balance each month? Yes, it will take a good bit of discipline, but it can be VERY beneficial in the long run!

 My husband and I have traveled to Kauai twice and we didn’t pay for our flights on either trip because we had saved our sky-miles!

Expenses while you’re there…

 Lastly I’ll touch on what you can plan to pay for while you’re on your vacation. While it’s true that a lot of things are more expensive in Hawaii - a gallon of gas will cost you a minimum of $3 - you don’t have to fork over your life savings to have a nice trip!

If you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen (or even a mini fridge) stock up on things like bread and bananas and make picnic lunches to take with you on your hikes! Trust me, a peanut butter and banana sandwich never tasted better than while sitting on a beautiful Hawaiian beach!

Breakfast can be on the cheap as well. Hawaii has amazing coffee - you’ve probably heard of both Kona and Kauai coffee - a cup of coffee and a pastry is an excellent “on the go” breakfast! You’ll spend your days sightseeing and most of those activities are free (unless you want to pay for surfing or paddle boarding, etc.)

All of the above will allow you to splurge a little at dinner (straight from the ocean Hawaiian seafood is a MUST) without blowing your entire budget on one meal.

I hope you’ve come away with a sense of what a Hawaiian vacation could look like for you! If you’ve ever thought “Hawaii is on my bucket list” maybe this has helped you realize that it could go from dream to reality with just a little creative planning!

XOXO, 

Your Memory Maker, Mandy