Post by elliemonster21 on Nov 9, 2019 11:40:37 GMT -5
I’ve been researching this all morning but am still kind of at a loss.
We are doing 10-12 days in Hawaii in February/March. My best friend lives on Maui but doesn’t have a ton of experience island hopping.
We would be leaving Chicago and would like to hit Maui and Kauai.
Pricing it out, it seems like flying into Maui is smarter financially but we were hoping to do Kauai first and then leaving from Maui to home at the end of the trip. Is that smart? What is the best way to do that? Do you book island hopping flights during the initial flight booking or is there a better place to book? Looks like Hawaiian Air is the best option for hopping?
Is it silly to fly into Honolulu and then take the 40 min flight to Kauai and then go from Kauai to Maui and Maui back home to Chicago? Seems easier to go Chicago - Maui - Kauai - Chicago but Chicago - Kauai - Maui - Chicago works better for us all for planning purposes. Flying directly into Kauai seems quite a bit pricier but I have no idea.
Also - Is it smarter to do a resort in Kauai vs a condo? We will be staying with my friend while on Maui.
Post by goldengirlz on Nov 9, 2019 12:11:02 GMT -5
What’s the price difference for doing the itinerary you want?
It will be more expensive to fly into Kauai simply because it’s a smaller airport with fewer flight options. (But that’s typically the case. I live in California and it’s almost always cheaper to fly into OGG or HNL rather than LIH or KOA but usually we just suck it up because we want to fly direct.)
Think of it as time is money. If you want to invest the time with connections, you’ll save money. But it’s your vacation and you should spend it how you want (within the parameters of your budget, of course.)
You can book the intra-island Hawaiian Airline flights separately, no problem.
No opinion on condo vs. resort. We’ve always chosen a resort because DD likes having access to a large pool and DH and I are not going to cook on vacation. (Plus I travel a lot for work and have status with Marriott.) I also like having someone clean for us (so. much. sand.) But it’s a personal choice.
When I went, we added Kauai and Maui onto a research meeting that was in Oahu. AAA put together a flight/condo/car package that was incredibly inexpensive. The only thing the package did not cover was our flights over, and meeting hotel.
I would look at using a condo for a couple reasons. Food costs are a lot higher and a condo allows you to do breakfasts and lunches in. Also, the all important laundry. I didn’t realize how nice it was to have access to a washer and dryer after the first week.
In Kauai we spent some time in the north in a vrbo and a few nights at the Grand Hyatt in the south. If I had to pick one I would definitely pick the north part of the island and there are fewer hotels there and really only one “resort”.
When I went, we added Kauai and Maui onto a research meeting that was in Oahu. AAA put together a flight/condo/car package that was incredibly inexpensive. The only thing the package did not cover was our flights over, and meeting hotel.
I would look at using a condo for a couple reasons. Food costs are a lot higher and a condo allows you to do breakfasts and lunches in. Also, the all important laundry. I didn’t realize how nice it was to have access to a washer and dryer after the first week.
When I went, we added Kauai and Maui onto a research meeting that was in Oahu. AAA put together a flight/condo/car package that was incredibly inexpensive. The only thing the package did not cover was our flights over, and meeting hotel.
I would look at using a condo for a couple reasons. Food costs are a lot higher and a condo allows you to do breakfasts and lunches in. Also, the all important laundry. I didn’t realize how nice it was to have access to a washer and dryer after the first week.
Omg we do. I have to look into this.
My in laws got completely ripped off by AAA. They booked a package that cost $10k... it cost $4.5k for me to do it for them, with a BETTER hotel (aaa = Marriott, me = fairmont). I was so upset. Luckily they were able to cancel with AAA.
So, just make sure you check prices independently.
Post by dutchgirl678 on Nov 11, 2019 18:48:55 GMT -5
We have used Costco travel in the past to save $400 over Expedia for a trip to Maui with breakfast included and a car rental upgrade. But we stayed on one island.
I think the choice of resort vs condo in Kauai depends heavily on where you want to stay. As mentioned, most of the resorts are in the south, so if you want to be in a different area of the island, you'll have far fewer options. FWIW, we only briefly visited the southern resort area, and to me it felt very little like the rest of the island, which tends to have a much more laid back local vibe.
Also, given the limited options overall, it's not a bad idea to book as early as you can.