My wife and I want to visit Hawaii, can u tell me...?

Question

if it gets too cold in december - january?
how much money should I take with me?
are there any other options if I dont want to pay hotel?
what are "the must visit" palces over there?

thank you very much for your time

Answer 1

Cold? Not at sea level, but up in the hills/mountains it can get pretty chilly. If you go to Maui, take a drive up Haleakala (10,000 ft) for sunrise. Gorgeous, but COLD (20's or 30's before the sun is up). Take your blanket and some towels from the hotel to wrap around you.

You can actually snow ski Mona Loa and Mona Kea on the Big Island.

A good bet is to sign up for Triple A (AAA) and get their Hawaii info. You can save 10% on most hotels and car rentals listed in their books. It could save you 5 or 10 times the cost of membership.

Money? LOTS of it. Bring several credit cards with plenty of spending limit on them. Travelers checks too.

On Oahu, go to Diamond Head for a hike, Pearl Harbor (go early in the day, the lines to go to the Arizona can get pretty long) and Polynesian Cultural Center. The PCC is an all-day thing. Visit the international bazaar in Honolulu. I'm not sure if it's still there, but Hilo Hatties was a good place for clothing. Crazy Shirts for T-shirts and shorts, their all over the islands. The last time I was there, Dole had a pineapple museum.

On Big Island, go to Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea is probably still erupting.

On Maui, go to Haleakala volcano and Hana. Hana is at the end of a long and very twisty road, 30 curves or more per mile. Haleakala takes more than a hour to drive up from the base.

If you are still young enough, surfing, snorkling, boating, water skiing, or a ride on a catamaran is a must.

Answer 2

It is beautiful and warm all year round in Hawaii. Everything is more expensive in Hawaii so expect to spend at least $8 per person per meal at the cheapest places and a lot more at fancier restaurants. Beaches in Hawaii are public and free so you'll never pay for that. As for other attractions - they're all reasonably priced.

There are bed and breakfast places there plus inexpensive hotels especially in Waikiki away from the beach. If you go to Oahu then the Dole Pineapple Plantation is neat, the volcano at the end of Waikiki is cool but make sure that you get there well before dark, the North Shore is where all the surfers hang out and Kualoa Ranch offers trail rides that wind through places where Lost, Jurassic Park, King Kong, George of the Jungle and many other tv shows and movies were filmed.

Maui is quieter and has Hana Highway, the Bailey House, the volcano and absolutely gorgeous scenery. The Big Island (Hawaii) has Volcanoes National Park which will be where I visit next time I go.

Check www.travelzoo.com and travelocity before you book your flights and don't forget to look at separate airlines to Los Angeles and then on to Hawaii. There are some great deals from many cities to LA and then you can transfer to one of the Hawaiian airlines to get to the islands. Also look at cruises around the Islands as you'll get to see a lot more of the Islands plus they're often cheaper than hotels and dinners. I hope that some of this helps!

Answer 3

I lived on Maui, Big Island and Kauai for 5 months. I'm in Cali now. It's not too cold in Dec and Jan. It's not very busy there at that time which is nice. Careful though, that's when the waves are huge. The best island idepends on what you like. Oahu is popular for many people: it has bustling Honolulu and the beautiful lush north side. Kauai is my fav, I think it's the most stunning and it's not as busy. Maui is fab too, the sunsets are amazing and it's got overwhelming beauty too. Big Island is nice too, it's a scuba haven and has lava and neat places to explore. I saw what I consider the most beautiful beach in the world on the big island.

I was a poor college student when I lived there. I lived on almost no money. ($100/week in 1998) You really don't need a lot of money. The beaches and hikes are free! Gas and food is expensive. There are some really cool things you can do if you do have money. Like boat or helecopter tours, luaus stuff like that. But you don't have to do that. As a minimum, if you are poor like me I'd say bring $500. You could get a way with less if you don't mind getting groceries not eating out and being creative with money.
To avoid paying a hotel find a friend that lives there to crash with. If that's not your style search online til you find a deal, post in blogs and network for that good deal.
There are hundreds of "must" visit places. When you get there, the best thing to do is ask the locals! They are soooo friendly and will tell you secrets other tourists might not know.

Answer 4

Each island has its own temperatrue range, but usually the coldest you'd ever see is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit in an unusually cold year. December and January are not the cold months as it takes weather patterns months to get there from other continents - so think a 60 - 90 day delayed weather shift. However, if you go to Maui and go to see the sunrise at the top of Mt. Haleakala, you will need snow clothing - 25 degrees F sometimes.

NEVER TOO MUCH MONEY cost of living is very expensive.

Don't use a hotel unless you do it thru Expedia, etc. There are many timeshare-type sites that let you get it for a fraction of the cost. Not impossible to get lodging for $75 per day for two, $100 for a family of four.

"Must see" Oahu - Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial.
Kauai - Princeville and Ke'e beach.
Lanai - pineapple plantations.
Moloka'i Father Damon's leper colony (you can't catch it so don't worry) and Hotel at Manele Bay.
Maui -EVERYTHING! Maui Noka Oi 505 Front Street Jazz weekends, Mama's Fishhouse, Up Country -Glassblowing -Kula -Haiku, ,Aquarium, snorkeling, Hana coast, Downtown Lahaina and the Banyan tree Honokawai-Ka'anapali Java Jazz say Hi to Farzad for me! Maui Tropical Plantation. Baldwin House in Lahaina.
Big Island - Huggo's Bar -great music at night, Helicopter tours of the volcano, Kona Coast, Hilo.

All Islands: Boating expeditions, beaches (sorry no sand beaches on the Big Island).
Maui, Oahu, Big Island: shopping, golf, trendy restaurants, submarine and helicopter tours.
Smaller islands: peace and tranquility, Kauai is unusually lush.

Hilo Hattie's clothing store is a must.

On that subject a man can get away with wearing nothing but shorts and Hawaiian shirts, sandals and NO socks. Maybe ONE pair of white long pants/ 1 pr socks. A lady does not even need any dresses - just buy a MuMu and bring some shorts and leisure blouses. Tennis shoes for hiking/expeditions. YOU NEED TO BRING BATHING SUITS AND USE LOTS OF SUNSCREEN.

Answer 5

In December - January days can be from mid 70's to mid 80's sometimes lower 90's, night can get as low as upper 60's. For the local people when it gets below the mid 80's it is starting to get cold.

Inflation is higer here just to give you an idea a box of cereal cost about $5.00, if that helps.

Vacation condo or house rentals is an alternative but it is ussually more expensive than a hotel.

Drive out to the north shore of the island to see high surf and those daring soles that try to surf them. DON'T get too close to the shore there you could get swept out. The traffic will be long but it is worth seeing. Iolani Palace is a good place to visit, it is the only royal palace on US soil. Punchbowl National Cemetary and Pearl Harbor if you want to visit military sites to pay respects to fallen soldiers of the past.

Answer 6

We went to Oahu in March. We stay with my brother so not sure about the hotel costs. Other than eating, you can spend as little or as much as you want. Beautiful oceans and hikes for free and everything else cost. Both times we've gone we went to the luau at Paradise Cove, it's great. Rental car for 8 days (mid-size suv) was $200 unlimited miles. Must-sees, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki at night, Kualoa Ranch (film sets), and take the drive up to the north shore roll down your window and smell the pineapple!! Have a great trip!

Answer 7

I went camping for two weeks in Hawaii. It was fantastic, take most of your gear from home, pack light, and your only real expense is a rental car which you can get fantastic deals on. You camp on or near a beach, closer to the water than a hotel will ever get you. I went in March and the weather was fantastic. I went to the big island, and camped at Spencer Beach. there is plenty to see on the island, take the circle drive through Hilo. Don't camp on the Hilo side of the island though, it is rainy there. Camp on the Kona side.