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Ok, now tell me about Hawaii (Oahu)
So after looking and talking, what's funny is that we can go to Hawaii for half the price it would cost us to go to Europe in November (no kidding). I did find airfare to Stockholm, Sweden via Finnair for $680 r/t, but H pointed out that 1) it's winter in Sweden and 2) exchange and/or prices will not be in our favor.
Then I found a fare on Hawaiian air for the same price roundtrip AND direct from New York to Honolulu. DH wants to learn a little more about Hawaii before committing (and I've been stalking the fare it hasn't moved in a few days) but I think that's what we're going to do.
People have told me that Hawaii isn't cheap - what do they mean it isn't "cheap"? I can't imagine it would be more than what we pay now in Manhattan. We may be able to get my cousin's condo (which is 30 minutes from the North Shore), and if we can secure it, then it would save on lodging.
We like action stuff, so I do plan on attempting surfing, DH wants to scuba/snorkel, we want to hike, etc. We also found various LOST tours, which seem pretty cool, seeing as we've watched all the episodes from all the seasons.
So tell me about it.
Re: Ok, now tell me about Hawaii (Oahu)
I'll have to ask my cousin for a specific hood - I just know he said 30 minutes from North Beach.
We flew r/t from Houston to Amsterdam for $800/ea in November. Amsterdam fares were some of the lowest we found and the weather was just fine for touristy things in November. No flower markets or anything like that, of course, but completely comfortable with a coat, hat, and gloves.
Oahu isn't my favorite but I love Hawaii. I'm curious, too, about the condo location. We've stayed in both Waikiki and Kailua/Lanikai (and DH has stayed with his relatives in Manoa Valley a lot) and prefer Kailua/Lanikai to other areas. We've never explored staying on the north shore because the reason that we do stay on Oahu each time is to see DH's family and it's just too far to do that drive every day from the north shore.
Not sure you can surf on the north shore in November (the big waves are in the winter) but there will be somewhere on the island that you can learn to surf.
Prices are higher than on the mainland, in general, but you probably won't see a major difference if you are in NYC. It's certainly no higher than we found Europe, fwiw. It would certainly add up if you lived there but it's not crazy for just a week or two.
There is some pretty cool stuff that you can do on Oahu, especially if you are willing to rent a car and get out and explore. I highly, highly recommend renting a car. I know some try to avoid it to save money but I don't think the loss of freedom is worth the savings. We like to be able to take each day as it comes, though, while on vacation.
Either way, both trips are great and I'm sure you guys will enjoy Oahu!
Maybe it's a location thing (though we'd be flying out of either Newark or JFK). Though I just did a check, and same thing - nothing lower than $1000.
But anyway, I'll definitely find out where the condo is located. And based on what he would give it to us for ($75/night!) a car would be something we would get for sure.
I just saw that for $200 more (overall, not per person) we could go direct to Kona - do you think it would be worth it to skip Oahu and go to the Big Island instead?
We are just now pricing everything out and exploring, since the trip wouldn't be until November anyway.
I think the $75/night is the family rate, because he's talked about renting it to other non-family through a property management company. Again, have to find out more from him. He and his family vacation there at least once a year, so I can't imagine it's in a terrible location (and both he and his wife are pretty bank).
75/night, if it includes taxes, sounds like a fantastic deal to me. Last weekend, according to hotwire, the only rooms available last minute in waikiki were ridiculously expensive. Like 500-1000 expensive.
Definitely rent a car, regardless where you are. Just a few days ago surf in Waimea bay was only like 3 feet, so a beginner could handle it, but generally in the winter it's much higher. We just haven't had the tradewinds the last couple days, so things have been oddly flat and still.
Personally, though, I love the big island. Oahu is my home, and I think there's plenty to do, but I do love the volcano and rainforest and black sand beaches over there. Plus the diving is much better. I don't know if I could pass up a great deal on a vacation house, though.
There's no way I'd pay $75 to stay at a condo in, say, Pearl City or Mililani. Maybe that's just me, but location is everything and even with a car I wouldn't spend all that money to go to Hawaii then cheap out on lodging just to get a good deal. Especially when you can pay $20-30 more and have a great location.
Last weekend was a holiday weekend, but I've stayed last minute in Waikiki before at a 4 star for $90. That was within the last year. Like I said, it all depends where your friends condo is, but I wouldn't say $75 a night is necessarily a steal until you have more details.
We went to Oahu last March and had some pretty cheap days. For example, one day we rented bikes (can't remember the cost, but I wasn't surprised by the price) and biked along the shore in Waikiki, headed to the Iolani Palace, etc (http://www.emilyinchile.com/2011/04/biking-in-honolulu-oahu/). We also had a cheap lunch at the International Market Place (under $10pp). Lying on the beach is of course free
And so is Pearl Harbor, which is a full day and really interesting (http://www.emilyinchile.com/2011/04/pearl-harbor-the-somber-side-of-paradise/).
Yes groceries are more expensive, and tourist activities do add up, so it won't be the cheapest trip you ever take, but if you're staying in inexpensive lodging, making some meals at the condo and choosing your activities carefully, I don't think it's going to be a total budget-breaker.
I liked Oahu more than I'd expected, so hopefully you guys have a great trip if you end up there!
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here's the link to my trip report from our trip to oahu this past summer. we did some hiking, snorkeling, and the 10 hr LOST tour, which i highly recommend!
oahu
Argh... The Nest just ate my post. I'll try again...
We've been to both Oahu and the Big Island (and Maui), and Oahu is my favorite of the three. The Big Island is a close second.
I love Oahu because it has a little bit of everything. We hiked to a waterfall, kayaked to an offshore island, snorkeled, enjoyed gorgeous beaches and scenic drives, toured Pearl Harbor, and took in the nightlife, restaurants, and shopping of Honolulu. Plus I think it's the most affordable of the islands because there's so much there -- you can find reasonable restaurants rates, for instance. Plus, I think lodging is generally cheaper. I also like Oahu because it's small -- you can get anywhere in 90 minutes, as I recall.
The Big Island has a totally different vibe -- it's much more rural, laid-back, and authentically Hawaiian. And the people are so nice. There's a slower pace on the Big Island. I loved Volcanoes National Park. Seriously, it's an amazing place. We did several hikes there, as well as a couple of scenic drives. On the Big Island, we also hiked to waterfalls, enjoyed scenic drives, bummed around both Hilo and Kona, visited a coffee farm, watched sea turtles sun themselves on a black sand beach, and toured the historic Place of Refuge. But the Big Island is big and it takes a long time (like hours) to get to many places. And it is not known for it's beaches (although some nice ones can be found). Here's my trip report if you want to read more.
As far as prices, I can't compare them to Manhattan, but food and gas is really pricey. On the Big Island, we rented a cottage and thought we'd save some money by cooking there. I don't know how much we saved because groceries were $$$!
We absolutely love Hawaii, though! The flights suck, but it's totally worth it.
I love Oahu. If I were planning your trip, here's what I'd do:
Surfing-- try in Waikiki for lessons. The North Shore in November is BIG waves (think surfing competitions)
Day trip to Big Island- while you can certainly explore on your own, you will get a lot of great info from a guide. We aren't tour people, but really got a lot out of it. You get some "on your own" exploring time in different places, so it isn't like you're following someone with a flag all around.
Pearl Harbor
Snorkeling EARLY IN THE MORNING at Hanauama Bay. It gets crowded, but if you go first thing, you'll be fine. It really is amazing, and I say that as a diver. The fish are acclimated to people, and the turtles just lumber along like you aren't there.
Diving- its decent in HI, not knock your socks off though. If your husband dives, it's certainly worth doing. The water isn't as warm as one would think, though, so keep that in mind.
Hiking or the Lost tour if that floats your boat.
North Shore- worth checking out at least for an afternoon.
As for the condo, 30 minutes from the North Shore is probably not in the more touristy parts of the island... Pearl City, maybe?? (I guess depending on what time of day, though) It really depends on the kind of vacation you are looking for.
In November, I would definitely try surfing at Waikiki, it's the perfect place to learn. We were on Oahu at the end of November a couple of years ago and the waves on the north shore were like 20-30 feet high. We were there when they were having the surfing competition, it was really neat to see the pros take on the waves, but if you're learning, I would stay far away from there.
We did the 5 hour Lost tour and absolutely loved it, we went with Kos Tours and would highly recommend it. They will come pick you up, so that was nice as well. It's really cool to see where they filmed all the stuff, and now that we are re-watching the show, it's fun to say, ooh, we were there during certain scenes
Like pp said, general grocery items are more expensive, for example in one convenience store a gallon of milk was like $7.00, whereas at home it was $3 something at the time. However, if you went to Walmart and bought food, the prices were much more reasonable. Gas is higher too, I think I heard right now that Hawaii has the highest gas prices in the nation. Definitely rent a car though, we drove around the whole island and just explored.