Aloha All! Where to start...We are taking a forced (gasp) trip to Kona for a family wedding. The wedding should be beautiful and wonderful. That being said, we are on a budget and have limited time (6 days/6 nights minus family duties. This is our first and probably only trip to HI. I really don%26#39;t want to offend anyone. I know HI will be gorgeous and we will see and experience things we never have before. It%26#39;s just we find we get way more for our vacation buck in Mexico. We aren%26#39;t cheap, it%26#39;s just that is the only way we can afford to have one nice vacation a year. So, we%26#39;re all still friends? Great!
I%26#39;ve booked the airfare, we are getting the Government employee rate of $150 at Hilton Waikoloa, Got what I think is an awesome deal for a rental car, $125 a week + tax for a compact at Dollar right at KOA%26#39;s terminal. So far so good.
I%26#39;m bringing my own snorkel gear so I don%26#39;t have to rent at the Hilton, my own coffee because a previous poster said they charge $3.50 a day. (that%26#39;s crazy talk!) and my giant pool towel because I read somewher the pool towel return closes much earlier than than pool is actually open. Makes no sense to me either.
We are also bringing non perishable food for the room, like candy, nuts, chips and instant oatmeal (Travel tip: run hot water thru the in-room coffee maker for instant oatmeal or instant soup)
We are both bringing a half gallon of our favorite hard liquor (gonna check with airline on that first) and pre-mix a huge cocktail in an insulated mug for pool days. Don%26#39;t worry, people will think it;s a water bottle. We go out of our way to avoid PDT%26#39;s - Public Displays of Tackyness. When we are actually sitting at the bar we will order drinks from the bartender, pretending we are like those fortunate people who don%26#39;t have children in college, quickly devouring any dream of retirement their parents may have had.
Okay, on with the questions:
We want to stop at a real grocery store straight out of the airport, before hotel check in. By real I mean something the locals use, not a convenience store with inflated prices. We want lunchmeat, cheese bread milk fruit and most important, cocktail mixers. We will probably have to make a second trip during our stay. I will have a small empty suitcase ready to put the stuff in, to avoid looking like the Clampetts as we check in at the hotel. Can someone get an address for me so I can have Mapquest in hand as we drive out of the airport? Did I mention I%26#39;m very Anal?
Also I see the hilton charges for a fridge in room. Are there mini bars in all the rooms? Would it be possible to remove those items and use that as a fridge? I have done this before, even at another Hilton. If not, maybe at the last minute I can call down and ask for a fridge to be brought up?
Also, would it A) be tacky
B) be frowned upon by the hotel
to bring our own pool noodles? We just love those things.
And, will the Hilton concierge activities be overpriced, should I research and pre-book from home to save $$?
You guys aren%26#39;t getting off this easy...I will post many more questions as time goes by. Thanks so much and aloha
Maggie
First and maybe only trip to BI Game Plan %26amp; tonsof questions
IMHO you can spend just gas money on the Big Island and still have one heck of an adventure. If you haven%26#39;t planned to, I%26#39;d suggest putting a day or two aside to explore, perhaps go see the volcano or just drive part of the Hamakua (north) coast - see Waipio Valley, etc.
I can%26#39;t even imagine going to the BI and not visiting a few of it%26#39;s natural wonders.
First and maybe only trip to BI Game Plan %26amp; tonsof questions
Very entertaining ... lol
you didn%26#39;t say if you%26#39;re a Costco member. Costco is the closest store locals use to airport. You didn%26#39;t say how many people you are feeding. If only two, Costco might be overkill in portions.
On the way from airport, there is nothing straight out of it as it%26#39;s in the middle of lava fields and not in a town. You either have to go to shop in Kailua-Kona which means you have to drive south and go through traffic to shop (other than the Costco). Or you can check in first, then go up to Waikoloa Village Market or for better prices Foodland in Waimea. Waimea is small and easy to find the store, same with Waikoloa. Going both places will give you a fabulous view of the Big Island coastline as you return down the hill, going to Kailua will give you squat in the way of scenery. Your choice, you have plenty of options here.
I doubt you need to bring your own liquor but that%26#39;s up to you.
There%26#39;s a discount liquor store tucked away above Kawaihae Harbor and Kamuela Liquors in Waimea plus Foodland in Waimea. As HawaiiDan will tell you, Long%26#39;s Drugs specializes in good prices on hard liquor and sells mixers. It%26#39;s in Kailua-Kona. You%26#39;ll want to visit Kona at some point so you can buy your refills there.
Do you really need to bring your own liquor from home? Well, you%26#39;ll have to check it and risk breakage. I can%26#39;t imagine you%26#39;ll save that much money. You will absolutely save over the bar prices at the Hilton. But as you wish. I don%26#39;t think liquor is so very expensive here. Goods that have to be shipped in refrigerated containers cost more to ship, but liquor isn%26#39;t in that category.
Sorry I don%26#39;t know about the frig%26#39;s. I always take out the honor bar stuff but those frig%26#39;s are never that functional, are they. I recommend a soft-sided collapsible cooler you can bring from home and use hotel ice to chill your beverages. Keep stuff that doesn%26#39;t do well in melting ice in your honor bar frig ...
Mapquest allows you to put in the name of a business. Also you can search and bring up the online yellow pages for the Big Island and get all your addresses, sorry I don%26#39;t have time to post the street addresses. Have you tried the interactive google maps? I like them better because you can put in the Hilton as your base and then zoom out and travel in any direction.
Person on tight budget vs Hilton seems a bit funny.
Kona has Safeway and a couple of other good grocery stores, but nothing north of airport. even my wife a costco fan chooses to not buy food there on Kona. we spend a week and do not need bulk.
Waikoloa Village 7 miles up the hill from Hilton probably has a grocery.
But lack of easy grocery stores is one reason we will not book into Kohala Coast. It is more for the eat out people to me. we tend to buy a weeks supply of food and cook in condo.
You may want to go into kona from airport
phirl, actually there is plenty of regular shopping in Waimea and the store in Waikoloa serves a large residential community. There are lots and lots of working class people living in North and South Kohala who don%26#39;t go to Kona to buy groceries. You must not have explored the options up the hill. Along the coast there is nothing for budget-minded people, that%26#39;s true, with the exception of the Discount Liquor store I mentioned.
I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s weird to be at the Hilton on a budget. If you get a break on room prices, why not? A lot of people who stay at the Hilton aren%26#39;t paying high prices, whether using points or their company is paying for it, whatever.
Combine cheap room with a strategy to keep food costs down and it%26#39;s very doable. There are some regular-priced restaurants around as well, just not in the hotels.
Waimea a bit of a drive from Hilton.
I lived part of my life in E Oregon, Waimea looked like home. many pickups and cowboy hats, etc. working people.
Still suggest op go into Kona if she wants real grocery.before Hilton.
Aloha! thanks to everyone who replied. Pelekai, we definately want to see some sights, which is why we got the car. I%26#39;ll have to do a snorkel, just not sure which trip[/company yet. First I%26#39;m trying to firm up the basics, lodging, transportation etc. My DH won%26#39;t go, so I might have to wait till we are there to see who I can get to go with me. I%26#39;ll go alone if I must, Not snorkeling in HI is simply not an option!!! I love it too much. Plus I have been searching alot for some kind of plantation tour - coffee, pinapple? online and haven%26#39;t found anything yet. I thought that would be really fun. I%26#39;m also thinking a drive trip to VNP is in order. And We will definately do a scenic drive, including some waterfalls, black beach, etc. I just haven;t gotten that far in the planning yet.
maybe even an ATV tour. I%26#39;m interested in HawaiianDans take on those. I%26#39;m all about protecting the environment and don%26#39;t want to do an ATV if it has been a destructive thing to BI.
I Think we will definately just spring for the fridge. DH has to eat often and have a good snack everynight (he%26#39;s high maintenance, :)
Village Market in Waikoloa sounds great, I;ll map quest it. We%26#39;ll do it before check in because the flight doesn%26#39;t arrive till 3 pm and once we arrive and check in we%26#39;ll want to relax and tour the grounds without having to run more errands. It%26#39;ll be a LONG travel day for us. It is only DH and myself eating, but he is a grazer.
Phirl, you really hit the nail on the head when you said for someone on a budget the Hilton is a funny choice! You have to remember this is a forced vacation for a wedding -- we had no choice with dates or hotel choice. And this is where the stress is coming from. Had we chose this we would have 1) picked a seaside condo with a full kitchen in a more accessible area 2) stayed at least 10 days to enjoy the area and take in more sights.
We already stretched it out to 6 days, (actually 8 with travel) the most we can because its late in the year and I%26#39;m running out of vacation days.
And finally, never underestimate the value of Alcohol when on a forced trip where everyone Must have a great time with each other, exes included!
I%26#39;ll post more questions on sightseeing as I figure those out, Thanks and Aloha!
Maggie
Maggie,
if you will get in late and tired than I personally don%26#39;t recommend Kona as your first stop as you%26#39;ll hit slow traffic going in from the airport. Stop and go slow, anywhere south of Costco. Especially when a big plane arrives, that will add to normal bad traffic of people who get off shift in Kohala hotels in afternoon.
traffic will be really bad going into Waimea at that time too.
If you want the least stress just head on up to the Waikoloa Village Market, which is in Waikoloa Highlands Shopping Center.
Left out of Hilton, right at first and only traffic light up to Waikoloa village, 6-8 miles to the store. Prices are pretty comparable on the island in the major grocery stores. If you go to Foodland or Sack n Save, sign up for the Mai Kai card, free. most good prices are Mai Kai specials. For Safeway, use or if you don%26#39;t have one sign up for Safeway Club Card, again that is where the prices become affordable. The WVM is a KTA store.
Plan a second shopping trip for your next outing depending on where you drive, Waimea or Kona. Make that the stock up trip but really the prices aren%26#39;t that different.
phirl, yep, Waimea is at the center of the largest working cattle ranch in the US and it%26#39;s whole image is about cowboys, but that%26#39;s only half the story. There%26#39;s a lot of money in that town and the dry side is super desirable for residential and expensive. Wet side is where the working class live (towards Hamakua coast).
Waimea is the hub town for a wide area of the Big Island and the Foodland there is newer and stocked with everything from basics to gourmet. I think it might be the nicest grocery store on the island -- as chain supermarkets go here.
Maggie, I don%26#39;t know when you arrive but on Saturday morning there%26#39;s a country farmer%26#39;s market in Hawi where you can find fresh island produce cheap and and ready to eat.
woops missed timing agree do NOT go into Kona after 3PM arrival. Pick up something at Hilton for that evening and go to Waikoloa or Waimea next day for real grocery store next morn. . That late afternoon traffic in Kona is miserable we spent maybe 45 mins getting out of Safeway parking lot to southbound on HI-11one afternoon
your lucky as government rates are suppose to be when on official business only. Mini bars are not adjusted for perishables, you are better off with a cooler. We bring collapsable as they charge $15/day for mini fridge but if left in room when you get there more than likely no charge. Ice is free but soft. bring ziplocs for ice or sandwiches or keeping cut fruit together. You will get hit for most everything here including parking your own auto now $7/day but relax and enjoy. Best places for souvieners is Kmart, local small chain store abc drug? in Kona, then maybe wallmart. Costco deli is good, if going to other grocery stores chain ones ask about savers card. Bananas are more exp but flavor is much much greater. Maybe even pick cooler up at store. If you go to hilohatties you will get free puka shell necklace, good for little ones. We like to drive alot so we always have snacks and sandwiches and coolers. Son only eats oatmeal for breakfast. If you go to hilo hit the cookie factory and esp waterfalls.
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