Post #48450 by thejab on Tue, Aug 19, 2003 12:21 PM

I know someone who did the 5 day Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays vacation in Maui and stayed at the Kaanapali Beach hotel that was right on the beach (a crowded beach) and had numerous tikis on the grounds. It cost less than $1000 with air from SFO and car.

I would check which airline they are using because I have heard of nightmare delays with cheap flights to Hawaii. I would only go with Aloha or Hawaiian airlines.

If one books way in advance you can spend less by doing your own package and go and stay where you want.

When I went to Waikiki it cost $500 RT from Oakland on Aloha. A short flight from Waikiki to Kona was $60 more. And we were able to return straight from Kona to Oakland for no extra money.

We stayed at the Hawaiiana Hotel in Waikiki for around $90 / night for 3 nights. Then we stayed at a little hotel on the coast in Kona called the Tiki Hotel for a weekly rate that ended up costing around $50/night. Then we stayed 2 nights in Volcano for $75/night and 3 nights in Hilo for around $80/night (at Uncle Billy's Hilo Inn with ocean view lanai).

Total cost for 2 weeks and 2 islands:
air: $1120
car: weekly rate in Kona $150 and weekend rate in Waikiki $30/day x 3 = $100, total $250
hotels:
Waikiki $270
Kona $350
Volcano $150
Hilo $225

Grand total: $2365

So thats around $1200 per person for 2 weeks - about the cost of 7 days on one island through a tour company like Pleasant Holidays