I’ve decided to take a week-long vacation in the fall so I can 1. visit a dear friend, and 2. luxuriate in the sun.
Can we say, Hawaiian getaway!?! -Insert excitement here-
So along with the excitement of planning a vacation, there’s the equally exciting task of planning a vacation budget.
Flight: ~$400 round-trip (still have to buy the tickets…)
Accomodations: FREE! Perk of visiting a good friend!*
Gifts: $50 – for myself & friends / family
Food: $150… is that realistic? I can bump this up to $200 if necessary
Transportation / Entertainment on island: $200
So, at the high end, I’m looking at $900. A big chunk of my vacation budget, yes, but that’s what it’s there for… vacations! I have enough $$$ to enjoy six blissful days of fun-in-the-sun.
*Of course, I want to thank my friend & her parents for their hospitality, so I need to bring a hostess gift. Any ideas? And do I have any Hawaiian readers?
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Good for you!! Isn’t awesome to have something to look forward to? It’ll be a fab way to end the summer
I, unfortunately can’t take off a whole week at a time, so I’m taking lots of 2-4 day trips instead. So jealous.
Ohhh cool! Yay, I love Hawaii!
I usually like to give hostess gifts that are edible or functional. What about a looseleaf tea sampler set? Another thing I did when I stayed with my best friend’s family is to send flowers and a thank-you card afterwards.
Saving My Bacon – you ARE a genius! I think a tea sampler would be the perfect gift. (Have to ask my friend if her parents drink tea though). I think I should be able to get something pretty nice for around $40.
Holy moly, that sounds fantastic! And doing it for $900 is stunning, those flights are so cheap. I need to find a friend in Hawaii dammnit!
Holidaying and packing is so much fun, you should share your final spendings and your packing adventures and photos from the trip after. I’ve never been to Hawaii, so if it’s a nice trip and the photos look great, i’ll take it as a recommendation for the future!
i lived in hawaii, basically hawaii is pretty cheap to visit because you dont need to spend any money and food is cheap because you dont need to go to fine dining.
I lived on Oahu (Honolulu) for 4 years in grad school. There’s so much to do! Which island are you going to? Have you been there before? The Big Island is my favorite (and where I did my fieldwork for my master’s!).
You can really spend as much or as little as you want…for example, if you want to eat out at nice restaurants (Keo’s, Haleiwa Joe’s) all week, you’ll spend ALOT more than $150. But there are alot of cheap options there, too. (Duke’s is touristy and can get a little expensive but the atmosphere is amazing.) I’m glad you have local guides; alot of tourists never get out of Waikiki–such a shame.
I would ask the friend if the parents want anything from the mainland–there are certain brands/items that Hawaiian stores don’t stock. If they are local hawaiians (howzit, brah?) they probably don’t miss anything mainland-y, but if not, there’s probably lots of stuff they’d like to get.
I’m excited for you…and myself. I’m planning on visiting friends there for a couple o weeks on my way to NZ in July. I miss the smells the most…surfwax and plumeria and pikake fragrances are the best. Oh man…I miss it.
Ohh, so jealous! I wanted to travel this fall, but I realistically don’t think I’ll have enough saved, especially with plane ticket prices going up how they have. =[
In the future I’d like to go to Hawaii, so I’ll be looking forward to a “non-touristy” guide from you!!
Hawaii is so gorgeous – I’m totally jealous over here! What island are you going to? I love Maui the most and have so many fond memories from there. Yay for stuff to look forward to!
PS First time commenter I think, I love your blog!
Don’t forget the UV protective clothing! Surfers have used rash guard shirts for years but it’s just recently that the SPF 150+ protection these shirts provide while you’re in the water has been discovered by the rest of the beach going population.
yay vacation!! i just bought tickets for a 12 day trip in august to greece so i am pumped as well
AHHHH, I want to go! I want to go!
You’ll have to promise to tell us all about it, and I’ll live vicariously through you.
A friend of mine, whose combined five or six siblings all own a condo in Hawaii together, goes at least once a year. She says there’s nothing like it.
Aloha! This is Maylinn from Honolulu. I was very excited when i read your story. There is not many people who post things up lke this. As a matter of fact, u are the first person ive seen post this. Any way, u are going to have a very relaxing time there. although, things are very expensive here, to buy a 2 litter bottle of soda it is $10.00 and alsoo u will probly need more then 150$ for food. The islands here are so beutiful i lived in Keo for about 8 years. then moved here when i was 9 and now i am 23. i wouldnt want to move any where else for the world well have a nice trip
Hope you had a great trip!
My G/F and I went to BI in March – feel in love with it and we are making the plunge this week and moving from San Clemente CA to the Big Island – Pahoa area. Quiting my job to go and live in Paradise. Not many people can do this – it takes alot of energy and work. Nice blog – I found it looking for Hawaii photos to indulge in until I land in Hilo.
Mahalo
David
just wanted to comment on maylinn saying a 2 liter bottle of soda is $10.00 because its not. If you go to Foodland, you can get it on sale for like 4 bottles for $5 or at another store for at most $2.
I currently live on Oahu, and I recommend a higher food budget. Eating out here is EXPENSIVE. It seems as though entrees tend to be only a dollar or 2 more than the mainland, but they really get you on price of fabulous tropical drinks (mai tais and lava flows are a must!), dessert and appetizers.
My husband and I would eat out 2-3 per week when we lived in Virginia. Now that we live on an island, we go out for a nice meal only once a week. It’s just too spendy!
Actually in Honolulu it is 10$ at the convienent store Sacoyaja which i usually go to. I was trying to say that 2 2 litters of soda i 10$. i was trying to state that it is very expensive coming from someone whose lived here for 23 years. well have a great day!
~responce to sup~
You’re going to absolutely LOVE it. My husband and I went in August of 2007 for our 1 year wedding anniversary for 9 days (5 in Waikiki, 4 in Maui) and it was the best 9 days of my life. We were running from morning til dark while in Waikiki doing many different tours, Pearl Harbor, luaus, walking downtown Waikiki, pineapple plantations, etc. By the time we got to Maui, it was a much needed break. The Road to Hana in Maui is amazing, we spent an entire day driving that and I was able to buy homemade coconut banana bread from a roadside stand and share my lunch with a beautiful Peacock who ate out of my hand. (Did get a bit car sick from the twisty roads though!)
Anyway, awesome awesome. We would be going back for our 2nd anniversary this year, but we couldn’t afford it (we paid cash last time after saving up for an entire year!). We will go back one day. I dream of visiting all the islands and spending time on each one. Island hopping isn’t that expensive!
I just ran across your blog on a google search for Hawaii…where are you getting tickets for your hawaii trip for 400.00 ???
I’m in Indiana..And round trip is close to 1000.00.
i wish i could be in hawaii and swim or do another hot things!!!!!!!! my summer isnt the best summer, couse im just home and helping my mother with cleening house. i dont wanna go to deutchland or sweden, i just wanna have a really nice summer in america or hawaii.
but its not gonna happened : – (
Aloha! when do you leave for the islands? You may want to bring an extra bag. Its much easier to go than to come back.
So excited for you! I just found out that I am going myself! I leave on Friday for Oahu! I will be there for 10 days. One way ticket from San Diego to Honolulu was $358 (with tax)… through Hawaiin Airlines. Woohoo!
aloha, friends i am currently hiding in a pineapple patch…..not sure if i should be eating these but da#@ they are good…..the sun is hot and the nights are wet…….with rain of course….i like fishing with my harpoon i have currently caught a blue whale and a blow fish…..neither of which i enjoyed eating…would not recommend..however i did live inside the whale for six months before beach patrol made me rent another home…..by the way i am not trippin on any form of medication or illegal drugs….i just love the big island….and have a wonderful day
your friend, bongo
Wish I were going. Take a lot of photos and post them for us, so we can pretend!
Can someone tell mi can i find a job easyly,with my friends there,Im going to hawaii in may this year.. for whole season (about 4 months)…it’depends that i find a proper job…..
thanks!
Just returned from Honolulu and Maui. Did not care for Honolulu..too big of a city. I loved Maui, what a paradise! It is very expensive to eat there, I would suggest getting a condo and shopping for food at a grocery store. Round trip ticket from Oregon was four hundred dollars to Honolulu, flying Hawaiian airlines.
So how was the trip to Hawaii? That’s a great shot of Hanauma Bay. Awesome memories thinking of my big flower sun hat and my pink long sleeve rashguard that I wore religiously every day on my trip . I think I am going back this summer for more surf and snorkel fun.