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TUG Hawaii Tips and FAQ's!
This section is provided to answer many of the questions about TUG's operation that we receive on a daily basis. Below is a list of topics that are linked to the answers. As our group gets larger, it becomes very difficult to answer individual emails, so please check this section prior to sending a question, or check the BBS for additional help from other members!

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TUG Hawaii Tips and FAQ's TUG Island Dining Guides

This section contains Tips and F.A.Q.s  (Frequently Asked Questions) for Hawaii. We need your input to help this section be as useful as possible. Please send us any suggestions that you have for additional topics and/or tips/FAQs. Also if there are any topics that should be removed, let us know. This section is intended to save those good tips that aren't archived from the BBS. Corrections are appreciated. The information here comes from TUG member recommendations and comments in the Hawaii section of the BBS. Information from other sites is included as appropriate.

Please send any updates, corrections, suggestions to:
Bill Hall    hawaii-rep@tug2.com

When to Go to Hawaii?

  • Anytime you can!!! The north and east sides of each island (windward sides) tend to be wetter and cloudier, particularly in fall and winter (Nov - Mar). The resort areas on the sunnier (leeward) sides are Kaanapali/Lahaina and Kihei/Wailea on Maui, Poipu on Kauai, Waikiki on Oahu, and Kona/Kohala/Waikoloa on the Big Island. The only major resort area on the rainier side is the Princeville/Hanalei area of Kauai. The winter months are also a little rainier on the sunny sides, but remember, even in winter, the sun shines more than it doesn't. Hurricane season is roughly the same as in the Atlantic (June - Oct), but hurricanes rarely threaten Hawaii. Hurricane Iniki in 1992 was a rare exception. When is the best time to visit Hawaii? IMHO - ANYTIME!
  • January thru March is "Whale Season". It's worth taking a chance on a little rain to see these great animals. We've had pretty good weather in Jan/Feb, but you do have a somewhat higher chance of rain, but in my opinion, it usually isn't a major problem or everyday event if you're staying on the sunnier leeward shores (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kihei, and Wailea on Maui; Poipu on Kauai; Waikiki on Oahu; and Kona/Kohala on the Big Island). We had four days of rain in Lahaina once in November, so it can happen anytime, if your luck isn't with you. May through September, however, is the driest season - but no whales. 


Interisland Flights - Tips and Better Ticket Prices

  • Effective: January 6 2003, HawaiianAir is eliminating coupons and will primarily use e-tickets ($25 fee for paper tickets). The following is excerpted from their announcement. Prices on most reservation sites (airline and travel ) seem to be close to these prices at this time. It appears that the peak times (e.g. Interisland to Honolulu to meet the afternoon flights to the mainland (or vice versa) ) are a bit higher (i.e. $71-$75)
  • Hawaiian’s published interisland fares start at $66 (all taxes and fees included) for ticketing at least seven days prior to departure and $70 if purchased at least three days before departure -- both comparing favorably to the prevailing “street” price of coupons at $72.00. Hawaiian’s unrestricted, no-advance-purchase fare good for any available coach seat on most routes is $75. Fares for travel to and from Lanai and Molokai, as well as all two-segment connecting flights are $17.50 higher, consistent with higher costs associated with providing these services.
  • Buying tickets:
    • Many times during the year airlines have sales from the mainland to Honolulu (e.g. tickets drop from $1200 to $700 or less) but the sale does not include the other islands (e.g. to HNL the price may drop to $700 while to Kauai/Maui/etc the price is still $1300 or more). So, you should always compare. You can always (usually) get cheaper separate interisland reservations. Just make sure your connection time in Honolulu is enough (i.e. most airlines state 90 minutes).
    • Be sure to have everyone's preferred FF number added to the reservation. Every additional mile helps. Aloha partners include United Airlines. HawaiianAir partners include American Airlines, NorthWest and Continental. Note: decide which is the best for your plans e.g. Hawaiian usually gives 250 AA miles for each destination (not segment LIH-HNL-KOA (Kauai-Honolulu-Kona(Big Island) ) is 1 destination ). Hawaiian will give 500 Hawaiian miles for the same flights (and sometimes bonuses). Of course, Hawaiian FF miles can be used for future Interisland flights.
  • Using Frequent Flyer miles/points (hotel, airline, etc):
    • Many airlines offer interisland roundtrip awards for 5000 or 10000 air miles. Compare to decide what is the best use of miles (i.e. saving miles for the more expensive mainland to Hawaii versus the relatively cheaper Interisland).
  • Hawaiian Air 800-367-5320 Interisland: 800-882-8811 Schedules,reservations,etc are on the web page.
  • Aloha Airlines 800-367-5250 Schedules,reservations,etc are on the web page


General Information and Tips
  • What time is it in Hawaii? Hawaii does not follow daylight savings time so in the winter they are 2 hours behind the USA west coast (East Coast minus 5). In the Summer, west minus 3 hours/ east coast minus 6.
  • Food - Fish - Try the different kinds of fresh local fish, the variety is just not available in the mainland. We like Ono the best...firm, easy to grill, delicious. In Kapaa Kauai, Safeway is a good place to buy fish (was good also on Maui): fresh everyday, very friendly seafood counter staff offering good advice on fish selection. 


Lei Greeting
  • Don't assume Lei greetings are automatically given to all guests. This went away many years ago. If you are part of a packaged tour or a large tour group it may be included but don't assume if you want that special event. There are always plenty of Lei stands in the airports. If you want that "extra special" Lei greeting on arrival, you can arrange it before you go!
  • There are several others that you can find doing a search on the Web including Lei Greeting Service


Maps


Weather and Forecasts

  • Hawaii Weather - USA Today Forecasts for the Hawaiian Islands. Get an idea of what it is usually like the month that you want to travel. 


Other Websites
  • Jan's Journeys Lots of information Hawaii,Kauai,Maui,Oahu. Interesting Site with lots of pictures and commentary.
  • Alternative-Hawaii Many Links including extensive sections for each island. You can spend a lot of time here. 
  • 101 Things to Do in the Hawaiian Islands This is the online site to the magazines that you can pick up at the airport and just about everywhere else. Contains a lot of good ideas and suggestions. It has links to the magazines for Oahu,Kauai,Maui and Hawaii (Big Island).
  • Snorkel Bob's Cybereef  Snorkel Rentals on 4 islands. You can rent on 1 island and drop off on a different island.


and most importantly:
The Hawaii forum on TUGBBS online community forums!  


Why become a TUG member?

There is an extended TUG resort reviews database here on this web site available only to TUG members. There are over 4000 resorts covered by this database now and growing weekly. The reviews also include pictures of the resorts, general resort information and a list of owners' email addresses who are willing to answer additional questions regarding the resorts not covered by the detailed reviews.   This is a quick way to see how our members rate the resorts which they have actually stayed at. It has become a valuable source of information to use when planning for exchanges.
 

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page updated April 15, 2011  by B Rogers - Send email regarding this page to tug@tug2.net