jplee3

Hey guys,

So I'm planning a trip to Maui (hopefully) for my wife and I. Do you guys think these are pretty good rates considering it would be for 6 days during the end of November?

Airfare: $796~
Car rental: $172-$180 (depends if we leave in the morning or later at night on the last day)
Lodging: $604 (includes all fees and taxes - the condo has a full kitchen but no washer/dryer)


All in all, that comes out to be roughly $1580 at most for airfare/car/hotel. I anticipate food adding at least another $200-300 but I'm planning to buy food from Kmart/Costco and cook when we can.


Any other ideas on how we might save more? I haven't committed to anything and purchased or placed a deposit yet - still in the researching phase.

TIA!

adamak

I'd book the rental car once you have the date set. There is no cancellation penalty anyways. Maui rental car can jump up any time, and you can always rebook if you change date or see lower rates.

djs

Could possibly knock a little off by using Priceline or Hotwire for the car (I'd be reluctant to for the airfare as you could wind up with undesirable flights). Keep in mind that the car would be non-refundable this way though, so you'd want your flights/accomodations lined up first.

jplee3

Thanks for the tips guys!

I went ahead and booked the airfare for $796.xx as I didn't want to keep waiting too much longer. Not really sure if the price will drop beyond that. $398 per person (after taxes/fees) doesn't seem too bad.

As for the car, I actually got an even lower quoted rate of $152.xx using my Chase Ultimate Rewards travel planner/reservation tool. I definitely wasn't expecting that.

And I think we're pretty set on the condo we'll be staying at - $604 (including taxes/fees) for the 6 days seems like a decent price ($100~ per night). I'm just having trouble finding anything lower than that on the west side.

darthbimmer

Two suggestions for next time (or for anyone else who wants similar help):

1. Be clear about the cost of airline tickets per person. I read your OP as $798ea.
2. Tell us where you're coming from. $398 is good but not great from the US West Coast; for traveling from the US East Coast it's a lot better.

Enjoy Hawaii!

jplee3

Sorry about that! I completely overlooked the "per person" note :T

The rate in this case is out of Oakland, CA (West coast), so based on what you're saying it seems like it might be a pretty 'standard' fare.

How are the crowds in Maui during the Thanksgiving holidays? I've heard that it's not overwhelmingly crowded. Hopefully that's not the case when we're there.

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Hawaii Forum.
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Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Recreation

As others suggested, book your rental car asap. They tend to gouge you during holidays and peak season, so it's best to lock something in now and then cancel or adjust if needed.

You got a really good deal on the condo. Food is a huge expense, so you're saving there if you cook in. Food is about 25% higher on Maui vs. the mainland, in my experience, which isn't too bad, so I don't pack much food. However, I do pack some things from home that would be wasteful to buy there. For instance, I hoard ketchup & mustard and salt & pepper packets during the year to throw in the luggage vs buying a big container in the store. I'll throw in some Montreal steak seasoning and some Old Bay Seasoning in plastic baggies because we usually grill steaks and fish. I always bring a collection of plastic bags, from sandwich bags to big garbage bags to pack lunches in and to haul home wet swimming suits and snorkeling equipment.

I also always pack a 9-can soft-sided cooler and some re-usable ice packs for day trips.

You can save on some activities, such as Ziplining and some boat trips, by booking online in advance. Activities is always our biggest expense next to flights so we plan these out carefully. Some activities are two-for-ones -- for instance, if you book any snorkeling trips, you'll probably see whales here or there at the end of November, so no need to book a separate whale watching excursion.

Also note how many activities include breakfast and/or lunch so that you don't overbuy at the grocery store.

I also like to rotate free activities and non-free activities. If you bring your own snorkel gear, you can go to any beach and snorkel for free. (Or just rent there, though I prefer to bring my own snorkel.) Driving to Hana or Haleakala is just the cost of gas. Kayaking is pretty cheap.

jplee3

Thanks for the tips! I'll see if I can NYOP on Priceline and get something for less than what I got quoted at $152, but I think $25~ per day (after taxes) isn't too bad.

Good reminder on the bags too - I try to remember to do that when I travel, especially for storing dirty clothes, etc. We'll have a mesh bag too for the beach. Are you able to carry-on ice packs aboard the plane? We're trying to avoid checking in as it's an additional $25 for the first piece

I'm not sure how many activities we'll be doing. My dad scared me about ziplining after sending me a link of an accident on the Big Island where a tower collapsed and one guy going down the line fell to his death. I actually went ziplining down in Costa Rica earlier this year too. It was fun, and I probably wouldn't mind going again, but I also don't have a strong urge to either (especially after hearing about the accident).

We're probably going to just do as you suggested and find various places to snorkel around the South and West sides. I'm planning to bring fishing equipment as well to get some of that in and maybe catch us a meal Other than that, we're planning to do Haleakala the first day and then Hana the day after that. Maybe Iao State Park too (after Haleakala perhaps).

Recreation

They did allow it, but they were the self-contained, very clearly labeled kind.

http://www.thermos.com/products/24-ice-cubes.aspx

It would be very difficult for me to get to Hawaii with just a carry-on unless I had access to laundry. Of course, we pack our snorkel equipment and tennis racquets. I'd consider just checking in one bag for the two of you.

jplee3

Agh... so I was on the phone with someone from another management office of a resort (the Papakea - I've stayed here before) down the street from where I am planning on staying (the Kuleana) and she was trying to talk me out of it. She was talking a lot of trash about Kuleana and how it's noisy, run-down, not well-maintained, and just the type of people who live there (inferring that they're permanent residents and because of that somehow our stay would not be pleasant). She basically posed a loaded questio: "Would you rather stay at a 5-star resort or at an old run-down apartment complex?"

I don't see how the Kuleana is *that* bad. The Tripadvisor reviews look like a mixed bag but it really depends on the owners too, right? This could go for Papakea as well, because I know I've heard things about that place, despite my experience there being good overall. As far as "5-star resort" I think she was exaggerating a bit. I'm also pretty sure staying at the Papakea would cost us another $100 ($700 versus $604~) but the lady was going to check with her manager on pricing.

In any case, the problem is that I put the deposit for the Kuleana in the mail. Trying to see if the post office can stop it so I can have more time to think about where we should stay.

My gut instinct is just to stick with what we have.

Anyone here who has stayed at the Kuleana and can give some sound advice? The lady said she was being "honest" but it just seemed like she was being pushy and trying to give me the upsell.

bitachu

so your just trying to save on cost of travel or loking for things to do on the cheap....

your airfare is just alright from oak...nothing special...from hnl to/fr oak..looks like around 350$ or so per person...although winter time it might be more..plus your going to maui....i just flew to sfo from hnl roundtrip 220$ after taxes..so just fyi..

car yeah use hotwire/priceline...

if you want cheap(although maybe ghetto)..i would go maui aston lu..its real basic but across the street from the beach and near wailea...plus you will be in kihei..which is like not touristy at all.and nearby reg stores/restaurants..lahanina and kanapalii tends to be a bit touristy...

jplee3

Pretty much... yea, after looking around it seems like an average fare but not bad for the break I'm not sure if we would ever end up going if we were to base it on finding the absolute lowest fare.

The price I actually got at $152 isn't bad at all. I just did Priceline and the lowest I could find was $146, and I would have to pay for it *now*. The $150 rate is a pretty good fallback.

I saw the Maui Aston Lu and passed it up just because of A) no kitchen and B) $10+ resort fee - seems like a lot of these resorts are doing that these days. The Kuleana unit has a kitchen and there's no resort fee, but probably because (as the woman at the Papakea said), it's an "old apartment complex" At the end of the day, I think we'll stick with the Kuleana - I'm pretty set on not paying much more than $100 per night after taxes. And it just doesn't seem as bad as the lady made it out to be. I think the experience varies unit by unit probably too...

nishimark

Just some thoughts to throw out. We've stayed at bad places before and it had a significant bad effect on our enjoyment of the trip. We've also stayed at Papakea a few times and would definitely go back there for the value (combination of price, location, and comfort). Shopping at K-mart and Costco can be difficult for a week, as the cost savings come with large quantities, which you might not need for only 6 days. I think that a smart way to save money on meals is to plan your detailed menu for the week and then shop accordingly. On the other hand, that doesn't sound like a vacation to me, because I like being spontaneous with food. But, it's a good way to save if you're being really conscious of money I think.

jplee3

I see what you mean. I like the Papakea as well but figured it would be interesting trying out another place. The Kuleana doesn't seem like it's as bad as the lady was making it out to be though, and based on Tripadvisor reviews, bad reviews are mostly far and few between. I even asked her about the Pa Ki Maui (near the Papakea) and she talked it down as well, saying beach access is impeded by shrubs and that it's right next to Honokawai Park, which she said really isn't a good place to be near or out around during the night. But the Pa ki Maui is the next block up from the Papakea which means if it's close then Papakea also is close - if it's really *that* bad, why would I also not be concerned staying at the Papakea too? I mean, it's not so much the fact that she made those other places sound bad, but more of the mentality that "your vacation will suck if you stay there because none of those are the 5-star resort we are." What would have been more helpful would have been to recommend other places besides Papakea that might be worth checking out. But she was really pushing Papakea hard - I understand that you want to sell out your rentals, but it just seems like a dirty way of doing it to me. Plus, I really can't imagine the Papakea as the by-all and be-all standard of all places to stay on Maui (and if you don't stay there your vacation will not be an enjoyable experience). At this point, I'm still inclined to stick with what we got at Kuleana.

As far as food, I agree, I think we're going to be spontaneous about food but I think we're also hoping to cook a good portion of the time too. We'll probably buy food for 3-4 days at most and leave the rest open for eating out.