If you’ve been using our Hawaii Google Gadget to keep an eye on airfare to Hawaii you’ll notice it also reports what airline is offering the low price:

The gadget actually uses Kayak.com’s flight search technology to discover those low fares. Kayak.com is an excellent web site for researching airfare, but there are many more. So how do they stack up? Recently, we took a look at airfare from Seattle to Lihue, and compared the major players:

Expedia.com - $321
Orbitz.com - $321
Kayak.com - $322
OneTravel.com - $330
CheapOAir.com - $574

Incidentally, the airfare found was with Alaska Airlines, whose own web site also quoted a price of $321.

These results are quite interesting. First, CheapOAir, a major player in the market, couldn’t find the discounted Alaska Airlines rate. As a result it found a much higher rate with a different carrier. OneTravel.com, another relatively new but big player in the market, quoted a rate that was slightly higher. Unlike the other web sites, OneTravel.com uses coupon codes to give people discounted rates. If you know about the coupon, you can get the $321 rate.

Finally, expedia, orbitz and kayak all discovered the lowest possible rate.

What differentiates these web sites is the way they search for low airfare. If you have exact dates, either expedia, orbitz or kayak will do the job. However, if you have flexible dates, kayak.com is the web site to use as it can search a range of dates, which is extremely useful.

Tags: Airfare, Cheap, hawaii

Kona has a reputation for having the best sunsets in Hawaii. The combination of dry weather, ocean vistas, and perhaps vog scattering the sunlight make for some incredible scenes. It’s not uncommon for people to pull off to the side of the road to watch the sun go down. The Kona Reef on Alii drive is one of those lucky resorts with front row seating. Perhaps front row is an understatement. Condo D-12 at Kona Reef happily boasts that it’s situated just 23 feet from the ocean! Here’s a video slide show of D-12. You’re going to love the music, and the sunset slide!

Tags: Big Island, Kona, Kona Reef, Sunsets

Over the last few months Bing and Google have introduced amazing new features to their maps. First, Google’s street view has finally arrived on Oahu. Now you can explore Oahu like never before. This is particularly important for the vacation rental industry because it allows people to explore vacation rental neighborhoods. Here’s an example - dreamy Lanikai:

View Larger Map

Google street view is also available on Maui. The coverage is not as comprehensive as Oahu but it allows one to explore and get a great feel for areas like Wailea and Kihei. Unfortunately Kaanapali resort is not covered yet.

Bing maps has introduced an amazing bird’s eye views to its Waikiki map which allows one to explore the area from the sky. HawaiiGaga.com utilizes these bird’s eye view images for our Waikiki condo guides. For example take a look at our Colony Surf condo page. Note how you can move and spin the map around!

Tags: Hawaii Maps, Maui Maps, Oahu Maps

Maui does’nt have as many farmers markets as the other islands, but don’t let that fool you. Maui is home to about 800 farms. Maui’s climate is perfect for growing a wide range of crops year round. The fertile slopes of Haleakala provide a wide temperature band that allow for a variety of produce to be grown. Still most of these farms are small, and Hawaii imports about 80-90% of it’s food from the mainland. Support the local economy and farmers instead of buying the imported produce that’s found in some grocery stores. The fruit and vegies will be fresher, healthier and delicious. Plus farmers markets have all sorts of treats that make them a fun activity for tourists.

View Maui Farmers Markets in a larger map

Tags: Maui, maui farms, maui markets

For some time now we’ve wanted to write a guide for people who are new to the process of renting vacation homes. Fortunately we discovered Terry Gronenthal who publishes The Vacationers Guide to Vacation Rentals. Terry long ago discovered the benefits of staying in a vacation rental over a hotel and has put a tremendous amount of effort into writing about the subject. His guide covers everything you need to know about the rental process.

Some excellent advice Terry gives is to write reviews about your experience after your trip. There are three reasons for doing this. First, as a way of rewarding a quality rental. Second, to help out fellow vacationers. But finally, as Terry recommends in the guide, when you go on vacation again and approach an owner to make an inquiry, you can tell them “We’ve used vacation rentals in the past and you can see one of my reviews here.” Quality owners love guests who are savvy enough to write online reviews because it helps build the reputation of their rental. Likewise, an owner who cuts corners will be put on notice that you mean business.

Tags: vacation rentals howto

We’ve finally added Mahaulepu beach and trail information to HawaiiGaga.com. This is a beautiful undeveloped area in Poipu, and a highlight of the region. Because access is confusing, not too many Poipu vacationers visit this area. If you’re in good health the best way to experience Mahaulepu is with a hike from Shipwreck beach across Mahaulepu trail to Mahaulepu beach. It’s at least a half day excursion that involves about 2.5 hours of hiking (both ways). You’ll also want to relax and perhaps get wet at the beach, which will be another hour. So pack a lunch, and make sure you have good shoes and a hat. You can also drive to Mahaulepu beach. The dirt road just past the Hyatt will take you there. Two roads will get you to the beach, but avoid the shorter dirt road that takes you past CJM country stables as it’s a terrible road that will get your car stuck. The longer road gets you to the middle of the beach in a roundabout kind of way.

Mahaulepu Beach

Tags: Kauai beaches, Mahaulepu, Mahaulepu beach

If you like Hawaii Trivia, you may enjoy our Hawaii Trivia Challenge. 95 Hawaii trivia questions to test your Hawaii knowledge and discover some interesting facts about the islands. We’ve been told the questions are pretty difficult, but you should have some fun going through them.

What is a wolphin? Take the trivia challenge to find out (image courtesy of Mark Interrante)

For more Hawaii trivia pick up the book Hawaii Trivia by Ed Cassidy, which contains at least 1000 Hawaii trivia questions.

Tags: Hawaii Trivia

If you’ve taken our quiz that helps people discover the best hawaiian island based on vacationing preferences, you may have noticed that all else being equal, we recommend Oahu for first time visitors. A big reason for that recommendation is all the historic and cultural sightseeing Oahu offers visitors. From Pearl Harbor and the US Army Museum to Iolani Palace, Queen Emma’s Summer Palace, Byodo-In Temple, and the remains of several Heiau (Hawaiian temples). Oahu also has the magnificent Bishop Museum, the largest museum in the state, and containing one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world.

Bishop Museum

Bishop Museum features 5 main exhibit halls. The recently renovated Hawaiian Hall spans 3 floors and takes visitors “on a journey through the different realms of Hawaii.” Here you will learn about key moments in history, Hawaii’s kings, the fascinating area of Hawaiian mythology, and also learn about the connection that Hawaiian’s have with the ocean, land and nature.

The 2 story Polynesian Hall focuses on Hawaii’s Polynesian roots, while the Science Adventure center teaches about Hawaii’s unique geology and environment. Two other exhibits honor Hawaii’s Monarchy and athletes.

Bishop Museum also has rotating exhibits. On Display through January 3, 2010 is Dinosaurs Unearthed featuring life sized robotic dinosaurs, sure to be a huge hit with kids. In fact, many of the Museum’s exhibits have interactive components which children tend to find especially enjoyable.

It’s unfortunate that so many visitors to Oahu miss out on the best the island has to offer. Whether it’s the fabulous beaches of the east and north shores, or wonderful cultural experiences like Bishop Museum. Remember, you can’t spend the entire day out in the sun. And if you’ve taken your kids out of school to go on vacation (an excellent strategy to save money), taking them to Bishop Museum will surely make up for a lost week of lessons!

Bishop Museum is open Wednesday to Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tags: Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Art, Hawaiian History, Oahu

We’re very pleased to announce that HawaiiGaga.com has partnered with Hawaiian Images Photography and Video to bring you aerial photos of Hawaii’s beaches, attractions, and condo resorts.

As you may know, HawaiiGaga.com displays panoramic photos of Hawaii’s 150 most popular beaches and tourist attractions. Panoramic photos give one an excellent idea of what a beach looks like. Now we’ve supplemented those photos with aerial images. The added perspective reveals many details about a beach. You’ll notice that many Hawaii beaches enjoy beautiful surroundings. As an example, take a look at spectacular Tunnels Beach on Kauai.

Brian Powers of Hawaiian Images Photography and Video decided to photograph the Big Island’s coastline in 2004. The project proved so popular he continued in 2007 and photographed the rest of Hawaii. Over 10,000 photographs later, and he now has nearly every inch of Hawaii’s coastline photographed. The photos are taken at about 500ft. Brian can somehow fly an airplane and take sharp photos at the same time!

Tags: aerial photos, hawaii beaches, hawaii pictures, Kauai beaches, tunnels beach

The Waipio Valley on the Big Island is one of the most important anthropological areas in Hawaii. Know as the Valley of the Kings, Waipio was the seat of royal power on the Big Island and home to 7 Heiau (temples), including Paka’Alana Heiau, one of two Big Island sanctuaries where ‘criminals’ and war enemies could go to find refuge. In Hawaiian mythology, many Gods and Demigods resided in the valley.

In 1778, approximately 2600 people lived in Waipio Valley, tending to fish ponds and farming a wide variety of crops. In times of famine, the valley could always be counted on to produce a bounty of food. The first European visitors described the area as a garden of Eden, with the valley surrounded by waterfalls including the spectacular 1200 ft Hi’ilawe Falls.

In 1819, the Kapu system (the traditional system of rules and regulations) was abolished and soon after the temples were dismantled. The valley’s population also started to decrease, and by 1854 perhaps 300-400 people remained. New diseases introduced by European contact, the growth of the port towns of Kona and Hilo, and the prominence of other towns in the now unified Hawaiian Kingdom all played a part in the decline of the valley’s population. In 1880 a small number of once indentured Portuguese and Chinese laborers settled in the valley to work on commercial rice and koi cultivation.

In 1946 a devastating tsunami hit the Big Island, and water flooded the entire valley. Following the tsunami, only 15-20 people continued to live there. Today perhaps 50 people live in the valley.

Touring Waipio Valley

Visitors are drawn to Waipio because of the scenic beauty of the area. Rental cars aren’t allowed into the valley, and so tourists have to enter via wagon rides or horse tours. An excellent and fun way to experience Waipio and Hi’ilawe Falls is with a Big Island ATV tour on the rim of the valley. RideTheRim offers 3 hour tours along the rim of the valley, taking you through ginger and eucalyptus forests with beautiful panoramic views of the valley and waterfall.

RideTheRim ATV Tours - Waipio Valley Views

Tags: ATV tours, big island of hawaii, ridetherim, valley of the kings, waipio valley