Update: Congratulations to our winners - everybody who entered won! The contest has now ended. No one got every answer exactly right but everyone showed a jolly good effort.

To celebrate our 2 year anniversary we’re giving away Bishop Museum Tickets! Bishop Museum is a wonderful place to visit if you’re traveling to Oahu. To enter just answer the following trivia questions and submit your answer as a blog comment. Remember there’s a limit of 1 winner per household, and the museum tickets expire December 31, 2010. It takes about 10 minutes to figure out the answers to the quiz.

Trivia Questions

Question 1 - What HawaiiGaga.com beach page stars an endangered species monk seal?
[Hint: We've photographed 1 in Oahu, 1 on the Big Island, and 2 on Kauai]

Question 2 - According to our weather guide, what area of Hawaii receives the least amount of rainfall?
[Hint - Hawaii Weather Guide]

Question 3 - What Kauai condo are we describing here:

“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is an oceanfront condominium complex about a 5 minute walk from Brennecke beach, or 7 minutes to Poipu Beach park. The complex features a swimming pool hovering just at the edge of the ocean.”

[Hint - See our Kauai condos page]

To Enter

Add your answer as a comment. Winners will be emailed at the email address you specify in the blog comment.  Note: Private information is not shared and used only to administer this giveaway.

Rules

-Limit of 1 entry per household.
-Tickets must be used by December 31, 2010.
-We reserve the right to judge incorrect answers as correct when a good effort is shown.
-Employees, family, friends, and associates of HawaiiGaga.com not eligible.
-Only open to residents of the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
-Void where prohibited by law.
-No purchase necessary to win.
-HawaiiGaga.com is not responsible for lost or undelivered entries or winner notifications including those that are flagged as spam by our or your spam blocking software. Winners have to send mailing information within a week of being notified.

Tags: Bishop Museum Contest

You’re probably already aware that in Hawaii, vacation rentals offer outstanding value compared to hotel rooms, especially if you’re traveling with family or friends and need a place with 2 or more bedrooms. Since vacation rentals are essentially homes they offer all the amenities you would expect - fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities (most often in-suite), high speed internet, and so on. Many even have things like beach equipment, books and other accessories that vacationers find useful.

So by deciding on a vacation rental compared to a hotel you’re already on your way to saving money on your vacation. Another nice aspect about vacation rentals is that the price is often negotiable. All you have to do is ask. Here are some tips when asking for a discount:

• Let them know if you’re not going to use all the bedrooms in the rental
• Are your dates flexible? Can you squeeze into a vacant time slot that would otherwise go un-booked?
• Tell them if you’re a senior or in the military.
• Tell them what your budget is and see what they can do to work with your budget.

The greatest opportunity for discounts is when doing a last minute booking as owners are more eager to fill a rental that would otherwise stand empty. Here however you risk losing out on a great place and you may even struggle to find something in an area you like. If you find yourself scrambling to find a place, remember to also check RedWeek.com’s Hawaii Timeshares. Timeshare’s are rentals that have multiple owners, and the owners often trade or rent out their week of ownership when they can’t travel them self. Like rentals, time shares offer deeper discounts on last minute bookings.

Given how the quality of rentals vary, if you see a place that you like it’s best not to wait. Rather, book as soon as possible and use the above tips to try and manage something within your budget. But if you do find yourself planning a last minute trip you could find some great savings. HawaiiGaga’s Hawaii deals page shows many discounts on last minute travel.

Tags: Hawaii timeshares, Hawaii Vacation Rentals

Just a 2 minute drive up the road from Poipu Beach Park is Poipu Shores, a 3 building condominium development boldly located at ocean’s edge. Poipu Shores commands one of the best coastal views of any Poipu resort with views extending beyond Poipu Beach and down Kauai’s southern coast. What makes the view especially dramatic is the ocean’s never ending assault on the lava rocks fronting Poipu Shores, creating spectacular splashes less than 60 ft from some of the units. In fact the startling splashes are even visible from inside some ground floor units - imagine making breakfast only to be startled by a huge splash outside your window. In the winter months, whales can been see directly in front of the condos, while turtles abound year round.

We’ve created a virtual tour of Poipu Shores so you can see the beautiful coastal views for yourself. HawaiiGaga has found  some of the best units at Poipu Shores and you can also venture inside them in the virtual tour!

Poipu Shores Condos, Kauai

Tags: Poipu Condos, Poipu Shores

We’ve uncovered some amazing deals at the Kuhio Shores Condo resort in Poipu. The rates are so good we’re not going to mention how low they are because people reading this post in the future may be disappointed that they couldn’t take advantage of the offer. Click on the link above to go to our Kuhio Shores page, then click on the Kuhio Shores Rentals link to see the offers. At the moment the deals are being offered for travel from now through September.

Kuhio Shores is one of Poipu’s most desirable condos because it’s located directly on the ocean next to Lawai beach. All the units at the 4 story complex have excellent ocean views, and are approximately 30 - 80ft from the water. Because the units are privately owned each one is decorated according to the tastes of the owner.

Lawai beach is one of Poipu’s best snorkeling locations. A highlight for both snorkelers and guests of Kuhio Shores are the many green sea turtles that live around the two bays surrounding the resort. Lawai beach is also occasionally frequented by monk seals for sleeping. A 5 minute walk away is Baby Beach, a reef sheltered beach that is ideal for infants and sun tanning.

A surf break known as PKs is located in front of Kuhio Shores. During the summer months this is considered one of Poipu’s best surf breaks. Just down the road from Kuhio Shores are Spouting Horn park and the Allerton and McBryde national tropical botanical gardens. The new Kukui’ula shopping center is a 10 minute walk away. The center has a weekly farmer’s market, several restaurants, a food market, as well as art galleries and other shops.

Kuhio Shores Condos in Poipu, Kauai

Tags: Kuhio Shores, Poipu Condos

We’ve written before about the The Queen’s Bath on Kauai, including giving our safety recommendations for the area (please take the time to read those recommendations). It’s a popular tourist attraction in Princeville, particularly during the summer months when the ocean is calmer. But the whole rocky coast here experiences the full ferocity of the ocean when swells (waves) roll in. The following video, shot in March, shows how dramatically the area can change from day to day. The first segment shows the Queen’s Bath in 4-6ft surf, while the second show what it looks like in 12-15ft surf. The two segments were captured a couple days apart.

It’s important to approach the ocean with care. Always check the surf report before you visit an area like the Queen’s bath so that you know what the ocean is capable of doing. Click here for more Hawaii safety recommendations.

Tags: Queen's Bath Kauai

Here are ten travel tips for your next Hawaii vacation:

• Renting a car is a must. There’s too much to see and do.
• Look toward the NE to see what the weather will be like for the next hour. The trade winds blow consistently from this direction.
• Check the surf report before you head to the beaches or ocean so you know what to expect.
• Don’t swim in fresh water (streams, rivers, ponds). They are contaminated with Leptospirosis.
• If you plan on renting a surf board, make sure you can fit in on the roof of your rental car (where is the radio antenna?)
• Coral is living organism. Don’t touch or damage the coral. They also have a lot of bacteria on them, so be careful not to get scratched.
• Invest in good snorkel equipment. Bad equipment can ruin the experience.
• Big waves hit the north shores in the winter, and south shores in the summer. This may affect your snorkeling plans.
• The sting from a blue bottle (portuguese man of war) can be very painful. If you see them on the beach it’s a sign to stay out of the water.
• Surf swap meets are a great place to buy equipment.
• Consider buying an inexpensive camera for the kids so they can capture the vacation from their perspective.

For a 110 more travel tips, try our free Hawaii Google gadget. It’s a fun tool that you place on your Google home page and has all sorts of Hawaii related stuff.

Tags: hawaii travel tips

Hideaways Beach is one of Princeville’s hidden gems. This hard to find little beach is located directly below the Puu Pua condos. There’s a path next to Puu Poa’s tennis courts that leads down to the beach. In the summer time Hideaways beach offers good snorkeling when the ocean is calm. There’s also a reef surf break just off the beach. Reef breaks aren’t good for beginners, but more experienced surfers sometimes come here when the prospects elsewhere aren’t great.

Despite being such a charismatic beach, Hideaways doesn’t see too many visitors. There are two reasons for this. First, the public parking facility servicing the beach only holds 9 cars. Second, the path down to the beach is steep. Children over the age of 4 will manage, but smaller will need to be carried. Those with mobility problems may also find the path daunting.

The following video shows the beach, and all the sections of the short path. You’ll notice there are some rusty but functional railings.

Tags: Hideaways Beach Kauai

Nihi Kai Villas in Poipu are a favorite choice for people who want to be within walking distance to Poipu Beach Park. Even closer is Brennecke Beach, about a 2 minute walk from the ocean side entrance to the Villas. Brennecke is actually connected to Poipu beach park.

Lovely grounds, tennis courts, a nice swimming pool.. Well we could go on an explain how nice they are. Instead take a look at the following video to see for yourself. This video features the lovely Nihi Kai 833, possibly commanding the best view at Nihi Kai. Click on the video to watch it in high definition.

Tags: Nihi Kai Villas

Just like airfare, the prices of car rentals fluctuate dramatically in Hawaii. The average price of an economy sized car is in the $30/per day range during regular season. When the supply is low, typically high season times, the price goes into the high $40 range. The highest we’ve seen is $100/day! That was when the car companies, seeing a huge down turn in tourism, shipped off their inventories. Demand was higher than expected, and prices went up to the extreme. On the other hand, prices in the teens are possible.

Despite assurances otherwise, car rental company web sites do not offer the best deals. Dollar rental car is the prime example.

Dollar has this logo placed at the top of their web site. Isn’t it reassuring? Read the details and you’ll see there are a dozen exceptions, including:

• Does not apply to discounts, coupons, upgrade offers
• Does not apply to pre-negotiated rates
• Does not apply to promotional rates
• Does not apply to member rates such as government, AAA, corporate etc.
• Does not apply to rates found on auction sites, or sites that don’t publish the name of the rental company.

And so on..

Dollar acknowledges that web sites with pre-negotiated rates, auction sites, and sites that don’t publish a brand have the lowest rates. So that’s where you should go to find the best deal.

One of the best “auction” style web sites is Priceline.com. On priceline, you bid on a car by saying how much you want to pay. If priceline accepts the bid, your credit card is charged immediately and they tell you what company you got. If the bid is not accepted, you have to wait a day to place a new bid, or change the type of car you want to rent to bid again immediately.

An alternative to Priceline is to use a web site that has pre-negotiated discount rates. There are some benefits to this approach:

1. No deposit and your credit card isn’t charged until you return the car.
2. You can cancel at any time.
3. The rates are still very competitive, usually much better than what the car rental company’s offer directly.
4. They sometimes include an additional driver for free! Car rental companies typically charge an extra $10-$15/day for additional drivers!

Two great web sites to check for low pre-negotiated rates are Discount Hawaii Car Rental and Summit Pacific’s Hawaii Car Rentals.

Remember when you rent a car, you will get fined for 1) early pick up 2) early return 3) late return. The fines are ugly so be careful. Also, always get all your insurance from your local insurance company as the rental company insurance policies are expensive. Finally, use the gas option that requires you to return the car with a full tank of gas, as opposed to the option that lets you return it empty (you prepay for the tank). Drifting into the rental lot on fumes is impossible - you’ll likely have at least $15 of gas left in the tank, if not more.

Tags: Cheap Hawaii Car Rentals

Deciding where to stay on Kauai is a very difficult decision. The north shore has the lush scenery and incredible beaches. The south side has the drier climate and more timid beaches. The east side perhaps represents a compromise since it’s centrally located. The west side is more isolated but has the most convenient access to the hiking of Waimea Canyon.

Another way to decide where to stay is to first look at what the accommodations in each area look like, and how much they cost. If you’re a visual person, the best way to do this is by looking at aerial photos of Kauai’s condo resorts

An Aerial view of Kaha Lani Resort

HawaiiGaga.com’s Kauai Condo Guide includes aerial photos so you can see what the surroundings look like. Most aerial photos are taken from the ocean, so you get the coastal perspective.

Our condo guides also include an estimate of average prices, and a subjective luxury rating. The map shows you what beaches and attractions are located nearby each resort. For many people this is very important consideration in choosing a place to stay.

Tags: Kauai, kauai condos, kauai resorts