Aloha! Condos, Homes and Places to Stay in Hawaii | Your Hawaii Resource and Information Blog

5 Easy Ways to Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget

Vacationing in Hawaii on a budget can be a challenge. Everything is more expensive on an island, from food to transportation to entertainment. Even a simple bottle of sun block or a bottle of water costs more in Hawaii than on the mainland. Here are a few tips to help you vacation in Hawaii on a budget.

Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget: Timing is Everything

When planning a vacation in Hawaii, the dates you select for your visit greatly determine the overall cost of your trip. Visiting Hawaii in the off-season is advisable when traveling on a budget. The off-season in Hawaii occurs between mid-April to mid-June and September to mid-December.

Travel to Hawaii is more expensive around holidays and popular events, such as the annual celebrity golf classic tournament. Air fare and hotel accommodations will be more reasonably priced during the off-season than during the peak tourist months.

To whittle down the cost of your vacation to Hawaii even further, you can plan your trip to avoid weekend stays. Arrive on a Monday and depart before Friday evening to avoid paying higher lodging and air fare costs. Weekends are popular travel times, and not only will hotels and flights be crowded during the weekends, but the price for services can nearly double on the weekends during the peak season.

Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget: Look into Alternate Lodging

Lodging on Hawaii accounts for a large portion of your travel budget. Researching a few non-traditional lodging options can help you cut back on expenses. Some families opt to travel to Hawaii with a time-share company. These companies pay for a percentage of your lodging. In exchange, you agree to listen to a sales pitch for a time-share condominium in the Hawaiian Islands.

These types of services should be investigated thoroughly before agreeing to any terms to avoid hidden charges or undesirable contract terms. You can also research renting a house or apartment during your stay if you are visiting for more than a few days or require more than one bedroom. This option may prove to be less expensive than booking one or more hotel rooms for your stay.

Many tourists who enjoy the outdoors camp out during their visit to Hawaii. Many Hawaiian State Parks offer camping facilities for locals and tourists alike.

Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget: Pack Wisely

Even everyday items like sun block and toothpaste are more expensive in Hawaii so pack wisely. You can pack fewer changes of clothes and include powdered laundry soap for use at your hotel to compensate for the items brought from home. Include items like extra batteries for your camera, pain reliever, an umbrella, sun block and lotion, and even snacks.

Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget: Research Pays Off

Research which Hawaiian Islands you want to visit before booking your trip. Air fare between the islands is expensive. You may find that you are content with visiting only one or two of the islands.

You can purchase entertainment discount books online, including one specifically created for Hawaii. You can get one by visiting www.entertainment.com. In addition, once you arrive on the island, keep your eyes open for promotional offers and coupons found on each island. These coupons can really add up over the course of your stay.

Vacation in Hawaii on a Budget: Creative Souvenirs

The sale of souvenirs is big business in any tourist area- Hawaii is no different. While those colorful t-shirts and leis are tempting, they also can be big budget busters. Consider using your digital camera to create your own souvenirs to save money.

You can write a special message in the sand and take a picture to capture the event. You can even create Hawaii scrapbooks of photos you take during your trip. These are much cheaper to print out on the mainland then collecting a bagful of Hawaiian souvenirs.

Vacationing in Hawaii on a budget is possible with advanced planning, a little knowledge, and some creativity. These money saving ideas can help make your Hawaiian dream vacation a reality.