get away to turtle bay

i have nothing but fond memories of time spent on the north shore when i was growing up. as much as i love the hustle & bustle of waikiki and its mix of people from all over the world it's impossible to resist the soul of the north shore.

if you're looking to escape for a few days, save the plane fare and head up to turtle bay to relax in one of their ocean view rooms:

• rate: from $199 a night (exclusives promotion)
• book it: by thu, nov 16th
• blackout: oct 26th & 27th

for those of you who love the north shore because it is the antithesis of waikiki, you should be aware of the controversy brewing over the new owners' attempts at expanding the property. click over to keep the north shore country to learn more about what's happening and how you can help.

aqua waikiki wave

on our last trip home, we considered staying in waikiki for a night until hotel sticker shock nudged us back to hale ohana. my inner circle knows that the w hotel is more my style (if not always in my budget) but even after attempting to find more reasonably priced accomodations that wouldn't creep me out via priceline, i abandoned my search and opted to take a day trip to kaua'i instead.

we may have carried on with our waikiki plans had i known that the aqua waikiki wave (formerly the aston coral reef) was undergoing renovations to transform itself into a modern boutique hotel. the updated rooms feature a flat screen television, dvd player, stainless steel mini-fridge & microwave making the rate (as low as $109 a night) a downright bargain considering the hotel's central location on kuhio behind the international marketplace.

recent tripadvisor reviews have been positive although do keep in mind that a few amenities like free wi-fi (sweet!) are not available yet and the spa & fitness center won't be ready until the end of december.

hawaiian vanilla company

it's the secret ingredient at some of the most notable restaurants in the islands so, if you love to bake, you may want to stock up on premium vanilla beans & extract from the big island's hawaiian vanilla company which has the distinction of being the one and only vanilla farm in the states.

even if you're not into cooking, hawaiian vanilla has partnered up with other local companies so your tastebuds will be the happy recipient of estate grown 100% hawaiian vanilla coffee, roselani ice cream, and other goodies.

you can even take a culinary tour and discover all things vanilla at an upcountry tea, luncheon or tasting (reservations required) at hawaiian vanilla's vineyard on the hamakua coast.

$19 tix are back!

the neighbor island airfare wars are getting vicious with go! cutting o/w fares on selected seats down to $19. aloha and hawaiian have matched which is good news for travelers on a budget. you can hit 3 islands for less than a friend paid to fly from honolulu to kaua'i earlier this year. lucky you live hawaii, indeed!

details:

• book it: sat, sep 30th
• fly: now to feb 28th, 2007
• cities: honolulu to hilo *or* kahalui *or* kona *or* lihue
• blackout: veteran's day, thanksgiving, xmas & thanksgiving

book 'em (sorry, i couldn't resist): aloha airlines | go! | hawaiian airlines

honokaa hideaway

for those of you thinking of heading to the big island with the latest airfare deal, avoid the overpriced, tourist-filled resorts and go explore one of my favorite places on earth: the hamakua coast. the proprietors of waianuhea offer all the comforts you would expect from a small b+b inn like homemade breakfasts and afternoon wine tastings, but non-luddites will appreciate rooms stocked with modern luxuries like dvd players and lcd tvs.

the inn is also off the grid, powered solely by solar panels, so you know that you are treading lightly while visiting one of the most beautiful spots in the islands. the reviews over at tripadvisor are stellar and, more importantly, the tex drive-in is down the road which means the best malasadas on the island are just minutes away.

beat that waikoloa!