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The Hawaii Travel Podcast, show number 20, for Tuesday, April 23rd 2013.  On this episode we’ll discuss one of the true wonders of the world – SPAM^®. All that and more, on this episode of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

WHY IS SPAM^® SO POPULAR IN HAWAII?

Listener Frank left a voicemail explaining the history of SPAM^® in Hawaii.  He also mentioned the annual SPAM^® festival that takes place in Waikiki each year. This call lead to a lively discussion about SPAM^® and the SPAM^® Jam.

SPAM^® facts: Continue reading “Hawaii And Spam, A Match Made In Heaven : Show 20” »

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The Hawaii Travel Podcast, show number 19 for Tuesday, April 16, 2013.  Today we’ll talk about the amazing island of Oahu–specifically, things to checkout and activities to experience on Oahu for the young and the young at heart.  All that and more on this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

OAHU WITH KIDS

This week, we wanted to talk about the top things for kids to do while visiting the island of Oahu.  We purposely picked things that we feel are fun for kids and adults.

Dole Plantation
64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy.
Wahiawa, HI  96786
Phone: 1-808-621-8408

Pineapple Express Train
Pineapple Garden Maze
The Plantation Grille Continue reading “Oahu With Kids (And The Young At Heart) : Show 19” »

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The Hawaii Travel Podcast, show number 18 for Tuesday, April 9th 2013,  We explore the fantastic Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, We’ll tell you how to have a Memorial Day Weekend To Remember while visiting Oahu, a quick Merrie Monarch Festival update, and beware of the dreaded Box Jellyfish!

HAWAII TRAVEL PODCAST’S HAWAII TRAVEL POLL

Remeber to vote in our new Hawaii Travel Podcast’s Hawaii Travel Poll.  This week’s question is…

After airfare and lodging is factored in, where do you spend the majority of your money while visiting Hawaii?  

And your choices are:  Food, Drinking, Tours, Activities, Rental cars, Transportation, Massages or spas, Shopping or Other

Make your voice heard!  Vote now at http://www.hawaiitravelpodcast.com/poll and we’ll discuss what you and your fellow Hawaii Travel Podcast listeners had to say in an upcoming episode.

MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL

This year was a first for the Merrie Monarch Festival. In years past you could stream the festival over the Internet.  This year marked the first time mobile devices, like the iPhone/iPhone etc could stream the event. Continue reading “Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu Memorial Day Weekend, And Merrie Monarch Festival: Show 18” »

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Inter-island travel tips, a super memorable day trip while visiting Kona on the Big Island, and more tips are featured in this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Our question of the week deals with inter-island travel.  Have you ever island-hopped the Hawaiian islands?  And, if so, what do  you prefer most?  Do you like to visit one island per trip or hit multiple islands?  We would like to hear from you.  Scroll down to the comments section of this episode’s show notes and let us know your thoughts.

INTER-ISLAND TRAVEL TIPS

If you have the time, visiting an additional island on your Hawaiian vacation doesn’t have to bust your budget.  On our recent trip, we picked up tickets from Oahu to Hilo on the Big Island for about $80 per person. Continue reading “Inter-Island Travel Tips, And A Fun Day Trip While Visiting Kona: Show 17” »

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Some useful tips on how to visit Maui on a budget and two great lodging options while you are in Hilo on the Big island and more are featured in this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

Question of the week:

Our question of the week this week deals with lodging.  Where do you prefer to stay while traveling to Hawaii?  There are so many great choices ranging from hotels, B&Bs, condos, and vacation rentals by owner.  Which do you prefer?  Scroll down to the comments section below and let us know your thoughts.

LODGING OPTIONS IN HILO ON THE BIG ISLAND

M.L. in Louisiana sent us an email.  His question is about where to stay in Hilo.  He writes:

Hi guys. Quick question. On the past two episodes of the podcast, you made reference to how hard it could be to find lodging on the Hilo side of the Big Island.  Any tips on places to stay?  We heard that renting a condo for a few days may be an okay option, but it depends on the person who owns the property and how well it is maintained.  So, now we are trying to decide between a B&B and a hotel (if we can find one that is clean).  PS, Jennifer, my wife and I also don’t enjoy cockroaches.  Any tips?

On our recent trip to Hilo, we were lucky enough to stay at both a hotel and a B&B, and we loved both of these options.  In this episode, we gave in-depth reviews of both.

An amazing hotel…
Dolphin Bay Hotel
Continue reading “Maui On A Budget And Hilo Lodging Options : Show 16” »

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Our Review Of A Classic Oahu Luau And Some Waikiki Food And Shopping Tips And More Are Featured In This Episode Of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

An email came in from Karen.  She asked a few questions as a matter of fact and we condensed them down to one question:

What are the best places to eat and shop in Waikiki, and where is the best luau in Honolulu?   

First, we did an in depth Waikiki food review of the best, cheap places to eat in Waikiki in show 11.  Check out Show 11 here. 

We also shared our picks for best places to shop. There are shops all over Waikiki.  For a “mall” type of shopping experience, check out the Ala Moana Center at 1450 Ala Moana Boulevard in Honolulu.  You’ll find “high-end” shops all along Kalakaua Avenue.  For fun, “touristy” types of shopping, check out the International Market Place in Waikiki.  Continue reading “A Classic Oahu Luau And Waikiki Suggestions : Show 15” »

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Tips About Traveling To Kauai And What To Explore At Volcanoes National Park And More Are Featured In This Episode Of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

KAUAI TRAVELING TIPS

Our first question came in from a listener via voicemail. He is planning a trip to Kauai and is looking for some advice:

Hey guys, great show.  My wife and I are planning on heading to Hawaii soon.  We’re thinking of heading to Kauai.  We wanted to know if you had any suggestions as to where to stay in Kauai and what sort of activities would be perfect for us.  We would like to walk and travel around Kauai, and kind of keep the activity on the light side.  I am an avid scuba diver and snorkeler.  Any suggestions would be great, and we look forward to the next show.

Kauai has four sections:

SOUTH SHORE REGION

Poipu is the place to visit and/or stay on the south side of the island.  It is dry and sunny and has beautiful beaches.

Places of interest in the southern region of Kauai:

Poipu Beach Park Beach Park
Poipu Beach Park Beach Park is a beautifully spectacular beach.  You would be hard pressed to find a better beach for snorkeling since it is usually always calm. Continue reading “Volcanoes National Park and Kauai Traveling Tips : Show 14” »

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Priceline Survival Tips, A Really Fun Waikiki Water Sport Adventure And Two Oahu Food Tours And More Can Be Found In This Episode Of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

WATER JETPACK FUN IN WAIKIKI

Our first question came in via email from Jesse in Fort Lauderdale—just days before our trip.  He wrote:

Dear Dan and Jennifer,  I hope this email isn’t too late.  You asked for idea suggestions for possible activities to review on your upcoming trip to Hawaii.  Would you be willing to try the water jet pack device?  It looks very fun and a little scary at the same time.  My wife and I are taking bets that you won’t do it–I know you are both afraid of heights.  Both my wife and I think Jennifer would strap one of these on her before you would.  Let me know if you will do it.

We were lucky enough to try the JetLev water jet at H2O Sports powered by SeaBreeze at Maunalua Bay near Diamond Head.  Because Jennifer is pregnant, she couldn’t participate in the actual JetLev experience–so Dan did it and loved it!  Jennifer watched Dan fly by as high as 12 feet from water.  According to Dan, learning to fly was an exhilarating, a once-in-a-lifetime experience–and he felt safe the entire time thanks to expert guidance of his instructor Tony. Continue reading “Priceline Survival Tips, Waikiki Water Sports And Oahu Food Tours : Show 13” »

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Advice on how far in advance to book your trip to Hawaii to ensure you get the best flight and hotel deals, where to see zoos, aquariums and more on Oahu, some tips for people looking for swap meets and flea markets on Maui and more can be found in this episode of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

BOOKING STRATEGIES

Jeff from Detroit called in with this voicemail…

Hi, I just found your website/podcast and it looks great. I’ve got a question for you. This is Jeff in the Detroit area. And, I’m planning a Hawaii trip–my first Hawaii trip–for this September–my wife and me. And I’m curious at to when would be a good time to book a trip to Hawaii for September, how soon should it be done, in order to not book it too early and maybe overpay because some rates may go down, but not book it too late and risk being shut out of good rates or good hotels of what I might want. So, if you’ve got some general guidelines for that, that would be great. Thank you.
Continue reading “Booking Strategies, Meet A Monk Seal, Maui’s Swap Meets : Show 12” »

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Great cheap eats at Waikiki Beach, Maui sunset catamaran cruise, Big Island winery and more are featured in this episode of The Hawaii Travel Podcast.

TOP 7 INEXPENSIVE PLACES TO EAT IN WAIKIKI BEACH

Yes, you can eat well and not break the bank at Waikiki Beach. It just comes down to knowing where to go, what to order, and how to find the best deals.  Here are our picks for the top places to eat on a budget in the Waikiki Beach area:

• Wailana Coffee House
  1860 Ala Moana Blvd Honolulu, HI 96815
  (808) 955-1764
• The Cream Pot (in the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel)
  444 Niu St Honolulu, HI 96815
  (808) 429-0945
• Shirokiya
  1450 Ala Moana Blvd #2250, Honolulu, HI
  Phone (808) 973-9111
• Shore Bird Waikiki
  2169 Kalia Rd Honolulu, HI 96815
  (808) 922-2887
• Diamond Head Market Grill
  3158 Monsarrat Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815
  (808) 732-0077
• Hula Grill
  2335 Kalakaua Ave #203, Honolulu, HI 96815
  (808) 923-4852
• Hawaiiana Cafe & Sushi
  260 Beachwalk  Honolulu, HI 96815
  Phone (808) 772-8879

Continue reading “Cheap Eats In Waikiki Beach, Maui Catamaran Cruise And Tasting Wine From The Big Island : Show 11” »