Where can you go to find excellent weather, outstanding beauty and that famous "Aloha Spirit?" Hawaii, of course!
When most people think of Hawaii, they think of some exotic island in a different part of the world. While that is true, Hawaii is still the 50th state to join the United States. When you take a Hawaii vacation, you can still speak to the native Hawaiians in English. You will still use American money and you don't need a passport. Hawaii is exotic, yet it is very familiar!
People who take a Hawaii vacation give it a 97% approval rating. What does that mean? It means, when people go to Hawaii, 97 out of 100 of them want to go back. There are not many vacation spots in the world that can make that claim. With an approval rating that high, Hawaii must be doing something right!
Did you know that Hawaii has one of the lowest crime rates of any vacation spot in the world? It has been rated as one of the safest spots in the United States so you can take a Hawaii vacation and feel safe and secure while you are there.
While some people think a Hawaii vacation is too expensive, it is really one of the best values in vacation travel. There are over 21,000 hotel rooms that are available for under $100 per night. They also have the lowest car rental rates in the country and you can enjoy a nice breakfast for under $3.
Too expensive? Some of the best things about a Hawaii vacation are absolutely free. You can sit on any number of beautiful beaches, just relax and forget all your troubles and cares. You can visit one of many beautiful waterfalls. Rainbows, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, rainforests...they are all free and they are yours to enjoy anytime you wish.
One thing you need to remember about taking a Hawaii vacation is that you will want to leave your pets at home. Hawaii has a 120-day quarantine requirement for most pets and a lot of plants are also restricted. If you have plans to take a pet on your Hawaii vacation, you will need to call the Animal Quarantine Station at 808-483-7151 to find out what will be required.
All in all, a Hawaii vacation is a vacation that you will never forget. You will find yourself dreaming of the time that you will be able to return to Hawaii and enjoy that "Aloha Spirit."
A Hawaii Vacation - Where Else Would You Go?
Paradise Found: Guided Tours of Hawaii’s Big Island
The Big Island of Hawaii is one of the most picturesque and unique islands in the Hawaiian Island chain. Because it is so big, however, many visitors take guided tours of the island in order to see as much of its fantastic sites as possible. It could easily become a trip you’ll take over and over again.
Begin your trip in Kailua-Kona on the western side of the island. In fact, many guided tours will have you stay the whole time there and use day excursions to allow you to see the rest of the island. Kona itself is a quaint little village in which you can enjoy a luau, fine dining, a picnic on the grass by the ocean and many small shops located along Ali’i Drive in downtown Kona.
Adventurous guided tours of the Big Island will take you on saddle road, preferably in a four-wheel drive vehicle. It’s a desolate road with many twists and turns; the volcanoes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa will flank you on either side. Your first stop, if you’re feeling brave, is Mauna Kea itself.
Most guided tours of the Big Island will discourage you from taking the trip up Mauna Kea alone as rental cars often can’t handle it. Instead, let them use their own vehicle to take up, back and forth along switch back roads for nearly an hour, until you arrive at a small museum at about 9,000 feet that will give you information about the observatories on the volcano. Many guided tours of Mauna Kea won’t stop there, however. You’ll continue up until you reach approximately 13,000 feet.
In the winter, there may be snow on the ground and driving can be tricky. At the top, however, is a breathtaking view of the entire island and you’ll find that the clouds are below you. The telescopes and observatories stand out like shining globes on the otherwise desolate landscape.
After you descend the volcano, many guided tours will continue along Saddle Road and allow you to grab lunch at a restaurant in the city of Hilo, on the eastern side of the island. There is shopping, and even a shopping mall, for those who want to grab some souvenirs.
After lunch, guided tours of the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens are available. Set near the shoreline in a jungle-like atmosphere, your guide will show you some of the rarest plants in the world. Walk among the creeks and waterfalls and enjoy the lush beauty of the place.
By far and away, most guided tours of the Big Island will not go back the way you came and will take you along the Hamakua coastline, a magnificent area where drivers drive on switch back roads through lush gorges and small villages. Waterfalls and creeks are everywhere and you’re not far from the ocean.
Lucky travelers will stop along the way and take one of the guided tours of the Waipio Valley, also called the Valley of the Kings. You’ll take a rugged vehicle down inside the valley and enjoy taro fields, a wild view of the ocean and will see glimpses of the wild horses living in the valley. Bring your camera as the views are wonderful.
On your way back to Kailua-Kona, you’ll go through Waimea, the “cowboy area” of the Big Island. Some guided tours will let you stop at one of several places where you can ride on horseback and you’ll see many ranches in the area. Enjoy the ride and head back to your hotel in Kailua-Kona.
$20.07* New Year's Hawaii Interisland Airfare Sale
HONOLULU, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
go!, the interisland Hawaii division of Mesa Air Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MESA), today announced its "Mahalo Hawaii for a Great Year!" sale to thank all of the passengers who have so strongly supported go! in it's first seven months of operation. go! will offer one-way fares of $20.07* between Honolulu and the destinations of Lihue, Kahului, Kona and Hilo. Tickets must be purchased between 7 a.m. Monday, January 1, 2007 and 11:59 p.m., Monday, January 8, 2007, Hawaii Standard Time. This fare is applicable for travel January 1, 2007 through February 28, 2007.
These tickets are nonrefundable and changes can be made for a fee of $20 plus any applicable difference in airfare. Passengers may also earn go! Miles with these sale fares by signing up for our go! Miles program at iflygo.com.
"Our success in Hawaii after less than a year has been incredible and we are delighted for this opportunity to thank the friends and families who have supported us by choosing Hawaii's low fare leader for their interisland travel," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa Air Group Chairman and CEO.
go! operates 60 flights a day from its Honolulu hub to Lihue, Kahului, Kona and Hilo using a fleet of modern regional jets. go! will soon extend its route network in Hawaii. Mesa Air Group and Mokulele Airlines recently entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop a codeshare agreement to a number of new Hawaii interisland destinations, including Kapalua, Lanai and Molokai.
"go! has received overwhelming encouragement from the Hawaii community since we announced our start of service in March," said Joe Bock, go! Chief Marketing Officer. "We have worked hard to provide the best service at the lowest possible cost and now offer this incredible fare to say 'Mahalo!' to all of our passengers and advocates of affordable airfares," he continued.
go! passengers who register for the go! Miles frequent flyer program are able to earn go! Miles redeemable for future travel and can earn 500 miles by registering online. Additional information is available and tickets can be booked online at http://www.iflygo.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-IFLYGO2.
go! also recently launched go! Vacations, selling holiday packages through its website at http://www.iflygo.com. Visitors can choose from a variety of low-cost Hawaii vacations with options to visit one or any number of Hawaiian island destinations.
Mesa currently operates 199 aircraft with over 1,300 daily system departures to 173 cities, 43 states, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. Mesa operates as America West Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express under contractual agreement with America West, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and United Airlines, respectively, and independently as Mesa Airlines. Effective June 9, 2006, Mesa launched interisland service as go!. This new operation links Honolulu to the neighbor island airports of Lihue, Kahului, Kona and Hilo. The Company recently announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Hawaii's Mokulele Airlines to develop a code share agreement and provide service to a number of new Hawaii interisland destinations. The new services will fly under the go!Express brand to Kapalua, Lanai and Molokai. The Company, founded by Larry and Janie Risley in New Mexico in 1982, has approximately 5,000 employees.
Mesa is a member of the Regional Airline Association and Regional Aviation Partners. The Company was named 2005 Regional Airline of the Year by Air Transport World Magazine. For more information please visit http://www.iflygo.com.
* Restrictions: Tickets are nontransferable and nonrefundable. Seats are limited and fares may not be available on all flights. Changes can be made prior to scheduled departure for a fee of $20 per person plus any applicable difference in airfare. Fares do not include September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment Excise Tax of $3.40 per segment. A segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of purchase. Other restrictions may apply. Flights operated by Mesa Airlines doing business as go!. Tickets must be purchased by January 8, 2007. Fares are valid for travel from January 1, 2007 through February 28, 2007. This special fare applies to flights to or from Honolulu. Special fares may be combined for $40.14 one-way travel between neighbor islands. This special fare can also be combined for roundtrip travel between neighbor islands.
SOURCE go!
