Aloha to anybody who plans a Last Minute visit to Hawaii.
Do I need to rent a car for my Hawaii vacation?
OK guys the positive feedback on your Maui vacation was overwhelming (see comments of this post!). We are still waiting for the lovers of the Big Island and Kauai to take their turn. Discussion is still open. We know you are out there. We love to hear from you about your past or future favorite Hawaii vacation destination.
Hey life goes on and so does this blog. As you know from our blog title, we do favor the Kohala Coast on the Big Island (being a little prejudiced cannot hurt). Let’s pick up one of the most often asked questions from travelers who visit the Big Island for the first time besides “Where are the beaches?”…”Do I need to rent a car for my Hawaii vacation?” or “Is there any public transportation on the Big Island?”
Well, if you want to see the Big Island…the hot lava spitting volcano, walk through the snow of Mauna Kea summit while star gazing, hike through spectacular Waipio and Pololu Valley… and not just lie on a beach, yes, yes, yes you have to rent a car. There is now way around it. Even if you are not much of an explorer, you want to have a means of transportation, as there is no public transportation in the Big Island. Check our Big Island car rentals links for best rates.
There are free shuttles between Kohala Coast resorts, hotels and their spas or golf courses, which are provided by the hotels for theirs guests for convenience. The hotel shuttle service between Kona International Airport and the Kohala Coast hotels has to be paid for (still somewhat cheaper than taking a taxi). The available ‘Hele On’ bus covers the Island to some extend (you can request schedule 808-961-8744), but this bus service is more or less used by residents to make it from point A to point B. It’s definitely not a public transportation for tourists. Bottom line, there is no public transportation on the Big Island. Well, we don’t want to leave you in a lurch here. So, let’s get
The island with the best-developed public transportation of all the Hawaiian Islands is on Oahu. Oahu's public transportation system has a nice website with detailed information on bus routes and schedules, fares and passes. The website even includes popular tourist attractions along the routes.
Maui now has a more limited public transportation system. The Maui County's Bus website has a complete schedule of routes and times of operation. Depending on where you are staying on Maui, what you want to do on your Maui vacation and how much you want to see of the island, the bus might just be a sufficient means of transportation.
The Kaua'i Bus operates a Public (Fixed Route) bus service and a Paratransit (Door-to-Door) bus service from Hanalei to Kekaha daily except on Sundays. Good news. The Kauai Bus now provides service to the Airport and limited service to Koloa and Poipu.
Happy New Year from the Kohala Coast
Hope all of you had wonderful holidays and a great New Year’s celebration. Already thought about your new year’s resolution? What about making the so long overdue and longed for trip to Hawaii your 2007 New Year’s resolution?!
When you followed our blog for some time, you know that it’s all about falling in love with the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. You don’t need to have the big bucks for a 5-star Kohala Coast Hotel – OK admitted it would be nice but it is not an urgent necessity – in order to be able to enjoy the beautiful Kohala Coast beaches and resorts. Vacation cottages & homes: nicely appointed, private, fully equipped with short drives to the best Big Island beaches are available by Kohala Coast hosts.
Plan your Kohala Coast vacation for the right time of the year and it will be affordable for you. Once again, be aware that January till March are high season months on all the Hawaiian Islands, including the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. However, April, May and June offer the same beautiful weather, as the Kohala Coast has sunshine all year round (most of the time, no way to guaranty the weather though for any month of the year). Those wonderful spring months when it can be still rainy and cold at your Mainland home, are not only the perfect time for vacation rental discounts but also for Big Island car rentals and airfares to Hawaii.
Got interested? Come visit the Kohala Coast Vacation Rental Guide. Make your Kohala Coast vacation come true in 2007.
Don't miss our Kohala Coast Rental Vacancies for January for Last Minute travel to Hawaii. Aloha, Pua
p.s.
Here is our New Year's resolution for our Kohala Coast blog...with each post, we will include a photo of a beautiful 'wahine' (in Hawaiian 'girl') from the Kohala Coast. You can find more photos at Wahine Style.
