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5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Cheap Hawaii Vacation

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Previous posts I have always listed as something like “Las Vegas on the Cheap.” Unfortunately, there is nothing cheap on the islands of Hawaii.  So the biggest thing is reducing the costs.  This article covers some of our favorite cheap Hawaii vacation tips.

1. Flights for your Cheap Hawaii Vacation

When Joni, Cheyenne and I flew out to Hawaii, we did this on miles.  Luckily for us, we found an excellent redemption deal on United Miles for 45,000 miles each round trip for a non-stop flight from Chicago.  This still took a long time to save up for, but this also gave us time to plan out our trip.

Southwest Airlines is currently looking at having flights for Hawaii.  Rumors are that they will be available within the next year and that will most likely cause more significant competition meaning more affordable flight costs. These new flight option will be great for anyone trying to plan a cheap Hawaii vacation.

2. Plan for Parking Concerns

Something we learned while we were out there is that the cost of driving in Hawaii is unreal.  We did get a rental car deal going through Enterprise with our work account which was better than anything else I could find.  The rental cost isn’t the issue; the cost killer is the parking. 

With the island being so tight for space, parking costs are at a premium.  Most hotels charge for parking which will add another $40 a day to most hotel stays.  Vacations are also meant to be relaxing.  The bumper to bumper traffic that is so bad, that even the interstates have speed limits of 45 MPH makes it a pain to get from point A to point B. 

We ended up returning our car several days early because of this and the upcoming hurricane.  We did not want to deal with any weather damage claims and saved ourselves the extra parking fees as an added bonus.  The best benefit of the car was those off the path restaurants (Like KoKo Head Cafe) and getting to some of the tourist destinations (Like beaches and Shaved Ice) we wanted to see again.  

3. Best deals for Hotels in Hawaii

With Hawaii being so famous, you have many choices when it comes to booking your hotel stays. Options ranging through Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton are plentiful. Almost every major hotel chain has a hotel and many let you use points you have accumulated.

We ended up staying at a boutique hotel that is part of the Marriott group right of Waikiki Beach.  Not only is this a great tourist destination it puts a lot of things within walking distance.

4. Best Tourist Destinations

Luckily Joni did the research on the site seeing and the best deals. If you don’t plan ahead and just show up at the events day by day, you will find the costs to be huge, or not even able to get access as entrances at certain items are limited. 

The “Go Ohau Card” is part of the “Go City Cards.”  These cards allow you to visit several tourist stops throughout several days depending on the options you purchase. Usually, these are a good deal if you plan to visit a number of the locations the cards offer anyway.

Our Go Oahu card gave us a choice of using a premium feature such as swimming with dolphins.  We were able to then purchase these cards through a shopping portal through Groupon to get even more travel points instead of getting them through their website alone.  The tours are highly recommended, especially the circle tour at the beginning of the trip.

The tours gave us a chance to see some of the tourist places around the island and even if we didn’t stop during the tour we were able to take our car and visit the next day. The things we did were:

  • Pearl Harbor
  • Oahu Hidden Gems and Snorkeling with Turtles
  • Makani Catamaran Sail
  • All of Oahu in one day Tour
  • Iolani Palace
  • Bishop Museum

5. Be Patient

This trip took almost two years for me to plan out and ten years of Joni asking for us to go to Hawaii. The biggest and probably most important tip is to be patient with your planning. Maximize your points and take advantage of points deals to get bonuses and extra savings. If you are looking for a cheap Hawaii Vacation, you will probably need to plan it for several months.

Food in Hawaii – I can’t believe I paid $20 for pancakes to go

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Food in Hawaii is expensive.  There is no way around it.  There are ways to save, but towards the end of our trip, our options became limited due to Hurricane Lane.

Why we spent $20 on Pancakes to go

Let me start with the $20 pancakes.  When everything was closing due to the hurricane, most restaurants shut down.  Even Starbucks and McDonalds were closed down.  Some of the hotel restaurants would only serve you if you were staying with them.  The only options we could find was Burger King and IHOP nearby.
 

100% Kona Coffee

IHOP had a limited menu while they were open which means all deals were gone.  One order of chicken strips and two orders of pancakes for Joni, Cheyenne and I were just shy of $60 on the pickup order.  Under normal circumstances, there are some cheaper options.
 

Food in Hawaii – Food Trucks

Food trucks are very common throughout the island.  We had grabbed food at a couple of these along with some excellent snacks.  Cheyenne fell in love with the ‘rolled ice cream.’  I preferred to stick with the ‘Hawaiian Shaved Ice.’  Don’t call it a slushie; it is so much more than that.
 
If you find yourself up on the North Shore in Haleiwa during your site seeing, make sure you stop in at Matsumoto‘s Shaved Ice.  The line is usually long, but it is so much more than a slushie.  Also, make sure to add the condensed milk as it adds such a sweet option to it.  Well worth the wait.
 

Fast Food Options

They do have fast food in Hawaii as well.  Jack in the Box, Burger King and McDonald’s were close by the hotel we stayed at and found around Waikiki.  Cheyenne and I would walk down to McDonald’s for a $1.50 ice cream cone to help us cool down.  The costs are higher than back in the 48 states, but it was cheaper than some of the sit-down restaurants.  Some of the ‘dollar menu’ items are still cheaper, so there is a lower cost alternative.
 
We did also do IHOP on the cheap for one meal also.  IHOP loves to have them monthly specials they advertise for all their locations throughout the US.  We found them to be the same cost as the ones back in Wisconsin.  By getting the pancakes that were on special at that time instead of the general menu pancakes, it was the difference between $5 for breakfast for one of us compared to $18-20.
 

Convenience Stores for Quick Food in Hawaii

Cheyenne also learned about “ABC Stores.”  They are a set of convenience stores throughout Hawaii and in Las Vegas. If you pick up snacks and munchies here and bring them to your hotel, it saves on the urge for the expensive snacks throughout the day.
 
We also brought some snacks from home in our luggage.  Granola Bars and trail mix help cut out the snacking between meals. This is a great way to pay less for food in Hawaii.
 

Local Favorites

Koko Head Cafe

Sometimes though you do have to splurge, especially when we are talking about food in Hawaii.  Cheyenne and I have found our new favorite restaurant.  Cheyenne likes to remind me that I always let her pick where to eat for her birthday and she keeps telling me now its one of the local restaurant that a friend of ours recommended to us on Ohau.
 
Sooner or later Cheyenne should come to terms that she is not going back to Hawaii for her birthday.  If you have a chance, there is a small local joint that serves breakfast and lunch called Koko Head Cafe.  We loved it so much; we had to go here twice.  Cheyenne would keep trying to steal from my plate.
 
To get an idea of the indulgence for breakfast, the meal of choice for Cheyenne was Cornflake Crusted French Toast with Billionaires Bacon, Pepper Maple Syrup and Frosted Flake Gelato.  This eating experience and the fantastic food is worth the effort to go off the beaten path.
 

MAC 24/7

If you find yourself staying close to Waikiki Beach, MAC 24/7 is within walking distance to most of the hotels in the area.  It is located in one of the Hilton Properties and featured on Man Vs. Food.  You will find some of the best pancakes for breakfast here.
 
No matter where you get food in Hawaii, we hope you have an AMAZING time! If you have or find other local places to eat or tips others can use, please comment below!

KoKo Head Cafe in Hawaii – Restaurant Review

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This summer we were very fortunate and got to visit the island of Oahu in Hawaii. One of our friends recommended we try to visit Koko Head Cafe if we had the chance. On our second day, we decided we would give it a try.

Koko Head Cafe

The Koko Head Cafe merely is impressive. They are open from 7 AM to 2:30 PM every day featuring brunch style foods with a fun mix of items they are sure to have something there for everyone. Chef Anne Wong runs this little Pan-Asian inspired eatery.

I have to say this was probably the biggest surprise of our entire vacation. Not only was the food amazing, the staff was super helpful and catered to the locals and tourists alike. It was an amazingly refreshing experience.

Food

Cheyenne and Jason both love pancakes, french toast, and waffles. So when they found out one of the items on the Koko Head Cafe menu was a famous Cornflake French Toast, they were sold. This meal did not disappoint. They both gave it an A+ for amazingness.

KoKo Head Cafe meals

I had the daily dumpling special. My dumpling dish was the most fantastic meal I had for my entire vacation. When we visited the dumpling dish featured was beef and mushroom delightful dumpling, and while overall this is served as an appetizer it did not disappoint.

We loved this little restaurant so much; we made a point of returning before we left. All because we wanted to have our French Toast and Dumplings a second time. During our second trip, we tried the Coffee and Doughnuts which are a cinnamon sesame cake donut with a Kona Coffee Anglaise, and they were delicious as well.

Conclusion

The Koko Head Cafe is a must visit location. The food will not disappoint you and will leave you wanting more.