Tours and hotels on Kauai

As a resident of Hawaii I get asked all the time, “where do you go on vacation?” The answer varies depending on the resident, but for me I normally enjoy my time relaxing on the beach somewhere here in Hawaii. Last week I had the privilege to be invited on the Kauai Visitor Bureau Master Specialist Program. This invitation only event is limited to a select few travel professionals from around the United States.

We started our trip by enjoying the beautiful sunset by the pool at the Courtyard Marriott in Kapaa. In addtion to this property being a great value it also has a wonderful pool, clean and comfortable rooms, and air conditioning!!! Many properties on the island of Kauai do not have a/c. You will find a/c mostly in deluxe or luxury properties such as the Grand Hyatt.

I have been to Kauai many times over the years, but this trip was a mixture of business and pleasure. Not only did we scout out great hotels and condos on the island, but we also experienced some the best tours Kauai has to offer.


Our tours ranged from the relaxing river boat tour with the Smith’s Fern Grotto, to the exciting mountain tubing with Kauai.


Mountain tubing is really fun for all ages. This ditch and tunnel system once irrigated vast sugar crops and has been unused since sugar was taken out of production in 2000. This water system runs through some of the most beautiful lush and remote land on the island of Kauai. The waters originate near the top of Mount Wai’ale’ale, one of the wettest spots in the world. These ditches were hand-dug by plantation workers over a century ago.


We also went on a fantastic dinner cruise off the Na Pali Coast line. This rugged coast line is an amazing sight of endless shades of green! The night I did this trip we had dolphins swimming right next to the boat. Just a side note. This trip is not for the folks who get sea sick. As the waters can get rough due to the winds and seas.

Kauai is full of fun things to do, or just relax and do nothing at all! Kauai is also known for her beautiful spas. Enjoy your romantic honeymoon on Kauai getting a couple massage, listening to a waterfall as colorful Koi fish swim by.

For a quote on your vacation to Hawaii contact the experts at  Travel to Maui http://www.traveltomaui.net

Kauai the island of Discovery. Written by Marie Glodt Hawaii Destination Specialist and Kauai Master certified with the Hawaii Visitor Bureau and travel agent at Travel to Maui located in Hawaii.

My weekend in Wailea, Maui

Aloha from Maui,

As a resident of Hawaii and a travel agent at Travel to Maui I am blessed with being able to hop in my car and in 60 minutes or less be at wonderful 4 star resorts.

This weekend I celebrated in style at the Fairmont Kea Lani. I decided to splurge and got a beautiful deluxe ocean view suite. I only stayed one night but I sure did a lot in just 24 hours. I will start with the things I learned on this trip about the Fairmont Kealani. I have stayed here many times. But I always find something new that I have over looked.

 On this trip I found out they have a water aerobics class for free, every day except Tuesday & Thursdays. It is in the adult’s pool at 9:30am.

I have never done the complimentary canoe ride for guests staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani, but I plan to on my next visit. This is held Monday-Friday and books up often times weeks in advance. You can make a reservation by contacting the Fairmont Kealani’s concierge desk.

Another great tip is if your suit case GROWS while you are here on Maui ship some of your goodies home ahead of time. The Fairmont Kealani concierge desk will help you box it up in the USPS priority flat rate box. For $13-16 you can stuff everything in a box and be done with it. Generally it takes 3-5 days to arrive at your destination.

Another great benefit of being a guest at the Kea Lani is the free shuttle in the Wailea area. This is a great option if your husband is golfing and you want to go to The Shops of Wailea.
If you would like to attend a luau being held in the Wailea area you can take the shuttle!

Of course I had to go to Ko when staying at the Fairmont Kea lani. We went for lunch one day and dessert the second day. WOW! Everything was great. I will include some pictures of the bread (it is amazing)

The fish I had was fresh, flaky and perfectly cooked. It came with rice. My friend had the flat bread pizza with a mango bbq sauce. Very good! The salad with the fresh ahi had the best dressing on it. We tried the shaved ice or Hawaii shave ice. The following day we stopped by just for dessert. I had the tropical sorbet which is on their special menu. I should mention this too. This is an awesome menu located on the back page. They have things for any kind of diet. Gluten free, raw, low calorie and more!

The deli at the Kea Lani is called Caffe Ciao. It is inexpensive and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Caffe Ciao also has great snacks and a wonderful selection of wines and beers. I love to take my food to go and sit out on my lanai (balcony) at the Kea Lani and enjoy the view. On this visit I had 2 salads. I tried the tomato mozzarella which they sell by the pound. I also tried the special of the day. Both were great.

I decided to try a place I have been hearing about for months in the Wailea area. It was about 5 minutes from the Fairmont Kea Lani. It is called Pita Paradise in Wailea. The food was excellent. I had the spicy falafel. It was tasty, slightly spicy and very filling. My friend had the Greek burger. This is ground beef and lamb with feta, onion, lettuce, and tomato on pita bread. He gave me a bite (or two) and I loved it. The food was reasonable. It was $9.00 for my falafel and $13.00 for his burger. The service was good. The place was clean and parking is easy to find.

Written by Marie Glodt Maui travel agent at Travel to Maui. Maui Master and Hawaii Destination Specialist with the Hawaii Visitor Bureau. If you would like to read our great reviews or schedule a consulting appointment with Marie click here contact us page.

All-inclusive vacation to Hawaii

As a resident of Hawaii and a travel agent I have people ask me this question all the time?

Why doesn’t Hawaii offer all inclusive vacations like Mexico?

The reason is simple. All inclusive vacations work best in places where you really want to keep the traveler from leaving the resort.

In the case of Mexico you need to be concerned about health issues from eating outside food and drinking the local water. Another worry would be the high crime towards visitors and residents.

 

Luckily for Hawaii we have the lowest crime rate in the nation, and our food and water is not only good it is GREAT!  

Often times a hotel or resort here in Hawaii will offer a meal promotion such as a free breakfast.

 As a Hawaiian Destination Specialist with the Hawaii visitor bureau and a travel agent at Travel to Maui I know that such promotions are not always the best price! I always double check with our discounts wholesalers to get the cheapest and best options for our clients!  I have found that unless you are a big breakfast eater for example you  will wind up paying more for this.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are many tours and excursions that you will want to engage in when here in Hawaii. This includes tours and excursions such as: a zip line tour, or snorkel trip to a marine preserve. These tours normally include food and drinks. If you have prepaid your meals you will feel cheated if you leave the property to enjoy one of these activities.

If you really have your heart set on an all inclusive vacation to Hawaii we do have one option. There are cruises that include all your meals, and shows. Drinks and tours are not normally included. There is one exception to this rule. We do have one cruise line that runs for 6 months of the year (when it is not in Alaska) that offers a true all inclusive cruises. Starting prices are around $3,500 per person based on double occupancy for 7 days.

If you would like more information about your Hawaiian vacation or an all inclusive package contact us at http://www.traveltomaui.net

Travel to Maui is a Hawaiian Destination Specialist and Maui Master with the Hawaii Visitor Bureau.

 

Written by Marie Glodt a Maui travel agent at Travel to Maui.