Travelling the world in luxury for less a week at a time
Hawaii is many travellers idea of paradise. They come for the white sand beaches, temperate weather, fantastic shopping and of course the sublime sunsets. I’ve seen some of the best sunsets in Oahu over my many years of travelling to this beautiful part of the world and I’m sharing all my secrets on the best places to watch amazing Oahu sunsets. Read on for all the details …
Waikiki is expensive. Especially when you are only getting USD0.67 for an Aussie dollar. Outside of airfare and accommodation, food is likely to be your next biggest expense. Oahu’s most famous beach town has plenty of fancy restaurants where you can drop AUD$200 on a meal without even trying. While I am all for the occasional special meal, I don’t want to eat like that everyday so on my last trip to Hawaii I made it my mission to find some decent Waikiki cheap eats. I decided to up the ante on my challenge and specifically seek out meals under USD$10 (AUD$15). It wasn’t easy, but I found 15 places where you can eat for less than a tenner and in the process I found some of the best cheap eats in Waikiki. Read on for all the details …
Who doesn’t love a happy hour? I’ve been to Hawaii more than a dozen times and on my last trip my weak AUD bought considerably less greenbacks than I would have liked. One of my favourite things to do in Waikiki is to sip on a fabulous cocktail (OK a lot of fabulous cocktails), but sometimes the bill can be heart stopping after a good night out. Rather than delay my trip until the exchange rate improved, I decided to look for creative ways to make my dollar go further. Hello Waikiki Happy Hours! The Hubs got right into it with me and we had a ball skipping from one bar to the next looking for the best happy hours in Waikiki. I’m all about travelling in luxury for less and saving where it counts and splurging where it matters. We saved so much money on our drink bills by hitting up the happy hours that I was able to make a very special purchase at the end of my trip. Read on for all the details …
I’m all about travelling in luxury for less and while I love a fancy flight at the pointy end of the plane, more often than not I will opt for a cheapie and spend my hard-earned on luxury experiences on the ground instead. Many Aussies give Jetstar a bad rap, but as it’s one of only a few budget airlines flying from Australia, I find myself booking Jetstar international flights often. The Jetstar flight to Hawaii is one of Jetstar’s longest routes. JQ3 from Sydney to Honolulu (SYD to HNL) is 10(ish) hours each way. The only other airlines that operate direct Sydney to Honolulu flights are Hawaiian Airlines and Qantas, but you can generally expect to pay double the cost of the Jetstar flight to Honolulu. Low Cost Carriers (LCC’s) are a no-brainer for short haul, everyone can put up with a little discomfort for an hour of so, but are the savings worth it for a longer trip? Read on to find out what it’s really like to fly Jetstar to Honolulu …
*** Updated February 2020 ***
I love a bargain. Who doesn’t right? While I’ll quite happily drop a grand on a pair of shoes (red soles are my weakness what can I say), when it comes to car hire I am a lot less generous. I’m not a car person. Of course I can appreciate the luxury of a sparkly new beamer as much as the next guy, but I just don’t see the point in paying for unnecessary luxury when the banger will still get you from A to B just fine. So it goes without saying that when it comes to hiring a car I am looking to pay the lowest amount possible and Airport Rentals have helped me to do just that on more than one occasion. Are you down with paying minimal car hire fees? Read on for all the details …
I love Thai Food. I’d have a really tough time naming my very favourite cuisine but Thai is definitely in my top 5. In most cities there are dozens of great Thai joints serving up Pad Thai quicker than you can blink, but not so in Waikiki. We had to hunt long and hard to find Noi Thai Cuisine when I was hankering for a curry while visiting the Aloha state. So how does it compare to the brilliant Thai I have eaten all around the globe? Read on for all the details …
Yard House Waikiki is very popular with both locals and visitors alike. We had walked past many times before we chose to dine, largely because we were a bit put off by the queues, however we lucked out when we popped in for a late lunch and were able to score a table without delay. If you are looking for casual dining with an extensive menu in Waikiki Beachwalk, the Yard House could be for you. Read on for all the details …
*** Waikele Premium Outlets Updated February 2020 ***
Finding a bargain in Hawaii is not as easy as it used to be. The decreased buying power of the AUD is largely to blame, but that doesn’t mean all is lost. If you are savvy you can still fill your suitcase for a fraction of the cost that you could at home. One of my favourite places to bag a bargain is Waikele Premium Outlets. Filled with brand name stores, it’s worth leaving Waikiki for a few hours of retail therapy. Read on for all the details …