Maui Living

Question
Hi Lisa,
My wife and I are very interested in moving to Maui. We'd like to buy our first home in Maui, however we are not sure where the best location would be in relationship to where I might be working. So we are probably going to rent for one to two years and learn about the island and the different area's.

My question is.
Do you have any recommendations on web sites or sources where we could look for house rentals that we could check out while we are still in the main land?

Answer
Your best bet would be a real estate agency who dealt in rentals. I can't personally recommend any, sorry, but you can look through these listings:
You also could look through the classsifieds for ideas on who deals in rentals, and what's available. Good luck, Maui real estate is out of control right now, so waiting might be a good thing. I certainly hope the market here can't continue to bear the current prices.
Lisa

Hawaii travel query

Question
Hi Lisa ...

Help me out here if you can ... thanks !

I will be travelling to Hawaii on a holiday in the very near future, and I am planning to continue on to California ( Las Vegas and Disneyland ! ) ... I am a tourist and would like to know what travel requirements there will be for my departure from Hawaii to the mainland. Do I need an additional visa or any particular permission from any local authority ? or is it straightforward travel ?

Thanking you in advance

Elizabeth :-)


Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

You don't say where you are traveling from, from out of the country or from already within the country. Either way, Hawaii being a U.S. State makes it easy, you won't need anything more to fly into California than you would to fly into Hawaii. If you are coming from another country than you will need the same visa and passport (or whatever it is that you need) to get into Hawaii to get into California. If you are a resident, coming from within the United States, you won't need anything but your driver's license or other state-sanctioned identification.

Lisa

Hawaii-Lisa Questions Post

Leave your Hawaii questions, comments, reviews, tips here as a comment.

Question about winter weather

Q:

My husband and I are trying to decide which island to stay on for Christmas. Part of my decision is based on which island is normally the warmest this time of year. We have already been to Oahu and Maui, and wouldn't mind trying Kauai (Hyatt Regency) or Hawaii the Fairmont Orchid. if we stay in Oahu it would be at the JW Marriot Ihilani, or Maui would be the Fairmont Kea Lani.

Please let me know what you would recommend, also what is the most "family friendly" We will have our children with us ages range from 2 years old to 11 years.
Thank you!!!

A:
Well, in the winter it's not so much which *island* would be the warmest, it's which *side* of the island. Most of the islands will have similar climates all year long, but each side of each island can be like it's own micro climate. In the winter, just stay on the west or south side of any island, and you should be ok.

Personally, I would recommend you try Kauai. All the hotels you mentioned are in dry, warm areas, but between the Fairmont and the Hyatt, I think your kids will have more fun at the Hyatt. (On that note, when you do head to the Big Island, try the Hilton - it's fantastic for kids).

Have a great time on your vacation! Lisa

Hawaii all Inclusive Question

Q:
Hi, my name is Tony

We are in the discussion stage about going to Hawaii. We are looking into a 3 island guided tour through Perillo Tours. My question is , unlike the Caribbean Islands that offer all inclusive and for the most part the food is all good, how does All Inclusive packages stack up for Hawaii? Perillo offers Oahu, Kauai, and Maui with all breakfasts and dinners. Hotel stays at Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Deluxe Sheraton Kauai and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

I would like to see as much of the islands as possible not knowing when our next return trip would be. The package is 11 days 10 nights 3 islands. After all is said and done all I want to know, I guess, is should I go on the all inclusive or go on my own and follow the crowds???

A:
Hi Tony,

Well, personally I would not try to see 3 islands in 10 days. The most I would pack into 10 days would be 2 islands, mostly because all of that packing, moving, and flying time can really eat into your fun and relaxation time. However, if you goal is actually just siteseeing and you want to move that fast, it sounds like a good trip. The hotels you mentioned are all excellent hotels, and the food will likely be top-notch if it is associated with the hotel. You are right, Hawaii is not really known for all inclusive, but it sounds to me like you have a winner, as long as you plan on being back at the hotel for dinner every night. If you like guided tours, then booking the three island tour and letting them do all the work will be a lot easier and less stress than trying to figure it out on your own. I wouldn't advise it for anyone with small children or people who prefer to do their own thing though.

Have a wonderful vacation! Lisa

The Casa De Emdeko (Kona) Trip was Fabulous

We left here on July 3rd and came back on July 9th. The drive over took about 2.5 hours and it was just sprinkling rain as we pulled into the parking lot of the Kona condo. Parking was free and abundant - we usually parked between the little general store and the building because I have a big truck and the parking along the building was a little cramped.

We were in unit 202, which was a one bedroom, one bath condominium. We had rented through ATR properties, who although they weren't exactly effusive any of the three times I called them, they were polite and competent.

The condo was perfect, it had a small porch(lanai), a large bathroom, and a full, if a bit small, kitchen. I really liked the unit and would stay there again, but it did have a few cons - even though I will detail them here, let me say that I liked it and it was totally worth it for the fantastic price we paid ($80 a day).

The unit itself
As you walk in, the bedroom is the first thing on the right. It was a decent size, with a too-soft queen bed. It had a nice fan with remote and a large bathroom off of it. The bathroom off the bedrrom was a bit of a pain for 4 people, but we made it work. The bedroom windows open right to the walkway outside the unit and are close to the parking lot, so when sleeping late we heard some noise, however a large box fan on full blast that I had brought with us (go to Kmart and buy one for $10) drowned out almost all of it. We routinely slept till 9 and my 2 year old easily took a nap in the middle of the day every day.

The unit (and I think all of the units) had central air. You can control it however you like. It was always quite comfortable, temperature-wise.

The bathroom had double sinks, a large tub, and a stand-alone shower. There was always very hot water. The bathroom was very nice.

Continuing down the hallway, it opens up into a combined living room and kitchen. The kitchen is small. There is no table but there were 3 barstools against a high kitchen counter that were fine for meals.

... more later about the rest of the house, the complex, and what we did in Kona