Trip report helpful bargain tips and hints !

Hello back from 2 weeks staying at Aqua Palms, booked a private room through www.vrbo.com and it was US$85 a night. Will do a hotel review after this. This is my 4th visit this time solo as my partner was working !

Flew Jetstar crew were great, young, helpful and friendly. Bought sandwiches onboard for $6 and little cans of softdrink are $2. Hot food did not look great. Due to Qantas delays couldn%26#39;t buy food in advance. You can rent a video on demand for $12. I was fortunate as had a seat next to me there and back due to off peak times. At Honolulu airport on way home last Thursday they were offering Star class seats for $400 extra (usually $1200) and some folks took them up.

All prices are US to make it easier but can you believe there was a 10c diff in exchange rate in the 2 weeks I was there !

';Reliable'; brand name shuttle booked on line before leaving Australia picked me up, even waited whilst we tried to sort out missing luggage (another story as it arrived 30 hours later!) Just me in shuttle and that was $18 return trip HOWEVER they did not pick me up despite confirming 3 days beforehand. I had to catch a cab, $33, so called them from airport and now the discussion continues as I try and get a partial refund ! They had no excuse and no apology either ! They were Reliable at start but pathetic at end DON%26#39;T USE THEM !

20 mins walk to main area of Waikiki and about 10-15 to Ala Moana (HHV opposite has enormous building works going on so noise all day but you get used to it if you happen to be in room)

If you like reading here is the BEST deal ! At the Japanese Dept store called Shirokiya there is a 2nd hand book section where there is a huge section of boks for $1 and when you return them they give you 20c ! Amazing. I got recent releases with the $28.95 Dymocks sticker on them for $1 so other Aussies had discovered it too !! Other secondhand books at various prices and heaps of Japanese ones. Apparently they do the same with DVD%26#39;s and computer games.

Foodland supermarket at Ala Moana has wide variety food so for ex. Yoplait yoghurt was $1 but in Food Pantry in Hobran lane behind AP is was $1.69 for same one. So take the backpack to Foodland and stock up ! ABC has huge bottles of water for 99c and tax and coast of bottle so $1.10 all up for 1.5 (I think )litre. Fresh pineapple for $3.29 and range of sandwiches ofr $3-$6 depending on fillings. Food Pantry had cooked salmon pieces for $6 and fresh sushi for $6.99 and you can buy the salad gear too. All handy if you are travelling solo or sick of eating out !

Pre booked Polynesian Adventure Grayline day trip tours to Maui and Roberts tour to Kauai. Both great for about $250 each for 4.30am -8.30pm days !

Go to Cirque Hawaii tickets are $49 and I got centre of the row in the centre. Great great show ! 6.30 and 8.30 shows in Seaside Ave in the heart of Waikiki.

Buffet lunch $12.95 at Dukes at Outrigger just the best but you must book to get good table ! Then afterwards you go and sit on the verandah next door at Moana Surfrider and dream.

Lewers Sreet, The Beachwalk had some entertainment from a HULA school which was interesting and a great thoroughfare but shops are quiet. Macys had one day sale ask for visitors card (show room keycard )which is on 4th floor at Aala Moana or at any counter at the Waikiki store (Ala Moana store much much bigger and better) that gives you another 11% off and when the one day sale was on which is every 2 months there were HUGE bargains ! Make up and selected clothing were great deals ! Got a shuttle to Waikele outlets and went to other stores across the road by taking the free shuttle/trolley. Sign up beofre you go Chelsea premium outlets and pre print discount coupons spent $100 at Guess but then got 25% off. My shuttle out there cost $15 return called 5 star shuttle and it was in the weekly whats on book.

Took the narrated trolley tour that leaves from out the back of Galleria and if you do the Blue line $27.50 (longest and good sightseeing one) you go the down town Red historical downtown one for free (few back streets that are a bit ordinary though). Have to do on same day so 5 hours for $27.50 is a great deal.

$20 phone card from ABC shops gives 220 mins to a landLine back here so great deal !

Check out Coco Cove ( a lot of their souvenirs are made in Hawaii as opposed to China)

70 television stations and still nothing much on !

30 degrees everyday, don%26#39;t take any flash clothes for evening and make sure you say Aloha and Mahalo wearing your rubber slippers (thongs/flipflops !)and a frangipani or plumeria as they call them behind the appropriate ear !

If you want to ask anyting pls feel free to send a message and stay tuned for www.solofemaletraveller.com

My luggage was 29kg had another little carry on one that I checked and that was 17kg so all in all great fun !

~ ~ great time lots of friendly folks and thanks for all your help before I went and always happy to help you ~~

Trip report helpful bargain tips and hints !

Hi choc, where is Coco Cove?

Thanks for the report ... sounds like you had fun.

Trip report helpful bargain tips and hints !

There are a few Coco Cove%26#39;s got a feeling they were slowly ';copying'; ABC%26#39;s as similar gear. One in Lewers Street somewhere, well saw the sandwich board sign near Roys restaurant but not the shop and one in main drag just down from Macy%26#39;s same side before Galleria and I think one further up near Duke statue ? Yellow bags as opposed to blue / white of ABC. The one I went into had a food place with in it with coffees and another with choose your own salad toppings ! Got brightly colored material luggage tags, glasses case, pot holders and serviettes all made in Maui there.

I am over the International market place gear however still fun to see the parrots on the mens shoulders that were there in 1979 when I first went as a teenager with my family !

Hope this helps!

I first went to Hawaii back in 1981, this time with husband and two of our children.

Loved the International Market Place back then and still today. Our youngest daughter loves animals so we all had our photos taken with the parrot%26#39;s, even though our eldest daughter has an unreasonable fear of birds.

We loved the ABC Stores, they seem to have everything, it became quite a joke near the end, we knew if we wanted to find something that it would probably be found in an ABC.

Agree about joining the Chelsea Premium Outlets and not needing any flash clothes. Didn%26#39;t know about the $20 phone card wish we had known, our eldest daughter signed up to roaming on her mobile, but we were frugal about using it.

Great report, chocolatefriend! Thanks ... what are ';flash'; clothes? :-)

Hi Chocolate friend,

First of all, I want to tell you that any friend of Chocolate is a friend of mine!

Thanks for your report and your helpful frugal tips. Aloha!

What was the name of the ';Reliable'; brand name shuttle that you used?

hulagurl asked:

';What was the name of the ';Reliable'; brand name shuttle that you used?';

That IS the name, Reliable shuttle..lol. Here is their website.

http://www.reliableshuttle.com/

Great report chocolatefriend. Thanks for the tips. We%26#39;re back on the island in 9 weeks and can%26#39;t wait.

';what are ';flash'; clothes?';

Flash clothes refers to smart dressy clothes for going out.

I%26#39;ve been to Hawaii 3 times, going 4th time in 20 days, and I have never heard of Reliable.

I like Coco Cove very much. They have pretty good food there too. I like their panini sandwiches.