The Independent Traveler
November 20th, 2007 by Jim
When you’ve saved up for a long time to go on your dream Hawaiian vacation, the idea of kicking back and letting someone else take care of the details is an attractive one. Direct flights, a cab waiting for you at the airport, a comfortable hotel and tour buses to take you around the island – why not? Because that way, when it comes down to it, you might as well be in any other tourist location. If you really want to experience Hawaii, and understand what makes it special, you have to get out on your own.
Traveling independently isn’t nearly as difficult as most people assume. A travel agent can help you to book your flights, and once you arrive at your destination you can follow the signs from the airport to a local cab rank. There’s no need to stay in the bland environment of a hotel when you can rent a condo which has lots of local character. This will get you into the heart of real Hawaii. You can eat out at the same restaurants the locals use and you can buy supplies for the condo from the local shops. What’s more, you can eat whenever you like – no more having to get up early in the morning for hotel breakfasts! When you’re traveling independently, you can really relax.
Getting around Hawaii on your own isn’t as difficult as you might expect. It’s easy to hire a car or bicycle, or the horses which offer a more practical means of exploring the rugged terrain of the interior. There are also buses which can take you between all the major towns on the Big Island. In each of these towns there’s plenty to keep you occupied for a day within walking distance.
Package vacations can be tempting to those who simply want to switch off their brains, but if you want to make the most of Hawaiian vacations, independent travel is really the only way to go.