Posts Tagged ‘travel’

Why Rent Beach Vacation Rentals?

Quality Hawaii beach vacation rentals are easy to find and a no-brainer to book if you want to have the best holiday of your life. Throwing your money away on a rinky-dink hotel room doesn’t make a bit of sense when luxury is within your reach. For the same price as a hotel room (and sometimes even less) you can book a small house that will give your family all the room you need.

Most often, if a family of five wants a comfortable stay, they need to book two hotel rooms. The alternative is using a foldout cot and spending the entire vacation tripping over one another as you run to call dibs on the lone tiny bathroom.

Beach vacation rentals change all that. They provide a family with the room to spread out. They also include kitchens that allow the family to be less reliant on expensive meals at island restaurants. You can unload your bags, then head to the grocery store and stock that fridge with all your favorites for your vacation adventure.

How to Book Beach Vacation Rentals

Booking beach vacation rentals is actually easy. Listings for beach vacation rentals can be easily found online. If you prefer to book your beach rental the old fashioned way, you can also find them in phone books or through your local Realtor.

The best way to find the best beach vacation rentals, however, is by word of mouth. If someone you know happens to tell you about a great stay they had at one of the world’s beautiful beach vacation rentals, ask for the details!

What was the area like? How about the sights, the sounds, the home itself? Ask if you can have the number so you can call and find out more. Another terrific way to find one of the nicer beach vacation rentals is through professional services that specialize in the search.

Questions to Ask When Researching a Beach Vacation Rental

Once you’ve found your rental, you will want to call and ask a few questions.

• When do I have to check out?
• Do I provide my own linens?
• What toiletries and cleaning supplies does the owner provide in the rental?
• Is there a security deposit?
• Is there housekeeping and it is optional?
• Is there parking?
• Does the rental include the usual household appliances?

Also, don’t forget to ask for directions to the unit as well as to points of interest and basic necessities located nearby. Be sure you know where to find the local grocery store, gas station, and hospital (just in case).

Beach vacation rentals are practical, convenient, and fun. Book your beach vacation rental today and begin your dream vacation the right way.

Welcome to Lahaina

Book some time at Lahaina Roads Condos and find well preserved history in an adorable port town.

Lahaina may, at first glance, seem like just another sleepy harbor, but this breathing postcard is teeming with history. At any time of year, Lahaina is a site you should not miss and will certainly never forget. How would you like to visit a town where parking is probably the biggest problem?

Lahaina started as a fishing village in ancient Hawaii. Due to its natural harbor, Lahaina became a popular stop once westerners started arriving in the early 1800’s. Much of the surviving architecture and a good deal of the area’s history revolves around those early years.

Lahaina Palace

The Lahaina palace was constructed at the turn of the seventeenth century by two ex-convicts

from Australia (the giant continent was once used as a prison by the British Government). The palace was probably the first design of western origin in all of the islands. The Palace measured 40 x 20 feet and had two stories, partitioned into four separate rooms. Assembled from locally manufactured bricks, the palace was built by command of King Kamehameha I (he was fascinated with Western buildings built from mortar).

An observation tower and a “long house” were attached to the palace, which was used as a storehouse and residence until the 1850′s. The cornerstone and foundations have been recently excavated and are now on display.

Canal Street in Downtown Lahaina

These crumbled ruins are the final remainders of a fort that stood just slightly south of the courthouse, overlooking one of the longer canals of Lahaina. It is now a paved street, built to protect the town after unruly sailors fired a canon at one of the houses.

The missionaries living on the island viewed the womanizing and drinking of the whaling sailors as a threat to the city of Lahaina. Rev. Richard convinced the king to establish a ban, keeping all the island women from the ships. This sparked the incident.

Years passed and visitors to the island thought the fort looked like it was more for show than force. It was finally ripped apart in 1850.

Front Street Lighthouse

There is a breathtaking lighthouse located at the base of Pioneer Inn. It was built in 1840 to help navigate the whaleboats as they came toward the shore. The Front Street Lighthouse is the first lighthouse in Hawaii, predating any lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States.

These are just three of the many wonderful pieces of history you can explore after booking your stay at Lahaina Roads Condos.

When to Book Maui Rentals

Most people believe Hawaii is busiest when the weather is perfect and Maui rentals are at their fullest. This isn’t really true. Most people don’t actually vacation when the islands are at their best; rather, they want to go to Hawaii when weather is miserable everywhere else.

Falling snow or Shining sun? It’s an easy decision. That’s why the winter is actually one of the busiest times of the year on the islands.

The best time to go on a winter island adventure is after the hurry and flurry of the holidays. For those who can get the time away, January can be the best time of year to enjoy Maui. Whale watching begins in early January, and continues through the rest of winter. The season sometimes lasts all the way to May.

Weather in January

Because Maui sits at the edge of the tropical zone, it technically has only two seasons. Both of which are warm. Summer is the dry season, while the rainy season generally runs during winter, from November to March. Contrary to popular belief, it actually rains somewhere on the islands each and every day, and at all times of the year.

The rainy season can cause gloomy skies and spoil a full day of tanning, but fortunately, it rarely rains for more than a few days straight. Even rainy days are something to be envied elsewhere in the world, with a beautiful blend of clouds and sun filling the sky and baring only the briefest of showers.

The temperature usually varies no more than fifteen degrees from any time of the year, though this does depend a bit on your location within the islands. The west and south (leeward) sides of Maui are usually dry and hot. The east and north (windward) sides are generally cooler and a bit more humid.

Climate and terrain

If you prefer dry and cracked desert-like weather, go leeward. If you’re looking for lush, frequently wet, and freckled with jungle, go windward. If you’re in search of a sure deal as far as sunshine, then you can’t do wrong heading to either the Lahaina-Kapalua or Kihei-Wailea coasts.

Maui is teeming with microclimates. Due to its deep interior valleys, winding coastal plains, and rolling mountain peaks, Maui holds many different weather patterns.

If you travel into the mountains, you will find that the season feels like it has changed from summer to winter in a mere matter of hours and continues to cool the higher you climb.

That’s one of the most magical things about Hawaii. If you don’t like the weather where you are, you can always head to a different part of the island.

Maui is filled with wonder all year round, but January is the perfect time to book any one of Maui’s rentals.

Packing for your stay in a Hawaiian vacation rental is often a confusing process. Vacation rental amenities vary greatly, with some providing only the bare necessities and others supplying everything including the kitchen sink! Despite this variability, there is a core package of vacation rental supplies that every Hawaiian renter needs.

Hawaiian Vacation Rentals Supply Checklist

This checklist contains all the essentials for packing or your Hawaiian getaway. These are items that you may not ordinarily pack when staying in a hotel or motel.

• Your favorite hand soap, dish soap, and laundry soap, fabric softener, and bleach
• Shampoo, conditioner, and a hair dryer if desired
• Trash bags
• Air freshener
• Groceries, including butter, cooking spray, and your favorite spices and condiments (Don’t forget the coffee, sweetener, creamer, and coffee filters!)
• Extra large towels for use at the pool, ocean, or hot tub
• DVDs, videos, and a local TV guide
• Extra rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, and napkins
• An iron or wrinkle releaser spray
• Small dust pan and broom for sweeping up stray sand piles
• Stationary for writing a Thank You note to the owner of the rental property
• Bug spray, citronella candles, and a fly swatter

To determine is additional supplies are needed, be sure to ask your rental agent what amenities are included at your particular rental property. This can save you from over packing and lighten your load when hauling your gear into the vacation home.

In addition to these core supplies, every Hawaiian vacation requires:

• Sunscreen
• Camera and film
• Snorkel gear
• Extra bathing suits
• Comfortable walking shoes and sand & water shoes
• A hat or two
• Rain gear
• A jacket
• Refillable water bottle

Some vacationers opt to postpone packing these items. Instead, they choose to purchase them once they arrive on the island. However, items can be more expensive in Hawaii than on the mainland so this may not be a wise choice for visitors on a budget.

In addition, you must decide what to do with your purchased items when you are ready to leave for home. Do you purchase an extra bag to pack them home, or leave these items for the next guests?

Packing for a stay in a Hawaii vacation rental requires a little extra preparation, but will reward you with a more comfortable stay in tropical paradise.

Selecting a Kauai vacation rental can be a daunting task for the first time visitor to this tropical paradise. The Garden Isle has considerably less resorts and hotels than the Big Island and Maui, but vacation rentals seem to make up for the difference in lodging options. These options include bed and breakfasts, bungalows, private homes, and condos.

Selecting a Kauai Vacation Rental: Location is Everything

One of the first things to consider when selecting a Kauai vacation rental is location. Visitors to Kauai can choose from lodging on the North Shore, East Shore, or the South Shore. The West Shore is lined with rock cliffs and the isolated beaches along the Napali Coast. Lodging for visitors is not available in this area.

The North Shore

The North Shore is home to the beautiful and popular Hanalei Bay. This area of Kauai is wetter and greener than the other shores. The beaches can be dangerous during the stormy, winter months along the North Shore, but are mild and accommodating the rest of the year.

Popular lodging, including luxury resorts, is available in Princeville. The North Shore offers an unusual mix of old world charm and high-class lodging. This is the area of choice for golfing enthusiasts. The North Shore is also known for bird sanctuaries and lush taro fields, and attracts many nature lovers.

The East Shore

The East Shore is conveniently located and is attractive to visitors planning to travel to all the nooks and crannies of the island. This is also the most densely populated area of Kauai. You can find a mixture of both higher-priced hotels and budget lodging along the coastline. The Kauai airport is located near Lihue.

The South Shore

The South Shore attracts many visitors and was once known as the favored playground for Hawaiian royalty. This thriving artist community features down home charm from local artisans in Koloa, Kalaheo, Hanapepe, Waimea and Kekaha. Near Poipu, you can even opt to stay in a former plantation cottage.

Kauai Vacation Rental: Types of Locations

After you decide on which area of Kauai you prefer, you need to decide on a type of location for your lodging. You can choose from oceanfront, rural, Kauai metropolitan, or secluded lodgings.

Selecting a Kauai Vacation Rental: Tailor Made Lodging

Browse through a few pages of Kauai lodging options on the Internet and you will soon find that there is a lodging package for nearly every taste and occasion. Honeymoons, golf vacations, nature lover’s packages, families, professional groups, and even party-loving groups of friends can all find the perfect lodging option on Kauai.

If you decide on a lodging option other than the traditional hotel, motel, or resort, you should know that not every lodging facility in Kauai offers air conditioning. If this is a priority for your stay, be sure to ask before you book your Kauai vacation rental.

Amenities vary greatly between lodgings. Some vacation rentals may not even offer maid service, so be sure to ask what is standard with your booking before you make your reservations.

You can select a Kauai vacation rental with a full kitchen, laundry services, several bedrooms, one bedroom, private hot tubs, beach access, or provided meals. The options are endless, but it is usually best to decide what features you want and select a vacation rental accordingly.

Selecting a Kauai vacation rental is easier when you break down the lodging options by location and type of services. These tips on selecting a Kauai vacation rental can provide the groundwork for booking your next dream vacation to Hawaii’s Garden Isle.