4 Must Visit Big Island Hawaii Attractions

 

Are you in the process of planning a Big Island trip?  Hawaii’s Big Island is a popular vacation destination, partly due in fact to its size.  Why?  Because there is so much for you to do and see. 

Once your Big Island travel arrangements are made, you may want to shift for your focus to what you can do and see.  Creating an itinerary for your trip has a number of benefits.  It is important to remember that Big Island is filled with so much for you to do and see; so much that you may not have enough time to do so.  Familiarizing yourself with popular Big Island attractions before your vacation can help you make sure that you visit the mostly highly rated and recommended sites, a few of which are outlined below.

1 – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a must see for all Big Island tourists.  This National Park is situated on 377 square miles of a vast array of landscaping.  Whether you are interested in traveling by car, foot, or bike, there is a large part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that you can examine.

When traveling by car, you can visit the summit of the Kilauea volcano.  Chain of Craters Road is also a must visit in the park, as this is where lava once flowed over the road.  With so much to do and see in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including guided tours and themed wilderness tours, you may want to stay onsite.  What better way to end your day than camping?  Camping is free as long as you paid admittance into the park.

2 – Waipio Valley

Waipio Valley is also known as “The Valley of the Kings.”  This Big Island attraction is a must visit if the history and culture of Hawaii is of interest to you.  Here, you will be able to explore an area that was once populated with native Hawaiians.  There are unlimited hidden treasures in the area, including beautiful waterfalls, rivers, and tara fields.

To learn the history of the Waipio Valley, not just see it, a guided tour is recommended.  Guided tours of “The Valley of Kings,” are available by way of car, horseback, and foot.

3 – Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is often referred to as “A Garden in the Valley of the Ocean.”  Due to close proximately, a visit to the gardens is advised either before or after a visit to “The Valley of the Kings.”

Guided garden tours are available for multiple trails, including the Onomea Falls and Palm Jungle Trail.

4  – Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park

If you are unable to visits the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park is a must visit for you. Situated on 180 acres of land, this National Historic Park is considered sacred ground.  It was once refuge and home to those who broke the law.

When visit the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park, you can see the black lava rock, a sacred temple, wooden statutes of Hawaiian gods, and so much more!  The area is filled with beautiful fish ponds; therefore, you can enjoy a fishing adventure in addition to hiking and examining the historical background of Hawaii’s Big Island.

In addition to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park, and Waipio Valley, there are other popular and well-known attractions that you should place on your vacation itinerary.   Those visiting the North Side of Big Island will want to examine Parker Ranch.  Those visiting the South Side of the island should checkout the views at the Ka Lea South Point.

As you can see, there are a number of must visit attractions for your next Big Island vacation.  The above mentioned attractions are just a sample of what you will find on the island.  For that reason, you are encouraged to use the internet to your advantage or request free Big Island travel guides, which are relatively easy to find online.

Until Next Time,

Jeané Elliott Bennett

Elliott Exquisite Vacations

Advantages and Disadvantages of All-Inclusive Cruise Ships

 

Vacationing is a pastime that is enjoyed by many.  While vacations are nice, needed, and important, they can become costly. This cost is often associated with additional expenses such as food, beverages, and entertainment.  If you are interested in vacationing aboard a cruise ship, but you are worried about the cost, you don’t necessarily have to be.  

All-inclusive cruise ships are cruise ships where just about everything is included.  The cost of your drinks, food, and entertainment are often taken care of.  If you are wondering whether or not you should book reservations aboard a traditional cruise ship or an all-inclusive cruise ship, you are not alone.  A large number of travels wonder the same thing.

When it comes in all-inclusive cruise ships, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages. To determine whether you could benefit from an all-inclusive cruise ship, you are encouraged to weight the advantages and disadvantages each.  After you have considered each, you are encouraged to make a decision.  If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages then an all-inclusive cruise ship may be just what you need and visa versa. 

The biggest advantage of all-inclusive cruise ships is that most of your needs are taken care of.  As previously mentioned, most all-inclusive cruises cover food, drinks, and entertainment.  If you are interested in drinking a large amount of alcohol or feasting on the amazing onboard food, you may be able to do so free of charge. You may also be granted exclusive admittance into movie theatres and video arcades. 

To many, having foods, drinks, and entertainment provided free of charge sounds too good to be true.  In some cases, it may be.  While many of your food and drinks are included in an all-inclusive package, not all are.  It is possible that you may be required to pay for your alcoholic beverages. There are some cruise ships where alcohol beverages are included in the package, but on others it is not.

When it comes to food, your food at a sit-down restaurant may be provided free of charge, but your snacks are typically not covered. This often includes snacks or small meals purchased at onboard specialty shops and vending machines.  If your snacks and small meals are not covered, you can prevent the extra expenses by eating a large meal.  You may also be able to save money by brining your own snacks onboard, if the cruise ship allows it.

As mentioned above, entertainment is often included in an all-inclusive cruise ship package.  As with food and drinks, the entertainment is often limited.  It is likely that you will gain free admission into a dance or ball, but you will not be able to gamble free of charge.  If you are interested in gambling aboard the ship’s casino, you will have to come up with your own funds.

When it comes to the cost of an all-inclusive cruise, there are many travelers who get confused.  The cost of an all-inclusive cruise may seem high, but it is often that way to cover the cruise line’s expenses.  For many individuals, the cost of an all-inclusive cruise is a great value.  To determine whether or not you will save money aboard an all-inclusive cruise, you need to estimate your cost of food, drinks, and entertainment aboard a traditional cruise.  Simply by comparing the two, you can easily determine which cruise package offers the better deal.

The advantages and disadvantages of all-inclusive cruise ship vacations are important.  By examining each and comparing them to what you want and need out of your cruise, you can easily determine which cruise ship vacation package is right for you.

Until Next time,

Jeané Elliott Bennett

Elliott Exquisite Vacations

Airfares to Costa Rica

 

When you're traveling to Costa Rica you want to get the most affordable airfare and the issue with flying is that the prices change every few minutes to an hour and it's ideal to research sites like or let your travel agent book your flight for you because they offer rates for flights at different times whether it's high or low travel season.

Most of the major carriers have fares that are early bird specials for when the peak season of travel happens usually during the summer and holidays. Nailing the perfect airfare when you want to travel to Costa Rica will be a work in progress because you could be sitting in front of your computer for hours surfing travel sites for the perfect airfare because the rates change quickly and they can be up one moment and down the next. 

Book your flight at least 90 days before you travel so you can have time to get your tickets if mailed to you and any documentation with travel visas and passports.

Usually the summer is the best time to book flights for the fall season because late summer is when you can get the best deal on airfares. Airfares aren't cheap to Central America since you're looking at least a couple grand and that even depends on who you're flying with since the major carriers out here will change rates quickly usually on the hour because of the competition that's out here they have to be able to keep up with the current rate for airfares. So it's ideal that if you have an account with the travel sites on the Internet always check on a frequent basis usually early morning, mid-day and evening to see how the airfares to one place change within 12 hours.

When you see the airfare that you want book it right away because within the hour it will likely go up since travel sites usually change their information when the carriers change up. The only downside is that if you book online you have to have a major credit card and not everyone has a credit card to book their flights with

Now it's easy to use your debit card since many banks issue them with the VISA or MasterCard logos on them so that people can use it to book an airline ticket right away when they spot the fares they want and can catch it before the fares change in the next few minutes to an hour. If you can access the Internet wherever you can it's easy to nail the fares you want if you catch them early and often. Some sites offer email notices that can inform you of when a discount or reduced fare comes up during the hour since emails are sent on a daily basis so you can keep tabs on when the airfare you want is posted and sent out by email.

Until Next Time,

Jeané Elliott Bennett

Elliott Exquisite Vacations

A Peaceful Retreat on Catalina Island, California

 

When life’s stresses and strains get too much for you, head over to Catalina Island and you’ll find a peaceful retreat that’s bound to have you relaxed in no time.  The island, is only approximately 22 physical miles from the mainland, but in terms of lifestyle and sheer population, it’s a lifetime away.  With only 2 ports on the island, one into the main town of Avalon, and the other into the more secluded side of the island at Two Harbors, and only two ways onto the island, via the water or helicopter, there’s very little noise from vehicles.  Relatively few cars exist on the island and most visitors either get around on foot or bicycle. 

Despite being such a small island, there are things to do here on the days when you feel like doing something a little more energetic than watching the sun move around, and when you first arrive on Catalina Island you should visit the local Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau which will give you all the information you need about what’s on, where to find it, and of course ideas of where to stay and eat if you haven’t already made reservations.  In the peak months however, you should always at least reserve your room before venturing across to the island.  Although you may be lucky to arrive and find a room free, it’s not likely during high season because of the limited amount of accommodation available. 

Two of the most popular places to visit on Catalina Island are the Catalina Island Museum which charts the history of the island through it’s various stages from the more recent history through the Hollywood era (the island was one of the first main Hollywood film sets) right back to the Native Americans.   Just about 2 miles out of Avalon you’ll find the Wrigley Botanical Gardens which will delight anyone who has an interest in flora and fauna.  William Wrigley (as in the chewing gum empire) once owned the island and you could even stay in his mansion which is now converted into a bed and breakfast establishment.

Until Next Time,

Jeané Elliott Bennett

Elliott Exquisite Vacations

 

Catalina Island may not sound very exciting when compared with the attractions of Los Angeles and San Francisco, but for anyone needing to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s a perfect beach oasis.