Planning a trip to Hawaii

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Hey guys!
I’m planning a trip to Hawaii with my band, probably next spring, and I’d love any tips on cool places to go, where to stay and things to do on a budget — especially spots to catch some live Hawaiian music.

Thanks!

[Michael Kiese]

Hey guys!
I’m planning a trip to Hawaii with my band, probably next spring, and I’d love any tips on cool places to go, where to stay and things to do on a budget — especially spots to catch some live Hawaiian music.

Thanks!

Aloha Jean,

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do in Hawaii "on a budget". You're traveling to the land of $10 USD for a gallon of milk, and $9 USD for a dozen eggs. The cheapest gas you'll find will likely be around $4.30 per gallon for 87 octane. Hawai'i is expensive. Period.

Assuming you'll be staying on O'ahu, traffic is really bad, so plan your days all on one side of the island. Don't try to travel to the other side of the island on the same day. If you do, you'll likely spend a lot of your vacation time sitting in traffic.

Traffic is the worst in the morning before work, and in the afternoon after work. It can take 1-2 hours to go 15 miles. Not a good way to spend your vacation time.

If you want to see live Hawaiian music, I recommend Tiki's Grill and Bar in Waikiki, the Halekulani hotel in Waikiki, and Nico's Pier 38 in Iwilei.

Unfortunately, Traditional Hawaiian music with steel guitar is pretty rare to see in Hawai'i. But if you're lucky, you may be able to see one in the wild. lol.

Fortunately, there continues to be a love of Hawaiian music and a desire to perpetuate it amongst the youth of Hawai'i. So hope is always kindling.

Enjoy!

[Kirk Francis]

mon ami,
going to oahu to experience hawaii is rather like going to new york city or los angeles to experience the US.
my advice is to avoid any place proffered by the tourist bureau and instead go to an outer island, rent a VRBO/AIRB&B kind of place in a non-touristy (i.e., hawi/hamakua/hilo side of the big island, molokai, leeward kauai, etc.) area and just sit and smile and let hawaii come to you. the best parts of hawaii are free, if you know where to look.
bon voyage!

[Michael Kiese]

mon ami,
going to oahu to experience hawaii is rather like going to new york city or los angeles to experience the US.
my advice is to avoid any place proffered by the tourist bureau and instead go to an outer island, rent a VRBO/AIRB&B kind of place in a non-touristy (i.e., hawi/hamakua/hilo side of the big island, molokai, leeward kauai, etc.) area and just sit and smile and let hawaii come to you. the best parts of hawaii are free, if you know where to look.
bon voyage!

I second this. That's a good analogy!

That said, if you take this route, you will be less likely to encounter live performances of traditional Hawaiian music. The pros perform for the tourists because that's where the money is. And even of the musical acts that perform for tourists, not all of them are Hawaiian music oriented. You may be able to catch some kind of hula competition or celebration out in the country, but you're taking your chances.

The live music played out in country side (if you can find any) will mostly be classic rock and blues, because the bands out there are usually comprised of retirees not originally from Hawai'i, and they'll play in local bars just for fun. Or, they may be bands of locals that play "Island Music" or "Jawaiian" which is more Reggae focused.

If you are looking for the traditional Hawaiian entertainment with hula dancers and Hawaiian music, your best bet is sticking to the touristy areas for better or worse.

Good luck, it will be an experience!

[Dennis Belt]

If you get to Kona on the island of Hawaii, look for Pomai Brown. He a gifted multi instrument player and singer. His Steel playing is outstanding; he studied with Jerry Byrd.
Unfortunately, unless you know someone or just get lucky, the best traditional musicians are working at the big hotels, usually to totally indifferent tourists.

[Glenn Wilde]

Sounds like a fun adventure, ahh, to be there back in the old days though, imagine sipping Mai Tais watching Alfred Apaka with Jules Ah See playing behind him or.....

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Thanks guys! What I’m looking for are some tips on where to find real live Hawaiian music, as well as the best deals for camping or Airbnb.

For example, when you go to New Orleans, you know to avoid Bourbon Street and instead head to Royal Street during the day to see great busking bands, and to Frenchmen Street at night for live music in bars. And it’s usually better to stay in an Airbnb in the Marigny neighborhood rather than a hotel in the French Quarter.

So if you have any suggestions on where the best bands play, or where to find awesome camping or hiking spots that aren’t tourist traps, I’d really appreciate it!

That said, I understand Hawaii might not work like NOLA or Austin — maybe live Hawaiian music mostly happens at fancy tourist hotels — but any insider advice would be super helpful.

[Keith Aiken]

there are numerous steel guitar festivals during the year. i'd go during the week of one of those. there's one in maui oct 18. never been & probably never will be financially able to. i watch some of them on utube or facebook when they get shown (not always)

[Nic Neufeld]

If you want live steel guitar, if you can schedule it to coincide with a HIMELE event, that helps:
https://himele.org/hmevents.html

I think, and this is very new...but Alan Akaka is trying to do a steel guitar Sunday regularly at the Hula Grill if you're braving Waikiki.

AirBNBs can be difficult because they are -heavily- regulated there. Partly because the money they generate is such that investors will just buy up all the available housing and leave the locals with hardly any real estate left available for themselves.

For O'ahu in particular...the main hint I would say...it is maybe less convenient because most stuff is on the other side of the island, but my recommendation would be stay on the windward side...Kaneohe, Kailua, etc. There are almost no hotels up there, but there is one resort, and that place is absolutely lovely. Windward side is more rustic and so beautiful and green...much calmer than Honolulu.

If you are camping, I can't give much advice as I don't know the rules and have never done it...but I do remember Paolo Conti I think camped at Kahana Bay (I think) and it really is a lovely spot.

Stuff to consider visiting...if you're interested in history, there is Iolani palace...the royal mausoleum up in the valleys...and you can find a who's who of Hawaiian music interred at Diamond Head Memorial Park. Diamond Head itself is nice but very busy, if you like a mild hike with a good view (go early). Pearl Harbor I quite enjoyed but I love a good ship museum...the USS Missouri and the Bowfin are there. And that's if you go to O'ahu. I've been to the "big four" I guess you could call them and would probably say go to O'ahu if you want the broadest experiences...Kauai and the Big Island are my favorites for natural beauty but windward O'ahu still has a lot of it. You can get good music and good food (no steel guitar, at most of them) at the various luaus but prepare for an absolutely eye-watering bill, they are not cheap.

I guess I've just gotten lucky, as I've not found O'ahu traffic very bad even though it has a terrible reputation. So going back and forth from Kaneohe to Honolulu is not bad for me...lots of locals who live up there do just that every day, but yeah, you can run into traffic.

Best bet if you want steel guitar in Hawaii...bring your own! I've sat in on some kanikapilas while there, its a lot of fun! Enjoy your trip!

[BJ Burbach]

You should mention where you will be, like which islands, so we all don't go on about useless ideas. BJ

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

If you want live steel guitar, if you can schedule it to coincide with a HIMELE event, that helps:
https://himele.org/hmevents.html

I think, and this is very new...but Alan Akaka is trying to do a steel guitar Sunday regularly at the Hula Grill if you're braving Waikiki.

AirBNBs can be difficult because they are -heavily- regulated there. Partly because the money they generate is such that investors will just buy up all the available housing and leave the locals with hardly any real estate left available for themselves.

For O'ahu in particular...the main hint I would say...it is maybe less convenient because most stuff is on the other side of the island, but my recommendation would be stay on the windward side...Kaneohe, Kailua, etc. There are almost no hotels up there, but there is one resort, and that place is absolutely lovely. Windward side is more rustic and so beautiful and green...much calmer than Honolulu.

If you are camping, I can't give much advice as I don't know the rules and have never done it...but I do remember Paolo Conti I think camped at Kahana Bay (I think) and it really is a lovely spot.

Stuff to consider visiting...if you're interested in history, there is Iolani palace...the royal mausoleum up in the valleys...and you can find a who's who of Hawaiian music interred at Diamond Head Memorial Park. Diamond Head itself is nice but very busy, if you like a mild hike with a good view (go early). Pearl Harbor I quite enjoyed but I love a good ship museum...the USS Missouri and the Bowfin are there. And that's if you go to O'ahu. I've been to the "big four" I guess you could call them and would probably say go to O'ahu if you want the broadest experiences...Kauai and the Big Island are my favorites for natural beauty but windward O'ahu still has a lot of it. You can get good music and good food (no steel guitar, at most of them) at the various luaus but prepare for an absolutely eye-watering bill, they are not cheap.

I guess I've just gotten lucky, as I've not found O'ahu traffic very bad even though it has a terrible reputation. So going back and forth from Kaneohe to Honolulu is not bad for me...lots of locals who live up there do just that every day, but yeah, you can run into traffic.

Best bet if you want steel guitar in Hawaii...bring your own! I've sat in on some kanikapilas while there, its a lot of fun! Enjoy your trip!

Exactly the kind of advices Im looking for, thanks a lot Nic!

[Michael Kiese]

Thanks guys! What I’m looking for are some tips on where to find real live Hawaiian music, as well as the best deals for camping or Airbnb.

For example, when you go to New Orleans, you know to avoid Bourbon Street and instead head to Royal Street during the day to see great busking bands, and to Frenchmen Street at night for live music in bars. And it’s usually better to stay in an Airbnb in the Marigny neighborhood rather than a hotel in the French Quarter.

So if you have any suggestions on where the best bands play, or where to find awesome camping or hiking spots that aren’t tourist traps, I’d really appreciate it!

That said, I understand Hawaii might not work like NOLA or Austin — maybe live Hawaiian music mostly happens at fancy tourist hotels — but any insider advice would be super helpful.

Best island to reliably find Hawaiian music: Oahu

Best places to find live Hawaiian music on Oahu:
Tiki's Grill and Bar in Waikiki, Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, Nico's Pier 38 in Iwilei.

Best Lu'au and the Polynesian experience on Oahu:
Polynesian Cultural Center, and Paradise Cove.

General Tips:
-Traffic is bad on Oahu. Plan to spend your days on one side of the island, don't go back and forth. You'll get stuck in traffic.
-I don't have any tips for AirBnb, or hotels. I stay with friends and family when I go home.
-Best hiking and camping are on outer islands, but then you'll trade-off the reliable music scene.
-If you're lucky, you'll get to see a steel guitar if you frequent the venues that frequently host Hawaiian music.
-If you go to the outer islands, the best place to find Hawaiian music is at the resorts, but then expect to pay big money for lodging and travel.

Your best bet is to stay on Oahu. The Canadian dollar is very weak against the US dollar right now, and you're going to be traveling to one of the most expensive states for cost of living in the entire USA. No matter how you look at it, you're going to pay big money.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Jack Hanson]

If you go to Oahu, rent (or bring along) a mask, fins, and snorkel, and plan a trip to Hanauma Bay for sure. But plan to get there around sunrise before the place fills up with tour busses. It's like swimming in an aquarium full of tropical fish. Incredible.