Finding Paradise in Waikiki
The secret to having fun and saving money along Hawaii’s most famous beach: go local
DAY BY DAY
Day 1: Kapiolani Park and Waikiki’s Main Street
Day 2: Royalty, Chinatown, and movies on the beach
Day 3: Back in the water and antiques shopping
Carefree in Waikiki sounds nice, but isn’t Honolulu one of the most expensive vacation spots in the country? Hardly. While you can drop $400 for one night in a luxury beachfront resort, my wife, Lisa, and I managed to be positively parsimonious on a three-day spree in Waikiki. In fact, $327 took us the whole way. The key? Search the Web for hotel specials and ask for discounts; enjoy lots of outdoor activities; and eat where the locals eat. The big sacrifice? Being without a car is a downer in a town with mediocre public transport. Still, we had a ball on a budget and headed home tanned and relaxed.
