What's New

Big, big changes are hitting the travel industry, especially in Hawaii, as this guide is published. Airlines are shutting down, charging a premium for window and aisle seats, or imposing fees for a second bag; hotel prices are rising; and the cost of gas (especially in Hawaii) has skyrocketed.

But in my experience, travelers are people who want to experience a new place and culture. They want to live it, breathe it, and incorporate these experiences into their lives to make them richer and fuller. Travelers travel. Period. So despite the woes of the airlines, and regardless of the increase in prices, nothing stops this breed from living life. And generally, such travelers are Frommer's readers. Here's where I come in: This guide lets you in on how to get the most out of your travel dollar, how to make the most out of your limited time, and how to experience the Hawaii of your dreams.

Planning Your Trip

In 2008, both Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines shut down, taking 16% of the seats from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii out of the market (not to worry, other air carriers are replacing those seats as fast as they can) and leaving nearly 1,000 fewer seats a week in the interisland market.

Just as Aloha Airlines was closing, another mode of transportation was opening. When this guide was published, the Hawaii Superferry (tel. 877/HI-FERRY; www.hawaiisuperferry.com), after a few stumbling starts, had just begun interisland service between Honolulu and Maui, with plans to add service between Honolulu and Kauai and between Honolulu and the Big Island. Although not as fast as the 30-minute interisland flights (the Superferry takes 3 hr. from Honolulu to Maui, about 3 hr. from Honolulu to Kauai, and 4 hr. to the Big Island), and at slightly higher ticket prices, the Superferry does offer the option of taking a vehicle interisland. However, if you're prone to seasickness, the Superferry may not be for you, especially in the winter months of November through March, when big ocean swells and strong winds move into Hawaii's waters.

Oahu

Where to Stay -- As we went to press, three counties in Hawaii -- Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai -- were still debating a bed-and-breakfast ordinance. One version would allow more B&Bs, while another would allow fewer. The debate rages on.

Waikiki has undergone big changes since the last edition of this guide. The Outrigger has completed its $500-million-plus Waikiki Beach Walk, which has triggered a host of renovations, upgrading, and rebranding of other properties in Waikiki. Over the next few years, the world-famous resort area will be even more beautiful, with more upscale properties.

Note that in the past, when a property underwent renovation, management usually kept the resort open and did as much as possible to mitigate the impact on guests. This appears to be changing. Several resorts are now closing their doors during major renovations. Be sure to ask when you book if your hotel has any plans for renovations or closures around the time of your stay.

One of the new properties coming to Waikiki is the Trump International Hotel, estimated to open in 2009. When the hotel-condominium went on sale in December 2006, every one of the 460 luxury units sold out within just a few hours. The ultra-upscale property will have hotel suites available and offer 24-hour concierge and room service. Other amenities will include a lobby bar, cafe, outdoor pool, private fitness center, and separate lobbies for hotel guests and residents.

Where to Dine -- A recent trend in Honolulu is to get the diners closer to the source of food featured in their meals. An example of this is Nico's at Pier 38, a small bistro specializing in fresh fish, located right on the docks where the fishing boats are moored. You can't get any closer than that.

Orientation Tours -- If you're up for a really different take on Honolulu and the island, contact Oahu Ghost Tours, which offers a look at the supernatural side of this ancient place. Its 2-mile walking tour explores places where supernatural events are still happening today, while the 4-hour driving tour visits the island's "most haunted" locations.

Shopping -- It's impressive what $84 million in renovations will get you: A new, larger, more upscale Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center opened in Waikiki in 2007. The 293,000-square-foot open-air mall is now 17,000 square feet larger than before, with 110 stores, restaurants, and entertainment on four levels -- and even a garden grove of 70 coconut trees. The $15-million theater boasts moving stages and acrobatic rigging; after the show, half of the seating retracts to create a nightclub that can hold up to 1,000 people. One of the anchors here is the 30,000-square-foot Hilo Hattie flagship, and the luxury boutiques include Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Fendi, Hermès, and more.

Nightlife -- Since the last edition of this guide, some of Hawaii's top entertainers have passed on, among them Don Ho, Genoa Keawe, and Nona Beamer, leaving big shoes to fill in the Waikiki nightlife scene.

The Big Island

Where to Stay -- The grande dame and first resort on the Big Island, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, reopened in 2008 after extensive renovations due to the 2006 earthquake.

Seeing the Sights -- Madame Pele, the volcano goddess, has done it again. In addition to the nearly continuous eruption (since Jan 3, 1983) on the side of Mauna Loa from the Kilauea vent, in 2008 she erupted from the main Halemaumau Crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This was a very different volcano eruption: While past eruptions generally consisted of curtains of fire, with lava shooting several hundred feet into the air and then slowly rolling down the side of the volcano into the ocean, the 2008 eruption from Halemaumau made the earth shake, threw rocks (some the size of Volkswagens) into the air, and spit a pink ash into the sky that rained back to earth, covering nearby communities. The recent episode also raised the level of hazardous sulfur dioxide, prompting the County of Hawaii's Civil Defense Department to put out a brochure (available at http://co.hawaii.hi.us/cd/emissions_brochure.pdf) on the color-coded warning system of how safe it is to venture into the park to view the volcano. The county also put out a lava-viewing safety card (www.lavainfo.us/KalapanaSafetyInsert.pdf), which should be read before you decide to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the earth being created. You can also get the latest information on the volcano eruption at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website, http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php.

Live -- and, more important, eat -- like the locals do with Home Tours Hawaii, featuring chef Ann Sutherland, who was born, raised, and earned her sterling reputation as a gourmet chef in Hawaii. In addition to visiting various private homes in the Kona region (from an upscale town house on the ocean to a hand-made cottage in the middle of a coffee plantation to a luxury, manicured estate), you get to eat a progressive brunch, prepared using local products, at each home you tour. At the end of the excursion, you even get a gift bag of local products to take home with you.

Maui

Although Maui's volcano, Haleakala, is not erupting, there are changes afoot here. The national park is continuing its evaluation of the impact of commercial downhill bicycle rides inside the park. As we went to press, the five bicycle companies that have downhill tour permits will be allowed to continue their operations inside the park, while the remaining operators must simply start their tours outside the park to prepare to ride down the mountain. Be sure to check with the tour operator when you book -- ask whether the downhill tour actually starts inside or outside the park.

Molokai

After the demise of Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines, the next giant closure of the year came when Molokai Ranch, owner of a third of the island and the largest employer on Molokai, shut down all operations: cattle ranching, the Lodge at Molokai Ranch, the Beach Village at Molokai Ranch, its restaurants, and a few shops in Maunaloa, leaving the planned community looking like a ghost town. However, Molokai Ranch and its operations were just one aspect of the "most Hawaiian" island, which is still as beautiful as ever and still beckons to those looking for a cultural experience, stepping back in time to old Hawaii.

Lanai

In addition to the Four Seasons taking over the management of the Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay resorts, the other big change on Lanai is that renowned Maui chef Bev Gannon has redesigned the menu at the new Lanai City Grille, located in the Hotel Lanai. The menu focuses on whatever is in season and fresh that day, with fish, seafood, meats, and rotisserie chicken among the offerings.