Brad and Katie Hawaii May 7, 2010

Sunset Cruise Location

2010-05-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Sunset Cruise Departure Location
Thursday May 6, 2010 (Arrive at 4:30pm - boat departs 5:00pm)
Whale Center in Kawaihae Harbor
( 61-3657 Akoni Pule Hwy Kawaihae ,HI 96743)
Coming from Kona or Kohala Coast resorts, head north on Highway 19 and you will eventually come to a fork in the road. Take that left onto highway #270, follow it for about 1.5 miles and you will see on your right side our newly added Whale Center. There is a Big Ocean Sports sign out front. It is also right below the 76 gas station, so if you pass it you have gone too far. Parking is right across the building next to the green fence. If you have any difficulty finding these places or forget where you are supposed to be checking in. Please give us a call (808) 886-6666 ext. 103.

Alaska Air back to $377.60 roundtrip direct to Kona

2010-04-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just checked Alaska Airlines prices tonight... $377.60 including tax departing Wednesday 5/5 and returning Monday 5/10.

San Jose has this deal for departure and returns Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Oakland has the same deal for departures and returns on either Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

You have to check low fare calendar to look at the whole month.

Car Rental - Priceline

2010-04-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

Wow- Just rented a convertible for $24 a day for 13 days on Priceline.com
I saved $670.51!
Definitely check priceline out first!!! Name your own price and car...start low!!

Car Rental In Hawaii

2010-04-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't found a car yet to rent, Dollar rental car has come out with a few deals.
Hawaii Dollar rental car deals

I have also been told Priceline.com is a great website to bid on car rentals...you can put in your own price and it will let you know if it's too low. Start low first!

Hawaiian Airlines $361 round trip..best rate today

2010-02-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Looking at flights today...

Alaska Airlines: $425.60 round trip San Jose direct to Kona..using the low fair view calendar. This flight has gone up in price.

Hawaiian Airlines: $361.00 round trip from San Jose to Kona..this flight does have one stop in Honolulu before arriving in Kona.

United Airlines: $753 from San Luis Obispo to Kona...layover in LAX or SFO.

Update: Alaska Airlines $359.37

2010-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alaska Airlines is down to $359.37 round trip out of San Jose and Oakland direct to Kona.

Prices good from San Jose: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (departures and returns)

Prices are good from Oakland: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (departure and returns)

SLO round trip to Kona is $732.99 with United with a layover in San Francisco or LA

Pictures from last year....just to get you excited!!

2010-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Mauna Kea Volcano (dormant) and yes that is snow

A beach we found off the beaten path..

Waipi'o Valley

Lava Tube in Volcano National Park

Black Sand Beach south of Kona

Ceremony Site

Travel Insurance

2010-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Once you do have your vacation planned, it's always wise to check out Travel Insurance. Travel insurance may cover any unforeseen event like illness, loss of baggage, weather issues or maybe the volcano blowing up..just kidding.
Not to worry either that Brad or I won't show up...but for $100-/+ a person you could receive a total refund on your vacation if any unforeseen event should arise... we will cross our fingers.

http://www.travelex-insurance.com/

http://www.travelguard.com/

Rental Cars

2010-01-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

You will want to pick up a rental car at the Kona International Airport (KOA). There are shuttles that will take you to the car rental agencies that are less than a mile away.
After searching various car rental sites today, the two companies that had the best rates were Dollar and Thrifty. On both of their websites, they had "city specials" or "Hot rate discount" that you want to check out.

Dollar: www.dollar.com
One week car rental

Compact - Dodge Caliber $197.25 out the door
Mid-Size - Ford Fusion $216.93 out the door
Full Size - Dodge Charger $226.76 out the door
Mini Van - Dodge Caravan $295.62 out the door
There are 4x4 vehicles or convertibles at a higher prices...

Thrifty: www.thrifty.com
One Week car rental rates
Hot rate discount

The same rates as dollar..

There could be better deals as we get closer to May. In the past I have found coupon codes online that can be entered in at checkout to reduce the rates even more. Also, package deals might also give you a better rate.

Flight Update

2010-01-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

Was just looking at airfare for May. It still looks like Alaska Airlines out of San Jose or Oakland have the best rates direct to Kona.
Oakland and San Jose are both $379.66 round trip straight to Kona non-stop. This special price is only available on certain days. When searching flights, use the low fare calender to look at the entire month of May to see daily prices. Oakland's special pricing for departures and returns are on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. San Jose's special pricing is on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (some dates are already not available for the special rate).

There are hotels in San Jose and Oakland where if you stay one night you can park your car for the length of the trip. They have shuttles that will take you to the airport for free...remember to tip the driver. Check out http://www.parksleepfly.com/

San Luis departures are around $700 +/- round trip to Kona through United Airlines.

Let us know if you have any questions!! We are getting closer...4 Months to go woohoo!!

Alaska Airlines Low Fare

2009-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Alaska Airlines just released low fares out of San Jose direct to Kona for $359.17 round trip! This is the lowest fare that I have seen so far. Again this is non-stop direct to Kona.
Go to http://www.alaskaair.com and search for flights in May using the low fare calendar. The days of the week available are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays all through May.

Another Great Hawaii Website...

2009-10-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another great website that will give you up to date info on flight deals to Hawaii. http://beatofhawaii.com/

Alaska Airlines is starting to put out some deals to Kona. Oakland to Kona round-trip with no stops was about $490 including tax for dates in May. My brother Dan is going to the Big Island this November and found a deal from Alaska Airlines out of Oakland for $350+/- so there are deals out there!

United Airlines out of San Luis is running about $677 right now.

I will keep you updated if I find any other great deals. Let me know if you find any too!! Mahalo

Searching for package deals, hotels or condos?

2009-09-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

The internet is the best source for information when looking for places to stay, flights and car rentals. Here are a few travel search engines that I have looked at:

www.orbitz.com - They do have a price assurance program. Once you book on Orbitz, they start tracking to see if another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same flight or hotel reservation on Orbitz at a lower price. If that happens, they'll issue a refund for the difference. Amounts range from $5 to $250 per airline ticket or $5 to $500 per hotel reservation.

www.Expedia.com

www.bing.com

www.travelocity.com

www.pleasantholidays.com

www.applevacations.com

www.tripadvisor.com - one of my favorite sites to look at reviews of hotels, things to do and restaurants.

www.vrbo.com - one of the best rental sites for condos and homes on the Big Island. Make sure you look at the Kohala Coast area for rentals. This includes rentals at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hapuna Prince Hotel, Mauna Lani, Waikoloa and Puako. These are probably the best areas to look at for rentals. I would try to avoid the Kona area. There has been a lot of vog in this area from the active volcano south of the island. Kona is also a 45-55 minute drive to the Mauna Kea Beach resort.

A great book, that I have mentioned before, is "Hawaii The Big Island Revealed" the ultimate guide book. Has everything about the Big Island that you ever wanted to know.

Travel Time Frame and Additional Info

2009-09-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Aloha..
We have had several inquirers on what dates to book for traveling. We will be having pre-wedding events before the wedding. The first events will most likely be happening Tuesday, May 4th. We have spoken to guests who are planning on coming to the Big Island for a week and have booked from Sunday May 2nd to Sunday May 9th or Tuesday May 4th to Tuesday May 11th...for example. It also might be less expensive to travel during week days too. You may stay for less time or more time if you'd like! We hope you will make this a fun vacation for you and your family.

Flights:
Airlines that fly to Kona:

United Airlines - best from SLO
Delta
Hawaiian - layover in Honolulu
Alaska
American

There might be a few others... Hawaiian is usually the best deal if you are driving to LAX or the bay area and flying from there... They do have a layover in Honolulu though.

Additional info:

There is a Costco, Walmart and Target in Kona. There is even a Home Depot if you need to work on something special..ha!
If you are staying in a condo or home, Costco is a great place to buy food and beverages for the week. Costco also sells body boards, snorkel equipment, beach towels, macadamia nuts, beer and rum..the necessities over here on the Big Island. There are grocery stores on the Kohala Coast near resorts too as well as a fresh fruit stand. Additional information will be provided to you on store locations before the big event.
Mahalo

Back from Hawaii!

2009-09-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Big Island! Checked out the venue and met with vendors. We had great weather and I feel completely comfortable with the hotel and the wedding coordinator Kim. It's going to be a great event!
I wanted to give a couple of tips and advise for your travels to Hawaii!

1. Rental Car: If you are renting a car that is separate from your flight and hotel package, you will want to make sure to look for coupons online. I was able to find a 50% coupon online for several car rental agencies on the Big Island. I rented a full size sedan for 1 week with unlimited mileage for a total of $189.00 through Budget Rental. It would have been $400.00 if I didn't search for a coupon online...all you need to do is use a search engine and type in "coupon budget car rental". There are websites that will give you the coupon codes at no charge and they work! You will definitely need a rental car while visiting the Island. It is "Big". Nothing is fairly close together on the island so a car is a must. They do have taxis and some hotels have shuttles too.

2. Flights: If you are flying out of San Luis Obispo, United Airlines has the best rates and most direct flight to Kona. From SLO the flight will either go to LAX or SFO for a connection flight directly to Kona. The flight from SLO to LAX or SFO is usually 40 minutes or so. From LAX or SFO the flight is about 4.5 to 5 hours to Kona.
If you decide to drive to LAX or SFO area to catch a flight..I would recommend Hawaiian airlines. They have the best service and prices that I have seen. Hawaiian does leave from Oakland and San Jose too. The only bumber with Hawaiian is that there is a connection flight in Honolulu. It's usually a quick layover and you will get to see a lot of the islands from the airplane which is pretty cool. Most airlines do charge for bags now so make sure you look at those fees too before booking. United also charges for food on the plane now...there is no free lunch anymore. And if I remember right Hawaiian had a free meal and a less costly baggage fee.

3. Big Island: The best airport to fly into is Kona (KOA) airport. From the Airport to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel..it's about 45 minutes north. I will never forget the first time I landed on the Big Island. I thought we were landing on the moon. There is a lot of lava!! You will be driving through many lava fields on paved roads that lead to the Kohala Coast. Don't be worried that the entire scenery will look like lava as I did the first time..Ha! The resorts are beautiful and most have fantastic beaches. As you travel north or south from the airport..there is more greenery and rain. The Big Island has 11 different climate zones.. so if you are looking for a rain forest or waterfalls, all you'll need to do is drive. The northern end of the island is very lush and green as well as the entire eastern part of the island. The Kohala Coast is considered dessert like so there is little rain in this area.
We were able to visit the Volcano National Park on this trip. It was about a 2 hour drive from the Kohala Coast to the Park, which is at the southern tip of the island. You could spend a whole day at the park, so I would suggest to leave early in the morning if you decide to go. There are helicopter tours of the volcano area. It's a lot less expensive to drive to Hilo and catch the helicopter than take the one on the Kohala Coast.

Roads and Police: Hawaii does have great roads that are well maintained. All the roads in Hawaii are only two lanes so please drive safely. The speed limits in Hawaii are usually between 45 and 55 at the max! You will notice most everyone drives slow. The police in Hawaii drive their own vehicles that are unmarked...so you never know when you might see them. They usually have a blue light they stick on the roof of their car when working, but sometimes they don't put it on until they want to pull you over. One very important item to mention is drinking and driving. You do not want to get a DUI on the Big Island...We have heard they can be very very expensive!! There are taxis available and shuttles to and from some hotels.

Well, this is it for today! Please let me know if you have any questions too. I will post again soon.
Katie

Places and Areas to Stay

2009-07-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some towns/areas with distances to the Mauna Kea Beach Resort. If you check out the www.vbro.com, there are vacation rentals in a lot of these areas. Brad and I will be staying at a home in the Kohala Ranch between May 2nd to the wedding date May 7th and will then be staying at the Mauna Kea Beach resort for that weekend until Tuesday May 11th. There will be pre-wedding events planned for the week of May 3- May 7th... so stay posted.

Puako - 5 minutes
Waikoloa Village - 12 min
Waikoloa Beach Village - 6 min
Waimea - 20 min
Kohala Ranch, Estates, Waterfront and by the Sea - 10 min
Kawaihae - 5 min

Kona is about 40 min south of the Mauna Kea Beach Resort. Kona is a bigger more touristy city and it's also where the airport is located. There are resorts there as well.

Here are some resorts in the Kohala Coast district..these resorts also have condos, houses and town homes for rent within their developments.

Mauna Kea Beach Resort
Hapuna Prince Beach Resort
Mauna Lani
Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Fairmont Orchid
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
Kona Village

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Hapuna Prince Beach Hotel

2009-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Below are discounted rates for the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. We strongly recommend to check other travel websites for pricing especially if combining your flight, car and hotel room together. Guests are not required to stay at either of these hotels. A condo or town home might be a better option for most guest. :)

GUEST ROOMS/RATES for Wedding guests of Brad and Katie

The following rates are for rooms only and are valid for the dates (May 3 - May 9, 2010):

Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel

Terrace $189.00

Partial Ocean $209.00

Ocean View $239.00

Premium Ocean $279.00

Ocean Front $309.00

Ocean Suite $514.00

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Mountain View $305.00

Golf Vista View $405.00

Plumeria Beach Club $555.00

Ocean View $565.00

Deluxe Ocean View $705.00

8^th Floor Deluxe Ocean View $855.00

These rates are for single/double occupancy and are subject to 11.416% Hotel/ State tax.

The hotel reserves the right to yield its inventory in room categories at any time. This may mean that certain rates may be limited or closed out to this contract, even though rooms may be available through other means, i.e., hot deal rates, etc.

RESERVATION PROCEDURES

Since no room block will be held, reservations will be confirmed based on availability. Please have your guests call the Prince Resorts Hawaii’s Central Reservations Office at 1-866-PRINCE6 (866-774-6236) and refer to the Bateman / Austin Wedding Guest Rates listed above.

DEPOSIT & CANCELLATION POLICIES: One night room and tax deposit or guarantee (per room) is due 14 days after booking. In case of cancellation, hotel requires at least 72 hour prior to arrival notice for refund of deposit.

Guests will pay balance of room, tax and incidentals upon departure.

THIRD PERSON CHARGE/ROLLAWAY CHARGE

Maximum guest room capacity at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel is three (3) adults, or two (2) adults and two (2) children. Children 17 years and under while traveling with an adult are complimentary when they utilize existing bedding in the same room. Third person charge of $60.00 will apply to a third adult occupying the same room. A rollaway bed is included in this charge.

A rollaway charge of $40.00 is to be applied where an additional bed is requested. For example, two adults and one child (no Third Person Charge applies) but should the parents request a rollaway bed then the rollaway charge is to apply.

CHECK IN/CHECK OUT

Check in Time: 3:00 p.m. Check out Time: 12:00 noon

Early check ins and late check outs will be accommodated based on availability of rooms.

Welcome!

2009-06-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Brad and I are very excited about our wedding on the Kohala Coast, Big Island of Hawaii May 7, 2010! I will be on here often giving updates on the wedding. If you find any great flight and hotel packages, we would love to hear from you.