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I'm curious what it's like traveling, vacationing between islands once your living there. After reading a couple of threads I'm getting the impression that traveling to another island is almost as expensive, cumbersome as traveling from the mainland to that island or is "popping" over to Oahu from the Big Island for the weekend a pretty "painless" trip?
It's certainly easier and quicker than going to the mainland! But you do have to fly, so you have to deal with airfare, baggage costs (if any), bringing limited stuff, hotels, renting a car, etc. Still, I take my son to swim meets on other islands a few times/year, it's reasonable to go for just 2-3 days - or even one day, for business. I sometimes fly (from Kauai) to Oahu for a day-long conference or business meeting. Fly over in the a.m., get the Reliable Shuttle ($18 round trip from/to airport, no worry about parking) to wherever I'm going, do the do, shuttle back, home around dinner time (or later if I want).
Vacations to other islands are great. I love going to the Big Island, Oahu not so much (but we're going this weekend for a 2-day meet, with Friday to just "play" as a family). Hope to make it to Maui soon.
Going to/from the mainland is a pain. I went to Atlanta last week, had bad jet lag both ways, and caught a nasty cold (after two years sickness-free here on Kauai). Everybody's in a rush over there, the people all look the same, and there's no musubi. Subway delays. Closed-toe shoes. Traffic jams. Yuck. Glad to be home.
Compared with going to the mainland, trips to other islands are quick, easy, and (relatively) inexpensive.
Good things: It takes a lot fewer frequent flier miles to get inter-island flights. A couple of mainland trips is enough to get them. So we can often travel with miles.
In Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines has its own terminal and commuter flights are in yet another one. They are smaller and more low-key. It's not as time-consuming to get through security and so on.
The flights are short... 20 or 30 minutes, compared with 5-6 hours to get to the mainland.
In the two years that I've been here, I have day-tripped to Maui for work, spent a weekend on Kauai, spent a weekend on Molokai (partly for work), and spent a week on Maui.
Traveling from Oahu to the other major islands isn't a big deal or that expensive ($100- R/T). Now traveling from Kauai to the Big Island is another story. Most all flights connect through Honolulu and the price is double the one island hops ($200+ R/T).
I'm hoping to do some trips. I got the Bank of Hawaii debit card that gives you 1 Hawaiian Airlines mile per $2 you spend. Seems too good to be true considering how short the flights are... But we'll see.
Since I have to work for a living and pay my own way, I don't think I'll be doing the 3-4 times a week. But since I telecommute I'd like to be able to do a trip once every couple of months just to explore.
I believe sweetbeet means that everyone has the same expression, that there are so many people their individuality doesn't shine through, not that they all seem to look the same actually
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He loved it. Imagine all the miles he gets...
