Sunday, December 19, 2010

opportunity to vacation in Hawaii for all

For many people a Hawaii vacation is just a fond dream because they believe it is too expensive and too complicated to arrange, but nothing could be further from the truth! A little bit of effort can locate an incredibly affordable tropical vacation package that is so simple that all you need to do is show up.

You can shop for specific locations such as Maui vacation packages for those who are most interested in that island's incredible beaches, or choose a Kauai vacation for a little less of a crowd, or opt for the interesting offerings on the Big Island or on Oahu. If you cannot make up your mind, many packages will offer several islands with the costs of inter-island flights included.

Another fantastic Hawaii vacation would be one on a cruise ship. Hawaii cruise ships traverse the whole island chain and there are great deals constantly becoming available. If you can be flexible, you may even find deals on cancellations that cost far less than half the normal price.

Hawaii vacation cruises can be family oriented, or meant for the special requirements of very romantic couples. Nearly any kind of special group can find a cruise for them, with some that cater to seniors, to gay people, to veterans, in fact almost any kind of group. These are easy to find online or with the help of a professional travel agent.

Some Hawaii vacation packages may include a rental property instead of a hotel or resort. These can be less expensive than traditional accommodations if you don't mind a bit of cleaning up after yourself or doing some cooking. Some people just prefer the privacy and home like setting and price is secondary.

Finding a fabulous Hawaii vacation is usually not the hard part, but picking from the many choices may be! Going online will help find a great number of packages, and consulting a travel agent will open more possibilities. A wise travel planner will check both sources to find the best deal of all. Check with GreatHawaiiCruises.com for special deals on Hawaii cruise ships. Whether you do it yourself or use the services of a professional, a Hawaiian vacation is within reach and will be a trip to paradise!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

What's the Weather Like When Traveling to Hawaii?

Hawaii is an archipelago that makes up hundreds of islands that that stretch over 1500 miles. The climate of Hawaii is surprisingly complex. The Hawaiian Islands lie in the tropics, but because of high volcanic mountains, the weather can be quite varied. Mauna Kea is the highest peak on the island of Hawaii at nearly 14,000 feet.

Hawaii Rainfall

Rainfall varies widely not only from one island to another, but is very dependent upon the elevation of the location, and if the location is facing windward or leeward of the northeast trade winds. Rainfall totals of about 20 inches can be expected near the high mountain tops and lee coastal locations. In contrast, up to 300 inches will be found on the windward slopes of mountains generally between 4-6 thousand feet.

Compare three different locations in Hawaii:

1. Honolulu has a very distinct wet and dry season. The dry season stretches from April through September where generally only 1/2" to 1" of rainfall occurs each month. During the wet season, October through March, about 2-3 inches of rainfall occurs.

2. Hilo is on the north coast of Hawaii and faces the northeast trade winds resulting in about 126" of rainfall per year. There is no dry month, with June having the lowest amount of rain with 7 1/3". November has the most rainfall with about 15 1/2".

3. Mauna Loa is one of Hawaii's tallest volcanic mountains. Because of its height - nearly 14,000 ft high, it is usually above the moist trade wind showers. Only about 19" of yearly rainfall occurs with January being the wettest month with about 3 inches of rain.

In general most locations receive their maximum rainfall during the winter months, with the Kona coast of Hawaii being a notable exception.

Hawaii Temperatures

Hawaii's temperatures are mild to warm all year at the resorts. Summer high temperatures usually are in the mid to upper 80's with morning lows in the mid 70's. Winter highs are in the upper 70's to near 80. Keep in mind that it is much cooler in the mountains, especially on the higher slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Daytime highs are in the 50's all year with overnight lows in the 30's most months.

Hawaii Travel Weather Summary

Hawaii has a complex climatology and thus experiences many different types of temperature and precipitation regimes. However, most travelers visit the resorts at beach locations that receive plenty of sunshine with only an occasional passing shower. The high volcanic mountains are considerably cooler with much heavier precipitation. Plan to take a jacket it your trip takes you into the mountains, otherwise temperatures are usually very comfortable.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Hawaii Personal Jurisdiction

Whether or not an individual or entity may be sued in Hawaii depends on "Personal Jurisdiction." This is generally determined by the number and type of contacts that the defendant has with Hawaii. To subject a nonresident defendant to to jurisdiction in Hawaii, long-arm statute and constitutional due process requirements must be met. In order to meet Constitutional due process requirement, the Court has to have "either general jurisdiction or specific jurisdiction" over the defendant.

The Plaintiff has the burden of establishing personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant. This means that the individual filing a lawsuit has to be able to establish that the defendant has the requisite "minimum contacts" with Hawaii. However, this is not that heavy a burden since "the Plaintiff need only make a prima facie showing of jurisdictional facts" to avoid dismissal. Schwarzenegger v Ford Motor Co., 374 F.3d 797, 800 (9th Cir., 2004). If Plaintiff is successful in making a prima facie showing on the motion to dismiss, Plaintiff must eventually establish jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.

"In determining whether [the plaintiff] has met this burden, uncontroverted allegations in [the] complaint must be taken as true, and 'conflicts between the facts contained in the parties' affidavits must be resolved in [the plaintiff's] favor for purposes of deciding whether a prima facie case for personal jurisdiction exists." AT&T Co. v Compagnie Bruxelles Lambert, 94 F.3d 586, 588 (9th Cir., 1996)(quoting WNS Inc. v Farrow, 884 F.2d 200, 203 (5th Cir., 1989).

General jurisdiction requires that defendant's contact with the state be continuous, systematic, and substantial. Ultimately, it is difficult for the defendant to prevail on a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, since dismissal is such a drastic result to the Hawaii plaintiff. In my experience, if the plaintiff is able to establish Hawaii contacts by the defendant related to the case, the court will likely find personal jurisdiction.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Traveling To and Around Hawaii, A First-Time Visitor's Primer

Six different islands in Hawaii are open to tourism. Most first-timers planning a trip to one or more than one island have numerous questions relating to where exactly to go and how exactly to get there. This primer will answer those questions.

All interisland flights are through Hawaiian Airlines, Aloha Airlines, or Island Air. Best prices will usually be through the website or through your mainland flight company.

Oahu is the hub of Hawaii transportation. Most mainland and International flights will fly into the Honolulu International Airport (HNL). Travelers heading on to another island may have to deplane and get on an interisland flight to reach their final destination. The airport is located on the outskirts of Honolulu, about a 20 minute drive to Waikiki, and about a 45 minute drive to the North Shore. There are no ferries from Oahu to any other island.

Maui has three airports. The major airport is Kahalui Airport (OGG) which allows direct flights from the West coast of the U.S. mainland. The drive from the airport to Kihei or Wailea is less than half an hour, but can take an hour to Lahaina or Kaanapali. Much closer to the Lahaina area is Kapalua Airport (JHM) but you can only fly there from Honolulu. Hana (HNM) also has an airport if you don't want to drive, but you'll be taking a very small plane. Check with Pacific Wings. You can normally find day ferries from Maui to Lanai and Molokai.

The Big Island (named Hawaii, but called the Big Island to avoid confusion) has two airports, Hilo International Airport (ITO), and Keahole Airport (KOA). These two airports are a 2.5 hour drive from each other. Hilo is closest to Honokaa, Kapoho, and Volcano. Keahole is in Kailua-Kona which is closest to all of Kona, Puako, Kohala, Waikoloa, and Waimea. There are direct flights from the mainland only to Keahole. There are no ferries from the Big Island to any other island.

Kauai has one airport, Lihue Airport (LIH), in Lihue, and you can find direct flights from the mainland on some carriers. Lihue is about halfway to everything on the island - but a bit closer to Poipu than Princeville. There are no ferrys from Kauai to any other island.

Molokai has one airport, Molokai Airport (MKK) in central Molokai. You will probably have to take a small airplane in, usually no bigger than a 20 seater. Island Air will fly you in from Honolulu or Kahului. Small commercial boats will ferry you from Maui to Molokai.

Lanai has one airport, Lanai Airport (LNY), near Lanai City. Lanai airport also only accepts small airplanes. Island Air will fly you in from Honolulu. Small commercial boats will ferry you from Maui to Molokai.

By 2007 Hawaii Super Ferry should be operating between all the islands and will hopefully revolutionize our current expensive and inefficient interisland travel systems. Until then, book your flight online and early.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Hawaii Christmas - Oahu Events, Holiday Airfares

Christmas in Hawaii this year is as festive as ever, and some very well priced, holiday airfares can be found (at last check as low as $300 from US West Coast). Whether your vacation is budget or extravagant, you can create some beautiful holiday memories on Oahu.

Hawaiian Christmas memories are among my favorite remembrances of living in Hawaii. Listening to the children belt out their favorites like "Here Comes Santa in a Red Canoe," and the Hawaiian version of "The 12 Days of Christmas," and
hearing "Silent Night" sung in English and Hawaiian by an angelic choir on a balmy evening under the stars with palm trees swaying are experiences not to be missed.Just walking downtown is a delight during the holidays.

And I'll never forget arriving at the Honolulu Airport for the first time during the holiday season and being in awe of the towering tree all decked out with huge, lauhala woven pineapples and golden lights.

Holidays in Hawaii, especially Christmas are widely celebrated. This is a very churched community,but even many of the Buddhist families participate in Christmas traditions, especially the Japanese-Americans who come who have a reputation for loving to give gifts.

If you're visiting the islands for the holidays, you will find a myriad of Christmas events on Oahu, actually on all the islands, but more so on Oahu.

In Hawaii, Santa gives his reindeer a Christmas break and arrives in a canoe, barefoot, tanned and with his red furry pants rolled up. On Oahu, his first stop is, as it is for most of Hawaii's visitors, Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Keiki (children) visit their Hawaiian Santa at various cities on Oahu throughout the season.

While at Christmas time, many of the islanders enjoy watching the visitors in awe of this warm, friendly climate in the dead of winter, they also enjoy imagining what a white Christmas would be like. You'll hear many of the traditional mainland songs, like "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells."

Some Hawaiians though do have a white Christmas, that is if they're on the Big Island (island of Hawaii) and drive up above the tree line to the 10,000 foot high snowcapped peaks of Mauna Kea, transforming their boogie boards into sleds and building snowmen! With the current, cheap airfares from between Oahu and
Neighbor Islands,a side trip from Oahu to the Big Island is more affordable than its been in a long time.

It's fun swapping tropical and white Christmas stories with locals. For us visitors it's especially fun to write home about how we spent our Christmas day on a beach! Some newcomers to Hawaii will even bring miniature trees down to the beach, although Hawaii has plenty Christmas trees. On Oahu,as on the other islands, trees from the mainland are sold. And, Hawaii has its own Christmas tree: the island Norfolk Pine. The tree doesn't have the spicy pine scent, but its largely spaced branches are wonderfully easy to decorate.

Hawaiian Christmas tree decorations are found everywhere. Craft fairs are great for finding local style ones: coconut frond woven ornaments, kukui nut and tapa cloth angels, Santas on surfboards in canoes and riding dolphins; along with beautiful wreaths made of island flowers and greenery.

Many of these craft fairs are events in themselves, complete with Hawaiian Christmas entertainment and food. You'll find many of these listed along with other holiday Oahu events in newspapers and free magazines at the airport.

Some of my favorite Oahu events at Christmas are the light displays in Honolulu and the music - choirs, orchestras and local style bands are found everywhere with free concerts at malls and on the beach. Adding to the holiday fun, many of Hawaii's most popular musicians like the Brothers Cazimero and Don Ho perform regularly in Waikiki.

The Honolulu City Lights (the city was given permission by Keola and Kapono Beamer to use the name of their all time hit song) is a spectacular display throughout Honolulu, including Waikiki, making Oahu a good pick for a Hawaiian holiday vacation.

The month-long, traditional festivities begin with the Kawaiahao Church Service in Honolulu (This was the first Christian church built in Hawaii and is extraordinary), the lighting of the City's 63-foot Norfolk Pine at Honolulu Hale (City Hall) and an electric parade and concert on December 3; however festivities continue throughout the holiday season.

For example, the Honolulu City Lights Trolley Tours run from December 8 to 30. The $2.50 fare (under age 4 free) benefits the Hawaii Food bank. For details, visit Honolulu Hale If you go, be sure to check out the other Oahu event calendars mentioned above as well as this one's. And check out the holiday airfares at places like Hawaiian Airlines and Hotwire.com.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hawaii Homeowners Insurance - How to Get the Best Rate

Looking for Hawaii homeowners insurance? Want to find the best rate with a solid, reliable company? Here's how to do it.

Hawaii Homeowners Insurance

Hawaii homeowners insurance covers the following:

Home structure - Your homeowners insurance pays to repair or rebuild your home when it's damaged by vandalism, fire, burst water pipes, or acts of nature. It does not pay for damages due to floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes, so if you want coverage for these events you'll need additional insurance.

Personal property - Your homeowners insurance pays to replace your personal possessions - furniture, clothing, appliances, electronics, etc. - when they're stolen or when they're damaged by fire, vandalism, burst water pipes, or acts of nature. Coverage for expensive items like jewelry, gold, and coin collections is limited, so you may need additional insurance for these items.

Personal liability - Your homeowners insurance pays claims for injuries to other people, either on or off your property, when you or your family are at fault. It also pays claims for damages to their personal property.

Get the Best Hawaii Homeowners Insurance Rates

To get the rates on Hawaii homeowners insurance you need to comparison shop. There are websites where you can get homeowners insurance quotes from a number of A-rated companies. These websites have you fill out a simple form with information about your home and the type of insurance you want. You'll then get your quotes and you can choose the best one.

If you have any questions about how much insurance you need, or any other questions, some of these sites offer a service whereby you can get answers online or by phone from an insurance expert. (See link below.)

The difference in insurance can vary by hundreds, even thousands of dollars between companies, so a few minutes spent comparing rates could save you a lot of money down the road.

Some other ways to save money on your insurance are:

Increase you deductible - Raising your deductible to an amount you can afford can save you up to 40% on your premium.

Install safety and security features - Installing dead-bolt door locks, window locks, burglar alarms, smoke detectors, and fire alarms will get you a good-sized discount.

Ask for discounts - Ask your agent for any discounts you may be eligible for and take advantage of them.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

How to Cook Shoyu Chicken - The Hawaiian Treat

Last year, my husband and I took a dream vacation to Hawaii. We got to tour most of the islands and saw all sides of Hawaii, from Honolulu and the glitzy beach resorts to little towns well off the main tourist track.

Everywhere we went, we could count on finding an ubiquitous dish called shoyu chicken. Sometimes it came served with exotic garnishes, usually in the fancier restaurants, and sometimes it came straight out of the cooker and served on paper plates from some roadside stand, but it was always delicious.

When we got home, I knew I had to try cooking some shoyu in my own kitchen.

There must be thousands of different recipes for this dish. The differences are mainly in the ingredients for the sauce, but even the chicken itself can be cooked any way you like, from boiling in a pot to baking in the oven to grilling on the barbecue.

No matter the recipe, one ingredient you'll always find is soy sauce. That's because that's what shoyu means--soy sauce. If you want, you can just call this dish soy sauce chicken. But I prefer to use the word "shoyu" in tribute to its native home in Hawaii.

If you would like to cook shoyu chicken, why not go all the way and make it the food centerpiece of a Hawaiian-themed party? Break out the leis, put on some ukulele or Don Ho music, and have some tropical fun.

This shoyu chicken recipe serves 12 people. If you want to make it just for your family instead of for a party, cut back the recipe portions accordingly.

Ingredients

12 pounds of chicken thighs

3 cups brown sugar

4 cups soy sauce

4 cans chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups pineapple juice

1 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

chopped green onion tops

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 cans pineapple rings

Directions

1. Wash and drain the chicken thighs.

2. Combine the sauce ingredients (everything listed above except the pineapple rings).

3. Combine the chicken and the sauce in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cooking 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

4. Place chicken thighs on serving platter; decorate with pineapple rings and serve.