2009 Hawaii Kona Ironman visitors information

Aloha Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors,

What's on our mind today? Let's talk Hawaii Ironman and here is why. It's a short 3 months to Hawaii's biggest event: the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Ford World Championship. The 2009 Hawaii Ironman takes place on Saturday October 10th in Kailua Kona. Kona attracts for the Big Island Ironman event thousands of visitors and athletes from all over the world. Last year's 2008 Ironman Triathlon recorded 1731 athletes at the start. What's new for this 2009 Kona Ironman?

2009 Hawaii Kona Ironman Visitors Information

1. Book your Kona accommodation early

Remember our most recent blog post about 'Will Hawaii foreclosures help your dream of living in Hawaii?' We mentioned there that one Hawaii town is hit especially hard by foreclosures. The town is Kona. The foreclosures of many Kona condos which were used in the past as vacation rentals will limit the availability of Ironman accommodations. Kona condos, especially those in Alii Dr, are in high demand because they are self-catering and offer the best training conditions for the triathletes participating in the Ironman. Visitors love this location as well because it's in walking distance to the Kona Pier, the start and finish of the Ironman.

2. Early bird Kona Ironman specials?

Your best chance of finding an 'early bird' special for your stay in Kona for this year's 2009 Hawaii Triathlon World Championship is when you book NOW. Generally, Kona vacation rental hosts charge double the rates for the Ironman week. If you are early enough with your inquiry, Kona hosts might be still willing to cut you a special deal. If you don't mind a little bit driving from Kona Captain Cook Kealakekua area to downtown Kona, your chances for an affordable vacation rental are even better.

3. Share a Kona vacation home with friends or family

This way your Kona visit won't stretch your budget beyond your limits. In addition, you can stay at a more luxury Kona home - maybe with a pool and jacuzzi - which you can afford by sharing the rental fees. You are hanging out with your friends anyway, so why not stay at one place?! The Kona Ironman is a huge social event. Feel the excitement of the cheering crowds and become part of it.

4. Plan your Big Island activities

The Big Island offers some of the biggest Hawaii attractions, many beyond the ordinary. Don't leave the Island of Hawaii without having visited our live volcano in Hawaii Volcano National Park or snow-covered Mauna Kea Summit for a spectacular stargazing night. These are once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Make your plans for exploring the Big Island ahead of your arrival in Kona Hawaii. Your Kona vacation week is over in a wink of an eye. So get the most out of your Kona Ironman visit.

If you have visited the Hawaii Kona Ironman in the past or have anything to share with our blog visitors about Kona or the Ironman, please, leave a comment right here. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Tags: 2009 Hawaii Ironman, Kona vacation, Best Hawaii Event, Hawaii

Will Hawaii foreclosures help your dream of living in Hawaii

Dear Hawaii lovers and blog visitors,
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Hawaii and whether it means 'Vacation forever'? I bet you did, and you are not alone. Most everybody who visited Hawaii once or twice or more times played with that idea. "What if we moved to Hawaii?"


The current real estate market in Hawaii seems to get you closer to fulfilling your dream of living in Hawaii by buying a home or a condo on the Hawaiian Islands at a cheap price you can afford. True or false?

Well, recently, on my daily perusing Hawaii tweets a tweet by @Starbulletin - or a retweet by a Hawaii twitter follower - got my attention. The tweet connected to an article by Honolulu Starbulletin published on June 13th about the ever growing number of foreclosures in Hawaii with the meaningful article title 'Realty investor Blues'. The Starbulletin article quotes some most recent Hawaii foreclosure numbers which are mind boggling but the numbers clearly reflect what is currently going on in Hawaii's real estate market.


There is no surprise that Hawaii with its larger percentage of second-home owners and investors compared to the rest of the nation jumped to #15 in May in foreclosures. 42% of foreclosures in Hawaii through the month of May were non-owner occupied properties. No surprise for me that Maui was having the lead with 50% of non-occupied foreclosures.

Naturally, this high number of foreclosures in Hawaii, a dream vacation or retirement location, triggers the interest of those who have a job and a steady income or enough cash money in searching for foreclosure deals in Hawaii. Just ask Google and type in the search for 'Hawaii Foreclosures' and the number of about 5million search results makes it clear that an entire new 'foreclosure industry' has developed in the Hawaii real estate market with realtors riding the wave of 'Hawaii foreclosures'.

On my personal search for putting this blog post together, I came across another interesting article regards the Hawaii Foreclosures published by Yahoo Finance News on June 11 which emphasized that "The islands now have the 15th highest foreclosure rate in the nation, at one in every 621 households. Local economists and foreclosure attorneys say Hawaii's foreclosure filings are growing as the recession leads to job and wage cuts. Declining property values are also making it harder for people to refinance their mortgages or sell their homes."

Coming back to our original question whether Hawaii foreclosures are getting you closer to becoming a homeowner in Hawaii and living in Hawaii. My personal lay person's humble opinion is that buying cheap foreclosure property in Hawaii looks easier than it is. Foreclosure properties will be auctioned off. The bank has a clear idea what they need to make to break even and where they want to start the bidding. In most cases, this is not the bottom price you have in mind.

Furthermore, mortgages for the average person are naturally harder to get these days. Also make sure that you have seen the home or the condo you are interested in buying as a foreclosure. Considering all pros and cons of a foreclosure purchase, it might be better to look for the real deal in a real estate market where the potential buyer has all the chances of negotiating the price he/she can afford instead of going 'treasure hunting' for a foreclosed property. This way you might be much closer to your dream of living in Hawaii. What's your opinion about Hawaii foreclosures? Mahalo, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
BTW, we won't publish comment ads by Hawaii foreclosure companies.

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Tags: living in Hawaii, Hawaii foreclosures, cheap Hawaii homes

Hawaii Special Tweets

Hawaii Visitors Alert!!!!

It's amazing what Twitter makes possible. In an instant I get Hawaii tweets from my nearly 300 followers, most of them relating relevant information about Hawaii and Hawaii vacation.

Just an hour ago I received a tweet from @Beatof Hawaii, which I immediately retweeted about Interisland Flights offered by IflyGo for $3!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, $3 for a Hawaii Interisland Flight. Too good to be true but guess what go visit IFlyGo Specials page and you will see it's all there. Flight tickets must be purchased by June 11, 2009 but they are valid for June 9 and June 30. Hop the Hawaiian Islands THIS JUNE.

Here is my $3/flight retweet:

hop islands with iflygo in june via @beatofhawaii! Airlines $3 inter-island fares are out there but not easy to find http://bit.ly/ru4uu

Best Hawaii Surf Video - yes or no?

Well, to get you all excited about Hawaii and the islands, I decided to include this Hawaii monster wave surf video which I recently received from my Twitter friend @HawaiianKiko . This Hawaii surf video was viewed over 100,000 times and shows Tow-In surfer Dan Moore talk about Oahu's legendary North Shore and how he surfed a monster 68-foot wave at Peahi (Jaws) on Maui. Authentic Waikiki Beach Boys follow in the footsteps of legendary waterman Duke Kahanamoku by teaching visitors how to surf in Waikiki.

Follow our Daily Hawaii Tweets on our Best Hawaii Vacation blog sidebar. They are all about helping you getting ready for your next Hawaii Vacation. Did you read '5 Things to pack for Hawaii'? If you don't want to miss any post or tweet, sign up for our feed or email on our sidebar where it says 'Subscribe by Email or Feed'. Mahalo for the follow. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Hawaii tweets, best Hawaii interisland special, cheap hawaiian island flights, best Hawaii video

5 Things to Pack for your Best Hawaii Vacation

Welcome back to Best Hawaii Vacation blog,

How did you like all those beautiful places from our last post 'Where to Stay in Hawaii this Summer'? You still have time to check out these vacation rental places and find something matching your budget and expectations. Remember it has never been cheaper and easier to visit Hawaii this summer.

Are you wondering what to pack for your Best Hawaii vacation to the Hawaiian Islands?

5 Things to pack for your Best Hawaii Vacation this Summer:

1. Bathing Suit(s)

Pack it in carry-on. Your check-in luggage might arrive a day later. Have your suit available right away. It would be too sad to have to watch your friends jumping in the ocean to cool off.

2. Casual light summer clothes

Casual Hawaiian light summer clothes work fine for going out dining. Outdoor seating at night is wonderful in Hawaii. Avoid the strong AC of restaurants, if possible. Also pack a pair of long pants, sweater for Hawaii island adventures when going upcountry or visiting our higher elevation areas: volcanoes like Haleakela, Mauna Kea summit or Volcanoes National Park. Walking shoes instead of flipflops are recommended for hiking.

3. Sunscreen

First thing when you arrive is heading to the nearest beach. Who wants to shop for your favorite sunscreen when the beach waits for you?! A hotel shop might be around but believe me sunscreen is not cheap there and your favorite sunscreen and SPF might not be available.

4. Camera

Upgrade the memory card of your digital camera. You will take lots of photos in Hawaii and don't want to run out of memory. Same applies to your camera battery. Don't forget the recharging cable!I won't ever forget our Hawaii visitors from Germany whose camera battery gave up in Volcano Park. They went all the way back to Hilo, bought what they needed and took the most spectacular photos of a lifetime! Take the memory of your Hawaii vacation home with you through your photos!

5. Snorkel Gear - yes or no?

Bringing snorkel gear with you has been and still is a big question for our Hawaii visitors. We recommend to pack your own snorkel gear if you have prescription glasses or are very particular with your masks and fins. Most Hawaii visitors, especially those who snorkel a lot, just buy snorkel gear after arriving in Hawaii at Costco or WalMart. With luggage weight restrictions not a bad idea.The ones at the snorkel gear rental places can be somwhat funky. Depends all where you rent the snorkel gear.

Any suggestions what things Hawaii travelers should pack for their trip to the islands? Our Hawaii vacation blog visitors and we'd love to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation
p.s.
We don't want to forget to mention that our beautiful girl from Hawaii is Toshua from WahineStyle. BTW Kawika, the photographer is currently inviting Big Island girls to become models for the new 2010 Hawaiian Girls Calendar and his wahine (girl, woman) website.

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Tags: Hawaii vacation, trip to Hawaii, visit Hawaii this summer, what to pack

Where to stay in Hawaii this Summer Vacation?

E Komo Mai everybody,
Welcome back to our Best Hawaii Vacation blog. Here is the follow-up on our '3 Reasons to visit Hawaii this Summer', our recent blog post which received lots of attention and responses by blog visitors and Hawaii vacation rental owners alike. Happy to see that we hit a nerve in Hawaii travel industry with that post about a summer vacation in Hawaii.

As Hawaii vacation rental owners are looking forward to pamper you this summer with their lowest accommodation rates in years, you may choose from luxury vacation homes with swimming pool and/or tennis court for the active vacationer or stay at a golf condo next to the golf course for the passionate Hawaii golfer, escape to Volcano for some spectacular hiking + watching an active volcano or stay in beautiful upcountry Waimea cottage with short drives to best beaches or easy access to Mauna Kea summit stargazing. Explore Hawaii Big Island this summer!

Review our 2009 Hawaii Summer Vacation Deals

Stay in Volcano next to Volcanoes National Park

2Bd/2Ba Volcano Cottage w/jacuzzi offers Summer Special at $115/nt. (dbl.) + $100/nt. w/o jacuzzi.

Kona Summer Vacation

2Bd/2Ba Kona Golf condo offers 10% off + 7th night free for weekly stay in Kona at summer bargain $115/nt.


Play Golf in Waikoloa Vacation
Golf Studio on Waikoloa Golf Course with Expansive Ocean Views Summer Deal $100/nt.

Luxury Kohala Coast Vacation

3Bd/3Ba Kohala Coast Vacation Home at Gated Kohala Ranch with swimming pool + tennis court at most affordable rate $415/nt. (dbl.) for luxury Kohala Coast vacation.

Best rate Kohala Coast Ocean View vacation

2Bd/2Ba Kohala Coast Vacation home at Kohala Estate at 30% off this summer for $175/nt.

Puako Beach Vacation

1Bd/1Ba Puako Beach Apartment (Mauka side) with AC. Puako beach access across the street. Best rate Puako beach $115/nt.

Puako Beach Family Vacation

3Bd/3Ba Puako Beach Condo, jacuzzi, w/beach access across the street at best Puako vacation family rate $145/nt.

Waimea Upcountry Cottage

Sunny side private Waimea Cottage across from HPA at most affordable $95/nt. or $85/nt. for weekly booking.

There are many more Hawaii vacation homes, condos and cottages available for your summer vacation. Best you visit our Summer vacation page. Much mahalo for stopping by. You comments are most welcome. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Best Places Hawaii, Summer 2009 in Hawaii, Summer Vacation in Hawaii

3 Reasons to Visit Hawaii this Summer

Everybody around the globe and in Hawaii is talking about the Economic Slowdown. We even offer Keoki's Hawaii Stretch DVD at an 'Economic Slowdown' price for $18.50. Everybody has become very considerate about how and when to spend money. People start to cut back their expenses with anything that does not seem necessary or important like a vacation in Hawaii. Visiting Hawaii this summer has become for them a dream for the future, unless they win a free trip to Hawaii.

Who'd actually believe that there is actually no better time than this summer to book a trip to Hawaii instead of spending the money on traveling the Mainland. Here is what Best Hawaii Vacation blog editors, Pua + Keoki, think why it is a good time to visit Hawaii this summer.

3 Reasons to Visit Hawaii this summer

1. Air fares to Hawaii are at bargain prices this summer

At least when we compare the fares to ticket prices to Hawaii in the past few years. The economic slowdown forces the Hawaii carriers to come up with unbelievable low RT fares to Hawaii for this summer. This applies to Interisland ticket prices too. Just remember that about 9 mos. ago a one-way Hawaii Interisland ticket was about $150, when one did not fly in the very early morning or late at night. Today, a round-trip ticket with IflyGo from Honolulu, Oahu to Kona, Big Island is $48! With those low Interisland rates, Hawaii island hopping has become very popular again. Most of our Hawaii visitors currently visit two Hawaiian islands on Hawaii vacation.

2. Hawaii Vacation Rental hosts consider your best offer

Why shouldn't they? It's all about bookings for their vacation homes in Hawaii. They have mortgages or monthly payments for their cars to pay, school tuition and more. Smart vacation rental owners will consider your offer. Advice from us: Be reasonable with your offer and consider what you already get for free - compared to a stay at a Hawaii hotel. Don't forget electricity costs for AC and hot water in Hawaii is one of the highest in the nation.

Be aware that Hawaii beach rental owners are used to charging high rates (and always got those in the past) and are not always willing to come down with their rates. Hawaii rentals within 10 - 15 min. drive to beaches are more willing to make special offers this summer. Mostly those rentals are at a higher elevation, which allows you a comfortable sleep in the cooler air esp. during summer vacation.

3. Hawaii Vacation Effect - Priceless!

Is it the beach, the endless ocean, the swaying palm trees, the Maitai or the pretty hula dancer which makes the Hawaii vacation one of the most relaxing and recuperating of vacation destinations around the world? Who knows! But ask anybody who visited Hawaii and can compare his Hawaii vacation with other destinations, in most cases, Hawaii vacation memories don't fade. On the contrary, Hawaii and Hawaii vacation memories become more vivid with the number of passing years and 'haunt' you till you go back to Hawaii. Visit Hawaii this summer and come back as a new 'You', ready to take on the world!

As usual, we'd love to hear from you with more reasons why to visit Hawaii this summer. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Tags: Summer 2009 in Hawaii, Hawaii Summer Vacation, Visit Hawaii this Summer

Win a Free Trip to Hawaii

Today's Best Hawaii Vacation blog post is a short one but it will grab your attention faster than you think. It's a a long time back that we told you how to win a free Hawaii Vacation. When reading Hawaii twitter tweets the other day a came across two tweets by @DiscoverHawaii about winning a free vacation. Instead of 'retweeting' the messages, I decided to share the good news with all our Hawaii vacation visitors right here on Best Hawaii vacation blog. So I went to the sites which posted the contests for winning the free trips to Hawaii and off we go to win a Hawaii vacation, a free vacation!

Win a free trip to Hawaii from Hawaii Magazine

Hawaii Magazine asks its readers for their special Hawaii photo, which shows their Hawaii memories and experiences. They say 'Got a great photo taken in Hawaii? It could win you a free trip back to our Islands in our 11th Annual HAWAII Magazine Photo Contest. Enter your photos in one of these four categories: Oahu, Maui, Big Island or Kauai. The photos can be of anything - people, places, things - but need to have been shot on the island corresponding to the category you are entering.

You may enter up to eight Hawaii photos, but no more than two photos per category. Make sure you send your photo (or photos) to Hawaii Magazine, postmarked by Aug. 7, 2009. Hawaii Magazine will be giving away nine prizes - one grand prize, four first-place and four second-place prizes. Grand Prize is airfare for two to Honolulu from your nearest Hawaiian Airlines gateway city, plus a six-night stay at the newly remodeled Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel in Waikiki.'

Win a free trip to Hawaii from the Travel Channel

Another chance to win a free trip to Hawaii is with the Sweepstakes of the Travel Channel. This month's prize winner of Travel channel will fly round-trip to Hawaii and stay for 8 days and 7 nights on the magical islands of Oahu and Maui. Enjoy complimentary transportation, breakfast and golf packages during your stay. Enter your chance to win the Travel Bug Sweepstakes free trip to Hawaii.

You have nothing to lose but a chance to win a free trip to Hawaii. I have hundreds of beautiful Hawaii photos and decided to join the Hawaii Magazine photo contest. A stay at a Waikiki hotel is always something special. If you are the winner of a free Hawaii trip, we'd love to hear about your Hawaii vacation. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
If you like the pretty girls from Hawaii, our today's post girl is Nikki from WahineStyle.com in Hawaii. Kawika is the photographer of those pretty women. Mahalo for sharing.

Tags: Win Free Trip to Hawaii, Hawaii Magazine, Hawaii Photo contest, Travel Channel Sweepstakes Hawaii Trip