For a cozy alternative to impersonal hotel rooms, B&Bs (private homes with rooms available to travelers) range from acceptable to sublime. In general, B&Bs are a great and easy way to both experience the aloha spirit and to immerse yourself in island lifestyle. There are many B&Bs on Hawaii; rooms in B&Bs generally run anywhere between $50-150. Any number of websites provide listings for B&Bs; check out Bed & Breakfast Inns Online (www.bbonline.com), InnFinder (www.inncrawler.com), InnSite (www.innsite.com), BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com), or BNBFinder.com (www.bnbfinder.com). For Hawaii-specific B&B sites, check out Hawaii’s Best Bed & Breakfasts (www.bestbnb.com), Hawaii Island B&B Association (www.stayhawaii.com), and Bed and Breakfast Hawaii (www.bandb-hawaii.com).
Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) lodgings are usually cheaper than a hotel but more expensive than a hostel. Not all locations offer lodging; those that do are often located in urban areas. Many YMCAs accept women and families; some will not lodge those under 18 without parental permission.
Home exchange offers the traveler various types of homes (houses, apartments, condominiums, villas), plus the opportunity to live like a native and to cut down on accommodation fees. For more information, contact HomeExchange.com Inc., P.O. Box 787, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 (☎310 798 3864 or toll-free 800-877-8723; www.homeexchange.com) or Intervac International Home Exchange (☎800-756-4663; www.intervac.com).
Hospitality clubs link their members with individuals or families abroad who are willing to host travelers for free or for a small fee to promote cultural exchange and general good karma. In exchange, members usually must be willing to host travelers in their own homes; a small fee may also be required. The Hospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) is a good place to start.
Travelers planning to stay in Hawaii for extended periods of time may find it most cost-effective to rent an apartment. A basic one-bedroom (or studio) apartment in Honolulu will range $600-1100 per month. Besides the rent itself, prospective tenants sometimes are also required to front a security deposit (frequently one month’s rent) and the last month’s rent. Check with hostels, YMCAs, and condos for other long-term accommodation options. Look in the classifieds section of the Honolulu Advisor and other newspapers for options or check out websites like Craigslist (www.craigslist.org), Sublet.com (http://hawaii.sublet.com), and Subleaser (www.subleaser.com/states/hawaii_sublet).
Why stay near the beach when you can stay on the beach? Camping is an economical and fun way to tour Hawaii, with most campsites charging around $5 for a permit. For all you need to know, see Great Outdoors .
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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