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That's interesting ... I would prefer ten days at Legian, or Phuket, or Koh Samui - or lots of other places in SE Asia - over Honolulu and Waikiki. But I concede there is lots of (greater) Hawaii I haven't seen.
Hawaii is beautiful I give you that, but its also very touristy, very little culture left, and its a zoo overall. I would not plan on going to Hawaii on a budget, its not much fun, and you really need a car on many of the islands to explore and get the flavor and variety it has to offer.
You see me time to time post about why a budget traveler is going here, and I suggest Costa Rica in Central America. I live in Chicago and go there 3-4 time s year, usually paying under $500 R/T, a short flight, and also much cheaper once there. Instead of hum drum resorts and condos, you have a plethora of rustic, charming, romantic, handbuilt, family run lodges for all budgets, but can stay overall under $80 night in great places everywhere. The beaches are much better, much larger and have more areas and options to learn to surf. There is not the crime and gang issues on the beaches in CR compared to the endless fights and issues on Hawaii's beaches.
The nature, wildlife, and national parks in Costa Rica offer a far greater variety of eco systems, bio diversity and also endless Volcanoes, trekking, Hiking, waterfalls, river rafting, mangroves, deep sea fishing, kite surfing, kayaking, canyoning, windsurfing, quads, scuba diving, ultralights, whale watching, mangroves, dolphins, birding galore, and then you have the friendly and local people, super nice and sweet, and also a great climate almost year round.
Hawaii is a big a resort destination, in comparison to Costa Rica, where there are only 3 hotels in the entire country with more than 100 rooms, the majority are far more intimate and enjoyable, with under 40 rooms.
I have been to SE Asia 5 times, all for adventure and outdoors, and as much as its a blast, and also cheap, with more exotic cultures, its not easy to get too, 22 hours from the US with a Layover somewhere in Japan/Korea/China. That is the drag, you really need 3 weeks there.
Hawaii is more a resort crowd, golfing, dining and tours, its hardly under the radar or serene and off the beaten path, its just a super nice Florida, with less beaches.
Check out Costa Rica, or even Belize, it has everything Hawaii does and far more, for less.
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But if you don't like Waikiki, give Maui a miss.
I appreciate that Karlo ... which Is why I was circumspect about the parts I had seen. Other islands do look very attractive.
Its lovely, lots to see and do, and you get all the comforts of still being in the US of A.
Some guy gets mugged and somehow its the entire states fault??
I lived in Asia for 8 years and yes its a fantastic and inexpensive part of the world to visit, but seriously the backpacker type who travels around SE asia is not the same crowd that goes to the islands of Hawaii.
My guess is the OP went and stayed in the really cheap backpacker places like he did in SEA expecting it to be the same. Only this is the US and some hostels are used by undesirables as they are the cheapest places in what are very expensive cities.
So his experience in SEA was not his experience in Hawaii.
I promise if any of you stay in Wailea, Ka'annapali, Princeville, or any of the other nice places that hawaii has to offer this will not be your experience.
And if you stay in those places you will avoid absolute nutters like the OP.
Yes, law enforcement violence against atheists does occur here in Hawaii, see here for details http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h7ekCD6uE4 The State had to pay out $100,000 for that one. Hate speech against atheists is extremely common here, and contempt is common, as well. It is not as much an issue for tourists, as it is transplants who are more harassed in Hawaii.
One thing I've noticed about folks who badmouth SE Asia, is that they are usually either evangelical Christians, prejudiced against Buddhists and prejudiced against Americans who date them, or they are straight out prejudiced against SE Asians on the basis of race, which is a common problem among African-Americans in Washington DC.
On Maui, there was one case I know of last spring in which a Caucasian male walking alone was assaulted by five Hawaiian men at 11 pm in Paia, the night of the street festival in Paia. They knocked him to the ground and planted a bootprint on the left side of his face, that was still salient the next day. On Maui, last spring, I knew a young tourist, a Caucasian male, who had been badly injured as a soldier in Iraq, and whose wounds and surgical scars were visible. He was assualyed by two Hawaiians wearing ski masks, who beat him up with baseball bats, which sent him to the hospital for a few days. They stole his prescription pain medication. Also, last spring, I knew a native American from Canada, who was robbed of $1,000 on Maui, and I suppose the primary suspect was a native Hawaiian meth addict, whose name I will reserve. This sort of thing is becoming common on Maui.
On Maui, I was the victim of a great deal of hate speech, over the fact that I am not a Christian, but rather an atheist -- hate speech and open contempt.
And yes, I did spend a year living in the hood in NE DC, so I can speak with authority of the behavior of the folks who live there, not to mention the fact that any 13 year old black kid can walk into a Chinese take-out in NE DC and buy a can of beer. As you may have noticed, beer is not free.
But obvioulsy, if you are an evangelical Christian and it does not bother you to see war heroes beat up with baseball bats, then please move to Maui.
How did people actually know that about you? I do not claim to be a Christian either, but it's not printed on my forehead so nobody actually knows unless I choose to advertise the fact.
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15
... having been to Hawaii previously and also S E Asia, I would opt for Hawaii any day.That's interesting ... I would prefer ten days at Legian, or Phuket, or Koh Samui - or lots of other places in SE Asia - over Honolulu and Waikiki. But I concede there is lots of (greater) Hawaii I haven't seen.
17
Try Kauai, ianw, really laid back and beautiful and so green and lush! Or you might like the Big Island, would love to go back there one day, both are quite rural and offer lot nature wise.19
The only part about the posters statement on Hawaii I agree with, is that its expensive. Why he mentions SE Asia is not exactly in the same hemisphere, and those are developing countries.Hawaii is beautiful I give you that, but its also very touristy, very little culture left, and its a zoo overall. I would not plan on going to Hawaii on a budget, its not much fun, and you really need a car on many of the islands to explore and get the flavor and variety it has to offer.
You see me time to time post about why a budget traveler is going here, and I suggest Costa Rica in Central America. I live in Chicago and go there 3-4 time s year, usually paying under $500 R/T, a short flight, and also much cheaper once there. Instead of hum drum resorts and condos, you have a plethora of rustic, charming, romantic, handbuilt, family run lodges for all budgets, but can stay overall under $80 night in great places everywhere. The beaches are much better, much larger and have more areas and options to learn to surf. There is not the crime and gang issues on the beaches in CR compared to the endless fights and issues on Hawaii's beaches.
The nature, wildlife, and national parks in Costa Rica offer a far greater variety of eco systems, bio diversity and also endless Volcanoes, trekking, Hiking, waterfalls, river rafting, mangroves, deep sea fishing, kite surfing, kayaking, canyoning, windsurfing, quads, scuba diving, ultralights, whale watching, mangroves, dolphins, birding galore, and then you have the friendly and local people, super nice and sweet, and also a great climate almost year round.
Hawaii is a big a resort destination, in comparison to Costa Rica, where there are only 3 hotels in the entire country with more than 100 rooms, the majority are far more intimate and enjoyable, with under 40 rooms.
I have been to SE Asia 5 times, all for adventure and outdoors, and as much as its a blast, and also cheap, with more exotic cultures, its not easy to get too, 22 hours from the US with a Layover somewhere in Japan/Korea/China. That is the drag, you really need 3 weeks there.
Hawaii is more a resort crowd, golfing, dining and tours, its hardly under the radar or serene and off the beaten path, its just a super nice Florida, with less beaches.
Check out Costa Rica, or even Belize, it has everything Hawaii does and far more, for less.
20
Ian, generalizing about Hawaii based on Waikiki is like generalizing about the US based on Washington DC. I hadn't been to Waikiki in about 20 years until last February, and the extent to which it's been degraded since my first visit as a teen-ager is shocking. But go to the North Shore of Kauai ( except possibly Princeville) or North Kohala or the windward side of the Big Island, or spend some time on a sailboat in Lanai or Molokai, and you'll see why even though Indonesia is my favorite country, Hawaii is a real pleasure.-
But if you don't like Waikiki, give Maui a miss.
22
Ian, generalizing about Hawaii based on Waikiki is like generalizing about the US based on Washington DC.I appreciate that Karlo ... which Is why I was circumspect about the parts I had seen. Other islands do look very attractive.
23
Wife and I have been to Hawaii 5 times, want to know what made us go back after the first time?Its lovely, lots to see and do, and you get all the comforts of still being in the US of A.
Some guy gets mugged and somehow its the entire states fault??
I lived in Asia for 8 years and yes its a fantastic and inexpensive part of the world to visit, but seriously the backpacker type who travels around SE asia is not the same crowd that goes to the islands of Hawaii.
My guess is the OP went and stayed in the really cheap backpacker places like he did in SEA expecting it to be the same. Only this is the US and some hostels are used by undesirables as they are the cheapest places in what are very expensive cities.
So his experience in SEA was not his experience in Hawaii.
I promise if any of you stay in Wailea, Ka'annapali, Princeville, or any of the other nice places that hawaii has to offer this will not be your experience.
And if you stay in those places you will avoid absolute nutters like the OP.
24
A message from the OP. I moved to Hawaii in 2010.Yes, law enforcement violence against atheists does occur here in Hawaii, see here for details http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h7ekCD6uE4 The State had to pay out $100,000 for that one. Hate speech against atheists is extremely common here, and contempt is common, as well. It is not as much an issue for tourists, as it is transplants who are more harassed in Hawaii.
One thing I've noticed about folks who badmouth SE Asia, is that they are usually either evangelical Christians, prejudiced against Buddhists and prejudiced against Americans who date them, or they are straight out prejudiced against SE Asians on the basis of race, which is a common problem among African-Americans in Washington DC.
On Maui, there was one case I know of last spring in which a Caucasian male walking alone was assaulted by five Hawaiian men at 11 pm in Paia, the night of the street festival in Paia. They knocked him to the ground and planted a bootprint on the left side of his face, that was still salient the next day. On Maui, last spring, I knew a young tourist, a Caucasian male, who had been badly injured as a soldier in Iraq, and whose wounds and surgical scars were visible. He was assualyed by two Hawaiians wearing ski masks, who beat him up with baseball bats, which sent him to the hospital for a few days. They stole his prescription pain medication. Also, last spring, I knew a native American from Canada, who was robbed of $1,000 on Maui, and I suppose the primary suspect was a native Hawaiian meth addict, whose name I will reserve. This sort of thing is becoming common on Maui.
On Maui, I was the victim of a great deal of hate speech, over the fact that I am not a Christian, but rather an atheist -- hate speech and open contempt.
And yes, I did spend a year living in the hood in NE DC, so I can speak with authority of the behavior of the folks who live there, not to mention the fact that any 13 year old black kid can walk into a Chinese take-out in NE DC and buy a can of beer. As you may have noticed, beer is not free.
But obvioulsy, if you are an evangelical Christian and it does not bother you to see war heroes beat up with baseball bats, then please move to Maui.
25
On Maui, I was the victim of a great deal of hate speech, over the fact that I am not a Christian, but rather an atheist -- hate speech and open contempt.How did people actually know that about you? I do not claim to be a Christian either, but it's not printed on my forehead so nobody actually knows unless I choose to advertise the fact.
26
I blame Eisenhower ... he should have never made Hawaii a US state - it was only ever for military reasons and not to improve the lives of the locals, and it's been downhill ever since.28
But at least he got eaten - sort of - for his troubles!29
Well, thanks for all of your comments. And, in case some of you didn't know already, all of that crap about Hawaii being a paradise is just that, marketing BS. Hawaii is actually a real dump. If you are looking for a seafront paradise, there are some -- the Maldives, the peninsulas and islands in the Andaman Ocean, Bora Bora, the Turks and Caicos -- but deifinitely not Hawaii. Hawaii is all hype. There are even landlocked paradises in SE Asai -- but Hawaii could never compare with those. The problem here is not Hawaii, of course, just that marketing hype gets old. And, by the way, I have leased a house in Laos, which is paid up until October. I have a motorbike there, as well. There is no way Hawaii could ever compare to Laos.
