Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to push a particular outfitter or activ-
ity too hard, be skeptical. Conversely,
they'll try to steer you away from out-
fitters who don't offer big commis-
sions. For example, Trilogy, the
company that offers Maui's most pop-
ular snorkel cruises to Lanai (and the
only one with rights to land at Lanai's
Hulupoe Beach), offers only mini-
mum commissions to agents and does
not allow agents to offer any discounts
at all. As a result, most activities desks
will automatically try to steer you
away from Trilogy.
Another important word of warn-
ing: Stay away from activities centers
that offer discounts as fronts for time-
share sales presentations. Using a free
or discounted snorkel cruise or luau
tickets as bait, they'll suck you into a
90-minute presentation—and try to
get you to buy into a Hawaii timeshare
in the process. Not only will they try to
sell you a big white elephant you never
wanted in the first place, but since
their business is timeshares, not activi-
ties, they also won't be as interested or
as knowledgeable about which activi-
ties might be right for you. These
shady deals seem to be particularly
rampant on Maui. Do yourself a favor
and avoid them altogether.
My favorite islandwide discount
clearinghouse is the
Activity Ware-
house
(
&
800/343-2987;
www.travel
hawaii.com), which offers discounts of
up to 50% on all kinds of activities
(although most discounts are in the
10%-20% range), with lots of opera-
tors to choose from. The company has
offices on
Kauai
(
&
808/822-4000
),
the
Big Island
(
&
808/334-1155
),
and
Maui
(
&
808/875-4050
in
Kihei, 808/661-1970 in Lahaina). All
in all, I've found Activity Warehouse
to be helpful and not too hard-sell.
While the company does represent
timeshares, I've never once had any-
one pitch me. The Maui and Kauai
locations also function as branches of
Rental Warehouse,
offering discount
rentals of all kinds of equipment, from
snorkel sets and beach chairs to golf
clubs and kayaks.
There are also a number of very reli-
able local activities centers on each of
the neighbor islands. On Maui, your
best bet is
Tom Barefoot's Cashback
Tours
(
&
888/222-3601
or 808/661-
8889; www.tombarefoot.com), 834
Front St., Lahaina. Tom offers a 10%
discount on all tours, activities, and
adventures if you pay using cash, a per-
sonal check, or traveler's checks. If
you use a credit card, you'll get a 7%
discount.
On the Big Island, check out the
Activity Connection,
Bougainvillea
Plaza, Suite 102, 75-5656 Kuakini
Hwy., Kailua-Kona (
&
800/459-7156
or 808/329-1038; www.beachactivity
guide.com); it offers up to 15% off on
various island activities.
Finally, you can book activities
yourself and get the commission by
booking via the Internet. Most activi-
ties offer from 10% to 25% off their
prices if you book online. Check the
Web first and possibly save a bundle.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES A TO Z
Here's a brief rundown of the many
outdoor activities available in Hawaii.
For our recommendations on the best
places to go, the best shops for renting
equipment, and the best outfitters to
use, see the individual island chapters
later in this topic.
BOATING
Almost every type of
nautical experience is available in the
islands. You can go to sea on old-fash-
ioned Polynesian outrigger canoes,
high-tech kayaks, fast-moving catama-
rans, inflatable rubber Zodiac boats,
smooth-moving SWATH vessels that
promise not to make you seasick, gaff-
rigged schooners, America's Cup rac-
ing sloops, submarines, and even an
interisland cruise ship. You'll find
details on all these seafaring experi-
ences in the individual island chapters.
