L4 S U N DAY , OC T O B E R 15 , 2 017 L ATI M E S . C O M /T R AV E L L AT I M E S.

C O M / T R AV E L S U NDAY , O C T O B E R 15, 2 017 L5

SAVING
MAUI

MONEY IS
PARADISE
BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM >>> If you’re traveling to Maui, you may worry that your
pockets need to be as deep as the water surrounding this popular island. That
there’s no way to go to Hawaii without breaking the bank. ¶ In my 25 trips to
Maui in the last 25 years, I have accumulated some tips that let you achieve “Maui
wowee” without your wallet saying “Owie.”
Visit the beaches — they’re
all free.
By state law all of Hawaii’s
beaches are open to the public,
even the spectacular sands
fronting the best luxury resorts.
Snare a spot on the beach
fronting the Sheraton Maui Re-
sort & Spa at Black Rock. (Bring
your own snorkel or rent one
weekly at Snorkel Bob’s.)
At sunset, remain at the
Sheraton to watch the free
nightly torch-lighting ceremony
and the remarkable cliff diver
performance. From 3 to 5 p.m. at
the hotel’s Cliff Dive Grill, prices
drop: $5 draft beers, $6 wine by
the glass, and $8 classic tropical
cocktails.
After sunset, stroll the roman-
tic Kaanapali Beach Walk that
goes from the Sheraton to the
Hyatt Regency. Yes, sometimes
the best things in life are free.
Info: Sheraton Maui Resort &
Spa, 2605 Kaanapali Parkway,
Lahaina; (888) 627-8114, lat.ms/
sheratonmauiresort
Go natural.
What else is free? Many of
Maui’s natural beauties, includ-
ing valleys and waterfalls, are
there for the enjoying.
Consider driving halfway to
Hana and then heading back.
You’ll be delighted with jaw-
dropping scenery.
Pack a picnic lunch and ex-
plore the funky vibe in Paia. If you
prefer to go all the way to Hana,
you can reserve a cabin ($99 for
non-residents) on the black-sand
beach at Waianapanapa State
Park.
Besides lodging, you can
picnic, shore-fish and hike. (And
if you’re like me, you’ll try to fig-
ure out where Oprah’s house is in
Hana.)
Info: Waianapanapa State
Park, Hana; (808) 984-8109,
lat.ms/waianapanapa
sp. You can make cabin
reservations by phone or at
lat.ms/cabinreservation
www.mauiaccommodations.com
Have an evening adventure.
One of Maui’s best values is
the dinner and comedy magic
show at Warren & Annabelle’s in
Lahaina.
Magician Warren Gibson
wows audiences with his sleight-
of-hand and hilarious clean com-
edy. On nights when Gibson is
out of town, two magicians per-
form who also excel at comedy.
Book the Royal Flush package
($113 a person) offering the two-
hour magic show plus two cock-
tails of your choice, a combina-
tion platter of four huge gourmet
appetizers, an enormous home-
made dessert and gratuity. Plus
there is a 50% discount for admis-
sion on the Royal Flush package
for anyone with an active military
ID. (Military who have served in
Afghanistan since 2003 get a 100%
discount.) Book before you leave
home because the show sells out.
Another excellent option is
Hyatt Regency Maui’s rooftop
stargazing program Tour of the
Stars. You’ll learn all about the
night sky above the Pacific Ocean
when thousands of stars are
visible to the naked eye overhead.
Director of astronomy Eddie
Mahoney identifies 1,000 objects
in the sky including stars, plan-
ets, galaxies and nebulae. Tour of
the Stars takes place nightly,
depending on the weather. The
show costs $30 per adult/non-
Hyatt guest, $20 per child/non-
Hyatt guest. Reservations are
required.
Info: Warren & Annabelle’s,
900 Front St. A202, Lahaina;
(808) 667-6244, www.warrenand
annabelles.com; Hyatt Regency
Maui, 200 Nohea Kai Drive, La-
haina, (808) 667-4727, lat.ms/
tourofthestars
Dine at reasonably priced
restaurants.
It’s a shrimp-alooza at Bubba
Gump Shrimp Co. on Lahaina’s
Front Street, where you can try
If you’re going to visit only one
Maui restaurant, make it Ko at
the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort.
But go during aloha (happy)
hour to save big bucks and treat
your taste buds.
Lava Flows and mai-tais are
$10, and for the same price you
can revel in the Hamakua mush-
room pizza, Filipino spring rolls
and stir-fried shrimp.
Or sample a local plate lunch.
It’s a Hawaii tradition: two
scoops of rice, macaroni salad
and a choice of meat at Aloha
Mixed Plate (closed until early
November for remodeling). It
features chicken, fresh fish and
teriyaki beef for $12.95.
Info: Fleetwood’s on Front
St., 744 Front St., Lahaina; (808)
669-6425, www.fleetwoodson
frontst.com; Ko at the Fairmont
Kea Lani Resort, 4100 Wailea
Alanui, Wailea; (808) 875-2210,
korestaurant.com/ko-bar; Aloha
Mixed Plate, 1285 Front St.,
Lahaina; (808) 661-3322,
www.alohamixedplate.com
Go ABC.
Some folks say ABC Stores
are a tourist trap, but I love ’em
for the affordable — and mostly
adorable — souvenirs and
gifts.
Check out the locally made
Maui Babe Browning Lotion,
Bubble Shack made-in-Hawaii
tropical soaps and lotions, and
Mauicello, the island’s lemon
alternative to Italian limoncello.
Buy an inexpensive inflatable
ring so you can make a splash
anywhere. (ABC stores will blow
it up for you.)
Info: ABC Stores, www.abc
stores.com. Locations through-
out Hawaii.
Make Friday nighttime
the right time.
Maui County holds free rotat-
ing Friday town parties from 6-9 Atilla Jobbagyi
p.m. in Wailuku, Lahaina, AN OUTRIGGER canoe ride can be booked from the Outrigger Waikiki hotel (just $25 per person) on Oahu’s world-famous beach. Diamond Head is at right. Although Hawaii can be expensive, plenty of budget-saving activities are available.
Makawao and Kihei. Insider tip:
Many of Maui’s hotel workers live OAHU Plan on Pearl Harbor.

Snag a local mag.
For the most up-to-date deals
pick up one of the free tourist
guides, which offer plenty of
bargains, discounts, coupons and
coconut shrimp ($19.49) or Baja
shrimp tacos ($13.99). The spec-
tacular ocean view is free.
Cheeseburger in Paradise and
Maui Tacos in Lahaina are other
thrifty options.
WAIKIKI IS
in Kihei, and the area is a great Entrance and parking are free
place to find budget-friendly at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
restaurants and supermarkets. Just introduced are three new
The Friday-night festivities Virtual Reality Tours at $4.95 per
are filled with live music, food person. You’ll walk the decks of the
trucks, crafts and local artisans. USS Arizona; witness the attack

two-for-one deals.
Make a smart check-in choice.
Where to stay without break-
ing the bank? Maui does have
Airbnb options, so an expensive
Info: Bubba Gump Shrimp
Co., 889 Front St., Lahaina; (808)
661-3111, lat.ms/bubbagumpmaui;
Cheeseburger in Paradise, 811
Front St., Lahaina; (808) 661-
4855, cheeseburgernation.com;
HOT; PLAN
Info: Maui Friday Town on Battleship Row; and visit the
Parties, mauifridays.com USS Arizona Memorial. It’s a
deeply moving experience.
Consider cultural Info: Pearl Harbor, 1 Arizona
attractions. Memorial Place, Honolulu; (866)
The Shops at Wailea offer a 332-1941, www.pacifichistoricparks

oceanfront hotel isn’t the only
choice.
But check out Maui
Accommodations, which has a
quarterly Maui Deals & Steals
newsletter with good bargains.
Travelers book directly with the
Maui Tacos, 840 Wainee St.,
Lahaina; (808) 662-0717,
mauitacos.com
Eat during aloha hour (happy
hour) for reduced prices.
At Fleetwood’s on Front St.
ON PEARL
wealth of fun free activities, from .org.
lei-making to ukulele lessons to a
Polynesian show. Check the Savor dinner savings.
website for details, along with I’m still dreaming about the
info on concerts and farm-fresh dinner I had at Chef Chai, known
shopping. for fresh mahi-mahi in Thai red
Info: Shops at Wailea, lat.ms/ curry and macadamia nut-en-

property owners and managers
for the best possible price with no
service fees.
Info: Maui Accommodations,
WALKS on Maui are free or low-cost. Driving to Hana? Check out Waianapanapa State Park.
between 2 and 5 p.m. for example,
all drinks and wine are half-price;
oysters on the half-shell are just
$1 each.
HARBOR
waileashopsevents
travel@latimes.com
@latimestravel
By Debbi K. Kickham
Hawaii has certain allures, but
low prices aren’t necessarily among
them. With these insider tips to
Oahu, though, you can have a
Champagne experience at
sparkling-cider prices.
Rent a car only if you think you
will need it.
If you’re planning to have most
of your fun in Waikiki, for example,
there’s no need to rent a car: Just
walk or call a ride-sharing service.
You can also take TheBus, as
the local system is known, if you’re
going to climb Diamond Head or
other activities.
The Waikiki Trolley can also
take you to numerous tourist loca-
tions.
Info: TheBus, www.thebus.org;
Waikiki Trolley, waikikitrolley-
.com.
Room plus polo match.
Equus Hotel in Waikiki is run by
a family that owns the hotel and
the Hawaii Polo Club.
During polo season (April
Education Images / UIG via Getty Images through Labor Day), all guests
receive free tickets to attend the
polo matches on the North Shore,
featuring food trucks, polo and a
concert.
At this writing, for example, a
city-view double room that accom-
modates four people starts at just
$129 a night.
Info: Equus Hotel, 1696 Ala Moana
Blvd., Honolulu; (808) 949-0061,
www.equushotel.com
Have fun with freebies.
On Friday nights Hilton
Hawaiian Village in Waikiki pro-
duces a free fireworks show. The
night sky lights up while synced
with the resort’s Rockin’ Hawaiian
Rainbow Revue ($30 a person if
you feel like splurging). Locals and
visitors line the beach to watch the
colorful display above the Duke
Kahanamoku Beach & Lagoon.
Fireworks display times are sea-
sonal: 8 p.m. May-August, 7:45
p.m. September-April.
Don’t miss the free history
tours at the Moana Surfrider
Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian
Hotel (the “Pink Palace”). I’ve
taken both tours numerous times
and always enjoy the fascinating
facts of their history, especially
from World War II when the hotels
were closed to provide rest and
A FREE FIREWORKS show lights up the surf’s-edge sky every Friday night beside the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach.
relaxation for American service
members.
Info: Hilton Hawaiian Village,
2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu; (808)
949-4321, www.hiltonhawaiian
village.com; Moana Surfrider, 2365
Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu; (808)
922-3111, www.moana-surf rider
.com; Royal Hawaiian Hotel, 2259
Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu; (808)
923-7311, www.royal-hawaiian.com
Make the trek up Diamond Head,
one of the most popular attractions
on Oahu. You’ll be rewarded with
breathtaking views of southern
Oahu. Take advantage of the intro-
ductory $4 narrated self-guided
tour; it’s like having your own pri-
vate park ranger accompany you.
(Check the state website because
some work is being done that may
close the trail when you want to
go.)
Info: Diamond Head, lat.ms/
diamondhead
Ride a wave.
In Waikiki take a Faith Surf
School outrigger canoe ride ($25 a
person) that lets you catch waves
and feel like a true Polynesian.
Info: Faith Surf School, (808)
931-6262, faithsurfschool.com
Try local treats.
Honolulu Cookie Co. (with
locations throughout Waikiki) sells
delicious pineapple-shaped short-
bread cookies for 75 cents each.
Try the Kona coffee, mango and
pineapple/macadamia varieties,
not to mention the chocolate-
dipped. A surfboard-box collection
costs $19.95.
Il Gelato in Kahala has won
numerous awards for its frozen
creations. Try the sorbetos and
authentic Italian gelatos in sump-
tuous flavors such as chocolate
ginger, Italian gianduja and dark
chocolate macadamia nut.
Do as the locals do and line up
for fresh, hot malasadas (Por-
tuguese doughnuts) at Leonard’s,
where a little more than $1 will take
your taste buds on a delicious
journey.
Info: Honolulu Cookie Co., (866)
333-5800, www.honolulu
cookie.com; Il Gelato, 4211 Waialae
Ave., Honolulu; (808) 732-3999,
ilgelato-hawaii.com; Leonard’s,
933 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu; (808)
737-5591, www.leonardshawaii
.com
Tor Johnson Hawaii Tourism Authority
Go north.
Rent a car for the day and head
to the North Shore to see the big
waves that lure major surfing com-
petitions. Stop for a treat at Matsu-
moto’s Shave Ice. Try one with
azuki beans for something novel.
Don’t miss the North Shore
Soap Factory. This gem, in the old
Waialua sugar mill, offers lush,
made-in-Hawaii soaps, scrubs,
skincare, candles and more, all
affordably priced. I especially like
the mango and the chocolate-mint
soaps.
Info: Matsumoto’s Shave Ice,
66-111 Kamehameha Highway,
Haleiwa; (808) 637-4827, matsumo-
toshaveice.com; North Shore Soap
Factory, 67-106 Kealohanui St.,
Waialua; (808) 637-8400, hawaiian
bathbody.com
crusted tiger prawn rainbow salad.
The early-bird four-course dinner
from 4 to 5 p.m. costs $40 a person.
Aloha (happy) hours of course
are a great strategy for saving
money on dinner. At Moku Kitchen
you can order discounted drinks,
pizzas and pupus (appetizers)
from 3-5:30 p.m. daily.
Oahu also has a terrific food
truck scene; check out Eat the
Street just seven minutes from
Waikiki. It features more than 40
food vendors each month and
attracts thousands of people eager
to sample Hawaii’s best street
food.
It’s 4-9 p.m. the last Friday of
each month at Kakaako Water-
front Park (747 Ala Moana Blvd).
Info: Chef Chai, 1009 Kapiolani
Blvd., Honolulu; (808) 585-0011,
chefchai.com. Moku Kitchen, 660
Ala Moana Blvd., No. 145, Honolu-
lu; (808) 591-6658, www.moku
kitchen.com. Eat the Street,
eatthestreethawaii.com
Say “I do” again.
Two Outrigger hotels in Waikiki
offer complimentary marriage
vow-renewal ceremonies twice a
week at 7:45 a.m. filled with Hawai-
ian chants and customs. It’s a
great way to make even more
Hawaiian memories, and your
witnesses will be the beach and the
rising sun.
Info: Vow renewals, lat.ms/
outriggervowrenewals
travel@latimes.com