• Resorts tend to charge for things that vacation rentals don’t.  A good example is using certain areas of the pool.
• With a kitchen, you save a bundle!  Doing even just 1 meal a day at the house will save you considerably.
• Cocktails!  Resort bars and pool bars will crush your wallet.

With that extra money you save, why not put a few extra bucks into your accommodations?  With Hawaii Bound, agents will help you find the perfect spot for you and your family.  Call today and ask about inexpensive, beautiful homes.  You won’t believe the kind of places that are available on Maui.  Give them a call at (808) 443-0221 or toll free at 1-800-711-6284.

To see listings available on all islands, go to Hawaii Vacation Rentals.

We thought, considering Pepper’s recent success with their Volcanic Rock Tour, we’d revisit the past with some photos we took when the boys played at our little rat-hole pad at the beach on 42nd Street in Newport Beach, CA.  We think the show was in 1999, but that has yet to be confirmed (college dates and times are always a little blurry.)  They played an incredible show to the delight of us poor surf bums and the neighborhood rejoiced.

Our cancerous, toxic little pad on the corner of 42nd was barely big enough to fit the band (let alone any audience.)  We moved all of our furniture into the garage and a select few of us packed into the kitchen to watch the show.  The rest of us squeezed on the patio outside to listen.

It began raining, but no one seemed to care.  All of our neighbors on the street began migrating towards the good tunes.  Next thing you know, we had a load of people creating a block party in the rain.  EPIC ALL TIME EVENT.

We were a little worried that the boys would be bummed on the tiny venue and the crazy rainy conditions.  But, luck would have it that they we’re pumped on everything.  They said that the acoustics were incredible, and they’d consider recording at our pad (must have been the asbestos and cardboard walls.)

We were lucky that our little double-wide didn’t crumble under the weight and powerful sounds.  A cop came after a few hours and told us we needed to turn down the music.  I replied, “No worries, Officer Schaumburg.” (Unfortunately we knew all the cops very well.)  “They’d just finished their set anyways.”  Astonished on how we managed to fit them in there, he replied, “You mean you’ve got a band in there, Chris?”

All in all, it was an incredible experience, and we’re glad we got them early on enough to enjoy them before they became huge.  Thanks, Baldy, for arranging everything.  We’re sorry for treating you like crap for so many years, but you kind of deserved it (and still do, daddy.  Haha!)

Pepper Today

Today, Kona’s little rock-trio is one of the biggest bands around.  Guitarist and vocalist, Kaleo Wassman, leads the charge with his unique style and outgoing stage performances.  Bassist and vocalist, Bret Bollinger, is a multi-talented artist that not only sings and jams with just as much stage presence as Kalea and Yesod, he also writes music for some of the biggest names in the music industry.  Yesod Williams, drummer, is rocking as hard as ever and turns out to be a damned good pilot.  Though after having watched many performances with him nearly destroying the drums, I’d be a little fearful of being his passenger.

Looking forward to your next show in Maui.  The last one we went to ROCKED!  If you ever feel like doing another tiny venue, we’ll get Baldy and Ethan out here and have a reunion on Maui.

by Chris Norberg

We recommend going through Aloha Rents.

You can find competitive rates along with many options for makes and models. Their service was created to simplify the rental process while saving you money. Let them help you secure your discount rental car for the Hawaiian Islands.

Call 1-800-440-7029

Maui Driving Tips

1. Slow Down!! This ain’t the mainland.  It’s very easy to do, since a lot of our roads have lower limits than you’d expect. Keep in mind that if you go 30 miles over the limit, you’ll be getting mandatory jail time!  They’re serious in Hawaii about slowing things down.

2. Honk only in an emergency. Honking in Hawaii is considered very rude and is hardly ever done.  It’s not an easy thing to do, but t steady your hand and let go of the road rage.  You’re in Maui now.

3. Don’t trespass! A lot of places you’ll find in the guidebooks make it look like you’ll be on public land, but it’s not always true. The last thing you want is to piss off some locals or violate your car rental agreement.

4. Don’t leave valuables in your car. We don’t have much crime, but the little crime we have is usually nonviolent. Maui theives know what a rental car looks like.  Please keep your valuables in your hotel or on your person when you travel.

Maui Visitors

We’ve seen a lot of people get hurt on Maui while doing activities.  If you think that you were put in a dangerous position without warning, call Jan.  He can help you get compensation you may deserve.

Local Residents

Be protected! If you’ve experienced any kind of personal injury or have a family member that has died wrongfully, you should have a lawyer.  Jan K. Apo is your man.

Jan K. Apo
Hawaii Attorney at Law
24 North Church Street Suite 302
Wailuku, HI 96793
Ph: 1-808-244-6073

Maui, Hawaii, USA

$85/hour

We’ve been testing out massage parlors on Maui for years now.  Most are outrageously expensive (ex. at the big resorts.)  But we just found one that does incredible massages for a decent price.  Massage Maui in front of the Sugar Beach Resort is outstanding.

The location is great because it’s easily accessible for anyone on the south side (Makena, Wailea, Kihei), not more than 30-45 minutes from the West side (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua), and a short hop from the North side (Kahului, Wailuku, Paia.)

The inside is large enough for at least a few people to get massages simultaneously.  The Asian decor and ambiance is quiet and soothing.  Our Masseuses were ready for us right away for our appointment.  They asked how hard a pressure we preferred, and I told her my preference for really getting in there.  She knocked out some serious knots, and somehow knew exactly where they were.  She asked what I did for a living and about any troubled areas.  I gave her pretty general areas, and she found the exact points immediately.

If you want to save money while getting a great massage in Maui, go to Massage Maui at the Sugar Beach Resort.  The big resorts charge a lot more for 1/2 the massage.  We were really pleased and plan on going back. Call them at (808) 357-7317 to book your massage.

THE WORST

Dalian, China

Cost: $15/hour

Visiting friends in the tier 2 city of Dalian, we were taken to the best spot in town for a massage.  We walked past a dozen or so piles of burning trash to a dirty sliding glass window in a large industrial building.  OK, first signs of discomfort reached.

We walk into a small room (100-150 sq ft) with 4 people, and 2 massage tables.  Our masseuses were blind (the leading job for blind people in China.  In fact, I’m pretty sure this job is reserved for blind people.)  We lay down on our respective tables and the massage begins.  The massage was actually pretty good (they practice more medicinal massage, which hurts like hell, but I like it.)

My wife told be about 2 things that disturbed her.

1. In some massage parlors, the hole you put your face through when lying down sometimes will have a bowl of water and flowers under it for you to look at.  My wife had the lovely view of a box holding dirty, smelly jars.
2. She also made the mistake of using the bathroom.  She’s still scarred from the experience.  Apparently, it was a hole in the ground and the entire room was beyond filthy.

Our massage ended with us getting up and dressed with close to 20 people crammed in the room.  Most of them had been smoking and conversing loudly in Mandarin during our last half of the massage.  The room was hardly large enough for 4 of us, but they were all fascinated to see westerners in these parts.  People were all over, sitting on tables, on file cabinets, and practically squeezed into every nook smoking feverishly.  Needless to say, we won’t be getting a massage there again.

THE BEST VALUE

Bali, Indonesia

$3-250/hour (depending on location)

Though you can get massages for as little as $3 on the beach, or as much as $250 at a resort, finding a good masseuse in Bali has nothing to do with price.  Most massages you’ll get are by untrained hands trying to make a buck.  Even the expensive resort massages (though better than the ones on the beach) sometimes are not all that great.

The best massage we had was at a hole in the wall spot in Seminyak (many of the best spots are in places you wouldn’t think) with a bunch of young girls.  My wife and I each had a 4 hand massage (20 fingers each) for 1 1/2 hours at $15 per client.  Incredible value because these girls knew what they were doing.  If we can find this place again, we’ll be back.

On the other hand, we had a different 4 hand massage at a place in Kuta with a bunch of similar girls.  Unfortunately, these ones were loud, laughing and talking the whole time.  They were not well trained, and at one point I found an unwanted fist up my bum.  We’ll stay VERY clear of this spot.

COMMENTS:

Great tips. Will certainly check out Bali. There’s nothing like a great massage while you face the ocean and hear the waves crashing on the shore. You may also want to know that some massage establishments also offer soothing sounds that help you relax. These are actually quite effective. Brian

If you hear the Tsunami sirens going off, make sure to check the time and date.  Every month, Hawaii Tsunami sirens are tested at 11:45am on the first weekday of the month for around 1 minute.  They do this to test them and make sure they’re working.  If you hear them at this time, don’t worry!

If you hear them at any other time, it would be wise to move safely up from sea level.  The photo below shows the coastal sirens on Maui.

If you’d like to learn more, read about Hawaii Tsunami History.

NEW UPDATE: OCTOBER 4th, 2010

Furlough Fridays have been cut down to less days and are now called “Non-Instructional Days”.  This should make our uneducated masses happy.

Though Governor Linda Lingle never expressly mentioned “Furlough Fridays” in her speech on Friday, she did address the issue of education.  Lingle made it clear that she understands that our system of education is broken and suggested that we concentrate more on the time children are IN classrooms rather than OUT of classrooms.

(QUICK NOTE: Furlough Fridays are days where education is taken away from children in order cut staffing expenses to help the State budget deficit.)

Though we agree that Hawaii education has MAJOR problems, Lingle’s statement, “We need to get more worked up about what happens when they are in school rather than when … they are not in school,” is like saying, “When you have cancer, don’t worry about the fact that your doctor will be around even less to cure you, worry about the cancer!” How exactly does one fix a problem when those closest to it are given less time to fix it?

With a culture that obviously struggles to develop its children to be competitive in our world, wouldn’t you think that keeping teachers employed full-time should remain a priority?  Yes, our deficit is a big problem, but cutting education is the shortest sighted solution one can propose.  In her speech on Friday, Lingle reiterated her proposals to fix our economic woes.  She discussed:

• Programs putting unemployed welfare recipients to work. This sounds great, but in our personal experience, a sizable portion of people on welfare in Hawaii aren’t interested in working.  The idea of compensating employers for hiring welfare recipients is also a good idea in theory, but if an employer NEEDS an employee wouldn’t they have to hire them anyway?  This also seems short-sighted considering that when the program stops, many will go back on welfare because their employer won’t be able to afford keeping them on.

• Tax Credits for construction and Renovation. Island growth is really not a long-term solution either.  We have enormously high occupancy rates and big problems with distribution of scarce resources like water, as well as devastating environmental issues to try and fix before we encourage more construction.

So what is the solution to our economic problems in Hawaii? We feel high-tech industrial growth, long term educational growth, and preparation of  economic down turns will do us better than any other solutions.  Lingle did mention a proposal to set aside 5% of funds when tax revenues are growing.  This is a good idea, but government track records in this area have shown that money set aside often becomes reallocated with time.

The implementation of Furlough Fridays is indicative of Hawaii’s prioritizing education below most other things.  Lingle insinuates that the problem lies IN the classroom and that the problem is quality.  We disagree.  The blame falls everywhere between the parents all the way to the top administrators in the school system, as well as on the heads of legislators.  If administration would let teachers spend more time teaching than testing, if parents took more of an interest in their children’s education and genuinely wanted their kids to be brighter than they are, if government could find better ways to cut from the budget and possibly take federal aid we might see a brighter future in Hawaii.

Are teachers to blame? Surely some teachers in Hawaii shouldn’t be teaching, but for the most part teachers are NOT the reason for our lagging behind most of the country (and the world) in educating our children properly.  The problem is that education is not a priority in Hawaii when it should be #1.  Our spiraling cycle of education continues to build on an already poorly educated culture.  Much of this is due to our citizens already being poorly educated and not seeing the value in it.

Not only would an emphasis in education be helpful to us economically in the long term, but socially we believe the islands would become healthier.  In that, we mean with more understanding of other cultures, higher levels of confidence and income, and a broader more developed economic share of the world’s production and innovation could alleviate some of the ignorance and racial tension that is so prevalent in Hawaii today.

This editorial is just one view point from one of our writers.  Quotation and information was found through the Maui News.  Mahalo for your reporting!

COMMENT:

A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN US EDUCATION:

It’s been reported in the LA TIMES via NEWSER that the State of Utah is considering completely getting rid of the 12th grade in order to save $60 million per year to help battle its $700 million budget deficit.

While we’re at it, why don’t we get rid of education all together? It would save money and we could become a country of manuel laborers. Let’s let the rest of the world use us as labor while they concentrate on management, innovation and all major decisions. Maybe a different country could handle our budgets better too. Yep, we’ll make great pets.

Check them out at Discount Car Rentals in Hawaii or call them for the best rate.

HISTORY

In the past, we’ve flown with Island Air and incurred long delays lasting up to 6 hours!  If you’re deciding between another carrier and Island Air, you will probably get there faster with a stop over and 1 hour layover than with a direct flight on Island Air.

RECENT EXPERIENCE

Our flight to Kauai was delayed by 2 hours without notice.  I mean, no one told us anything and instead had us sit and wait with no idea of what was going on.  Then, on our flight back to Maui, we arrived at the ticket check in counter to find a sign saying our flight was cancelled and that no one could check us in for an hour and 20 minutes.  We sat and waited and couldn’t go into the airport till we had a boarding pass.  Finally, we got checked in and got to our gate with no one there.  25 minutes after our flight was supposed to leave, a message over the intercom explained that our flight was delayed by over 4 HOURS!  Meanwhile, other flights with Island Air to Maui continued to board in front of us throughout the day.

We spoke with a supervisor (a major ordeal to obtain an audience with, but we had the time.)  The only solution he came up with was to buy a ticket with a rival airline!  Yes, it’s true!  The supervisor of Island Air told us if we really need to get to Maui in a timely manner, we should consider buying a ticket with another airline.

We also overheard a TSA employee mention that most locals know to use Hawaiian Airlines because of their punctuality.  He said, “It’s worth the extra few bucks to make sure you get there.”  So our day concluded with over 6 hours of delays and cancellations.

THE FUTURE

It pains us to watch Hawaii businesses go out of business in these harsh economic times, but if Island Air dies, (with a smile) I’ll chalk it up as Economic Darwinism.

On May 17th, 2009, the bad-a$$ ladies of roller derby got together on Maui for a battle royale.  The roller derby bout took place at the Boys and Girls Club in Wailuku between the Oahu and Maui teams.  Though (as you can see in the pictures) it was fiercely competitive, both teams played with the best of intentions and sportswoman-like conduct.

The event was fantastic!  Around 200 people showed up for the festivities, not including the paramedics standing by.  Along with many excited fans, the event had a great DJ and snacks and water available.

The Derby bout went off without a hitch and without any serious injury (though most grown men would be in tears after suffering some of the falls that these brave and talented riders took.)

Keep kicking butt, Maui!  We’ll be at your next bout and hope you get even more exposure.  What you do is inspiring, and offers some serious entertainment.  Time to turn off the football game on TV.  There’s something much more exciting going on at a Maui parking lot near you.

The Hawaii Supreme Court struck down a new law that allowed the Alakai to run operations in Hawaii waters without an official Environmental Impact Report (EIS.)

The Hawaii Superferry ran its last voyage between Maui and Oahu on Thursday March 19th, 2009.  236 employees were laid off, and no future Hawaii service can be expected without an EIS. The Alakai, which ran for over a year and booked over 250,000 round-trip voyages in that time, will be leased for commercial use outside of Hawaiian Waters or by the US military. Hawaii Superferry President and Chief Executive Tom Fargo has hopes that his vision of an interisland ferry system can be met in the future by his organization, though the possibility of this happening is doubtful at best.

Concerns for the environment as well as danger to our visiting Humpback Whales has raised concerns particularly with both Kauai and Maui residents.  Protests and legal action have ensued from environmental groups after the state exempted the Hawaii Superferry from having any type of environmental review in 2005.  Controversy has grown seeing that the State had dealing with the Hawaii Superferry as far as investments.

From the beginning, the Hawaii Superferry has been a Maui Lawyers dream situation.  This will continue to be litigated over for years if the owners feel like putting the time into it.  Though it looks like they’re going to pursue other ways of making money.  The way things have been going, we can’t blame them.

Maui has seen 36 unprovoked shark attacks in the last 125 years, of which only 3 were fatal. Of the billions of people to visit our islands in the last century, the number of attacks becomes dwarfed leaving your chances of being attacked by a shark near to nothing.

Still, if you’re eager to not be the one in a million attacked by a shark, here are a few things to remember when in the ocean.

Sharks are more likely to attack:

• At night or when the sun is setting or coming up. (Sharks feed primarily at night.)

• Snorkelers and Surfers (Sharks like to attack objects at the surface.)

• Near stream and river outlets. (The murky water attracts smaller fish that they like.)

• Near a shoreline after or during heavy rains.

• Around heavy fishing areas. (Stay out of the water when fisherman are chumming.)

• People with open-wounds. (If you’re bleeding, don’t go swimming.)

• Further out in the ocean in deeper waters.

• People with little respect for the ocean.

Even if you do everything possible to attract sharks, you’re still not likely to be bit. Sharks don’t like to eat humans, and they usually only attack by mistake.

For more statistical information on shark attacks in Hawaii, visit the Hawaii Shark Map.

The remaining airlines operating are not without blame themselves. Having to pick up the slack from ATA and Aloha’s lost flights has been done in an under-handed way. Stranded travelers have been forced to purchase tickets costing anywhere from double to 5 times the original price as well as eat the original amount payed. The way all of this has been handled has soured travel for many and given the airline industry in general an ugly image.

The reasons given for the end of these airlines stem from a military contract having been canceled as well as the inflated prices for fuel. These are valid reasons and don’t need to be disputed. What does need to be disputed is whether these companies should be left accountable for their lack of responsibility to its customers, and how this disaster can be prevented in the future.

The State of Hawaii and America has taken a large blow due to the lack of foresight and responsibility by Aloha Airlines and ATA airlines.

Why do celebrities come to Hawaii? Hawaii is the closest tropical vacation getaway to LA. Also, paparazzi are not quite as prevalent on the islands. Don’t get me wrong, paparazzi are still here, but islanders are not fond of their invasive tactics. Most islanders are hard on these parasitic people. Another reason comes from the many film locations available here.

Britney Spears is a regular to Maui, Hawaii. She and her crew of bodyguards jaunt around South Maui with her family on a regular basis. This editor watched Britney change her shirt at a table at Tommy Bahama’s Maui restaurant as well as fall a sleep at the table during her meal. Her mother was taking care of the kids, while their bodyguards frantically patrolled the restaurant and it’s complex for the 3-4 paparazzi that had been following her.

Not only do high-profile celebs regularly visit Hawaii, many have second homes here. To name a few, Helen Hunt, Carlos Santana, Randy Travis, Willy Nelson, Woody Harrelson, Roseanne Barr, and Kelsey Grammar have Maui homes. Oprah happens to own many parcels of land, much of it in Hana. Willy Nelson spends a large amount of time here and also owns a restaurant in Pa’ia called Charlie’s. On occasion, you’ll find Willy playing a couple sets there. Many celebrities were born here. Presidential candidate, Barack Obama was born on Oahu as well as musician and surfer Jack Johnson who owns a home in front of Pipeline on the North Shore. Bette Midler was born in Hawaii and has a home on Kauai.

Mike Myers spends a good amount of time each year on the South Shores of Maui as well as Alice Cooper. Cooper is a big golfer, which makes for a strong attraction to the many world-class Maui golf courses. Many athletes come to Hawaii. Kareem Abdul Jabar visits as well as Horace Grant. Horace is one of the most low-key and nicest of all the celebrities to visit Hawaii. Not only is he extremely generous, but also Horace is polite and a pleasure to be around. Another surprisingly low-key celebrity, when in Hawaii, Paris Hilton spends a good amount of time in the Wailea area of Maui. Cameron Diaz also enjoys Hawaii. She is a regular on Oahu and is a decent surfer.

On Kauai, Ben Stiller, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Crichton, Drew Barrymore, and Natalie Merchant own second homes. Many cast members of the hit NBC TV show “Lost” have homes on both Oahu and Kauai. Most of the filming is done on Oahu. Since the State of Hawaii has issued large tax breaks and incentives to the film industry, movie and television filming has become increasingly attractive on the islands. The fact that the Hawaiian Islands are home to some of the most beautiful spots on the planet also make our islands popular with filmmakers. Recently both the last addition to Indiana Jones and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have been filmed here, particularly on the neighboring island of Molokai.

Most of the information has been confirmed by reliable sources. Some of the above information is word of mouth and may not be accurate.

Island Fever is the phenomena of feeling claustrophobic from the close proximity of each shoreline, and feeling disconnected from the outside world. This is a pretty common thing on the islands, seeing that we’re out in the middle of the biggest ocean in the world. Most people move away after a few months to a few years because of a lack of family and the necessity of having all the amenities of the mainland at their disposal.

Who Generally Gets Island Fever?

Typically, someone who doesn’t use the resources available on the island gets island fever. This means that they don’t appreciate and use the ocean for leisure activities, or take park in the many island communities. People from big cities find it most difficult to adjust to island living because of the lack of resources. There are fewer choices in restaurants, bars, shows, and large events. This coupled with the loss of getting anything you want at the local store can be discouraging for those that aren’t used to driving across the island. City-folk also have trouble because of the slow pace of life here. The heat brings with it a lack of desire to work. It hits everyone. Your own laziness is easier to handle than when you need to deal with someone else’s laziness. When you really need something NOW, you’re probably going to have to wait for it. When on the mainland, you can make it happen NOW. There’s also the expense of everything. From homes to groceries, everything costs more. Well, almost everything.

How Do I Keep From Getting Island Fever?

Those that last on the islands take advantage of all the wonderful free things to do. For example, when you might spend $100 at a bar or club on the mainland, you go to the beach or park with some store bought beers. To last on Maui and on any of the Hawaiian Islands, one must build relationships with those that are living there and you must learn to appreciate all the amazing things that these islands provide. One of the things that turn people off from living here full-time is the clickiness of island residents. In that, I mean that people are less likely to pursue a friendship with someone who’s only been on the island for a short period of time. Most people would think that their being standoffish is a form of snobbery. This is not the case. In fact, the reason people shy away from new arrivals is because most people here have made that mistake before. It’s hard losing a friend after investing a lot of time with them. And because most people that move to the islands move away shortly, this is a regular occurrence until you toughen up and only let certain people in. This is also the case with finding a job here. Why invest a bunch of time training someone to do a job when they’re only going to be there for less than a year? In most industries on the islands, finding someone that’s in need of a job is easy, and at the same time it’s risky to hire someone new to the island. This is one of the few instances where both supply and demand for jobs remains high.

In order to live happily on the Hawaiian Islands and stave off Island Fever, one must put in an effort to meet longer lasting residents, enjoy the many free activities that the islands provide, slow down and anticipate the laziness that EVERYONE has, learn to deal with not having all the regular amenities of the mainland, and it helps to make bi-yearly trips off island.