Kapahulu Honolulu, Oahu on a budget

A visit to Kapahulu, Ouahu , Honolulu can be done even if you are on a limited budget. If you do your research well before the trip, you will find that budget accommodations, food, and activities abound in the area. You can find easily enough a hotel, a rental, or a motel that offers affordable rates. Others who want to go and rough it out can even save more on accommodations by renting tents or by bringing their own. Thus virtually spending nothing on accommodations.Below are some other things you might want to know if you are planning to vacation in Kapahulu but are on a budget.

Travelling to the Island on a Budget

Although Honolulu has a reputation for expensive air fares and accommodations, it is still possible for you to be able to snag cheap deals on travel fares. Air fare for Honolulu, where Kapahulu is situated, can cost you a pretty penny, from $350 – 600 for round trip tickets from West Coast airports. However, using frequent flier miles or going during the off peak seasons can help you find cheaper deals on air fare.

Cheap Accommodations

As has already been mentioned, budget accommodations could easily be found in the area. Kapahulu offers a lot of options for accommodations, from motels to vacation home rentals and even campsites that cost a fraction of what regular hotel rooms cost. The island has a number of resorts and hotels that you can check into but for cheaper accommodations in Kapahulu itself one can check into the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel located at Kalakaua Avenue on Sans Souci beach. Another affordable option for accommodations is the Diamond Head Bed and Breakfast, which enjoys a prime location at the end of a tree-lined street. This bed and breakfast is famous for its peaceful location. Another choice would be the Queen Kapiolani Hotel which is just across the Honolulu zoo and just a few short steps from the beach. Budget food places such as Pizza Hut and Starbucks are only a short distance away.

Affordable Kapahulu Eats

Kapahulu is known for its affordable eateries. While the place is also dotted with upscale restaurants, students, surfers and those who are simply looking for cheap meals will find places like the Rainbow Drive In, Ono Hawaiian Foods and nearby Bogart’s as cheaper alternatives.

Kapahulu Avenue is especially known for the Japanese restaurants or izakayas that dot the strip. Most izakayas only take reservations before 5 pm and have pretty expensive rates for valet parking. A prime example is Tokkuri-tei, which is known for its casual Bohemian atmosphere and its sushi bar. Guests can come in their most casual clothes. One downside of the place is the long wait for tables for those who come in large parties. Customers love the restaurant’s pork gyoza and the hamachi, although some may not find the maguro that tasty. Another dish to try is the okonomiyaki as well as the tonkatsu. And although the island is famous for its ahi, somehow the ahi served in this place left something to be desired.

Another place you can try eating in without spending so much is Zippy’s, which is the island’s answer to Burger King. Zippy’s is famous for its chili, saimin plate lunches, pupu and sushi platters. Although located in South King, Honolulu, those staying in Kapahulu Avenue can swing by this place if it’s a plateful of French fries topped with chili and cheese that they crave.

If you are looking for plate-lunches, you can head to the Rainbow Drive In located right inside Kapahulu. It is famous for its plate lunches which sell for about $6 each. Popular dishes include barbeque beef or chicken, two scoops of rice, garlic mahi and for desert, a serving of macaroni salad. The Rainbow Drive In's plate lunches are suited for those who want a quick lunch to take to the beach or up a hike to Diamond Head.

For a delightful frozen treat, nothing can beat the Waiola Shave Ice. This establishment is nothing like the great commercial ice cream places in the mainland. Indeed Waiola shave ice looks more like a red wooden shack than a place that dispenses one of the best ice treats on the island. It is also known for its unique way of ordering. Customers learn how the Waiola receives orders by looking at the sign on the side of the window that says orders must be made by saying the size of the order, what you want for the filling and lastly, what you want on top. Customers can choose between lilikoi cream and condensed milk. Choices of filling include Banana, vanilla, Li hing sauce, cheery, pineapple, azuki bean among others.

Another place that offers a relatively inexpensive pick-me up for the tummy for those on the go is the local 7-11, which features the Spam musabi, which comes in regular, deluxe with seaweed and egg, a version with extra slivers of spam called Spam Lovers and katsu, which is breaded and fried Spam. Spam enjoys such popularity in the island because it was first brought here by American military personnel as one of their main sources of protein.

Fun Activities on a Budget

If activities like golf, jet skiing or paragliding cost way too much for you, you can try other fun options in Kapahulu without spending so much. There are a lot of sights to see in Kapahulu that require nothing more than entrance fees. If you are a first timer, visiting locations such as the international marketplace, the Diamond Head state monument and Pali Lookout is a cheap way to entertain yourself while you get to know Kapahulu better.

The international marketplace is one of the best places to visit when in Kapahulu. Held under a large, old banyan tree in Waikiki, with over a hundred shopping stalls showcasing the wares of the island, from fruits and other local produce to the artworks of local artists, this is one of the best places to shop for souvenirs. After doing the rounds you can sit down to a hot meal at the food court located in the innermost section of the marketplace.

A visit to the Diamond Head State Monument is also another interesting but affordable activity for first-timers. One of the island’s most famous volcanic craters, Diamond Head was named for its calcite deposits that glistened under the sun, which British sailors thought to be diamonds. You are allowed to climb up the whole 760-foot summit and see the spectacular view below from the observation deck that was constructed in 1910. If Interested on hiking to the top, don't forget to bring water bottles with you as the climb may make you thirsty and you will find be that there is no water for drinking on the summit.

Another place to go to for a cheap but interesting time is the Pali Lookout or Cool Height Cliff. From there you can see one of the best views overlooking Oahu. You can get to the Pali Lookout by taking an exit off the Pali Highway and start making your way up the cliff at no cost since entrance is free.

Surfing is another cheap way for you to enjoy the beaches of Waikiki when staying at Kapahulu. There are a lot of outfits that rent out surf boards and even conduct surfing classes for those who want to try surfing while on vacation. Places like Blue Planet and Hawaiian South Shore rent out surfing boards for $25-30 per day. If it's surfing you want to do, you can head to Waikiki Beach for the best bodyboarding spots, but you might want to be a little bit careful since coral reefs that are at least a knee-high in length are abundant underwater.

If you are one who enjoys taking panoramic pictures as reminders of your vacation, you can take a walk down Kapahulu Groin , a pedestrian walkway that stretches out into the ocean from Queen’s surf beach, which sits on Waikiki Beach near Diamond Head. The walkway is the extension of a storm drain that runs under Kapahulu Avenue. You can take panoramic pictures of the beach but you have to be careful and remember to keep your distance, as large waves have the tendency to soak bystanders and curious tourists.

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