You’re walking down Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki or through Kona Village or Lahaina on a balmy evening. It’s your first or second day in the islands and you’re thinking, yeah, okay, I would like to see a luau. Or yeah, I would like to go on one of those obnoxious polluting ATV tours. (A-hem.) Or yeah, I want to take my sweetie on a dinner cruise. So when you see the “ACTIVITIES WAREHOUSE! DISCOUNTED ADVENTURES!” sign, you think, huh, I should go see what that’s gonna set me back. And when the nice guy or gal behind the counter asks you if you need a map or some local information and would like to learn about what you can do on the island, you start wandering over…
DON’T DO THAT! Run far, far away from those booths, storefronts, stands. Flee.
Here’s the deal. They say they are activity booking and information services, and yep, they are, that’s true, but what they actually are is timeshare sales fronts. They’ll get you a free luau for two or a deep discount on that snorkel tour if you’ll consent to being locked in a room for 90 minutes of a high pressure sales pitch for a timeshare. And you’ll need to bring your spouse, prove that you make enough money to be eligible, and a bunch of other ridiculous requirements to score the freebies. Don’t do it. Your stay in Hawaii is costing you enough, do you want to waste your morning being sold to? No, no, you do not.
I talked to one of these guys just for laughs. “It’s a fast 90 minutes,” he told me. “It just flies by. And if you still don’t want to buy, we’ll book your activity for you at the going rate.” He couldn’t – or wouldn’t – tell me what the difference was between his storefront and any other on the strip, or if his prices were all that, or even, why I should book through him. A “fast 90 minutes”? What the hell does that mean?
There’s a perfectly good alternative to this – maybe a few. The Activites and Attractions Association of Hawaii (H3A) sells the Gold Card, a card that gives you discount on activities for up to four people. The rates are published, consistent, and discounted. And, they won’t lock you in a room with a sales team. It’s only 30 bucks and you’ll save that with the first activity you book. They cover all kinds of stuff, from Airplane Tours to Zip Lines. Get one here.
Expedia has been partnering with hotels in Hawaii to staff the concierge desks. When you check in, you’ll get a card from the desk clerk for a free island orientation and breakfast. The breakfasts aren’t worth mentioning – I didn’t see more than Costco style pasties and overcooked coffee and if you already know about your island, you probably don’t want to bother with the presentation. I checked online and the rates seemed competitive with the H3A’s rates.
Finally, you know those booklets that are stuffed in your hand as you leave the airport and head for your rental car? They’re chock full of discount coupons – two for one admissions to museums and attractions, good deals on snorkel gear rentals, freebies at the fabulous Hawaii shoporama, Hilo Hattie’s, and they actually contain useful information. We kept the This Week guides handy for each island we visited.
If you just want information, go to the tourism offices run by the HCVB or talk to the concierge at your hotel or condo. Hell, ask your waiter or the gal making your latte. If you want to book an activity, again, try the concierge, who might be an Expedia agent, or get yourself one of those Gold Cards. If you want to buy a time share, go to a time share agent. Don’t mix those things or you’ll end up wasting time and possibly money. Wouldn’t you rather spend 90 minutes walking on the beach, snorkeling, strolling the market, lingering in bed listening to the ocean and birds, anything but being locked in a room exposed to high pressure sales?
It’s your vacation. Avoid the activities hawkers.
[tags]Hawaii, travel,activities [/tags]