Aloha and welcome to our new series of 4 blogs showcasing the many free activities on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii the Big Island.  During a time when everyone is feeling the economic crunch in their pockets, relax and make the most out of your stay by checking out the following activities.  Oahu will be first island that will be showcased.

Oahu – “The Gathering Isle”

Chances are that if you visit Hawaii your stay will include a visit to the island of Oahu where the state capital Honolulu is located. Besides enjoying the free sunshine and beaches you may also like a list of our Top 10 Free Things to do on Oahu:

10. LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PINEAPPLE at the Pineapple Variety Garden in Dole Plantation located outside of Wahiawa.  Don’t forget to wet your taste buds with the world famous Dole Whip!

9. ASCEND TO THE TOP OF ALOHA TOWER, Honolulu Harbor’s famous clock tower, which at one time was the tallest building in Honolulu

8. TAKE ‘UKULELE OR HULA LESSONS at the Royal Hawaiian Center.

7. TAKE A STROLL THROUGH INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE, a bazaar of clothes, jewelry and souvenirs from the island’s colorful merchants set under the shade of a large banyan tree.

6. Make your friends and family envious as they watch you on a live streaming webcam from the Duke statue on the beach of Waikiki http://www.honolulu.gov/multimed/waikiki.asp

5. VIEW THE WORK OF LOCAL ARTISANS at the Art Mart along the fence of the Honolulu Zoo

4. CHEER AS THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE BEACH RESORT & SPA’S HOSTED FIREWORKS EXPLODE into beautiful colors on Friday evenings in remembrance and celebration of King Kalākaua’s Jubilee

3. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR HUMPBACK WHALES off Makapu‘u on O‘ahu’s South Shore or Ka‘ena Point on the northwest side of the island. 10,000 whales migrate to Hawai‘i between November and May.

2. WALK THROUGH CHINATOWN for a fascinating look at noodle factories, herbal shops, markets and gift shops

1. VIEW WORLD-CLASS SURFING COMPETITIONS during the winter months from November to March where waves can reach heights as high as 50 feet!!!

As we welcome 2010 it is a time of celebration and new beginnings. While most people make plans to lose that extra holiday weight or to stop bad habits, here at Discover Hawaii Tours we too are committed to resolutions for the upcoming year. As a growing company we are committed to providing excellent customer service that surpasses the industry’s standards. Enjoy our list of our Top 5 New Year’s Resolution for 2010.

1. Go Green! – Reducing the amount of resources used is our top priority. Our office staff is committed to reducing the amount of paper used by sending our guests emails instead of printed vouchers. We are also committed to recycling everything including our used oil for the busses, plastics, and papers.

2. Provide Superior Customer Service – We are constantly finding new and fun ways to offer our guests the best experiences on their vacations. Our “Mystery Shopper” program allows our guests to receive $20 off their tour. Mystery Shoppers just have to fill out a quick online survey after their tour to receive the discount. This is just one of the many ways Discover Hawaii Tours is committed to providing excellent customer service.

3. Expand to Eco and Cultural Tours – New for 2010 our Eco & Cultural Tours will share with you the “Real Hawaii.” Escape the crowds and explore the tranquility of the rainforest as our naturalist guides walk you through some of the most scenic terrain where a hidden waterfall awaits you. We also offer guided hikes to the top of an extinct volcanic crater, Diamond Head, where you can tower 765ft above the white sandy beaches of Waikiki.

4. Ongoing Tour Guide Training – All of our guides go through an extensive training program and are constantly being evaluated to ensure a professional tour every time. Greg, our newest tour guide supervisor, is committed to keeping his staff well trained and prepared for the upcoming year. We are committed to our tour guide training program and look forward to serving our guests needs.

5. Provide State-of-the-art Multimedia Experience – One of our newest and most anticipated departments of Discover Hawaii Tours is our Video/Media production team. Creating the most visually compelling and engaging videos are just some of the ways our Web Department interacts with our guests. Filming has already begun for our upcoming TV commercial and online testimonials. Who knows, while on tour you might get your big break and end up on camera!

Difficult economic phases do not necessarily mean you can’t plan a wonderful vacation to Hawaii. It just means it may be more of a challenge. We have compiled a few tips to make your planning on a budget easier. But let’s start by reminding you what General George S. Patton said about challenges. “Accept the challenges, so you may feel the exhilaration of victory”.

Don't be confused.

Strategic Planning

Sit down and list what vacation elements are most important to you. By discovering what is essential or not, you will be able to save money by process of elimination. For instance, maybe you wanted an ocean front room but determined staying 2 blocks from the sea is just fine. This decision alone will save funds that can be spent elsewhere.

Help is just a click away.

Haggle, Bargain and Barter

Now more than ever it is becoming apparent that travelers have the upper hand when it comes to vacation components. Don’t be timid about asking for a discount. If you see a hotel rate online, consider calling the property directly and asking the manager for a discount. You’ll be surprised how magical this can be. Most hotels in Hawaii are always sitting on what is known as “distressed inventory” – rooms that will probably go unsold. Most managers will be happy to take a few dollars off of a room that would most likely have been empty. The same can be said for tours and activities. Always book your tours directly with the vendor. Since they own and operate the tours, they are able to offer discounts that booking agent cannot.

Get creative and think about the old barter system. Possibly you have a skill a vendor can use. You could ask for a free tour in exchange for high quality photos and an online review on Trip Advisor. (We actually had a customer make this offer and guess what – we took them up on it).

Good deal!

Research – Ga Ga For Google

Spend a few hours online looking for discounts and you may be amazed at what you can save. Add the words free, discount, discounted or coupon to a search on Google and see what happens. Remember the ball is in your court. Hawaii businesses really want your support and may be willing to go out of their way to show it.

Condo Stay

You might consider booking a condo instead of a hotel room. There are plenty of vacation condos in Hawaii all of which include a kitchen. Having a kitchen will allow you to buy a few grocery items and  cook some of your meals. Ok so you want to get out of the kitchen on your vacation, that’s fine, but a few nights in a kitchen in Hawaii is well worth it if it helps you save money.

We hope these tips have helped and we wish you victory in the challenge!