Sorry for going off the AirMiles focus for a post here...
Hey Donald - can you plan a pretend trip to Kauai as well? lol. I haven't been around much because I bit the bullet and used up a ton of Aeroplan points for our family to go to Hawaii for 12 nights over the March Break next year and have been researching that a lot. I booked out of the US because the flight times and connections were better, and it cost a total of $59 for all 4 of us in taxes and fees. But I feel so lost not planning a Disney trip!
Hope to earn a ton of AM cash and PC points that I can use for groceries or gas and funnel that money to go towards a car rental (crazy expensive) or vacation rental while there.
Hey
@momof2gr8kids good for you! We have been visiting Hawaii on a regular basis for almost 25 years now, we even got married on the Big Island. If you need any help planning for Kauai or a second opinion on hotels, condos etc just let me know.
I have stayed a few times on Kauai and I would say for March you might want to look at Waipouli Beach Resort which is kind of central on the island. I like this place because it is a condo resort. You have a kitchen and lots of space but the pools and grounds are beautiful. The resort sits beachfront but that beach can be rough in March. You can book it through Outrigger resorts of you can use VRBO (kind of like AirBNB but a little less sketchy) here is just one example
https://www.vrbo.com/593630 and reviews on Trip Advisor (I use this for pics mostly, I dont always trust that the reviews are true for any hotel)
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Re...Waipouli_Beach_Resort-Kapaa_Kauai_Hawaii.html
Another great place to stay on Kauai is the Kiahuna Plantation. It is down in the south on Poipu Beach which might be a good choice for March as the north can get pretty rainy at that time of year. It is such a beautiful beach, and it is also a condo resort like the one above. Fyi, there is no air conditioning at this resort but the trade winds off the ocean at this time of year are amazing so it really isnt needed.
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Re...una_Plantation_Resort-Poipu_Kauai_Hawaii.html
Let me know if you are looking at any hotels or other areas of the island and I can tell you all about them, I have stayed in a few.
As far as car rentals go, my best bet for Hawaii is always through
https://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/ (which is a broker, no charge for cancellation up to a day before the rental and offers many big brand companies) OR through Costco If you know your dates right now, I would book a car rental. Hawaii is funny, the prices fluctuate a lot. Then keep checking and if it goes down, you can cancel and re book. Especially at about 6 weeks out but you are travelling at a popular time so I would book now.
Are you flying though Honolulu and making a connection or straight to Kauai? If you are stopping in Honolulu and need to stay on Oahu, I have been using a DVC point rental company I read about on the Dis over in the DVC section to stay at Aulani for about 2/3rds of the regular rate. There are a couple of companies but I have used "Davids" that advertises here on the Dis. Or you can even rent from DVC members who post here and other places but there are lots of pros and cons. Read all about it first!
As you all can see, I LOVE Hawaii and I am happy to help any one looking to go!
Now back to your regularly scheduled Air Miles discussion, sorry gang!