Cheap Overseas Holiday

[enpower]

My wife and I want to go on an overseas trip to Hawaii.

We live in New Zealand and have never been on an overseas holiday before.

We want to have a great experience but don't want to blow a lot of money on things that we won't get satisfaction and long term happiness from doing.

What things on holiday are worth spending a bit of money on and what things can be done on the cheap to still maintain a great holiday?

[Left Bank]

You are probably not getting a lot of responses because your post is a bit vague (willing to camp or willing to 3-star hotel?) and personal.  You want to go to one of the most expensive states inexpensively.
Well, decide what you want to do and if you are willing to pay for it do it.  Only you can decide what is worth it to you.

[MustacheNorway]

Agreed ,

and what you don't or do get satisfaction from can vary from person to person.
As Leftie suggested , how do you want to accomondate?

When searching on AirBNB I found several possibilities from $30 to $70 a night, which is quite cheap.
If this is a possibility then you can have a really nice vacation and have very small housing expenses.

You can also list yourselves on AirMnM Google Docs  ( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApGUGxOegBnMdGdzWXFPNnV2TG8wUGZ2VlZoYVJyMGc&usp=sharing#gid=0 ) and tell what you can do for "free" housing.
What about house swapping?

If you find a nice family to be with either through BnB or MnM , maybe they can help you with fun activities which doesnt cost very much.

Renting a small car doent seem like a very expensive option in Hawaii (apx $170 for a week) , so then location is no problem.

Buy a snorkling mask and swim/dive , go hiking/bicycling, meet mustachians, go fishing (if you can borrow fishing equipment), take the car and tour the island.
There are a lot of possibilities that dont cost too much..

But again , it all depends on your budget and what YOU find fun on a vacation.. :)

[JoJo]

You might also want to check out the Philippines.   WAY cheaper than Hawaii with some similar activities, nice warm Pacific beaches.

Snorkeling trip with lunch in Hawaii = $125-150  (although you may be able to snorkel from shore for free).  Snorkeling trip with lunch in Philippines = $18.

[MustacheNorway]

Yeah , The Phillipines is great, I've been there twice. It's cheap, fun, but a little different.

You need to be aware that it is a lot of poverty , and you need to be a little careful to go around.
But do your research, and you'll have plenty of fun.. :)

I can also reccomend Thailand a lot , I think it's even better here than in The Phillipines.

-Ronnie

[seattlecyclone]

A nice thing about Hawaii is that much of the sightseeing itself can be very inexpensive. Sure, you can pay through the nose for snorkel tours or luaus and such, but you don't have to! The beaches and hiking and weather and sunsets are all free. The really expensive parts are flights, lodging, and food. I have had good luck with VRBO/AirBnB when traveling to Hawaii. It's generally much cheaper than the hotels or resorts. Try to find a place with a kitchen so you don't need to pay restaurant prices for all of your meals.