GALANA Travel and Accomodation Page

This page contains information on:
- Expected weather conditions during the GALANA conference
- Arrival at the Honolulu International Airport,
- Transportation options for getting from the Waikiki hotels to the conference venue,
- Accommodation options for GALANA

Weather in Manoa

The weather in Manoa is much more predictable than in most places on Earth. It can be said with almost certainty that the high temperature on each day of the conference will be either 81 degrees or 82 degrees (Fahrenheit), and the lows will be something like 71 or 72 degrees. The only time you might feel the need for a light sweater is when the airconditioning indoors is cranked up a little too high.

However, please be warned that Manoa is known as one of the wettest valleys on Oahu, and so a small umbrella is highly recommended. Because of its location relative to the mountainous peaks in the middle of the island, it rains almost everyday in the Manoa valley. Before you cancel your reservations, you should know that this rain is light, warm, tropical rain, not anything to worry about. Additionally, unless there is a serious storm over the islands, the rest of the island (including Waikiki) is usually unaffected by the localized showers over Manoa.

If you plan to see any of the island or be outdoors for any extended period of time, we would plenty of sunscreen and a hat. The sun is a lot stronger than in most palces on the mainland, so people with sensitive skin tend to burn a lot quicker.

***UPDATE***

On Wednesday December 15th, 2004, the weather is:
- clear skies
- high of 83 degrees, low last night was (another chilly one) 67 degrees.
- humidity is a comfortable 60%
- a little hazy today, but still beautiful.
- no rain in sight (touch wood)!

On Tuesday December 14th, 2004, the weather is:
- clear skies
- high of 82 degrees, low last night was (a chilly) 67 degrees.
- humidity is a comfortable 60%.
- overall, gorgeous weather.

Expected weather over the next few days: partly cloudy, high temperatures of 81 degrees, lows in the low seventies, light afternoon showers in Manoa.

Arrival at Honolulu International Airport
(Click here for a printable PDF version of this section, file size=97K)

There are several ways to get to the University of Hawaii and Waikiki from the airport. The most cost effective way is using the public bus system (called The Bus), and the most expensive way is to take a taxi. However, each has its own pros and cons. Below is some information that we have compiled that you may find useful. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.

When you exit the baggage claim area of the airport, you will notice that the street is divided by a center median. To access any of the modes of transportation described below you should cross the street into the center median.

1. The Bus (http://www.thebus.org/)
To catch the bus you must go up to the second floor (Departures) and catch the bus from the street. Ask people with yellow jackets for directions if you need to - they are very helpful. You can take either bus #19 or #20 Eastbound, both of which go from the airport through Ala Moana and to Waikiki. If you are staying at any of the on-campus housing options (Lincoln Hall/Hale Manoa), make sure to ask for a transfer, as you need to change buses at Ala Moana Center. You should ask the driver of the bus to tell you when you arrive at the Ala Moana Center, and from there you can take either bus #4 or bus #6 to UH.

The Bus costs $2 one-way (children under 6 are free; students up to high school age pay $1), and runs approximately every 30 minutes, but please note that there are severe baggage restrictions on the bus as only carry-on luggage is permitted.

2. Airport Waikiki Express
At each terminal in the airport there is a stop for the Airport Waikiki Express which goes to hotels in the Waikiki area and environs. When you get onto the center median (see above), you will see people standing at the curb side wearing bright yellow "Waikiki Express" jackets. You should pay the attendant and tell him/her which hotel you are going to. The shuttle runs 24 hours a day, approximately every 25-30 minutes from 6am-10am, and approximately every 20-25 minutes after 10am. The fare is $8 per person one way, $14 roundtrip (children under 3 ride free). Each person is allowed 2 pieces of baggage free of charge.

3. Taxi
To catch a taxi you should proceed to the center median and find an attendant wearing a yellow jacket with the words AMCO TAXI on it (this is the taxi company that has a contract with the airport). If you arrive at a busy time, there may be a line waiting for a taxi, in which case you may have to wait 10-15 minutes or so. Ordinarily, however, the wait is only a few minutes. The expected fare from the airport to Waikiki is between $25 and $28, depending on time of day. We've been told that the expected taxi fare to UH is $25.

4. Car Rentals
You may consider renting a car, especially if you are planning on staying after the conference and want to see some of the island. You should contact us as soon as possible if you will need parking on-campus (cost $4 per day), as we will need to arrange for parking that is near the conference facility.

Keep in mind that if you arrive any time between 3pm and 6pm you will have to deal with rush hour traffic. It may take anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour to get to the University, and perhaps 20-40 minutes to get to Waikiki.

There are several rent-a-car companies that operate out of Honolulu International Airport, but only 5 companies actually have their car lots on the airport grounds. The remaining companies have their lots close by, but you have to board a shuttle to get there. The on-airport companies are:

Avis
Budget
Dollar
National
Hertz

These are somewhat convenient as you can walk to their offices from the terminal in a matter of minutes. The remaining companies require that you board a shuttle (which you can catch from the center median), and that is an extra step which, after a long flight, may be inconvenient. A partial listing of these off-airport companies is given below:

Alamo
Enterprise
Thrifty

If you do rent a car, you will need directions to the campus and/or Waikiki. Click here to download our special driving directions (1.1MB, including photographs) on how to get from the airport to the East-West Center (including Lincoln Hall and Hale Manoa). Directions to Waikiki can be obtained from the rental car agency.

For detailed maps we suggest you use either MapQuest or Yahoo Maps. If you are staying at one of the on-campus housing options (Lincoln Hall/ Hale Manoa), you can enter the following address as your destination address:

1601 East-West Rd
Honolulu, HI 96822

Another useful site to visit is the Department of Transportation information webpage, where they have some additional information about other pre-arranged transportation options.

Getting to/from the Waikiki Hotels and the conference venue
(Click here for a printable PDF version of this section, file size=99K)

1. Conference Shuttle Bus ***pre-registration required***
GALANA has organized a shuttle bus that will leave from the Queen Kapiolani hotel at 8am every morning and return to the same spot every evening after the evening events. The Queen Kapiolani Hotel is central to all the Waikiki hotels listed in the next section, and will require a short walk for participants staying at one of the other hotels. The Ocean Resort Hotel is less than 5 minutes walk from the Queen Kapiolani; the Marriott is approximately 5 minutes away; and the New Otani is approximately 6-8 minutes in the direction of Diamond Head from the Queen Kapiolani hotel. The cost for this shuttle is $16 for all four days of the conference (quite a deal, if we do say so ourselves).

We must arrange for this shuttle with the bus company ahead of time, so you must sign up for this shuttle in advance when you PRE-REGISTER.

2. The Bus

Route and Schedule Information: (808) 848-5555. Website: http://www.thebus.org

From Waikiki you can take either take bus #4 to UH, or if you can get to Ala Moana Center (5-20 minute walk from various places in Waikiki), you can take buses #4, #6 or the Express A. Note that The Bus has limited service during the weekends and night hours. The Bus costs $2 one-way (children under 6 are free; students up to high school age pay $1).

3. Taxi

Taxi's are readily available from anywhere in Waikiki. You should tell the driver that you want to be taken to the Imin Center on the UH Manoa campus. The estimated cost for a ride from Waikiki to the East-West Center is $20-$25 (per taxi load, not per person). You can either hail one from the street, or have your hotel arrange for one to come to the hotel, or you can call them yourself. Here are a few taxi companies and their phone numbers:

The CAB – (808) 422-2222
Charley's Taxi – (808) 531-1333
City Taxi – (808) 524-2121

4. Driving

Because people will be coming from various places, we can't give specific driving directions on how to get to the Imin Center. We suggest you use MapQuest or Yahoo Maps to get some specific driving directions from wherever you are staying to the Imin Center. To use these services you must enter a starting address and a destination address. Enter the address of your hotel as the starting address, and enter the address of the Imin Center as the destination address. The Imin center address is:
1601 East-West Rd
Honolulu HI 96822

Below is a sample map that Yahoo Maps produced for the drive from the Queen Kapiolani Hotel to the Imin Center.

Parking on campus is limited, but available at a cost of $3 per day. You may have to park in a multi-level parking lot that is 5-10 minutes walk from the conference venue. If you know for sure that you will be driving to campus, please contact us immediately (galana@hawaii.edu) to arrange for a conference parking pass. The cost of the conference parking pass is $4 per day ($1 more than regular parking), but you will receive parking very close to the conference venue.

Accommodation

We have negotiated special conference rates for housing in the East-West Center adjacent to the conference facility. We highly recommend that participants stay in either Lincoln Hall or Hale Manoa (see below for more detailed descriptions of these two options) because of the convenient location (2-minute walk from the conference facility) as well as the very reasonable price.

Additionally, four hotels in Waikiki will offer special conference rates for participants in GALANA 2004.

Because December is high season in Hawai‘i, we highly recommend that reservations be made as soon as possible.

East-West Center Housing Options

1. Lincoln Hall ($$)
Lincoln Hall is located within sight of the Imin Conference Center, and is clean and affordable. It serves as a University guest house during the semester and rooms are generally highly sought-after because they are excellent value for money. We have reserved a limited number of studio rooms and 1-bedroom apartments for GALANA 2004, so when you contact the East-West Center, mention GALANA 2004. Once our allotted rooms are all reserved, the East-West Center may begin turning reservations away, depending on availability of rooms (so BOOK EARLY). Click here to see pictures of the rooms and the building, as well as rates for the two kinds of rooms.

2. Hale Manoa ($)
Hale Manoa is also located within sight of the Imin Conference Center, and is a student dormitory during the semester. It is intended as a low-cost housing option for those on a tight budget, e.g., for graduate students. A number of single and double rooms have been reserved for GALANA, and once these rooms are all taken, the East-West Center may begin turning reservations away, depending on availability of rooms (so again, BOOK EARLY). Click here to see pictures of the rooms and the building, as well as rates for the single and double rooms.

Waikiki Hotel Options

The GALANA team has negotiated special conference rates with four hotels in the Waikiki area. Waikiki is an alluring option since it is a vibrant, active, and beautiful place to stay while on O‘ahu. Nightlife abounds, and if you plan to make use of the ocean and sand, then this may be a better option for you. The University is accessible from Waikiki by bus, taxi and car. Additionally, we expect to have a bus shuttle that will transport participants from one of these four hotels to the conference in the morning and back again in the evening.

That being said, Waikiki is approximately a 10-15 minute drive from the University of Hawai‘i campus. Given the time involved in catching a bus (or even the shuttle), we urge participants to choose one of the East-West Center housing options, as this will save time and trouble in the mornings and the evenings.

The four hotels that we have negotiated rates with are listed below. Click on each to see a list of room types, discounted room rates, our impressions of the hotels, and pictures of the rooms and the surrounds.

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa ($$$)
(Reservations on special rates depend on space availability; book early)

New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel ($$½)

Queen Kapi'olani Hotel ($$)
(The block of rooms for special rates will be released on 15 November 2004; make sure you reserve before then)

Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki ($$)
(The block of rooms for special rates will be released on 15 November 2004; make sure you reserve before then)

The price of standard/moderate rooms at these hotels ranges from $57 per night to $140 per night. Note that there are many other options in Waikiki, both cheaper and more expensive. These four hotels are relatively close to each other, and so if you decide to book at another hotel, keep in mind that you will have to walk to the specified hotel if you want to catch the shuttle to campus. If you have any questions about other hotels, feel free to contact us.