H O W T O P L A N A VA C AT I O N T O O A H U

TECHNICAL WRITING 2700

N O H E LY C H AV E Z EST ERFA N GUZMAN NICK PIKE VALERY VILLAGOMEZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 BUDGET .................................................................................................................................................. 2 ESTIMATE YOUR BUDGET ................................................................................................................................... 2 CALCULATE YOUR BUDGET ................................................................................................................................. 2 ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR YOUR BUDGET .................................................................................................................. 2 BUDGET TOOL... 3 TIMELINE ................................................................................................................................................ 4 BOOKING A FLIGHT ................................................................................................................................. 6 BOOKING A FLIGHT AND RESERVING A HOTEL ROOM ............................................................................ 8 BOOKING A FLIGHT, RESERVING A HOTEL ROOM, AND RENTING A CAR ................................................ 10 PAYING FOR YOUR TRIP ......................................................................................................................... 12 PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP ....................................................................................................................... 14 HOW TO PACK ....................................................................................................................................... 16 SUGGESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 18 PLACES TO EAT .......................................................................................................................................... 18 PLACES TO VISIT/ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................................... 18 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 20 INDEX .................................................................................................................................................... 21

Introduction
This manual guides the user through planning a one-way or round trip vacation for individuals and groups to Oahu. Our manual assumes little to no previous knowledge regarding trip organization. We will walk you through each step with the intent of providing you with information to have a well-planned trip with minimum effort and maximum enjoyment. The intended audience of this manual covers individuals or groups of people who intend to spend a vacation in Oahu. To fill out all the information in this manual you must be at least eighteen years old or older. If you want to go on vacation as a minor, have your parent or guardian walk through this manual with you. We have taken the approach of making the guide for an individual, but we cover steps necessary to plan for a party where they are needed. The manual covers budgeting, packing for your trip, booking your flight, reserving a hotel, renting a car, and suggestions on what you could do when you arrive. If you have some experience with travelling, feel free to use portions of this guide as needed. You can refer to our table of contents for information regarding a topic you want. We hope you find our guide informative and helpful to planning your vacation. Happy vacationing!

Lets get started.

Budget 1. Estimate your Budget

Vacationing to Oahu, Hawaii can be expensive. The general cost for one individual can go from $1,500 to $10,000 depending on what you want to do during your stay. We recommend that you set a budget based on a portion of the amount of money you currently have. Avoid spending over five to eight percent of your total income as you want to save money for when you return home. For example, if your yearly income is $100,000, try to spend $5,000 to $8,000.

2. Calculate your Budget

To calculate your budget, follow the steps listed below: 1. Go to your bank and ask for your account balance 2. Get a pencil, paper, and calculator 3. Multiply your account balance by 0.05 and write the value down 4. Multiply your account balance by 0.08 and write the value down 5. Compare the two values and see how much you are willing to spend on your trip. Now that you have decided how much you want to spend on your trip, set aside that money. Please move on to the next step where we will explain when you should be setting aside your money.

3. Allocate Funds for your Budget

Once you have you have set a budget use the chart on page four to see where your money will be going. Vacationers should be aware that the price of plane tickets tend to increase around the holiday seasons and decrease during the school year. Although that will be the most important factor in determining your flight budget, you should be able to accommodate various variables listed at the top of page four.

Holidays Party Size Vacation Period

Now that you have set aside your money, we recommend filling out this table with the amount of money you are willing to spend in each area. Feel free to negate items that you think are unnecessary.

Item
Plane Ticket (one-way) Plane Ticket (round-trip) Hotel Car Rental

Estimated Price
$350 600 $650 - $1000

Your Price

$150 - $2000 (per night) $40 (per day w/ gas) $10 - $30 (per meal) $200

Meals New Clothes

Miscellaneous Entertainment Est. Total (one-way) Est. Total (round-trip)

$100 $300 $2000 $3000

*Prices do not include Hawaiian state tax

Time Line
Now that you have completed the budget section, we can help you make a timeline to plan your trip around. Before beginning this section, please get a pencil and paper and write down when you will be doing each of these steps. For example, if you are on step two, Request off from Work, you could write Request off from Work May 20th, 2014. Follow the steps listed below to build your timeline: 1. Set your Date and Period When setting your date, keep in mind that the time you spend on vacation should depend on your job and budget. You should set your date and period of travel at least three months before your trip. The most expensive time to travel to Oahu is during the summer. 2. Request off from Work Check with your boss that you can take time off from work. This procedure varies depending on your occupation. The process generally involves a document in which you will need to write down the dates and reason for your absence from work. You should do this step right after you have decided on a travel date. 3. Book your Plane Ticket Once you know your date and have requested time off from work, you should book your plane tickets immediately. We recommend reserving your plane tickets at the least two to three months in advance. Booking a flight this far ahead will save you a lot of money. 4. Reserve a Hotel If you need to stay at a hotel, you should search for a flight and hotel deal. We recommend doing this at the same time you book your flight; two to three months before your trip. Doing so will save you money and you can get a nice hotel arrangement. 5. Rent a Car Many hotel and flight deals will have rental car offers.

We recommend doing this at the same time you would book your flight and hotel deal.

6. Pack

You should pack your items one night before your flight.

Before proceeding to the next step, review your trip outline and see if you have any conflicts with your responsibilities in life. By writing down a timeline, you will save money and avoid problems that would arise if you waited until the last minute to plan your vacation. Please move on to the next section where we will help you book your flight.

Booking a Flight
Now that you have gathered your funds and dedicated time for a trip to Oahu, it is time to book your flight. Follow the steps listed below to find and book a flight appropriate for your time table. Before we begin arranging your flight, open up your favorite web browser. We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. Navigate to the top of your web browsers search bar. For this tutorial we will be using Expedia. Go ahead and type in www.expedia.com. If you wish to use another website to book your flight, you are welcome to but be aware that these instructions will be confusing if you do so: 1. Select what you will need for your flight Your selection will be made depending on the need of a hotel room and car, or one or the other. 2. Select a Round Trip or One-Way Flight The section for choosing your type of flight is on the top left of the search menu. 3. Enter the Appropriate Departure and Arrival Airports The departing airport will vary depending on where you currently reside in Texas. The arrival airport will be Honolulu (HNL), HI. We recommend flying out from a well know airport in Texas such as DFW airport because many small airports do not serve flights to Honolulu. 4. Select your Departure and Arrival Dates Refer to the paper you made for the timeline section. Enter the dates you chose in the drop box menu 5. Enter your Party Size Below the section that allows you to choose your dates will be another drop box. 6. Book a Hotel and Rent a Car If you do not have any family or friends you will be staying with, you must rent a hotel room.

If you want to rent a hotel, refer to the Booking a Hotel Section on page 8. If you want to book a hotel and rent a car, refer to the Booking a Hotel and Renting a Car section on page 10. Follow the instructions respectively and you will be guided through the process.

7. Search for your Flight Once you have added all of the required fields, search for your flight by pressing the blue Search button on the bottom right of the screen. After you press the search button, a large list of flights will appear. Each row will have the airline, departure and arrival times, duration, number of layovers, and price. Search through the list carefully and find a flight that matches your schedule and budget. Once you have found a flight, press select and you will be taken to a payment window where you will be prompted to enter credit card information. If you are only flying and are satisfied with your current flight arrangements proceed to the Paying for your Vacation section on page x.

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Booking a Flight and Reserving a Hotel Room

If you are reading this section, then you are in need of a hotel in addition to your flight. Hotels on Oahu can get expensive; they range from $150 to $1200 a night depending on where you are staying. We highly recommend that you re-evaluate your budget and timeline before continuing with this section. Once you have reevaluated your budget and made sure you can afford this trip, please proceed to following the steps listed below: 1. Add your Hotel to your Order Below the number of travelers section will be two buttons in light blue. Click Add a Hotel 2. Enter Hotel Party Size Once you have clicked Add a Hotel, a drop box will appear asking you for the size of the party staying in the hotel Enter the amount of people you will be staying with. 3. Select your Hotel Now that you have indicated you want a hotel, press the yellow Continue button. A long list of hotels will appear Each hotel will have a rating, location, distance from airport, and total cost. Be aware that the cost will be calculated depending on how many days you will be staying in the hotel. To get more information on a hotel, press the yellow select button on the far right and you will be redirected to a web page with more information about the hotel. After you have searched through the hotels, select a hotel appropriate for your budget and interests. 4. Add the hotel to your cart. Once you have searched and found a hotel that you want to stay at and can afford add it to your cart. Press keep if you are satisfied with the hotel. 5. Continue the search for your flight.

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Now that you have added a hotel, you will be re-directed to the page where you search for flights. Please refer to the previous section Booking a Flight on page 6 for more information regarding flight selection.

If you have booked your flight and hotel and are satisfied with the arrangements, proceed to the section Paying for your Trip on page 12.

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Booking a Flight, Reserving a Hotel, and Renting a Car

If you are reading this section, then you are in need of a car with your hotel. Prices will be around $30.00 or more a day depending on what kind of car you rent. We recommend renting the cheapest car you can find because gas is expensive on Oahu. A gallon of gas is usually $4.00 or more. Although you will be only driving five to ten miles a day you will eventually need to fill the tank before returning the car to your rental dealership. Before continuing to the steps listed below, refer to your budget and re-calculate your total trip price because adding a rental car can become expensive. 1. Add a Hotel and Car Deal to your Order On the left side of your screen will be a blue box containing several options. Select Flight + Hotel + Car 2. Select a Hotel Please refer to the previous section Booking a Flight and Reserving a Hotel on page 8 and refer to steps two and three. Once you have completed those steps, return to this section and continue to step three. 3. Search for a Car Scroll down to the section dedicated to cars, it is below the hotel section. Rental cars come in different types, here is a brief list of the types of rental cars dealerships have to offer from cheapest (top) to most expensive (bottom). o Economy - Small cars w/ the best gas mileage o Compact - Small cars w/ average gas mileage o Midsize - Hold a small family comfortably. Average gas mileage. o Premium - The same type of car as a midsize car with better gas mileage and more room. o Full - Full size cars are always four door cars that can comfortably fit a party of five. Below average gas mileage. o SUV - SUVs come in small, midsize, and full size. They are the largest rental cars. Poor gas mileage.

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4. Select a Car Once you have browsed all the types of cars, select which car you would like to rent. Press the blue Select button and the car will be added to your cart. 5. Book your Flight After selecting your car and hotel, you will be re-directed to the page with a list of flights. Refer to the section Booking a Flight, and start at step two and complete all of the steps. Review your itinerary and make sure all of the dates and arrangements have been made correctly. Once you have reviewed your trip summary, continue to the next step, Paying for Your Trip.

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Paying for Your Trip

Now that you have reviewed your itinerary you are ready to pay for the trip. Follow the steps listed below to pay for your trip. 1. Checkout Scroll to the bottom of your itinerary/summary page. Click Member Checkout if you are a member, and click Guest Checkout if you do not have an account with Expedia. 2. Enter Traveler Information Enter the information in the boxes with asterisks (*) next to them. Here is a list of information you will need for this section. o Name o Email Address o Phone Number o Date of Birth If you are travelling with a party, you will need to repeat this step for each individual in your group. 3. Register for your Hotel and Car If you did not reserve a hotel or book a car, please move on to step four. After you have entered each travelers information, you will be sent to a page where you must register for your hotel and car. You must be eighteen years old to register for your hotel and twenty three to register for a car. Each section for a hotel or car will have drop boxes with the names of the travelers you entered in the previous section. Select a person who fits the age criteria; their name will be registered for the hotel and/or car. 4. Pay for the Trip After you have entered the traveler information, you can finalize your payment. Press the blue Check Out button on the bottom right of your screen. You will be taken to a page which will ask for the information listed below. o Name

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o Credit Card o Billing Information o Email Once you have entered the information, press Continue.

5. Finalize Payment You are now at the last step of booking your flight. Review this page carefully and make sure you are happy with the dates you have selected and the price of the trip. If you are satisfied, press Finalize Payment You are done booking your flight and making living arrangements. Please move on to the next section where we will give you some information on common items to pack for your trip.

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Packing for your Trip

The last step before heading to Oahu is to pack. Packing can be an indecisive task if you do not know what to bring or leave behind. This section will give you a good base of suggestions for items you should bring to Oahu. Please build your own list around ours, as you know what you prioritize. Below is a list of essential items we recommend bringing: Larger Items o Backpack o Suitcase Summer Clothing o Light T-Shirts o Shorts o Hats o Sunglasses o Slippers o Shoes o Socks o Towels o Swimsuit o Light Jacket Miscellaneous o Specific medication o Toothbrush o Toothpaste o Shaving Cream o Razor Blade o Make-Up o Sunscreen o Face-Wash o Shampoo

As with the timeline and budget sections, we recommend that you get some paper and pencil and make a list of items you want to pack. We all have different needs and interests and you know what you want to prioritize.

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Regardless of season, Oahu is normally warm, windy, and rainy. The coldest it gets is around sixty-five degrees; which is quite warm. We recommend packing light on the way to Oahu because you will most likely want to bring souvenirs and gifts home for friends and family. Now that you have made your list, we can help you with the actual packing of your items.

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How to Pack
Now that you have made a list of items you will bring on your trip, you are ready to begin organizing and packing them in your suitcase. Before proceeding, make sure you have done your laundry. Follow the steps listed below to pack: 1. Organize your Items Pick a suitcase that is an appropriate size for the amount of items you will be bringing. Get your list and make some free space. We recommend organizing all of your clothing and miscellaneous items on your bed. 2. Separate your Clothes Separate your clothes according to your list and the type of clothing. For example, lay your shirts in one pile, lay your shorts in another, etcetera. 3. Fold or Roll your Clothes Folding your clothes keeps them neat, but rolling them can save a lot of space. If you are bringing fancy clothes, we recommend that you pack them neatly. Avoid folding those clothing items. If you are just packing simple clothing like T-Shirts or shorts, we recommend that you roll them. When rolling your clothes, roll them as tight as you possibly can, you will find that in the area of three rolled shirts is almost equivalent to the area of one folded shirt. 4. Place your Clothes in the Suitcase The order in which you place your clothes in the luggage is up to you. We recommend that you place items you need most on top of the other clothes. Leave one side pocket empty for your miscellaneous items. 5. Put your Miscellaneous Items in a Ziploc Bag Put the items from your miscellaneous list in a Ziploc bag. These items will be placed in the side pocket of your suitcase.

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Refer back to your packing list one last time and make sure you have included all you wish to bring. We recommend packing one day before you leave, just in case you have forgotten an item or wish to pack more items. Now that you are done packing, relax and get ready to enjoy paradise.

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Suggestions
Although Oahu offers many fun things to do, it has many more activities in its hidden culture. We have made a small list of some great places to eat and sights to see. We hope you can visit two or three of these places, enjoy!

Places to Eat
Teddys Bigger Burgers o Highly regarded as the best burger joint on the island. Paina Caf o Prides itself on serving fresh Ahi (Tuna) on steamed rice and has a lot of other fresh local food. Roys o A fine diner that showcases some of the unique cuisine the Hawaiian Islands have to offer. Serges Mexican Grill o Although Texas prides itself on having amazing Mexican food, the Hawaiian Islands have been experimenting with ways to add their own flavor to the cuisine. Serges is an amazing example of that innovation. Sorabol o An amazing authentic Korean restaurant. Okata Bento o A legitimate hole in the wall of Kaimuki, Okata Bento serves amazing plate lunches. Leonards Bakery o Malasadas, Malasadas, Malasadas. Goma Tei Ramen o Authentic Japanese Ramen.

Places to Visit/Activitys
Stairway to Heaven Hike Waimea Bay Pipeline Beach Sunset Beach Sandy Beach Makapuu Waikiki

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Stand-Up Paddleboarding Dole Plantation Pineapple Fields Bike along the entire North Shore

Although there are other highly advertised places to go on Oahu, these suggestions will give you a true taste of what the island is like. If you are looking for a true representation of the island, you will want to spend your time on the north shore. If you are looking to have an experience that involves more of the night life, you will want to stay around the south shore towards Waikiki.

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Conclusion
Now that you have booked your flight and packed your bags, you are ready to spend a hard earned vacation in Oahu. Remember to plan ahead and make lists for your budget, timeline, and packing. We hope that our budget and timeline suggestions have made planning your trip as simple as possible. Happy vacationing!

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Index
Budget ...... 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 15, 20 Flight .. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Hotel ... 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 Pack ...... 5, 16 Paying ................ 7, 9, 11, 12