Natural Hawaii Beckons From Beyond the Resorts

One of the best sources of information on budget accommodations and ecology-oriented activities in Hawaii is Alternative-Hawaii.com, which was rated the top Internet site for Hawaiian travel by Access magazine this year. The site (https://alternative-hawaii.com) features nature and cultural tours, information on hostels and equipment rentals, events listings and profiles of the islands.

On this site you’ll learn about such organizations as the not-for-profit Hawaii Rainforest Foundation, which organizes free hiking, snorkeling, boogie boarding, Hawaiian-style fishing, mountain biking and guided rain forest treks. The Honolulu-based group’s mission is to create an awareness of Hawaii’s geology, archeology, medicinal plants, flora and fauna. Its activities draw tourists and Hawaiians.

The foundation’s programs, about three hours long and limited to 17 people, include transportation from Waikiki, instruction and equipment. The programs are free, but donations of $10 to $20 for hiking tours and $8 to $15 for courses in underwater photography, sea kayaking, boogie boarding and fishing are encouraged.

For more information contact the foundation at 400 Hobron Lane, Suite 1708, Honolulu, HI 96836; phone (808) 944-2758, Internet https://www.hawaiirainforest.org.

Alternative-Hawaii.com also can steer you to budget accommodations on all the islands, among them Banana Bungalow, which has hostels on Oahu and Maui.

The 12-story Oahu Banana Bungalow (https://www.bananabungalow.com) is a short walk from Waikiki Beach and has ocean-view rooms. It can house 300 travelers in private and dormitory-style accommodations. Dorm beds cost $20 per night (with continental breakfast), and private rooms start at $53.97 plus tax. Rooms have bathrooms, cable television, telephones and air-conditioning. There’s an Internet cafe in the lobby, cooking facilities on the second floor and a restaurant and pub next door.

Its staff can arrange economical surfboard, body board and snorkeling equipment rentals as well as budget activities, including volleyball games, pub crawls and tours. A half-day snorkeling trip to Hanauma Bay costs $7, including equipment rental, plus $3 for park entrance. Guided rain forest hikes, which include a swim at Manoa Falls, are $6. For $25, you can go kayaking at Kailua, with lunch on a deserted island.

Banana Bungalow Waikiki Beach is at 2463 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815; tel. (888) 246-7835 or (808) 924-5074, fax (808) 924-4119, https://www.mauihostel.com.

The Banana Bungalow Maui Hostel, 310 N. Market St., Wailuku, HI 96793, tel. (800) 846-7835 or (808) 244-5090, fax (808) 244-3678, https://www.bananabungalow.com, is in the historic town of Wailuku. It has dormitory beds for $16 per night, and private rooms start at $29 per night. Monthly rates are available for seasonal visitors. It offers free daily tours of Maui and free Internet access.

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Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance travel writer and author of “Izon’s Backpacker Journal.� Internet https://www.izon.com.