Score cheap flights to Hawaii with return tickets slashed in rare flash sale
If you've been shivering your way through winter, it's likely you've found yourself doom-scrolling enviously through other people's Euro Summer posts and googling 'cheap flights to anywhere hot'.
No need to daydream any longer though, as Hawaiian Airlines has released new low fares for a winter escape, with return trips from Sydney to Honolulu for just $997.
You could be ditching your winter coat and chilly commute for the golden sands of Waikiki beach within weeks.
The award-winning airline has made wishing for a spontaneous getaway to warmer climes a reality, by slashing the fares on their Australia to Hawaii route.
It's a limited-time offer: If you can travel between August 21 and 30, you can jump on this incredible last-minute deal.
The average temperature on Oahu in August is in the high 20s to 30c, so pack your swimmers and sunscreen and prepare to bask in the balmy weather you've been missing - the perfect antidote to the winter blues to tide you over until the Aussie summer returns.
If a Hollywood holiday sounds more tempting, return flights from Sydney to Los Angeles start from $1,346.
There are also deals to Las Vegas for $1,755, San Francisco $1,644 and San Diego for $1,742. Flights to Continental US fly from Australia via Honolulu.
While the discounted fares are impressive, splashing out on an upgrade may be just as tempting, thanks to Hawaiian Airlines' brand new premium class: Leihoku Suites.
Available on Boeing 787 aircraft, the luxury cabin features enclosed suites, fully lie-flat seats, wide aisles and luxurious touches.
Whether you opt for an exciting city adventure in the US, or kicking back on island time, you can cross the Pacific in comfort with Hawaiian Airlines.
Renowned for their hospitality, the airline has won awards in the past few years for its food, cabins, punctuality and business class.
Seats are limited and these fares will only be available until August 10 - so schedule your 'out of office' now, and you'll be sipping sunset cocktails before you know it.
What to do on Oahu
Oahu, the vibrant heart of Hawaii, blends city energy with stunning natural beauty, making it one of the most versatile islands to stay on.
Known as 'The Gathering Place', it offers everything from world-class beaches to lush mountains and a thriving food scene, all within easy reach.
Honolulu, the island's capital, is where you'll find the iconic Waikiki Beach – a hub for surf lessons, luxury shopping, and historic hotels like the Moana Surfrider, open since 1901, and The Royal Hawaiian, known as 'The Pink Palace of the Pacific'.
Beyond the buzz of Waikiki, a more zen ambience can be found on the island's North Shore, renowned for its laid-back vibe and legendary surf breaks.
If you tire of the beach, hike up Diamond Head for breathtaking views from the volcanic crater, take a day trip to Hanauma Bay for snorkelling, or immerse yourself in history with a visit to Pearl Harbor.
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Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Score cheap flights to Hawaii with return tickets slashed in rare flash sale
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more If you've been shivering your way through winter, it's likely you've found yourself doom-scrolling enviously through other people's Euro Summer posts and googling 'cheap flights to anywhere hot'. No need to daydream any longer though, as Hawaiian Airlines has released new low fares for a winter escape, with return trips from Sydney to Honolulu for just $997. You could be ditching your winter coat and chilly commute for the golden sands of Waikiki beach within weeks. The award-winning airline has made wishing for a spontaneous getaway to warmer climes a reality, by slashing the fares on their Australia to Hawaii route. It's a limited-time offer: If you can travel between August 21 and 30, you can jump on this incredible last-minute deal. The average temperature on Oahu in August is in the high 20s to 30c, so pack your swimmers and sunscreen and prepare to bask in the balmy weather you've been missing - the perfect antidote to the winter blues to tide you over until the Aussie summer returns. If a Hollywood holiday sounds more tempting, return flights from Sydney to Los Angeles start from $1,346. There are also deals to Las Vegas for $1,755, San Francisco $1,644 and San Diego for $1,742. Flights to Continental US fly from Australia via Honolulu. While the discounted fares are impressive, splashing out on an upgrade may be just as tempting, thanks to Hawaiian Airlines' brand new premium class: Leihoku Suites. Available on Boeing 787 aircraft, the luxury cabin features enclosed suites, fully lie-flat seats, wide aisles and luxurious touches. Whether you opt for an exciting city adventure in the US, or kicking back on island time, you can cross the Pacific in comfort with Hawaiian Airlines. Renowned for their hospitality, the airline has won awards in the past few years for its food, cabins, punctuality and business class. Seats are limited and these fares will only be available until August 10 - so schedule your 'out of office' now, and you'll be sipping sunset cocktails before you know it. What to do on Oahu Oahu, the vibrant heart of Hawaii, blends city energy with stunning natural beauty, making it one of the most versatile islands to stay on. Known as 'The Gathering Place', it offers everything from world-class beaches to lush mountains and a thriving food scene, all within easy reach. Honolulu, the island's capital, is where you'll find the iconic Waikiki Beach – a hub for surf lessons, luxury shopping, and historic hotels like the Moana Surfrider, open since 1901, and The Royal Hawaiian, known as 'The Pink Palace of the Pacific'. Beyond the buzz of Waikiki, a more zen ambience can be found on the island's North Shore, renowned for its laid-back vibe and legendary surf breaks. If you tire of the beach, hike up Diamond Head for breathtaking views from the volcanic crater, take a day trip to Hanauma Bay for snorkelling, or immerse yourself in history with a visit to Pearl Harbor.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
The 'other' Michelin award travellers should know
Long overshadowed by the coveted Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand celebrates the world's best budget-friendly restaurants. When the latest Michelin Guide to California was published in June, most headlines focused on its starred restaurants, including Hollywood's seafood-focused Providence. At the awards ceremony, it joined a rarified global club of eateries with three stars, Michelin's highest honour – one reserved for lofty cuisine and prices to match. Multi-course menus at Providence start at $325 (£240). Even their poached egg, that humble breakfast staple, comes with sea urchin and Champagne beurre blanc. (For an extra $40 (£30), you can zhuzh it up with golden Kaluga caviar, too.) Sublime as it may be, such fare bears little resemblance to my most memorable meals in Los Angeles. Like the spicy, aromatic toothpick lamb at Chengdu Taste, a no-frills Szechuan eatery in an Alhambra strip mall. Or the chile relleno burritos from East LA stalwart La Azteca Tortilleria, its house-made flour wrappers spilling piquant salsa across my lap. Even if they swapped their paper napkins for starched linen and played soft piano in the background – rumoured to be among the criteria for earning a coveted Michelin star – neither eatery is likely to obtain one. "Stars are oriented towards a certain kind of restaurant… often it's white tablecloths and tasting menus," said food writer and Eater editor Rebecca Roland, who grew up in LA and covered the most recent Michelin rollout. "The guide still considers a traditional fine dining experience very heavily." However, both Chengdu Taste and La Azteca Tortilleria appear on Michelin's lesser-known list: the Bib Gourmand, which recognises budget-friendly restaurants around the world. Unlike starred places, many LA "Bibs" are low-key local favourites; Roland mentioned hefty pastrami sandwiches at Langer's Delicatessen as one unmissable example. "I can't imagine someone coming to LA and not telling them to go to Langer's," she said. Such places help explain why Bib Gourmands have become a go-to resource for many foodie travellers. But curiously, even three decades after its launch, the Bib Gourmand can still feel like an open secret. "When you go to a Bib Gourmand, it's like you're wrapped in the people, the culture, the ingredients," said Ben Beale, a frequent traveller from Los Angeles who has sought out Bibs in cities like London and Hanoi. The Vietnamese capital has an impressive 22 Bibs, including renowned pho shop Phở Bò Lâm, which is famous for its beef heel muscle soups and where diners crouch on flimsy plastic stools. Beale used to plan his trips around Michelin-starred restaurants, making reservations weeks in advance. But he began to feel the high-end spots lacked the strong sense of place he found at Bibs. Instead, he started using the Michelin Guide app to search out more impromptu meals. "With Bib Gourmands it's more like, 'we're going to bounce up to London, let's just open the app when we're hungry and see what's about'," he said. Bib Gourmands versus Michelin stars The Bibs are relatively recent additions to the storied guidebook. The first Michelin Guide came out in 1900, a marketing ploy by the eponymous French tyre manufacturers hoping to inspire drivers to hit the road. In 1926, Michelin established "stars" for stand-out spots. It wasn't until 1997 that the guides introduced the modern Bib Gourmand symbol, a cartoon Michelin man licking his lips. (Bib is short for "Bibendum", the puffy mascot's official name.) "The Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants that our inspectors consider to be the best value for money," explained the anonymous Chief Inspector for the Michelin Guide North America by email. Meals at Bibs generally include two courses and wine or dessert for under $50 (£37) and are more relaxed than starred meals. "There's no set formula for a Bib restaurant," the inspector added. "They are all unique." While the modern Bib Gourmand was launched in 1997, it lacks the stars' cultural status. "Not many people know the Bib Gourmand award… they see 'Michelin' and think it's a star," said Aylin Okutan Kurt, co-owner of Karaköy Lokantası, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Istanbul's , waterfront Karaköy neighbourhood. Kurt sometimes has to explain the difference to tourists arriving at her restaurant. Among locals, Karaköy Lokantası is beloved for reverential renditions of traditional Turkish dishes, its kitchen wringing such depth of flavour from familiar recipes that it reminds diners why they attained "classic" status in the first place. At dinner, tables are crowded with small plates best accompanied by generous pours of the aniseed-scented spirit rakı. One Istanbul friend described it as "the kind of restaurant you visit if you live in Istanbul and really love living in Istanbul". On a spring visit last year, I joined the lunchtime crowd for plates of hünkar beğendi, meat-topped smoked aubergine that's pure Turkish comfort food. At the next table over, a trio of women shared fried mantı (meat-filled dumplings) doused in silky yoghurt. With its blue-tiled walls and well-heeled clientele, Karaköy Lokantası is undeniably elegant, but Kurt insists it isn't Michelin star material. The cooking is homier than what she called the "chef food" at Istanbul's starred restaurants. Those, like two-starred Turk Fatih Tutak, are more likely to feature deconstructed – rather than classic – versions of the recipes her own kitchen makes each day. Yet, traditional foods are one reason travellers seek out Bib Gourmands over Michelin stars in the first place. "When I'm going to a new country, I want to try authentic foods," said James Zhang, a traveller from Plano, Texas. "I'm not necessarily looking to try the most cutting-edge foods from chefs." Earlier this year, Zhang visited a series of Bib Gourmand restaurants in France with his family. At La Merenda in Nice, they savoured southern French classics including pistou pasta and stuffed and fried courgette blossoms. "It just really stood out to us," Zhang said. "There were a lot of locals there, and it felt like you really got to experience something unique." What Michelin stars miss Not all Bib Gourmand restaurants serve traditional regional cuisine. In fact, some argue they reflect the kind of culinary diversity that Michelin stars tend to miss. In a 2024 analysis, French data scientist Thomas Pernet found that French, Italian and Japanese cuisines are disproportionately represented among starred restaurants. He also noted that while Japanese food is widely celebrated, other non-Western cuisines can face bias and have historically been undervalued abroad. More like this:• How do restaurants actually get a Michelin star?• The ingenious story behind Michelin stars• A two-Michelin-star chef's guide to the best dining spots in Istanbul In Los Angeles County, home to more Asian American and Pacific Islanders than any other US county, just two non-Japanese Asian restaurants – Taiwanese-inspired Kato and Korean Restaurant Ki – have Michelin stars. Ki is a new addition. In the same area, the starred list includes two French and two Italian eateries. I thought of Pernet's research earlier this year when I covered the launch of the first Michelin Guide to Quebec. All three newly Michelin-starred restaurants in Montreal specialised in tasting menus of French cuisine. That raised eyebrows in a multicultural city that may be majority French-speaking but is certainly not French. (It was one of many online critiques, with one headline reading: "Michelin doesn't understand Montreal".) Yet the city's Bib Gourmand list was full of restaurants that felt more representative of the city's characteristic culinary style and diversity. There was the Syrian and Armenian cuisine of Le Petit Alep, where I've lingered over muhammara dip, its rich walnuts offset by the sharp tang of pomegranate molasses. Rotisserie chicken, a local staple that melds working-class Quebecois roots and foods brought by waves of Portuguese immigrants, was represented by Rôtisserie La Lune in the city's Little Italy. Would I eat at the city's three newly Michelin-starred dining rooms, with their French-inflected menus and impossible reservations? Sure; they're probably great. But as a traveller, I'm more inclined to seek out the affordable, diverse and vividly local thrills that Bibs offer. Perhaps I'll follow in the footsteps of fellow aficionado Beale. I'll wait until I'm hungry, look at the map and see if I can find a table at the closest Bib Gourmand. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Everything's slow in Callan Park': despite ambitious plans, Sydney's hidden treasure remains in limbo
On the banks of Iron Cove in Sydney's inner west is one the city's unsung treasures: 61 hectares of rolling lawns, bushland and sandstone buildings that was once home to Rozelle hospital – originally Callan Park hospital for the insane. For those who dream big, it could be Sydney's next Centennial Park, a vibrant parkland attracting visitors from around Sydney. Years of disagreements over the site's future, bureaucratic inertia and a highly restrictive Callan Park Act – which prevents any commercial activities, even restaurants and cafes – have left it in stasis. But change could finally be on its way, for better or worse, as the state government considers changing the Act – described by the planning minister, Paul Scully, as imposing 'the most restrictions of any of our public spaces'. 'Communities have come to expect a degree of activation in their public spaces these days, and while we are committed to protecting Callan Park, that doesn't mean it should be locked away from the public who want to enjoy a cup of coffee in a beautiful inner-city park,' Scully told Guardian Australia this week. Until 2019, the beautiful 19th-century sandstone buildings that formed the original asylum, many designed by the colonial architect James Barnet, were home to the Sydney College of the Arts. But since its departure, the site has been used only sporadically by film companies. The park itself is used primarily by dog walkers, joggers and local sporting clubs who have access to playing fields on the waterfront. The site encompasses more than 100 other smaller buildings that were previously part of the hospital. Most are of much more recent vintage than the main buildings (known as the Kirkbride precinct), almost all are boarded up and some are becoming increasingly dilapidated. The site is jointly owned by the NSW health department and Greater Sydney Parklands Trust, while a small sliver of waterfront is under the control of the transport department. In a few weeks, the NSW government will release a draft plan of management for the enormous site that will need to grapple with these challenges – as well as how to find millions of dollars needed just to stop further deterioration. It will complement the landscape structure plan that was completed in 2021 and called for 'strategies to make Callan Park safe and accessible with a network of pathways and more open space along the waterfront,' as well as the demolition of many of the 'intrusive' buildings of no heritage value. 'My expectations for the new Callan Park plan of management are very low,' says the Inner West mayor, Darcy Byrne. 'With an extraordinarily bureaucratic agency like Sydney Parklands writing it, inertia is the likely outcome. Yet another plan for a plan.' The vocal community group Friends of Callan Park wants to see the park continue more or less as it is – with heritage buildings restored for use by not-for-profit organisations and the parkland free from commercial activity. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Hall Greenland, a stalwart of the group for decades, says 'the preferred option is to expand its use for NGOs'. 'There are some 1990s cottage wards on the outskirts of Callan Park which would be ideal for step-down facilities in mental health and so on. The RSL are interested in one set of them for mental health services for veterans,' he says. 'So that's welcome, but you know, everything's absolutely slow in Callan Park.' There have been small steps forward. The former Coalition planning minister Rob Stokes spent $14m demolishing buildings and revamping the waterfront, but it is hardly bustling. There are plans for tidal baths funded by Inner West council and the NSW government, but approval for the plan from Greater Sydney Parklands Trust is taking time. The 2025-26 state budget included $4.8m to knock down nine condemned buildings dating from the 1940s and 50s in the heart of the park over the next two years. This would free up 1.6 hectares of land for recreation, and on this there seems to be agreement. But like all things involving development in Sydney, there is no shortage of controversy. The Kirkbride complex, completed in 1885, was home to the Sydney College of the Arts until 2019, when it moved to the main University of Sydney campus. Its departure meant that the Laneway festival, run under the aegis of the arts school, also had to find a new home, because there was no longer a not-for-profit organisation to lodge an application for approval of the festival. The festival, which was already facing some hostility from local residents as it grew in popularity, moved to the Domain, much to Byrne's chagrin. 'We've had to fight every year against NIMBY opposition & to cut through red tape to get this outstanding event approved,' he posted on Facebook at the time. 'Sadly the fun police have won out over music lovers this time.' And don't get Byrne started on the saga of the playing fields down by the water's edge, primarily used by the Balmain community football club. Inner West council wants to install two all-weather playing fields to replace the grass fields, arguing it will ensure much greater usage. It is also trying to help the club revamp a heritage club house. 'We are seeking to invest more than $10m in sport and recreation facilities in Callan Park, but getting approval for these desperately needed improvements is like pulling teeth,' Byrne says. The field upgrade needs approval from the Parklands Trust and the Heritage Council and is not supported by the Friends of Callan Park. 'The Heritage Council approvals committee has already said they're not very happy with the idea of plastic grass,' Greenland says. Byrne is unimpressed. 'Local people continually tell me that they are tired of Friends of Callan Park blocking new sport and recreation facilities in Callan Park,' he says. 'They're a tiny and ageing group of activists who really don't speak for local families but they continue to be the self-appointed proprietors of Callan Park. The combination of the Parklands Agency's red tape and Friends of Callan Park's preference for wrapping the whole site in gladwrap for preservation means it's extraordinarily difficult to make good things happen in there.' Greater Sydney Parklands did not respond to a request for comment. Whether the plan of management will have to work within the confines of the Callan Park Act may determine the park's future. Using any of the site for housing – as was floated after the failure of the state government's plan to build on Rosehill racecourse – appears to be out of the question. The current commercial restrictions seem to also rule out wedding venues, overnight accommodation or even restaurants and cafes, which raises the question of how to fund the part that everyone does agree on: preserving the high-value heritage buildings. So does the Minns government have the appetite for a political fight that would undoubtedly erupt if it seeks to change the Callan Park Act and the Greater Sydney Parklands' mandate? Will it use the release of the plan of managment as the springboard for a debate? And would it stand any chance of getting it through the upper house, where minor parties and the Greens hold the balance of power? A NSW joint parliamentary inquiry quietly tabled its report three weeks ago calling for significant changes both to the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust and to the Callan Park Act. It received almost no publicity, but appears to lay the groundwork. 'We heard that limited funding impacts maintenance and repairs, as well as the delivery of new infrastructure and projects in the parklands,' the committee said. 'We support a balanced approach, with appropriate commercial opportunities providing revenue for the parklands while not being relied on as the only way to achieve financial sustainability.' It recommended additional and sustained funding for the Trust and amending the act to include 'financial sustainability as a function of the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust'. It also proposed changing the Callan Park Act to remove provisions that limit development to not-for-profit purposes. 'The committee supported allowing for-profit development in Callan Park. While the committee notes that some stakeholders were concerned about commercialisation of Callan Park and the impact on its unique values, we consider that removing the restriction on for-profit development provides opportunities to raise much-needed revenue,' the committee said. 'New revenue streams could fund maintenance and improvements while also supporting heritage conservation. Appropriate guidance through the park's plan of management and community input on the types of leases that are appropriate, can achieve overall positive outcomes for Callan Park.' The Greens MP for Balmain, Kobi Shetty, has already come out swinging. 'The whole point of the Callan Park Act was to save the park from privatisation and to ensure it is never again proposed as a site for profit-driven development. 'Any moves to wind back the act's protections are of grave concern. The review committee has absolutely got it wrong on this,' she said. It's a taste of what's to come if the government tries to legislate, but Scully's comments suggest it may be up for the fight. 'Callan Park's legislation imposes the most restrictions of any of our public spaces,' he said. 'It allows even less activations than the world-heritage listed Parramatta Park. He described Shetty's comments as 'outlandish', ridiculing any suggestion that allowing a cafe in the park could be a trojan horse. 'For what? Some banana bread and a flat white?'
