When I first had the chance to visit Kauai, I fell in love almost immediately. I knew right away that I had to try living there, at least for a year or two. The problem was that I did not have a lot of money. Most of the folks that I met out there had to work two or three jobs, and they were still barely making ends meet. I did not want to spend my life working myself to death to live in paradise! That is why I decided to go into business.
I decided to set up shop selling bargain holidays to the tourists. There was a lot of competition already, so I knew that I would have to set up a special niche. There were last minute holiday deals from many of the major carriers, offering cheap tickets, discount hotel accommodations, and even savings on car rentals. I knew that I would have to offer something special, something that separated me from all of the other people in the business. Fro a while, I had no idea. I was about to give up on my dream, in fact, when it finally hit me.
Most of the bargain holidays were targeted to a specific sector of the population. They would either sell trips to older people with money, or to young students with their parents money. They were mostly there for people who wanted to do all of the usual tourist stuff. They would give them maps to the beaches, point them in the direction of a day cruise, and give out discounts on some of the local restaurants.
If, however, I could offer bargain holidays for people who wanted a more intimate experience of the island, I could make bank. There were very few bargain holiday packages that offered tours. Mine would do this and more. I would set up a bed and breakfast, hire tour guides, and show people around some of the harder to get to parts of the island. I would even set up camping trips deep in the interior.
The idea worked out very well. Not only are my bargain holidays cheaper than the resort vacation packages, but they are more rewarding as well. Many of the people who come on my holiday trips leave knowing more about local lore than some of the locals. Then, the next year, they send their friends to me!
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