A Compelling New Insight

Sep 05, 2011

When Insight Vacations decided to add Hawaii to its 2012 offerings, its goal was to create a product that was truly worthy of the destination, according to company president Marc Kazlauskas.

The result, called Hawaiian Dreams, is a top-of-the-line escorted tour featuring 10- or 12-day packages on three or four islands. Land-only rates start at $3,750 for the 10-day tour and $4,595 for the 12-day tour.

“With the recent introduction of Insight Gold, our new luxury line of tours, we now have a chance to provide the luxury Hawaii experience that we wanted. Hawaiian Dreams fits right into the Insight Gold family,” said Kazlauskas. “We have also seen Hawaii’s numbers come back over the last two years, and we believe 2012 will be a great year for visitors to the islands.”

Hawaiian Dreams combines a carefully crafted blend of sightseeing and down time, with full days of leisure on each island so guests can relax, said Kazlauskas.

“We did a lot of research choosing the activities included in this tour,” he said. “We wanted to provide clients with well-rounded and enriching experiences along with time to really enjoy Hawaii.”

The trip includes activities that clients can’t do on their own, such as a private tour of Iolani Palace in Honolulu, an exclusive mixology class on Hawaii’s Big Island and a visit to Kula Country Farms, home of Maui’s famous sweet onions. They take a surfing lesson and talk story with one of Waikiki’s famed beach boys, tour Punchbowl Cemetery with a World War II veteran and learn how to make a lei from a Kauai artisan.

“Our objective in choosing these specific activities is to bring the destination alive for our clients and to show them the Hawaii that they dream about,” he said. “We want to give clients a local’s perspective.”

At the same time, Hawaiian Dreams lets guests experience some of Hawaii’s most popular visitor activities. Stops include Pearl Harbor, a Kona coffee plantation, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Alii Kula Lavender, Surfing Goat Dairy and an authentic luau.

For Hawaiian Dreams accommodations, Insight selected four top-of-the-line hotels: Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Spa on Oahu; Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas on Maui; Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island; and Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on Kauai.

“These resorts represent the beauty and quality of Hawaii,” said Kazlauskas. “They mesh very well with the Insight brand and specifically Insight Gold. We wanted to differentiate our product from other escorted tours, and these hotels welcome few, if any, other escorted tour operators.”

As is true with all Insight Gold products, Hawaiian Dreams comes with plenty of perks, including headsets for guided tours, airport transfers and interisland airfare.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide clients with value, outstanding service, exceptional experiences and a lifetime of memories,” said Kazlauskas. “The best compliment a client can give us is simply recommending us to a friend or family member.”