. . . and Unpleasant

Last year, I booked a trip with Pleasant Hawaiian. I have made many package tours to Hawaii, and all of them were great--except for my Pleasant Hawaiian trip. I arrived in Maui last April to find my hotel in the midst of a labor dispute. A group of workers stood out front with pickets and bullhorns trying to keep me from going in. I should have listened to them.

I wasn’t expecting the moon on a silver platter, but my room was dirty and infested with roaches, ants and mice. The bathroom was moldy, and my rental car conked out halfway up the road to Haleakala Volcano.

My complaints to the travel agent and Pleasant Hawaiian fell on deaf ears. I think that your travel writer just got lucky with Pleasant Hawaiian.

TERESA EIDENBOCK

Pasadena

I loved your article on Waikiki. I can just picture all those inlanders standing around you gasping in amazement that they’re finally in Hawaii.

Waikiki evokes the spirit of downtown Los Angeles much more than it does that of the Hawaiian Islands. I’ve had the displeasure of staying there only once, and that was enough. If I want pollution, crowds, traffic, etc., I can just drive up to L.A.

I definitely prefer the Kona Coast or Kauai to Honolulu. I’d rather save for months (or years if need be) to go on a real vacation than spend even $299 on one of those el cheapo tours. I guess it’s OK if you go in with your eyes open, but who’d want to?

LESLIE SELDER

Huntington Beach