Media
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Leslie Lang
aloha@hawaiionthecheap.com
808 964-1494
Twitter: @LeslieLang
Kris Bordessa
aloha@hawaiionthecheap.com
530 295-0887
Twitter: @KBordessa
Local Website Features Ideas For “Merrie Monarch On The Cheap”
Hilo, HI — April 8, 2009 – Visiting Hilo for the Merrie Monarch festival? Or just want to know what’s happening on the Big Island right now? The Hilo-based website Big Island On The Cheap (http://www.bigislandonthecheap.com) is running a special “Merrie Monarch On The Cheap” series, with tips on day- and half-day excursions near Hilo, where to eat or pick up a bento for a picnic, some peeks at the hula festivities themselves and even a couple of random drawing contests.
“Visitors want to get out and see what the island has to offer, but everyone is watching their spending,” says Kris Bordessa, who runs the site along with Leslie Lang. “Luckily, there are plenty of inexpensive things to see and do in the area. Merrie Monarch is always an exciting time to be in Hilo. We’ve rounded up a lot of great ideas for people who want to enjoy Hilo and East Hawai‘i without spending a lot of money.”
Big Island On The Cheap.com is also offering printable, discount coupons valid at local shops and restaurants during Merrie Monarch. “We are happy to be able to promote these local businesses,” says Lang, “and also give people some ideas about about where to go and what to do in Hilo – at a discount.”
One prize they are giving away is a beautiful hand-blown glass bowl donated by the Volcano-based glass blowing studio and gallery Fahrenheit 2400. Readers can enter the random drawing by leaving a comment at the contest post at http://www.bigislandonthecheap.com.
Bordessa and Lang update Big Island On The Cheap most weekdays with details on free, discount and cheap things happening on the Big Island.
Leslie Lang (http://www.leslielang.com) is a Big Island-based freelance writer who works as an editorial consultant (writing press releases, newsletter items, blogs, speeches, reports and more for businesses), as well as a freelance magazine writer and book author who specializes in writing about Hawai‘i. She blogs at http://www.leslielang.com.
Kris Bordessa (http://www.krisbordessa.com), formerly of Hawai‘i and now living in California’s Gold Country (where she also runs http://www.goldcountryonthecheap.com) is the author of several books and writes regularly for national magazines about family travel.
Big Island On The Cheap is part of a rapidly growing international network of more than 40 independently owned and operated “On The Cheap” websites. A complete list of cities, and links to Cities On The Cheap websites, is available at http://www.citiesonthecheap.com.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Leslie Lang
aloha@hawaiionthecheap.com
808 964-1494
Twitter: @LeslieLang
Kris Bordessa
aloha@hawaiionthecheap.com
530 295-0887
Twitter: @KBordessa
“On The Cheap” Websites Highlight Best Bargains on the Big Island and in Honolulu
Hilo, HI – March 6, 2009 - Tuesday, March 10th is the official launch of two new online sites — Big Island On The Cheap (http://www.bigislandonthecheap) and Honolulu On The Cheap (http://www.honoluluonthecheap) — which are dedicated to bringing Big Island and O‘ahu residents and visitors up-to-the-minute information on free, discount and cheap things to do and other local deals.
Motivated by the current coupon-clipping climate, Big Island writer Leslie Lang and former Hawai‘i writer Kris Bordessa started the websites, which are updated most weekdays, to help Hawai‘i’s residents and visitors get out and about “on the cheap.”
To celebrate the sites’ launch, both Big Island On The Cheap and Honolulu On The Cheap are having daily contests for the first week — or more — starting March 10th. “We’re all about deals, so we’re getting off to a good start by giving away all sorts of great Hawai‘i-related gifts,” says Lang. “Chuck Moore hula girl t-shirts, Macario photographic prints, locally created ceramics from the Hilo art gallery High Fire Hawai‘i, some Hawai‘i-related books, a gorgeous woodblock print donated by Volcano Artist Margaret Barnaby and there will be some other surprises, too.”
In addition, Big Island On The Cheap.com is offering printable, discount coupons to ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.”We are excited to promote this great attraction that we ourselves enjoy,” says Bordessa, “and also honored that they were so enthusiastic about offering support to our new venture.”
Over the past several weeks, thrifty readers of Honolulu On The Cheap and Big Island On The Cheap have learned about free Hawaiian music concerts, yoga classes, history lectures and even an Avocado Festival. That’s in addition to dozens of deals on everything from malassadas and sub sandwiches to hotel rooms.
“Everyone — including us — is looking for deals right now,” says Lang. “And they’re out there. We’re just trying to make it easy for people to find them.”
Listen for Leslie Lang on the radio Tuesday morning, March 10th; she’ll be discussing the websites and their official launch at 8:05 a.m. on the Big Island’s Mynah Bird show, which is at KHBC/92.7 FM and KONA FM at 92.1 FM.
Big Island On The Cheap and Honolulu On The Cheap are part of a rapidly growing network of independently owned and operated “On The Cheap” sites, which are launching nationwide on March 10. A complete list and links to Cities On The Cheap websites are available at http://www.citiesonthecheap.com.
About Leslie Lang
Leslie Lang (http://www.leslielang.com) is a Big Island-based freelance writer who works as an editorial consultant (writing press releases, newsletter items, blogs, speeches, reports and more for businesses), as well as a freelance magazine writer and book author who specializes in writing about Hawai‘i. She blogs at http://leslielang.com.
About Kris Bordessa
Kris Bordessa (http://www.krisbordessa.com), formerly of Hawai‘i and now living in California’s Gold Country (where she also runs http://www.goldcountryonthecheap.com) is the author of several books and writes regularly for national magazines about family travel.
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Build It And They Will Come
4/16/09 sfgate.com, San Francisco Chronicle blog
“Merrie” and cheap on the Big Island
…It’s a good thing the creators of the Big Island on the Cheap Web site are also big fans of Merrie Monarch. The Web site, which also has Honolulu version, includes printable coupons for local restaurants, stores and services, as well as…Read more
3/17/09 – WorldHum
Blog to Watch: Cities on the Cheap
The site – which got its start simply as Atlanta on the Cheap – now covers the latest bargains and budget shortcuts in 30-plus locations across the U.S. and Canada…Read more
3/12/09 – Frommer’s
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Posted by Arthur Frommer at 3/12/2009 1:28 PM EDT
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3/10/09 MSN’s Smart Money MoneyBlog
A great new resource to help us through tough times made its official debut Tuesday. It’s Cities on the Cheap and a network of independently owned On the Cheap Web sites. They guide you to free or discounted food and entertainment and other deals…Read more
