Without validation at a restaurant or hotel, the price to park in Waikiki can be jaw-dropping. Having a parking attendant hand you a ticket that says you owe $30 for parking during lunch is not uncommon.

Generally, you take your chances parking in a garage you've never parked in before. And on the street, with all of the different expiration times painted in small numbers on thousands of NO PARKING signs, it's easy to get towed if you're not careful.

Still, there is only one Waikiki, home to one of the most exciting destinations and revered beaches on the planet. Now, with the success of Sunset on the Beach and many other local events so regularly staged in the area, there are even more events and fun things to do for residents and their families.

The Waikiki Improvement Association (WIA) has mounted a serious campaign in recent years to draw more residents to Waikiki, in part to help compensate for lost visitor counts after the terrorist attack on 9/11. Hotels and the Waikiki entertainment industry, in particular, have been looking to build a loyal resident patronage to help it survive long visitor lulls in the future.

Rather than following conventional laws of supply and demand, the idea here seems to be to create such a desirable supply that demand will have no choice but to drive in to Waikiki and hunt around for a parking spot to meet it. And if you build more demand, doesn't someone need to supply more parking?

Not necessarily, the WIA asserts. The 30-year-old association claims that thanks to its "Holoholo Parking" partners, parking in Waikiki is now plentiful and affordable.

"Kapiolani Park is the best place to park," notes WIA President Rick Egged. "It's right there and it doesn't cost hardly anything."

The Honolulu Zoo lot is metered and another good place to park, Egged points out, as anyone who surfs O'ahu's south coast already knows. If you want to know every little crook and cranny spot within several blocks of Waikiki Beach, ask a surfer. Then again, he or she might not divulge their best spots.

If you don't want to walk all the way from the zoo, Holoholo parking is probably your best bet. This program is a collaboration of businesses the WIS says has resulted in significantly reduced parking rates in Waikiki.

The special rates, always based on availability, are offered at all participating businesses displaying the Holoholo Parking logo, a "P" encircled by a floral lei. Participating Holoholo partners offer discounted parking as follows: