vacation in Oahu, Hawaii SUGGESTIONS?

[RayinPenn]

We are planning a vacation in Oahu, Hawaii and thinking of renting a Condo at a disney resort. Its about 30 min to the North Shore and 40 min to Wakiki. Me I'd be happy to do some sight seeing "peal Harbor" and beach reading time... My kids (D19/S15) love the water so some snorkeling and maybe a hike in the tropical forest....

Appreciate any thoughts and all suggestions.

[donb9006]

Get an "Entertainment" discount coupon book. Tons of BOGO, especially food. Then go to some of the nice restaurants in Waikiki.

[memason]

Definitely do Pearl Harbor! Also, take the tour of the USS Missouri, which is now in the harbor. Going through the Seawolf Submarine is also interesting.

For snorkeling, I like Hanauma Bay...lots of coral and fish... No matter what you do, Hawaii is a fabulous vacation destination.

[CaliforniaGirl]

Definitely do Pearl Harbor! Also, take the tour of the USS Missouri, which is now in the harbor. Going through the Seawolf Submarine is also interesting.

For snorkeling, I like Hanauma Bay...lots of coral and fish... No matter what you do, Hawaii is a fabulous vacation destination.

Ditto for Hanauma Bay. They sell fish food there...buy some. The fish will eat out of your hand! Take an underwater camera. Your kids will love it!

[DandyGirl]

The Polynesian Culture Center. It's an all day thing but worth it. And of course the North Shore.

[tainsley]

Top of my list are the rainforest, snorkeling, a ride around the island with frequent stops to look at the beauty of the foliage, the water and the beaches. Pearl Harbor will give you goosebumps and teardrops. Royal Hawaiian on Wakiki, Dukes, Mauii Divers for jewelry and you have to stop at Hilo Hattie's! Just a few ideas! Have not been to Aulani YET but it us on my list! Have a great time! Mai tai-me there was wonderful!

[keithwand]

Sun screen.

[justjim]

Definitely rent a car and take a full day to drive completely around the island. There is much to do and see.

[TrudyM]

Hi,

My husband was born and raised on Oahu so our view is a little slanted. One thing the Disney resort is way out from Waikiki. Great for beach and sun and avoiding the crowds, not so great for restaurants and shopping. No place on the island is far by distance but Honolulu has some of the worst traffic in the Us now.
Hanauma bay is great for snorkeling but stay inside the reef there is an undertow past the reef many tourists drown every year. It is also very far from Disney resort.
Polynesian cultural center is a good pick. An overview of what life was like in the pacific islands years ago. I believe it is still run by the church college (Mormon) and a lot of the workers showing craft demos etc. are students from around the pacific working their way through.

A good trip from were you are going to be would be the North Shore to Haleiwa town to Waimea Falls Park and Waimea bay beach park. go a little farther and watch the surfers at the Ehukai beach other wise known as the Bonai Pipeline. This trip is best after a big rainfall as the falls can go to nothing during a dry spell and the surf is better after a storm.

When visiting Waikiki hold onto your wallet. They have done an upscale revamp and the stores are more like Rodeo Drive than Hawaii. Also a lot of pickpockets these days.
If you stop at any local stands or go to the Pearl Ridge swap meet which has a lot of junk but also some good local made items remember no plants or fruits can come back to the mainland without agriculture inspection so don't buy from the stands unless they have sealed inspected stuff.

Have fun
Aloha •Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)

[bob47]

You MUST hike the trail up to Diamond Head.

[red tail]

things to know that come to mind: I lived in Waikiki on the corner of kuhio and seaside for a number of years.
1. parking in Waikiki is expensive. street parking is very difficult to find.
2. food is expensive whether in the grocery store or resturants.
3. 6 pack of beer costs the same as here.
4. for $2.50 'THE BUS' will take you anywhere on the island.
5. TheBus - Routes & Timetables (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Routes.asp)
6. Polynesian cultural center is Mormon owned consequently no caffeine or alcohol.
7. if you are leaving on an evening flight you should save pearl harbor for your last day. because check out time is in the morning and you will all day with nothing to do. and pearl is adjacent to the airport via bus nr 19 or 20. these schedules run all day long from Waikiki to airport and hickham.
8. remember as another poster said, don't take any plant life that hasn't been sealed and authorized. when you go through the screening checkpoint you will be checked for the usual stuff and without knowing it the "AG" folks will be checking your bags also!
sorry for rambling, these are just thoughts that came to mind that will be helpful to you.

[stroglass]

I agree with all these suggestion the north shore is great we enjoyed our time there

[Bonny]

We love Hawaii. Been to Oahu 6 times. Where you are staying is a hike from the main drag. Hopefully they have a shuttle that runs a lot. It's a nice walk down Kalakaua Avenue. At night there are a lot street vendors. Makes for a fun walk. Lots of really good restaurants, bars and shops. Duke's Restaurant is a must. Crab & Macadamia Nut Wontons. Lots of great happy hours. A good one is Yardhouse down at Beachwalk area. Also good food.
Another great restaurant is Tiki's. They do some filming there for Hawaii Five O.
The places that everyone said are great places to go.
Go online and Google Oahu and Waikiki. You'll find lots of great suggestions.
Of course, you need a car.
Make sure you see the Hilton Hawaiian Village fireworks on Friday nights.
Also get a malasada. It's a yeast donut. Real popular in Hawaii.

[DandyGirl]

We love Hawaii. Been to Oahu 6 times. Where you are staying is a hike from the main drag. Hopefully they have a shuttle that runs a lot. It's a nice walk down Kalakaua Avenue. At night there are a lot street vendors. Makes for a fun walk. Lots of really good restaurants, bars and shops. Duke's Restaurant is a must. Crab & Macadamia Nut Wontons. Lots of great happy hours. A good one is Yardhouse down at Beachwalk area. Also good food.
Another great restaurant is Tiki's. They do some filming there for Hawaii Five O.
The places that everyone said are great places to go.
Go online and Google Oahu and Waikiki. You'll find lots of great suggestions.
Of course, you need a car.
Make sure you see the Hilton Hawaiian Village fireworks on Friday nights.
Also get a malasada. It's a yeast donut. Real popular in Hawaii.

Mmmmmmm, malasadas! :smiley:

[JourneyOfLife]

We've been there once.

We stayed in a hotel at Waikiki Beach for several days and toured Oahu. Did most of the things others have described. Then we boarded a 7 day cruise to see some of the other islands.



Honolulu has very heavy traffic. Factor it into your schedule when you go in to Honolulu.

Pearl Harbor... I would plan on visiting Pearl Harbor early in the morning, it gets very busy as the day rolls on. Getting there later in the day can mean one might end up waiting for hours to board a boat to get to the arizona memorial. They issue tickets for the boats to the Arizona memorial ahead of time, so you can do other things while you wait. But other tours take time to visit too... you could have scheduling conflicts. We did not visit the Missouri... but I think you might need to ride a boat to Ford Island to get to it. Depending on what you intend to visit, you might want to think about the timing of your tours so you minimize the chances of schedule conflicts. You will no doubt hear the "get there early" message again!

There is a big flea market at Aloha Stadium on certain days of the week. You can check the web site for the schedule. Apparently many tourist visit it to buy cheap souvineers. It is almost right across the highway from Pearl Harbor. It costs a couple of buck to get in. I have not been to it myself, so I can't give much more information about it.

You can get souvineer T-shirts and hats at the ABC stores all over the island at a lower price than many traditional souvineer outlet. Not to be confused with state controlled liquour stores named ABC in some states.... they are convenience stores. Although they do sell wine and beer... Not sure about liquor.

Parking in Waikiki can be expensive. If you go there to look around, do a little research before you go to find a convenient parking garage. It will likely save you time, check prices and you many save few bucks. There are some shopping malls, I am not sure if they have parking there or if it is free or not.

One other consideration. Airlines have been overbooking flights to certain destinations. You might factor "the potential" of encountering that type of situation into your plans (as best you can).... just so you don't end up with a last minute surprise.

[2newyorkers]

See the Arizona and the short movie they show at the memorial. If physically able climb Diamond Head but bring water.

[The Great Fumar]

A lot of good suggestions here , I have been there on 16 trips and some as long as 6 weeks....In my opinion the best beach on the Island is at Bellows air force station ....It is open to the public at Friday noon thru Sunday afternoon , If you have a car this is a must.......
If you visit the Hilton Hawaiian village looks toward the mountains across the hwy and you'll see the WIALANA COFFEE SHOP....you can park underneath in the parking garage and walk up one flight of stairs to the restaurant , Great food , great prices, best kept secret in the islands....
Also a great place to go is WARDS WHSE across from the Kewalo Basin where all the booze cruises leave from....Inside you'll find many shops and resraurants but one is the SPAGHETTI FACTORY. A fun place to go and have an good economical meal ..........If you happen to belong to the ELKS LODGE , the Honolulu Lodge is located where diamondhead meats the sea and ifs a beautiful place to spend some time......If you really want to do something memorable ,go to Dillingham Field near Haleiwa and take a glider ride.. you'll never forget it , there's all kinds of thing to see and do from HAIKU GARDENS to a mountain top drive...........
Have fun ....ALOHA

[OBXNana]

I have to agree with all the posts. We stay in the Hilton Hawaiian Village for many reasons and one is to walk to market. We do it once each visit and find it interesting.

Rent a car. We always get a convertible and probably look foolish, but have a blast going all around the island. So many beaches, wonderful sites, and cute places to get shaved ice.

A helicopter ride over a volcano is magnificent. The trip to Pearl Harbor is a must see and the hike up Diamond Head is quite a trek, but well worth it, if able.

Have a wonderful trip.

[Bonny]

A must go to place is the International Market Place. It is right in the center of Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue. Some of the best prices for gold in the US !!! You can really bargain for a deal !
Also go to the Top Of Waikiki. Beautiful revolving restaurant with a 360 degree view of Waikiki

[TrudyM]

All posts great but a lot of the suggestions are for Waikiki and they are way out past Ewa at the new Disney resort so a trek into Waikiki will be a traffic fight.
A hint for driving into Waikiki is to parking is between 5 and 8 dollars an hour unless you find a cheap spot or one that has validation, also a lot of places do not take credit cards or are a little risky to use a credit card in so carry cash. One suggestion is a propark garage that is adjacent to Ross 333 Seaside Avenue, Honolulu, HI then buy something cheap at Ross and they will validate your parking for an hour or so. Also you can get three hours of free parking between the hours of 10am and 3pm at the Waikiki Beach Embassy Suites port cochere. You will need to provide a same-day receipt from any Waikiki-Beachwalk restaurant or shop.

[JourneyOfLife]

The Waikiki International Market is being torn down.

The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Waikiki's International Marketplace - Honolulu Magazine - December 2013 - Hawaii (http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/December-2013/The-Rise-Fall-and-Rebirth-of-Waikikis-International-Marketplace/)

After 56 years, visits by millions upon millions of tourists, and a long slide into ruin, the landmark shopping bazaar will close at the end of the month. In its place will go a high-end retail, dining and entertainment complex, three stories tall on Kalakaua Avenue, and seven along Kuhio Avenue. In other words, a big, glitzy new mall, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue.

By 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, every cart, shop, kiosk, dive bar, hole-in-the-wall eatery and fortune-teller’s booth at the Market Place must clear out. The same goes for the tenants of the adjoining Waikiki Town Center and the neighboring Miramar hotel. Altogether about 180 tenants will be displaced. Then everything on the six-acre site will be razed, and construction will begin. The new mall is set to open in 2016.

No message on their website about where the existing tenants will relocate. I suppose they might end up scattered to different locations.

The International Market Place (http://www.internationalmarketplacewaikiki.com/)

[Bonny]

Well, with that new mall, the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center & Beachwalk all right there, there will definitely be plenty of places to eat & shop.

[batman911]

Waikiki is a better place to stay than the Disney Resort. Lots to do in Waikiki and the beach is good for kids. You can hike on the Nature Conservancy Center trails which start about 2 miles from Waikiki. Leave some time for just walking around Waikiki and people watching. Lived on Oahu for 47 years so you can PM me if you have specific questions. Polynesian Cultural Center is a good deal. Takes all day and into the night if you stay for the evening meal and performance. Bus transportation can be obtained with the tickets. Saves the long late night drive on narrow winding roads back to Waikiki.

[eweissenbach]

If you have not already booked, I would suggest you consider staying on Maui. IMHO Maui is the best island for a variety of reasons, great beaches, great golf courses, Haleakala volcano, Hana, Lahaina, small villages, great whale watching (winter) and different climates as you work your way around the island. On our first trip there we took an Aloha Airlines trip to Oahu that came with a rental car for the day, left early in the morning, coming back in the evening. We went to Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, Polynesian Interpretive Center and around Diamondhead. That way we got the Oahu experience while spending most of our time on the best island.

[donb9006]

Kauai for me... Lived on Oahu for 4 years, saw them all, and like it the best. Stay in Princeville, http://www.vacationrentaldirect.com/clients/7905/PrincevilleBeautifulFourGolfCourses.jpg and play some golf. Hanalei Bay is next door... http://www.summitpacific.com/kauai/images/hanalei-bay.jpg

No city life on Kauai, but it's a beautiful place.

[jackz]

Having lived, worked and gone to the University in Honolulu/ Chaminade University for a total of 11 years my biggest suggestion is to consider a vacation rental on or within walking distance of the ocean instead of a hotel.

My favorite is Kailua Beach or Lanikai beach. Both 30 to 40 minutes to Waikiki.

Check Vacation Rentals by Owner (****.com) for suggestions. You will find the cost cheaper than a hotel room and you will have the ability to cook etc; and walk out to a great beach.

If you stay in Kailua Beach or Lanikai, Eat at Buzz's Steakhouse for great steaks and Seafood.

For authentic hawaiian food, go to ONOS Restaurant on Kapahulu ave.

Enjoy.

[VillagesFlorida]

Having lived, worked and gone to the University in Honolulu/ Chaminade University for a total of 11 years my biggest suggestion is to consider a vacation rental on or within walking distance of the ocean instead of a hotel.

My favorite is Kailua Beach or Lanikai beach. Both 30 to 40 minutes to Waikiki.

Check Vacation Rentals by Owner (****.com) for suggestions. You will find the cost cheaper than a hotel room and you will have the ability to cook etc; and walk out to a great beach.

If you stay in Kailua Beach or Lanikai, Eat at Buzz's Steakhouse for great steaks and Seafood.

For authentic hawaiian food, go to ONOS Restaurant on Kapahulu ave.

Enjoy.

Recently booked 5 nights in the only condo directly on Waikiki Beach, using ****...less expensive than a hotel on the beach and we like having a kitchen, laundry, etc. in the unit. Also used **** to find a beautiful condo on Kahana Beach on Maui. We will be there for 2 weeks. It is nice dealing directly with the property owners. Our first experience using **** was two years ago when we found a lovely guest suite in a private home in Sedona, AZ. Since we have been to the islands many times, we will spend most of our time shopping, relaxing and whale-watching on Maui. The main purpose of this trip is to replace a Hawaiian heirloom ring that was stolen in a home break-in while on vacation last summer. Thankfully, the jeweler is still making the jewelry collection.

[VillagesFlorida]

If you have not already booked, I would suggest you consider staying on Maui. IMHO Maui is the best island for a variety of reasons, great beaches, great golf courses, Haleakala volcano, Hana, Lahaina, small villages, great whale watching (winter) and different climates as you work your way around the island. On our first trip there we took an Aloha Airlines trip to Oahu that came with a rental car for the day, left early in the morning, coming back in the evening. We went to Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, Polynesian Interpretive Center and around Diamondhead. That way we got the Oahu experience while spending most of our time on the best island.

Maui for us, too! Our last few vacations to the islands took us only to Maui, for three weeks each time. Everyone should see the famous sights on Oahu but Waikiki is very busy and noisy. Maui offers everything anyone could want in a Hawaiian vacation. I haven't read all of the posts here so maybe this was already mentioned....if not, and if you get to Maui, go out on the Trilogy trip " Discover Lanai" . It has always been the highlight of our trips to Maui.