[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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
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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Mmmmmmm, malasadas!

[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.