Everything about Hawaii (Oahu)
 

decided to take a week trip to Hawaii in a few weeks...Honolulu, Waikiki to be exact. please tell me everything u know.....

- what to do?
- best shopping?
- must buys
- must eats
- favorite hotels?

anything i need to know....the tips, tricks, everything !!!!!!

thank u :)

if anyone is going to say, "please do a search..." have done it, and the information for some is not recent...so please update me!

I'm currently planning a trip to hawaii myself. If you go to the official Hawaii tourism board website, you can request brochures for each island. I've only gotten two so far from the really small islands. Still waiting for the other brochures to arrive.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/53924...waii-oahu.html

from my hawaii thread a few years ago. it started like this one, but i followd it up after the trip. so if there's any info to be had, it's in there. near the bottom is my post after i got back. when the info was still fresh.

Added to that thread for fututre searches.

what to do? try surfing =D
best shopping? uhhhhh im a guy? dont know lol
must buys? ticket to the Polynesian Cultural Center
must eats? pukadog
favorite hotel? somewhere by the beach :P

Rent a convertible and drive around the island.

does anyone know the quickest way to get the hotel from airport? i believe taxi? shuttle bus? how fair is it from airport to hotel? we're staying right on Waikiki.

best clubs/bar anyone?

i've been to oahu 10+ times.

the only true MUST DO is hanauma bay for snorkeling. go early, realy early. be there by 8am or don't bother. you have to pay to watch the info movie about safety and ish before your allowed down. its also closed on tuesdays iirc. oh and don't bother if its raining. the silt just destroyes the visibility.

a great day trip is to rent a car and head to the north shore. if you like surfing then bonus. on your way or on the way back, stop at the old haleiwa town. some cool surf shops and small eateries. there's a mexican place in the back of one of the little strip malls there, don't remember the name, but its good.

make sure to stop at the pipeline. this can be a little tricky as there is so much beach but there are a few small signs to point you to the section of the north shore renowned for massive waves and great surf.

if your into museums or ww2 stuff then obviously pearl harbour and the battle ship tour would be in your ball park.

more outdoorsy? hit up the kualoa ranch for a bunch of stuff from horseback riding, atv's, gun range and great bbq.

the zoo is great, it's big and right at the end of waikiki. the damn turtles are HUGE. i go every time.

make use of the wiki wiki busses that make the rounds in waikiki.

i've been pretty successful at the outlets so i would say its worth a trip.

the alamoana mall is fucking awsome. you will never find a better food court. i usually make trips there just for the food. lots of stores, worth a trip.

the dole plantation is meh. but it is informative. i've been twice and the last time i spent most of the time at their koi fish pond. 25 cents for a handfull of fish food and like 5000 koi fish is nothing but good times.

spend an evening walking waikiki at night. there are a lot of street performers to keep you entertained.

since your there you might as well go see a luau. there are really only 2 worth doing. paradise cove is a small more intimate setting with great food and entertainment. you can play some traditional games and they have a great bar with lots of slush style drinks.

the other is the polynesian cultural center. this should be done more as a day trip. go learn about hawaiian traditions and all the polynesian countries around the world. the luau at the end of the night is much grander and more entertaining then the paradise cove luau but not nearly as traditional.

they are 2 very different experiences you could do both and not have any worries about being bored.

there are 2 market places. the international marketplace is in the heart of waikiki. open every day but prices are really high. for your souvenier needs make your way to the aloha stadium market open wens, sat, sun, from 6am-3pm. can't beat 8 shirts for 20 bucks or 5 fridge magnets for 10. this is where the locals shop, the international market place is just there to rip tourists off.

the one place i absolutely love to eat is assagio's. its an itallian place. there are like 4 on the island. i've been to 3 of them. they have all been great.

bepending on when your going. iirc october ish is when you would want to make your way to turtle bay. its a resort open to the public during the day, but when in season you can swim with the turtles.

unlike what was said above, DO NOT rent a vert. ac will be your best friend. it is very humid.

from the airport just take a taxi. depending on which end of waikiki your on it will be from 10-25 bucks.

i don't usually stay in waikiki but i have stayed at the hilton hawaiian village and the hyatt. the hilton was much nicer.


oahu is great, there is a lot to do i only listed a handfull. sorry for the unedited post. it's 5 am i'm to lazy to review it.

if there is something more specific you need lmk.

Thee will be lots of things to go to... I've got some DONT GO TO's:

-Who said try Pukadog?!?!?! Save your hard earned money...
-Don't goto Leonard's Bakery - its not so close by
-Don't goto Eggs 'n Things wasting time in a lineup for IHOP quality stuff..

Eat local fish, local sushi at Yanagi Sushi.. local restaurants like Alan Wong's or Roy's...

i totally forgot about roy's. its in ko'olina. a great place to go swim if your not a strong swimmer. there are 4 man made lagoons. roy's is technically the golf course club house but the food is incredible. i'm using it for my wedding reception in june 2012.

eggs n things is only busy because the restaurants in the hilton are overpriced. and yes its just an ihop. from the hilton i would just go to the mall. 10 minute walk.

I am leaving for Honolulu and Kona in about a week, doing some research right now.

There are many packages offered for the Polynesian Cultural Center, which one would you recommend? Only my gf is going, so no need to worry about entertaining kids, parents, or other friends.

North Shore Luau Packages | Polynesian Cultural Center

Edit: After reading and comparing all the information, "Oahu Circle Island Tour & Ambassador Prime Rib" looks the best for a first timer. Has anyone been to the Circle Island Tour? Basically someone will drive you around the whole Island and explain what's everything? This is $55 more per person compared to "Ambassador Prime Rib" which has no Oahu Circle Island Tour.

I can probably rent a car for $30 a day for the two of us and go to all those places myself... hmm

Uh roys is a chain they have a location in Waikiki and Hawaii Kwai as well
I'm a plate lunch guy so I hit up all the good places in kalihi

I'm Waikiki area I like to go to Me's BBQ for breakfast, it's a Korean joint with cheap food
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oh. never knew that. i've only beed to the one in ko'olina
Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant - Sushi - Roy Yamaguchi - Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

busses get boring fast and waiting for them to drop people off at 47927645 different hotels before dropping you off sucks even more. but its usually cheaper.


i've done the ambassador prime rib package. good choice for a first timer.

The big circle island tour is good if you have a good tour guide. Good if it is your first time to the island. My wife and I had a good tour guide and we enjoyed it.

Polynesian cultural centre is good for the show, but don't bother with the package with the dinner. Over priced. If you want authentic Hawaiian cuisine, check out Ono's cafe, it is on the way to Diamond Head. Mom and Pop cafe with good authentic food, where the locals go.

Rainbow drive in is good too. They were featured in Diners, drive ins and dives.

have to try Matsumoto's shaved ice too. Really good

Did you get a good deal?
Wife and I are thinking about going back.

Rent a car so you are not a slave to the bus schedule.

I see that car rentals are fairly expensive at around $40 with taxes per day for a compact and $100 with tax for a Mustang convertible.

Which company did you go with? Did you pick up the car at the airport or wakiki area?
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this comment contradicts itself.

you say its good to do the bus tour but then complain about the food offered at the polynesian center. where are they going to go without a car? hense why i said they should just do the package. you can sample other hawaiian food while your there but its a huge hastle to go for the afternoon and night shows and not eat there... the only thing really close by is a mcdonalds


and so there is no confusion he was asking about doing the island tour and cultural center as a one day package

depending on which hotel your staying at some will have rental companies in the hotel. the hyatt had a budget and another.

last time i was there i rented from enterprise. it was like 275 for 10 days and i picked up from the airport, but i didn't stay in waikiki. parking in waikiki will run you almost as much as the car rental. 25-30 bucks a night. something to keep in mind.

At what point did the OP (Tubby) say he was not renting a car?