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I looked through the Hawaii threads here, but they seemed focused on the big island... what about Oahu / Waikiki? I'm going to be there soon and looking for suggestions. We'll be hiking, checking out the food trucks on the North shore, maybe the Lost/Jurassic Park valley tour... what should I make sure to NOT miss?
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Mar 11, 2019 15:55
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EVERYWHERE 
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For hiking, I really liked the Koko Crater Railway Trail. It's a relatively short but very steep hike along an abandoned railway track that ends with one of the most amazing views I've ever seen. If you're into snorkeling, definitely don't miss Hanauma Bay. It had the biggest concentration of fish of anywhere I snorkeled on Oahu, and there's also often seals and turtles hanging out in the bay. Just be aware that its closed on Tuesdays, and you need to get there early in the day for a parking spot. Overall, my favorite thing I did on Oahu was renting a little 50cc moped from Hawaiian Style rentals. I ended up cruising to Manoa Falls for a short jungle hike to the waterfall, and then back down past Waikiki and Diamond Head along the coast to Sandy's for a couple hours. I made some stops along the way for random viewpoints and some cliff jumping at China Wall as well. Amazingly fun way to see that part of the island, definitely recommend it!
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Mar 11, 2019 17:12
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horseback riding up on north shore. gently caress waikiki. it's hell tourism down that way and no parking anywhere at all
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Mar 11, 2019 21:49
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My wife and I had a couple days on Oahu a few years back, here's the highlights: Pearl Harbor monument/museum - this is really good. The monument itself is really worth going to regardless if you're into WW2 or not. Diamond Head - start early, like dawn or earlier, if it's going to be hot and/or humid. Good hike, but got crowded fast, and I'm not sure if people were passing out because it was really, really humid and hot when we were there (hurricanes had been flinging themselves at the islands to divert away at the last minute, messing with the trade winds), Drive around the island - took about half a day with various stops. We went counterclockwise, last road stop was Dole plantation which was ok. Got food truck fish, didn't die. Various overlooks, etc, if you took it slower you could splash around in beaches. Shaved ice from some specific place on North Shore - I'm sure there's other places but this one was really popular, I think it had a Japanese name, line was ridiculous but went pretty quick.
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Mar 13, 2019 06:06
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Thanks for the recommendations, the trip was great and your advice was valuable. Hanauma Bay was great. We got there early (an absolute must for everything we saw on the island) and we were able to get our fill of snorkeling and beaching. When we left, the parking lot was full and there were people walking up the mountain, having parked at the bottom. That would make for a miserable experience. Miserable experience is a lot of Waikiki summary. Truly hell tourism. But, once you got out of Waikiki, the island itself is gorgeous and great fun. An amazing array of different topographies. We had full-on lush jungle near Manoa Falls, which was a good quick hike, but man... we got there early and went straight up. On the way down, there started to be wave after wave of group going up. I'd hate to see that place mid-day with people trying to go up and down the single-file trail at once. Again, it'd be miserable. There were also places that looked/felt like Nevada, and a lot of places that felt like coastal California. The food was awesome. Best had to be the shave ice and food truck shrimp at North Shore. Thanks again for the suggestions.
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Mar 25, 2019 14:32
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meatpimp posted:Thanks for the recommendations, the trip was great and your advice was valuable. What did you do for snorkel gear? My gf and I are going to Oahu in August, staying at Ko Olina area, so a lot of these recs are good. Probably just going to avoid Waikiki and most of Honolulu itself except a few places and museums. Also what shaved ice place do you recommend?
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Mar 26, 2019 07:59
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Xaris posted:What did you do for snorkel gear? My gf and I are going to Oahu in August, staying at Ko Olina area, so a lot of these recs are good. Probably just going to avoid Waikiki and most of Honolulu itself except a few places and museums. At Hanauma Bay, they rent scuba gear for $20. Get there before 7AM. We went to the Waikiki Aquarium later on in the day that we went snorkeling and we had seen 40%+ of the fish in the aquarium when we were in the reef. For shave ice, we stopped at Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp and went next door to Rainbow Shave Ice https://www.google.com/search?clien....08099375695804 It was extraordinary. And it was only $4 for a huge bowl of shave ice with ice cream.
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Mar 26, 2019 11:59
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I enjoyed pretending I was either fighting aliens or terrorists when visiting the Missouri.
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Mar 27, 2019 20:01
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Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa is fantastic. Get a matcha anko mochi shave ice that comes in a little waffle cone dish. If you do end up in Waikiki on a Friday night for knows what reason, the fireworks are pretty good. JJs Bakery in Ala Moana is good for matcha anko mochi shave ice. There are a bunch of awesome Chinese restaurants in 808 Center building next to Walmart. Go to the Don Quijote grocery store for tchotchkes. Leeward side of the island kinda sucks, so don’t bother. If you have to go to a Costco you should go to the one in Hawaii Kai.
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Jun 14, 2019 04:03
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Woodsy Owl posted:Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa is fantastic. Get a matcha anko mochi shave ice that comes in a little waffle cone dish. Aoki's is literally across the street from Matsumoto's and much better. If you want shave ice in Honolulu, best I've found is Waiola, they have two locations.
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Feb 20, 2020 17:13
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Just booked 5 nights at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort through a CostCo Travel deal (PBUC). Any new advice on the best places to hit / avoid? Definitely wanting to get in a little beach time, some snorkling, maybe a whale or dolphin watching boat ride, and getting a car to drive up to the North Shore. And eating all the food.
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Feb 25, 2020 19:41
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EVG posted:Just booked 5 nights at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort through a CostCo Travel deal (PBUC). Any new advice on the best places to hit / avoid? Definitely wanting to get in a little beach time, some snorkling, maybe a whale or dolphin watching boat ride, and getting a car to drive up to the North Shore. And eating all the food. Well, Waikiki is Waikiki, for better or worse. You're near a bunch of shops and restaurants, but it's not unlike most cities, crowded, traffic, expensive, etc. Most of the things I would recommend involve getting a car and driving away from there... but having a car in Waikiki means traffic and parking for $40 a night so. But you are close to Diamond Head/Pearl Harbor (kind of, it's by the airport)/Haunuma Bay/Zoo Aquarium. Walk down the beach to Steak Shack if you're tired of $20 burgers at the hotel beach bars and just want a simple Hawaiian style meat and rice plate. I would take an Uber and get breakfast or brunch at Koko Head Cafe one day and a dinner at Opal Thai (loved his Haleiwa location, never been since he moved to Honolulu). I would skip Hanauma bay unless you go on an off day and EARLY. Makapu'u lighthouse trail is an easy (but all uphill) paved walk to some great views, and if you hike down the rocks (can be quite a scramble) there are cool tidepools about halfway off the trail. Do not bother taking a trip to Dole, even if it's on your way to the North Shore, or at MOST grab a Whip and get out. If you're doing Diamond Head, go for Sunrise or Sunset. I mean sure the view is still great at noon, but if you're gonna do it go for the spectacle. I don't think of Honolulu at all when I think of stuff to do in Oahu really. There's hikes and waterfalls all over. You could check out Kailua farmers market, Lanikai beach, kayak to Moku Nui, the Botanical Gardens, Haneohe Sandbar, Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay (jump off the big rock if the water is right!), Haleiwa, Shrimp trucks, some of the best Poke is just at convenience stores off the road. So much do to away from Waikiki. Elysium fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Feb 27, 2020 |
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Feb 27, 2020 18:16
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Elysium posted:Well, Waikiki is Waikiki, for better or worse. You're near a bunch of shops and restaurants, but it's not unlike most cities, crowded, traffic, expensive, etc. Most of the things I would recommend involve getting a car and driving away from there... but having a car in Waikiki means traffic and parking for $40 a night so. But you are close to Diamond Head/Pearl Harbor (kind of, it's by the airport)/Haunuma Bay/Zoo Aquarium. I would take an Uber and get breakfast or brunch at Koko Head Cafe one day and a dinner at Opal Thai (loved his Haleiwa location, never been since he moved to Honolulu). I would skip Hanauma bay unless you go on an off day and EARLY. Makapu'u lighthouse trail is an easy (but all uphill) paved walk to some great views, and if you hike down the rocks (can be quite a scramble) there are cool tidepools about halfway off the trail. Do not bother taking a trip to Dole, even if it's on your way to the North Shore, or at MOST grab a Whip and get out. If you're doing Diamond Head, go for Sunrise or Sunset. I mean sure the view is still great at noon, but if you're gonna do it go for the spectacle. Thanks, that's all great info. I live in Chicago, so I don't really need to check out the bustle of the city, I can do that here. We plan to get rental cars by the day to drive around and return them to avoid the parking fee. Those all sound great, especially the Lighthouse trail, Diamond Head, and eating all the things. And I've never had a Dole whip, so maybe I will stop in for that.
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Feb 27, 2020 18:25
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I'm just a dumb tourist but my favorites easy hikes were The Makapuu Lighthouse Trail and Manoa Falls. I always stay at Ko Olina cause it is closest to costco.
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Oct 11, 2020 00:19
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Thanks for these suggestions. Wife and I are doing 12 days in Hawaii in August with most of that on the big island but we want to take a couple of days to explore Oahu as well. We'll definitely avoid Waikiki!
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May 11, 2021 16:51
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Kaddish posted:Thanks for these suggestions. Wife and I are doing 12 days in Hawaii in August with most of that on the big island but we want to take a couple of days to explore Oahu as well. We'll definitely avoid Waikiki! For the Big Island obviously the big draw is Volcanoes National Park but check out South Point - southern most part of Hawaii and the United States as a whole - with cliff diving and a green sand beach nearby. It's been a long time for me but if you're in Hilo I enjoyed Cafe Pesto for food.
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May 11, 2021 20:13
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I ended up booking a hotel......on Waikiki. We're only on Oahu for two nights and this place is at the very end of Waikiki, near Diamondhead. So our itinerary will be: 2 nights Oahu (Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel) 5 nights Big Island Kona (Condo from VRBO) 4 nights Big Island near Volcanoes National Park (Volcano Village Lodge B&B)
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May 14, 2021 14:53
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CheshireCat posted:Waikiki is fine for shopping or eating, but there are much better places for beaches or other activities on Oahu - as suggested in the thread. Take in all of the tourists and tourist trap-ish things (not sure about the current COVID environment) for an hour and then better spend your time elsewhere on the island. Didn't see it in the thread, but check out Liliha Bakery in Honolulu and especially the coco puffs. How is the hike to the green sand beach?
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May 14, 2021 18:21
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Kaddish posted:How is the hike to the green sand beach?
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May 24, 2021 16:03
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Kaddish posted:Thanks for these suggestions. Wife and I are doing 12 days in Hawaii in August with most of that on the big island but we want to take a couple of days to explore Oahu as well. We'll definitely avoid Waikiki! We are doing 9 days in July on Waikiki. This thread is great
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Jun 6, 2021 21:20
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Hopefully they get the vaccine passport stuff sorted out by then. I see they just removed all restrictions from inter-island travel so that’s a start.
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Jun 7, 2021 18:03
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Has anyone been to Hawaii lately? My wife and i have a big trip planned for end of August (Maui & Oahu), but she's getting all worked up by poo poo she's reading on Twitter about how the post-Covid tourism is out of control and every hotel is at capacity and the crowds are just nuts. Is that just Twitter blowing poo poo out of proportion or is it actually that bad right now?
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Jul 10, 2021 00:44
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OldSenileGuy posted:Has anyone been to Hawaii lately? My wife and i have a big trip planned for end of August (Maui & Oahu), but she's getting all worked up by poo poo she's reading on Twitter about how the post-Covid tourism is out of control and every hotel is at capacity and the crowds are just nuts. Is that just Twitter blowing poo poo out of proportion or is it actually that bad right now? I’m getting on a plane tomorrow to Oahu . We had to just buy a day pass to Pearl Harbor because all the tours were sold out through mid August; same with all the luaus, some of the sunset cruises and the ranch where they filmed lost and Jurassic park. The hourly car rentals through drivehui are almost all unavailable too. We had no problem booking circle island tours, massages or snorkeling or a trolley pass though.
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Jul 15, 2021 03:30
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-OSG, Speedishuttle was supposed to pick us up at 225 and didn’t arrive until 315. If you choose them, go to the last part of baggage claim and look for them. Due to traffic we didn’t get back to hotel for another hour. We were able to book most of what I couldn’t through the hotel concierge but the lauas have been sold out for weeks and are only operating at 70% capacity. The restaurant we went to last night was pretty dead. They re so vigilant about Covid here which is great. Also, if you’ve never been - I wasn’t expecting to see homeless camps in the state parks First full day: 90 min-2hr waits everywhere for breakfast. The Ala Moana mall was packed, and dinner was interesting. We went to one place with a 90 minute wait and then next door to an Italian restaurant with no wait (and also the best pizza I’ve ever had) Still a lot of places closed due to inability to find help Pillowpants fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jul 17, 2021 |
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Jul 16, 2021 17:57
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Off to Oahu tomorrow just for a couple of days and then 9 days on the Big Island. Can't wait to travel again!
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Aug 3, 2021 22:22
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Waikiki is crowded as hell Tomorrow we’re getting out of this madness and hiking diamond and then taking the scenic route to north shore
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Aug 5, 2021 07:44
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Kaddish posted:Waikiki is crowded as hell Matsumoto's Shave Ice on the North Shore is one of those institutions to visit.
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Aug 5, 2021 14:41
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Except don’t take 42 at all, take 72 around the southeast and up 83 the whole way along the coast.
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Aug 5, 2021 15:00
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Elysium posted:Except don’t take 42 at all, take 72 around the southeast and up 83 the whole way along the coast.
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Aug 5, 2021 18:35
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Do what we did and ride the bus around the whole island for like $5.
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Aug 9, 2021 15:14
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Wife and I stayed in Hau'ula for a week recently, multiple times we had the entire loving beach to ourselves. Waikiki is a trap. We did manage to time our trip with a man-'o-war swell, though. Wife even got stung by one. Something for the scrapbook!
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Oct 8, 2021 19:40
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CheshireCat posted:If you're heading up I-42 the Dole Pineapple Plantation isn't all that bad for a tourist-y place to visit. Assuming their food services are still open you can get yourself some Dole Whip. They've also got the world's largest hedge maze. Aoki's is right across the street and much better.
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Dec 30, 2021 02:28
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Aoki’s > Matsumoto’s. Always. They get the syrup throughout the shave ice without leaving a flavorless core. Always choose Aoki’s. Get ice cream in the bottom. It’s been a while since I was there, but consider: Finding a street corner in Waikiki with an ABC store on all four corners. Walk and wade Waikiki Beach at sunset. Get a Korean bbq plate lunch at that place in the Royal Grove Hotel if it’s still there. (RIP Fatty’s behind the International Marketplace.) Going to Ala Moana Poi Bowl to try poi. Spit it out and hide the rest. Then curse the mall for losing Patty’s Chinese Kitchen, Iida’s ceramics, Watamull’s aloha wear, and the Shirokiya department store. Leonard’s for malasadas. Consider getting the filled ones. Hanauma Bay for snorkeling very, very early or not at all. The Blowhole. Looks for whales and Molokai while you’re there. Little kid me still demands Sea Life Park but it’s probably a bad idea today. Lanikai Beach is the best in the world. Not kidding. Nuuanu Pali Lookout for the view, the wind, and the chickens laying eggs in trees. The Byodoin Temple replica. Roadside fruit stands. Saimin shacks are largely gone, so stop at the Melanesian-looking McDonald’s in Mormon Laie and try theirs. Go to a shrimp shack. Find one that has pani popo too. Waimea Falls/Valley/Audubon Center/whatever is a nice garden hike. Haleiwa has Aoki’s and some cute shops. Dole whip at the plantation tourist trap. Aloha Stadium flea market Wednesdays and Saturdays for all your souvenirs. Do not miss this. Pearl has the Missouri, the Arizona memorial, the Bowfin (diesel sub), and I think some airplanes. Wander Chinatown for food and leis and don’t miss Foster’s Botanical Garden. Wear Off! there. The Bishop Museum is worth a look. Take your photo with the Aloha Tower behind you. Decide you never want to leave. Never leave. Leave your ashes at the Byodoin.
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Jul 6, 2022 03:35
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don Jaime posted:Aoki’s > Matsumoto’s. Always. They get the syrup throughout the shave ice without leaving a flavorless core. Always choose Aoki’s. Get ice cream in the bottom. Thanks for this! Was very helpful while we were in Oahu for 5 days last week!
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Jul 16, 2022 01:38
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my kinda ape posted:Thanks for this! Was very helpful while we were in Oahu for 5 days last week! You’re welcome, man. Looking back over it, it seems to be mostly food suggestions. I hope I didn’t make you gain too much weight!
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Jul 17, 2022 04:11
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I’m sorry to bump and old thread but we’re planning a vacation to Oahu in the summer, which will include my daughter who will be 1 and a 1/2 by then. At first was looking at Waikiki but everyone (including this thread) says it’s a tourist death trap so wife and I are looking at North Shore- maybe a resort? We’ll be there for 5 nights and don’t plan to island-hop, we just want to relax. I’ll probably rent a car for a day or two for an excursion to Pearl or other points of interest. Any recommendations greatly appreciated!
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Feb 1, 2023 23:23
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As I said above Waikiki is what it is, a small but dense city full of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and traffic, along a crowded but very lovely set of beaches. If that's what you are looking for, look no further. Many people vacation in Waikiki and have a great time. You do not need or even want a car (it will be $50 a night to park it), unless you are trying to leave Waikiki. As far as I know the only resort on the North Shore is Turtle Bay. It's kind of isolated (as much as you can be on a small island), but people probably like that. Also golf. Definitely need a car the whole time unless you plan on only staying on resort. Dunno, they might have shuttles to attractions or pay-for excursions. Every time I've gone it's always been small group trips with a rental house, but it's been a while, so I can't speak to the state of AirBnB's and the such. We would just find a nice house on the North Shore and visit Haleiwa (cute town for shopping and restaurants), and alternate beach trips with Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, Shark Cove and various hikes. For a slightly more "local" type experience, you might try to find something in Kailua or Kaneohe on the windward side. These are just places I've personally been, all nice in their own way. I'm sure there are plenty more.
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Feb 1, 2023 23:58
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Elysium posted:As I said above Waikiki is what it is, a small but dense city full of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and traffic, along a crowded but very lovely set of beaches. If that's what you are looking for, look no further. Many people vacation in Waikiki and have a great time. You do not need or even want a car (it will be $50 a night to park it), unless you are trying to leave Waikiki. This is really helpful thank you. Looking at prices it turns out we might have to pick a hotel in Waikiki after all, that is if we don’t want to blow our budget. Honestly if we go in with the mindset it will be crowded we’ll be fine. Just need to settle on dates and find which hotel is best for our needs.
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Feb 2, 2023 00:25
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If you're staying in Waikiki I recommend a sunset and/or booze cruise. Departure point should be pretty close to anywhere you stay. Also gotta do Diamond Head, won't need any actual hiking gear but if you're not conditioned could be a good workout. If you wind up staying on North Shore I recommend a rental, it's a better way to get the local flavor. South shore is very, very urban but north shore is (as an O'ahu expat once told me) "real country" outside of Turtle Bay. Ted's Bakery is a must, as is Waimea Valley. In fact, even if you stay in Waikiki I strongly recommend the drive to Waimea Valley. Bring swimming gear to swim in the water hole. Judgy Fucker fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Feb 2, 2023 |
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Feb 2, 2023 00:43
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Not trying to resurrect a dead thread but looks like we're heading to Oahu/Waikiki later this year to meet up with family. Waikiki is probably where we'll be since we're booking with Costco (PBUC) but how difficult/reliable is it to VRBO/AirBnB as long as we stay in the legally permissible areas? Also has anybody done this recently with a 1-2 year old? Probably staying near beach/mall since little adnamo isn't 100% mobile and needs frequent recharges (naps). The Waikiki Aquarium and Zoo sounded like good options to us as well.
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Jan 17, 2024 06:48
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