Wife and I are going for six days. 3 days in Honolulu, 3 days on the north shore. I need some recommendations for things to do and places to eat.
North Shore Haleiwa Joe's Aoki's (for shave ice) Get some fresh coconut from one of the fruit stands on the side of the highway. Turtle Beach (go early to see the turtles come ashore) Sunset Beach Honolulu Iolani Palace Golden statue of King Kamehmehia Pali Highway Tour If you like golf, play at Kanehoe Bay on the east side of the island. Have a great trip, it was awesome when we went three years ago.
One of my favourite tours on Oahu was the Turtle Canyon snorkeling cruise off Waikiki beach. Jump on a catamaran, head a little bit out to sea and snorkel with turtles. Awesome. If you're into hiking, Manoa Falls in Honolulu is worth a look, and on the North Shore Waimea Falls is also pretty cool. There are so many good restaurants in Waikiki, it's difficult to go wrong. It's pretty tough to top Duke's location though, and the food there is great. Kualoa Ranch is pretty sweet. There's a whole bunch of things to do there; horseriding, ATV tours, movie tours, a secret island, sailing... all pretty good value. Have a good time man, Hawaii is awesome. You'll end up going back to check out the other islands!
WHERE exactly are you going to stay? Waikiki or inland or on the windward? Take a look at this here site which compiles the Touring attractions. http://hawaiitours.com/ The SwoLy family and I did the all-day-with-bus-ride trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center complete with lunch, dinner, and a Luau with Fire-breathin' and Fire spinnin' Polynesian dudes. It was most exhilirating. Also, we did the Submarine trip and it's pretty DOPE. Lastly, we hiked up to Diamond Head and went down to the dangerous water (no, we didn't get in). We spent most of the time in the clear blue water and swam near the jettys. p.s. - Don't take checke64 along.
First 3 days our hotel will be on Waikiki. Next 3 days at the Turtle Bay Resort. We already have our basic plans made and have booked a couple things, but I was just wanting to see if there were any "must-do" items I had missed when looking over things to do. We're going to the Polynesian Cultural Center for a day, Waimea Falls, Diamond Head, Sunset Beach (I think), Turtle Beach (obv), Haleiwa Joe's and some other things like snorkeling and skiing (wanted to go parasailing but they charge way too much for just a few minutes). And there will be plenty of chill time with a big portion of our budget allocated for booze. And cheke, I seriously considered taking you along but you're just so gotdamned negative in the GARM that I figured you were similarly a wet blanket in real life.
Went to Oahu for Christmas. Climb diamond head- not difficult and a great view at the top. I liked climbing Koko Crater. A once in a lifetime experience because you'll never want to do it again. It's a 1000 steps made of railroad ties straight up a mountain. Tough climb but so satisfying at the top. We stayed in Waikiki but the water was so calm that we went to Sandy Beach twice because my cousins love to body surf. The waves are kind of big and it's mostly locals there. A little drive from Waikiki. We did Pearl Harbor. Which can be as short or long of a trip as you want it to be with a self guided tour. I grew bored near the end and plugged in my headphones into my phone to listen to music instead. Glad we went though. Note. Can't bring a purse or bag of any kind inside. We drove to the north shore one day. Stopped at the dole plantation, which was a mistake. Line was crazy long for a train tour, so we just did a giant maze. I don't recommend going here unless you love commercial tourist traps or really love Dole. From there we went to Waimea Valley, which has a waterfall pool you can swim in and some amazing botanical gardens. I don't think my cousins enjoyed it, but I loved the botanical gardens. Some really unique plants. Went to north shore next, enjoyed shaved ice, and sat on the beach like tourists watching local surfers catch some huge waves. Walked down the beach and saw 2 sea turtles chilling in the sand. North Shore area is a great place to checkout fruit stands. Try taro chips if you haven't already. If you're feeling felly adventurous, checkout Stairway to heaven Haiku steps. Closed to the public but they say if you go early enough you can beat the security guard. If you're going all the way to Hawaii to shop, Honolulu has some great shopping options.
-Twin Falls -Road to Hana -Paia, cool little town and awesome windsurfing just north -You have to and I mean you MUST eat at Mama's Fish House. Just an absolutely amazing restaurant. -Scuba/Snuba/Snorkle at Molokini. There are boats that take you out there, well worth it. -LaHaina is a neat town, the Banyan Tree is cool.
this. Also...during winter months, the north shore has some of the coolest windsurfing. Not uncommon to see dozens of world class windersurfers out on any particular good day. And...if you are so inclined to break your rental agreement...try returning from Hana on the Piilani Highway.
Yes you have to do the 7 pools!! Went on a Hawaiian cruise in 2007 and that was my favorite part. That road to Hana is no joke though. Anyone in your group that suffers from motion sickness, be prepared. A ton of really great places to stop on the way, I loved the black sand beach.
