Hawaii Vacation

[el borracho]

Current girlfriend and I will be going to Hawaii in early May. Will be staying on Oahu (definitely) and going to The Big Island (probably). Would love any insider advice on places to visit, things to do, and specific companies you might recommend for services. We are far more interested in natural beauty and food trucks and far less interested in shopping and fine dining. We will be in Hawaii for 10 days.

We will definitely visit Pearl Harbor. Are there any insider tips or should we just turn up?

Would like to include 1 or 2 days of scuba diving (both have certifications and experience to do more challenging dives- maybe you have a favorite dive shop and/or a favorite dive site?)

Would like to rent surfboards 1 day (both really awful surfers- maybe you know a beach that is appropriate for beginners?)

Would like to visit a live volcano (is it essential to hire a guide? which part of the volcano park is the most exciting? which part of the volcano park is the most picturesque? We would like to see some cool stuff and get some good pictures but come back with all of our feet)

Would like to hike to (and swim in) waterfalls (Anyone have some favorite falls they can recommend? Or even favorite hikes that do not include falls?)

Helicopter tours are out- too expensive.

Submarines are probably out, too- same reason.

Also looking for recommendations on food. Again, more interested in the best affordable options, less interested in fine dining. Street treats and food trucks are fine with us.

Also looking for recommendations on best beaches. "Best" meaning most beautiful and least crowded as opposed to most popular or most amenities.

Also looking for recommendations on best places to watch the sunset.

Any and all help appreciated.

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by Redbled

On a plane getting ready to head there now. North Shore snorkel at a place called Sharks Cove. Not easy to find but may be best on the island.

Right across Kam highway from Pupukea Foodland. Just google Foodland.

[el borracho]

Big thanks to all who have contributed so far! Probably too much, but I have a working itinerary for Oahu:


Wed 1 May-
Arrive in Honolulu
Diamond Head
Tantalus Lookout
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Aquarium
Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Thu 2 May-
Aiea Loop Trail (WWII plane wreckage on trail; interior, north of Honolulu, on the H3 freeway)
Drive the H3 freeway (interior, north of Honolulu)
Dole Pineapple Plantation
North Shore beaches (snorkel, sea turtles)
Sunset at Sunset Beach
Open Mic night at Turtle Bay Resort

Fri 3 May-
Reef Pirates scuba
Hawaii Beach Time rent surfboards
Paradise Cove luau

Sat 4 May-
Pearl Harbor
Flea Market at the Aloha Bowl
Manoa Falls
Hanauma Bay (snorkel)

Sun 5 May-
Beach (snorkel)
Fly to the Big Island



Now on to (over)plan the Big Island.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by el borracho

Big thanks to all who have contributed so far! Probably too much, but I have a working itinerary for Oahu:


Wed 1 May-
Arrive in Honolulu
Diamond Head
Tantalus Lookout
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Aquarium
Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Thu 2 May-
Aiea Loop Trail (WWII plane wreckage on trail; interior, north of Honolulu, on the H3 freeway)
Drive the H3 freeway (interior, north of Honolulu)
Dole Pineapple Plantation
North Shore beaches (snorkel, sea turtles)
Sunset at Sunset Beach
Open Mic night at Turtle Bay Resort

Fri 3 May-
Reef Pirates scuba
Hawaii Beach Time rent surfboards
Paradise Cove luau

Sat 4 May-
Pearl Harbor
Flea Market at the Aloha Bowl
Manoa Falls
Hanauma Bay (snorkel)

Sun 5 May-
Beach (snorkel)
Fly to the Big Island



Now on to (over)plan the Big Island.

JFC, relax dude.

Plan one thing per day and make a list of alternate, available activities if you still feel like doing something else.

It's a vacation, not a job!

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by loochy

JFC, relax dude.

Plan one thing per day and make a list of alternate, available activities if you still feel like doing something else.

It's a vacation, not a job!

Loochy, I think we are probably both "go with the flow" type of travelers and that is fun and relaxing for us... That would be torture to travel like that for others who enjoy having things planned out, and planning causes them to be relaxed. I couldn't do it, just as they can't do it our way.

Have fun!

[Comanche]

Originally Posted by el borracho

Big thanks to all who have contributed so far! Probably too much, but I have a working itinerary for Oahu:


Wed 1 May-
Arrive in Honolulu
Diamond Head
Tantalus Lookout
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Aquarium
Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Thu 2 May-
Aiea Loop Trail (WWII plane wreckage on trail; interior, north of Honolulu, on the H3 freeway)
Drive the H3 freeway (interior, north of Honolulu)
Dole Pineapple Plantation
North Shore beaches (snorkel, sea turtles)
Sunset at Sunset Beach
Open Mic night at Turtle Bay Resort

Fri 3 May-
Reef Pirates scuba
Hawaii Beach Time rent surfboards
Paradise Cove luau

Sat 4 May-
Pearl Harbor
Flea Market at the Aloha Bowl
Manoa Falls
Hanauma Bay (snorkel)

Sun 5 May-
Beach (snorkel)
Fly to the Big Island



Now on to (over)plan the Big Island.

Sounds like a winner! One thing though, try to avoid buying touristy crap there. Vendors are EVERYWHERE and all that crap will add to the cost of your trip.

[ping2000]

Originally Posted by el borracho

Big thanks to all who have contributed so far! Probably too much, but I have a working itinerary for Oahu:


Wed 1 May-
Arrive in Honolulu
Diamond Head
Tantalus Lookout
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Aquarium
Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Thu 2 May-
Aiea Loop Trail (WWII plane wreckage on trail; interior, north of Honolulu, on the H3 freeway)
Drive the H3 freeway (interior, north of Honolulu)
Dole Pineapple Plantation
North Shore beaches (snorkel, sea turtles)
Sunset at Sunset Beach
Open Mic night at Turtle Bay Resort

Fri 3 May-
Reef Pirates scuba
Hawaii Beach Time rent surfboards
Paradise Cove luau

Sat 4 May-
Pearl Harbor
Flea Market at the Aloha Bowl
Manoa Falls
Hanauma Bay (snorkel)

Sun 5 May-
Beach (snorkel)
Fly to the Big Island



Now on to (over)plan the Big Island.

Not enough SPAM.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by ping2000

Not enough SPAM.

They also sell a Poi pie at McDonalds and they will serve it at the Luau... Take a small portion, it is truly awful and I will eat almost anything.

[Steron]

My wife and I honeymooned on Oahu in 2005. Stayed on Waikiki beach.

We kind of just went with the flow. Pearl Harbor was really the only thing that was a must do for me. We did the USS Missouri the same day. Somebody earlier in this thread said something about it being closed right now though. Bummer. The rest of the time we just went with the flow.

We did a few of the touristy things. We spend a few days doing nothing but hanging on the beach. Diamond Head and the Punch Bowl. We spent a day driving the entire coast of the island just checking out the scenery. We had lunch at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (amazing) and spent a couple hours afterward on the North Shore before finishing the loop. We did a Luau one evening. Spent a day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay (A fish barked at me!) We spent the day at the Swap Meet at Aloha stadium. It's an enormous flea market that rings the whole outside of the stadium.

Your itinerary scares the shit out of me. I don't know if I could even enjoy the trip knowing every moment was filled. I would be nothing but stressed. Hawaii is supposed to be relaxing. But to each his own.

Oh, as somebody mentioned, it is very odd to see Japanese tourists at the Arizona memorial snapping photos and carrying on. It was a powerful place for me and I felt like any speaking above a whisper was disrespectful. Maybe that was just us though. We didn't speak any more than a few words during our time on the monument.

[58-4ever]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

Loochy, I think we are probably both "go with the flow" type of travelers and that is fun and relaxing for us... That would be torture to travel like that for others who enjoy having things planned out, and planning causes them to be relaxed. I couldn't do it, just as they can't do it our way.

Have fun!

haha! My thoughts exactly. That sounds so action packed!

[cron912]

Originally Posted by Steron

My wife and I honeymooned on Oahu in 2005. Stayed on Waikiki beach.

We kind of just went with the flow. Pearl Harbor was really the only thing that was a must do for me. We did the USS Missouri the same day. Somebody earlier in this thread said something about it being closed right now though. Bummer. The rest of the time we just went with the flow.

We did a few of the touristy things. We spend a few days doing nothing but hanging on the beach. Diamond Head and the Punch Bowl. We spent a day driving the entire coast of the island just checking out the scenery. We had lunch at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (amazing) and spent a couple hours afterward on the North Shore before finishing the loop. We did a Luau one evening. Spent a day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay (A fish barked at me!) We spent the day at the Swap Meet at Aloha stadium. It's an enormous flea market that rings the whole outside of the stadium.

Your itinerary scares the shit out of me. I don't know if I could even enjoy the trip knowing every moment was filled. I would be nothing but stressed. Hawaii is supposed to be relaxing. But to each his own.

Oh, as somebody mentioned, it is very odd to see Japanese tourists at the Arizona memorial snapping photos and carrying on. It was a powerful place for me and I felt like any speaking above a whisper was disrespectful. Maybe that was just us though. We didn't speak any more than a few words during our time on the monument.

The USS Missouri isn't closed, the USS Arizona Memorial is/was. Apparently some issues/cracks were found in the memorial platform 1-2 years ago, and it's been closed since for repairs.

[BigRichard]

Been in Oahu for two days now and haven't gotten to dive yet. I rented a car for tomorrow just to get away from the group I am with and get some diving in... Can't ****ing wait. Got a two tank dive tomorrow and Sunday. Hoping to get at least one more day of diving in.

[seclark]

Rock on.
Sec

[HC_Chief]

Big Island: it is huge. When you are inland, it will seem like you are not on an island at all. Be prepared for long drives if you want to go from volcanic to tropical. Great snorkeling, volcanoes, green sand beach (yes green! one of four in the world), and nature. Quite rural. It is really cool to go from volcanic (Mars-like landscapes, African plains, dry & hot) to tropical (rainforest, bamboo forest) in same day. Take an all day snorkeling trip down the Kona (W) side... to Captain Cook Memorial. It is amazing! Last time we did that excursion we went out on a zodiac... saw a 10' hammerhead and an incredible variety of fish along the reefs.

Maui: party island. Way more activities and nightlife on Maui than the other islands (possible exception of Honolulu on Oahu, as that is a big city). Maui is fun for all the reasons you would do a tropical vacation. It has the scenery, the beaches, and all the modern as well as traditional activities. Lots of fun here, and faster (athletic) pace.

Oahu: Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki, and a bunch of great beaches if you know some locals/people who have lived there. Honolulu is a legit big city, so it comes with all of the advantages/disadvantages of big cities.

Lanai: very little there. Pristine. If you don't have an explicit reason to go, don't.

Kuaui: laaaaaaid baaaack. Called the "Garden Isle" for a reason: it is lush and beautiful. Waimea Canyon is amazing: imagine the Grand Canyon covered in rainforest. You can kayak on fresh water river, tube through lava tubes, and enjoy a truly laid back island vacation. People there are super friendly (as long as you are cool and don't **** with them, their stuff, and nature). There are wild chickens all over this island, which makes mornings funny (all the roosters crowing).

Other islands: stay the **** away. The locals do not want you there and there really isn't a reason to go...the bigger islands offer everything you could want.

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by HC_Chief

Big Island: it is huge. When you are inland, it will seem like you are not on an island at all. Be prepared for long drives if you want to go from volcanic to tropical. Great snorkeling, volcanoes, green sand beach (yes green! one of four in the world), and nature. Quite rural. It is really cool to go from volcanic (Mars-like landscapes, African plains, dry & hot) to tropical (rainforest, bamboo forest) in same day. Take an all day snorkeling trip down the Kona (W) side... to Captain Cook Memorial. It is amazing! Last time we did that excursion we went out on a zodiac... saw a 10' hammerhead and an incredible variety of fish along the reefs.

Maui: party island. Way more activities and nightlife on Maui than the other islands (possible exception of Honolulu on Oahu, as that is a big city). Maui is fun for all the reasons you would do a tropical vacation. It has the scenery, the beaches, and all the modern as well as traditional activities. Lots of fun here, and faster (athletic) pace.

Oahu: Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki, and a bunch of great beaches if you know some locals/people who have lived there. Honolulu is a legit big city, so it comes with all of the advantages/disadvantages of big cities.

Lanai: very little there. Pristine. If you don't have an explicit reason to go, don't.

Kuaui: laaaaaaid baaaack. Called the "Garden Isle" for a reason: it is lush and beautiful. Waimea Canyon is amazing: imagine the Grand Canyon covered in rainforest. You can kayak on fresh water river, tube through lava tubes, and enjoy a truly laid back island vacation. People there are super friendly (as long as you are cool and don't **** with them, their stuff, and nature). There are wild chickens all over this island, which makes mornings funny (all the roosters crowing).

Other islands: stay the **** away. The locals do not want you there and there really isn't a reason to go...the bigger islands offer everything you could want.

Concur. Good synopsis. I used to live there and have traveled there many times on business or vacation. When you live there after the first year adapting to watching Chiefs games early Sunday morning, “island fever” starts to set in. Maui is my preference. Was last in Pearl Harbor them Maui ( pacific missile test center) so business trip in December but it’s great.

[BigRichard]

Just got back a little while ago. Saw some sharks, my dive master got an octopus out of its hiding hole and got to hold him, and got up close and personal with some sea turtles as well. Great time just getting back into diving.