Travel to Oahu - What to do.

[NokiaFanatic]

So my wife and I (25/23) want to plan a trip to Hawaii. We plan on staying at Oahu, and a hotel of interest has been Outrigger on Waikiki. We would perfer about 8-9 days. We do like our space, but yet want to try the night life as well. Some interests that have caught our attention has been ATV riding, Snorkeling, the Polenisian culture center, Pearl Harbor, and sea life park - My wife would love to swim with a dolphin! And catch a luau, which may be at sea life park.

1st ? - Do you NEED a car?? Or is there shuttles going to and from most places? Maybe need is the wrong word...Would we prefer a car...yeah thats better.

We do plan on splurging a little and doing an oceanview at the hotel. We dont eat all that much, so expenses in the food arnt a great concern. As well with night life - we dont drink much either...Yeah you may say we are dull, but we have our kicks!

We would also love to find a waterfall. Weather being on ATV or if anyone personally knows a nice place to go visit that is beautiful - besides teh whole isalnd ;)

Plus, we can be last minute people with about a weeks notice to travel, so is ther any good sites besides the obvious for discount travel to Hawaii. We will be checking with a travel agent here soon to be notified if anything too good to pass comes up.

Also - Just let me know on what past expireinces have taught you on what to pack, what places not to eat, thing that are a MUST do...and MUST NOT do. Any input will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!!!

[everyann]

Oahu does have public transportation just about anywhere but I wouldn't recommend it. Being on vacation and waiting for a bus is not something I'd want to do. I'd definitely opt for the car if it's in budget. The drive from your Waikiki Hotel is about 20 minutes to Pearl Harbor, and about 30 minutes to Sea Life Park (Kudos on going there!...I love that place). So, having the freedom in leaving when you want is definitely a plus in Hawaii. Especially if you want to enjoy some of the nightlife.

A *must* stop would be Hanauma Bay. It's only about a 30 min drive from Waikiki, and it's got some pretty popular snorkeling spots. As far as ATV Tours go, Destination360 has some great recommendations for ATV TOURS. Destination360 also has some great details on Snorkeling in Hawaii.

I know you said food wasn't that high on the list....but I would definitely recommend trying out some of the local foods. If you get the chance to venture off to the North Shore side try some "Shave Ice"....preferably Matsumoto Shave Ice. Many famous stars like Jason Scott Lee and Tom Hanks have been there. It's loved by locals and visitors.

Hope that helps...if you need more info, just ask.

[NokiaFanatic]

Have you personally taken the ATV tour? Is it worth it? I did one in mexico before and it was really a lot of waste land and really dusty/dirty. it was fun for me and a buddy of mine, but im sure my wife would not have enjoyed it.

[everyann]

Personally, I can't say that I have been on an ATV tour in Hawaii. Though, I do love riding on a motorcycle and go karts! So I think that I would go on one if I had the chance. Unlike Mexico, Hawaii has a greener terrain and is more of a "tour" than a free for all. I'm sure you'll get to do as you please but maybe your wife wouldn't like the splash of dirt on her.

You may want to look into the Kualoa Ranch. They've got a one hour or two hour tour on ATV. The cool thing about the Ranch, it's where Jurassic Park and some other movies were filmed. If you, however, opt for the two hour tour, you get to ride past the WWII bunkers.

[d360]

I've done ATV tours on Oahu and the Big Island and both islands were great for ATV tours. The Oahu tour takes you to the location of where Jurrasic Park was filmed, bamboo forests, and some nice vistas high in the mountains. I agree with EveryAnn that Hanauma Bay is great! as is the North Shore which is a nice drive. Renting a car in Oahu is the only way to go. Its cheap and will allow you flexibility in gettting around. You might consider a catamaran cruise as well.

If you looking to do alot of activities and save some money check out the Power Pass it includes free admission to 25 top attractions in Honolulu like Dole Plantation Maze, Battleship Missouri Museum, Kualoa Ranch, USS Arizona/Pearl Harbor Tour, Sea Life Park, Iolani Palace, The Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park and lots of discounted products.

I'll see if I can dig up a few photos of the ATV tours and post them.

[NokiaFanatic]

Thank you all for weho has responded. We are planning a great trip im sure of it. Just some more ?'s about overall the trip.

We have been convinced to rent a car - trying to talk the wife into a convertible...

But as far as hotels go... Any recomendations? Do we need a hotel on the beach to get access to waikki beach for free? or can we stay at a hotel that is off of the beach? A view of the ocean is no longer a need, so we can save some dough that way. But we do like have a newr hotel....Wel at least Clean. Some reviews on hotels i have been reading comment that the hotel felt dirty. And elavtors are bad. I do read a lot about construction going on as well. I mainly want to use a hotel for a central hub. I dont plan on doing anything else than sleeping. But a fridge and a microwvae would be IDEAL!

Also, is it worth doing tours or doing things on your own. For example - I have seen some things where places will pick you up and bring you to a site, but you follow a group. Or is it better to arrange everything for yourself?

Thanks all. I know with everyones help this will be a great vacation!!!

[d360]

Best tip for rental car. Reserve an economy car and once you get there the rate to upgrade is cheaper. Sometimes they will even give you an upgrade for free if there are no economy cars left.

Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel is a two minute walk to Waikiki Beach. Its only a 2 1/2 star hotel but for the price "under $100 per night" How much did you plan to spend? Ocean view will start at $200 go up from there. Generally Waikki beach hotels are older but look for one that has a recent remodel if newness is a concern.

I agree with don't spend the money on a room when you'll jsut use it for sleeping. Spend the money on tours, day trips, food. I've used the Power Pass to get the best deals on a bunch of activities. It all depends on what you're looking to do. You might want to check out viators
Oahu Ideas. In general I always recommend booking tours and things to do in advance that way you spend your day having fun not figuring out what to do.

[NokiaFanatic]

you know - People that help me will always end up hating me.......

Can we explore areas by ourself? IE like waterfalll areas with lush greens? Or are these places like state parks? It would be cool to go hiking one day on our own and pack a lunch, but im not sure if we can do this....

I took a look at the Oahu ideas site - and ooohhh... i do like the idea of a helicopter ride... Ill have to research what people thought of them. I would love to just take in some scenic routes and get away from the hustle and bustle of wakiki. There is a lot to research for this trip......

Thanks!!!

[CindyB]

Originally Posted by NokiaFanatic

...Do we need a hotel on the beach to get access to waikki beach for free? or can we stay at a hotel that is off of the beach?

Hawaii State law prevents hotels, homeowners and businesses from blocking beach access to the public. So no, you do not need to stay at a Waikiki hotel to enjoy the beach :-) In fact you can also enjoy walking around the resorts like the Hilton Village where you can check out the penguins, art gallery and on certain nights (or maybe it's very night now) a free Polynesian show and fireworks.

Anyway, there's a vintage Hawaiian hotel where they say most of their guest return year after year
(from Canada, U.S. mainland and neighbor island mostly). Hawaiiana Hotel. Not sure about construction. I checked em out when I did my research vacation on Oahu for my book. I was very impressed. And there are of course good hotel package deals. Lots to do on Oahu.
I'll post more when I can put up links for you (Have to have 10 posts here first).

To answer your other question, I wouldn't go with a tour. I'd rather go at my own pace. Hanauma Bay, for example. You can drive there and park for I think $2 or $5. Visit the marine center there and snorkel or swim. No need for a tour. Same with Polynesian Cultural Center. Now if it were something I hadn't done before...say kayaking, then I would go with a tour, like the TwoGood Kayaking Eco Tour in Kailua that takes you out to the little island. More later.

Aloha from the Big Island!
Cindy