Callum

Myself and a friend are travelling from the UK to Hawaii in September. As neither of us drive, we will not be hiring a car for our seven day stay. We will be staying at a hotel in Waikiki.
How easy is it to get about the island by public transport?
What do you recommend we should do/see, bearing in mind that we won't have our own transport. What are the absolute 'must-sees'?
It is easy/inexpensive to arrange day excursions by plane to some of the other islands, for example the Islands of Hawaii or Maui?

Thanks in advance,

Callum (Age 31)
Edinburgh, Scotland

aloha

The public transporation is called "The Bus". The website is thebus.org. You can get anywhere on the island via the Bus, but it is time-consuming. In the more rural areas you may encounter some residents who have negative feelings toward tourists, so exercise caution at the bus stops especially after dark.

Must-sees include Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, the North Shore for surfing ambiance. In Waikiki, check out the lobbies of the Royal hawaiian and Moana hotels, the 2 oldest hotels in Waikiki.

NatalieM

There are alot of tours offered for people in Waikiki without transportation...Brochures are everywhere so you can pick what interests you. I would say the Polynesian Cultural Center is a must see. This is a large park showcasing the various cultures of Polynesia and staffed by Polynesian students from BYU Hawaii campus. It's run by the LDS church, but if this doesn't interest you, decline the "campus bus tour" and you won't notice its influence. You can do an all day tour from your hotel, I'm sure. Don't miss the night show, which is professional quality. entertainment. They have an excellent website which will give you an idea of what you'll see and prices. Have a great time!

MelissaHI

Also, you should check the calendar at www.gohawaii.com for September - this is usually the time of 'Aloha Festivals' throughout the state with special events, exhibitions, displays, parades, etc.

janis

Callum - I did take one totally car-less trip to Oahu a few years ago and saw a LOT in six days w/o any driving. You can easily get to Pearl Harbor, The Polynesian Cultural Center, Iolani Palace and everything in between. Don't worry at all - you'll be fine.

(I'll trade you in a minute - I take most of my holidays in the UK in general and Scotland in particular. All of my British friends think I'm daft - going over there all the time when all they want to do is come here to California, or to Hawaii, or Florida)

Callum

Thank you to all for your helpful replies. Gives me a lot to go on!

Janis, I think many here in Scotland who know something about our climate would probably agree that to keep on coming back time after time is bordering on mad! But yes, Scotland and indeed England and Wales, are very beautiful countries. Great if you love castles, cathedrals and other historic monuments! If you like cities then London, Edinburgh and York are three that should not be missed, IMHO! But don't forget to bring a rain coat!

BarbaraS

Are you interested in trying scuba while you're there? At the least take a snorkel trip.