Three days is great to get to initially know Oahu - and then kick back at our favorite - the Garden Isle of Kauai.

I would rent a car at the airport - where you can also pick up the tourist mags which have good maps of the island - and also have discount coupons and suggestions of what to do.

Next - I would rent snorkel gear - using Snorkel Bob's as a baseline, but there are others, and then early the next am - drive out to Hanauma Bay - and be there when it opens to get ahead of the crowd. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hanauma-bay-nature-preserve.html

From there - I would continue on around the south end of the Island and when coming into Kailua - either turn back toward Hono/Waikiki - taking the tunnel through the beautiful Koolau mountains, http://www.google.com/search?q=koolau+mountains&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UglAT8uZFZLZiAKEzfCIAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1253&bih=658 - trying to get to the Lookout - (not sure if you can do that going back into Hono)


or continue on up the East side and around the North shore/Polynesian Culture Center - over to Pipeline and Waimea bay and back down the middle of the island.

If you went back to Hono from Kailua - you could drive the northern loop on another day if you felt up to it - and have a shave ice in Haleiwa.

There are other discussions in here - under Hawaii - about whre to dine, but so much depends on what kind of cuisine you want to have. Lotsa good places to also just pick up some local stuff - plate lunches, prepared Sushi at the little stores, fruit stands, Saiman (sp)- noodle soup at McDonalds even, their great Hawaiian style potato/macaroni salad, and on and on.

Bookmarking.

I have been to Oahu numerous times and I love it. Since you are going to be on the low key relaxed island of Kauai after you leave Oahu, I would stay in Waikiki. We usually stay at the Marriott because we have points to use but my favorite place is the Sheraton Moana Surfrider. It has been a couple of years since I have been to either so not sure what the latest reviews are. Make sure that you check out the lobby of the Moana and have a drink at the Banyan Tree bar.

We have also stayed at the the Kohala which is on the other side of Diamond Head in a residential area. We enjoyed it but it isn't a place where you can go out and walk to restaurants etc. We like the bustle of Waikiki especially when we will go to another more relaxing island later.

Take a day to drive around the island. We always hit Lanikai and Kailua. Byodo temple is beautiful. Stop at a shrimp truck, see Sunset Beach and Waimea. Stop for a shave ice in Haleiwa at Matsumotos or Aokis. I would skip driving up the west side of the island, there are some pretty beaches but they have become a homeless enclave.

My husband and I love Japanese food and we discovered okonomiyaki when we were in Japan and it is hard to find places that specialize in this dish. It is a cross between an omeltette and pizza. We stumbled upon a place in the Royal Hawaiian shopping center called Chibo that has an okonomiyaki bar. They cook it on a griddle while you watch. If you want something different I highly recommend it. chibohawaii.com

Have a great trip!

I also love Oahu. I stay on Waikiki. My two faves are the (older) Princess Kaiulani and the (not quite so old) Marriott Resort. Both require crossing Kalakaua Avenue to get to the beach. If you don't require being on the beach, or would settle for a block or two away, there are lots of options at a lesser price.

The drive around Oahu is a must-do for me every time I visit the island, which is once a year. I love stopping at the various shrimp trucks for lunch. All are very tasty!! There are some that are more 'famous' than others. Don't let that stop you from trying one of the 'other' shrimp sellers.

The photo ops on a drive around the island are many!! I have so many beautiful photos of that drive (especially on the east side) that it is hard to pick just one for my computer desktop background photo, when I get back home and download my pics.

The typical tourist places are of course, Pearl Harbor (very moving) and Punchbowl Cemetary, as well as the Diamond Head hike. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay is on most peoples' must-do list as well.

If you rent a car and enjoy driving, Taunus (sp) drive, which leads upward into the mountain from Punchbowl, is a really nice drive. It goes up up up and gives you a few great views of Waikiki. Hardly any traffic on this narrow/winding road.

Enjoy your trip. Kauai is also fantastic!

You'll most likely want to stay right in Waikiki. That is where most of the accomodations as well as sights nearby are on Oahu. There's all kinds of hotels there. What are you seeking? Beachfront? Budget? Luxury? etc.

For activities there's inexpensive things like going to the beach, free music and dance shows, the parks, farmer's market, hike DiamondHead. Things with a small price for entry like Pearl Harbor, Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace, Shangri La estate, Honolulu Academy of the Arts. More expensive activities like sunset catamaram cruises, helicopter rides, luaus, etc.

Sorry don't know about car rental. I've always just stayed right in Waikiki and gotten around on foot and by The Bus.

Allyboy,

I stayed 3 nights in Oahu a few years back, we stayed in Waikiki at the Hotel Renew, excellent boutique hotel right by the beach. From there we explored by car the North Shore, stopped by Giovannis Shrimp Truck, saw sea lions, had shaved ice, and did a local hike in Waikiki, thats just Day 1. You can easily spend an afternoon at the Ala Moana Center(mall) or enjoy shopping on the strip along the beach in Waikiki. Pearl Harbor can be easily enjoyed in the morning along with trinket shopping at Aloha Stadium on certain days. Have a good trip!

Thanks everyone for the responses. We booked the Outrigger Reef on the Beach and rented a car
through Priceline. I have lots of ideas as to what sites to see, however, would like some more suggestions for restaurants and where to see a genuine Hulu show/demonstration.

Your hotel has a couple of restaurants that i would recommend. The Shorebird is beachfront, open air, and has a very good breakfast buffet. At dinner it is Grill your own http://shorebirdwaikiki.com/
Look for coupons in the papers you can pick up on the street. Also Kani Ka Pila grill has good food and wonderful music http://www.outrigger.com/events/oahu-waikiki/nightly-entertainment-kani-ka-pila-grille

Liked the Outrigger Reef. Watched the Padres beat the Cubbies back in 1984 - all the while enjoying the view of DiamondHead out the window. http://tinyurl.com/78un9ru You can walk up and down the beach there, and there are many nearby places to dine.

As Aloha suggested - look for the coupons in the tourist mags and also ask around as to where they are having free hula shows, etc.

I think you an also lean on the deck at Duke's - sipping your beverage and "spy" the entertainment for the Luau that is/are going on at one of those nearby hotels.

Also be sure to walk in/around the (pink) Royal Hawaiian - as it's a bit of history - and they have a nice beach bar. Just imagine what it was like when that was the main hotel on Waikiki Beach.

http://www.royal-hawaiian.com/

Here it is: The Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian. Have been pleasantly hammered there a time or two with some of my law school classmates who practice in Hono - enjoying the great Hawaiian music all the while.

http://www.royal-hawaiian.com/dining/maitaibar

And for a great photo op - be sure to walk over to the New Otani Hotel and show your wife the Hau tree there. http://www.kaimana.com/

Music listings on Honolulu Weekly site, this is also a free paper http://honoluluweekly.com/calendar/gigs/
Sometimes there is a dancer with the band.

There is free hula at the hula mound on the beach, but i can't find a current schedlue for it.

The Moana Hotel is also nice to walk through, and the Banyan Veranda with its huge tree. There is a history room that is interesting.

Free events at Royal Hawaiian shopping center http://www.royalhawaiiancenter.com/info/culturalprogramming
Including hula and music

We like to eat lunch at Sam Choy's. It is in the block next to Hilo Hattie's main store, so we ride the free HH trolley, do a little shopping, go to Choy's to eat, and then ride the trolley back to Waikiki. BTW, they stop serving lunch at 2:00 pm and only have appetizers and drinks until dinner time.

Agree with having breakfast at the Shorebird, and try a burger at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

We're (self and wife) are planning a trip much like yours Allyboy. This will be my first trip to the islands and my wife's second - though her trip was back in the days of yore, before we met - abut I digress; I'm curious about rental car necessity.

I know from other reading that one generally "should" rent a car to do the island circle of Oahu and things like that. What I am curious about is -

Does one *need* to rent a car for the duration of the stay? Or is getting around without a car easy enough that one might only need a car for a day or so on each island?

I heartily recommend you rent a car - so you can drive around the beautiful island(s), beat the crowd to places such as the Navy Boat Tour at Pearl Harbor, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, etc.

You can get weekly deals that allow for you to rent from the same company on different islands if you are heading on out to one of the outer islands, which I also recommend you try.

I always start with this site: www.carrentals.com,

And as for Sam Choy's - just love it Carolyn, and you have the bonus of picking up some gifts at Hilo Hatties for those unfortunates back on the mainland. Sam's also has the best Poki. It's also fun to have dim sum in Chinatown, and oh - so many wonderful delights in Paradise.

DesertDave, although it is possible to "do" Oahu on the bus (which would take much longer than in a car), it is NOT really feasible to get around the other islands without a car.

Great advice! We are only going to be there for two days......tomsd I think I like all of your ideas! ): I am going to hike/run diamond head and snorkel some after which I will head to the royal Hawaiian for drinks! My Mom and husband will be doing Pearl Harbor and the Punchbowl. I was thinking of adding the art museum but dukes may be calling my name..lol. Thanks !

Thanks for the feedback about car rentals to this point.

Sounds like we'll need wheels on Oahu for sure. Ad for Kauai - to be honest - if that leg of the trip consists of nothing more than 5 days of me with my ass in a beach chair, I'm *beyond* good with that! This trip, especially the Kauai leg, is about unplugging and decompressing. Yes we want to sight see on Kauai but, the main idea behind being there is to 'just be'.

Factoring that info in, any adjusted thoughts?

After a couple of days soaking up the sun on the "Garden Isle" - you might get qet a bit of wonderlust. Then again - you might not!!

Anyhow - I would reommend at least one day driving around.

Once again I am overwhelmed by the generosity of all of you Fodorites with your suggestions!

I have also been given the suggestion to go to Paradise Cove for a Hulu experience. Any comments regarding this?

Also, I ended up booking my car rental with discounthawaiicarrental.com as I found them to be most responsive, helpful and cheaper with added perks like no extra charge for an additional two drivers!

www.discounthawaiicarrental.com gets good feedback on Tripadvisor and is considered reputable

Check the various tourist mags and ask around for the many Hulu/dancing exhibition choices. If you mean going to a Luau - also check around very carefully- as they have become quite epensive, and you should try to get one that is still somewhat authentic.

On Kauai - there is reportedly a good one at the Hanalei Colony Resort - beyond Hanalei - and at the Kilohana (sp)Plantation - mid island - it has also received some good reviews. That's a fun place to visit just to see the old Hawaiian style - and also - various artists displaying their works.

In general - see: http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/plan-a-trip/activities/luau

<<<Sounds like we'll need wheels on Oahu for sure. Ad for Kauai - to be honest - if that leg of the trip consists of nothing more than 5 days of me with my ass in a beach chair, I'm *beyond* good with that! This trip, especially the Kauai leg, is about unplugging and decompressing. Yes we want to sight see on Kauai but, the main idea behind being there is to 'just be'.

Factoring that info in, any adjusted thoughts?>>>

I have no problem AT ALL with just vegging, but Kauai is so gorgeous, if you haven't been before, you just have to take two drives - one to the south and west and up to Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific -- but even without the canyon part, it's the view of that side of the Napili Cliffs that's worth the drive). There's excellent hiking up that way if you're up for it (we did a long hike - Canyon? - then drove up to the Waimea Canyon lookout, which by that point was totally fogged in, but we'd been there before so it wasn't a big deal). The second is up the east side to the north shore (I don't know where you're staying). Have breakfast at Kountry Kitchen (they were OUT of macadamia nut pancakes when we were there - don't know how that's possible), and continue driving all the way to Ke'e Beach and the other beaches. ke'e is magnificent. Poke around Hanelei. Return to your chaise

Excellent tips SF and all, thanks!

We're not 100% nailed down on where we're staying yet, just looking at packages and shopping deals at this point.

Where ever we stay, "beachfront" is a must.

Sheraton Kauai is a front runner at this point. On Oahu, we're liking the the looks of the Moana Surfrider.


Oh question - some of the hotels say "Beach, non-swimmable" what makes a beach non-swimmable? My presumption is the waters are rocky or.....jelly fish infested?

If you can afford the Moana, go for it!

I think when a hotel says their beach is not swimmable, it means that there are very strong currents that can be dangerous. If there is not a reef protecting the beach, the surf has the power of the whole Pacific behind it.

hving been to kauai many many times, I say rent a car. there is nothing better than to know you CAN take a drive, and you would be missing a lot if you didn't drive to Hanalei and Ke'e beach and all the wonderful beaches in between. The canyon is also a must as are the funky towns on the way up there. we also love to just Veg out on Kauai but if you want to eat at more than what is at the hotel, you will need a car.first trip to Kauai, I would like to sugggest the Kauai Museum to see the history of it all and of course Koloa and Hanapeepe (sp) for some history and Friday nights in Hanapeepe is art night - rather fun to see. Oahu, driving is a zoo! Lots of public transprtation and even going to the north shore one can take the bus - long bus ride but so is the drive. NON swimmable beach is usually rocky or not safe because of the currents. Aloha

If you are retired military or someone in your group is active duty or retired you might check out the Hale Kola which is a hotel in Waikiki and the cost can be a real discount depending on your rank. We've stayed there and loved it.

There is so much to do and see on Oahu.

Great information here. Thanks, everyone.