Planning trip for 14 yr.old boy, 18 yr. old girl, hubby & me 43, 42, and grandma 80 yrs. for 7/09. 12 days staying in vrbo condo on Waikiki Beach and renting car (when to drive, when to use public & or "free" transport?) Please critique the following ideas; and add any insights, suggestions, safety concerns & general warnings! {Plan to include, to some degree, everyone in everything; watching or participating as is possible.} Snorkeling in Han. Bay - which tour provides best equipment?, surf lessons - son only - others to watch - which is best?, Pearl Harbor (AZ, MO, and BOW-) as time permits, Luau - best?, PCC?, Punchbowl, Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace; Chinatown, H. Hattie's, malls & other shopping; N. Shore drive - what's "not to miss" there?, temple, pineapple/maze tour, Diamond Head? - can't really hike much, any waterfalls worth seeing that don't require hike, ... anywhere on Oahu? Waikiki Trolley-red line, and laze on beach! Big questions: I realize this represents (2) whirlwind visits, but want to take (2) "day trips", one to Maui, one to BI. Which tour co. is best?, "Robert's" any good? Should we do air inclusive, or air "on our own,"(which airline?) and land tour only on each island? On Maui - waterfalls (again, near tour road), Iao Needle, Lahaina, Haleakala, would do Hana Drive, but (3) have terrible motion-sickness. On BI - volcano/park - lava accessable now?, only visible at night?, vog/laze issues? Kona coffee plantation, mac. nut mill, waterfalls (see above), black sand beach & souvenirs from both islands. Useful to get "G0-" cards/ent. book, or just magazine coups. for free at airport, hotels, stores, etc.? I know it's a lot to ask, but my family's depending on me for a great time, and I don't want to disappoint! I've researched lots, but would love a "local's input" and any others, too!! Not too late to scrap or add any items on the itinerary. I've read the extensive and great "helpful threads" link, already; and I thank you ALL, very much - in advance!!

Relax, laurenandbrandonsmom - You cant do it all in one trip so dont try! Hawaii will not disappoint you or your family! Have been 6 times and cant get enough of that aloha spirit! My best advice - get off the beaten path. Hawaii has so much to offer that doesnt cost a penny and those kind of experiences will make the best memories.

Oahu - We didnt have car for our entire visit but got around on public transportation ok. Dont miss Iolani's Palace (we had a great guide) & while your in town check out the State capitol; if you are there while governor is not in town ask to see governor's office (we actually had our picture taken while sitting at her desk). Pearl Harbor & Punchbowl are "must see's" - Grandma will remember & kids must see just so they learn to never forget! Warning-Punchbowl is beautiful/fantastic (one of my favorites on Oahu) but go during daytime hours/not safe at nite. For those that can hike Diamond Head, do it just to say you did. It was one of the last "hikes" I was able to do because of health problems & I'm glad I did.

Wish you were spending more time on Maui & BI-you would get a better sense of what Hawaii is really like but....Pick up brochure for walking tour of Lahaina (stop & talk to the locals; you will learn more about Hawaii than any book will tell you and the locals are more than willing to "talk story" with you); good shopping too. You wont miss much by not taking Road to Hana trip; very disappointing in my estimation. Old Town Lahaina luau is most authentic but you may not have time if your only there 1 day. And Haleakala is a must see; if you can do sunrise -great! (dress warm!) but must see anytime of day. Volacano NP on BI cant be missed; can drive yourself through or take tour - awe inspiring just for its landscape & great natural history lessons. Locals can tell you more about lava flow but thought I heard recently that it had started to flow again. If it is running into the ocean now, make sure you see at nite. Walk thru petroglyph park near Waikoloa Beach (near small shopping center); good concentration of petroglyphs & an easy walk. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is beautiful; may be boring for the kids though. Waipio Valley is a funky trip; (can take horseback riding tour there) but the trip in & out of valley is "interesting" to say the least.

Enjoy - It really is paradise!

The ideas I'd "scrap" personally are the day trips to other islands. It is not worth the money or hassle for a quick glimpse imo.

The possible exception would be an organized tour specifically to get you to the volcano area of Big Island, if that is a priority for your group.

I love Oahu and there is plenty to see and do there to fill your 12 days, at a less frantic pace.

Maui is certainly beautiful too, but I would only do it if you were able to split up your trip differently, spending 6 days on Oahu then 6 days on Maui for example.

If you are committed to the 12 days staying in Waikiki, nothing wrong with that! But relax and enjoy the area, the beach, the historical sights, some exploring around the rest of the island.

I agree with Eamc--Relax and enjoy--you won't see everything no matter what you do, so allow yourself time to soak in the lovely atmosphere and ambiance--you WILL have a good time no matter what you do

I would use The Bus to get from Waikiki to Chinatown and I`olani Palace. I would rent a car for the days you want to go to the North Shore; must-sees there include Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach--many beaches along the whole coast line. The cliffs and beaches along the southeast coast are spectacular also--from Hanauma, Sandy Beach (where you can watch amazing bodysurfers but it is generally not safe to swim), Makapu`u overlook--so that is a good area to drive. I recommend the book "Driving and Discovering O`ahu" by Richard Sullivan; it has very detailed info on sites of interest all over the island.

There are a number of surfing instructors along Waikiki Beach, where it will be easy to watch the lesson.

My personal opinion is that many of the popular tourist destinations are skippable, and I would most definitely not waste time on the Dole maze.

You will have to wait until much closer to the trip to know anything about the volcano/vog conditions--changes abruptly as you probably know from reading you've done.

I didnt see Suze's poat before I wrote ---pretty much agree w/ everything Suze said as well...

oops, POST not "poat"!

I wouldn't stay on one island for 12 days. I would split it up and spend half the time on Oahu, and half on either Maui or The Big Island.

Personally, I think a day trip to Maui is too short. There is far more to see on Maui than just getting in a tour bus and being driven to Hana and back.

If you don't want to change your 12 days in the condo, I'd suggest The Big Island for the trip, especially so the kids can visit Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. Skip all the "plantations", which are tourist traps. Go to the Place of Refuge for the history and the snorkleling.

It's also very early to be getting so super-organized that you are arranging the snorkel rentals 10 months in advance. Plan more down time for relaxing. Don't insist that everyone be able to to do the same activity, or the 14 year old will be very tired of sitting next to grandma on the bus tours.

Let Grandma stay on Oahu, if she wants to, while the rest of the family goes off to the other islands. Everyone will enjoy the break.

Thanks so much, everyone!! Lots of great ideas I hadn't considered; even some completely new things to investigate, too! I am sadly aware we can't do everything I'd listed, just all ideas I was considering and wishing to reduce with the help of posting friends like you! Keep the ideas coming!! I still have plenty of time to plan! Wondering when I should actually reserve rental car(full size, during Summer) - and how far in advance to book arrangements for day trips, should we decide to take any? Anyone know the parking cost at the airport?

With five people, you ought to rent a car the entire time on Oahu.

By the time you pay for shuttles, cabs, buses & tours you can do on your own, you won't save any $$ by not renting a car. Plus you will have spent a lot of time on or waiting for public transportation.

Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu has the best Polynesian entertainment in Hawaii.

Don't know if "grandma" can handle around 9-10 hours at PCC as there is some walking to get from village to village. They do have wheelchairs available if that would make it easier. You could also get there around 2pm for the canoe pageant & stay until the end of 'Horizons'. That would limit the number of villages, but would be easier on grandma.

http://www.polynesia.com/faqs.html#specialneeds

We rented a wheelchair for the entire time my mother came to Oahu. She could walk, but not for long distances.

Kapena Falls & nearby Waikahalulu Waterfall are the only two on Oahu that don't require much hiking. Waikahalulu Waterfall is in Liliuokalani Gardens and is about 100 feet from the parking lot. Kapena Falls requires a short hike about 100 yards or so. Neither are impressive, but they are near Chinatown & if you are in the area, they are OK to stop at.

Roberts Hawaii is a good tour company for a day trip. Don't know if I would want to pay $250-$280 each for their tour.

You can do much the same on your own either to Big Island or Maui. Probably save you a few $$ if you do it on your own.

If you want waterfalls, Maui is really nice. But, most of the accessible waterfalls are on Road to Hana. Your motion sickness may get the best of you there. But there will be frequent stops.

A Big Island day trip would be best on Hilo side. That's nearer to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and also the waterfalls in Hilo & Akaka Falls north of Hilo.

Place of Refuge & coffee farms are on the Kona side. Don't try to see the entire island on a day trip. Big Island is too big.

Considering that you are planning for 7/09, you can get the Entertainment Book for about $10 + $5 shipping if you wait until around first part of May. Between that & the coupons in the free brochures, you'll do good.

www.entertainment.com

Also for free coupons:

www.ecouponshawaii.com

www.entertainment.com/freetrial You can print 3 free coupons. Have to use them within 14 days of printing.

Dole Pineapple is OK to stop at if you are going by there anyway.

There are a lot of small shopping centers in Waikiki. There is one huge shopping center (Ala Moana Center) just across the bridge from Waikiki.

Parking at Honolulu Airport is about $10 per day.

There are a couple of good Oahu driving tours on this thread.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34812564

Send me an email if you want more info.

In order to have the most choices for your condo rental, I would try to finalize that by the end of 08. In 07 we rented a house for a week on the North Shore. By February all the beachfront properties we were interested in were already rented for our dates--first week of Aug.

The condo we wanted was already rented out to the exact date we needed in July. Thus, I had to go on and commit to it and give dates to be able to book it. Not a lot of availability oceanfront during that time for 5 anywhere on Waikiki. Since I had to know how long to book the condo for, I had to start "planning" the trip, insomuch as "what do we want to do," and "how long will that take?" Friends just back from Oahu/Maui trip said tourism down now, and no crowds. However, sounds like summer is much busier and we'll have to make plans ahead to assure we get to do all we envision!

So you have your Waikiki condo reserved already?--that's great. I would then keep researching/thinking about the specific things you want to do, realizing that many can be done whenever you like. For example, you don't need a tour to go to Hanauma Bay, and the surf lessons can be arranged any time with the guys on the beach. Also I really encourage you to build into your plans plenty of time for just strolling in Waikiki, or sitting on the sand at Sunset beach soaking up the view.

The first thing I could say is please don't waste your money on a "go card". We visited Hawaii for the first time in July,'08 and I was so excited to have found out about the "go card" and all the money that we would save. We were there 2 days before I found anybody who had ever heard of it. Unless you plan to follow the detailed outline in the booklet they send, don't waste your money on it. I didn't book every day ahead of time because I wanted to be able to plan some things spontaneously. We never found the trolley that was supposed to be included with the card. I just don't know that you really save that much money with it. Also, please don't waste your time with Germaine's luau. We were told by some people on a tour that we should avoid it but I had heard so many good things about it that we went anyway. Big Mistake! I'm sure it was good in it's day but that day has passed. You'll enjoy another luau more and there are plenty to choose from.

If you enjoy the city, you'll love Waikiki. If you're more like us and wanted a quieter pace, you'll need to get out of the city to find it. People like different things, which can be a good thing, but my opinion is that you won't get the true "feel" of Hawaii if you spend 12 days on Oahu. Please don't cross Kauai out of your plans. You can drive from one end of the island to the other in a day and see the North Shore as well as Waimea Canyon. You won't regret it and you will be in awe of the beauty that God has created.

Most of all, include some relaxation time in your plans and enjoy! Be sure to take the circle island tour (I think that's what it's called) on Oahu. The tour guides are great and informative!

Ouch! Hard to read your post without any paragraphs!!

Quick tips though:

<Snorkeling in Han. Bay> -

Drive there yourself, early in the morning, and if you don't have your own, rent equiptment there. If it doesn't fit, you'll be able to switch it. They even have masks with prescription lenses.

<surf lessons - son only - others to watch - which is best?>

Any of the beachboy stands on Waikiki beach will be fine. We always take guests there.

<Pearl Harbor (AZ, MO, and BOW-) as time permits>

Just go early in the day so you don't have to wait too long or risk having all the tix gone.

<Luau - best?>

PCC or PAradise Cove. I'd do PCC if you have the time, as I really like the park.

<Punchbowl, Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace>

All good. Iolani Palace might need advance reservations.

<Chinatown>

Get Tony Chang to take you on his tour with lunch. It is great.

<H. Hattie's>

They may not still be around. They just declared bancruptcy last week.

<malls & other shopping>

Ala Moana Center and Aloha Tower Marketplace

<N. Shore drive>

circle up from the East side of the island then around the north shore and back to town on the H1/H2. Stop at Byodo-in temple just north of Kaneohe and also stop to see the turtles at Laniakea beach temple. The maze is fairly lame, but you have to pass it as you leave the north shore, so stop and see if you want to actually do the maze once there.

<Diamond Head?>

It is a nice hike. Even Japanese tourists in heels do it. Just don't rush grandma.

Manoa Falls are only about 1/2 mile on fairly level ground. Take mosquito spray and don't do it when it's raining.

Definitely go to the Big Island and see the volcano if it is flowing at that time. I've done day trips several times. It is easy (and much cheaper than the tours!) to do on your own. Fly in and out of Hilo and rent a car. Do the volcano and park first, then Hilo is a nice place to explore until time to go back to the airport.

Don't forget to allow lots of time to relax and people watch on the beach or in Waikiki.

Thanks, JCN, for "Go Card" info. Very helpful when narrowing down which savings deals are "real." Thanks for review of Germaine's. Trying to decide between PCC and Paradise Cove, now, I think.

Sorry Lcuy, it was my 1st time posting, and I was worried it was too long, so tried to shorten by leaving out extra spaces! (BIG mistake!) Thanks for bearing with me and reading and giving such GREAT advice!!

Sorry to hear about Hilo Hattie's! Though, after last week's stock market crash, I guess we're ALL lucky if we're not declaring bankruptcy!!