Hi There

My husband and are taking a 2 1/2 week vacation to Hawaii/Califorian with our 2 year old son (we are from Toronto). We are staying 3 nights in San Franciso then flying to Honolulu and transferring to Kauai right away. We have a reservation for one week in Kauai already planned.

My question is this - we have six more nights before our flight home from Honolulu. Would you spend all six nights in Oahu or would you fly to another island?

I have heard people say that Honolulu is not the nicest place in the world but the rest of Oahu sounds quite nice. I would prefer to stay there and avoid yet another flight with our small child but do you think there is plenty to do and see on the rest of the island?

We would probably only be interested in Waikiki for a day as we're not big fans of large crowds and commerialism.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Oahu would be a good choice.

Here is a thread with lots to do on Oahu.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34696831

Things for kids:

Children's Discovery Center - Located in Kaka'ako Park.

Hilton Hawaiian Village has lots of animals on the grounds (you do not have to stay there).

DFS Galleria has a walk through aquarium and also a treehouse slide.

Honolulu Zoo.

Waikiki Aquarium.

Sea Life Park - Rather expensive, but has lots of animals, a playground, a huge aquarium and several good show.

Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park - Also rather expensive. Your child is probably too young for this.

Byodo In Temple (Valley of the Temples) - Several ponds with koi (carp), black swans, ducks, peacocks.

Some hints for kids in Hawaii. The site lists some baby sitting services if you want to do a few things by yourself.

http://www.alohafriendshawaii.com/keiki.html

Look into the New Otani Hotel area for your time on Oahu. It is in a residential section near Diamond Head. There is a nice, quiet beach, the zoo and a large park to enjoy with your toddler. The hotel has suites with kitchens, which, as you know, are very handy.

Thanks for the helpful hints

Yes, lots to do with kids on Oahu. I have two myself. Honolulu is a nice clean, culturally rich city.

www.childhoodresources.org

One thing you might find nice about Waikiki is the wide sidewalks everywhere if you are using a stroller. Also there's The Bus and the Waikiki Trolley for public transportation, both easy ways to get around if you don't have a rental car.

I think the impression of Honolulu not being so "nice" is simply that it is a major city, and maybe not what people are expecting in the islands. I would spend those six night on Oahu, but maybe somewhere out to the North Shore if you don't care to stay in Waikiki.