ejcrowe

A big thank you to all of you who helped me narrow down my choices, first of the islands to visit and secondly on where to stay once I decided that. I'm now looking forward to 2 nights on Oahu and 8 nights on the BI.

My husband will be flying out ahead of me as he has a speaking engagement with the university and the art museum, but he's going to be put up at the Ala Moana, including my first night that I arrive on the island. Now I can't argue with the free pricetag but...it's definitely not a place I would have chosen for myself. I arrive late afternoon on June 29 and we'll have to either check out on June 30 or pay for another night there with our own money. I can easily make an argument for either option. Which would *you* choose and why? I'd absolutely be up for trying another hotel/inn/resort/B&B out for one night but if the Ala Moana is fine (we'll be in the Kona wing, apparently), I wouldn't mind paying for a night there, either. At this point I don't know what a reasonable nightly rate would be--$200? We don't need glitz but we do want clean. Nice views are nice, as is proximity to beach, but not absolutely necessary, as we'll be doing some beaching on the BI.

Either way, I'll need restaurant recommendations for 2 nights in Honolulu. We won't be renting a car for that part of our trip.

We move to the BI on July 1, staying two nights in Hilo at the Hale Kai before moving on to one night at Waianuhea, and then ending with 4 nights at the Kona Village Resort. I'd love some restaurant recommendations that would be convenient to those hotels. We love everything from total hole-in-the-wall to full-on luxury and production. But for our budget we'd prefer more of the former than the latter.

As for activities, we enjoy walking but not necessarily hiking. We'll do some walking around the towns of Hilo and Honoka'a and we definitely want to do the Hilo market. But what would be some mild hikes that we could take in? A little bit of vertical climb or descent on the walks is fine, but if it's too strenuous my husband's knees can't take it. If we were to choose a single garden to visit, what would you recommend?

Assuming we have no vog issues, we'll swing by VNP one day, too. Any easy hikes there that you recommend?

What about waterfalls that are easy to get to?

I really appreciate all of the help I've received so far from y'all and I look forward to anything else you have to add. If I can ever reciprocate by giving advice about the Caribbean, I'd be delighted to do so.

matnikstym

The Ala Moana is fine. Easy walk to shopping, restaurants and the beach. I stay there when I go to Oahu. I've always gotten a room with at least a partial ocean view. As far as restaurants go you'll probably get better advice from others, but my favorite is Duke's at the Outrigger Waikiki.

In Hilo, go to Cafe Pesto, it's probably the best restaurant on this side and the food is excellent and not over the top in price. Another favorite is Kilauea Lodge in Volcano.

The best garden is the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in Onomea a short drive from Hilo.

There are numerous hikes at VNP, but depending on the vog it's hard to say which would be best. If the lava is still flowing in Kalapana that would be an easy hike for your husband and if you are going to Hawi, the hike down to Palolo Valley is not too bad.

Don't miss Akaka Falls, the walk around the park there is nice and also the walk to the falls at the World Botanical Garden is nice and the falls are incredible..but the garden itself is lacking compared to the one I mentioned above.

On the west side I like Roy's at the Kings Shops in Waikoloa and there's some new restaurants in the Mauna Lani complex that are supposed to be quite good.

Have a great time!

dusty56438

I would not move from Ala Moana Hotel.

While it wouldn't be my choice, it is decent & you would be wasting a lot of time checking out of one hotel & into another.

You can easily walk from Ala Moana Hotel to the center of Waikiki or Ala Moana Shopping Center or Ala Moana Beach Park & Magic Island.

You ought to rethink about not renting a car.

Even in a couple of days you can see much of the island with a car.

L84SKY

Last year I was in Hilo for a week on business and I ended up doing a lot of take out from Islands Natural food and deli, it's at 303 Makaala St. A nice selection of hot and cold vegetarian as well as fish and meat, organic and fresh, plus it’s very reasonably priced. It's busy so the food gets replenished often. Perfect for a picnic lunch.

matnikstym is right about the botanical garden. It's easy to get to as you go around the island, you don't want to miss it if you love gardens.
Akaka Falls is a nice little walk.

beatofhawaii_com

Concur with others: stay on at Ala Moana. Adequate.

I'll suggest Side Street Inn for a restaurant choice. Get there early or late or you'll wait a long time. You can easily walk from your hotel -- it is just on the other side of the shopping center.

Aloha,
beatofhawaii.com

Leburta

At the Ala Moana Hotel, which is quite convenient, you should ask for a room on the ocean side of the Kona Tower and above the 6th floor. If you are on the back side of the building, all you will see are other buildings. If you are on a lower floor on the ocean side, you'll be looking into the parking garage of the Ala Moana Center.
Be aware that the Kona Tower does not have lanais, although there is a sliding door to open for natural ventilation. You'll need to be in the Waikiki Tower for a lanai.

govisithawaii

For a Hilo restaurant - Try a Loco Moco from Cafe 100 for breakfast or lunch. It's a neat drive-in style place with cheap eats. Here's more about it:
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/03...ilos-cafe-100/

As far as hikes, if you can get out to see the lava, and assuming it's flowing in the same place (a BIG assumption, I know!) the hike out to see the lava is not too difficult at all and well worth the effort. Here are lava viewing tips:
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/03...and-lava-flow/

In Honoka'a be sure and stop in the fudge shop and ask for one of the homemade fruitsicles....if you like coconut at all, their coconut fruitsicle is divine!

For waterfalls that are easily accessible - in Hilo see Boiling Pots and Pe'e Pe'e falls (at the same stop) and Rainbow Falls. They are both a close drive from each other. Also do see Akaka Falls:
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04...s-akaka-falls/

Don't miss the 4 mile scenic drive. There's a view of Onomea Bay that's nice (not much parking so pay attention to people parking by the road) Also there's a small waterfall that comes out of a lava tube that's pretty neat along this drive.

As for Kona side restaurants...I agree with matnikstym's suggestion of Roys in the Kings Shops at Waikoloa village. Their three course set menu is a pretty good value. If you like chocolate at all get their molten chocolate cake. Sansei's in the Queen's Marketplace of Waikoloa is an excellent seafood and sushi place. If these restaurants are of interest, make your reservation in advance.

Hope this helps!

ejcrowe

These are all great suggestions--thank you!

Okay, so you're all pretty much suggesting to stay put at Ala Moana. That's fine with me. But if I tell you that mostly what we want to do on Oahu is see the Arizona memorial and get acclimated to the time change, do you still think we should rent a car? I thought I recalled reading that the bus system is really good in and around Honolulu.

I honestly don't think my husband and I will have much choice of room at the Ala Moana since the university has already booked it for us. If my husband and I were traveling out together, I would have no problem inquiring upon check-in for a certain location but he just won't feel comfortable doing that, I'm afraid. Do you think it's the sort of thing I could call or email the hotel to request, even though we didn't make the booking ourselves?

With or without a car, if you had basically a day and a half to spend on Oahu, and if the Arizona memorial was a must-do, how would you recommend spending the rest of your time? I assume I'll be fairly jetlagged, but I also assume it won't be any time soon that I'll be returning to Oahu, so I'd also like to try to make the most of it. We've got plenty of limin' time scheduled for our jaunt on the Big Island. (Is there a Hawaiian equivalent to the Caribbean term "liming", meaning to kick back, relax, and enjoy oneself?)

martym

Some restaurant recommendations for the BI--
Hilo Bay Café--in the strip mall by WalMart--so no view--but great, fresh food--reasonably priced; closed Sunday I think http://tinyurl.com/3mptju

Two restaurants in Waimea--which is probably a 20 minute drive from
Waianuhea--both pricy, but we have always had excellent meals at both
Merrimans
http://www.merrimanshawaii.com/
Daniel Theibaut's
http://www.danielthiebaut.com/

If you take a drive to North Kohala and Hawi--a couple of good places there
Sushi Rock
http://tinyurl.com/3scpbh
and Bamboo Restaurant. http://www.bamboorestaurant.info/

matnikstym

You could take a shuttle from your hotel to the Arizona monument or take The Bus. The shuttle would have less stops and is $11.00 round trip. Here's one site to look at, there are others.

http://viptrans.com/pearl-harbor-shuttles-from-wai.asp

leavingsoon

So nice to be able to return the favor (ejcrowe quite helpful on Caribbean board)!

Don't move. Too much hassle.

If you like exploring then do get a car. Otherwise, the bus is reliable, but we still recall the seemingly endless wait we had getting back from Pearl Harbor when we couldn't afford to take taxis. We just wanted to peek at the wardCenter- big mistake getting off the bus. It ate up a good chunk of the day in the blazing heat on a curb outside the Ward Center waiting for the next one to come around.

You do not need a car if all you want to do is stay put in Waikiki, or walk to the zoo.

I suggest first that your husband ask a colleague to find a favorite local places. As a tourist, I suggest "Indigo" in Chinatown for dinner. If you've ever been to Bali, it will remind you of eating there, if you sit outside. It was a bit more popular than the first time we discovered it. We also like Sam Choy's Diamond Head. It's not much to look at, but food delicious. But we are stuck in our ways on Oahu.

For Big Island, when you swing around the top, detour to Hawi and definitely second the recommendation of Bamboo. It just feels Hawaiian, cute town, also.

Canoe House in Mauna Lani is good. People like Browns at the Orchid, too (I don't like being near the pool).

leavingsoon

I just re-read and want to answer:

Waterfalls- Akaka! So gratifying...a huge waterfall with almost zero effort to get to! It's like right off the main road and right at the end of an easy paved path from the parking lot. Such a great time/payoff ratio!

Oahu Extra time- Stroll the path through Kapiolani Park one way along the beach and wrap around to the grassy part of the park. Visit the zoo because they have lovely birds there that are not at zoos at home. If you have lots more energy, go through the park and walk a little into that neighborhood and then return (just follow the joggers).

Be sure to go into the Moan Surfrider's lobby to see the historic displays about "old" Hawaii. If the Royal Hawaiian is open, definitely visit the ladies room off the lobby...as grand as they come...

Walk on the beach at Waikiki and dip your toes in.

Take an outrigger ride for the feel of surfing...amazing fun.

leavingsoon

Moan-A not moan!

Oh and get a cocktail under the banyan tree and pupus and watch the show.

carolyn

If you are in the Ala Moana Shopping Center, go to the Pineapple Room in Macy's for lunch or at least for their macadamia nut pie. We enjoy the buffet breakfast at the Shorebird Restaurant in the Outrigger Reef Hotel. Wonderful view of Diamond Head from the window seats or the beach out back.

I find jet lag works in the opposite direction in Hawaii. It's a six-hour time difference for me, so I'm up before daylight and then ready for bed pretty early. It's quite romantic having breakfast while watching through the palm trees as the moon sets over the ocean.

iamq

Hi Emily,
When we were in Honolulu last summer, Honolulu fodorite MelissaHI took us to dinner at Sorobol, a Korean restuarant off the tourist map. It was a delicious and fun place that I would return to again.

The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is a very interesting and well done mueseum and will give you an excellent history lesson the Hawaiian Islands.

LeslieC

I just returned a few days ago from one week on the Big Island. My comments and questions:

I didn't care for Hilo and in your short visit, I question why 2 nights there unless you will use that as a launching pad to make the drive down to Kalapana (on HWY 130) to view the lava flow into the ocean. Also, to drive up the Eastern coast a bit to see Akaka Falls and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (both worth while). The other falls mentioned (e.g., Rainbow Falls are in Hilo and easy to see).

Here's what we did which worked out great. We spent 5 nights at Hapuna Beach on the Kohala coast and then took the northern route over Waimea (digressing into Honoka'a on the 240 to see the Waipio Valley Lookout) then down the Kamakua Coast, taking the 4 mile scenic drive to see Onomea Bay and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. We stopped for lunch at What's Shakin' - a cute little place about a mile north of the gardens. Also stopped at Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls. All these were very worthwhile.

We then stayed two nights in the Bamboo Guest House at the Vocano Rainforest Retreat, in the town of Volcano which was lovely.

Dinner at Kilauea Lodge was also great (yummy Duck L'Orange!). We spent one full morning seeing the Volcano National Park, then took a rest in our cottage and changed into our long pants, grabbed the flashlights, and headed out (about a 40 mile drive) to arrive at Kalapana about 5:00 pm to view the lava flow into the ocean (check on this as it is constantly moving). Stayed till about 7:15 pm, then had dinner at a new place called Kaleo's in the town of Pahoa, which was delicious. Sat in our lovely hot tub when we returned to the cottage that night.

While on the Kohala Coast we did make the drive to up to Hawi and lunched at the Bamboo Cafe. But be sure to drive there on the Kohala Mountain Highway which is very scenic. Then you can return via the coast route which is less special.
Also be sure to go beyond Hawi all the way to the end of the highway to see the Pololu Lookout - fantastic!! Stop for a photo at the statue of King Kamehameha I on the way. Also, the ice cream parlor Tropical Dreams across from the cafe was fun.

We did the luau at the Kona Village Resort which was fun and food was very good for a luau. We did eat one night at Roy's Waikoloa Bar and Grill and the food was good and the wait staff were all charming and friendly - but the atmosphere felt more like a chain restaurant in a mall.

Had my birthday dinner at the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani hotel which was a lovely setting - boy was it expensive!

Other recommendations: Reserve a morning sail/snorkeling trip on the Fair-Wind II catamaran out of Keauhou Bay just south of Kona - great snorkeling and really fun. They sail out to Kealakekua Bay at the Captain Cook monument, which is the best snorkeling and they serve a great hamburger lunch on the boat.

Have an early dinner at a new place we discovered in Kona called Sushi En Fuego. It's upstairs at Waterfront Row on Alii Drive. Their terrace was lovely at sunset and the martinis, tapas, sushi rolls (many not raw fish) were fantastic. It's right over the water and has tiki torches.

If you have time, also try to get down to the "Place of Refuge" national park at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau which is south of Keauhou Kona. Really pretty and interesting ancient Hawaiian history.

We didn't take any major walks but we did enjoy the trail to the Petroglyphs from the Fairmont Orchid Hotel grounds, after which we followed the beachfront trail over to the hotel itself to view their pretty grounds.

Enjoy!

ejcrowe

Thanks again to everybody who has made suggestions so far. I've clicked on every restaurant link, which I shouldn't have done while hungry, so I'll have to let the info sink in before deciding which places look best to me. I also clicked on all of the links on the interactive BI map, which was fun. The Bishop museum also looks great--maybe I'll have to schedule more time in Honolulu, or maybe I'll be returning sooner than I thought!

LeslieC, I was actually thinking about adding another night in Hilo. We'll check out VNP and the lava flow from that homebase, which will take one full day (assuming conditions are right), and then we'll want to poke around in the small town, check out the farmer's market and restaurants and shops, plus the gardens, plus there's an astronomy learning center--seems to me like there's far more in Hilo than we can take in over a two night stay.

we'll see all of the eastern coast basically driving between our two B&Bs, so you and I are in agreement there.

How many people were on the Fair Wind II? I think we probably will take one snorkel trip and one helicopter or airplane tour as our big indulgences, so that's probably the next thing I'm going to research. We prefer the smaller boats--10-12 folks, maximum.

Again, thanks everybody. Now that I know our tickets have been purchased the trip feels more real to me, and hence my excitement is growing!

Leburta

How about taking a hike up Diamond Head Crater? Unfortunately, the Diamond Head farmers market is on Saturday mornings, so you'll miss it -- try to catch it next time.

bluefan

Hi ejcrowe,

Knowing how much you help others in the caribbean forums (i should know, you've helped me out on a past trip to St John), allow me to return the favor.

On Oahu, do rent a car to visit:
-Pearl Harbor - go very early or late, as it gets very crowded
-Diamond Head - a nice, short early morning hike to soak in a great view of Waikiki
-Lanikai/Kailua Beaches - IMHO, the only HI beaches that compare to the white sand/turquoise water beaches of the Caribbean
-Hanauma Bay - a special place unique to Oahu
-Tantalus Loop - lush landscape and amazing vistas of Honolulu
-Nuuanu Pali Lookout - amazing belvedere overlooking the windward (eastern) side of Oahu
-North Shore Beaches (Sunset, Waimea) and Haleiwa town (don't forget to try shave ice - Matsumoto's or Aoki's)
-Kahuku Shrimp Trucks (Giovanni's, Romy's)
-much, much more to see and having a car is the only way to go

Big Island:
-other restaurant suggestions: Pahu i'a at Four Seasons Hualalai, next door to Kona Village Resort, is a real treat. All the top resorts along the Kohala Coast have top-notch restaurants (Canoe House at Mauna Lani, Brown's Beach House at Fairmont Orchid). Outside of the resorts, there's Merriman's up in Waimea and Roy's (Kings Shops Waikoloa) as others have suggested. Up in Hawi is Bamboo. I don't know if they're still good, but I remember O's Bistro in Kona was worthwhile.
-in Hilo, there aren't any high-end choices but the unique casual, dining spots like Cafe 100 for loco moco&plate lunches and Ken's House of Pancakes will make you feel local. Try Cafe Pesto in Hilo if you're looking for something moderate.
-Fair Wind II boat takes quite a crowd (100+) and only stops in Kealakekua Bay, which is the best snorkeling that Hawaii offers. If you want something smaller and more personal, try Dolphin Discoveries (enjoyed back in '05) or Sea Quest, which also make a stop at another excellent snorkel spot, Honaunau Bay, also known as Two Steps next to the must-visit Place of Refuge
www.fair-wind.com/II_fw_overview.htm
www.dolphindiscoveries.com
- Do take in a coffee farm tour while in the Kona area (I liked the ones up in Holualoa)
- After Kauai, the Big Island is the next best island to do a helicopter ride on to view the volcano as well as the waterfalls along the Hamakua Coast and verdant valleys from Waipi'o Valley on
-It seems you already have a good list of things to see on the Hilo side: Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden, Hilo Farmer's Market besides a day set for VNP.

And although they are controversial here (I hope Bill and sistah lou don't see this), I would suggest you get the Blue Books (Oahu Revealed and Big Island Revealed) as they provide a good overlay and pictures of the islands in an easy-to-read format for a first-time visitor:
wizardpub.com/main/home.html

Have a fabulous trip ejcrowe!

bluefan

And before I forget, make sure you have a couple of good hawaiian cd's for those road trips you might take on Oahu and the Big Island; it really helps get you in the Aloha spirit quicker. Slack key guitar, IZ (Israel Kamakawiwoʻole)...whatever tickles your fancy.

it would be like the sound of steel drums, bob marley, jimmy buffet and others that help gets me 'limin in the caribbean...not that it takes much on those beaches