Final touches to Hawaii trip
 

Our Sept/Oct trip is nearing final booking stages and would like some further suggestions please. We are 2 adults 2 children 12 and 15 from Oz arriving mid morning. Picking up car for 5 days on Oahu staying in villa at Turtle Bay Resort. We have 2 keen surfers and will visit north shore beaches- board hire ? how do we go about roof racks or should we get boards each day ? Thinking of Polynesian Cultural Centre,Waimea Falls, snorkelling and surfing.Day 6 fly to Maui pick up hire car. Staying 5 nights Kanapaali Villas - maybe afternoon up to crater? maybe day trip part of road to Hana (is this worth the time as I realise it will be a huge day trip and may not get all the way to Hana ?), maybe helicopter ride ? Old Lahaina Leua ( will this be too similar to Polynesian Cultural Centre?) Day 11 return to Waikiki am - need suggestions for transfer from airport to hotel : diamond head walk, my daughter has heard about a large movie screen near the water ( any ideas?),water fun park ?,last minute shopping. My children are busting to go to the airport in a stretch limo - any suggestions .All suggestions welcome !

1/about the car roof rack. I would contact your car rental company and ask the cost of adding that on to your rental and then weigh it against the separate days board rentals.
2/Polynesian Cultural Center is great for the night time show (need tickets in sdvance, most likely) You can also eat at the buffet before the show. If you do have time and money you could do the all/or most day thing there.
3/Waimea Falls is pretty, but I think pricy. It will not require too much time.
4/You might consider Sea Life Park and a leisurely drive along that part of the Oahu coast.
5/You do know about snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, right?
On Maui
1/Do the sunrise at Haleakala crater (It's worth it)
2/Hana trip I enjoy, but always leave early in the morning to avoid coming down at night. I leave by 3pm. Don't forget to go a little further on to Oheo Gulch and walk out along the trail (not very far) and enjoy the fantastic views.
3/A luau will be similar but not the same as PCC.
Back to Oahu
1/I use the Roberts transportation bus from airport to Waikiki hotels. I travel solo, may not be suitable for a family, though. Try a search on the internet for Honolulu ground transportation or similar.
2/Shopping, try the International Marketplace right in the heart of Waikiki.
3/Yes, time permitting going up to Diamond Head is nice. Look for a trolley possibly.

Enjoy :)

Polynesian Cultural Center has the best Polynesian entertainment in Hawaii.

You can skip all other luaus including Old Lahaina Luau.

Spend an entire day on Road to Hana. This is one of the most scenic drives in the world.

Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki is the one with the free movies on the big screen. It is usually about one weekend a month with a movie on Saturday & Sunday.

They are not too good at making the schedule public. You can go on this site to see when Sunset on the Beach will be:

http://www.sunsetonthebeach.net/

It has the dates & movies for March & the dates for April.

Hawaiian Adventures Water Park is nice, but not much difference than any other water park.

With 4 people, you are better off taking a cab than a shuttle.

International Market Place is really not much for shopping. Not much there. You are better off going to Ala Moana Center or even an ABC store for souvenirs. International Market place is nice to stroll through, but it only takes 15 minutes.

Thankyou both for suggestions. I will follow up.Dusty I think you also gave us some wonderful ideas for our NZ family holiday in 2006 ! I appreciate the help.

I agree with dusty, if you are going to PCC, skip the luau and save your money. Haleakala crater is pretty in the late afternoon and at sunset too. See how it will fit into your schedule (sunrise will require you to get up very early for the morning trek).

Hana, Maui ... best drive in the states, our kids (all of them) got car sick the first time
Halaelaka, Maui ..... best sunrise, if you go leave the beach @ 3am and dress warm
Sunset Beach, Oahu.... best waves, not for rookies
Pearl Harbour, Oahu .... history have to have history
Nurse Beach, Kauai .... movie South Pacific
Snorkeling ... do a "trip" the lagoons can be cloudy. don't miss the humuhumunukunukuapua'a fish

I think we all do this, drop family and luggage off at and airport THEN dad takes the rental back and returns to the airport. Note, my husband did get on the wrong shuttle at Avis and went to the pier not the airport. That was on Maui. Yes, sweetie it is out there now.

Lots of info including some Maui sites:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

Wherever you rent boards on North Shore you're going to have to haul them to wherever you're surfing. Contact the concierge at Turtle Bay before you get there and they should be able to give you all the surf rental info you need. Better surfing for beginners on Waikiki - North Shore is serious stuff although Sept/Oct. might not be too bad.

PS - Waimea Falls is not pricey! It's a nice, easy hike with a freshwater fall at the end. Wear your swimsuits. That can be a quick hike or a leisurely one depending on what you make of it.

maui is not the island for helicopter rides. skip it.

agree entirely with dusty and others above.

as you are not going to the big island, you may want to follow the road on maui all the way to the south, past makena beach to the bitter end, because it eventually turns into incredible lava fields of rocks- big giant brown and red boulders all the way down to the sea! it is just like you might imagine being on the moon. these raw fields are a common sight on the big island, but not on maui and if you go you will never forget it.

you can do it on the day you visit wailea for lunch/shopping. well worth the trouble. don;t swim, though, tides can be deceiving down there.

at the very end there is a historical marker. if you have the corrcet footwear, there is even a hike, but lava is very much like coral- razor sharp with the potential to draw blood easily.

kerikeri :)