First Day in Oahu
 

Hi everyone....So what did you all do on your first day on Oahu. We will be arriving and checking in around 3:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Waikiki and were wondering what we should do the first day. Obviously we would be very tired from the trip from the east coast - but too excited to stay in - so what are your suggestions????

Walk across the street to the Sheraton Moana Surfrider. Sit out on a table near the beach around the bar. Order grilled veggies with poppy seed dressing. A Lava Flow or Backscratcher. Watch the people surfing, kayaking and having fun. Wait for the soft bands and hula girls to perform. Take a photo of your travel companions with the glow of the sunset and diamond head in the background. Stroll up and down the shops and marketplace. Go to ABC and buy some fresh pineapple, papaya and mango slices. Pick up the free activity guides and see what is scheduled while you are in town.

That was inspiring, island mom! Great recommendation!

Islandmom said alot of great advice...
However My wife and I head straight to
Dukes which is right dead center of Waikiki beach. It is on the first floor of the Outrigger Hotel.
Absolutly amazing atmosphere with a perfect view of Diamondhead and it is right next door to Royal Hawaiian.
Eat early (before dinner menu begins and crowds and price increase dramatically at Dukes. Then walk next door and go back in history by taking a stroll through the Royal Hawaiian.
Then if your still awake...walk a few blocks to Waikiki blvd and you can catch live shows ( promotions) that the Polyniesan Cultral Center puts on for free to lure people their the next day...Waikiki Blvd is full of life !
Its the Las Vegas Blvd of Hawaii. After that ..
Cut through the Sheraton Wawona Hotel ( On the beach ) another famous landmark..relax and half a drink at their outdoor bar where live Hula dancing is done to calm music and then stroll down the beach with your shoes off. All of the beaches are well lit even at night by the major hotels....
I think just some of these ideas would be fun for your first evening.

ISlandmom - that was amazing - I felt like I was already in Hawaii!!! So tell me more about Lava Flow and Backscrater - are these drinks? I want to know every drink I should try out there!! :)I've only heard of Mai Tais.

Are you referring to the International Market Place?? What is that exactly and what do they have there? Is that close by??

WHAT is ABC?

RAMFAN7 - I have heard a few other people mention Duke's - do they have food other than seafood? (I don't eat seafood! :()

ABC... All Blocks Covered

ABC's are convenience store/gift shops that are about every 50 feet in Waikiki.

ABC is where you pick up everything you forgot to bring, plus drinks, etc. The prices are actually reasonable too.

International Marketplace is a very large maze of individual booths selling everything from jewelry, clothing, souvenirs, wood carvings, etc. The vendors are sometimes very salesy, depending on how the business is going lately. You can always negotiate the price and it's always cheaper if you pay cash.

I took my sister in law there and she spent the equivalent of a full day picking up all sorts of stuff. It is very convenient to the area where you are staying (short walking distance).

Duke's has burgers, salads etc. Awesome breakfast buffet! I don't eat seafood either.

The lava flow is a swirl frozen drink - forget what is in it. Backscratcher will kick your butt. Several things in that one. The Sheraton has a drink with the word "moana" in it that is their own speciality too. Most hotels have a signature drink. Of course you have the Blue Hawaii, Chi Chi, Lychee Magarita on and on..... I don't drink much so I'd have to look at the list again.

Great suggestions so far. I'd just like to add House Without a Key in the Halekulani hotel as our favorite beachfront location to watch the sunset, see a hula, and have a few drinks or light dinner.

Hey Puddy, how do ABC stores stay in business with so many of them out there? I was in Waikiki in May and there were at least 1 per block. I believe I saw 2 in the Internation Market Place separated by a single store. They seem to outnumber palmtrees.

ABC has the space in their stores down to the square inch, and, believe it or not, they are all owned by the same person. Some of their stores share a common wall!

But they know what moves and exactly how much space to devote to a certain item and how much store development the traffic will support. I don't think you'll find another business model anywhere like it anywhere in the country.

According to ABC's web site there are 65 ABC stores in total, with 38 in Waikiki alone.

Hi Hawaiihoneymoon.

I am usually coming straight from NYC so I stay in a great hotel the first night and maybe go to dinner in China town. If I get to Oahu on a Friday or Saturday night I make sure to go the Hilton Rainbow lounge to listen to Olomana. Oh watch the fire works and polynesian review by the pool with follow up fire works at dusk first though (free).

Following morning on a honeymoon I would walk over to the Royal Hawaiian for a beach front breakfast buffet. Have a great time. I am absolutely GREEN WITH ENVY.

Just to clarify ramfans ideas...I think they mean Kalakaua Avenue (not Waikiki Blvd) and the Sheraton Moana Hotel. Whatever you do, take advantage of being on East coast time the next morning and so activites that are best done early in the day- hanauma Bay, Diamond Head Hike or Pearl harbor tour. later in your trip you'll want to sleep in!

Do they still have fireworks at the Hilton on Fridays? I haven't noticed them in years.

Hi everyone - thanks for all the responses. So, from what everyone has said we are going to try to incorporate as much of everything as we can!! We are planning on doing Diamond Head the next morning - so we probably won't have much time for a romantic breakfast.

Where do you guys usually eat when you have such an early morning????? I assume we will be up and out by 4:00 a.m?

On our hawaiian honeymoon, we arrived about the same time as you from the east coast. We had some dinner, took a long walk around Waikiki and were in bed by about 8:30pm. We were up and eating breakfast at about 5:30 the next morning. Plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and an early hike to Diamond Head.

What is open that early for breakfast - or did you just eat in your room?

We stayed at Waikiki Parc Hotel and they had a breakfast buffet. We had breakfast there every morning. We were definitely not the only people having breakfast at that hour so I am sure that you will have no problems finding places that open very early.

I'm NEVER up that early unless I haven't gone to bet yet... Can't help you. Although, isn't Denny's 24 hours? Can you get into Diamond Head that early?