Hawaii
 

I have read so many negative things about Honolulu that I'm wondering if it's worth the cost to go there. Is there a lot of crime and how are the locals towards the tourists?

Honolulu is hectic. But, it is worth visiting the island. I thought Oahu was becautiful. Most people visit Oahu to at least visit Pearl Harbour. But, there are also beautiful beaches, good snorkeling, Japanese temples, and just gorgeous scenic beauty in and around Oahu.

I had the same thoughts regarding Oahu... why go to a busy metropolitan area in beautiful Hawaii when its noted for its natural beauty.... however... Waikiki and the surrounding area has its own special magic... we spent 4 days at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, surfing at Dukes on the Beach, and enjoying the atmosphere as well as using the hotel as a home base for touring the island.... It was a busy but great 4 days and a great introduction to Oahu... do it at least once!

My first choice would be Maui.
If you go to Oahu, I would stay in the North Shore area. Very beautiful.
If you stay in Honolulu, Hilton Hawaiian Village would be a good choice. I, too enjoyed the Arizona Memorial. But, be advised, Honolulu is just another big city.

IMO if Hololulu is "just another big city" then Lahaina is "just another small town."

There are advantages for some people who travel to staying near or in the city and trhat means there are a LOT more things to see and do.

If you don't like being in a place like that then stay elsewhere.

Maybe the above poster's quote should read, <i>&quot;IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, be advised, Honolulu is just another big city.&quot;</i> Honestly, I'm baffled by those type of comments. :-?

lighthouse, consider all opinions of those who travel to O'ahu. Many contributors to this board love traveling here. If you do a search, you will find much reading to keep you busy... trip reports are a great source of info.

Don't miss this thread that never seems to die... ((R))

http://fodors.com/forums/pgMessages....p;tid=34515901

Aloha... and happy planning!! ps. I love O'ahu and can't wait for my next treck there! &gt;:D&lt;

I absolutely love Honolulu. I've been twice in the past two years and will return this next winter. I have never experienced crime or bad attitude from anyone. I stay in Waikiki.

My cost is not that high, as I get great airline deals from Seattle, and stay at moderate hotels.

&lt;Honolulu is just another big city.&gt;

I could not disagree more strongly!! It is a magical place. I have never been ANYwhere else like it.

lighthouse, I thought you already went to Oahu in September 2004?

MelissaHI

We did not get to go in 2004 because of the death of my father so we are trying to go again in 2007. I'm one of those people who have not been out of their element much and I have been going by what I have read on different sites. I appreciate everyones comments

Thanks

Honolulu is a great cityu.

Oahu is a nice island.

Lots to do on Oahu:

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

I think the plane landing at Honolulu airport is one of the most exciting of any destination I've been. After a LONG ride over all that water, to see the island, and the city skyline below... it is simply breath-taking.

There are homeless people on the streets of Honolulu. None have ever bothered me, but it is disconcerting to see folks sleeping rough, in the parks, etc.

Count me in as another happy visitor to Honolulu! I agree that even at the airport you can feel embraced by the tradewinds and sense perfumed flowers in the air. Waikiki is busy, but you can choose to participate in the activities or not. My husband and I love to unwind on the weekends by walking down to Kapiolani Park. We sit in the grass with a view toward Diamond Head and just enjoy a few families or cyclists who have come to the park to relax. It's remarkable to think how close it is to the hubbub of Waikiki. The North Shore is marvelous too, but don't skip Honolulu. I think that crime is more likely to occur to the unwary. We've never had a problem, but we also don't make ourselves targets. Enjoy your trip and think of all the people who would love to be there in your place!

If you look at a map of Oahu you will see that Honolulu is a small part of the island. The only palace in the US is in Honolulu as Dusty and others have said there is much to see and do on Oahu. It also has more beaches than any of the other islands and it costs less since it also is the most populated.

Aaaah, sorry lighthouse. Anyway, as many have opined here, Honolulu and Oahu are great to visit. Crime is no more different from any other metropolitan city. If you look at the threads on Oahu, you'll see that there is a ton of stuff to do, and you can find peaceful areas just 10 minutes in either direction out of the main metro area. As with any city--treat the locals and the culture with respect and they will do the same for you.

SOOO many people tried to talk my husband and I out of going to Honolulu when we were choosing two islands for our summer trip. We were told it was just &quot;Las Vegas on the beach.&quot; For some reason, our gut feeling was to go there anyway (chose BI as the other island). We COULD NOT have loved it more. We even looked at housing prices there! There is something amazing about having a busy, convenient city right next to these snorkeling coves and mountain ranges and white-sand beaches. And Waikiki beach is just <i>different.</i> You forget you're in a city, though it's nice to be able to walk to so much activity. We felt safe everywhere. Locals are super-nice, as long as you're respectful.

Also, the eastern beaches and the north shore are heaven. ((R))

Suze,
Could you suggest a few moderate hotels in a good area close to beaches and dining for the first-timers? thank you

lighthouse, I'm not picking on you, but very little gets me angrier than people who complain about Honolulu being a big city, so I can't hold my tongue. It takes about two seconds of Googling to see that Oahu has a population 876,156 per the 2000 census. If this is not what you want out of a vaction to Hawaii then just skip it rather than going, hating it, and returning and talking trash about a lovely island that never could have met your expectations. As far as upsetting me, this group of people is closely followed by those who spend one day or even less than a day on Oahu just to see Pearl Harbor and form their opinion of the island based on seeing an industrial harbor and military base.

Merry -- those are the same people who told us to stay away from HNL. Everyone who warned us it was &quot;too city&quot; eventually admitted they had only flown through it on the way to Maui or stopped in to see Pearl Harbor. Maybe if they'd seen Sunset Beach or Kailua Bay they'd have a different opinion!

My brother, a backpacking kind of guy, just spent a week on Oahu in a condo on the Diamond Head side of Waikiki. His wife is more of a shopping/ city girl. They did a combination of nature/hiking, museums and shopping and he had a great time.

Count me in as an Oahu devotee! I LOVE this island! I've been to Maui several times and also to the Big Island, and while they are both wonderful - Oahu is my hands down favorite. I begin planning the next trip before the plane takes off so that I can stand to come home at all!

Like someone before me mentioned - there is something magical about arriving in Honolulu - the view from the plane, the smell of the flowers and feel of the tradewinds when you walk through the airport - there's nothing like it (IMHO). It IS heaven on earth to me.

Oahu has so much to offer - especially for first-timers. History, culture, beautiful places to explore, beaches to die for, great shopping, dining &amp; nightlife. The locals are kind and happy to talk with you as long as you are kind to them. IMO you cannot get a true apprisal of Hawaii without experiencing Oahu - Waikiki, the North Shore, Kailua, Lanikai, Makaha, etc.

As far as crime goes - I don't know where you might go to escape it - every place has it's share. Just be wise and don't leave valuables in a rental car, don't be a target as another poster said. Relax and enjoy the Aloha spirit which is alive and well and in abundance on Oahu.

For Needsun (sorry just now saw your question):

I like: The Breakers, The Hawaiian Hotel, Royal Grove, and next month will be staying at the Hawaiian King. These four (the first two are the high end of moderate the last two more budget basic) all have the &quot;island&quot; atmosphere I seek. Iliana is another one in this catagory but I don't like their pool.

It is no problem finding cookie-cutter high-rises in Waikiki at lowish prices but these hotels I like are more unique with a sense of the spirit of aloha, but lacking any fancy luxury ammenities.

www.hawaiianahotelatwaikiki.com

oops, The Hawaiiana Hotel (i lost an 'A' above!)

oh and i can't take credit for knowing about that particular hotel, as it first came to my attention years ago (interestingly enough) from BashfulLV who posted above!

Suze,
thank you so much for the hotels. I will definitely book one of them. I am not planning to rernt a car. i do not feel comfortable driving in a city that I do not know. Moreover, the posts on Oahu say that there is pretty good public transportation. Do you know if the hotels that you recommended close to bus lines?
Thank you

Yes all 4 of those are centrally located.

I'm making my third trip to Waikiki next month (January 07). The first 2 times solo and using only public transportation. It was fine.

I don't know when you're going but contact the Royal Grove asap for the cheapest prpice. I was real excited about trying them next trip but when I called the extremely friendly lady who answered the phone just laughed and said &quot;Oh honey, we're booked solid... Dec, Jan, Feb!&quot;

Breakers and Hawaiiana are great choices if $125/night is OK for your budget.

Like I said above, there are plenty of ugly cheap rooms to be had in Waikiki, but these hotels got some &quot;aloha&quot; goin' on.

'The Bus' runs near to any central hotel. There will be a bunch of options simply by walking to the nearest main street. Ask the hotel front desk which bus # route is the line that best serves your area, and where you are going (down to the Zoo, out to Ala Moana mall, into Chinatown, etc.)

Suze- I read another post that said the Hawaiiana and Breakers are in that major construction zone on the beachwalk (I think you were on that one also). I don't know how long that construction is going on.

I know. And I will report back after my trip next month. One poster who stayed at Hawaiiana in September (review on Trip Advisor) said the construction noise was minimal and not a problem once you were in the hotel courtyard and grounds. The front desk at the hotel said the same in reply to an email I sent with this same question.

Hi Suze- that's good to hear that the front desk was honest and open about the noise factor. We'll look forward to your report after your trip. :-)

That's one thing I appreciate about the hotels I use, that you can actually talk to a person/staff when you call. The other larger places (Queen Kapiolani as a recent example) you just end up in reservation switchboard h-e-double-l when you call.

Suze,

Please reconsider renting a car. We did that for one day and found the driving easy going. We did not get lost, and Hawaiians are not crazy drivers.

You can take a tour of the the island, but you will not have the freedom to explore the beach parks. When we rented our car, we were able to snorkel in Hanauma Bay, visit and swim in Kailua Beach, and sightsee the Na Pali Cliffs, Byodo-In Temple, the pipeline surfers on the North Shore, and visit the Audubon Society.

This self-drive auto tour was the highlight of our stay in Oahu. We still talk about returning to Oahu to swim at Kailua Beach and snorkel in Hanauma Bay.

Thank you Flyingmaltese for the car recommendation.

I will consider a car for 1 day this trip because I am going with a friend. In the past I've always been solo, and really didn't want to take it on alone.

I would never do an organized island tour well because I'm just not that type.

We always spend 4 or 5 days in HNL before leaving for a 3 week stay in Maui. We come from an incredibly small midwest town...not a single stop light...so for us, the hubbub of HNL is great fun. The &quot;AVE&quot; has a carnival atmosphere at night and such a fun place to people watch. We use the bus or just walk everywhere. As in all big cities, there's an element of crime but by being aware of your surroundings and not putting yourself in dangerous predicaments, it's not a worry. There are a billion things to see and do there!!!

I've had plenty of trips to all four of the bigger Hawaiian Islands and Honolulu is my least prefered city.

I love Hawaii, but I really love Kauai and the north east shore of Maui.

Honolulu is a city. Along with it comes all the problems of a city.

The beauty in the islands of the pacific are not in the cities.

Bart

I have to disagree -- I found plenty of beauty in Honolulu. Waikiki Beach is gorgeous! The locals were friendly (probably because we were) and we didn't feel unsafe at all. My husband hates big cities, and when we left Oahu, he agreed that he could move there tomorrow and be happy. And the areas of Oahu outside Honolulu are gorgeous even for the most city-phobic traveler...I think it would be a mistake to discount the whole island based on the city.

Honolulu is a big city, which is precisely what makes it so interesting. It is a large city on a tiny island, and it has the good and bad that go with any big city.
That said, however, it is also a big city that is always warm, almost always has a breeze, and the sun is usually shining. There aren't many big cities that offer that kind of weather year-round.
There are also so many things to do on Oahu too that do not have to involve the city. The North Shore is a small town, a short drive but a world away. The other parts of the island are interesting too; drive up the eastern shore through small towns instead of taking the highway straight over the middle of the island. It's pretty stunning a lot of the way. Mountains that drop directly into the sea, the greenest greens, clouds hanging low over the sea.
There's a reason that most visitors go to Waikiki and Oahu. It really is a magical place. The other islands are incredible as well, but it'd be a shame to miss Oahu because you heard that it's crowded or too busy.

I think statements like Bart's last one truly need a big &quot;in my opinion&quot; along with them. I love Honolulu and think it is a totally unique and absolutely gorgeous city.