Hi- We are going to Hawaii in April for 8 days. The only flights I could get are into Oahu. We are thinking of staying at Turtle Bay-waikiki just seems a little crowded for our tastes. We are coming from the East Coast and our flight doesn't arrive until 3:30 pm. Since it's our first trip, should we stay put in Oahu, or try to get to other islands. Both kids and husband have no desire to get on another plane after a 10 hour flight. Any advice on first time trips would be helpful. Thanks.

Avalon4:
I do not understand why you could only get flights into Oahu, their are flights to Kona and Maui also with one stop. I will be traveling in May from Miami and have found "decent" rates (I am waiting to see if they get better )into Maui not so much Kona. I suggest you enter Hawaii in the search and read trip reports as well as questions from other travelers will get great results. I also found (through someone here) a web side www.alternative-hawaii.com which I found to be great help. What time of the month are you going? americawest/usairways I found to have the best itineraries (as far as flight times) Hope this helps Gina

I think Oahu is a great island for a one week trip. I'd just stay there. Maybe the first night in Waikiki, then head up to the north shore for the rest of the time.

We're going Easter week which explains the flight issue. Thanks for your other suggestions.

For 8 days, I agree with Suze to stay in Oahu. I think there are posts on Turtle Bay, that you can seach on. Also, there are rentals just out of Waikiki (condos near Diamond Head) that you can check on vrbo.com. You may also want to check the Kailua area.

There are many threads about Oahu. Dusty, a regular poster here has many times listed a zillion things to do and also has many website references. There is also a thread about "why I love Oahu" or something close to that title and there is a zillion things to do and see on that thread. Oahu is a wonderful island and has just about everything anyone could want and is perfect for a first visit. It is very easy to find serenity and get away from the hubub of Waikiki. I have been to the islands over a dozen times and have stayed on all the major islands and Oahu remains one of my favorites.

We flew from Philly to HNL with a stop in LAX. We left Philly early in the morning and did not get to HNL 8:40 pm their time. We went to our hotel and crashed. But we did do an island hopper to Maui with Hawaiian Airlines later in the week. Very convenient and not badly priced.

Oahu should have more than enough to keep you busy for eight days.

The other resorts outside of Waikiki are the J.W. Marriot Ihilani and the Kahala (formerely Mandarin Oriental Kahala). Both are closer to Honolulu than the Turtle Bay yet still quite secluded from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and Honolulu.

There are private rentals available in a number of different areas on Oahu.

Lots to do on Oahu. There is plenty to keep you busy for 8 days.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

With 8 days, you also have time for another island if you want. If the kids are school age, Big Island, Hilo side would be a good choice because of the active volcano. You could spend a few days there or do a day trip as many do.

Right now there is an airfare war. You can get flights to other islands for as low as $39 (sometimes less than that).

Other info:

www.bigisland.org free brochure

www.visitmaui.com free brochure

www.mauihawaii.com

www.kauaidiscovery.com free brochure

www.kauai-hawaii.com

www.visit-oahu.com free brochure There are over 400 websites for lodging, restaurants, attractions in the brochure & on the website. Click on OVB Yellow Pages.

I would rather be at Turtle Bay than JW Marriott. Both are about 1 hour from Honolulu. But traffic to JW Marriott can be horrible.

For condos at Turtle Bay, much $$ less than the hotel rooms:

www.turtlebaycondos.com

Wow- Thanks for all the info. It will make planning much easier. Another question- I looked into the turtle bay condos any opinions. Also, I looked into and really liked the Ke Iki condos- however no availablity. Does anyone know of any bungalows similar to Ke Iki? Thanks.

You may try vrbo or great rentals both have many listings. We'll be going back for our fourth time in June and still have things we want to do on Oahu.

Aloha,
I have lived on Oahu all of my life. It's great, stay out of Waikiki as much as possible (not the real Hawaii anyway) come to Kailua we have beautiful beaches and great things to do. There is enough to keep you active for a week. Snorkle a Haunauma Bay, lay out and tan and body watch in Lanikai. Drive the North Shore. Haleiwa is a great small town to walk around too!
Mahalo

I've only been to Hawaii twice, but both times we arrived in Oahu and immediately boarded a flight to another island. Coming from the east coast made it a long day, but it wasn't that bad since the inter-island flights are short.

Turtle Bay is a lovely area but quite a distance from the hustle of Waikiki. How old are your children?

If they are teen-agers they may prefer a busier area. Here on the North Shore, life is quiet but there is always plenty to do with golf, water sports and Honolulu an hour drive away. (if you're not in rush hour traffic)

vrbo web site has plenty of rentals if you prefer independent living, as does hawaiianbeachfronts.com, stermanrealtor.com and sunsetrealtors.net. I believe they rent some of the condos at Turtle Bay.

Have a great trip.

Something else you can do on the north shore is skydive, sailplane (glider} or an ultralite at Dillingham Field. If you have ever watched the tv show Lost you can continue down the highway and see where the part of the oringinal crash scene was filmed. On your way back stop at Mokulei beach and try some Kite surfing or wind surfing.