Hawaii for Non-Beach People
#21
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you go to the BI rent a 4X4 and drive to the top of Mauna Kea. Its one of the few places where you can drive to 14,000 feet. The sunset way down below is phenominal. Stay for the Star-Gazing at the visitor center. They set up powerful telescopes, show you lots of celestial bodies, and point out the constellations. You won't forget the view.
Volcano national park. There aren't many places where you can toast marshmallows over a red hot lava flow. Our kids got a huge kick out of that. Wear long pants, good hiking shoes, and take a couple of very good flashlights if you go at night. Depending on where the lava is flowing it can be a short or fairly long hike to get to the flows. The Park service does a good job of marking a trail, but it is rough and uneven as it is all new fractured lava. Last time I was there lava was flowing to the ocean, what a view that is.
Rent a kayak and paddle to the middle of Kealeakakua (little grass shack)Bay early in the morning and let the wild dolphins find you. They will put on the show of your life. They were jumping close enough to our kayaks to take decent pictures with a disposable underwater camera. Just ask the guys who rent the kayaks where to go and what to do. Its easy and its a kick.
Lots more, but for non-beach types this is a good starter, all of these full day (or evening in the case of Mauna Kea) activities.
Volcano national park. There aren't many places where you can toast marshmallows over a red hot lava flow. Our kids got a huge kick out of that. Wear long pants, good hiking shoes, and take a couple of very good flashlights if you go at night. Depending on where the lava is flowing it can be a short or fairly long hike to get to the flows. The Park service does a good job of marking a trail, but it is rough and uneven as it is all new fractured lava. Last time I was there lava was flowing to the ocean, what a view that is.
Rent a kayak and paddle to the middle of Kealeakakua (little grass shack)Bay early in the morning and let the wild dolphins find you. They will put on the show of your life. They were jumping close enough to our kayaks to take decent pictures with a disposable underwater camera. Just ask the guys who rent the kayaks where to go and what to do. Its easy and its a kick.
Lots more, but for non-beach types this is a good starter, all of these full day (or evening in the case of Mauna Kea) activities.
#22
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,694
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is a small simple thing, but I love flowers and plants and one of things I really enjoyed was the visit to Waimea Falls on Oahu. In the botanical garden all those gorgeous flowers and tropical plants are labelled! Okay, it's a little geeky but I had a great time there. My beach buddies who were with me were not as entertained
#23
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I saw your title I thought it was my post of a couple of years ago! We too are not beach people but received lots of advice from the forums - Frommer even put my post in his Budget Travel magazine.
We ultimately spent 15 days there, 5 each on Oahu, Big Island, and Maui. We found plenty to do on all three islands. We rented cars on Maui and Big Island for the entire stays there, and for 2 days on Oahu. We circled the islands, stopping whenever and wherever we wanted and saw so many fascinating areas so different from our northeast coast home area. It was one of our favorite vacations.
We ultimately spent 15 days there, 5 each on Oahu, Big Island, and Maui. We found plenty to do on all three islands. We rented cars on Maui and Big Island for the entire stays there, and for 2 days on Oahu. We circled the islands, stopping whenever and wherever we wanted and saw so many fascinating areas so different from our northeast coast home area. It was one of our favorite vacations.
#24
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 209
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I also had a work trip last year, while I enjoy the beach and had a great time. My father joined me for a week there and he is definitely not a beach person. He found a lot to do though. Honolulu has some great museums. While I was at work, he went to the Bishop Museum, the Punchbowl Cemetary, the zoo, the Maritime Center by Aloha Tower, and he took a submarine ride out to the coral reef. We went together to Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Menorial and the USS Missouri. We took hikes to Manoa Falls and Diamond head. We went to a couple luau's at the Polynesian Culture Center and Paradise Cove. We took two days to go to the Big Island and Volcano National park. We visited the Volcano and also drove to South Point and the historical site of Puuhonua O Honaunau Sanctuary. I know this sounds like a lot, but we took it pretty easy while we were there. This was all in 9 days, two weekends and the week in between. A great local restaurant in Honolulu for real Hawaiian food is Ono Hawaiian Foods.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Hopeline
United States
10
Jun 4th, 2010 10:29 AM