hawaii for the first time
 

I'm going to Hawaii at the end of June for the first time with my husband. We have never been to Hawaii and are not sure where we should stay. We're considering staying in Oahu as we both like to shop as well as have down time. We're both in our early 30s. There are so many hotels in Oahu that I'm struggling to choose one. I've noticed there's still availability at quite a few hotels. Two hotels I've considered are Hilton Hawaiian and Ala Moana Hotel. Any advice would be great.

My first visit to Waikiki I stayed at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider. I liked the sense of history, location and architecture of this hotel. I do regret not spending time on Oahu however, particularly the North Shore and windward side of the island.

The Ala Moana Hotel is definitely close to shopping, and is just outside the hustle & bustle of Waikiki. The Hilton is at the edge of Waikiki and is more of a resort (but very popular).

Is there any availability at the Waikiki Prince? It's a 5 minute walk from the mall and beach and a very nice hotel.

Oahu is one of my favorite islands, especially when I was younger. It really has some of everything. I think it's a perfect choice for a first time visitor.

I'm another fan of Waikiki. Of the 2 hotels you mention, I'd pick HHV because it is closer to central Waikiki. Ala Moana out near the mall, is a bit out of the way since I like to do everything on-foot.

We haved stayed at the Prince and at the Hawaiian Regent which is now a Marriott..I much prefer the location of the Marriott.

"Is there any availability at the Waikiki Prince? It's a 5 minute walk from the mall and beach and a very nice hotel."

Melissa, Waikiki Prince is near King's Village. Only a couple blocks from International Market Place.

Hawaii Prince is 5 minutes from Ala Moana Center & Ala Moana Beach Park..

Good Waikiki map. It has a magnification feature now.

It also has most of the hotel changes:

http://www.spotlighthawaii.com/Spotl...kiki-2007a.pdf

Lots of Oahu info:

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

OOPS! I meant Hawaii Prince. My bad!!!

i have been to hawaii two times and im 30. the first time was to maui when i was 19, the second time was 2yrs ago to oahu and i loved maui. in maui we went to a really cool luau that was really authentic and went shopping in a town called lahanni, took a glass bottom boat tour, visited a botanical garden, it was beautiful.
when i went to ohau my husband and i stayed in a condo right on the beach and it was really nice, we were about 35 min from the honolulu airport and it was really peaceful. we went snorkling right off the beach we stayed on and took a drive to the north shore, went to wakkiki which was crowded and we went to a luau which was a little different than the one we went to in maui, enjoyed the luau in maui much more, but it was still nice. i loved both islands if you surf maui is prob good for that but i would say any trip to hawaii will be amazing, look into renting a condo in ohau it will be private. either way enjoy! in maui my sister has a timeshare so i stayed there, like i said tho, any place on the islands im sure will be great, its hawaii!

Hi, suki! I went to Hawaii for my first trip last fall. It was wonderful. We went to BI and Oahu. I don't think you could go wrong visiting any island, though, because it's so beautiful and unique. You will have a great trip no matter what you decide! :)

thanks for all the tips. I've now booked my flights and arrive on the 6th July. I looked at booking at the Ala Moana Hotel but the price has jumped from $139 a night to $319 a night. It's only 6 nights later than I was originally arriving. I don't understand how the price can go up so drastically. Is this normal? Also, is Ohau the best island for shopping, or is Maui just as good?

Honolulu/Waikiki is a large city and has excellent shopping. For $300+ you can get all kinds of hotels around Waikiki (that's a lot to me). Again I would not stay at Ala Moana because it is out-of-the-way imo. For that price can't you get in one of the beachfront hotels on Waikiki?

agreed..I would never have chosen that hotel either..To be honest, I have never considered Hawaii a shopping mecca so maybe I am clued out as to where I should stay..don't think you will get the true flavour of Hawaii at that hotel.

Suki, It sounds like you want to find something close to the first rate quote. The HHV is a very nice place and close to many things yet almsot like a resort by itself. There are several good places in Waikiki close to the beach and the rate you saw. In addition the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio is about two blocks from the beach and close to Kapiolani Park and the Waikiki Shell.
Ohana/Outrigger and Resortquest are two othercompanies with several properties in Waikiki.

I have definitely ruled out Ala Moana. I've been on websites all day reading up on hotel reviews. Unfortunately the hotels I really like the look of are W Hotel, Moana Surfrider, Hyatt Regency, but they are all really expensive. I've read some good comments on Outrigger on the beach and Waikiki Parc Hotel, can anyone recommend one over the other? I'm happy to pay up to $220 a night. Also, does anyone know how long it takes to drive from Waikiki to Sunset Beach?

We are Marriott rewards members and are staying at the Waikiki Marriott for $200 a night in August. It's a city view room It gets fairly good reviews and friends that have stayed there have good things to say too.

suki, if you want to take a chance with priceline, go to biddingfortravel.com and study, study, study. I have seen where several have gotten the Hyatt for a good price. A couple of years ago, we got the Marriott for a tremendous price, and just his year got the Prince. The Ala Moana is also coming up on priceline.

Have fun and let us know what you decide to do.

iamq, if you act real nice like....the Marriott is great about doing upgrades.

"Also, does anyone know how long it takes to drive from Waikiki to Sunset Beach?"

About 1 hour

I have been to Hawaii many times because I have family who live there. I love Oahu. It has so many advantages - there is world class shopping, the best beaches (go to the north shore beaches - Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea, but be careful and only swim where there are lifeguards. I am a strong swimmer and the rip currents on the north shore can be serious.)
I love the historical places like the the Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Pearl Harbor Memorial.
My favorite snorkling spot is Hanama Bay. But check to see if you can get reservations - otherwise go really, really early. Check with your hotel to get more information. It is the best place to see and swim with literally hundreds of different fish.
Many people love Maui, but I find it ok. There is not as much to do. I get a little ansy on Maui after a couple of days.
Kauai (the garden island) is beautiful. It is like being in Hawaii the way it was 50 years ago. I love the north shore best, but the south shore is nice too. You can rent a car and drive from one end to the other in an hour or so. It is very quite, but nice if you love hiking.
Aloha and have a great time.

It takes about 1 hour to drive from Waikiki to Sunset Beach with no traffic. You can best achieve this by driving on a weekday, starting out no earlier than perhaps 8:30 a.m.

If you drive there on a weekend, starting at around 10 - 10:30 you will encounter lots of traffic that comes to a crawl once you approach Haleiwa. At that point parking is hard to find too.

Hi

I've been to Hawaii twice and stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (using my points) and loved it. I also visited the Hilton on Kona and didn't like it as much as the HHV in Oahu.
For shopping, Oahu is very cosmopolitan and has all the major stores. For souvenoirs I highly recommend going to the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. It's huge and you can get great deals. You can get 10 t-shirts for $20, numerous beach towels for $20, etc. It's held every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. If you can go on Wednesdays as it's not as crowded and there's less traffic on the road so you get there a lot faster. The HHV has a shuttle which takes you there and picks you up. Check with your hotel to see if they offer free shuttle service. Aside from the Swap Meet, prices are very high on the resort properties which is to be expected.
You'll love Hawaii!!!
Enjoy

thanks everyone for all the advice. I can't wait to go to Hawaii, I've talked about going for 10 years now and the plane trips have always been too expensive from Australia. Does anyone think 10 nights is too long in Oahu?

Nope, not too long.......you'll be crying when you leave after 10 nights.

Hi Suki Lane:
Ya - not only will you be crying when you leave Oahu like I do, but you may end up like my sister. She and two girlfriends went to Honolulu for spring break (from the mainland). She fell in love with Hawaii and a "cute guy" and never came back! She's happily married to him and still in Honolulu twenty five years later.

I would suggest you also go to Maui for a few days. It has better beaches with great snorkeling in my opinion, gorgeous volcano and other state parks to explore, and great shopping. Waikiki is so crowded and after a day at the Ala Moana, that's about all the shopping I want to do.

If you have 10 days, I think you should definitely try 2 islands. There is so much to see and do in Hawaii, and the islands are so different from one another. My husband and I went to Maui for our honeymoon and loved it.

Last year, we went to the big island and to Kauai. For us, Kauai was the most beautiful; we did the helicopter tour of the coast, and it's probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. On the big island, we hiked out to the volcano at night and watched the lava flow into the sea - amazing. Oahu is much more developed than the other islands, but it does have a lot to offer. All depends on what you're looking for.

Hi suki-lane

Have just finished unpacking after 6 nights in Hawaii at the end of a month long USA adventure.

We stayed at the Aqua Ocean Tower which is no more than 100 metres from the beach. An older hotel with rooms a little tired but very clean. The hotel is undergoing refurbishment (you don't see the work though) but the service and personal care (home baked cakes delivered to your room, champagne, fresh leis etc) is unmatched and if you could book one of the newly refurbished rooms you would be thrilled as they are lovely. Not as flash as a lot of the other hotels but with a sense of Aloha and welcome that is unique.

Next door is the Waikiki Resortquest with Tiki's bar and Grill. Entertainment each night by torchlight.

This end of Waikiki is near Diamond Head. Close enough to all the shops and the trolleys stop right outside, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle.

We hired a convertible,spent the morning at Pearl Harbour and then left at 1pm to drive round the island. Stopped along the way and were back in Waikiki by 7pm. Visited Dole Pineapple plantation but it's nothing like the one in Queensland.

Spent a few hours at Huanama Bay snorkelling. Not coral like we expect in Australia, more like a grey rock, but quite a large variety of fish. A little difficult to snorkel as water is shallow and subject to swell.

I hope you enjoy Hawaii as much as we did....take plenty of sunscreen as it was hot enough in May!

Aloha Annie

I lived in Hawaii back in the 1960's and have been back several times since.

I would agree that with ten days you could do a second island and everyone has their preferences.

However, do not rule out the other beaches on Oahu besides those on the "north shore" and these would include Sandy (or Sandy's as some call it) Beach as well as Makapu'u; some folks also like Waimanalo.

As to which, if any, other island to visit..hard choice to make.

I am sure you'll enjoy yourself whatever you decide.

Volcano girl would you recommend Kaui over Maui?

suki, you're going to love Hawaii! I've been to the four main islands. Oahu is my least favorite, but I never went to the northshore, and we're not much into nightlife, so that may be the reason. We also prefer places that don't have a big-city feel.

Maui has lots to do, and is the second most-crowded island (after Oahu). There are lots of hotels, condos, restaurants, etc. It has lots of beautiful beaches and sights.

Kauai, I think, is the most beautiful of the islands. If you like snorkeling, hiking, beautiful scenery, you would like Kauai, but there's not much in the way of nightlife.

We returned a few months ago from a 10-night trip to the Big Island, and it was fantastic! We split our 10 nights at 3 different places (Kona 3 nights, Volcano area 2 nights, Kohala Coast 5 nights) and loved our time there. This island has the active volcano and lots of sights. But it really is big (hence the name!!), and to see all the sights you have to drive a little more.

Right now, the Big Island and Kauai are my favorites, although the list changes occasionally. Maybe you could go to the library and check out some books on all the islands, and you can get a better idea of which one suits you best.

Have a great time planning!

It is such a difficult decision. Samsaf, do you prefer the big island to Kuaui? I've read so many reviews today, and everyone seems to rave about BI. I also spoke to a travel agent today who said it was his favourite island. I definitely want to spend about 6 nights in Oahu, and would like a few nights on a picturesque island with beautiful beaches. I think I will need a few nights to relax.

Suki, if I just had four days, I would go to Kauai. It's smaller, and you can go to both the north and south shore in that amount of time.

I like the Poipu area, but a lot of people like the north shore area better. The north shore area is more lush and, I guess, more beautiful. The south side (Poipu area) is more tropical-looking.

But remember, there's not a lot of shopping in either Kauai or on the Big Island. If you click on my name, you can read my trip report from Oct/Nov 2006 to the Big Island. I don't think I have posted a trip on Kauai (we have been to Kauai twice).

Please let me know if you have any more questions. I love talking about Hawaii!

Hi, Suki-lane, Yes, our own personal preference would be for Kauai over Maui. We loved Maui, but then we went to Kauai and were so amazed at the Na Pali Coast. I will never forget the helicopter ride. We also found Kauai to have the best snorkeling of all the islands. We had good snorkeling in Maui, but AMAZING in Kauai.

It may just be our perception, but Maui seemed more expensive than the other islands as well and more developed than Kauai. Have a wonderful trip!

Maui is most definitely more developed than Kauai and has been a popular golfing destination for folks from the Far East and that alone has added considerable "visitor" infrastructure and visitor volume.

If I had to choose between those two I would definitely pick Kauai since I suspect it will be less crowded.

suki_lane, I'm with the others on this one. Definitely Kauai for the extra 4 days. It's just so beautiful and laid back. We have only stayed on the Coconut Coast which is near the middle of the island. We like that since we can drive north or south for the day once we check the weather conditions.

You are going to love whichever island(s) you go to so don't fret and stress a lot over which island.

Happy planning.

((r))

thanks everyone. I think I'll go to Kauai, after reading so many good things about it. I've booked the Moana Surfrider in Oahu. My travel agent got us a good deal there. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel in Kauai? I would like to stay in a hotel with a nice pool and nice rooms.

We stayed at the Kauai Marriott Resort in Lihue. The rooms were comfortable, but we were amazed by the pool. It's the biggest one in Hawaii, or at least it was when we were there, It's gorgeous with lots of bridges and columns and hot tubs. We stayed there because my husband travels a lot for business, and we had enough points to stay for free, but we'd stay there again. I believe the North side of the island is more luxurious if that's important to you - great beaches up there. I think Tunnels and Ke'e were the ones we went to.

We liked the Poipu area too; it had the best snorkelling when we were there. Literally just waded in off the beach and saw a huge variety of beautiful, colorful fish. I don't know if it's always that way - some of the locals were commenting on how good the snorkeling was that day, but we loved it. Spouting Horn is fun to see too; it's a geyser on the beach where water sprays up through the rocks.

You will LOVE the Moana Surfrider...it's like going back in time. Sit on one of the rocking chairs on the front porch and watch the world go by.

suki_lane:

you asked why the prices went up so drastically for july 6, unfortunately you have your tickets already, but july 4 is kind of the largest national celebration all year and you would have had a shot at fireworks displays in oahu, for sure.

therefore, july 6 is part of a rare holiday period and therefore hotel prices go up as people tend to take extra days surrounding the official holiday to make a vacation.

the shopping is best on oahu with maui a close second, but you've done really well to have chosen kauai for scenery.

just sad that you won;t get a look at volcanic rock, as that is something you won't see in oz. you can find lava fields on maui and big island, but i have not ever seen one on kauai.

definitely plan on swimming in hanalei bay - it will be like a giant lake in july - and a drink in the lobby of the priceville (or just a gawk in the lobby of the princeville) on the north shore.

you will find souvenir shops on all the islands, but for serious american-style shoping, the ala moana will make you dizzy. less congested and much more interesting are the shops just about 3 blocks away in the ward center (also less expensive discounters such as nordstrom rack for shoes).

if you have a car definitely hit the outlets- ask anyone they are about 20 minutes out of town towards kapaloei.

kerikeri

thanks Kerikeri, I will definitely be hitting the shops in Hawaii. I would have loved to go to 3 islands but my husband doesn't like to move around too much on holiday. I just looked at the Princeville website today. That hotel looks amazing. My travel agent recommended I stay there and then when she gave me their rates I almost fell off my chair - way too expensive for me! I will visit there though.