Honolulu in Sept.?
 

I am thinking of going to Hawaii in Sept. for one week. Have never been and don't know too much about Hawaii. Is Honolulu my best bet? Airfare from Phila. is not too pricey. Want good beach, some sightseeing, some night life. Any thoughts on where to stay on the beach? Any contributions would be appreaciated.

Aloha, You will enjoy your week in Hawaii. Tell us a little more... are you renting a car? Are you traveling with a group or just a couple? What age group? If you are travelling solo and not renting a car, I suggest you stay in Waikiki as you will have it all, night life, beach ect. But, if you have a car I suggest getting out of Waikiki to see more of the Island as Wakiki is really geared up for the tourist. If it just a relaxing beach (more for it's beauty rather than waves) go to Windward side (Kailua Beach). If you are looking to see big surf get out to the North Shore. Which hotel you stay in wil depend on your budget. If you can afford it try the Moana Hotel, or The Royal Hawaiian. The Hilton Hawaiian has everything. If your on a budget look into some of the Outrigger Chains. Good luck and if you can provide more details I'm sure you will get alot more input from others.
Aloha

Or going solo?

Oahu is a great island for a first trip, plenty to see and do. You can stay on or near the beach right in Waikiki, there's loads of hotels. Or if you want something more quiet, head out somewhere else around the island.

Each island is very different one from the other. And any of the islands offer everything on your list of activities. You might get a couple guidebooks from the library to get a better idea for yourself?

Lots of Oahu info:

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

www.mauihawaii.org

www.visitmaui.com free brochure

www.bigisland.org free brochure

www.kauaidiscovery.com free brochure

www.kauai-hawaii.com

The Aloha Festival is in Sept and there are alot of things going than and Waikiki would be a good place to see it. Beachfront is around twice the price of across the street from the beach if that helps.

Thanks everyone for your input. We are in our mid forties. Celebrating our 25th anniversary. We usually like to rent a car for a day to explore on our own. Is one day enough or should we plan on renting one for more? The Hilton looks good to me. Any site to book cheaper? Thanks.

Aloha,
The Hilton is wonderful (lots to do and you dont even need to leave the hotel grounds if you did not want to), you may even want to book a couples massage (special treat for the anniversary) at the Mandera Spa (at the Hilton). They have a nice show on the grounds every Friday night with a fireworks display and a little Cultural Dance Groups. You really should rent a car for a day or two and go see the other side of the Island, take a drive out to the country so to speak! Really get to see something other than what is for show to the tourist.

Sept and October are my favorite times to go to Hawaii. Not too hot, not too crowded, and not too pricey. Who could ask for more.

We have stayed at Marriott Ko Olina, Marriott in Waikiki and a house rental in Waimanalo in Oahu, Kauai Marriott in Kauai, and Wailua Renisnace and Maui Marriott in Maui. All great places with + and -.

Hi.. I just read your post.. I am planning on taking a trip in Sept and also staying at the Hilton Hawiian resort.
Please let me know how you are making out with your reservations . Have you found any good deals on rooms there?
Have you booked yet? I really want to stay there even though the rooms are pricey and I'm going with 6 adults so I'm going to probably need two rooms so I am looking for any help I can get in finding reduced hotel rates for that resort.. Thanks! Lisa

mariefl - Yes - Sept is a really good time to go to Hawaii and Honolulu/Oahu is the best island (IMO) for a first-timer to Hawaii because there is so much to see and do. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a good place - lots of ammenities, but pretty pricey too. There is a great coffee shop (Wailana's) across the street for some more reasonably priced food (open 24 hours.

From the HHV you can walk all over the place - no need to rent a car for the whole trip, but would recommend renting one for a day or two to get out of Waikiki and see the rest of the island. The last time I was there I went on Priceline and did the "name your own price" and got a Mustang convertible at Hertz (airport) for $40 per day! Parking is expensive and hard to find in Waikiki so renting a car for a day or two is less hassle.

You can easily walk to the Ala Moana Center from the HHV, or down the other side into Waikiki and there are many options for dining, shopping and nightlife. One "not to miss" on my list is right there at the HHV on the weekends - Olomana plays in the Paradise Lounge and they are excellent.

Hope you have a great trip!

September is generally when the Aloha Festivals is on. www.alohafestivals.com When will you be in Honolulu? The annual floral parade is September 15.

We have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian for a 10 day stint a few years ago. We were graded up to the Rainbow tower (large painted rainbow on the side) facing Diamond Head. Every Friday night they shoot off fireworks, so it was a great watch from our balcony. There was a Hertz outlet a block away and we rented a Mustang Convert for 3 days. Drove to some must-sees - Hanauma Bay for snorkling, The North Shore, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor.
Try checking pleasantholidays.com and airtohawaii.com for a couple website other than the usual ones. Good Luck. PS - Join the Hilton Honors via Hilton's website. It's free and can help with upgrades.

Thank you all for your input. I have not booked anything yet because we may decide to spend around 3 days in Honolulu and 5 in Kauai. Friends told me Honolulu is similar to New York City with a beach. I do want to go and see Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, etc. I was told Kauai is beautiful. Any suggestions on hotels, nice beach, some nightlife, etc? Looked online and the Sheraton looks nice. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Marie, your friends are killing me. Anyone who thinks Oahu is "New York City with a beach" has either never been here, or is extremely sheltered/naive. Check this out, please:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34515901

Sorry--before anyone jumps on me--I mis-read your post. Honolulu is a big metropolitan city, but it's NOT New York City. And it's attached to the rest of the island of Oahu.

Hi Melissa. Even my DH who isn't that much of a Honolulu fan, says it isn't NYC with a beach. I even think Miami appears more the candidate for the title than Honolulu, LOL.

LOL, the day Honolulu becomes like New York City, is the day I move to Hilo!

mark

LOL, Melissa. I was just talking to someone about Hilo. DH and I liked it: the farmers market, zoo, gardens and nearby waterfalls.

New York City with a beach is an absolutely ridiculous statement about Honolulu/Waikiki. Have these people actually been there?

Since no one else has said it; let me chime in. This is your first trip to HI and since you are only staying 1 week; don't try to do 2 islands. You waste a lot of time checking out of 1st hotel, going to airport and through security, then getting to next hotel, unpacking. Then you will have to fly back to HNL [I think] to fly home to Philly. That will waste an entire day.

Do yourselves a BIG favor, 1 island for this trip and save the next island for the next trip.

{We were in HI in October 06 and did 3 islands in 15 days and it was too much}

Of course, this is IMHO.

Hope this helps...
Debi

I totally agree(!!) especially since they have a long flight from home to get there in the first place. With only 8 days, I would pick only 1 island.

Waikiki IS a big city with a beach. Waikiki is part of Honolulu, which s not exactly a small town. Waikiki is several hundred highrise hotels and condos jammed up against a little strip of sand called Waikiki Beach that is not a very good beach. In fact, Waikiki is mostly an artificial man made beach. On some parts of the beach at busy times it is even too crowded in the water! Check this web site for a photo.

http://www.whereto.us/waikiki.jpg

I've got to agree with the others - one island is plenty for your first trip to Hawaii and Oahu is great for your first visit. There is so much to do and see - it has everything you said you are looking for. Don't let nay-sayers scare you off - Oahu is a beautiful island and Waikiki/Honolulu is only one part of it. Be sure to rent a car and drive around the island and you will be amazed at all there is and how beautiful it is.

Rusty- If that photo is supposed to scare me away from Waikiki it isn't working... it just makes me want to be there all the more!!!

Not trying to scare anybody. Just trying to present the facts, unlike those who declare that Waikiki is a paradise, while brushing off a legitimate criticism that Waikiki is a beach in a big city.

I think the photo shows both the beautiful and the ugly side of Waikiki, and would help somebody decide for themself.

Waikiki *is* a beach in a big city no one said it isn't (but it is not New York City by any stretch, compare the population of the two and you will see what I mean).

Secondly, for me that is not a "criticism". A place can have a lot of people and still be a "paradise" imo.

As example, I love Venice beach in California, Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, Waikiki on Oahu.

The fact that some people think a beach being crowded is a problem, reflects only a personal preference, not a statement of fact.

Waikiki is about 2 miles long. It's not representative of the entire island.

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! My DH & I celebrated our 25th last June by going to Honolulu, We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian. We informed them before we arrived that it was our 25th anniversary. To our surprise when we arrived they had upgraded our room to an oceanfront room at no extra charge and also we rec'd one day complimentary breakfast in our room. We also rec'd a complimentary bottle of wine. Have a great time!

Me too Suze! I loved that picture, and want to go back now!

SORRY GUYS!!! I din't want to start any disagreements. What I said about Honolulu and New York City was just what a couple of friends - who have been there - told me. Since everyone agrees that 8 days is not enought time for 2 islands, than please help me decide whether to go to Oahu or Kauau.

Well, there's no such thing as an island called Kauau, so I guess you will have to go to Oahu!
;)

LOL, Melissa. And I cringe when my mom calls it "Cow Eye". ;-)

ooooh, that's a good one! Cow Eye.

"LOL, the day Honolulu becomes like New York City, is the day I move to Hilo!"

Mels, You could always move to Lihue on Kuai.

GAAAH!

mariefl~~ well if they've been to Honolulu maybe they've never been to New York City? the comparison is so off base is why i wondered if your friends had been either place.

according to Wikipedia:

NYC has a population of 8.1 million residents in 322 square miles

Honolulu 377,260 people in 105 sq mi

MelissaHI

Sorry for the typo

You will love it in Honolulu... Oahu is a great island to start with when visiting Hawaii for the first time. And to reply to the comment of Honolulu being a "New York City with a beach" is way off. My guess would be the person has never been to Honolulu or never been to New York City. Not to be harsh... perhaps they have been to both, but the comparison is without merit (perhaps its because Honolulu has a lot of high-rise buildings, like NYC, but that would be the only comparison).

There's really no bad time to come to Hawaii, but September is definitely a "good time". As its already been said, the Aloha Festival is during September.

www.alohafestivals.com

I would lump the activities that will be a drive for you (going to the North Shore, Dillingham Airfield - www.DillinghamHawaii.com, driving around at your leisure to see different spots on the island, etc) to be done on the same day (or days). Like someone else said, many things can be done within walking distance (even scuba diving... the Hawaii Scuba Diving Center has two locations in Waikiki www.HawaiiScubaDivingCenter.com).

Other things such as Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, Paradise Cove Luau, etc has a tour bus that will take you.

Hilton Hawaiian Village is a beautiful place to stay, and they have a ton of things to do right there on the property... you will love staying there.

Something that I don't believe was mentioned yet is preparing yourself for jet lag and trying to not be tired for a few days when you get here. Each time we visited (before we moved here) we would come on a flight that arrived during the day... stayed up until it was bedtime here in Hawaii, then went to sleep and woke up with everyone else here. I know it sounds overly simple, but many people who come here (especially for one week) have some time adjusting to the difference in hours. I've met many people who when they got here took a nap (or perhaps slept some on the plane), and so their hours were more like the mainland as opposed to Hawaii. Normally by the second full day our bodies were "on Hawaii time" and we were good to go.

DavidinHawaii
www.HowToDoHawaii.com