Is a trip to Oahu worth it?

Old Apr 10th, 2011, 06:57 PM
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Is a trip to Oahu worth it?

My wife will be running the Chicago Marathon in October, and then we are thinking of heading right to Hawaii for some R&R. We have been to Hawaii three times: BI and Kauii for our honeymoon, Maui, and then another trip just to BI.

We are hoping to keep costs down a little (it's Hawaii, so it's not going to be cheap no matter what). The flight from Chicago to HNL and then back to NYC (where we live) is significantly cheaper (and direct) compared to flights to KOA, OGG, or LIH. so we are considering a trip to Oahu.

Honestly, I have never had a huge interest in visiting that island. While Pearl Harbor definitely is of interest to us, we are not overly eager to just stay in a big touristy area that could be mistaken for LA or Miami. I've always had that impression of Honolulu and Waikiki. Am i correct? the things we have loved about our previous trips to Hawaii: finding quiet beaches to lie on or go snorkeling, kayaking in a river or the ocean, visitng volcanos, finding beautiful waterfalls, etc. Are these things available to us on Oahu as well. Or will it just feel crowded and metropolitan?

Any guidance?
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Old Apr 10th, 2011, 07:05 PM
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Stay here -
http://www.halekulani.com/
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Old Apr 10th, 2011, 07:07 PM
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And if you can't afford that....

Visit/stay at Kailua and/or Lanikai beach, or north around Haleiwa. None of those is remotely like Waikiki!
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Old Apr 10th, 2011, 07:08 PM
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"we are not overly eager to just stay in a big touristy area that could be mistaken for LA or Miami."

http://www.halekulani.com/location_oahu_attractions/
It's away from what you consider the "touristy area" of Waikiki but close enough to see and do all you want to see and do -

"And when you've had enough of the incredible range of activities the island offers, it's comforting to know you can return to Halekulani, your oasis of tranquility."
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Old Apr 10th, 2011, 07:15 PM
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Oahu is very worth it! There are many places you can stay, and the island of Oahu is beautiful. Waikiki is very touristy, but it's a fun place to stay also. From there you can visit the whole island. Hale'iwa is a great little town to drive to on the north shore,and you can watch the surfers there. You can hike up diamond head. You can go to Manoa falls and there's Hanauma bay for snorkeling. You can go to the Pali lookout, it's very scenic. I would recommend the polynesian cultural center (google it)! Enjoy Oahu if you go!
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Old Apr 10th, 2011, 07:17 PM
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I didn't think Oahu was crowded and metropolitan, certainly not compared to Miami or LA.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 04:17 AM
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Waikiki is, well, Waikiki and if you think staying in some VERY expensive hotel is going to somehow make all that visitor stuff disappear, think again.

I agree that staying over on the Windward side would probably appeal to you a great deal more.

Waikiki as a beach is forget it IMO whether it has other visitors on it or not. Even Sandy or Makapu'u would be better choices.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 05:36 AM
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The interisland flights aren't that expensive in the big picture. If you're taking the flight to Honolulu, you might consider that a flight to Maui could be around $130 R/T per person. (I think that's what we paid on our flights a few weeks ago.)

We arrived in Honolulu at 6:40 p.m. and my two kids and I were able to get to the interisland terminal by 7:15 for our 8:15 flight after picking up our bags. (We walked to give them a chance to stretch their legs.)

If you're making the effort to travel all the way to Hawaii, the extra time to get to one of the other islands shouldn't present a challenge.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 07:16 AM
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I, like you, am a fan of Maui and Kauai and love all the aspects of those islands that you mentioned. I also for years refused to go to Oahu for the same fears you have but I went last year anyway. We stayed in Waikiki at the Moana Surfrider which we found to be a wonderfully enjoyable hotel. I was surprised to find that even though Waikiki was in every way the opposite of peaceful Maui and Kauai, I really had a great time. I came to love the nightly hussle-bussle of the main Rodeo Drive type shopping areas with the street performers and great restaurants and lively crowds of happy tourists. The beach there was second to none for swimming in warm shallow sandy bottom water with small gentle waves. The water however is not clear and not good for snorkeling. To me the overall vibe there was much more like Miami Beach than the neighbor islands but the whole area has a great party atmosphere.
Of course, as others have mentioned, there are vast amounts of Oahu to visit along the other coasts of the island that are peaceful and utterly gorgeous. So If you don't want to partake of the fun party atmosphere of Waikiki, you could do the other parts of Oahu. To find out how to get to all those other parts and where to stay at them, an excellent guide book with that kind of info is Oahu Revealed.
I hope this helps.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 07:18 AM
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I'd certainly never mistake Waikiki for Los Angeles or Miami! It also is the most affordable because there are so many hotels to choose from. Oahu can be the most affordable island to visit. Yes it is "crowded and metropolitan" within the city limits. It's also very beautiful. Just rent a car for your entire stay and get out around the island, there's plenty of everything you describe (except volcanos).
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 07:24 AM
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We stayed at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki for 36 hours last weekend. The pool area is a bit small, but I loved the art-deco, 1950's cool feel of the place. Of course, my two kids first reaction was that it looked like the Disney Tower of Terror hotel.

We had a fantastic meal at Morimoto. No doubt a different vibe than Maui, but we enjoyed it.

We stayed in the tower wing of the hotel, but now that I've been there, would probably ask for a room in the original part of the building.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 11:11 AM
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I recently spent 3 nights on Oahu and was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I did NOT spend any time in Waikiki/Honolulu, because 1) I was staying with friends in Aiea and 2) I did a drive through and it looked exactly the way I had envisioned it looking in my mind.

I was overwhelmed at beautiful the island was. At times, the views reminded me of Kauai. Saw lots of gorgeous beaches, had the best shrimp of my life at Romy's on the north shore, and loved the chilled-out vibe especially around Hale'iwa.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 11:39 AM
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I LOVE the northshore of Oahu. Surf, snorkel, culture at PCC, laying on the beach reading a book, kicking around Haliewa, and wonderful hiking are just a few of the things to enjoy in this very laid back area. It is an easy drive into the city for Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Chinatown, Bishop Museum, etc. The only other island I have been to is Maui, and I would return to the northshore of Oahu before going anywhere on Maui except the FS.
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 12:06 PM
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Hi there,
Oahu is definitely worth the trip, if you like Hawaiian food, all the better. You can eat quite cheaply in Oahu too. Check out this site, 101 Free things to do in Oahu or under US$10
http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/oahuact.../a/101oahu.htm
- The USS Arizona Memorial is a great place to be, there are other places beside the USS Arizona Memorial but they are not free, such as the Aviation Museum (if you are a WWII buff like my husband and son), then you can take a ride to Ford Island where they have the USS Missouri etc. Restaurant nearby that is recommended by Guy Fieri "Diners, Dives, and Drive-in" series, go to
Highway Inn & Ho'okipa Catering
94-226 Leoku Street
Waipahu, HI
Tel : (808) 677-4345
Website: www.myhighwayinn.com

- Take a around the island drive, that is free and the scenery is beautiful, stop by Sunset Beach to see the huge waves and the surfers doing their thing. Along the way, there is local lunch truck that sells good food, like Poke Ahi (Raw Tuna, hawaiian style), Lau Lau, fresh coconut juice, sun-dried mangoes, papaya and they sell it very cheaply compared to the established grocery store. That will take at least 5 -6 hours if you want to take your time to stop at the beaches, the aerial view of Haunama Bay, the Blowhole.

The beaches at Waikiki maybe crowded but the water is lovely, it is not that cold compared to Hanauma Bay. And the sand level is stable, meaning you can walk quite far away from the beach and it is still not deep.

Haunama Bay is a must see although I must say that there weren't as many fishes as it use to be. They forbide people to feed the fishes and you have to pay UD$7.50 per person. If you decide to go there, pack food and water as it is expensive there, only 1 hotdog stand and it is not by the beach either.

Here are the cheap places that we have ate and gave 2 thumbs up! All entrees are less than US$10 per person

Nico's At Pier 38
1133 North Nimitz Highway
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel: (808) 540-1377
Website: www.nicospier38.com

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
Tel : (808) 737-0177
Website: www.rainbowdrivein.com
One of our favorite, we went about 7 times in our 6 day's stay

If you are doing around the island trip and have a GPS, try this spot if you like raw tuna and other seafood as recommended by Guy Fieri:
Poke Stop At Mililani Mauka
95-1840 Meheula Parkway
Mililani, HI 96789
Tel : (808) 626-3400

Must go to Leonard's Bakery:
http://leonardshawaii.com/
The malasadas (Portuguese donuts with no hole) is to die for!

For good Aloha shirt, go to Bailey's Antique and Aloha Shirt, the store is small and very packed with stuff but they have very classic Aloha Shirt for very reasonable price, even Nicholas Cage went there to buy his Aloha shirts:
alohashirts.com
They are located in Kapahulu Ave, same location as Rainbow Drive-In

The other place that you must go for Hawaiian food is Helena's Hawaiian Food, go early (5pm for dinner) as it get crowded very fast,
http://helenashawaiianfood.com/

Happy Sightseeing and Eating
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Old Apr 11th, 2011, 04:39 PM
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Can a duck swim? Waikiki is nothing like Miami Beach or Los Angeles. Even in the city of Honolulu, you can see Iolani Palace, the Aloha Tower, and Chinatown.
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Old Apr 12th, 2011, 02:20 PM
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If you are trying to avoid the touristy areas of Waikiki why not try a vacation rental in Kailua or the North Shore. Kailua Beach is consistently rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world. We live near Aiea, Oahu and thats where we go to relax on the weekends. I agree with my cohorts here that you should rent a car with a GPS to find particular activities, i.e. USS Arizona Memorial, waterfall hikes, views, parks etc.

I wouldn't compare Oahu to LA or Miami. I have been to LA and even lived in Miami for a while. Worlds apart. If you need ideas for fun activities or addresses to the hikes visit our blog at http://www.oahufamilyactivities.com/. Enjoy your visit.
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Old Apr 12th, 2011, 03:47 PM
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A friend of mine is there now and they are loving it-
they are staying in the middle of Waikiki , just came back from their surfing lesson -
I love Oahu- but then I lived there for 4 years
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Old Apr 12th, 2011, 08:38 PM
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Honolulu is just like LA and Miami in that it's a big city with a great beach. Beyond that, they're anything but similar. If you're looking for seclusion, Honolulu is not for you. Go 10 minutes outside the city, though, and it's like a different world.
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Old Apr 12th, 2011, 09:02 PM
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I agree with oahufam, that a vacation rental is the way to go. We rented on the North Shore, and all we saw from our windows was sand, water and palm trees. It was awesome! The cost, split between two couples was nearly the same as it would have been for just a room at a hotel.
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Old Apr 17th, 2011, 04:44 PM
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The week my DH and I spent on Oahu was amazing. I still think about it often 6 years later. I just proclaimed yesterday that somehow, someway we'll get back there.
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