travellin

We usually travel Feb/March to escape winter. My husband seems keen on Hawaii this coming winter and favours Waikiki because we won't have a car for the whole stay. I have reservations because we are not really 'city people' and I fear it will be much too busy and touristy. (He's been to Waikiki many years ago, I haven't!) I have read the guidebooks and looked at several condo rentals on VRBO.com which has added to the confusion about areas of Waikiki etc. Any advice about the practicality of a one month stay would be appreciated. Cheers! Lin
BTW We are late 40's but not into city/ nightlife!!

MelissaHI

Instead of staying right in Waikiki, why not just beyond it, in the Diamond Head area? It is still relatively close to Waikiki, but more quiet and upscale.

islandmom

That's a good idea, somewhere past the zoo. If you don't like tourist, Waikiki is probably the worst spot. I know several people that come for the winters each year. If you have a tighter budget, maybe something along the Ala Wai Canal or Ala Moana. Your ideal sounds like a vacation rental either in Kailua or along the North Shore on the bus route.

Postal

The bus system on Oahu is amazing, so don't worry about not having a car. I agree that your best bet is in the Diamond Head area, along or close to Kapiolani Park. For some reason tourists don't venture much into the park or beyond. And it's more like a residential suburb than the "city life" of Waikiki.

Remember, however, that only Waikiki and Honolulu are the true "cities" on Oahu and there will be much peacefulness and solitude beyond their borders - and a bus to take you there and back!

travellin

Thanks for your suggestions!
I have 'looked' at one unit in the Diamond Head area called the Diamond Head Beach Hotel which as you suggest is close to the park and I assume in a quieter area. The monthly rates are a bit higher but fairly comparable to Waikiki. Would this hotel put us reasonably close to the bus route into town? I have read that the bus service is great and since we have plenty of time we could easily utilize it rather than a car to travel the island. Does anyone have any info on the Diamond Head Beach Hotel? Or any other suggestions in this area? Cheers!
Lin

JeanJean

Hi Lin,

I'm extremely envious of you! We only get to go to Hawaii for 15 days this winter!

Anyway, if I were you, I'd go to www.vrbo.com and search for condos on Oahu. I would think you'd be more comfortable in a condo rental as opposed to a hotel. Also, they have many different areas on Oahu listed. We've used vrbo to rent a condo on Maui and were so pleased with it we are staying there again.

Jean

islandmom

It's a good location. Great area with the park and the ocean. Beautiful fountain nearby. You'll have to walk down to a good sandy spot. It is a high gay population. No one bothers you though.

stevecat

Bus service isn't very good once you get out from the city. I would strongly recommend renting a car when venturing to west or central Oahu.

Sarah

Hi Travellin,

I stayed in Waikiki a few summers. I like it and I am not a night life person either. Something nice about an evening stroll with city lights up against the beach. Make no mistake though Waikiki by definition is Honolulu's beach. So you are visiting a city beach here.

Is that a definate no on the car? I would really want to spend time on the North Shore that time of year. The big waves might still be around in Feb along with the whales. Just make sure your condo has parking that is not additional in costs.

The bus service is slow. I think it takes something like 2hours or more to get out to the North Shore ($60 cab ride). It is 1 hour from Waikiki (via Bus)to the airport and it is only something like 8 miles.

My guess is that if you are passing on the car you are not going to want the high cost of Diamond Head. We stayed at the Ilikai in Waikiki. I liked it because at the time, parking was free and you don't have to contend with Waikiki traffic being on the end (Opp.Diamond Head). Just a thought if you find deals in Diamond Head, go for it. It is a beautiful area, I have just never been successful finding anything reasonable here.

MelissaHI

Your condo is part of Marc Resorts, which is *kind of* a lower end condo/hotel chain, but stable nonetheless. I have never heard of this particular hotel, but according to its address listing is in the area at the base of Diamond Head...pretty quiet compared to the rest of Waikiki, and very upscale neighbors. I dunno: You will probably want to rent a car at least part of the time? It is not far, but it is about 1/4 mile walk to the bus stop that I would use.

travellin

Thanks Again Guys!
How far would it be to walk from the Diamond Head end into town? Too far? Is it strictly residential down there - no shops for milk and bread???!! There is also a condo Sans Souci which may be a possibility. We would have no problem with renting a car for a day here and there to travel to North Shore etc, just meant that we wouldn't have access to one all the time. Thanks for your great advice.
Cheers!
Lin

islandmom

It's about a ten minute walk to the main Waikiki Strip. There is one tiny sundry shop. Not much selection or good prices.

Trojanboy

I recently moved into this very same area and had many of the same concerns. In the end I decided to ship my car over but it's true that you can get by quite easily without one. The hotel/condo you are talking about is in that small clump of highrises at the base of diamond head that you can see on any postcard of Waikiki. It's considered a nice area and relatively upscale. There is a 'W' hotel which has some nightlife altho its mainly trendy 20-somethings.

Other than that its pretty quiet. Every weekend you have stuff going on in the park (i.e. Sunset on the Beach, various festivals, etc.) but that stuff is closer to Waikiki and about a 10 or 15 walk. There is a lot of congestion for beach parking but I'm sure your unit would come with a parking spot if you decided to get a car. Groceries are really the only difficulty you would have and there is a Foodland a few miles inland on Kapahulu you could take a cab to or you could bus it to Kahala Mall or walk into Waikiki and pay tourist prices at the shops there.

It really is a nice area. I see lots of couples walking together at night and Kapiolani Park is filled with runners, joggers, etc. at all hours. There are also some nice non-touristy restaurants up Monsarrat about a 15 minute walk inland.

This is not really a 'city' feel to this area at all and quite safe. I think you could be quite happy here just from the view alone but there are so many places in Hawaii like that. If you really want to be away from the city tho, why not just go to North Shore or Kailua. You can find a place nearby the shops in those places and still be near the beach to enjoy a 'car-free' lifestyle.