My HHV Oahu Itinerary - please help
 

Hi all! I am finally ready to book my vacation this summer - I'm getting ready to do it but I wanted to go over my itinerary with you all to see if I've missed anything, etc. We are staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for 10 days/9 nights.

We are leaving July 23 from Roanoke and returning August 3.

The first day - 1) Monday we will be sleeping!

2) Tuesday we are resting and exploring the resort.

3) Wednesday to Sea Life Park to play with the sea lions.

4) Thursday - Diamond Head Crater and going to a luau.

5) Friday relaxing and watching the fireworks

6) Saturday - Pearl Harbor/Flea Market tour

7) Sunday - rest and relax

8) Monday - North Shore tour

9) Tuesday - relax

10) Wednesday - leave.

Questions I have:

1) the day we return the flight doesn't leave until 10:30 pm - we have a horrible sense of direction and are not very good drivers so we won't be renting a car. What can we do all day besides hang out at the airport??

2) am I trying to do too much or do you think this is ok?? Diamond Head is only 4 hours and I think Pearl Harbor is also. Did I leave enough time for us to relax and enjoy ourselves?? I usually never book tours but this is the first and you never know maybe only time I will be going.

3) Please give me any suggestions regarding this above info. Thanks in advance! I know you all will give me so much helpful advice.

I definitely don't think you're doing too much. Looks like a nice itenerary. The few things I would suggest - go to Diamond Head early and bring a water and a flashlight. It can get hot up there and there are a few spots where you're actually in the mountain and can't see. Secondly, I would try to go to Pearl Harbor on a weekday, and again go early. When I was there (2002), you couldn't reserve tickets for a specific time, you just bought tickets and went to the next available showing. So get there early before there's too much of a "back up". As for your first question - have the hotel hold your luggage and do whatever - you don't want to be holed up in the airport all day and night!

Looks good!

I agree--ask your hotel to store your luggage for you until closer to your departure time--no need to waste time at the airport.

Not sure if you are into snorkeling, but since you appear to have some time in your schedule, you may want to check out Hanauma Bay
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/hanauma_bay.html
I thought it was fun :)

Have a great trip!

HHV has a 'hospitality room' available. They allow you to use it if you schedule it upon arrival or at least a day or so before you leave.
That way, you can do another tour or wander Honolulu or the beach, etc. and then go get the key to 'your room' and get cleaned up for your flight home.

They scheduled 45 minutes for this when we were there. They also have a large luggage holding area (enclosed room) next to the check in desk.

We hiked Manoa and did the Tantalus/Round Top drive to Pu'uUalka'a Wayside State Park (beautiful views) the day of our departure.

I agree with wontan about the Hanauma Bay snorkel! Get there early if you do it as the parking lot fills up!

Diamond Head wasn't dark enough to require a flashlight when I was there. Maybe alittle shade, but that was it.

One last suggestion: join the Hilton's club online - it's free and they honor you by immediate check-in (no waiting in the huge lines!)

If your interested in Dole Pineapples, the Dole Canery is interesting as well...shouldn't take that long

What do you mean when you say you will be sleeping the first day? What tme do you arrive?

Throw the itinerary away!! Make a list of what you want to do with the highest priority items at the top of the list, with no special time to do them.

Then when you get to Hawaii start on your list based on what you feel like doing and when you feel like doing it. If you don't get the whole list done so what??

Aloha,
It really looks like you have planed a very relaxing vacation. Do I understand you correctly that you will NOT be renting a car for any of your stay? If not then this is a great "relaxed" plan that you have made and do agree that you could fit in a trip to Haunauma Bay. If you were to be renting a car for any or all of your stay there is so much more of the island that I would recommend.
Being raised here in Hawaii I always encourage the people visiting the islands to get outside of the tourist "box" and really "see" the island. If you get the opportunity take a trip out to the windward side drive over from Sea life park way and visit the world famous "Lanikai Beach" on the way back into town take the H-3 freeway and just enjoy the views!!
Aloha,
Jeanne

Sounds very relaxing! I agree, it might be nice on one or two of the days to rent a car and go around the island, but if you have tours set up, those will be fun too.

Don't bother with a flashlight...There are lights in the DH tunnels now.

HHV will be happy to store your stuff on the last day. You don't need to leave for the airport until about 8 pm, so ask about the hospitality room.

No need for a flashlight at Diamond Head any more. They installed lights in the tunnel a couple years ago.

You ought to rent a car on Oahu at least a couple days. There are only a few main highways & it is impossible to get lost. Even Stevie Wonder would have no problem driving on Oahu.

Lots of Oahu info:

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

Sounds like a nice pace to me.

Your last day, as others have suggested, leave your luggage with the hotel front desk at check-out time, then just go to the beach or something. The end nearest your hotel at Fort de Russey park is very nice, also it has bathrooms and outdoor shower.

No need to go to the airport until it's time. Just do some last minute shopping, have a couple meals somewhere, spend time on the beach... is my suggestion.

Thank you all so much for the info! I am so glad that we can leave our luggage at the resort until 8:00 or so -maybe we will go on one of our tours that last day. This reminds me of a question I was gonna ask - we will have to stay overnight in Phoenix on the way home - any suggestions of a cheap, safe close place to stay?

I'm also getting ready to get on the Hilton site to join the Hilton Honors Club after I post this message.

I think we will have so much fun! My mom is going and I'm a little stressed about making sure she has a good time. My seven year old son is going also.

I will definitely do Pearl Harbor on a wednesday instead of the weekend now. I know my mom will love the flea market part of this tour and that's where I plan on buying all my souvenirs.

My little boy will LOVE Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor. I have got to find a way to get myself relaxed though! I am the one who wants to swim with the sea lions - I just love animals and doing stuff like that.

BTW the first day we won't get there until around 6:00 pm hawaii time and I'm sure we'll be exhausted so that's why I said we would probably catch up on some sleep.

Also if it's impossible to get lost and the traffic isn't too congested (that's usually our problem - the other traffic) then we might just end up renting a car after all!

One more question - which luau should I go to and which should I avoid? I read that Germaine's was pretty good.

After one final meeting with mom this evening I am booking - as of yesterday they still had rooms - if they don't we'll stay somewhere else! I'm gonna try not to stress out about where we stay!

Hopefully HHV will be available since that seems a great place for a family with various ages. If not any hotel in Waikiki is a good location really. It's not that big. A tour is a great idea for the last day (to avoid getting all sandy at the beach!).

We can get together a list of all kinds of great places to eat for a reasonable price in Waikiki. Both in old threads here on Fodor's and over at the Trip Advisor Honolulu forum there's loads of "cheap eats" advice.

I've been looking for cheap restaurants to eat. I will take most people's advice on stocking up at an ABC store. I will look under "cheap eats" here and at tripadviser.com - thanks so much!! I will definitely give a detailed report from this trip!! If anyone knows of really cheap places to eat or can give me a link I would appreciate it so much!

"World Famous North Shore - Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co." truck parked between Launiu and Kaiolu on Kuhio. $5.95-$13.95 for an big plates of food (shrimp, tuna, salads, hamburgers etc.) Picnic table seating or to-go. It's quite near the beach, you could get the food and walk down to Fort de Russey picnic tables. It's open all day.

Arancino Italian 255 Beachwalk, excellent food, fun setting, $60 for 2 people included two drinks each, one shared appetizer, two pasta entrees. Arrive early to avoid waiting in line.

Barefoot Bar at Hale Koa Hotel (enter from the beach) - tropical drinks for $5.95. Great service, setting, sunset view.

Irifune, 563 Kapahulu Ave.

Ono Hawaiian Foods, 726 Kapahulu Ave.

Porgy's Smorgasbourg, fixed price buffet open all day (i believe breakfast was $6.95 and dinner $11.95 or something like that).

If you want to eat 'fancy' or not, the ET book has loads of coupons that take the sting out!

The book has recently lowered the price to $15 but usually will drop to $9.99 in May.

You can go online to see some of the coupons offered.

Also, ET book has a coupon for the Polynesian Cultural Center. They have a luau (OK with chessy but nice entertainment) and a theme park - educational for the 7 yo as well as the adults.
The fire dancing was superb!

It's near the North Shore, so you'd have to drive or arrange transporation (there's plenty available).

May I ask what this ET book is and where I can find it??

One more thing - I keep forgetting to ask - are you allowed to recommend tour companies on this board? If you are could I get opinions? Oahu Nature Tours is one I'm looking at. The other I found under hawaiiactivities.com - they both sound reputable but I want to make sure because I want to book everything before we leave just in case.

My picks.

Haunauma Bay: If you want to try easy snorkeling then definately go to Haunauma Bay. Alot of folks took picnics and coolers and spent the whole day there - wish I had done that.

North Shore: I loved it so much, I'll be heading back there this year and leaving Waikiki behind. Shark's cove is easy and absolutely incredible snorkeling when we were there. (this from someone who isn't a swimmer). Can you rent a car for the day and stop where you want and do what you want? HHV has rental cars there - reserve now though. Plenty of other places within blocks and the car rental agency will pick you up. No sense of direction needed - one route up and back.

HiltonHV: I stayed in the Alii Tower for a week last August. Unless you are up early and waiting in line with the rest of the folks, the pool chairs are gone immediately - so too the first line of beach chairs and umbrellas by the water. The chairs/umbrellas then are lined up in rows behind each other where unless you stand, you are not seeing the beach. This waves at the HHV are similar to a quiet lake - great for very small children, but borning to older children who will want the waves at the other end of the beach (20 minute walk along the boardwalk). There we watched plenty of light surfing and listening to alot of free music and dancing at the outdoor stage.

Diamond Head: wear sneakers or at least closed comfortable shoes. There were people who wore tongs, the tongs broke and had to climb in bare feet. Bring water and go early when the sun isn't the hottest if you can. Even going rather early we had to wait 10 minutes for a parking space. There was also a place to get a shaved ice and water there (truck?).

Definately buy an Entertainment book at www.entertainmentbook.com

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