Hello all,

Well, we are almost done booking our Hawaii vacation for January (3 nights Oahu; 8 nights BI). We are a married couple in our early 30s. We have three nights to spend on Oahu but we don't want to stay in Waikiki (I have been there twice before and don't really like the crowds).

But, my husband has never been to Oahu and he is interested in seeing Pearl Harbour, the North Shore and some gorgeous scenery. It seems like the only hotels not in Waikiki are Turtle Bay, Marriott Ihilani and the Kahala Mandarin.

The Ihilani looks like it would be convenient for driving to the North Shore and Pearl Harbour. But, I have read some bad reviews of the area.

The Kahala looks gorgeous but very expensive. Also, it would be further away from Pearl Harbour, right? Or is it the same distance from the sights as the Ihilani is?

Turtle Bay is also very expensive - the rates seem as high as the Kahala. Would it be difficult to be based on the North Shore for only three days if we want to see the sights around the island?

We will probably skip the PCC and luau type stuff b/c we went to Tahiti two years ago and saw similar type shows.

We are not really interested in shopping either but we do enjoy good restaurants (which I understand are probably closer to Waikiki and Honolulu). There do not appear to be good restos around the Ihilani.

I shoudl note that we will be spending one more night in Oahu back from the BI in order to catch our flight home - I have booked the Hilton Hawaiian Village since it seemed near the airport and will give hubby a taste of Waikiki.

Thanks for your advice!

Lisa

Just returned from Ohahu and Maui. I stayed at the Kahala and couldn't have been happier. Did you check their web site www.mandarinoriental.com? We got an internet rate that was quite reasonable. The Kahala is located in a residential area, with a great beach, quiet and has very easy access to the highway for all touring. Staff was wonderful. Can't say enought nice things about it.

Turtle Bay is great for seeing the North Shore but definitely out of the way for the other sights. Also, your dining options would be limited. I did not see the Ihilini. If you go to the North Shore have a shave ice for me at Matsumoto's. Wonderful!

Ihilani has two locations. The new timeshare resort and the original resort and spa. Either are very nice and good for your plans. Everywhere is crowded lately so you can't escape that at any site.

The Ihilani would be closer to Pearl Harbor than the Kahala. As far as the north shore, I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference whether you drive from the Ihilani or Kahala. The Kahala is your best choice for access to good restaurants.

As far as convenience, we stayed in Wakiki and drove to the north shore 2 times during our visit. The drive only takes 45 minutes if you take the expressway (H1 to H2) from Wakiki. I would personally recommend staying on the north shore and just taking a day trip to Wakiki since your husband has not been there. If you drive down in the morning and see Pearl Harbor, you can hit Diamond Head and a quick swim on Wakiki beach. You may want to catch a dinner on Wakiki for the sunset and drive back up. I am going back in January and thinking about the North Shore for only 1 night instead of Wakiki. It is much nicer up there. I did not find the drive that inconvenient - especially in a convertible! (just one suggestion...bring some CD's for the car ride...there are not many radio stations especially on the North Shore!)

Maria

Just returned (9/30/03) from a stay at the Marriott KoOlina Beach Club (Timeshare Condo) next the Marriott Ihilani. The stay was great. The KoOlina is new (opened Jan 2003) the lagoons are calm & beaches uncrowded. Even though the beaches are public, the parking lots to access them are private and have limited spaces open to the public. It take 20 minutes to get to Pearl Harbor, 30 minutes to Waikiki. Good restaurants nearby at the Marriott Ihilani, Farrington Highway, Millani. The KoOlina has kitchens to cook in.