We will be staying at the Ihilani for one week in November and wondering if anyone has recomendations on activities to do and/or restaurants to visit? We'd like to take a boat cruise for a few hours and also are foodies and are looking for interesting restaurants (prefer great food w/ casual atmosphere). If you have stayed at the Ihilani, I'd love to hear of your experiences... most of what I am reading about Oahu is exclusively focused on Honolulu. We also plan to spend one afternoon or evening in Chinatown and are looking for a recommendation for a good meal. Last question.. some within our group are Vietnamese. Are there any good vietnamese restaurants near the Ihilani or in Honolulu/Chinatown? Thank you in advance.

Indigo in Chinatown is fantastic.

We've stayed at the Ihilani bout 8 times, most recently this past December. It's important to know you can be about 45 mins to an hour away from Honolulu, the traffic seems to be getting worse each time we go back, especially at peak traveling hours.

For Asian flare dining there is a Roy's at the golf course about a mile away from the resort.

We've eaten at Miyako downtown which is more Japanese and Caio Mein (both chinese and Italian) and they were both very good. Sorry I can't recommend Vietnamese but I'm sure someone else can.

There are boat cruises you can take at the boat docks next to the resort. We did a dolphin watching excursion from there.

The town of Kapolei is just a few miles from the resort with movie theatres and restaurants though the restaurants are more fast foodish in chain malls. Hope this helps.

Ps, the breakfast buffet is very good with rice, fish, and miso soup in the morning.

Lots of info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

This will take a trip into Honolulu but it will be SO worth the time and effort. Have dinner at Alan Wong's. It just might have been the best meal we ever ate!!

Here is my trip report with details about this memorable meal:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34887459

Debi

We stayed at the Ihilani a few years ago, and checked it out again when there last January. It was a wonderful experience when we stayed there, and having stayed in Waikiki this last visit, I strongly recommend Ihilani. I didn't care for the crazy crowds in Waikiki. The beach by Ihilani was beautiful, and the grounds are even nicer now than when we stayed a few years ago. We loved Azul, which is on the grounds of the hotel.

ditto mt. hale vietnam in honolulu is pretty good.

For ur Vnese friends, Vnese restaurants in Chinatown are a dime a dozen. Good? Ur friends will be pickier than many locals, who tend to stick to pho and spring rolls. Vnese restaurants in Hawaii also tend to be budget to moderate, i.e. many are holes in the wall.

Pho: everybody raves abt Pho To Chau on River Street at the edge of Chinatown right along the canal. Pho here is less sweet than southern style. Closes at 2, I think, and usually there's a line out the door. I hear the wait is not too long--less than 1/2 hr? I don't know of any other restaurant in the area w/ a line going down the block.

Pho again: southern style, considered good but no lines. Vietnam Cafe Pho Saigon, or something like that, Hotel Street and Smith. Also the special salad w/ dried beef is v good.

Banh xeo (eggless crepes w/ shrimp, pork and bean sprouts) and My xao don (sauteed seafood and veggies over crispy noodles): Pho Bac at the corner of River and Nimitz. Call ahead; if the owner's in, she'll cook this.

Sinh to (Vnese smoothies): Thang in Maunakea Marketplace courtyard. Just like Saigon! My favorites are avocado, mango or jackfruit. I'm also a sucker for black tapioca pearls at the bottom.

Thank you for all of the recommendations. It sounds like we are staying at the right place as we do want to avoid the crowds of Waikiki, yet be close enough to enjoy a few meals. Alan Wong's sounds wonderful and has been added to our list. The Vietnamese recommendations in Chinatown are a big help. We will probably try 1 or 2 of them, and perhaps explore a bit on our own as it sounds like there are many to chose from. Exploring can be half the fun. (Mari808, I'll pas your recs onto my Vietnamese relatives and see what they think. I know Banh xeo is a favorite.)

A few other questions: As far as a boat cruise, we may pick up an Entertainment book and use one of the coupons they offer, unless anyone else has a better idea for getting a good deal? Would anyone recommend a luau or are they just tourist traps? Are all of the Roy's pretty much the same or do they vary in menu and decor by location? We had a meal at Roy's in Maui a few years back and really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Here's a link to Alan Wong's Restaurant - Hawaii

http://www.alanwongs.com/kingstreet/ks_dinner.html

He has another one called The Pineapple Room. It is on 3rd floor of Macy's in Ala Moana Shopping Center - we did not go there.

I made reservations online at his website and it worked very well. I even told them we were celebrating anniversary and birthday while making reservation.

Debi

The Roy's by Ihilani was recommended to me, but we never got there. As for the Entertainment book, we got it and used it several times. It has good discounts for car rentals, if you plan to drive around the island [and, I'm thinking, if you're staying away from the crowds, you'll need the car].

We enjoyed driving around the i sland, and stopped at several more remote beaches, away from the tourist crowd. Having been there two different seasons, we especially enjoyed seeing the huge differences in the north shore beaches

I forgot to mention the main reason I get excited abt Vietnam Cafe Pho Saigon is the Bun mang vit, which is difficult to find. It's not a consistent thing, tho, so if that's the point for going, I'd call first. Also definitely pass on the My vit, another duck noodle dish. Neither duck nor soup (totally different preparation) passed muster.

Here's a link for a 3-hour Chinatown self-guided walking tour:

homescape.honoluluadvertiser.com/homes/september06/hs0906_st6