Oahu trip
 

Hi,
My hubby and I are going on our first trip to Hawaii and we picked Oahu as he wanted to see the Arizona/Pearl Harbor memorial. We have reserved a week at the J.W. Marriott hotel and spa and have rented a car for the week. I know I'll have to pay $10/day parking. I wanted to know if it would be smarter to reserve our activities before we go, ie. luau, pearl harbor tour, etc or can we get better deals when we arrive on the island? We're going the 2nd week of November, and I hope it's not the rainy season over there.

Lois

Just a warning: Driving in the Honolulu/Waikiki area is pretty harrowing.

There are several companies that'll take you to the Arizona on a bus, but the tickets are free, and first-come-first-serve; not even the tour companies can reserve them ahead of time. So if you make a reservation with a tour company, they'll just pick you up bright & early in order to get there when the memorial opens. There's no really big advantage over driving there yourself, except that you won't have to worry about parking.

Luaus are plentiful; if you are flexible, it's nearly certain one will be available last-minute. If you have a specific luau that you really want to go to, it wouldn't hurt to reserve it in advance.

I may be wrong, but I don't think that tour companies pick up at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani and take you to Pearl Harbor. Waikiki yes, but out there, probably not. You may have to drive.

Aloha lbrooks,

I have driven all over O'ahu... Waikiki, Windward coast, north shore, central plateau and have found it to be fine to drive... rather fun actually-even Honolulu! Come to Chicago... now that's "harrowing".

November weather on O'ahu will be lovely. Expect a shower here & there... they're wonderful for making rainbows and awakening the floral fragrance! ((R))

Make sure you check out some of the big wave surfing on the north shore... the Triple Crown of Surfing will be happening during that time... they have a website to tell you the tentative dates... swells determine when they compete. It's a great time... bring binoculars and a picnic... hang out on the north shore for the day. Check out Haleiwa... A'oki's for shave ice, the surf shops, Wyland Gallery...

The only ressies that I would make are for a luau, or Polynesian Cultural Center... otherwise plan when you get here. Arizona Memorial is free, first come first serve... no need for booking through a charter... easy to do on your own at your own pace. Mighty Mo is great and you may want to do the guided tour... many really enjoy this. Also, the Bowfin Submarine has an audio tour that my boys really liked.

Don't worry about the driving. It's not a big deal. Pick up Richard Sullivan's "Driving & Discovering Hawaii, O'ahu". Excellent guide book w/ maps & photos... great info to help with your planning.

Have a great time! Aloha...

There are lots of those tourist magazines here ("This week", etc) and they often have discount or 2 for 1 coupons. You might wait unless you have specific dates in mind for your activities and not going then would spoil your trip.

Hi, Lois. My hubby and I own a timeshare at the Marriott Ko'Olina Beach Club, which is right down the beach and is a sister property of the JW Marriott Ihilani. We went for a week in July. Oahu is our favorite island, and I'm so excited that you will be staying in that gorgeous area. I agree with the other poster -- in our 3 trips to Oahu we've never found driving around Honolulu/Waikiki to be harrowing. It's just normal ol' traffic. You'll be about 30 min from Honolulu/Waikiki - close enough to enjoy all of the activities, shopping and great restaurants, but far enough away from the crowds to feel like you're on another island.

As far as a luau, you couldn't have chosen a better place to stay as the Paradise Cove Luau is one lagoon up from your hotel, specifically less than half a mile from your hotel. They bus people in from Waikiki to attend the luau right next to your hotel, and I've heard it's the best on the island, though I've not attended myself.

As far as when to purchase, I'm no expert on that, and I defer to others with more experience on that.

Have a fabulous time!!