Oahu Trip Report 3/5-3/12/05
 

Just back from a week in Oahu and thought I would post a trip report since reading others was so helpful to me when planning my trip.
Day 1
Arrived HNL around 3:30pm via United Airlines. Baggage claim took forever, as they were using 2 separate carousels for my flight and the airport was packed at that time with arriving flights. Got a cab to my hotel, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach for about $28.
Check in to the hotel was smooth and everything was in order. I had reserved an ocean view room and got a room with a nice view facing southwest and looking at the beach and Royal Hawaiian Hotel next door. The room and hotel public areas were decorated in a tropical decor-- taro leaf and bamboo print carpets etc. Other people have mentioned the thin walls in this hotel and I can say the only night I did hear noise from the next room at 3am was the first night; it sounded like a group of guys who had been out drinking and just got in. After that I didn't hear anything from next door. The pool area is quite small, but that seemed typical of most of the Waikiki hotels I observed during my stay. That night I walked down the beach to the Aston and had dinner at Tiki's. It was pretty good, but they seemed like they may be inconsistent (I say this beacuse the woman at the next table ordered the same thing as I did and hers came out different than mine). The view of the ocean is nice though and a great way to start your vacation.
Day 2
I had booked a USS Arizona tour through Enoa Tours and was picked up at around 6:15am. We arrived at the Arizona around 8am and were in the 4th group to go through the memorial. Like everyone says, definitely get there early-- the earlier the better as it does get very crowded. In fact, there were so may people, it was difficult to view the museum/visitors center prior to boarding the launch to the memorial. Got back to the hotel around 11am and decided to walk down the beach toward the Hilton and check out some of the other hotels. I liked the Hilton, as it is very tropically landscaped. From the Hilton I caught the free shuttle to Hilo Hattie's for some shopping before heading back to my hotel for dinner at Duke's. I definitely recommend getting a reservation for Duke's. I had called on Thursday before arriving on the island and some slots were already taken. Duke's was a fun atmosphere with live Hawaiian music for the dinner hours (Fri, Sat, Sun I believe they have a band that plays popular music starting at 4pm and then it switches to Hawaiian for the dinner hours).

Day 3
I had signed up for the hike up Diamond Head with Oahu Nature Tours and was picked up around 6:30am for that. We arrived at Diamond Head around 6:45-7am and began the climb up. It is fairly steep and some of the older people in our party had more of a hard time, but they did make it. There are alot of steps, most of them toward the top and pretty much straight up, so if you have trouble with steps, then this hike may not be for you. The view from the top was great though- you could see all of Honolulu and beyond. After arriving back at the hotel around 8am, it was off to the Bishop Museum. There is quite a lot to see here, including various demonstrations on dance, culture etc. if you enjoy museum exhibits, this was a great place to come and get an overview of the Hawaiian culture. Next, I went to Foster Botanical Garden. It was okay-- not the best garden I've ever been to, but there were some nice flowering trees there. I don't think I would go back though. That night I went to the Royal Hawaiin Luau. Again it was alright, but I don't think I would go to that one again. the location was nice- right on the ocean front lawn of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, but the actual show was quite short considering how long we were there (6pm-8:30pm). Most of the time was spent getting everyone through the buffet line for mediocre food and the show itself was only an hour.
Day 4
Had breakfast at the Hula Grill which was great. Pineapple coconut pancakes with coconut syrup were delicious. At 8am I was picked up for my hike to Manoa Falls with Oahu Nature Tours. This was a beautiful hike and not very far from the hustle and bustel of Waikiki. It was very green and lush and included a walk through a bamboo forest. The falls themselves were not flowing so much that day, but was still wonderful to see. I enjoyed this trail as much if not more so than some of the trails I've been on in Dominica which I thought were really beautiful.
That afternoon I picked up a rental car through Hertz-- a Mustang convertible. Unfortunately it rained all afternoon! However, I had planned to drive Tantalus and Round Top Drives, so that is what I did, despite the weather. What a beautiful drive that is! It is like driving through a rainforest with vines hanging down in the road and a wonderful tree canopy. from there, I went on the the Punchbowl Carter and then drove the Pali Highway to the Pali Lookout. Of course due to the rain, you could n't see the view from the lookout, but I enjoyed it just the same. Then it was back to the hotel and by that time it had cleared off, so it was dinner at House Without A Key that night at the Halekulani. The Halekulani is a lovely property, but a little too formal for my taste. For me it was a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to stay there.

Day 5
On this day I left my hotel at 7am to begin my drive to the North Shore. I did the drive counter clockwise and made several stops along the way including Kailua Beach, Hoomaluhia Botanical Gardens (gorgeous!), Kualoa Nursery and Macadamia Nut Farm and Kahana. I also stopped at Sunset Beach, Ehukai Beach and Waimea Beach en route to Haleiwa. The surf was not as high on this day as it apparently was the previous day, but it was still fun to watch the surfers and boggie boarders. In Haleiwa I made the requisite stops at Kua Aina for lunch and Matsumoto's for shave ice. From Haleiwa I continued on to the Dole Pineapple Plantation where I attempted the maze and did not complete it. The whole drive around the island took me from 7am to about 4:30pm when I got back to the hotel. That night I went over to the Aloha Tower marketplace and caught a performance of the Brothers Cazimero at Chai's Island Bistro. I had eaten dinner before going and had just wanted to have drinks at the bar, but they have a $20 minium, so I ended up having to get dessert as well. So anyone who wants to go to Chai's for just drinks to catch a performance should keep this in mind.
Day 6
At 7am I was picked up for my surfing lesson I had booked with Hawaiian Fire. This was a great tour-- I can't say enough good things about it. It was the highlight of my vacation. They drive you to a beach on the southwestern side of the island which is pretty much deserted. Then you get your rash guard, booties and surf board and have an on beach lesson for about 20 minutes. After that you move into the water and spend the rest of the time surfing. Everyone in our class was able to stand up right away and we all had a wonderful time. I liked the fact that we were in an area that was so quiet-- nobody had to try and avoid us and we didn't have to worry about hitting anyone else either. I think if i had done it on Waikiki it would have been much more stressful with all the people around in the water.
That afternoon I went over to Iolnai Palace to take a tour. I highly recommend doing the guided tour, because if you just do the self guided, you only see the basement and don't get to see any of the living quarters of the palace which I thought was the most interesting part.
Dinner tonight was at Hy's Steakhouse and that was a delicious meal. I especially enjoyed the cheese bread they serve to start out.

Day 7
On this day I started out by having breakfast at Duke's (buffet). They had a lot of variety- guava cake, mango cake, banana muffins, waffles, fruit etc. However, I don't think they use fresh squeezed juice there like they do at the Hula Grill and the food such as waffles seemed more like the frozen variety. Overall I preferred breakfast at the Hula Grill. After that I took a cab to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling (the first bus on weekdays does not leave until 8:45am and I wanted to go earlier). I really enjoyed the snorkeling there. There were some pretty big fish, including large parrot fish. The reef area is quite large and it is impossible to cover it all in one session. The water however is pretty cold-- at least compared to Waikiki. It was great though- you will definitely seem different fish there than you would in the Caribbean. the bay and beach itself is quite picturesque as well.
That afternoon was spent shopping at the Ala Moana Centre which was an easy bus ride away. Before dinner that night I went to the free hula show that is performed nightly near the Duke Kahanamoku statue. It was a nice opportunity to see some hula and Hawaiian music.
Dinner that night was at Hula Grill which was quite tasty and had a lovely view of the water.
Day 8
This was my last day there and I'm sorry to say it rained. I mean poured. Due to the weather I did some last minute shopping and then left my hotel at 12pm for a 2:30pm flight. Leaving at 12pm gave me plenty of time to make my flight. In fact, there were not many people at the airport during this time frame so it was great.
Anyway, to conclude, I really loved Oahu. There is so much to do there and it really offers a little bit of everything-- large city, beaches, nature hikes, natural beauty-- it really has it all. I can't understand how some people can claim that you can see everything Oahu has to offer in 2 days. Being there a week, I still didn't get to do everything I wanted to do and can't wait to return. I know some people look down on Oahu (especially Waikiki)because it is built up, but I think that is a plus, not a minus. It's nice not to have the valet get your car and drive to eat out or see a hula show etc. One of the best parts of each evening was being able to walk to all the different hotels and have drinks and listen to their Hawaiian music-- whether it was the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian, Banyan Court at the Moana Surfrider, Duke's or going up to the Hanohano Room to enjoy the view there are endless choices available.
If anyone has any questions feel free to post and I'll try to answer.

Thanks for the trip report. I will be headed to the Outrigger Waikiki this Sunday for 5 nights. What did you think of your room and bathroom - was it spacious, well-furnished, etc? Also, does the Outrigger provide lounge chairs for the beach or will I have to bring a towel or mat? Thanks.

Great report, Miramar! May I ask about the cost and contact information for your surf lesson? How long did it actually last? Did you have to have your own wetsuit or anything? I am headed to Pearl Harbor to visit a friend in two weeks and would LOVE to learn how to surf. Thanks so much!

Miramar - great trip report! Thank you. I'll be on Oahu in 25 days for a week with friends, and I just cannot wait to be there again. I agree with you -- Oahu is just wonderful!!

Tom42: the room was pretty spacious I thought. My room had 2 double beds and a couch (not sure if it was a pull out, as I didn't use it, but it probably was). The room also had the usual desk and armoire for the television. The bathroom was divided into 2 sections with a door in between. The first section contained the sink and closet/dressing area and the second section had the toilet and shower/tub. The first section also had a safe and refrigerator in a cabinet under the sink. The furnishings in my particular room were in excellent condition as well. The lanai was quite small. I don't think they provide beach chairs- at least not for free. I didn't have time to spend much time at the beach, but I believe you could rent unmbrellas, so I assume you could rent a chair as well.

AHaugeto: There is a website for the surfing company I used www.hawaiianfire.com They say on the site that the beach part is 45minutes long and the in water sufing is 1hr 15 min, but it seemed like less beach time than than that. We definitely surfed for a full 1hr 15 min though. It is tiring-- it doesn't sound like a long time, but it is just long enough. The beach where they take you had pretty warm water, so you don't need a wetsuit-- they provide everything you need- rashguard, reef shoes, board with leash and a souvenir bag with water and cookies. They also have a photographer who takes tons of pictures during your lesson and then you can buy the CD rom if you want. They cost quite a bit more ($119) than just doing a lesson on Waikiki, but for me it was totally worth the extra cost. I will definitely go with them again. the instructors were really nice as well.

Miramar, great trip report! Did you still have your car when you went to Chai's Island Bistro..or did you walk, or did you take the bus?

Also, were you equally impressed with your tours with Enoa and Oahu Nature Tours or would you recommend one over the other?

Mahalo,
i2

iceu2: I didn't take the car to Chai's, I ended up taking a cab to save time. But you can also take the bus there. I liked both Enoa tours and Oahu Nature Tours. But it really depends on who you get for a guide-- I liked the guide better for the waterfall hike than I did for Diamond Head. The Diamond Head guy we had seemed sort of disorganized.
But really, all of the tours I did worked out fine.

Aloha Miramar,
Thank you for a great trip report. Hawaiian Fire sounds like fun.
Can you tell me how much time to budget for Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace, Manoa Falls and Tantalus Drive?

Mahalo,
Hanalei

Hanlei: I spent about 2 hours at the Bishop Museum, but could have spent more time, as I would have liked to read more of the placards on the exhibits, but I had planned to do so many other things that day that I had to go on. During my time at the Bishop I also took in hula show.
For Iolani Palace, the guided tour tok about an hour and then you are free to do the self guided portion which took me only about 15-20min.
Manoa Falls if you do it on your own will probably take about 2.5 hours depending on how fast you walk and how long you linger at the falls.
Tantalus Drive, I can't really remember how long it took me but it is a narrow, winding road so you can't drive too fast. Plus you want to drive fairly slow so that you enjoy it. There is also a state park (the name escapes me just now) along the route that you can stop at. I would budget about 2.5 hrs I guess.

Miramar, thanks so much for sharing your trip. We have several of the same things planned for our trip next week so it was nice to hear that they will be worth it. I think we'll make a point to try the Hula Grill also, what part of Waikiki is it?

As you have seen, once you get a real taste of Oahu, there's so much more to discover that it can be addicting...glad you had a great time.

iceeu2, you can drive to Chai's--they'll validate your parking. Or you can catch the bus. There is a new route called the "E Route" (see thebus.org) that runs only between Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu. I don't know how long the ride is, but the bus comes every 10-15 minutes and disembarks between Aloha Tower and the Maritime Museum (2 minute walk either way).

Mahalo, Miramar. Great report. Our trip is still a month and a half away, but you certainly helped me feel the Aloha spirit.

ggrtist: the Hula Grill is right in the central part of Waikiki. The restaurant is located on the upper lobby in the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach (which sits between the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Surfrider).

Miramar, what a super duper report!!! You really took me back to Oahu....... thanks!!! It's a fabulous island; like you, I hate it when people whiz through there in one day, then announce that they didn't like it as much as another island (how would they know?) I've been to Oahu several times, and I still haven't done or seen everything there! Hope you will have many more happy visits there. Aloha ((r))........ :-)

Thanks for a great report, Miramar! I sending my parents to a trip to Hawaii and someone had recommended that for first timers, Oahu is the best place to go...your report just confirmed it for me and it makes planning so much easier! Can you tell me more details about the Macademian nut farm? I'd like for them to go to that - is there a tour we need to sign them up in? How about a pineapple plantation? Is a car necessary? They are both 60 years old, and I'm afraid they won't feel comfortable driving around on their own.

joyv: basically the macadamia nut farm is a roadside building and they sell many varieties of macadamias. I didn't do a tour there, but thought I saw signs regarding tours. It is Tropical Farms and is near Kualoa Beach park on the windward coast. I want to say they have some affiliation with Kualoa Ranch, so you may want to give them a call or visit their website at www.kualoa.com they may be able to give you more information or know someone who can. Or check out www.enoa.com it looks like their Royal Cirlce Island tour stops at a Macadamia nut farm.
There is the Dole Pineapple plantation in Wahiawa in the center of the island. You can take the bus there or drive.
As far as having a car is concerned, it is not completely necessary, as you can take the bus around around most of the island, but the bus schedule often does not run very frequently. Without a rental car, you will not be able to cover as much ground or get out and stop at as many sights. I didn't find the driving to be especially difficult on Oahu. There was one section of road around the Halona Blowhole area that wound around cliffs, but really not bad. I'm not a big fan of renting cars in unfamiliar places either, but I made sure to buy maps and plan my route before arriving and I didn't get lost or miss many turns at all.