Oahu Trip Report (sort of)
Oct 14th, 2004 | 11:55 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 742
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Oahu Trip Report (sort of)
Just arrived home 2 days ago from a quick, cheap trip to Waikiki. Weather was quite hot, around 90! Hot for there, but gloriously sunny, no rain. While DH and I have been to Hawaii many times, 16 for me, 14 for him, we don't have much input on hotels & restaurants, mainly hiking and snorkeling. So, if you like to stay away from your hotel in a wet bathing suit all day, read on:
Snorkeling: Got to Hanauma before 7:00 the first day, didn't have to pay, didn't have to see the film, just walked right down! The next day, I had to find coffee so we got there at 7:15, had to pay, had to see the film. Oops. Water OK, a bit surgy. Another day we went at 3:00 and couldn't see anything because of the chop. DH goes out past the reef, much better out there if you can do it safely, don't go alone.
Waimea Bay has a GREAT spot just to the left (looking toward the water) of the jumping rock. Weekends and holidays it's a teenager spot, though, so beware. Go early before they get up, then get lunch at Kua Aina. Parking lot fills up by 11:00 or so. Water very clear if it's calm, which it often is NOT, many fish. When it's surgy right at the beach, the kids ride it up and down like a rollercoaster, funny to watch!
Shark's Cove: The usual good spot if clear, entry can sure be a pain.
Turtle Beach: This is fun, not really snorkel spot, but 3 or 4 turtles hang right at the beach, you can feed them the green seaweed from the rocks, they are very curious. Do NOT touch them, DH sat on one by accident as it washed into his legs. Just about 2 miles out of Haleiwa toward Sunset Bch, directions in Blue Bible.
Hiking: Diamond Head, of course. We started out running from our mid-Waikiki hotel, it was about 2-1/2 miles along the Zoo and up Monserrat to the back of the crater. Add the trail and the 99 steps (DH ran up them!) and running back, made for a rather long run. Take $1 per person to walk in. We forgot, but the nice lady let us in anyway, so we went later and paid.
Pali: Walk down the old road to the right of the main windy lookout - great views, quite fun.
Maunawiki Trail: This is 9 miles one way (see Blue Bible). We started at the end just below the Pali lookout and went in a bit. It looks like you can't park at the turn out but you can, just park uphill as far as you can, near the trail sign. Lovely guava forest.
Mt. Tantalus/Round Top: Walked the 2.5 Makiki Valley loop (trailhead at the Nature Center) -very beautiful jungle hike, not much view, some sweaty uphill and rooty footing,lots of birdsong but couldn't see them. There are many lovely trails off of Round Top, the whole loop road is a beautiful drive. The birds are amazing up there, mosquitoes not bad! Just keep moving.
Makapuu Lighthouse: GREAT views, hot and sweaty, all up then all down, takes about an hour.
Food: Kua Aina in Haleiwa has THE BEST mahi sandwiches, the best fish I had the whole trip. They are in a new building, same side of the street a bit further east. Don't get scared away by a long line, it moves OK.
Shrimp at Kahuku: Romy's supposedly has the freshest, they scoop it right there out of their pond, so that's where we went. The wait can be VERY long, the shrimp are messy, but quite delicious. The scampi style is GARLICKY, they leave the shell on and you have to peel them, gooey sauce and all. The steamed ones have the heads on.
Won't comment on Waikiki food, others have done it better. EXCEPT, we know a good local place called Wisteria on King St., Japanese food, fantastic udon noodle soup, not fancy, coffee shop style. We liked having drinks at Dukes and the Royal Hawaiian, we went to the RH when Dukes was too packed, which it usually was. Great people watching. $5 beer.
Traffic: Yes, it is terrible.Roadwork everywhere, closed lanes on Kuhio and Ala Wai. Avoid the H1 at rush hour like the plague. A suggestion for getting to the H1 from Waikiki without going up McCully - head for Kapahulu Street on the east side of the park and follow the signs, much better.
Waikiki was MUCH more crowded than we thought it would be, our last stay there was quite a few years ago. We booked at the Circle, but due to overbooking got moved to the Pacific Monarch. Bummer, we really wanted the Circle. Monarch OK, but too noisy. Great rooftop pool and deck.
Aren't the ABC stores wonderful?
I have gone on too long, thanks for your patience!
Snorkeling: Got to Hanauma before 7:00 the first day, didn't have to pay, didn't have to see the film, just walked right down! The next day, I had to find coffee so we got there at 7:15, had to pay, had to see the film. Oops. Water OK, a bit surgy. Another day we went at 3:00 and couldn't see anything because of the chop. DH goes out past the reef, much better out there if you can do it safely, don't go alone.
Waimea Bay has a GREAT spot just to the left (looking toward the water) of the jumping rock. Weekends and holidays it's a teenager spot, though, so beware. Go early before they get up, then get lunch at Kua Aina. Parking lot fills up by 11:00 or so. Water very clear if it's calm, which it often is NOT, many fish. When it's surgy right at the beach, the kids ride it up and down like a rollercoaster, funny to watch!
Shark's Cove: The usual good spot if clear, entry can sure be a pain.
Turtle Beach: This is fun, not really snorkel spot, but 3 or 4 turtles hang right at the beach, you can feed them the green seaweed from the rocks, they are very curious. Do NOT touch them, DH sat on one by accident as it washed into his legs. Just about 2 miles out of Haleiwa toward Sunset Bch, directions in Blue Bible.
Hiking: Diamond Head, of course. We started out running from our mid-Waikiki hotel, it was about 2-1/2 miles along the Zoo and up Monserrat to the back of the crater. Add the trail and the 99 steps (DH ran up them!) and running back, made for a rather long run. Take $1 per person to walk in. We forgot, but the nice lady let us in anyway, so we went later and paid.
Pali: Walk down the old road to the right of the main windy lookout - great views, quite fun.
Maunawiki Trail: This is 9 miles one way (see Blue Bible). We started at the end just below the Pali lookout and went in a bit. It looks like you can't park at the turn out but you can, just park uphill as far as you can, near the trail sign. Lovely guava forest.
Mt. Tantalus/Round Top: Walked the 2.5 Makiki Valley loop (trailhead at the Nature Center) -very beautiful jungle hike, not much view, some sweaty uphill and rooty footing,lots of birdsong but couldn't see them. There are many lovely trails off of Round Top, the whole loop road is a beautiful drive. The birds are amazing up there, mosquitoes not bad! Just keep moving.
Makapuu Lighthouse: GREAT views, hot and sweaty, all up then all down, takes about an hour.
Food: Kua Aina in Haleiwa has THE BEST mahi sandwiches, the best fish I had the whole trip. They are in a new building, same side of the street a bit further east. Don't get scared away by a long line, it moves OK.
Shrimp at Kahuku: Romy's supposedly has the freshest, they scoop it right there out of their pond, so that's where we went. The wait can be VERY long, the shrimp are messy, but quite delicious. The scampi style is GARLICKY, they leave the shell on and you have to peel them, gooey sauce and all. The steamed ones have the heads on.
Won't comment on Waikiki food, others have done it better. EXCEPT, we know a good local place called Wisteria on King St., Japanese food, fantastic udon noodle soup, not fancy, coffee shop style. We liked having drinks at Dukes and the Royal Hawaiian, we went to the RH when Dukes was too packed, which it usually was. Great people watching. $5 beer.
Traffic: Yes, it is terrible.Roadwork everywhere, closed lanes on Kuhio and Ala Wai. Avoid the H1 at rush hour like the plague. A suggestion for getting to the H1 from Waikiki without going up McCully - head for Kapahulu Street on the east side of the park and follow the signs, much better.
Waikiki was MUCH more crowded than we thought it would be, our last stay there was quite a few years ago. We booked at the Circle, but due to overbooking got moved to the Pacific Monarch. Bummer, we really wanted the Circle. Monarch OK, but too noisy. Great rooftop pool and deck.
Aren't the ABC stores wonderful?
I have gone on too long, thanks for your patience!
Oct 15th, 2004 | 10:51 AM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 742
Likes: 0
To Treesa, yes, they won't let you down to the beach at Hanauma without seeing the 20 minute film! At 9 am, there are long lines! Forgot to mention this, once you see the film, down at the beach you sign a form and they put your name in a computer so you don't have to watch it again for a year. We did this our 2nd time when we arrived after 7, not sure what happens if you get there real early. Also, remember the feeding frenzies and the big blue fish? Since you can't feed them any more, the frenzies are gone and things are more "natural". Kind of miss the agressive big blue fish, though.
To OSB: Yes, rush hour is pretty much 4-5. Plus, westbound from the Hanauma area, which no one reading this will be doing, there is heavy traffic towards Honolulu in the morning. Seems to be a pretty normal in-to-town out-of-town pattern. I think you may also not want to be on the Pali hwy. or the H3 going towards Kailua at 5pm, many people live there and work in Honolulu.
I wish we were still there! Have fun, all of you!
To OSB: Yes, rush hour is pretty much 4-5. Plus, westbound from the Hanauma area, which no one reading this will be doing, there is heavy traffic towards Honolulu in the morning. Seems to be a pretty normal in-to-town out-of-town pattern. I think you may also not want to be on the Pali hwy. or the H3 going towards Kailua at 5pm, many people live there and work in Honolulu.
I wish we were still there! Have fun, all of you!
Oct 18th, 2004 | 05:45 PM
#6
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,360
Likes: 0
Aloha gigib,
Is your
longing to be back on O'ahu? Withdraw for me is so difficult.
Loved your report... you enjoy many of the same spots we do... esp. Kua A'ina w/ excellent sandwiches. Turtle beach... Waimea beach... Hanauma Bay... Diamond Head... Pali.
You've brought back some great memories. Many mahalos.
Is your
longing to be back on O'ahu? Withdraw for me is so difficult.Loved your report... you enjoy many of the same spots we do... esp. Kua A'ina w/ excellent sandwiches. Turtle beach... Waimea beach... Hanauma Bay... Diamond Head... Pali.
You've brought back some great memories. Many mahalos.
Oct 18th, 2004 | 09:13 PM
#7
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
It's the Maunawili falls trail...not Maunawiki. 
And rush hour starts around 3 ish and goes until about 6 +.
Rule of thumb - don't head towards town in the morning and don't leave town in the afternoon. You shouldn't have problems.
The condition of the roads in Hawaii is the WORST they've been in years. Pot-holes everywhere, poor patching, etc. It's a mess. Be very careful driving here as the roads can swallow you whole. And do us a favor, complain to the city and county and tell them you'll never come back. Maybe they will listen to their precious tourists...because they sure don't listen to the folks that live here.
Denise
And rush hour starts around 3 ish and goes until about 6 +.Rule of thumb - don't head towards town in the morning and don't leave town in the afternoon. You shouldn't have problems.
The condition of the roads in Hawaii is the WORST they've been in years. Pot-holes everywhere, poor patching, etc. It's a mess. Be very careful driving here as the roads can swallow you whole. And do us a favor, complain to the city and county and tell them you'll never come back. Maybe they will listen to their precious tourists...because they sure don't listen to the folks that live here.
Denise
