beachgirl86

Hi everyone,
My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii this past August (Waikiki 2 nights, Big Island 4 nights, and Maui 7 nights) and are returning this coming August to Oahu for 5 nights and Kauai for 8 nights.

On Oahu, we are staying 5 nights at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. On Kauai, we are staying 5 nights in a condo on the North Shore (Sealodge J-2) and 3 nights at the Hyatt on the south shore.

I would love any suggestions from all you Hawaii experts! We are big into snorkeling, so any tips on either island would be great. Also, we have already done Pearl Harbor, but we would like to rent a car for a day or two on Oahu and drive to the North Shore beaches (Lanakai, etc...) Anything else you would recommend out of Waikiki? We loved Waikiki, and will probably spend a good amount of our 5 days there, but are looking forward to exploring the rest of the island a bit as well.

On Kauai, where is the best place to grab groceries for our condo? We plan on being fairly active for the 5 nights we are at the condo (snorkeling, going to the beach, swimming, etc...) and then want to veg at the Hyatt's pool for the 3 days we are there! We would like to take a boat trip to see NaPali -- any recommendations? What else -- Waimea Canyon?

We don't want to be crazy busy every day, did that last summer and it was exhausting! Just want to enjoy what the islands have to offer, but still relax. Restaurant suggestions also welcome for either island. Mainly casual places, with a few special splurge dinners. Thanks again!

ggrtist

Aloha Beachgirl86, there may be a few helpful comments in my TR from our trip to Kauai last August at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34527210 . We usually do budget travel with a splurge here and there.

If you plan on dining on route to your North Shore rental would recommend The Shack over Bubba's for really casual dining. IMO, the food was tastier and twice as filling and with the ET coupon it was a great deal. The Princeville area only had one major food market. One of the best meals of our trip was the one we BBQ'd at the condo, we picked up some Ahi and steak kabobs at the fish market at Hanalei Dolphin, a very yummy bargain. We followed several recommendations from Kauai Revealed.

Our most memorable excursion in Kauai was the heli tour. The aerial sights and photo ops from the tour were awesome.

If you click on my username you'll find a couple of other TRs for Oahu regarding drives to the North Shore, etc.

beachgirl86

ggrtist: I just read that Kauai trip report, it was great! Lots of helpful tips for beaches, food, snorkeling on the North Shore, so thank you

Sandra_E

Hi beachgirl,

I posted my intinerary, in case you haven't read it, find it here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...t=0&keyword=74. There are some comments you may find useful in the replies to my message.

On Oahu, visit Shark's Cove on the north shore for snorkeling... It was fantastic - lots of different kinds of fish & even a sea turtle.

-Sandra
218 days til

chepar

Lanikai is actually on the Windward side of the island, not the north shore. It's my favorite beach - but it's not so great for snorkeling. The sand is quite powdery, so it may not be so great on a windy day. Lots of places in Kailua town to rent kayaks and such.

As mentioned, Shark's Cove on the north shore is great for snorkeling, but it is not really suited for laying out to sun. Three Tables (situated just left to Shark's Cove if you're facing the ocean) has more of a beach area and also has decent snorkeling. If you park at Shark's Cove, it's an easy walk to Three Tables.

annahead

Hi beachgirl, My #1 suggestion for Kauai is Kipu Ranch Adventures ATV tour. The Na Pali coast tour was nice, but Kipu Ranch was out of this world. Kipu Ranch is privately owned land, this is the only tour company allowed to use it. The views you will see are jaw dropping, simply beyond description. Alfred and Tom were our guides (still remember their names after 9 months!), they were fantastic. Don't worry about the terrain, I'd never been on an ATV prior to this and it was a piece of cake. If you want to take a swim in brackish water, bring your suit. You'll get a chnace to swing from a rope that was featured in the first Indiana Jones movie. If you don't want to get wet you can swing anyway, just don't let go. They'll point out different movie sites, you'll recognize scenery from Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and that movie with Anne Heasch and Harrison Ford. It's a once in a lifetime experience!

bashfulLV

beachgirl86 - Be sure to take a walk through Chinatown - great buys and enjoyable little excursion. While up there, if you walk down Hotel Street - in the daytime, please! - you'll find a bunch of take out food places where you can get some really great "local" food. A good local food place is Rainbow Drive-In - very good. And don't miss a real treat - malasadas at Leonard's.

Also, if you're into history - Hawaiian history is fascinating (to me anyway) - take the tour at the Iolani Palace or the Bishop Museum. Be sure to hit Duke's on Waikiki for a drink or two, or a meal too. Also, the Banyon Bar at the Moana Surfrider is a fun place to have a cocktail. Lava flows were my favorite....

Also at the Moana Surfrider they have a bunch of white rocking chairs on the front lanai overlooking Kalakaua. It's a great place to take a break and get in some people watching.

Boots & Kimo's in Kailua has great macadamia pancakes and is worth both the drive over there and the wait if there is one. (It's a small restaurant so there's usually a wait.) The Dole Plantation sells yummy pineapple ice cream which is a nice treat on your way out (or back)to the North Shore. Their gift shop has some really good stuff too - I still order jars of their Maui Onion Salsa several times a year.

suze

Historic in Waikiki/Honolulu:

Bishop Museum 947-2458
Iolani Palace 538-1471
Mission Houses Museum 531-0481
Queen Emma Summer Palace 595-3167

Doris Duke Shangri La estate
532-DUKE or 1-866-DUKE TIX
Reservations required

Tour of Chinatown

iamq

Hi beachgirl,

Here is my trip report for our trip to Kaua`i last summer.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34513767
We are going again late July for two weeks and are staying in Hanalei.
We may there at the same time!
-Bill