Hello,
Was not planning on renting a car as a friend said we could tour the whole island by city bus. Looking for some tips on where to go: we have gone to a luau before so this trip just want to relax, take in the gorgeous sites. a massage by the beach would be nice, my mom also wants to shop at Dog the Bounty Hunter's store(it is quite popular over here in Canada).

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions.

i had a massage at elements, but its in a quaint quiet room h(ttp://www.elementshawaii.com)
Ironically, i looked in the phone book in my hotel, and all the "chapmans, and bail bond" were ripped out. We had a tour guide say, that one episode, they showed where they live, and people started stealing lawn chairs and grass from their lawn, hence they moved to a gated community.

Touring Oahu only using the city bus will take some time, do realize. It's not really meant for tourists rather for local transportation. It's slow and stops many times along the way.

If you don't want a car you might want to take an island tour with someone like Roberts Hawaii, or whoever that is set up for that.

I don't rent a car, but then I only stay right in central Waikiki and get around on foot. If I wanted to see the rest of the island I would definitely consider renting a car at least for one day.

In case you need to find it:
http://www.dogthebountyhunter.com/dakinebailbonds/

And a map:
http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=21892519

I didn't realize he was so close to my mall!
www.alohatower.com

I agree that taking the bus to see the island would take forever and not necessarily be convenient. Cheap, but not convenient.

Rent a car.

By the time you pay for airport shuttles, cabs, buses & tours that you can do on your own, you won't save any $$. Plus you will have spent hours on or waiting for slow public transportation.

You can see the island much better with a car.

Lots of info:

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

When I go to Waikiki I only rent a car - like Suze mentioned - for a day or two. That way you can get out of town and drive around the island but won't have the hassle of parking the car (and driving in the traffic) every day. Parking in Waikiki is tough - not much of it and expensive when it is available. But I agree that you should rent a car for a day at least and get out and see the rest of the island. The last time I rented one, I did priceline.com's "name your own price" thing and got a bright red Mustang convertible at Hertz (airport)for $40! It was lots of fun to drive around in and the price was incredible.

For getting around Honolulu, though, pick up a 4 day pass for The Bus at any ABC store (they're EVERYWHERE) for $20 and then you can hop on & off The Bus anytime you want to. But don't discount hoofing it - walking around Waikiki is one of my favorite past-times.

Use the bus to get around Waikiki/Honolulu, but definitely rent a car for a day or two to tour the island.

Yes, I too would suggest renting a car for 1 or 2 days. Hertz has a pick up location office right in Waikiki and I think Budget does too (at the Hyatt). There may be others with pick up locations in Waikiki as well.

You might want to check on the "Dog" thing. He's in a bit of a jam making racist comments that he has acknowledged making. A&E has suspended or dropped his new shows. Read it online at the Honolulu Advertiser.

Rex

Thank you again for all your help.
I leave in a few days and am looking forward to see another Hawaiin Island.

We did hear about the Dog issue on the news, although I always wait til the dust settles to have an opinion, too many times things are changed around or there are more reasons, and I can not understand why someone would tape the conversation anyways, other then for malicious reasons..

My favorite dinner in Waikiki was at the shrimp truck called "Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co" parked between Launiu and Kaiolu on Kuhio. Prices $5.95 to 13.95 for GREAT fresh seafood meals!

We rented a car when we were in Waikiki a few years ago, though that was because DH knew he wanted to explore the island almost every day. And we only there for 4 days.