# Should I grab weeks now or wait?



## suzanne (Aug 20, 2011)

Right now I can get 2 weeks for the time that I need next Nov. 2012 at the Lifetime (Royal Kuhio Resort) on Oahu. Should I grab them now at 25 credits for a studio unit or wait to see if something else becomes available? We like the location, reviews are OK. What would our chances be of a larger unit becoming available in the Waikiki area if we wait? Never having been to Hawaii before we are not sure how often units open up.

Suzanne


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## DeniseM (Aug 20, 2011)

Do you really want to go to Honolulu?

I know there are people who love cities, but for Hawaii, I'd go to a different island, or at least a different part of Oahu.  YMMV

Honolulu is a huge city with miles of pavement and skyscrapers.


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## cbm32 (Aug 20, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> Do you really want to go to Honolulu?
> 
> I know there are people who love cities, but for Hawaii, I'd go to a different island, or at least a different part of Oahu.  YMMV
> 
> Honolulu is a huge city with miles of pavement and skyscrapers.



Have to agree with Denise here.  We spent a couple of days there and could not wait to get back to Kauai.  LOVE Kauai but hated Honolulu.

Have not checked out Kona yet but my son LOVED it there....it will take a pretty great experience to beat Kauai though.


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## BevL (Aug 20, 2011)

We've been to Waikiki twice and can't imagine going back.  And you get a lot of really nice places on the other islands for 25 credits or less.  Too expensive, IMHO.


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## lprstn (Aug 20, 2011)

Let it go. If you plan on going to Hawaii, go to the Big Island, Maui or Kaui not to Ohau/Wakkiki as your only stop. You can do a hop to Ohau on an excursion for $275 pp. including tour and hours at the beach.


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## slip (Aug 20, 2011)

I think Oahu is fine for a first Hawaii trip. There are plenty of things there that
are Oahu specific, that make it worth more than a day or two stop.Pearl Harbour,
Waikiki beech just to name a few. You can see a large city, then go to the 
north shore, travel a little more and still see some old time Hawaii.

Don't get me wrong, Kauai is my favorite but Oahu is fine for a first time trip
and I think that most people leave there with a good impression of Hawaii. 

As far as waiting for a larger unit, I can help you there. I don't know how often
those things come up.


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## Kona Lovers (Aug 21, 2011)

There's a whole lot more to Oahu than just Honolulu.  We love all the islands for each of their own unique features.  

If this is what you like, take it and plan the rest of your vacation.  You may get bigger units, or you may not, depends
on how long you want to wait and face taking something less desirable.  

Marty


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## linsj (Aug 21, 2011)

I know this isn't a popular opinion here; but, Suzanne, not everyone dislikes Oahu. For me, it vies with Kauai for my favorite island. Each is a different--and good--experience. Since I own HGVC, I stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village more than anywhere else in the state. I like the fact that restaurants, groceries, etc., are cheaper on Oahu. I like being able to walk to restaurants and shops and not needing the expense of a car for the whole two weeks. So it's a much less expensive vacation than on the other islands.

Oahu is more than Waikiki. The Bus system around the island is good, and you can rent a car for a day or two to drive around. There's a lot to see and do.


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## Margariet (Aug 21, 2011)

suzanne said:


> Right now I can get 2 weeks for the time that I need next Nov. 2012 at the Lifetime (Royal Kuhio Resort) on Oahu. Should I grab them now at 25 credits for a studio unit or wait to see if something else becomes available? We like the location, reviews are OK. What would our chances be of a larger unit becoming available in the Waikiki area if we wait? Never having been to Hawaii before we are not sure how often units open up.
> 
> Suzanne



What we like when we travel and are timesharing is the variety. We love Big Island, Kauai and Maui, although Maui can be very touristic and Kauai gets crowdier every year. But Waikiki is nice and big fun, lots of good eat outs and a famous beach and skyline. You have to go there at least once to get the Hawaiian feeling in my opinion. Honolulu is great for sightseeing and Oahu has a lot to offer. We always go to Honolulu and Waikiki when we visit the Hawaiian islands. We don't come all the way for nothing! Just like Las Vegas we always like to spend a couple of days in Waikiki. We have booked the HGVC Grand Waikikian and the Lagoon Tower for upcoming trips. We have also stayed in the Imperial Hawaiian Vacation Club: awful room but great for the location. Your TPU amount for a studio is huge, for the Imperial it was 16 TPU in high season, for the Hiltons it is 25 for 1BR. I would start an ongoing search (again) and make a reservation for this one, and release it when a better match comes up.


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## suzanne (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your advice. We already have 2 weeks booked next Nov. on the Big Island. Our plan is to spend the 2 weeks there and then back those weeks up with the 2 weeks on Oahu. We want to see a lot of the things in the Waikiki/Honolulu area then visit the North Shore to see the Surfers. It appears that the end of Nov. is when the Vans Surfing Championships start and DH would love to see that. We want to see the USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, the Cultural Center, etc. Due to DH's health, he has to rest frequently. Spending 2 weeks there gives us time to see everything and him time for resting. We will have a car for the 2 weeks on the Big Island but do not plan to rent one on Oahu. There we will do a few tours and use the bus. Thats the reason for trying to stay in the Waikiki area as close as we can to the beach.

Suzanne


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## siesta (Aug 21, 2011)

suzanne said:


> Thanks everyone for your advice. We already have 2 weeks booked next Nov. on the Big Island. Our plan is to spend the 2 weeks there and then back those weeks up with the 2 weeks on Oahu. We want to see a lot of the things in the Waikiki/Honolulu area then visit the North Shore to see the Surfers. It appears that the end of Nov. is when the Vans Surfing Championships start and DH would love to see that. We want to see the USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, the Cultural Center, etc. Due to DH's health, he has to rest frequently. Spending 2 weeks there gives us time to see everything and him time for resting. We will have a car for the 2 weeks on the Big Island but do not plan to rent one on Oahu. There we will do a few tours and use the bus. Thats the reason for trying to stay in the Waikiki area as close as we can to the beach.
> 
> Suzanne


 sounds like an awesome trip


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## JanB (Aug 24, 2011)

If you are interested Islamic art, Doris Duke's home on Oahu is a great tour!  Even if you're not, the tour of the home is wonderful  I've done it twice now taking friends and family with me.  No one was disappointed!  The tickets are through the Honolulu Academy of Arts, are $25, and includes admission to the Academy - a great art museum.  We easily spent several hours there.  There is no driving to the home as it is in a residential neighborhood.  You board a ~25 passenger van from the Academy in order to get there.

TheBus system is wonderful.  If you have a medicare card, just show it when you get on and the senior rate is $.75.  My husband and I like people watching and the bus is a great place to do it.  Besides, the traffic in Honolulu is ugly and the parking expensive!

P.S.  While we love the other islands and spend 4 weeks in Kona each year, we never tire of Oahu.


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## robertr55 (Aug 24, 2011)

I would just add to what JanB, Slip and others have said...a trip to Oahu is usually the cheapest in terms of airline costs and can satisfy most every "need for Hawaii", but if you spend all your time in Waikiki, I think you're missing the best part. If you can afford to rent a car, there are plenty of wonderful spots to visit all over the east, north and west sides of the island (away from Honolulu). I’d recommend getting one of Andrew Doughty’s “The Ultimate xxx Guidebooks” for any of the islands you visit. Although your DH’s health may not allow this, while in Waikiki one of our favorite things to do at dusk is stroll along the beachwalk all the way from Kuhio Beach Park by the police station - where they have torch-lighting ceremonies, a hula-dancing show, and sometimes movies on the beach – all the way to the other end at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where if you’re there on a Friday night, you (and thousands of others) can see a short but nice fireworks show. 
It may not matter now, but to your original question (about larger places on Oahu) - we've been going to Hawaii for the last 22 years, and most of our trips consist of 2-4 days in Honolulu, and then a week or two on one of the other islands (our preference order is Kauai, the Big Island, and then Maui), and with all of the trading we’ve done, our experience is that the larger places are a rarity on Oahu, whereas the Big Island and especially Kauai usually have the most availability of the 2-bedroom exchanges (and for fewer points too). Hope you enjoy your trip!


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## greenjean (Aug 24, 2011)

North Shore Kauai is always my first choice, but since visiting north shore Oahu last October....it is in serious contention for the top spot. Gorgeous beaches and not touristy...lots of surfers to watch (especially if you stay during the competitions), great bike paths, farmers markets,uncrowded. Downside is no timeshares there that I know of so I went through VRBO.


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## jlr10 (Aug 24, 2011)

My sister went to the islands and only went to Oahu, and probably didn't get much out of Waikiki.  She has never gone back and cannot understand why anyone would want to go there.  I am not so sure that when people think of going to Hawaii they imagine the size of Waikiki and Honolulu, and the traffic on Oahu.  

I like going to Oahu for a short visit, but when I think of Hawaii it is always on the other islands.  But I think everyone should visit all of the islands, at least once and probably a lot more.


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## cgeidl (Aug 26, 2011)

*On Oahu now*

We have been to Hawaii about 30 times and always go to Oahu and usually one of the other islands. We can walk beaches on Oahu for over a mile and see no one else.We always stay at Waikiki at least two weeks and there is lots to choose from in entertainment and restaurants.
We are there now and would wait for a better and bigger unit if we were you. We arrived on Friday night and actually booked a week starting Saturday that was near our unit.there are almost always last minute cancellations. As we fly Free on Space available military flights we often don,t book until the last minute and have always gottena place.
We like all the islands and will come back inMarch and see Kauai,Oahu, and and the Big Island. We have friends who love Maui ,our least favorite. Different strokes for different folks.Yes honolulu is a big city but when you have a car you get away a bit each day.
Have fun!,,,


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## DaveNV (Aug 26, 2011)

I have to chime in here, and say that a trip to Oahu is great, as part of a larger Hawaii experience.  Honolulu is a major city with beaches, just like San Diego or Miami.  There isn't much difference.  If you expect Hawaii to be swaying palm trees and sandy beaches, you can find a LOT of it on any of the islands.  If you expect those beaches to be deserted, you may have to hunt a bit more.

I like Oahu for all the hustle and bustle that it has - including the people-watching craziness that is Waikiki.  But I also like Kauai, for the peace and quiet it offers.  An ideal Hawaii trip for me is a week on both islands, so I can get a feeling for both experiences.  Been there plenty, and I never get tired of it.

Dave

P.S.  Suzanne, you may want to reconsider not having a car on Oahu during your November trip.  You'll be in the rainy season, and it can rain very hard at that time of year.  Distances are such, and public transit such, that you may find yourself wasting a LOT of your time standing in torrential rain waiting for a ride.


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## suzanne (Aug 27, 2011)

Thanks for the info. If Nov. is rainy season, would we be better off to do last 2 weeks of Oct. then hop over for the 2 weeks on the big island? Our dates booked on Big Island are Sat. 11/3/12 thru Sat. 11/17/12. So we could do end of October.

We live in SE Florida just North of Miami so we understand crowds and traffic all to well. 

Suzanne


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## DaveNV (Aug 27, 2011)

suzanne said:


> Thanks for the info. If Nov. is rainy season, would we be better off to do last 2 weeks of Oct. then hop over for the 2 weeks on the big island? Our dates booked on Big Island are Sat. 11/3/12 thru Sat. 11/17/12. So we could do end of October.
> 
> We live in SE Florida just North of Miami so we understand crowds and traffic all to well.
> 
> Suzanne



The thing about Hawaii is that the rainy season runs for several months. So rain can happen anytime - but November can get really wet. Earlier in the season will be less likely to be as wet. If October is an option, you might like that better. And even if it does rain, you can go indoors for a bit. I just would hate to see you stuck without a ride miles from anywhere. Driving on Oahu isn't that bad - you just need to plan around rush hour.

Dave


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## jehb2 (Aug 28, 2011)

suzanne said:


> Thanks everyone for your advice. We already have 2 weeks booked next Nov. on the Big Island. Our plan is to spend the 2 weeks there and then back those weeks up with the 2 weeks on Oahu.



That's exactly what we do.  But we usually do Oahu first.  Kauai is truly beautiful but we got really bored in the evenings.  We love walking down Kalakaua Ave. and Lewers St. in Oahu every evening. There is so much going on.

I would definitely get a car for 3 days  Then you could go around the island and visit the North Shore, Sandy Beach, Lanikai Beach, the flea market (swap meet) just to name a few.


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