# 1st time in HI



## Joe33426 (Aug 30, 2016)

I'm trying to plan a trip to Oahu next July for a couple of weeks and really need some advice since we've never been to HI.  

I have Wyndham points, so I think I was thinking of reserving a week at Waikiki Beach and adding another week either at a timeshare or a vacation rental.  My SO doesn't like flying, so getting her to fly to another island is really not an option.  So, I thought that another week on Oahu outside of Honolulu would be good and that we would rent a car to explore the island.  

We'd add another week or two in CA either before or after the two weeks in HI.   I will be able to use some Wyndham points for that.  Ultimately, I have a conference in San Diego the first week of August, so I was hoping to fly maybe NYC > HNL , HNL > SFO, and SAN > NYC.  

I can see that exchanging into HI or CA in July is going to be tough.  I have OGS for the 2nd week in HI, but I'm not too optimistic.  

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## vacationtime1 (Aug 30, 2016)

Why Oahu?  If you are going to spend two weeks on one island, that is not the right island.  I would suggest Kauai or Maui.  You can fly to either non-stop from any major west coast airport.


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## dsmrp (Aug 30, 2016)

IMO, 2 weeks in Oahu is a long time, even if you are a first time visitor. (And I lived 20+ years there!)  

The Hawaiian airlines interisland planes are really quite large for the short distances they travel, if size might alleviate your SO's anxiety?  It's only 20 minutes to Kauai, and maybe an hour to the Big Island (Hawaii), less for Maui.  You could take a one way hop to another island, and then leave from that island to SFO.

You might have better luck exchanging into a neighbor island in July.
I've never tried to exchange in in the summer tho'.


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## slip (Aug 30, 2016)

If you're flying that far another 20 minute flight should be doable to go to another island. I'd do Oahu and Maui.


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## BocaBoy (Aug 30, 2016)

Oahu is not my favorite island, but in my opinion it is unquestionably a must-see on a first time visit to Hawaii.  I would suggest a week there and a week on either the Big island (if there is an interest in volcanoes) or Maui (my favorite island by far).  The inter-island flight is much easier and more pleasant than you might think.


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## alohakevin (Aug 30, 2016)

slip said:


> If you're flying that far another 20 minute llight should be doable to go to another island. I'd do Oahu and Maui.



It's nice to see Honolulu to see Waikiki beach,The Arizona,Diamond head etc but that can be done in a couple days. Hawaii is definitely paradise but Honolulu is reminiscent of Chicago with palm trees. Big city,crowded lots of traffic.
Once you get to Maui your better half will be glad you did IMHO.


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## pacman (Aug 30, 2016)

Joe33426 said:


> I'm trying to plan a trip to Oahu next July for a couple of weeks and really need some advice since we've never been to HI.
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



Skip Oahu, and do what the rest of us all do now - You can't loose by choosing Maui, Big Island, or Kauai.


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## Joe33426 (Aug 31, 2016)

Thanks for all of the replies and feedback.  Definitely need to reconsider our plans.  Since we're only talking about 1 additional short flight, perhaps it could work out.


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## Roger830 (Aug 31, 2016)

We have been to all four islands, next year we are going to Oahu and Kauai again. When we go again, it will be Oahu and Big Island.

Maui is nice, but after driving the road to Hanna loop, the Kahekili Hwy loop, and Haleakala, I don't know what to do next. We see whales at Cape Cod and have snorkeled in the Florida National Park.

Ohau isn't just Waikiki, it has some very nice overlooks. You can get a like-new "Ohau Revealed" on ebay for a few dollars. The park in the Elvis movie "Blue hawaii" overlooking Waikiki has stunning views. Also you're not limited to one road, there are highways and roads in many directions from Waikiki.

Ohau is my favorite island.


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## presley (Aug 31, 2016)

Joe33426 said:


> I'm trying to plan a trip to Oahu next July for a couple of weeks and really need some advice since we've never been to HI.
> 
> I have Wyndham points, so I think I was thinking of reserving a week at Waikiki Beach and adding another week either at a timeshare or a vacation rental.  My SO doesn't like flying, so getting her to fly to another island is really not an option.  So, I thought that another week on Oahu outside of Honolulu would be good and that we would rent a car to explore the island.
> 
> ...


Do you need to fly to SFO? I'm just thinking in terms of if you are trying to reduce flight time, it may be an extra flight that you don't need. If you are wanting to spend time in San Francisco, you could rent a car from there and drive to San Diego. It's a beautiful drive. You could either drive straight through or stop for one night somewhere. There's lots to see on the California coast.

Everyone has different opinions on what islands are the best to visit. I agree that Oahu has a lot of the 'big city' stuff to it, but it also has very gorgeous parts that haven't been over developed. If you stayed in Waikiki for the first week and then rented a house/condo on the north shore for the second week, I think you'd have a good time. Be sure to look up all the stuff the island has to offer and then figure out if 2 weeks is too much there. 

If you switched up the trip a little bit and went to San Diego before Hawaii, Alaska Air has direct flights from San Diego to the other islands (if you decide you want to go to a different island). 

No matter what you decide, you'll certainly have a very good vacation. You can't go wrong with any of those places.


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## alwysonvac (Aug 31, 2016)

Joe33426 said:


> I'm trying to plan a trip to Oahu next July for a couple of weeks and really need some advice since we've never been to HI.
> 
> I have Wyndham points, so I think I was thinking of reserving a week at Waikiki Beach and adding another week either at a timeshare or a vacation rental.  My SO doesn't like flying, so getting her to fly to another island is really not an option.  So, I thought that another week on Oahu outside of Honolulu would be good and that we would rent a car to explore the island.
> 
> ...



Does your Hawaii trip have to be combined with your San Diego conference? 
_NOTE: There will be more competition whenever the kids are out if school. You might find more availability and cheaper flights in May and after Labor Day._

Since you're planning two weeks, it's a great opportunity to explore another island but I suggest spending sometime reading up on the differences. Your choice should really be based on things you're interested in seeing and doing.

Choosing an Island
(1) https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/hawaii/travel-tips-and-articles/76554
(2) http://travelblog.viator.com/guide-to-hawaii-island-hopping/
(3) http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/choose-an-island/

Once you decide on an island(s) pickup a guidebook. Revealed books are very good - http://www.hawaiirevealed.com

I live on the East Coast, if I simply wanted a quiet laid back beach destination, I could take a short flight to any of the islands in the Caribbean instead of flying 10 hours from the East Coast to Hawaii.  I've visited all of major islands including Lanai. Oahu is our favorite and the one we visit the most. We sometimes combine our two week Hawaii trips with a stay on another island. 

What's One Thing You Wish You Had Known...[before you went to Hawaii] - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218338
Tell me why I should go to Oahu? - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131985
Itinerary for 6 days in Oahu - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193759


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## DaveNV (Aug 31, 2016)

Roger830 said:


> We have been to all four islands, next year we are going to Oahu and Kauai again. When we go again, it will be Oahu and Big Island.
> 
> Maui is nice, but after driving the road to Hanna loop, the Kahekili Hwy loop, and Haleakala, I don't know what to do next. We see whales at Cape Cod and have snorkeled in the Florida National Park.
> 
> ...



Thank you, Roger.  I don't think Oahu gets nearly enough love on Tug. Yes, it has a big city, and yes, that city can be crowded, and yes, traffic on the freeways can be a pain.  But that is only one part of an amazing island that has a TON of things to do, away from the crowds, if the tourist would only make the effort to get out and do them.

People seem to forget (or may not bother to learn) than within just a few blocks, they can be totally out of Waikiki, and away from everything they think they dislike. Within 30 minutes they can be standing on a totally empty stretch of beach, enjoying the surf and sun all by yourselves.  You just have to get out there and find it.

I used to live on Oahu.  I loved it then, and I love it now.  I've been back a zillion times since moving away, and I'm going back again in October.  I never get tired of it.  Don't get me wrong - I like all the other islands, too.  And my one and only remaining timeshare is on Kauai.  The two I owned on Oahu, and the one on the Big Island were sold off some time ago.

As people on Tug love to say about Hawaii:  "Each island has its own flavor and appeal.  Seeing just one island is not going to give you a feeling for the whole state. Decide what you want your Hawaii vacation to be, and do it your way." Man, is that the truth!

OP Joe, here's my suggestion:  Plan your trip as a multi-city itinerary.  Fly into Honolulu and spend a few days, even if it's in a hotel.  See the big sites (Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, and such.)  Then fly to any of the other islands, settle in to your timeshare, and enjoy yourself.  When you're done, fly back to the Mainland directly from that island.  Most airlines fly back from each of the four main islands.  (I think only Hawaiian Airlines routes most flights through Honolulu.)  You're traveling in July, so weather will be great, no matter which island you choose.  Decide what you want to do most, and pick the island that offers that to you.  You can't really go wrong.

And at the end of the trip, if you feel like you missed out on something, you can start planning another trip to Hawaii.  It gets under your skin, and one trip, I don't care who you are, will not be enough.  Accept it, enjoy yourself, and have a fantastic time!

Dave


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## cgeidl (Aug 31, 2016)

*We have been to Hawaii about 25 times*

We always go to Oahu for two or three weeks ,then an other Island. The Big Island is our second favorite and we will go there in October. Oahu has the most historical places to see, the most nightlife and entertainment,the biggest choice of restaurants, and most things to do. For two weeks another island visit would be something to consider.
For staying in another location there is little timeshare choice but you could use Homeaway. There is Ko Olina and Aulani and they are great destination resorts especially if you golf but are remote to get other places.If you just want to crash in one location they are great but for us a couple days is enough.


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## BocaBoy (Aug 31, 2016)

pacman said:


> Skip Oahu, and do what the rest of us all do now - You can't loose by choosing Maui, Big Island, or Kauai.



Well, I guess the responses in this thread show that not nearly all of us skip Oahu.  Even though Maui is our favorite island, there are many reasons why Oahu gets the most visitors.


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## Joe33426 (Aug 31, 2016)

presley said:


> Do you need to fly to SFO? I'm just thinking in terms of if you are trying to reduce flight time, it may be an extra flight that you don't need. If you are wanting to spend time in San Francisco, you could rent a car from there and drive to San Diego. It's a beautiful drive. You could either drive straight through or stop for one night somewhere. There's lots to see on the California coast.



Don't really need to fly to SFO, just thought it would be easier and we love San Fran.  I've done the ride before a couple of times, but never stopped.  I think staying one night somewhere would be great.  Thanks for the idea. 



alwysonvac said:


> Does your Hawaii trip have to be combined with your San Diego conference?
> _NOTE: There will be more competition whenever the kids are out if school. You might find more availability and cheaper flights in May and after Labor Day._



Unfortunately, we're tied to a school schedule.  Thanks for the links, I will definitely take a look!!! 




DaveNW said:


> OP Joe, here's my suggestion:  Plan your trip as a multi-city itinerary.  Fly into Honolulu and spend a few days, even if it's in a hotel.  See the big sites (Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, and such.)  Then fly to any of the other islands, settle in to your timeshare, and enjoy yourself.  When you're done, fly back to the Mainland directly from that island.  Most airlines fly back from each of the four main islands.  (I think only Hawaiian Airlines routes most flights through Honolulu.)  You're traveling in July, so weather will be great, no matter which island you choose.  Decide what you want to do most, and pick the island that offers that to you.  You can't really go wrong.
> 
> Dave



Hey Dave, thanks, this sounds like a really great idea.


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## pacman (Sep 1, 2016)

BocaBoy said:


> Well, I guess the responses in this thread show that not nearly all of us skip Oahu.  Even though Maui is our favorite island, there are many reasons why Oahu gets the most visitors.



Yup, I guess you are right.  Have been to Oahu many times, and for a long time it was our favorite.  That was before we started spending more time on the other islands.  I honestly can't think of a reason we would return to Oahu now.


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## amyhwang (Sep 17, 2016)

I also lived on Oahu 20 years ago, and we go back from the East Coast every other year for two weeks.  We own at Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club in Kapolei, and we love it there!  Next year, we locked off our 2 bedroom units and have two weeks in the studio (just my daughter and me) and then two weeks in the one bedroom (husband and son joining us).  The one bedroom units with sitting room (put a rollaway in there) work fine!  Plus, during the last two weeks, my daughter and I are planning on seeing the Big Island for a couple days, just to see the Volcano Nat'l Park and a quick visit to an old childhood friend that lives there.

Oahu is our favorite island, and we plan on moving back in about 10 years.

There is enough to do, but we mostly LOVE Ko Olina!  Free exercise classes on the beach, gym, pools, very family friendly atmosphere (without nickle and diming you like the Disney resort next to us seems to do by charging for stuff we get for free).  Grills available all the time, and plenty of them!  Costco, Target, Walmart, and Safeway (blech) close by to get essentials.  

There are already a lot of summer weeks on redweek at Ko Olina available to rent!  It's nice to go to Waikiki for a couple days (we've done that at the front end of some trips), but then to escape to Ko Olina is so nice (although it is getting built up more than I prefer).

We got our flights all booked, and finalized as of today.  Going over, we have to route through SAN (never been there) and then taking Alaska from there to HNL.  So you could look at the Alaska flight from HNL to SAN.  I think a week in Waikiki on points then another week at Ko Olina (okay, I have bias!) would be a nice trip!  I do think tying it in with your conference makes perfect sense.  You can ease out of the jet lag that way.  

I can't help much with properties in SAN, but you can definitely fly nonstop from EWR to HNL, which with her not liking flying, may help.  It's the taking off that bugs many folks I think!  I also understand not wanting to island hop.  I've had small planes that scared the life out of me!  

Good luck in your planning!!!


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## daventrina (Sep 21, 2016)

Joe33426 said:


> Unfortunately, we're tied to a school schedule.  Thanks for the links, I will definitely take a look!!!



Because of jobs, or because the kids are in school.

When Trina worked for the school we were stuck traveling in July and August. The up side was that the diving was awesome.

At least half a dozen times we pulled the kids out of school and put them on independent study. They learned so much more there than they ever did in school.


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## Tamaradarann (Sep 21, 2016)

*2 weeks on Oahu is not too much but!*



Joe33426 said:


> Thanks for all of the replies and feedback.  Definitely need to reconsider our plans.  Since we're only talking about 1 additional short flight, perhaps it could work out.



We have been to Oahu many times and to all the other 5 islands that you can go to a number of times.  We love Oahu the most because it is the island with the most things to do and you don't need a car to get around while you do need a car on the other islands.  You can walk to many activities and the bus service is very good to get to other things.  Many people are car oriented and must rent a car.  For them going to Oahu means high parking fees and lots of traffic.  They also like peace and quite which Waikiki is definitely not.  Furthermore, they do the popular tourist stuff and say been there done that.  

As far as 2 weeks being too much, we have vacationed on Oahu for over 500 nights and can't wait to get back this coming winter.  We enjoy doing things over again and meeting new people.  We love going to and attending performances at the Museums, the Palace, the parks, hearing the Royal Hawaiian Band free concerts, attending concerts at the Hawaii and Blaisdale Theaters, attending art festivals, attending parades etc.  We have so many things to do that certain times we must choose between 2 and 3 conflicting events.  (By the way, I didn't even mention the beach which is right down the block from Beach Walk)  If you want peace and quite even one week on Oahu might be too much.  But if you like activity and doing things that I mentioned without a car, come and enjoy our favorite island for the first time.  You will be back again.

PS:  You may want to rent a car for one day to drive around the island to more easily get to the North Shore and other more remote areas.  The bus will get you there but we do rent a car about once year to do remote type stuff.


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## Kapolei (Sep 22, 2016)

Ko Olina resort.  Just learn Oahu traffic.  When you are on vacation you can definitely plan around it so there is no excuse for getting stuck in it


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## DaveNV (Sep 22, 2016)

Kapolei said:


> Ko Olina resort.  Just learn Oahu traffic.  When you are on vacation you can definitely plan around it so there is no excuse for getting stuck in it



 ^^^

I tell people this all the time, but they can't seem to get around the idea that Oahu traffic is something crazy.  It really isn't.  From everything I've ever seen, it's no worse than rush hour most anywhere.  If they like bad traffic, they need to try visiting Seattle or L.A. or Washington DC sometime. 

Dave


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## Kapolei (Sep 27, 2016)

DaveNW said:


> ^^^
> 
> I tell people this all the time, but they can't seem to get around the idea that Oahu traffic is something crazy.  It really isn't.  From everything I've ever seen, it's no worse than rush hour most anywhere.  If they like bad traffic, they need to try visiting Seattle or L.A. or Washington DC sometime.
> 
> Dave



Oahu still has a rush hour  ----

 about  (5:30 am -8:30 am) and (3:30 pm - 6:30 pm)

Los Angeles is non-stop disasters all day long


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## DaveNV (Sep 27, 2016)

Kapolei said:


> Oahu still has a rush hour  ----
> 
> about  (5:30 am -8:30 am) and (3:30 pm - 6:30 pm)
> 
> Los Angeles is non-stop disasters all day long





I agree, and know that rush hour on Oahu has been that way for a very long time.  (It was certainly that way back in the late 60's when I first moved there. My Dad worked by the Aloha Tower and we lived in Kailua.  His trip over the Pali, a distance of about 12 miles, took him more an hour most of the time. Now that the Wahiawa and Waianae-Kapolei areas are developing, it's only getting worse, since traffic is coming into Town from multiple directions.)  

But my point is that if someone is on vacation, they can plan around the traffic.  L.A. is a mess all the time, Seattle is a mess most of the time, and D.C. is off the charts, in my opinion.  Oahu traffic is what it is, and there are ways around it, if people would only plan ahead some.



Dave


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## taterhed (Sep 27, 2016)

Just to clarify....

 The majority of the inter-island flights are flown on the MD-717.

https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Hawaiian_Airlines/Hawaiian_Airlines_Boeing_717-200.php

 The MD-717 is a 106-134 passenger airliner.  Not regional jet or "RJ," but airliner.  

 Some OGG and LIH flights are conducted on the 'dash-7.'  This is a 64 seat regional turbo-prop.  If you don't like that size plane, simply pick a time slot marked 717 instead of AT7.  

https://www.islandair.com/aircraft


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## daventrina (Sep 28, 2016)

taterhed said:


> Just to clarify....
> The majority of the inter-island flights are flown on the MD-717.


Some are flown with a single engine Cessna Caravan.

https://www.mokuleleairlines.com/our-fleet/

We're trying this for the first time next month...

The added feature of a flight seeing trip...


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## taterhed (Sep 28, 2016)

daventrina said:


> Some are flown with a single engine Cessna Caravan.
> 
> https://www.mokuleleairlines.com/our-fleet/
> 
> ...




 I knew somebody would bring that up....

 They have a few flights.  Would be a nice way to see the islands, skip the big airports etc.... but not really the 'routine' choice for inter-island.  I wouldn't recommend this for the skittish or heavily packed traveler....  Looks like fun though.  I'll check em out too...

https://www.mokuleleairlines.com/travel-info/flight-schedule/


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## lynne (Sep 28, 2016)

taterhed said:


> I knew somebody would bring that up....
> 
> They have a few flights.  Would be a nice way to see the islands, skip the big airports etc.... but not really the 'routine' choice for inter-island.  I wouldn't recommend this for the skittish or heavily packed traveler....  Looks like fun though.  I'll check em out too...
> 
> https://www.mokuleleairlines.com/travel-info/flight-schedule/



We love Mokulele for inter-island.  Since there is no TSA (at least from Maui and Big Island), we are able to bring normal sized items containing liquid between the islands.  Since they are only 9 seaters, the seats are quite large and comfortable and they fly lower across the water allowing us a sight-seeing experience.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 28, 2016)

taterhed said:


> I knew somebody would bring that up....
> 
> They have a few flights.  Would be a nice way to see the islands, skip the big airports etc.... but not really the 'routine' choice for inter-island.  I wouldn't recommend this for the skittish or heavily packed traveler....  Looks like fun though.  I'll check em out too...
> 
> https://www.mokuleleairlines.com/travel-info/flight-schedule/



Looks much better (and safer) than the flight we took from Belize mainland to Ambergris a few years ago.


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## daventrina (Sep 30, 2016)

taterhed said:


> ...  I wouldn't recommend this for the skittish or heavily packed traveler....  Looks like fun though.  ...


They do have reasonable baggage policy, which in the past has made it difficult or impossible to carry our dive gear. Carry-on may be somewhat smaller still, but we're planning to take just two backpacks as carryon (as long as all the electronics will fit).

Seriously considering leaving the big camera at home... 

Mornings will generally would provide a smoother flight. The worst part would be passing the isthmus.

The nicest part will be to just drive up the street from the resort, get on the plane ... fly to Kona 



lynne said:


> We love Mokulele for inter-island.  Since there is no TSA (at least from Maui and Big Island), we are able to bring normal sized items containing liquid between the islands.  Since they are only 9 seaters, the seats are quite large and comfortable and they fly lower across the water allowing us a sight-seeing experience.


Right ? :whoopie:


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