# [Thread from Feb.] One week trip to Honolulu - what to see?



## anniemac (Feb 13, 2008)

Am going on my first trip to Hawaii - it's Honolulu time.  What do you recommend for the first trip?  Of course Pearl Harbor is on the list  - my dad spent months in Hawaii during WWII.  

Since we are meeting family we won't have the opportunity to bail out of Oahu and spent overnights elsewhere on this trip.  We're hoping that 6 days on Oahu won't be tedious - just kidding - I know we will love it.  But would love some tips from Oahu lovers.  And what about the weather in mid-March - I hear some scary stories about 7 straight days of rain with 2 hours of sunshine.  Truth or fiction??   Thanks TUGGERS!


----------



## DeniseM (Feb 14, 2008)

Since your dad is a WWII Vet, this tour is a must-do:  Home of the Brave

You will see areas on the tour that you will want to go back and spend more time on, like "The Punch Bowl," Cemetary of the Pacific.

We also enjoyed:

Polynesian Cultural Center

Hiking Diamond Head (strenuous)

Tantalus Lookout (scenic drive)

Here is a list of popular sightseeing ideas that I found helpful.


----------



## Hoc (Feb 14, 2008)

Most people will take a trip out to Waimanalo to go to Matsumoto's Shave Ice (it's pretty famous, and there will be a line.  It's quite good, but Waiola General Store on Kapahulu Avenue near Waikiki is acknowledged by locals to be the best).  

When you are in Waimanalo, you might wander the art galleries there.  Of particular interest is a gallery called "Art. . .is."  It is essentially the living room of Ron Artis, a professional studio musician (keyboards) who is essentially retired.  The gallery consists of airbrushed damaged surfboards, but there are also regular live music perfomances given in the living room by Artis and his (10 or more) children, most of whom are extremely good.  Music is original, jazz fusion.  Start around 2 pm toward Waimanalo, stop for a tour at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, have some free pineapple and shop the store.  Continue toward Waimanalo (enjoying the beauty), get there around 4 or a bit later.  Get a shave ice, walk the galleries, stop into Art. . . is, and then head on toward the beach (another 5-10 minutes) and watch the sunset.  Then you can go home.  It's quicker to turn around and go the way you came, or you can continue around the island and spend the night at the Turtle Bay Hilton, get up and walk the beach in the morning, then head back into town.

Enjoy a hike up Diamond Head (if you are in shape), or a drive up there and look at the view (if you are not in shape).  Continue around to Hanauma Bay, where there is some great snorkeling.  Then continue your drive around Makapuu, stop and see the blow hole, enjoy the ocean.  Lie on the sand a bit at Waimanalo Beach Park (but watch the valuables and leave them out of your car on this trip, and leave your car doors unlocked, as there are often breakins into the cars in the parking lot, and you don't want to pay for a smashed window).

Drive up to the Pali, making sure on the way up to drive through Nuuanu Pali Drive (slowly, it's beautiful -- kind of like the road to Hana, but shorter), and if you feel like it, there are a couple of fairly easy hikes off this road to a couple of waterfalls.  Continue on through Kaneohe, around the island toward Kahuku, stopping at the Crouching Lion Inn, or bringing a picnic lunch and enjoying it on one of the many beaches.

On all of the drives, wear your bathing suit (under your clothes, if you want, or bring it along) in case you fancy a swim at one of the many and beautiful beaches.

For shopping, go to Kapolei and stop at the factory outlet mall in Waikele.  Or the Aloha Swap Meet on Sunday or (if you must) Saturday morning.

Go out dancing in Waikiki at night in one of the many clubs with live music, or watch the sunset at Duke's in Waikiki and listen to the live music (usually one or two folks with acoustic guitars) after that.

Go to one of the many amazing restaurants on Restaurant Row (Ala Moana Blvd. between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu), or Ryan's Park Place in Ward Center, or the expensive but very good Pan-Asian restaurant, E&O Trading Co., also in Ward Center.  Take a walking tour through Chinatown and have lunch there (Little Village Noodle Shop is amazing, probably one of the best Chinese restaurants on Oahu, but casual and reasonably priced).  Have Dim Sum one morning (preferably Sunday) at Legend's Seafood in the Chinese Cultural Plaza, and walk the plaza.  Get some Char Siu baked manapua (OK, another kind, if you must) at Royal Kitchen on the Riverwalk (but walk fast, there are some scary looking characters hanging out there).

I've posted my other restaurant recommendations for Oahu many other times on this board, so I won't go into them any more.

Check out a Luau -- The one near the KoOlina is a good one, or Don Machado's, which is one of the most popular, though it's quite touristy and not one of the best.

Take a cruise on the Ali Ali Kai out of Kewalo Basin, or some other day/booze/dance/dinner cruise ship.  Or charter a fishing vessel from there and go deep sea fishing.

Ask the concierge at your resort, as they will often have a lot of info on the more popular tours and events going on.

Denise, I've heard that Tantalus is still closed since the earthquake.


----------



## dboy1 (Feb 14, 2008)

Tantalus Drive is open for sure--we drove it at Christmas time when we were there. No matter how many times we drive it we are still amazed at the rain forest like setting so close to downtown Honolulu. Most people never realize that it is there and so easy to get to!!


----------



## Mimi39 (Feb 14, 2008)

Hoc:    According to my map  Waimanalo is on the other side of the island near Sea Life Park --- whuzzz-up with that!


----------



## KevJan (Feb 14, 2008)

One of our favorite stops is the Dole Pineapple Factory in the middle of the island.  We even went there twice on our last trip.  I _lovetheir stuff and can't get enough of it.  Does anyone know where to get it on the mainland?_


----------



## DaveNV (Feb 14, 2008)

Hoc said:


> Most people will take a trip out to Waimanalo to go to Matsumoto's Shave Ice (it's pretty famous, and there will be a line.  It's quite good, but Waiola General Store on Kapahulu Avenue near Waikiki is acknowledged by locals to be the best).
> 
> When you are in Waimanalo, you might wander the art galleries there.  Of particular interest is a gallery called "Art. . .is."  It is essentially the living room of Ron Artis, a professional studio musician (keyboards) who is essentially retired.  The gallery consists of airbrushed damaged surfboards, but there are also regular live music perfomances given in the living room by Artis and his (10 or more) children, most of whom are extremely good.  Music is original, jazz fusion.  Start around 2 pm toward Waimanalo, stop for a tour at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, have some free pineapple and shop the store.  Continue toward Waimanalo (enjoying the beauty), get there around 4 or a bit later.  Get a shave ice, walk the galleries, stop into Art. . . is, and then head on toward the beach (another 5-10 minutes) and watch the sunset.  Then you can go home.  It's quicker to turn around and go the way you came, or you can continue around the island and spend the night at the Turtle Bay Hilton, get up and walk the beach in the morning, then head back into town.



I think you mean Haleiwa, not Waimanalo.  Haleiwa is where the shave ice stand is, the art galleries, and the surf museum.  Waimanalo is down the coast from Kailua, near Sea Life Park and Makapuu Point.  It's by Bellows Beach.



Hoc said:


> Denise, I've heard that Tantalus is still closed since the earthquake.



Part of Tantalus Drive is open.  Go up Punahou Street through Makiki Heights to Nehoa street.  You can drive quite a ways, and see quite a bit of the city from there.  The landslide is near where Tantalus turn into Round Top Drive.
It's well worth the trouble to find it.

Dave


----------



## Hoc (Feb 14, 2008)

jeepguynw said:


> I think you mean Haleiwa, not Waimanalo.



Yes, I did.  Waimanalo is where you go traveling the other way around the island (where I mentioned Waimanalo Beach Park).  I think I had Waimanalo on the brain late last night.


----------



## pacheco18 (Feb 14, 2008)

If a member of your group has base privileges, do not miss the the NEX (Naval Exchange at Pearl Harbor) -- they even carry Tommy Bahama clothing

Take a bike hike and snorkel tour with Bike Hawaii

Go to the swap meet at the stadium

Eat lunch at Sam Choy's

Have a buffet breakfast at the Royal Hawaiian

Have a mai tai at sunset at the Moana Surfrider

DON'T GO TO THE LUAU AT PARADISE COVE!


----------



## jlr10 (Feb 15, 2008)

Hikes near Mount Tantalus: The Manoa Falls hike.  Not a hard hike, but it can be muddy in some spots so wear appropriate shoes.  Another nice hike is the Makiki Valley loop trail.  It is a hike through rain forest terrain that gives great views of Waikiki/Honolulu through the foliage-Something that has to be seen to really appreciate.  -There are the type of expereinces that show that Oahu is not all about Waikiki, being crowded and full of tourists.


----------



## Hoc (Feb 15, 2008)

jlr10 said:


> Hikes near Mount Tantalus: The Manoa Falls hike.  Not a hard hike, but it can be muddy in some spots so wear appropriate shoes.  Another nice hike is the Makiki Valley loop trail.  It is a hike through rain forest terrain that gives great views of Waikiki/Honolulu through the follage-Something that has to be seen to really appreciate.  -There are the type of expereinces that show that Oahu is not all about Waikiki, being crowded and full of tourists.



Be careful of the Makiki Valley Loop trail.  There is a point, about midway through the trail, where it forks, and you can go down or up.  We went down, as do a lot of hikers, and many of them wind up lost in the Manoa Valley for days.  We lucked out and wound up coming out at Paradise Park (no longer there), then took a bus back up to Tantalus to get our car.

Edit: Manoa Valley


----------



## Hoc (Feb 15, 2008)

jlr10 said:


> Oahu is not all about Waikiki, being crowded and full of tourists.



Yeah.  I (and many others in the know) cringe when we hear people from the Mainland say that Oahu is "like New York City on an island," and to go to Maui.  These are usually folks who don't know much about the islands, probably went to Waikiki and barely made it outside of Waikiki or Honolulu, or organized tours.  What they don't say is that Maui -- Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kihei, the parts where most people go -- is very "Mainland-i-fied," and very little different from Newport Beach or other mainland beach cities (except with better fish and surf and cleaner water).  And they don't know that Oahu is very much like rural Maui once you get out of Honolulu and Waikiki.


----------



## jlr10 (Feb 16, 2008)

Hoc said:


> Be careful of the Makiki Valley Loop trail.  There is a point, about midway through the trail, where it forks, and you can go down or up.  We went down, as do a lot of hikers, and many of them wind up lost in the Manoa Valley for days.
> Edit: Manoa Valley



 We didn't know that going onto the trail.  We didn't really have trouble following the trail, but my husband always has a trail guide or map with him, and we watch for trail markers.

We only got off track once in our hikes and we discovered the error within about 10  minutes-Once we got to the edge of a cliff and here was no more trail.  -We got off track because  he only read the trail guide book he had.  When we backtracked we found the the trail sign which directed us to go a different way.  Now we utilize both.  Hopefully that will prevent us from being lost in a valley somewhere.


----------



## Hoc (Feb 16, 2008)

jlr10 said:


> We didn't know that going onto the trail.  We didn't really have trouble following the trail, but my husband always has a trail guide or map with him, and we watch for trail markers.



From what I remember, there are two trails: The Makiki Loop Trail, and the Makiki Valley Trail.  They hook together in the middle of the Loop Trail.  The Loop Trail is about 5 miles, and the Valley Trail is about 7.  The lost hikers happen when they realize they are on the wrong trail, and turn around to get back to the Loop trail.  Apparently, that is hard to follow in that direction, and they then wind up lost.

We started on the Loop trail, which would have let us out about a half mile up the hill from our car, and wound up coming out at Paradise Park in the Valley.  We were then told about the common mistake and lost hikers.  So, we didn't know, either, and we normally did not take trail maps.  Just looked at them before the hike.


----------



## HatTrick (Dec 31, 2008)

Hoc said:


> It's quicker to turn around and go the way you came, or you can continue around the island and spend the night at the Turtle Bay Hilton, get up and walk the beach in the morning, then head back into town.



Turtle Bay hasn't been a Hilton for quite some time.


----------



## DeniseM (Dec 31, 2008)

Please note that that this thread is a year old...


----------

