What's up at Ko Olina, and O'ahu?

[gcoleman]

30 days to go! We can't wait to get to Ko Olina next month!

It's been since September 2010, and we are wondering what changes we might expect at Ko Olina now that the new Hale Naia building is in full swing and the Disney resort is up and running.

Any interesting activities/events going on during the week of 19-28-May? We like to look for neighborhood festivals or musical events. (Last time we went to O'ahu, we found the First Annual Rice Festival, and Marilyn won the Grand Door Prize, a 20 pound bag of rice which I carried around the whole day!)

I've been reading about some of the archaeological sites on O'ahu, and we are hoping to be able to visit some of them. Any suggestions? (Last time we visited the Birthing Stones site, which hit home to Marilyn who's an OB Nurse!) Maybe a heiau...any interesting ones?

We are traveling with some friends who have not been to Hawai'i before. Any ideas for first timers? (They are anxious to go to Pearl Harbor, of course, and are looking forward to the Aloha Stadium Flea Market, and they love to snorkel. Besides Hanauma Bay, what other neat snorkeling sites?) We'll make sure that they attend the Fia Fia show at Ko Olina, we love that!

I've been learning to play Hawai'ian slack key guitar on my own, and love the island music. Any ideas for places where we can hear some authentic sounds (not a luau, probably)? Any ideas where I might be able to take a lesson from a slack key musician to polish up some technique?

We like doing things that we'd not likely do at home. (We've done Segway tours of Kailua and Lanikai, fantastic! We've done glider rides at Dillingham. We've done the sunset cruise, beautiful!) Any ideas for kayaking? Anyone recommend any of the parasail or paraglider rides on the east coast? Maybe some scenic hiking trails?

That ought to prime the pump for some ideas! Mahalo nui loa for any help or ideas or recommendations you can provide.

G

 

[gblotter]

Sounds like you are the one with ideas for us!

That is a great list - many which I have not considered.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

30 days to go! We can't wait to get to Ko Olina next month!

It's been since September 2010, and we are wondering what changes we might expect at Ko Olina now that the new Hale Naia building is in full swing and the Disney resort is up and running.

Any interesting activities/events going on during the week of 19-28-May? We like to look for neighborhood festivals or musical events. (Last time we went to O'ahu, we found the First Annual Rice Festival, and Marilyn won the Grand Door Prize, a 20 pound bag of rice which I carried around the whole day!)

I've been reading about some of the archaeological sites on O'ahu, and we are hoping to be able to visit some of them. Any suggestions? (Last time we visited the Birthing Stones site, which hit home to Marilyn who's an OB Nurse!) Maybe a heiau...any interesting ones?

We are traveling with some friends who have not been to Hawai'i before. Any ideas for first timers? (They are anxious to go to Pearl Harbor, of course, and are looking forward to the Aloha Stadium Flea Market, and they love to snorkel. Besides Hanauma Bay, what other neat snorkeling sites?) We'll make sure that they attend the Fia Fia show at Ko Olina, we love that!

I've been learning to play Hawai'ian slack key guitar on my own, and love the island music. Any ideas for places where we can hear some authentic sounds (not a luau, probably)? Any ideas where I might be able to take a lesson from a slack key musician to polish up some technique?

We like doing things that we'd not likely do at home. (We've done Segway tours of Kailua and Lanikai, fantastic! We've done glider rides at Dillingham. We've done the sunset cruise, beautiful!) Any ideas for kayaking? Anyone recommend any of the parasail or paraglider rides on the east coast? Maybe some scenic hiking trails?

That ought to prime the pump for some ideas! Mahalo nui loa for any help or ideas or recommendations you can provide.

G

Welcome to TUG.

Keep in mind that the new building won't be 100% open until June 2, 2012, however they do have a small portion of it open right now.

One thing I think you'd find fun is hiking up Diamond Head to the very top for some spectacular views. Keep in mind that this is now an inactive volcano, and can be a challenging walk up for some. BE SURE to bring a camera.

Also, toward the North side of the island is the Dole Pineapple Plantation and Visitors Building; many find this to be very interesting.

Enjoy your trip, and be sure to report here on TUG all your findings!





.

 

[cp73]

We have been to Ko Olina several times. One of my favorite things to do is to go over to Kailua and rent Kayaks and kayak out to flat island and over to Lanikai beach. Spend a couple of hours there then kayak back. Since you have been to that area you already know how beautiful it is. Kayaking just makes it even better. There are lots of fish to see and turtles. You can also snorkel off the beach there. Be sure to bring a lunch with you. Its not that difficult of a kayak. If your very adventuresome you can also kayak over to the biggest island over there (Moloni?? something like that) which is a bird sanctuary. That could be pretty tiring though. All in all this can't be beat.

 

[Swice]

food market

The food market on Saturday mornings... in parking lot of community college near Diamond Head is fun. Go hungry! Be advised that it is basically over by noon.

 

[slum808]

We have been to Ko Olina several times. One of my favorite things to do is to go over to Kailua and rent Kayaks and kayak out to flat island and over to Lanikai beach. Spend a couple of hours there then kayak back. Since you have been to that area you already know how beautiful it is. Kayaking just makes it even better. There are lots of fish to see and turtles. You can also snorkel off the beach there. Be sure to bring a lunch with you. Its not that difficult of a kayak. If your very adventuresome you can also kayak over to the biggest island over there (Moloni?? something like that) which is a bird sanctuary. That could be pretty tiring though. All in all this can't be beat.

If you enjoy renting Kayaks at Kailua beach, you better hurry up. The City has already passed a resolution which will ban commercial rentals on Sundays. They are also currently debating a full ban on all commercial rentals. Increased commercial activity is overloading the beach and infrastructure of the area.

 

[gcoleman]

slum808,

Thanks for the heads-up on commercial kayaking at Kailua. It would be a shame, but I can certainly understand if it's getting too cluttered.

If this comes to pass and commercial kayaking at Kailua is banned, or restricted, are there other sites on O'ahu where we could go?

G

 

[slum808]

Don't worry, the city can't pass anything in 30 days so you should be okay for this trip. If the bill does pass, the market will adjust. Some are already saying that the way the bill is written, it only prohibits activity at the beach park. So one vendor is already set up across the street, which is outside the bill's jurisdiction. I'm sure the vendors and customers will adjust or spread out.

 

[vikingsholm]

Got back from Ko Olina recently, have a few suggestions for you:

- Bishop Museum, very interesting local history and displays, nice buildings and grounds

- Iolani Palace

- For Pearl Harbor, either get there early or try a reservation online first if going later in the day, they fill up quickly except for the submarine. Submarine museum was worthwhile too.

- Punchbowl national cemetery, very attractive setting, good views of downtown and Diamond Head in the distance

- Easy hike or stroll at Waimea Valley near Waimea, with lush botanical gardens, some strange and intriguing plants, and a 3/4 mile walk to Falls that were booming at the time

- Tougher hike from west end of Dillingham airport up switchbacks on Kealia trail to picnic table and shelter if you're in good shape - great views of the ocean and coast on the way up, but you earn it - don't go if it's too hot - or too rainy (due to dirt packed trail). This continues up to the greatly scenic ridgetop Kuaokala Ridge trail, but getting to that part is a hard grinding mostly uphill portion from the picnic area, which I learned first hand.

Kuaokala trail can be accessed from the Yokohama beach area separately by driving up to the top, but that requires a permit from the state Division of Forestry in Honolulu to get through a guarded gate first, and I didn't do that so don't know if it's a rough road. The Oahu Hikes guide book has these and lots of other good trails to choose from.

- The Byodo-In temple is an attractive Buddhist temple in a great setting with mountains in the background, near Kaneohe and Kailua.

Lots of other good ideas for various sight seeing and activities in the book: "Oahu Revealed", as well.

 

[linsj]

Lots of other good ideas for various sight seeing and activities in the book: "Oahu Revealed", as well.

+1. Also check out the Hawaii forum here; it has lots of info on what to do and see.

 

[Big Matt]

The Dole Plantation was a waste of money IMO. It's a neat story, but for your money, I'd just stop in to see the store, walk around and get some pineapple ice cream. If you are going on the pineapple train make sure that there are actually going to be pineapples in the fields. There were none when we rode the train.

 

[cyrilpahinui]

Slack Key in Hawaii

Aloha, If you like attend a workshop just shoot me an email. Also, I am performing at the Kani Ka Pila Grille in Waikiki every Wednesdays.

 

[gcoleman]

Thanks, All!! Some great ideas, and more questions...

To CP73: We will definitiely snorkel at Kailua. Thanks for the recomendation. We may try to kayak there too, if our friends are willing.

To SWICE: The Farmer's Market! What a great idea! I've heard about it, but never been. We'll check it out.

To Vikingsholm: Never been to the Bishop Museum, but heard good things about it, so we'll put it on the list for this time. Haven't seen the Punchbowl, and we wanted to do that this time, and combine it with a drive up to Mount Tantalus to see some of the incredible views over the city that we've heard about. The hikes out by Kaena point sound interesting too, and I'd not heard of them, thanks. We love the tranquility of the Byodo-In temple. (I saw two Byodo-In burial plots for sale on ebay this year and seriously thought about it...)

Thanks everyone for the input. Please feel free to add anything else that comes to mind.

Now for the coolest thing. Some of you will not have heard of Cyril Pahinui, who responded with a note to attend one of his slack key guitar performances, and to tell me about workshops that he offers. This fellow is one of the luminaries of the Hawaiian music community! He has participated in Grammy winning recordings, has performed all over the world, and is of a beloved family of musicians. I was absolutely tickled by his note! I can't wait to see him perform, and I'll move heaven and earth to try to get to his workshops. I guess you meet all kinds of people in the TUG Forums!!

Now to keep things going...I'm still interested in hearing about some of the archaeological sites. Have any of you visited any of the Hei'au (temples) sites? I understand there is one up near the north shore, and another near the valley where H3 cuts up into the mountains on the Honolulu side. Perhaps there are other locations of historical interest?

We'll be staying at Ko Olina the week of 19-26-May, and then a few more days in Waikiki. We're looking to try some of the things that generally show up in the local newspapers, interesting local community or neighborhood kinds of things. Are there any good websites that I could check, or newspapers I could grab at the airport that would have good listings of the events of the week we are there?

The friends we will be traveling with are nature nuts, and are interested in visiting such stuff. All I know about is the Park at Waimea Valley on the north coast. (It's wonderful! We will do that.) Are there orchid farms, botanical gardens, or arboretums that are worth seeing?

Enough for now. Thanks for your help!

G

 

[jlr10]

Drive up the Manoa Valley. There is an easy, but muddy, trail to Manoa Falls. There are also some other fairly easy hikes in that area as well.

 

[Ggatorgirl]

Fia Fia

Has anyone been to the Fia Fia Luau show? It gets very good reviews on Trip Advisor.

From what I read, Fia Fia is much smaller than the typical luaus such as Paradise Cove or Germaine's. It is only offered 1 night a week at Ko Olina, but the performers, especially the Master of Ceremonies, are said to be the best. Food is better, too.

Anybody agree or disagree?

 

[gcoleman]

Fia Fia is Great!

Yep, I've been, every time I've stayed at the Ko Olina resort. I look forward to it. It's smaller than many of the high production luaus in the area, and more intimate, better food, and I think, much better entertainment.

G

 

[gcoleman]

Hiking would be cool!

All,

Thanks to TimeTraveler, Vikingsholm and Jlr10 for suggesting some hikes.

I'd heard some folks at Ko Olina talking about a hike they did that involved some metal stairways that were in some disrepair...seems to me that it had a name that was like "Stairway to Heaven"...and that it was closed to normal use. Anyone know about this one? Can it still be done?

G

 

[gcoleman]

Telescope show at Ko Olina?

Hi, all,

There was a guy who used to bring his huge computer-controlled telescope to Ko Olina and do an "Evening with the Stars" sort of thing. It was a terrific thing to see the planets and other things so well. (Without all of the light pollution from Washington DC!)

Does he still do this? Anyone know what nights? What it costs?

Thanks!

G

 

[slum808]

All,

Thanks to TimeTraveler, Vikingsholm and Jlr10 for suggesting some hikes.

I'd heard some folks at Ko Olina talking about a hike they did that involved some metal stairways that were in some disrepair...seems to me that it had a name that was like "Stairway to Heaven"...and that it was closed to normal use. Anyone know about this one? Can it still be done?

G

Stairway to Heaven on the windward side was closed to the public. There is a gaurd that watches the entrance during normal working hours. Some still make the hike by getting there before the guard goes on duty. Caution, if you do this, this is a residential nabourhood that does not like illegan hikers parking and walking through their property. I've heard its beautifull, but its way to many stairs for me.

 

[golf4hrs]

North Shore Oahu

If you want to venture beyond the security gates of the Ko'Olina resort area, here is a good checklist of interesting things to do on the North Shore:

• Visit Haleiwa Town. This town has succeeded to maintaining its surfing heritage. You don't want to miss visiting this charming town without any buildings taller than two stories and is vintage shave ice stands and Hawaiian art galleries.
• Shave Ice Stands: Two of the best shave ice stands are located in Haleiwa Town, Matsumoto's or Aoki's, both located at the western end of Haleiwa Town on the main road.
• Skydive Hawaii: Right at Mokuleia is the small Dillingham airport where those seeking adventure can find skydiving or glider plane rides.
• Sports Equipment Rental. You can rent ocean toys at a variety of locations on the North Shore. Bike and board rental can be found next to Foodland. Another popular location is the Surf 'N Sea shop which is located just north of the Haliewa Bridge as you are leaving Haleiwa Town.
• Golfing at Turtle Bay Resort: Turtle Bay Resort features two championship golf courses that are among the finest in Hawaii. The Arnold Palmer Course is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 in the world and is a select location for prestigious PGA and LPGA tournaments. Club rentals available (Nike, TaylorMade).
• Dole Plantation. A fun activity for families is the Dole Plantation located a short drive from Haleiwa Town. The facility has a pineapple train ride, a maze and other activities related to the planting and harvesting of pineapples from Hawaii.
• Eco-Tours. Hawai'i Journey’s Tours offers a variety of unique specialty eco-tours. They range from a tour featuring a swim at Wai Hi waterfall, a private tour of a native plant garden and ancient archaeological site, and exploration of a forested botanical garden and animals to a tour of an ancient sacred birthing site for Hawaiian royalty.
• Hawaii Shark Encounter Tours: For those who would like to have an extreme exciting experience, Hawaii Shark Encounter Tours might fit the adrenalin bill.
• The Polynesian Cultural Center. Hawaii's most authentic luau and dinner show at this 42 acre center where you will experience authentic South Pacific cultures as they have existed for thousands of years. Play the Derua bamboo drums of Fiji, participate in the Haka war dance of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and make fire from sticks and coconut husks in the Samoan Village. Local BYU university students work there part-time to pay for their tuition since the campus is next door.
• Glider Rides - The Honolulu Soaring Club takes people up for glider rides at the Dillingham Airfield in Mokuleia. Open daily 10-5:30. This is a unique treat.
• Polo Games. On Sundays, just before the beach park in Mokuleia, there is a polo field where championship games are held. It's a fun Sunday gathering.
• Dune Buggy Rentals - There are 3 wheeled dune buggy rentals just past the Turtle Bay Resort. They also have "sail" buggies and plenty of space and sand dunes to play around in. The Turtle Bay Resort also has dune buggies for rent.
• World famous beaches - Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay. Major surfing events during winter time only.
• Surf Lessons- Whether you are a beginner that has never surfed before or an experienced wave rider, several local companies offer a wide range of coaching services, customized surf lessons, stand up paddle (SUP) lessons, surf tours, surf camps or surf parties.
• Go Sportfishing for the day or half day out of Haleiwa Harbor.
• Roadside stands - pick-up some fresh papaya or local shrimp plates in Kahuku.
• Hiking opportunities on Oahu are endless. Explore the natural fauna and flora of the island. Take a hike in Waimea Valley or explore Peacock Flats in Mokuleia on the Waianae Range
• Scuba Dive on all shores of the island. Check out Surf and Sea on the North Shore or Breeze Hawaii for shipwreck dives.

Both of my daughters live and work on Oahu. One of them recently graduated from the University of Hawaii. This list is like my bucket list. I have been fortunate in traveling to Oahu on business and vacation for the last 30 years. Each time, I try to bring back a new memory from Hawaii. Each island is a little different. So many things to do and so little time to spend in Paradise.........

 

[MikeM132]

The Dole Plantation was a waste of money IMO. It's a neat story, but for your money, I'd just stop in to see the store, walk around and get some pineapple ice cream. If you are going on the pineapple train make sure that there are actually going to be pineapples in the fields. There were none when we rode the train.

The pineapple fields where the train runs were removed years ago, according to someone we asked. Agree Dole is a ripoff---although good souvenier store.
We like Lyon's Arboretum (part of Univ of Hawaii). Gorgeous and free (donation optional). Bishop museum is kind of neat and they often have shows and stuff. We stayed there about 3 hours but could have stayed longer (had to catch a plane). Punchbowl is worth seeing--free. I plan to see the new air museum on Ford Island this time (new since I was last there in 2008). We took a movie bus tour at Kualoa Ranch (fun). The horse tour looked better, but took longer. North Shore Haliewa is very interesting. Just saw another studio by that mural guy, Wyland, in Laguna Beach last week (we are just back from Newport Coast)--he has a studio on Oahu on North Shore. I think the show at Polynesian Cultural Center is good. Food is not so great. Drinks are Mormon (no caffiene, no alcohol) if that's a big deal.
Tons to do. We are probably going to try to eat at the buffet at the new Disney place this year when we go.

 

[dioxide45]

...and get some pineapple ice cream...

Ice cream? Some may call that blasphemy. Properly referred to as a Dole Whip. In fact, I think the dessert may be mostly dairy free. So, it is far from ice cream. It seems to garner a lot of attention at of all places, Walt Disney World. There are complete websites devoted to this frozen dessert.

 

[gcoleman]

Thanks, all, for more neat ideas!

Just two more weeks until Ko Olina!!!!

To Golf4hrs: Thanks for the big list of North shore stuff. We'll definitely check some of it out.

To slum808: Thanks for the update on the "stairway to heaven" hike. I just saw a video on YouTube about it and it looked pretty scary! I'm a little intimidated by how much effort the hikers put into evading the guards at the trail head.

To MikeM132: We will do the Bishop Museum this visit based on your recommendation and others'.

To Cyril Pahinui: Looking forward to your workshop on Slack Key Guitar at the Bishop Museum, and your performance at the Outrigger! Thanks!

I found some event lists on line that gave me some neat ideas for things happening while we are there:

GoHawaii.about.com listed a Lantern Floating event that will be held on Memorial Day evening. More than 3000 lanterns bearing individual and community rememberances will be floated. Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park. Special attention to the victims of the Japanese tsunami.

www.hnknow.com has lists of events covering a number of neat musical and dining events. A very extensive calendar list that can be queried a bunch of different ways. It covers one-time events and regular repeating events.

The State Fair will be at the Aloha Stadium! WWW.alohastadiumswapmeet.net lists a bunch of things going on at the stadium besides the Flea Market. Everyone goes to the Flea Market.

I found that searching for "fundraiser" events uncovered a whole bunch of neat things, some of a local and quirky nature, that looked like fun to check out. Like, the Healani Canoe Club Kanikapila Fundraiser, at the Aloha Tower. I learned that the word "kanikapila" involves a community of people playing music together. There will be "pupus"!

The International Marketplace also has a website that lists much of the events and entertainment activities at the Marketplace. Pretty neat. www.internationalmarketplacewaikiki.com

The Bishop Museum also has a website that lists lots of museum events.

There's a huge festival involving the Hawai'ian Music Industry at the Convention Center. There are workshops on all sorts of cultural and musical things. Including the annual best-of awards.

It will be the weekend of the Triathlon, so we'll stay out of Waikiki for a couple of days....I'll bet it will be crazy!

We will miss the SPAM Jam, a big festival honoring Spam and all of it's recipes! It's before we get there.

Seems like there were a bunch of other neat things I came across, and pointers to other lists of things. Is there any place on the TUG site where I can put this stuff, so that others won't have to search the same things?

Can't wait to get to Ko Olina and O'ahu!

Mahalo nui loa to all my fellow tuggers who pitched in to coach me along!

G