where to go in hawaii, first time visiting (Honolulu, Kaneohe: rental car, rental)

[soni2926]

hi,
we're thinking about a trip to hawaii, both of us have never been there, is there a certain island recommended to visit for 1st time visitors? we're looking mainly to relax, not too much running around. also if we visit, do we need to rent a car?

thanks.

[KoaKine]

Aloha.

How long do you plan on staying ?
What kind of things do you like to do ? Hiking, fishing, boating, snorkeling,?
Do you look for good Italian to eat or do you try to eat local food?

[soni2926]

we were planning to be there for 3-4 days, neither one of can swim, so not sure if that hampers too many things. mainly going to relax and site see, food wise we're both vegetarians.

[tortoise31]

I recommend Kauai.. breathtaking scenary, great hiking, very low key and laid back, nice restaurants..

[jmlowman]

As a first-time visitor I suppose you should check out Honolulu. After that I'd suggest doing what we do, and that's catching a commuter flight to one of the other islands. As was mentioned, Kauai is beautiful and the Big Island has a lot to offer. I can't comment on Maui as that's the one island that we haven't visited.

If you don't want to rent a car, Honolulu may be your best bet. Virtually all of the hotels are in Waikiki, and you can walk or take the bus to get around.

Also, look into renting a condo rather than staying at a hotel. Last trip we had a great one on the 18th floor with a spectacular view from the lanai. It was also 3-4 blocks from the beach, restaurants and shopping, and we had a reserved parking space.

We were in Honolulu three years ago because my wife had a conference at UH. Since we hadn't been there since 1975 I was eager to rediscover it, only to find that Honolulu is just another city, with the usual problems, like traffic and crowds.

[hotzcatz]

For three or four days without needing a car, then Oahu would be a good choice. You've got loads of hotels in Waikiki or for a more laid back vacation, look for a vacation rental of some sort. Oahu has the nicety of being compact so everything is pretty close to everything else. Waikiki is small enough you can walk from one end to the other and there is enough there to keep you more than entertained for the small amount of time you'd be there. It also gives you a very classic Hawaiian vacation.

If you can afford it, the Royal Hawaiian, The Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Sheraton (I think it's the Sheraton Moana, but you'd have to check) are all right on Waikiki Beach. The Sheraton Waikiki Beach is right across the street from the beach, although any hotel within Waikiki is within easy walking distance to the beach.

Waikiki and Honolulu are full of tall condominium/hotel/office buildings though. If you want a more laid back less congested place, then a vacation rental outside of Waikiki/Honolulu proper would be a good choice although you'd possibly then need to rent a car.

Tourism is way down, though, Waikiki would probably be a good choice.

[HankDfrmSD]

Here's a place to list your likes and dislikes, which then factors them into a decision:

Best Hawaiian Island - Choosing an Island for your Hawaii vacation

[nwcountrygal]

The rest of islands have soooo much more to offer. With that said use the link above and with the short time you have also with never being to the islands, you would probable like Honoluluu - for the first time! No commuting or if you do a day trip cheap bus or rental car or just hang by the beach. I second the hotels listed if you don't want to go for the vacation rental. Have fun!

[Alohikea]

For my 2cents, 3-4 days just doesn't seem like long enough to really enjoy what Hawai`i has to offer. I have been 8 times and except for the 3 month stay, all my trips have been at least 10 days. Even then I still don't see everything I wanted to see; just leaves sights for the next trip! I would say that Waikiki would be a good place to start if you don't want to rent a car. Everything is walkable and there are great things to do especially at night on Kalakaua with it's amazing sidewalk entertainments.

[Afishwithabike]

That's a short stay. Any chance you could spend a few more days here?

Whatever you do, don't spend all your time in Waikiki. It's a tourist trap. Do spend some time in Waikiki so you get a feel for the place, but venture out to Haleiwa, the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, the Windward side (Kailua/Kaneohe), etc. Get a rental car and spend a day driving around Oahu. Or, can you take The Bus. I think the fare is less than $3/person and you can go around the entire island on The Bus although I prefer driving my own car.
There are a lot of Asian restaurants here so you should be able to find some vegetarian options.

If you want to do something different, try the Oahu Nature Tours. They offer small, eco-friendly tours of various natural scenes here.

Discover Hawaii. Aloha from Oahu Nature Tours