Quote:
Originally Posted by salegoi1
Hey everyone! My first post here... I have been reading the forums a lot and have gotten a lot of good info. However, I haven't seen anyone write on this topic. Obviously I know Honolulu is going to be great for singles, but what other areas would you suggest?
I graduated from pharmacy school last May, am 26, and love the water and outdoors (I'm also an assistant scuba instructor). The Big Island looked really good for outdoor activities but wasn't sure on any kind of night life, concerts, festivals, etc. Am planning on visiting in March and probably could get a job on either the Big Island, Maui, or Oahu.
Thanks!
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Oahu has so many things that you won't be able to get much of a response. It's like putting a kid in a candy store- just too many choices. Festivals are frequent, and if you get involved with certain groups of locals you'll find monthly parties with a cultural theme (not shoddy knock off types like you have in the mainland). I used to attend Laotian parties on occasion, the food is great and there was always a lot of booze.
Go on Scubaboard and you can meet some local divers and avoid the tourist prices. A beach dive a BBQ is cheap and fun and will keep your pocket a little more full of cash. Once you have a circle of dive buddies you can arrange charters just for the group and pay next to nothing for boat dives.
Waikiki has endless bars that spill over to the Downtown area where you have less tourist and bars with different character and out towards UH where it's more of a college crowd (and military avoiding Waikiki). To save money learn the discount circuit (every bar seems to have 1 night with mega discounts, go on these nights and you'll drink for less than the mainland). Also a lot of Korean hostess type bars
can have drink specials and awesome food. They can also empty your bank account if you start buying drinks for the ladies. But, these places can be fun with a group of friends and not st you back much if you avoid paying out to the hostesses.
You can hunt tourists. See the movie 50 First Dates as a reference.
There's a local paper (not the advertiser or bulletin, but the alternative paper) that has all the happenings for music and art/cultural venues. It should keep you busy and filled with a variety of options. The paper is free and you'll find it around Waikiki at stores (sorry I can't recall the name).
I lived in Hawaii 10 years. It's a pretty great place to live, so far my favorite in America. But if I had to pick one island... that's tough. If you want a very active social life with a lot of opportunities to drink, party and hook up Oahu is the best. Maui and the Big Island have some good nightlife, just not as infinite as Oahu. But both offer more nature.
If I was banished to one for the rest of my life I'd probably pick the Big Island, as the scenery is radically diverse and the scuba diving was slightly better.