First trip to Oahu in January! Where to visit in 4 days? (Honolulu: 2015, rent)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
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Get a car definitely. Using the BUS is plain impractical and offers disillusioned advice.
Brain dump recs:
Get a plate lunch at Rainbow's Drive in try the mixed plate and a slush float, warning its heavy comfort food. Take it to go and drive up around Diamond Head and park. You can sit on the rock wall enjoying your lunch and watching the waves below and hopefully get a glimpse of some breaching whales.
Check out Ala Moana Shopping Center, they just opened a new wing. Huge open air shopping complex with a sh*t-ton of shops. If your not into shopping, its great for people watching. Also stop by at the Mai Tai Bar on the top floor, Macy's side, open air, rattan lounge chairs with live Contemporary Hawaiian/Jawaiian singers performing in the evening with cheap happy hour beers and apps. Locals go there Friday nights, the better bands play after 8:00pm. Nearby is Shirokiya, great place to look-see at Japanese stuff, they have an awesome quaint food court/mini beer garden serving from ramen to sushi to takoyaki/okonomioki, japanese street food stuff typically not offered around the states.
Don't waste time going to any waikiki beach, go to Ala Moana beach, wayyy better. Best secluded beach @ Kahala hotel. Do walk waikiki beach at night its pretty, peaceful, and safe. Don't walk waikiki streets at late night, local goons and addicts come out at this time. Grab a drink that looks like a friggen tropical rain forest at Duke's.
North Shore - definitely see the big surf at Waimea, check out the local small artist shops in Haleiwa town, go to Matsumoto shave ice for some snow cones and snacks, waimea botanical park is pretty and peaceful.
check out hawaii plantation village for some cultural history.
Kakaako is livening up with trendy ETSY type shops with cool graffitti murals in the side streets. Check out SALT restaurant retail complex.
Get out of Waikiki for the most part, its big and crowded but is just empty noise when you think about it later. Just because there are huge crowds and brightly lit stores makes it seem exciting at first but none of that has no link to any real experience of hawaii. All the experience in waikiki is, is walking around rubbing elbows with other tourist shopping at touristy stores and touristy restaurants, nothing resembling to any real experience to what hawaii has to offer to local people.
Check out kapahulu for other restaurants there, its just down the street East from waikiki. Local spots include Zippys, Ono hawaiian food, malasadas at Leonards bakery. Poke shop, definitely try some poke somewhere.......Fresh Catch has great poke and an awesome furikake poached salmon....
Kudos if you DON'T eat at any McDs or IHOP and any other non local place in waikiki.
Last edited by lost_traveler1; 12-19-2015 at 04:51 PM..
One place I didn't see already mentioned is Waimea Canyon. This is a beautiful tropical canyon that has been augmented by botanical gardens. There are paths winding through Hawaiian ruins as well. At the top of the canyon is a waterfall with a great pool for swimming. This place can get crowded which takes away from the experience so early or late is best.
On the North Shore surf, you stand a good chance of seeing big waves that time of year, but check out the surf forecast to pick the best day.
Another cool beach is Sandys on the windward side. Very entertaining scene both in and out of the water.
Makapuu point is near Sandys and is a good hike; much better than the crowded Diamond Head crater hike.
Agree on eating in the Kapahulu area. Some good local cheap spots include Sekiyas, Ginas, and Waiola shave ice.
Lots of great Hawaiian music in Waikiki. Check some music sites and local listings for good picks.
One place I didn't see already mentioned is Waimea Canyon. This is a beautiful tropical canyon that has been augmented by botanical gardens. There are paths winding through Hawaiian ruins as well. At the top of the canyon is a waterfall with a great pool for swimming. This place can get crowded which takes away from the experience so early or late is best.
Not quite sure what you are talking about. Waimea Canyon is on Kauai and not at all like you've described.
Thanks again everybody. Spectacular scenery is of much greater interest to me than museums and shopping. I told my family I'm headed out there soon and they were adamant I see Pearl Harbor related stuff. (They've never been to Hawaii btw). I just don't see that being a good investment of time since I'll only have four days. Maybe I'm wrong. I'd much rather go on scenic drives to spectacular settings rather than shop or visit museums. So, lots of good ideas in this thread!
Thanks again everybody. Spectacular scenery is of much greater interest to me than museums and shopping. I told my family I'm headed out there soon and they were adamant I see Pearl Harbor related stuff. (They've never been to Hawaii btw). I just don't see that being a good investment of time since I'll only have four days. Maybe I'm wrong. I'd much rather go on scenic drives to spectacular settings rather than shop or visit museums. So, lots of good ideas in this thread!
This may seem unpatriotic, but skip Pearl Harbor if you only have 4 days. It eats up an entire day and isn't life-changing. You can watch a video of it on-line instead.
You probably should rent a car for the entire time since it is only 4 days. Otherwise you will pay for the shuttle both ways to the airport and have to rent a car in Waikiki as needed.
Best of luck and have fun!
Location: not sure, but there's a hell of a lot of water around here!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skyway31
I'll have a car for the first three days. Plan on drinking the last day in Waikiki so no need for the car that day!
The Mai Tai Bar is calling you
Can't beat the Royal Hawaiian.
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