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I just purchased a flight and hotel to Oahu the first week of January. I'm OK with seeing some tourist stuff, but also want to get a little glimpse of what life as a resident may be like. I assume I'll want a rental car for a couple of days to see as much of the entire island as possible. I'd like to check out some cool spots that might not appear in your typical travel guide. I'm not huge on museums nor do I tend to like anything with tour guides. And I'd like to find some fun nightlife as well. Any tips would be appreciated!
If you're staying in Waikiki, then you're in the hotbed of night lift so no need to wander far.
Rental cars may or may not be worthwhile on Oahu. The traffic is horrendous and you'll spend a lot of time sitting in traffic in the rental car. Oh, there's no free parking that comes along with your hotel, so add in about $25 - $50 a day for parking fees. No free parking anywhere in Waikiki, really. If it were me, I'd take a shuttle to the hotel, check in there and hoof it around Waikiki/Ala Moana area for a day or two. From Ala Moana Shopping center just outside of Waikiki, there's city buses - Da Bus - which go all over the island. Might be worth while to get a day pass for the bus and just wander around via public bus. That would give you a glimpse of life as a resident.
Thanks guys. I should have mentioned that a big point of interest for me is checking out the surf on the north shore. I do want to circle the entire island, and traffic is not a huge deal for me. I live in L.A. and am fine with my 45 minutes each way commute to work! So, while on vacation I don't mind some traffic if it means seeing an entire part of an island I'd not otherwise see.
I just purchased a flight and hotel to Oahu the first week of January. I'm OK with seeing some tourist stuff, but also want to get a little glimpse of what life as a resident may be like. I assume I'll want a rental car for a couple of days to see as much of the entire island as possible. I'd like to check out some cool spots that might not appear in your typical travel guide. I'm not huge on museums nor do I tend to like anything with tour guides. And I'd like to find some fun nightlife as well. Any tips would be appreciated!
You're only going to be here 4 days and want to see the entire island? Unless you're broke and need rental car funds to eat, absolutely rent a car. You'll spend 50% of your 4 days here waiting for and riding the bus.
Is there any way that you can extend your vacation to at least a week? Four days is way too short. Even a week is very short. I agree that the Arizona Memoral/visitor center is a must see. A Luau is probably also a must see. I recommend doing the Arizona tour and the Luau with a group tour. They will drive you there and take care of all the logistics for you, reducing the hassle of getting to and from the events. If you rent a car, you'll be able to experience the traffic jams on Oahu like a resident. I didn't rent a car while visiting Oahu, but I might the next time. I know what you mean about the LA traffic during rush hour when it takes 90 to 120 minutes just to get across the city and all the possible routes are bad.
Thanks guys. I should have mentioned that a big point of interest for me is checking out the surf on the north shore. I do want to circle the entire island, and traffic is not a huge deal for me. I live in L.A. and am fine with my 45 minutes each way commute to work! So, while on vacation I don't mind some traffic if it means seeing an entire part of an island I'd not otherwise see.
It's been awhile since I lived on Oahu but I'd head over the Pali hwy to Kailua/Kaneohe then take the bay that runs to kahuku and visit the north shore that way (likelike?). Oahu is just meh, to me, but the surfing is freaking great.
Night life? Waikiki or some of the bars on the north shore but I'd stick to Waikiki if that's where you are staying.
Stay a way from the tourist luaus.
If you plan on surfing...be careful.
If you have the rental car, go out past Sandy Beach, along the Waimanalo coast, wander thru Kailua along the beach, then head up along the rest of the windward coast. Then you can see North Shore in the afternoon and head back into town against the rush hour traffic. That way you'll get loads of scenery and see a lot of the different surfing spots. Sandy's and Makapu'u are scenic although they are primarily body surf spots.
Pearl Harbor/Battleship Missouri, etc., are war memorials. Personally, I am just overwhelmed by the amount of violence shown on TV and in the newspapers, going to a memorial for the same is difficult for me, YMMV. There is a fun swap meet across the road from there at the Aloha Stadium. Hiking to the top of Punchbowl is fun and doesn't take all that long. Great views from up there. Wandering through China town is fun, too, if you like interesting little shops. For an altar of conventional and high end retail, there's always Ala Moana shopping center as well as the upscale shops in Waikiki. The Palace tour will give you a lot of Hawaii history and an understanding of why Hawaii is frequently the way it is.
Make sure you visit the Poly center. It is a must see and plan on an entire afternoon and evening there for the show and the luau. It's one of the greatest. It will give you a feel for the old Hawaiian life.
Places I like to hit are usually food related...the shrimp trucks on the North Shore, Fukuya (a japanese deli basically), and Palace Saimin are pretty good. None of this is gourmet...just local type stuff. The drive up to the look out on Tantalus is well worth it too.
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