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5 day Hawaii vacation during Christmas time with family

A

alphatarget1

Diamond Member
I don't know much about Hawaii other than that there are lots of cool nature stuff to see, but I have a feeling that my parents might not be up for that. Any ideas?
 
Originally posted by: alphatarget1
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Yeah, nature is highly overrated. Stay in the hotel until it's time to go home.
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I'd love to go see that stuff, but my parents are kinda older.
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Hawaii was built on tourism. There are endless gardens, scenic drives/walks/hikes, historical sites most of which have easy access. Use your hotels concierge or contact Hawaii office of tourism.
 
Maui is a must for a damned good time all-around... Kauai for the scenic stuff (but not much life outside nature there). Don't know about the big island or the other big cities.
 
Welcome to Hawaii! Well, that depends on what you like to do. The Polynesian Cultural Center or Paradise Cove Luau are both must sees. Hiking at Diamond Head is fun too. It's not that hard a hike, it's mostly stairs. The hike to the top is about an hour long. How about a ghost tour? Lopaka Kapanui used to do them, I don't know if he's still doing them now. You can check out http://www.oahughosttours.com/
 
First thing you gotta do, is decide WHICH island you want to go to. Personally, I have a strong dislike for O'ahu, if only because of Honolulu and Waikiki. It's like going to a tropical San Francisco. TOO crowded, crappy traffic, lots of crime, etc. Yes, once you get out of Honolulu, it's beautiful, but...
Our favorite is Maui. Not as "rustic" as Hawaii, (the BIG island) not as rural as Kauai, but not nearly as urban as Honolulu.
Lots of touristy things to do, great beaches, top notch restaurants, AND, whoozyerdaddy lives there.😉

http://www.fodors.com/news/story_2166.html

http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/
 
Dude bro. Do you like surfing? If so, you gotta go grande and surf (especially since you'll be there in the winter).
 

I just got back from oahu -- and it was great!

Did some scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, Arizona memorial, Bowfin submarine tour, dole plantation maze, drove around the island. Mid 80's F the whole time.

Before i went, i sent away for a brochure from gohawaii.com, bought "oahu revealed" book, bought a hawaii entertainment 2008 book, checked out fodors.com and tripadvisor.com and frommers.com.

In all the deal-searching I did, the best prices for airfare/hotel I found were through nwaworldvacations.com

The best deal for a car I could find was through expedia combined with an entertainment coupon

I went for 7 days and felt it was short. I could have easily scheduled a couple more relaxing days and a couple more activity days.
 
Book a 5 star hotel. Get there, choose your activities at the concierge desk. That's what I did when I went with my mum to Tahiti, nothing planned but the hotel, you book everything when you get there. Also make sure the olds pay for everything.

Also take note of when happy hour is, and overindulge.
 
Whatever you do, only pick one or two islands to visit unless you plan to stay for at least a week. There's lots to do depending on your interests.

The Big Island has volcanoes, and if you time it right you can see a lava flow close up. There are also plenty of hiking trails (I hiked across a volcanic crater when I was there) and such.

Maui has the nicest beaches IMO, and is the all-around best Island.

Oahu is nice for WWII history (Pearl Harbor), but that won't last for more than a few hours. Honolulu is nothing special IMO. Waikiki beach is nice, but there are plenty of nice beaches elsewhere.

Kauai is the most naturally pristine.

Wherever you go, find a good snorkeling spot. It's awesome. Rent some scuba gear = even better.
 
Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
On behalf of AT Hawaii residents, I welcome you.

Please, bring plenty of money and a burning desire to blow it all.
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Like he said. And as far as restaurants go, there are plenty of places outside of Waikiki that are offer better fare. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: mztykal
Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
On behalf of AT Hawaii residents, I welcome you.

Please, bring plenty of money and a burning desire to blow it all.
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Like he said. And as far as restaurants go, there are plenty of places outside of Waikiki that are offer better fare. 🙂
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Oh, a note on restaurants. They are ridiculously slow. I had to wait 5 minutes for a Burger at McDonalds. 😛
 
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: mztykal
Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
On behalf of AT Hawaii residents, I welcome you.

Please, bring plenty of money and a burning desire to blow it all.
Click to expand...

Like he said. And as far as restaurants go, there are plenty of places outside of Waikiki that are offer better fare. 🙂
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Oh, a note on restaurants. They are ridiculously slow. I had to wait 5 minutes for a Burger at McDonalds. 😛
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And it probably still cost you $30 for that happy meal... 😛
 
What island are you going to?

5 nights isn't really enough. But, if that's what's booked, make do.

Hopefully not Waikiki (concrete jungle).

Whales should be arriving around then. Might be fun.

If you are going to Oahu, head up to the North Shore. All of the ASP tour surfing events will be happening.

Maui is the best all around island.

If going to the Big Island, it's a drive staying in Kona to go to Volcanos Nat Park. Plan accordingly. The crater trails are now closed due to Kilauea now errupting. If the trade winds slow/die, the caldera will fill with gas in 15 min (per park Ranger told us at end of Aug.) Crater Rim drive is also half closed. allow another 2.5 hrs of driving to just see lava (have to go up towards Hilo, then back down east side). Helicopter ride may be in order.

Kauai is relaxing/pretty. Hit Ke'e Beach.

Snorkel wherever you can (south shores in winter). However, Hanauma Bay (Oahu) is a place to aviod now. Long lines, and have to pay, and all of the tourists have killed the coral.
 
Hey hey hey, no hating on Oahu. Ill agree spending your entire vacation never leaving Honolulu\Waikiki would be a waste but there is always something going on downtown and its got a good night life.

For convenience I will quote a previous post on recommendations.

As for light activities on Oahu, it would depend on what you consider ?light?.

Diamond Head
I would recommend the hike up to the top of Diamond Head but I wouldn?t necessarily consider it ?light?. A good chunk of the lower portion is paved but when you start to really climb up it turns to fairly uneven dirt/rock path though there are hand rails pretty much up the entire path. Near the summit there are 2 pretty killer stair cases. But again I feel its worth seeing.

Manoa Falls
There is the hike up to Manoa falls. Depending on if your trip is during the rainy season or not the falls will be pleasant or not very impressive. Though the hike through the rain forest to the falls is worth it. The trail will most likely be wet and kinda muddy but if you take your time and pay attention it is really quite easy.

Poly Lookout
Its an interesting stop that has a good view over the eastern part of the island. Really its just a scenic lookout (worth seeing) but not a lot to do there. When you are at the lookout there is a path down to the right. Its worth while to walk down there a ways as there are several other spots to lookout from. If you go too far you will hit where the trail was closed due to land slide. Its an easy walk and all paved.

Island Tour
Just made up the name but if your in Honolulu I would recommend driving Kalanianaole Hwy (72) east around Koko head and north to Kailua. It is a really pretty drive with lots of things to see (blow hole, Sandy Beach, Sea Life Park, several scenes from Lost where filmed on this coast). Once you get up to Kailua jump on Kamehameha Hwy (83/830) and drive all the way around the island to North shore. There will be a bunch of small towns and beaches that are worth taking a stroll down. I recommend stops at Kualoa Park to see Chinamans Hat, Kahana Bay, the macadamia nut farm (they have free samples!), the shrimp fields at Kahuku have fresh shrimp all year round. The Polynesian Cultural Center is this way as well, and it is also highly recommended if you in to learning about the island people, though tickets can be pricey it will most likely take an entire day to see half of what is there. Once you get past Waialee you will start to enter ?North Shore? with all the famous beaches Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea Bay. If you keep going you will reach Haleiwa which has lots of great places to eat. I recommend Matsumoto for the shave ice! And there is a sandwich place called Stortos that makes great subs! After that you can follow Kamehameha (99) south and you can stop at the Dole Plantation they have a large gift shop a maze and some tours. Id say don?t leave with out trying the pineapple soft serve! You can then continue South on Kunia road and hop on H1 and head back to Honolulu.

Recommended beaches
You will see Waikiki but depending on when you are there it will probably be crowded. I vastly prefer the quieter beaches along the North Shore (providing its safe, waves are crazy in the winter months). In the north shore Pipeline and Sunset are always good bets but will be pretty busy but the beaches are huge so you wont be too crowded, I really like Waimea bay. Also there are 2 major resorts out side of Honolulu, one is Turtle Bay in the north shore and the other is Ko Olina on the South West tip. State law requires public access to all beaches so you are free to visit either of these. At turtle bay I think you have to pay for parking, and at Ko Olina the parking is free but they have limited spots so its best to go really early or you may have to wait on the road out side of the parking lots and wait for an opening. We spent a lot of time a Ko Olina as it was pretty close to our apartment.

Snorkeling
Hanauma Bay is spectacular but it will be crowded. Also, find some sites that track the wave reports, I would say wait for a day when the waves are less than a foot before going there for the best results, AND don?t be afraid to go out kinda far, there is some great sites out just past the bulk of the coral. Sharks cove and Three tables in the north shore are excellent as well. With three tables you have to make your way out to the ?tables? and beyond to really see what?s going on. If you are really comfortable with the water and snorkeling Id also check out ?electric beach? (I can give you more info on this one but it isn?t really for the faint of heart).

Shopping
Every Wed, Sat, and Sun there is a huge flee marked at Aloha Stadium which is worth the visit. If you don?t want to make it all the way out there you will find lots of souvenir shopping at the international market place in Honolulu. If your interested Id also check out the Mall at Ala Moana. Its huge and has lots to see and lots of great places to eat on the 3rd/4th floors.

Other attractions
Arizona Memorial (DON?T FOLLOW THE SIGNS FOR PEARL HARBOR) is good place to visit, and its free (though I really recommend getting there as early as possible as tickets are first come first serve not that there isn?t a lot its just you may get tickets for the ride several hours later. Punchbowl is also great to see if your interested in that stuff. Also related to Punch bowl is the drive up Tantalus? Which is interesting. lots of great vantage points over looking Honolulu it?s a crazy step twisty drive. Though it can be kinda dirty as people sometimes dump trash up there (washers/tires/etc).

Im sure I forgot some stuff but there is a lot to read already. If you want more info about something you saw or read here let me know. As for prices, unless its some kind of sale bundle it found it somewhat cheaper to shop around. When looking at airfare go to some of the smaller airlines website and get prices as they can be fairly cheaper than the mega travel sites. I really recommend getting a car, there is a lot to do in Honolulu but I prefer the county areas. You may not need it your entire time as a lot is walk-able and there are shuttles around (but best to check with the clerks at the hotel when you check in). As for hotels I don?t see the point dropping major cash for a hotel on the beach. You can save a good chunk of change staying a block or two inland. Though if you?re the type that wants to lounge around and not ?do? a lot it may be worth staying in a fancier place. I personally use the hotel as a place to sleep and shower.

Hope this helps.
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