Hawaii Itinerary - Oahu / Maui - feedback please

[Spooner]

Honeymoon in Hawaii coming up.... SUPER excited. Have air, hotel, and convertibles all booked.

We're trying to plan enough to see all the sites (we're an activity couple), but leave enough open to just chill / do as we please. Let me know your thoughts:

Oahu
May 12: Arrive
May 12: Dinner @ Top of Waikiki
May 13: Snorkel @ Hanauma Bay
May 13: Dinner @ Roy's Restaurant
May 14: Hang out on the North Shore
May 15: Pearl Harbor & Arizona Memorial Tour
May 15: Dinner @ Duke's Restaurant
May 16: Hike @ Diamond Head
May 16: Surfing Lesson @ Waikiki Beach
May 16: Dinner @ Azure (private cabana)
May 17: Open

Maui
May 17: Arrive
May 17: Open afternoon / night
May 18: Road the Hana
May 19: Open
May 19: Couples' Massage @ hotel
May 19: Feast at LeLe (luau)
May 20: Pride of Maui snorkel tour (Molikini / Turtle Bay)
May 20: Dinner @ Lahaina Grill
May 21: Open
May 21: Dinner @ Warren and Annabelle's Magic Show
May 22: Mt. Haleakala Sunrise w/ bike down
May 22: Dinner @ Mama's Fish House
May 23: Open
May 23: Depart

We'll obviously be sprinkling in random beaches throughout the trip either on open days or in the afternoons. Feel free to recommend any beaches or additional activities/sights we should be doing.

thanks !

 

[HardcoreRobot]

road to hana can take a long time, especially if you want to stop along the way. doesnt leave you much time in hana to explore. if your schedule allows it you should consider it. there is a great waterfall hike near the 7 pools.

 

[purbeast0]

he has a full day for road to hana that should be enough time as long as he starts early. i remember we left to go there when it was still dark outside and made a lot of stops along the way then stopped at the park where the 7 pools and waterfall are. the hike to the waterfall i think is the coolest thing i've done in my life. something surreal about seeing a 400ft waterfall coming down on you. really awesome.

i've only been to maui so i can only give suggestions on maui.

i was going to suggest snorkel to molokini but i see you already have that . definitely a highlight of my trip. the sea life and colors there are unmatched. the coral is so alive and bright. the water is probably the clearest i've ever been in.

one evening we cruised the northwest side of the island. it has some really nice views and places you can park and check out too. just be careful because people get their rental cars broken into. i heard about this before so when we did it we just left the doors open and had nothing in there. we actually saw some people who's car got busted into while they were exploring for like 5 minutes away from the car. kinda truobling that that stuff can happen there.

sunrise at haleakala is also awesome, definitely do that. but be warned - bring winter gear up there because IT IS COLD AS SHIT UP THERE!

we stayed near black rock cove, and it's a really nice beach and if you have your own snorkel gear, awesome snorkeling off the shore. i saw a turtle and a 4 foot manta ray.

in fact i'd recommend renting your own snorkel gear for the stay. it is like $35 for the week. they threw in another free snorkel tour from a boat when we rented ours.

damnit i wish i could go back there right now so bad, loved maui.

 

[Spooner]

Agree Hardcore - we have a whole day planned for Road to Hana

Thanks Purbeast - we're actually bringing our own snorkel gear so we're all set there

I keep hearing about cars getting broken into so the plan is to bring a backpack with us and just bring it each time we park/explore so hopefully won't have issues there

 

[evident]

i go to oahu about 3-4 times a year for a few days at a time.
on oahu, try and get to kailua/ lanikai beach if you can, rent a kayak, go out into the protected ocean and kayak to the small offshore molokini islands. there are also some nice and easy hikes by that beach too where you will be above everyone's million dollar houses. much nicer than waikiki, unless you want to hang out with the tourist flock (not necessarily a bad thing either).

i would skip hanauma bay and go snorkeling at shark's cove (no sharks there) on the north shore. it's right across from the foodland supermarket. hanauma bay is filled with trash and billions of tourists. i haven't seen anything good there either.

when you're in waikiki, make sure you go to the halekulani hotel and have a drink at house without a key. nice hawaiian music and good vibe to see the sunset. rumfire at the sheraton is also decent, classy but not as classy as house without a key.

Roys is really nice. i had dinner at the one in waikiki last august and it was still great then. I would skip dukes though, and check out a hole in the wall like side street inn :-D

 

[purbeast0]

Agree Hardcore - we have a whole day planned for Road to Hana

Thanks Purbeast - we're actually bringing our own snorkel gear so we're all set there

I keep hearing about cars getting broken into so the plan is to bring a backpack with us and just bring it each time we park/explore so hopefully won't have issues there

that is exactly what we did with the car/backpack when we explored that side of the island, as well as at the park in hana when we hiked up the mountain. although, at the park there, there are a lot of people (not crowded or anything, but it isn't just you two) as well as a small "tour center".

as far as your own snorkel gear, you are set. after my honeymoon to hawaii i actually went and bought my own snorkel gear, so now i bring it with me on all trips. since you got your own gear though, i definitely recommend checking out black rock for an afternoon. that whole part of kanapali is really nice.

damn i'm jealous, you will have a blast. last week my wife and i were actually talking about going back to maui this year since it is our 5 year anniversary, but i'm not sure if it will really happen or not.

 

[Red Storm]

You lucky bastard. :thumbsup:

Had so much fun at Oahu the one time I've been, the highlight being sky diving right by the ocean. Saving up to take the wife for her birthday.

 

[evident]

also when I was in Maui with my wife we stayed one night at a house on hana bay. gave us time to explore the next day and go around the other side of the island. very cool there. You will literally fall into the ocean at the southern tip of the island if you aren't careful. really neat scenery that is totally unlike the beginning of the road to hana, (desert, wasteland, etc) Damn I miss Hawaii again

We also had this entire waterfall to ourselves as it was off of some water company/ hunting path during our road to hana.

 

[Fingolfin269]

This is going to read very disconnected probably but here goes...

Sunrise at haleakala is great but getting up that early sucks. We did sunset last year and prefer it over sunrise mainly because it's not as much of a pain to get up there. I also wouldn't ride a bike down the mountain. Just my opinion here but we had more fun hiking on some of the trails up there and just driving back. You do one of those bike trips and you're on their time.

Are you planning to do the tourist side of road to hana or go the entire away around? The back side of haleakala is awesome but driving it is a bit more of an adventure. Pull up Google maps street view if you want to see it.

Also, where are you staying (may have missed this somewhere) ? Near Lahaina? If so you should do sunrise cafe for breakfast once or five times. aloha mixed plate is also good and very nice on the budget.

Let's see... Other things to do. Lava tube area near Wailea is a cool hike. Honolua Bay is nice. To be honest I just enjoyed driving around the island and finding cool little public beach areas. One of the nicest is north of Lahaina and Kaanapali. It's a public beach that connects to the pathway that goes through all of the Kaanapali resorts. Great for morning running if you're into that.

Damnit why am I not going back to Maui this summer??

 

[Red Storm]

Let's see... Other things to do. Lava tube area near Wailea is a cool hike. Honolua Bay is nice. To be honest I just enjoyed driving around the island and finding cool little public beach areas. One of the nicest is north of Lahaina and Kaanapali. It's a public beach that connects to the pathway that goes through all of the Kaanapali resorts. Great for morning running if you're into that.

Damnit why am I not going back to Maui this summer??

The great thing about Hawaii is that there are no private beaches, every beach is public!

 

[drebo]

Zip lining at Piiholo Ranch on Maui was quite a lot of fun, and I'd recommend it to anyone who goes there. It is rather pricy, but definitely worth it.

 

[iamwiz82]

Phew that seems really structured. I think that would end up killing me. What happens if you see a cool place to stop and eat instead of something on the schedule?

 

[TheKub]

For Hanauma Bay just be prepared for a crowded beach experience when you are not in the water. Also skip past the shallow coral go out to the deeper water 10-30 feet. The difference in the amount of sea life is significant (that and most of the shallows are dead). Also, be prepared to shuffle around your schedule just in case your snorkel day is going to be cloudy, the sunnier it is the more you will see.

On your North Shore day I recommend stopping and picking up subs from Stortos and heading to the beaches West of Haleiwa it was not uncommon to be sitting on a mile long stretch of beach and only see a handful of people. The coast line tends to be a bit rockier but if your just looking to picnic and chill the isolation is nice. All the beaches to the east or Haleiwa are nice though will be more crowded, but nothing like Waikiki (unless its big wave competition time).

For Pearl Harbor don't follow the highway signs for Pearl Harbor follow the signs for the Arizona Memorial (you will be greeted with less guns). Also, I would recommend arriving early, its first come first served but the sooner you get there the sooner you know your time frame and can leave to do other things and come back or perhaps get on an early tour and have a good chunk of your day for other things.

For Diamondhead I would recommend adding on the hike to Manoa Falls.

Over all.... Spend less time downtown Honolulu\Waikiki.

 

[Spooner]

For Hanauma Bay just be prepared for a crowded beach experience when you are not in the water. Also skip past the shallow coral go out to the deeper water 10-30 feet. The difference in the amount of sea life is significant

good tip !

For Pearl Harbor don't follow the highway signs for Pearl Harbor follow the signs for the Arizona Memorial (you will be greeted with less guns). Also, I would recommend arriving early, its first come first served but the sooner you get there the sooner you know your time frame and can leave to do other things and come back or perhaps get on an early tour and have a good chunk of your day for other things.

I bought a day pass from Recreation.gov that gets us into everything and already gives us a specified time (9:30am)

For Diamondhead I would recommend adding on the hike to Manoa Falls.

Noted !

 

[Fingolfin269]

The great thing about Hawaii is that there are no private beaches, every beach is public!

Sorry I should have said public access!

 

[geecee]

If you're taking surf lessons, try the Hawaiian Fire school. They do their lessons on the west side of Oahu, rather than on Waikiki beach. Less crowded and more beginner friendly beach. School's run by Hawaiian firefighters literally, as they have some kind of few weeks on, few weeks off schedule. Nice guys, and they managed to get me (a not notably athletic or coordinated person) up on a board and trying to catch my own waves by the end of the lesson.

 

[Paladin]

Spooner, where are you staying? It sounds like somewhere in the upper west side (good).

We hit the islands every year, I just booked a surprise trip for our 15yr anniversary at the end of August at the Whaler on Kaanapali. She doesn't know, and I'm not going to tell her until a week before!

Oahu:
Honestly, unless you really want to go, avoid Hanauma Bay. The reef is dead and there are few fish. Much of the time, if there's even the smallest of swells, the lifeguard sit in the channels and don't let anyone else out in the deeper, better area. Waiting in lines to hit bad snorkeling just is sooo wrong IMHO. If there's no north swell, snorkel up at Sharks Cove and Waimea Bay.
Stop at Dole Pineapple on the way to North Shore, and do the maze. It's fun, then get some pineapple smoothies.
Shaved Ice in Haleiwa, and surf museum.
Go to Lanikai beach for relaxation. Voted one of most beautiful beaches in the world.

Maui:
One of the best things to do in Maui is beach hop. It's very easy to do on the upper west side, and you can often go where conditions are better for snorkeling. I'm going to paste some stuff from a doc I made I give coworkers.

From the Upper West side

Honolua Bay – Best snorkeling on the island (in summer). Must go to, will want to go more than once. Go past Ka’anapali and Kapalua. About 15 min north of Ka’anapali, park on road, as close to gate as possible. Get there early (before 9 AM). Walk through gate, and through rain forest (pretty). Rocky beach, very little sand. If has been raining, may be a little murky. If not, 100 foot visibility. You can see conditions from overlook past the bay (great pictures). Snorkel to the right, towards a big boulder, then head up to the reef. Left isn’t as good, but still nice. Tons of fish, eels, turtles. If there’s a lot of water in the stream dumping into the bay don’t bother snorkeling. If in winter will probably want to avoid: 15’ epic right break with surfing competitions. Check conditions first.

Mokuleia Bay – Part of Honolua, can snorkel around point to Honolua. Beautiful sandy beach, great to go to after Honolua. Park on road, walk down stairs. Good snorkeling too, sandy bottom.

Kapalua Bay – Another great spot. Beautiful bay, restrooms and showers. Best snorkeling on right side of bay. Get there early, parking lot can fill up. Great for kids.
Honokeana Bay – What we’ve begun to call Turtle Cove, just past Napili (see map above). Great spot for relaxing on the grass above cove, snorkeling with turtles is a guarantee!! Walk through Napili Point resort to grass area on north side of cove. Enter in lava step towards end of cove. If surf or surge, it may be too rough to enter. Try low tide….


North Ka’anapali – At Kai Ala Dr off Honoapiilani Hwy. (Old Airport Beach) Great facilities: showers, grass area to lie on, excellent beach. Surprisingly good snorkeling here, expansive reef right off the beach, lots of fish. Easy sandy entry just left of the restrooms. Tons of parking.

Black Rock – One of the favorites on best beach in Maui, Ka’anapali, at the Sheraton. Go into main Ka’anapali, Sheraton (towards right, at the end) has a free lot of only around 10 spaces, can get if getting there by 8:30-9.AM. If full, can get valet at Sheraton (get a drink at the beach bars for validation), or park at Whaler’s Village and walk down. All facilities at hotel. Great beach side bar. Eat lunch or happy hour after snorkeling at The Hula Grill at Whaler’s Village.
Can jump off Black Rock, kids will like it. Best snorkeling out around the point. South Swell can mess it up though, make it surgy and sand in the water. But have had phenomenal snorkeling here, 80’+ visibility out on point. Lots of turtles, eels.


South Side

Ulua Beach, in Wailea. By the Elua condos, parking lot.

Wailea Beach- at the Grand Wailea resort

Ahihi Cove – Towards end of road, past Wailea. Marine preserve, can be a little murky

Tips – Maui Dive Shop has free snorkeling maps. There’s one in Kihei, and Whaler’s Village, and Kahana Gateway.

Molokini – boat trip that you won’t forget. Visibility is 150’+, when you get off boat it’s so clear you’ll feel like you’re just going to fall right to the bottom. Two options: party boat right out of Maalea, it’s more expensive, tons of people. Barbeque, and drinks. Or, go through Maui Dive Shop, I think it’s only $45/person, gets there earlier and avoids the crowds. Will also go to another dive spot like turtle town.

The best restaurant on the island is Mama’s Fish House, up past the airport near Ho’okipa Beach (Windsurfing capital of the world, always fun to watch from the overlook)
http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/

I don’t know the south side that well, we always stay up towards Ka’anapali or Kahana.

In Lahaina: All the restaurants are all right there on the main street, Front Street.
Kimo’s is pretty decent, it’s kind of in the middle of it all.
Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co is always fun and actually pretty decent. It’s right up by the Hard Rock (fun for drinks).
Aloha Mixed Plate – On the back side of the Lahaina Cannery mall, on Front St. Great for ‘plate’ meals, and drinks. Next to Old Lahaina Luau.

Ka’anapali: At the base of Whaler’s village there’s the Hula Grill, and Leilani’s. Hula Grill has always been a favorite around happy hour and dinner. Live Hawaiian music, great bar. Good food. Leilani’s has Hula Pie for dessert.
http://www.leilanis.com/
Roy’s – In Kaanapali now. Really good food there

North Ka’anapali: Duke’s Beach House – recently opened


Kahana: Maui Brewing, must go to for any brew lover. Right of the highway, turn left at Hoohui (McDonalds on the corner). In the Kahana Gateway Shopping Center.

Kapalua: Pineapple Grill
Merriman’s

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

just got back from oahu a couple weeks ago. I could say a lot but the very least I can say is dont go to hanauma bay. its too crowded and just not worth it. first you have to wait in line to get tickets, 20-30 mins. then you need to wait in line to watch a movie that tells you "dont step on the reef". another 20-30 minutes...and the movie is only in english so you'll see huge amounts of non-english speakers just walking right along the reef down there. I also saw some idiots with southern accents that were just stereotypical southern morons, just walking right on the reef and complaining that it was too hard to swim around it. (not saying southerners are morons, but they have their fair share down there)

anyways, you'll want to go out past the reef, and there's only one way out there...as soon as you get out there into the open water there is a strong rip tide that sucks you out. lifeguards were rescuing people left and right, and finally they just stopped letting people out there.

there were pretty good amounts of fish there but it just wasnt worth it. I saw turtles and fish in the man-made bays at ko-olina and it was much less crowded.

 

[BoomerD]

That looks AWFULLY busy...

Remember, you're on vacation...don't try to fill every day with...stuff.

BTW, snorkeling at Black Rock on Maui is usually VERY good.

 

[TheKub]

That looks AWFULLY busy...

Remember, you're on vacation...don't try to fill every day with...stuff.

?? Besides the 16th he has 1 thing planned then dinner. Doesn't seem too busy.

 

[indy2878]

Wow! That's a LOT of things to do!
Sounds like fun... I hope you have a good time!
For me I NEVER plan things out on vacation.
I just go about randomly visiting places, etc...
But that's just me....

In Honolulu don't forget to visit the International market
and the surrounding stores by the beach
in Kalakaua street. Its a long strip of stores and they
have street performers at night....

Also, check out the ABC stores which you'll probably
find pretty much everywhere you go.... Its a bit
pricey, but its interesting and convenient....

 

[klod]

We also did Anabell's one night followed by the Mt. Haleakela ride. Be aware that you will be up late at Anabells and will need to get up VERY early for the trip up the mountain. I would reverse these two days if possible.

 

[Pantoot]

i go to oahu about 3-4 times a year for a few days at a time.
on oahu, try and get to kailua/ lanikai beach if you can

I agree. For reference I ran out back and snapped this pic for you of kailua's beach...

 

[Pantoot]

Glad atot resizes, silly me, using an iPad as a camera

 

[Soundmanred]

The best possible thing you can do is find that retarded lion/tiger debate guy and let him rip you off like he said he does all the tourists.
Also, you can count his teeth to see how much damage the meth has done.
Snorkeling simply can't compare...