Travel
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Waikiki beach or Kailua beach?
If you were visiting Oahu for the first time..which beach would you prefer and why???
Also what is the distance of both from the Honululu airport?
Thanks...
Re: Waikiki beach or Kailua beach?
No idea on distance from airport...we always rent a car which isn't really at the airport (10 minute shuttle away) plus DH gets driving duty since he knows his way around.
I'd personally choose Kailua. Waikiki isn't that great, IMO. It's insanely crowded and backed by a million hotels. Even the water is packed.
Kailua is nicer, IMO, and has a variety of activities (Waikiki does have some activities, too) if you are interested in doing something while at the beach and while it can be crowded, it's not nearly as crowded as Waikiki. It's just nicer overall. The drive out to Kailua is gorgeous, too.
I will admit that I'm biased, though, because I don't care much for Waikiki and we never bother going to the beach there.
Which beach should choose depends on what you are looking to do. Kailua beach is in a residential area. It's one of my favorite beaches on Oahu. When I was growing up on Oahu Kailua used to be pretty empty which was a huge draw but in recent years it's become more crowded, although it's still not nearly as crowded as Waikiki. There are no restaurants you can really walk to from Kailua and there isn't a bunch of shopping in the area. Waikiki has lots of shopping and lots to do within walking distance to the beach.
Waikiki is about 30 minutes from Pearl Harbor, but again, the traffic can be a nightmare. Definitely avoid rush hour.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
Waikiki is more of an experience in my mind. It has a cool, active vibe. There are lots of restaurants and shopping around. Lots of people. And it's right in Honolulu. I think it's worth checking out.
Kailua is a beautiful beach. If you just want to relax in the sun and water, than this is your best bet.
It depends what you're looking for. They're very different beaches.
Wait, aren't you the one daytripping to Oahu? In your case, don't try to go to Kailua. It's a much nicer beach, but you'd have to rent a car. To get to Waikiki from PH, just get on TheBus. It's easy and quicker.
A daytrip to Oahu is already a weird idea, and you're trying to make it even more complex. You'll have beautiful beaches on Maui, so just go for convenience on Oahu and take in the crazy of Waikiki.
I don't understand why a day trip to Oahu is a weird idea. I've researched which island I want to spend the most time on and it's Maui. Yes we would like to see Pearl Harbor (really the ONLY reason we are going to Oahu)..but since I doubt it will take 8 hours (the amount of time we will be there) just wanted to have something else to see, not necessarily explore the entire island. As I stated before, we will have a car...
Pearl Harbor and Arizona won't take 8 hours, but I wouldn't try doing that and then driving all the way to Kailua and back. For us Pearl Harbor and Arizona usually took us about 4 hours between the tour and the wait time (can be very long, by the way). Are you flying in and out the same day? Have you accounted for airport time, traffic, etc.?
Yes I have and have estimated we will have 3 hours to spare. This includes airport time and traffic from and back to the airport...
Yeah, we figured Waikiki will be a better choice..timewise. If we don't make it there then we would've accomplished what we really came to see and that's Pearl Harbor.
Thanks for all the responses..
I don't think a day trip to Oahu is weird. That's what my parents and sister did during our family trip in October, because they wanted to see Pearl Harbor. (They were on the Big Island with us during the first week of our trip, but went home before we went with H's family to Oahu for the second week.)
Anyway, they ended up going to Waikiki after Pearl Harbor. I think they said they pretty much had enough time to eat a late lunch, sit and swim on Waikiki for a bit, and then grab a quick dinner before their flight back. I definitely think having to drive to Kailua beach, or really any other beach, would be pushing it. If you want to actually be able to have some time on the beach instead of just a drive-by, I'd stick with Waikiki.
Personally I would go in the other direction and go to Ko Olina. If you have a map head towards the Disney Aulani hotel and there is a public car park and beach access. There is some great snorkelling to be had just off the lagoons.
Hit Pearl Harbour as early as possible (we got there at opening time and had no wait) and we were done within 3 hours. The tour buses start rolling in big time later in the morning.
Then head out to Ko Olina and hit the beach. The Marriott beach club (next door to Aulani) has a beach side cafe for lunch or you could do what we did and drive down the road a bit to the strip of shops and get take out (we got chinese).
Airport to PH about 30 mins (give or take traffic)
PH to Ko Olina about 30 mins/ PH to Kailua about 40mins
KO to Airport about 30 mins/ Kailua to airport about 30 mins
All according to google maps so add minutes i travelling at peak times.
I did not like Waikiki especially the beach it was sooooooo crowded (in October) and everything was overpriced.
Just for reference we drove around the whole Island in a day with a few hours stop at Hanuma Bay and a stop at Kahana Valley and the dole pineapple plant.