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Hawaii....I know....3 couples and a lo
I never thought I would come here and write a Hawaii post, but here I am.
My parents, sister, BIL, 1 1/2 year old niece, and DH and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in August. The flight promotion is direct to Honolulu. We have all been to Maui once or twice (separately and before baby) so we are thinking of staying on Oahu. DH and I want to see Pearl Harbor, but after that we are open to other islands. Any inter-island transport recs?
First and most importantly, where should we stay? We are thinking VRBO, probably two 2b 2b in the same building. With the little one we need to be close to a lot of things because everyday will be interrupted with her nap, so we don't want to have to add a bunch of drive time to that. That lead us to Waikiki, but that beach is just sooo crowded that we aren't sure any of us would enjoy that especially with the lo who likes to wonder. I've looked into larger houses, but they are all very far away. Figuring resorts with less crowded beaches will be too pricey, but hoping you ladies can help me. WWYD?
Second- rental car. Company recs? What should we get- one that holds 6, two that hold 4, one that holds 6 and one that holds 4??? Will we even need one if we are right in Waikiki? Parking $$?
Third- Tours/Sites? DH and I will dive two days, Pearl Harbor is one day....anything we can group in with that? Looking for recs both with the lo and without. Boys would consider golfing if its not too expensive (rent clubs). DH and I love adventure, rest of group is pretty low key.
TIA!!
Re: Hawaii....I know....3 couples and a lo
I've been a few times. I was disappointed with Pearl Harbor because I couldn't see much and it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be but at least I saw it.
Waikiki beach is definitely too crowded. We spent less than an hour there before venturing out to find another beach. With a little one Hanauma Bay is a lot of fun for snorkeling and has calm waters. Sandy Beach is less crowded and much nicer but lots more waves depending on when you go.
the dole plantation is neat too.
diamond head if you up for an easy but long hike.
Rental car: Definitely get one to drive around the island. I forget which company we used but definitely get a Jeep and take the top down. It's a lot more fun, but I think it only seats 5.
Diving: if you haven't already booked, look up O'ahu Diving. They are awesome and it was our first time.
If you want the convenience of Waikiki without the crowds you can try the Gold Coast area. It's a small cluster of hotels and condo buildings about a 10-minute walk from the east end of Waikiki. The beaches are much emptier (and are really good for swimming and snorkeling), and it's across the street from Kapiolani Park, so it's not as many buildings. I've had a couple friends stay at units at the Diamond Head Beach Hotel down there and they liked it. Two other big pluses are that you don't have to deal with Waikiki traffic to get to and from the highway, and if you don't mind walking across the park you can park for free (there are meters on the street in front of the buildings).
Rental car - we just get whatever's cheapest. I would also look into 2 cars instead of just 1, which will give you a little more freedom.
If you're interested in history there's also the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor, and the Cemetery of the Pacific isn't too far away. If you wanted to check out the leeward side of the island that might be easy to tack on if you can time it to avoid rush hour.
There are muni courses on Oahu and some of them do twilight specials.
If you want a good solo adventure hike the Kuliou'ou Ridge Trail -- it takes some work but there are gorgeous views at the top. For snorkeling Shark's Cove on the North Shore would be fine in August, and if people don't want to snorkel the beaches up there are pretty and there's an old temple (heiau) above Waimea Bay. Manoa Falls is an easy little jungle-y hike. Driving up the Windward Coast and stopping at beaches (Makapu'u, Lanikai, Kailua) and seeing the Byodo-In Temple are can't miss in my opinion.
Also, just a word of warning, in August everywhere is going to be crowded. When we lived on Oahu we moved there in June, and when fall rolled around I was shocked by how many fewer people there were.
ETA: And with the kiddo on the Gold Coast you're fairly close to both the aquarium and the zoo. One of my neighbors had a toddler and I think she took her to the zoo about once a week!
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
How about a house rental in Kailua or Lanikai? Both are great beaches (Kailua has amenities like a bathroom, grassy area, lifeguards, etc) and there are lots of local restaurants to eat it. We vastly prefer it to Waikiki. We didn't find the location to be inconvenient (even though we went to see relatives in Honolulu each day), in part because we actually enjoyed being there whereas with Waikiki, our goal is to get out all the time. We rented through this website.
I prefer to have a car the whole time. If it's just DH and I, we normally get a sedan but we get an SUV if we are there with friends (plus they get a rental, too). If you are staying in Waikiki, you can skip a rental for part of the time, knowing that you'll be stuck in Waikiki unless you do a tour or something (or take public transport).
I'd second Kailua, although I don't know how robust the rental market is. It's a beautiful beach, and there's some good food in town.
What about the Hawaii Kai area? I hear good things about the Kahala resort. It's pretty quite and secluded there, but you're basically still in Honolulu for ease of access. I've walked on the beach there, and it seemed pretty swimmable. That puts you really close to Hanauma bay, too.