Zombie

Hi all,

I'm booked for 3 nights in mid-August at the Mariott Ihilani, for a stopover en route to Sydney. I could use some suggestions on activities in and around Honolulu... I tend to enjoy the outdoors and natural scenery, instead of touristy glitz, if that helps frame suggestions. A friend had suggested visiting certain waterfalls, but she couldn't remember exactly where. Any thoughts? Also, comments on good spots for snorkelling and/or diving would be appreciated.

Thanx,
-Zombie-

missydarlin

It's hard to avoid touristy in Oahu. Are you talking about the Ihilani Resort out at Ko'Olina? I used to live about 3 miles from there.It's a great area. Much quieter than Waikiki. They have a good luau (Paradise Cove)on the premises too

The Manoa falls hike is nice, Diamond Head, Pali lookout, the drive from the North Shore back down around Diamond Head is very nice too. Hanauma Bay is full of tourists, but its still great for snorkeling

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Have a great day!!
~~Missy~~

Marysunshine

Not water related, but the Society of Seven show at the Outrigger on Kalakalua is a great evening's entertainment.

Zombie

Thanks for the replies. Missydarlin, I did mean the Ihilani Resort out at Ko'Olina - I take it from your reply that I made a good choice? Whay do you think is my best bet for snorkelling/swimming - the beach(es) at the hotel, or elsewhere in the area? Also, since you've lived in the area perhaps you could give me your suggestions for the top 3 things to do given my timeframe and interests?

Thanx much,
-Zombie-

TropicalFlyer

Zombie,

Ihilani is a nice resort. I especially like the spa and their special iced tea. It is quite secluded and has a very nice beach right in front. The hotel pool is nice too. Of course, the beach is a public beach just like every other beach in Hawaii. The only downside is that you will need a car to go anywhere from the hotel. Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki (Diamond Head) is about 40 minutes from the Ihilani during non-rush hours.

I don't know if how far you can go on the Manoa Falls hiking trail now. There was a bad rock fall at the top that killed and injured a lot of people and the top part was closed. The Diamond Head hike is a nice, short hike (beware there are many stairs near the top), but now costs money ($1 or $2).
I'm sure your hotel concierge will be able to tell you where the safe and open hiking trails are. We've had so many hikers lost or stranded that the state had to develop a brochure for hikers (e.g. bring cell phone, water, some food, etc.).

The best and easiest snorkeling is at Hanauma Bay. You can rent your snorkeling gear at somewhere like Snorkel Bob's (cheaper) or at the Bay. The Bay is closed all day Tuesday. Go very early (before 10 a.m.) because the parking lot fills up fast and they turn you away if there is no parking. There is a small fee for entry (used to upkeep the Bay).

You'll want to go to the North Shore to see the famous surfing beaches (Pipeline, Sunset, etc.) The surf won't be has high as in the summer though. Wander around Haliewa for some burgers at Kua Aina and shaved ice at (I'm having a memory block right-just look for the long line). If you love, I mean love not just like, garlic find the Giovanni White Shrimp Truck in Haliewa. Order the shrimp scampi, sit on picnic beaches and eat the most amazing shrimp ever.

In case you are interested in buying any Hawaii souvenirs like t-shirts, macadamia nuts, etc., go to the swap meet that takes place at the Aloha Stadium on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. It costs 35 cents/person to get in, but prices there can't be beat and you can get almost anything your heart desires even more luggage!!

Have fun. TF

EXPLAT

The shave ice place in Haleiwa is Matsumoto's. I grew up in Haleiwa with memories of my mom taking me to the barber shop across from Matsumoto's and then taking me for a "Shave Ice".

Favorite flavor Lillikoi (Passion Fruit)!

I live in the mainland now but my Dad still lives in Hawaii. Going there August 9th!

Aloha, Alfred--

Zombie

TropicalFlyer,

Thanks for the tips. I got the impression that I might need to rent a car, which might be a bit of a pain - I'm arriving at HNL around midnight, and I certainly won't want to rent a car that evening and find my way to the resort (which I assume is at least 10-15 miles away?). Are there any car rental agencies relatively close to the resort, or will I be forced to head back to the hotel the next morning?

From your note, I assume that the hotel doesn't offer much in the way of transportation to beaches, etc... what about a shuttle to the airport?

Thx,
-Zombie-

chazas

TF, the tragic rockfall was at Sacred Falls, not Manoa Falls, if I'm not mistaken. (Which I might be since I've only lived here about six months!) And Sacred Falls State Park is still closed.

Zombie, there is good hiking all over Oahu. Go to your local bookstore or log on to Amazon and buy yourself a hiking guidebook - there are several and any will suffice for your short stay.

Good beaches on the Leeward Side, near Ko Olina, include Mahaka and Yokohama. If you go there, you'll not encounter too many tourists - past Ko Olina is very "local", with -0- tourist-oriented services. Just be friendly, and don't leave anything valuable in your car, and you should be fine.

You'll definitely need a car. The phone book shows Hertz as having a location at the Marriott Ihilani - you might want to call them for convenience. Otherwise, a quick skim through the phone book shows Enterprise having locations in Waipahu and Pearl City, which are a bit closer than the airport, though not much. And they do advertise that they'll pick you up.

Have a great time!

JerryFF

With all of the good suggestions above, the following probably won't come up - but just in case - avoid the Polynesian Cultural Center. Lots of $$ and not much show.

TropicalFlyer

Chazas, you are right Sacred Falls is where the landslide was. Manoa Falls is where that young hiker got lost and his parents came to see if they could find him.

Zombie, I had to arrange transportation for some speakers to the Ihilani a couple of years ago. The transportation options were quite limited at that time. This was before Marriott took over management from JAL so I don't know if they added any type of transportation since then. I was told that the taxi ride was at least $50 one way. I ended up renting cars for the speakers and the rental plus parking was less than the taxi! I'll give them a call see what they say now.

It's a pretty easy drive from the airport. You just take H-1 (highway) heading towards Waianae for about 20 miles. Look for the sign that says Ko Olina.

Lokahi

There are a lot of easier but very scenic hikes at various spots around Oahu...I'd suggest going to amazon.com (because I know they stock it) and get The Hikers Guide to Oahu by Stuart M. Ball Jr., which I've used as a guide.

And even though you arrive after midnight, it still might be wise to grab a rental car to get to Ihilani, rather than pay cab fare. As Tropical Flyer noted, it's a very easy drive (particularly at that time of night). Ko Olina is the last "real" exit before the freeway turns into a 4-lane highway, and it's not really well marked. If you miss it, the next turnoff leads you to the scenic Waimanalo Gulch landfill, and your nose will inform you of your mistake

DH

Here's the link to Manoa Falls http://www.discoveringhawaii.com/SF_...anoaFalls.html

The page has is maintained by Richard Sullivan who is author of Driving & Discovering Oahu. It's one of my favorite Hawaii guide. It's centered around driving and doesn't cover hotels, restaurants but I enjoy his perspective of Hawaii. You can also get it from Budget for $7 in HNL. If the rate is same, try Budget which gives you coupon booklet which has some money saving deals like 2-for-1 admission to Polynesian Cultural Center. There are some F-T who think it's a tourist trap but it was OK for me. I noticed the coupon book has been down graded from previous years; it used to include 2-for-1 dinner cruise and etc.

Back to Oahu guide, you can download/print its Oahu circle guide free from http://www.discoveringhawaii.com/Oah...l%20Drive5.pdf

Next best place would be Costco, WalMart and K-Marts.

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ValueConsumer.com Home of Tripple Dipping Online Shopping

ranles

Ifnoring your preferences, but providing an alternative to consider

Day one: Bishop Museum (am), Pearl Harbour Cruise (pm, the one offeredby the navy), Sunset dinner cruise (poor meal,booze) nice evening.

Day two: Get up early and walk the beach. Jump on the bus at the Ala Moana Shopping center and go around the island. Ask where to get off to continue to the Polynesian Cultural Center (fantastic show, arts and crafts, hands on.

Day 3: Visit the aquarium (your scuba dive with a guarantee of clear water, reasonable price and fantastic variety). Go to the International Market Place for a late lunch and a little shopping. This is the home of the tourist "mass" so be prepared. Now go across the street and have a mai tai at one of the hotel bars overlooking the ocean and relax. Next is a two choice option, attend a luau or have a good meaL (both are not possible at the same place!). LaMer was a great choice at the Halekulane Hotel (dated recommendation). After dinner head for one of the many clubs for after hours fun.

That should tire you plenty and yet give you a great since of Polynesia, the history of Hawaii, the sea life, living conditions, shoppiing potential, and mix effort tourism with lazy tourism.

Scigirl

I'll second the recommendation for visiting Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. However, I recommend going in the morning as the tickets (free) are given out on a first-come first-served basis. You can arrive too late and not be able to get a ticket for that day (or have a really long wait). In the same area you can also visit the Bowfin (sub) and "Mighty Mo" battleship (not free). The memorial is very interesting and your ticket includes a brief movie about WWII and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I found it very moving.

The north shore is great and Haleiwa is a neat little town to poke around in. There are loads of hiking trails on Oahu. You can buy a book of hiking trails for the island, or the hotel may be able to give your some guidance. There is a 4 mile loop at the top of Aiea Hts drive that is pretty nice, for instance.

Regarding renting a car - you will probably need one. For a short trip when you want to cover a lot of ground a taxi is very expensive and the bus is very slow.

TropicalFlyer

Had a friend call the Ihilani for me since I'm out of town. The bad news is that a taxi is still the only alternative to a rental car. The worse news is that the fare is now $60 one way!!

You may want to try Priceline for renting a car since I've had friends who rented mid-size cars for as little as $15/day. I don't know if non-North American people can use Priceline though.

Adding to the suggestion by ranles, you can also go to the Halekulani Hotel for sunset drinks on the patio. They give you free Maui potato chips and live Hawaiian music and hula (performed by a former Miss Hawaii). I always take my friends from the mainland there and they've all really liked it. By the way, the valet parking is free if you get it validated when you pay your drink bill.