The reason to eat McDonalds is that they serve a decent breakfast for only a few dollars a person. Lots of places in Hawaii will give you sticker shock at their breakfast prices.

And where else in the world (or US) does McDonald's serve eggs, rice and Spam for breakfast?

The Philippines serves rice and eggs but not with Spam.

Forgive me if I have to bump up this thread as I have some additional questions. Thanks for putting up with my non-stop questions. I just have the best experience possible especially since it'll be my first time.

How much money should I bring for food, souvenirs, activities, etc.? I'll be staying in Hawaii for 6 days/5 nights. My hotel and car rental reservations are already booked.

How early should I book my tickets for the Pearl Harbor museum, and other activities of the like?

I've got alot of restaurants narrowed down. Is there anything specific I should go for?

Any beaches worth going to? I'll be staying at the Outrigger Waikiki and I'm not sure if the beach is good. Looked at some photos.

And where are some good places to meet girls especially the Asian and local girls? I'm in my 20's and could really meet a girl. Been trying Tinder for a while now, no luck.

And is it worth going to a luau especially if its my first time going to Hawaii and I'm single or I should just skip it?

And are there any other activities I should consider?

Thanks.

If you have an acceptable credit card, 100 bucks should easily do it. As usual you may find a place that doesn't take American Express.

One local dish is Kalua pig and cabbage and is on Dukes lunch buffet.
On the North shore take in a shrimp truck. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_Shrimp_Trucks

Most people don't, but I like poi. Like grits, you either like it or don't. I mix it with Kalua pig, Mrs. Ken with pineapple. It is served at the aforementioned Hale Koa luau. Theirs is worth a one time visit. Officially need to have a military person buy the ticket, but you can work around this. Have gotten terrible reports on some of the others.


Can't hurt to make an early reservation for the Arizona, which is just for the movie and boat ride to the memorial. All else at your leisure w/o reservation.

Waikiki beach is fine. You might even meet a girl there. Being married this is out of my league!

A reasonable bar worth checking out that is like an old time one is Arnold's, just to the right of Eggs and things.

http://www.arnoldswaikiki.com/

Me's has very good plate lunches and like McDonald's is only a couple of blocks from your hotel. You can keep leftovers in your fridge.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...hu_Hawaii.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mes-bbq-honolulu

Are there any Mcdonalds in Maui near the Hyatt, or within few minutes driving distance? With 3 persons including a young toddler, it would be an affordable option for breakfast or just a stop for coffee. The chains are always better with baby or toddler

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/restaurant_locator.html

There is one about a 10 minute drive in either direction. There is also a coffee shop and a Subway in Whaler's Village, which is just about a 3 minute drive north of the Hyatt. You don't even need to go out to 30, just take the road in front of the Hyatt.

If you're looking to meet someone, I'm sure you just need to have the right amount of courage, liquid or otherwise, and the rest will follow! (to be honest, I'm not the person to give advice...married for nearly a year and been with the same woman going on 8 years...so my 'game' is just about at zero)

It sounds like you're on Oahu - if you're up for some physical activity, I'd do the Diamond Head hike - get a fantastic view of Honolulu. If you're looking for something a bit more remote, my mom has said the North Shore is fantastic.

Are you going with other or by yourself? If you're flying solo, I'd skip the luau.

Thanks everybody for the replies.

I'll be going alone. Sucks but more free time for myself to enjoy.

I'd figure to skip the luau. I'm sure there are alot places that serve luau food. Any recommendations?

I thought about hiking and I'm still deciding on it. I can sure use some physical activity during my stay as I have alot of food that I'm sure will need to be burned off.

Whats in North Shore?

As far as money goes, how much you think will last me a week for food, activities, etc.? The hotel, car need not to be worried.

And hows the weather around the first-second week of December?

I'm visiting for the first time as well, and we have to split time between Oahu and Kauai because of events and work. I'd like to minimize my time in the airport and do some diving, but with the inter-island ferry done, what are my options?

Has anyone had luck with one of the charter operations for travel from Oahu to Kauai? Is it worth it?

Some recommendations:
Duke's restaurant in Waikiki. I like their breakfast buffet. Good beach view if not too far from the railing. Opens at 7:00 AM.

Climb Diamond Head. They've improved some things since I last did it. No more super dark tunnel to walk through since they added lights. But it can be a sweaty hike, even in winter. The more direct sun is the problem, not the temperature. I suggest taking a small towel or at least a washcloth to wipe off the sweat.

The Pacific Beach hotel has a nice (and more expensive) breakfast buffet too. And I think they open at 6:00 or 6:30. There is a huge multi-floor aquarium in the restaurant which is kinda cool.

The International Marketplace (right across from Outrigger Waikiki) is presently closed for major renovating, but a little street next to it (Duke's Lane) has a lot of souvenirs. Might be considered a tourist trap, but some interesting things. Here's the deal though, never just pay whatever the price shows. I'm not much for haggling, so when asked if I want what I'm looking at or asking about, I always say, "I'll think about it while looking around some more". Many of the booths sell the same stuff so almost always they'll quickly drop the price and usually by quite a bit. I think the last time I bought something there, it was $25. As soon as I said I would think about it, they dropped the price almost in half!

You might want to go to the Aloha Swap Meet (at Aloha Stadium, close to where you'll go to the Arizona). Open usually Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday. Lots of the same stuff too, but you can buy perfectly good aloha shirts real cheap and t-shirts can be had for a few dollars - at least when I was last there years ago. Often 5 for $20 but I'd occasionally see something like 6 or 8 for $20.

For a luau, I like Paradise Cove out at Ko Olina area. But they've been doing a lot of construction on the highway in some area on the way and traffic can really get backed up, even fairly late. I don't think it is a problem coming back, but not sure.

Another luau option I like is up the windward coast at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I recommend that place anyway. Opens at 12:30 - at least that's when it used to open. You go around to the various "islands" for their shows and exhibits most of the afternoon. Definitely catch Samoa and Tonga! Very entertaining and funny. They usually have a "main" show at each and some have secondary shows. For example, I always catch the first Samoa show and then they'll typically follow it with a show about cooking (very interesting) or move you to a BIG hut where they go through cultural things, and I've also seen them do one on making rope and such. Don't miss the main show though.

Around 5:00, I think, you go to a luau (there is more than one there) that you paid for when you got your ticket. I've found most luaus are pretty much the same here, especially the food. But at the Polynesian cultural center, their luau is a bit different on the entertainment. Paradise Cove and others will have about 4 male and 4 female dancers. They do dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, etc. At the cultural center, it is only about Hawaii - and they have children (keiki) dancing too. It, frankly, feels more like family. But don't worry about missing the other stuff because all tickets include their "Horizons" night show. MUCH better than the other luaus I've seen, for two reasons. One is that it is stadium seating so the view isn't blocked much as so many luaus are. I've sat in the very last row - which is far back and high - as well as maybe 8 rows back and both were very entertaining. The other benefit is that it is BIG. They have a couple hundred dancers and some pretty large groups on stage at the same time. This makes it far more effective, in my opinion. They cover dancing from 6 islands as I recall (Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, Tahiti - and I forget the other one! Maybe Fiji).

One thing about Polynesian Cultural Center - you can have the problem of hours in some pretty direct sun and not a lot of places to sit in shade. If you can get a shady spot at an outside show, grab it! By the time you get to 5:00 you can feel worn out enough that you don't want to stay. You may have less trouble with this at your age, but doesn't hurt to use caution. Once the sun drops behind the trees, everything is fine again. Definitely stay for the night show though.

Near Waikiki is Tantalus. There is a big looping road that goes up about 5 miles from where I measure it. On the left side (as you face Tantalus) is Tantalus Drive. On the right side is Round Top Drive. The name changes at the top. If you go up the Round Top side, about 2.6 miles or so is a park (you'll turn left to enter it). There is an great view here. Actually, there are two parking areas. The first is where the rest rooms are and you can walk from there easily to the lookout. Or park at the lookout itself. For comparison, Diamond Head is about 750 feet high. The lookout is over 1100 and you have a big panoramic view. The grassy area in front of the lookout platform is also the location of a picnic scene with Elvis Presley from "Blue Hawaii".

Hanauma Bay is good for snorkling, but if driving be aware that when the parking gets full, they close it until some others drive out. You can get there by bus from Waikiki. It is about 11-12 miles from the middle of Waikiki. If you take a bus, it could be crowded coming back - to the point where you have to wait for the next bus. So here's a trick. Catch the bus that is coming from Waikiki - that bus will continue on to Sea Life Park which isn't far away (and some nice views if you sit on the right side). Then it turns around and comes back into Hanauma Bay, pretty empty since everyone has gotten off there before or at Sea Life Park. So you already have a seat and don't have to worry about waiting for another bus.

Shave ice - Matsumoto's on the North Shore in Haleiwa is probably the best known. Of course, every has their preferences but I think more people go there than anywhere else - usually quite a line! I like it a lot. Get it with ice cream and condensed milk! You can get azuki beans, but I didn't care for them. My other favorite is Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha. They make their own syrup from berries and it is really good. They are actually on the way to Hanauma Bay in the Aina Haina Shopping center. Just off the main road (Kalanianaole Hwy).

I think Haleiwa is a neat town to visit, whether getting shave ice or not. They also have a Mexican place I like (Luibueno's).

Oh, and if you just want to get a pizza, I recommend "Big Kahuna's" on Paiea St (right by the airport). No connection to me - I just eat there a lot! They make really nice big sandwiches too.

Thanks for the tips.

Whats in North Shore?

As far as money goes, how much you think will last me a week for food, activities, etc.? The hotel, car need not to be worried.

And hows the weather around the first-second week of December?

North Shore is about a 45-60 minute drive up from Waikiki. It's the area around Haleiwa, a little town with restaurants and the famous Matsumotos. It's a fun day trip that I always recommend visitors to do. I usually say drive up, go to the Dole Plantation for some dole whip on the way, drive through Haleiwa, stop at Laniakea Beach (Turtle Beach) for some turtle watching, drive to Waimea Beach (one of my favorite beaches on island) then drive over to Kahuku for Giovanni Shrimp Truck (Garlic Shrimp Scampi). Of course these can be done in any order.

How much money you need is really dependent on your spending habits and how nice of a place you want to eat at for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just budget according to what you feel comfortable. You can find a very wide price range when it comes to food in Hawaii.

Weather in December is generally still nice. There are higher chances of rainy days but hard to say this far out. You would have to monitor the forecast closer to your trip.

Side notes: I highly prefer Waiola Shave Ice in McCully over Matsumotos (which I think is overrated imo).

During the winter months, the north shore gets very large waves that they close off Waimea Beach for swimmers. Just something to prepare for. It's still a sight to see if they close off the beach. The waves are truly something.

For cheap eats, one of my tried and true favorites is Marukame Udon in Waikiki. Good udon and tempura for rock bottom prices. I also like Ono's Seafood for great poke and spicy ahi. If you have a list of places and want advice, feel free to PM me! Chances are I've tried it lol

Thanks for the reply.

I'm still undecided on the Dole Plantation but considering it. What's dole whip?

I plan to snorkel in Haunuma Bay. Are there any other good places to snorkel or that's pretty much the spot? Many say get there extra early because it can get crowded especially parking.

I might consider not going to a luau since I'm traveling solo. If I don't go, know any places that serve luau type food?

For eats, the udon and poke place are all on my list. But maybe you can give me some more recommendations. I'm not a picky eater. Would really like to try what Hawaii has to offer.

Happen to know where I can get souvenirs aside from the swap meet?

And are there any beaches worth going to apart from the Waikiki beach where I'll be staying?