Honolulu for first time
 

I am able to go to Honolulu for one week for a convention. It is near Waikiki and of the available hotels, I booked the Ala Moana Hotel. Anything I should look out for?
My plan is to stay in Oahu Sat-Thurs or Fri. I've posted before and said that I am interested in hiking, birding, maybe taking in a state park or two, since I will be able to get away from time to time. I also would like to fly to Hawaii and see Volcanoes National Park, Fir-Sat. I am into geology and I just can't be that close to an active volcano without getting a decent look at it.

I realize that less than a week in Oahu might not give me enough time to get a full experience, and a day and a half in VNP would not be worth the bother to many folks. But that's the way it is: funds are tight and I don't know when if ever I can ever get this trip paid for again [Needless to say, the excursion to VNP is on my dime].

I'd appreciate any tips on how to get the most of my limited time there, including suggestions for Mrs. DennyO while I am conferencing.

FWIW we come from Maine, have visited a lot of locales in US but not HI or internationally.

Mrs. DennyO should take a tour of Pearl Harbor. Get there early (no later than 8am) and plan to spend a few hours there. Afterward, take a guided tour (e.g. the Captain's tour) of the USS Arizona. I highly recommend paying for a tour versus the audio tour or trying to just walk around and see the boat. You'll want to hear the history. If she still has time left, the USS Bowfin is okay, but Arizona is rich with history and takes several hours to do right.

Waikiki is brimming with things to do. I don't think she'll have a problem finding things to do when you're conferencing.

Advice for "First Time"
 

Take a day trip to the Big Island. Arrange for it as soon as arriving in HI. It will be less expensive than from the mainland. For additional suggestions, read the other postings especially "Two Nights in HNL" Ken

I believe Recreation means to take a tour of the USS Missouri. A tour of the Arizona would require scuba gear. ;) :(

Pearl Harbor is of course a good thing to see, though I fully recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center. I loved visiting it when I lived in Hawaii and tell any friend who visits Hawaii that it is the only tourist attraction I fully endorse. (Things like Sealife Park are a wast of time and money if you ask me.)

I concure with taking a day trip to the Big Island if possible and a roundtrip flight should run around $75 I think and you can usually work an inter-island deal with your rental car company that allows you to continue your rental on the next island. But a day trip to Lanai may be more practical since the Big Island is so - well, big and takes a long time to cover.

Also recomend heading over the moountains to the North Shore. If you're going in the winter, the large waves will take your breath away.

If your time is tight - try Pearl Harbor on Saturday, then go to the flea market around the stadium. If that ends up being a morning, then try adding a snokeling trip to Hanauma bay in the afternoon... If Pearl/Market is more then a half-day do Hanauma Bay separately.

Not a big fan of the flea market for first timers. Unless you're really looking for really cheap souveniers, it's not worth the time or .50 cent parking charge. Take the time to explore Haunama Bay instead or go and try some great restaurants.

Not a big fan of a day trip to the Big Island, especially given your geological background. If you really want to take in VNP, do you really want to spend less than 6-8 hours there? If this will be your only trip to Hawaii in a lifetime, then maybe it's worth spending a night there (there's excellent threads on hotels in the Volcanoes area) and flying out the next morning. Also, you may consider skipping a day trip to any other island.

I just don't understand the day trip mentality for out-of-state, first time visitors. Granted, I've done day trips before, but that's because all I wanted to do was spend time on a particular beach; not to sightsee.

As for the Ala Moana Hotel, it's okay, but pretty isolated from the Kalakaua Ave side of Waikiki. You'll have direct access (connected by bridge) to Ala Moana Shopping Center, which will be a nice place for the Mrs. to spend her time. Also, you can take TheBus to the Kalakaua portions of Waikiki to explore. $2 o/w; however, the Ala Moana Shuttle can also drop you off at Waikiki hotels (another way to get there) for $1 o/w.

Agree utterly.

Get a copy of The Big Island Revealed and read the the chapter on visiting the volcanoes.

I figured this one out: my tentative plan is to fly to big island on Friday morning, spend the night at one of the hotels in VNP and fly back to hnl Saturday and fly home from HNL. I heard I can get RT inter-island using UA miles. Will search for VNP hotel threads and for Big Island Revealed. Snorkeling is my kind of fun, so I'll include Haunama for sure. Can I rent stuff? Is it worth it to try to work in trip to north shore for hiking or mountain biking?
I believe I had read some negative comments about the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center but maybe the rest of it is good.

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

The inter-island flights can be very cheap, I wonder if they would be worth the points?

Just be sure that you fly into Hilo (ITO), not Kona (KOA) unless you really want to take the scenic route. If you have time, a side trip to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach would be well worth it, however.


You can rent equipment either at Hanauma Bay or at a place like Snorkel Bob's where it will be less expensive, nicer, and you can use it elsewhere during your trip.

It is just to see Waimea Bay and Pipeline. And skydiving at Dillingham Airfield is also a nifty experience.

On Oahu, be sure to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, climb Diamond Head, and snorkel at Hanauma. Can't miss beaches outside of Waikiki include Makapu'u, Sandy Beach, Lanikai, and the aforementioned North Shore beaches.

5,000 UA miles for a R/T interisland ticket for anywhere between $130-$175 is worth it in my book. :)

Amen. And the round-trip tickets can sometimes be a good deal more than that if you have to have a certain flight or time.

I assume I can look at the schedule, call United mileage Plus and ask to book the seats. Better get moving, seats are probably hard to come by.

How far apart are the terminals? If I arrive in HNL from Hilo an hour before my return flight to mainland, will I make it? Do I need two hours?

An hour should be enough, all things being equal--though no guarantees you bags will make it. And, inter-island flights do have a tendency to get backed up as the day goes by. I'd make it at least a 90-120 minute connection to be on the safe side. Connecting within Honolulu isn't all too difficult. In the FAQ on the main page of the Hawaii forum is a listing of threads that'll lead you to a thread called Connecting in HNL.

Yep, they are. When I called I was told no award seats from mid-Feb. until late March.
So I guess I'll have to pay. :( Maybe if I had moved on this earlier, but anyway. Aloha has some seats that are pretty reasonable, 148+ on airfare.com.