As soon as you land at Honolulu Airport and get outdoors, drink in the scent of the air and savor it. I have never smelled such nice air in my life. Flowers everywhere, but not in an oppressive, perfumy way.
When I went (11/99) Aloha Airlines sold cheap booklets of coupons for inter-island flights (booklet of 6 went for $330). Try to get in on that deal.
Attractions my family enjoyed: Big Island: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Plantation; Oahu: Bishop Museum, Hula dance, Honolulu Aquarium, Pearl Harbor USS Arizona memorial.
One of my favorite places is the Honolulu Academy of Arts, if you’re so inclined. The building is absolutely gorgeous, with several fountains/water features associated with the different galleries, and a wonderful collection of Asian and Pacific art.
If on Maui, get the Ahi Poke at Mama’s Fish House. If you order an entrée, get something that’s fresh (it will be listed, including the boat that caught it.)
The seared Ahi appetizer is superb at Roy’s. Get the chocolate soufflés if you like dessert. (There’s at least one Roy’s location on all the main islands.)
Add one more vote for the guides Xena linked to. You won’t need any others.
Lived in Hawaii for 2-1/2 years but not really up on stuff these days. I will say that my Thai girlfriend (who is now Mrs. Siam Sam) and all of the other Thai students at the U of Hawaii turned their noses up at every Thai restaurant there.
I believe this is the season for whale watching off of Maui. Well worth doing, although this probably falls under tourist stuff.
The Honolulu bus system runs two buses all around the Oahu – one clockwise and one counterclockwise. Takes about four hours for a circuit as I recall, maybe 3-1/2 hours, and since you’re only paying normal bus fare, it’s a fantastic sightseeing deal. You can get off anyplace that strikes your fancy and then back on again with a transfer. In fact, I believe you can get a three-day pass for the buses. Check the bus info when you get there.
You are correct, December through April. At one time we had friends who had a house in Kipahulu (“Baby pigs crossing!”), and when we’d visit this time of year, you could see the occasional humpback spouting out in the channel toward the Big Island, near Seven Pools (Oheo Gulch). We could see this from quite a distance; it must have been very good whale watching if you were out on a tour.
It doesn’t take much effort to understand how to use the two ‘round the island’ bus services - any concierge at a main hotel can give you all the info you need (even if you aren’t actually staying at their hotel - just wander in off the street and smile and ask). Or ask a bus driver! They’re pretty friendly people in Oahu, and they know they depend on tourists so they aren’t slow to help.
The bus service is good, neat, reliable and easy to use, and you will save a lot of time and a fortune on taxi fares. It’s not a perfect system (I once waited a very long time for a bus that everyone told me was very reliable, and it just never showed up - even the locals were baffled.) But when the service occasionally goes wrong, that’s when you can spend a few saved dollars on a taxi. Under most normal circusmtances, the bus service is a very cheap way to visit all the places you are likely to want to see.
As far as I know, this can only be said of Oahu. On the other islands, you need to hire a car, join a coach tour, or be ready for vast amounts of walking.
For whale-watching, I remember there were lots of boats and different companies at all different prices. We chose one that was recommended and which put its profits back into research I believe. It didn’t serve free alcohol or have a lot of the goodies some of the other boats did, but they sure were a lot cheaper, and we saw the same whales as those other boats did. That was long ago, so I don’t remember the name of the outfit, nor do I know if they’re even still there, but looking for something like that would be good.
Correct for transport: In Honolulu, the bus can be great to use in general – it’ll even take you to Pearl harbor – but on all of the other islands, you really need to rent a car. I believe Kauai has some sort of basic bus service, but it’s slow and plodding and irregular. Plus all the passengers seem to be these really weird people, and you may become the object of unwarranted attention if you use it.