What to do in Hawaii?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m hoping for a little help with planning my honeymoon.

Mrs Smurf to be and myself will be heading to Hawaii in April for 17 days for our honeymoon. :smiley:

I have been to Honolulu once before in my solo days, but it was for only 3 days, so I only got to see the very bare bones. This time around we have 11 days in Honolulu, and 3 days each on Maui & Hawaii itself.

I’m hoping any dopers who know Hawaii well enough, might give me some advise on things to do and see to make the trip truely memorable.

Apart from general exploring, the only things we have locked in at present is -

  • Pearl Harbour & The Missouri (That’s mainly for war history nut me :stuck_out_tongue: ),
  • a trip (maybe a hike) up to Diamond Head,
  • a trip to Kilauea,
  • shopping, starting at the international market place and moving on to who knows where :smack:

Thanks

2

Take a tour on Hawaii to see the lava (or drive over yourself).

Slather on the DEET and go birdwatching near Manoa Falls.

3

On the Big Island (Hawaii, that is):

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is essential; if there is night lava viewing, do it at midnight or so and the crowds won’t be too awful (the park is open 24/7).

Kaumana Caves just outside Hilo is fun – if you enter to the left you can scramble over rocks for about 20 min. to a nice skylight (bring good flashlights).

The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo is great.

Get your touristy gewgaws at Hilo Hattie’s, which I believe has branches in Honolulu as well.

South Point is cool – you can usually find people jumping the 40-foot or so drop, though I guess the currents below can be bad so you really aren’t supposed to. A nice hike from South Point takes you to the fabulous Green Sand Beach.

Be forewarned:the fine print in your car rental will almost certainly forbid you to use Saddle Road, which cuts across the island. Do what you want about this (ignore the clause, stay off Saddle Road, find one of those rare deals that lets you use it) but it is better not to be shocked by it.

Actually, if you are the outdoorsy type, one of the best ways to enjoy the Big Island, and I suspect Oahu as well, is to geocache. (Love the out of doors but don’t have a GPS unit? Buy one now and get started.) Very few of the Big Island caches are duds, and you can avoid those by reading the logs before you go. Cache wisely and you will see wonderful places many tourists miss (Waipio Valley Overlook, Polulu Valley, etc.)

I am a huge fan of the windward Big Island but hey, I live there. Or at least my house does, while I am posted in Egypt. It is always such a wonderful place to return to. Enjoy yourself!

4

I have to admit I’ve never heard of geocaching. :confused:

A quick trip to Wikipedia, and I am enlightened. Interesting stuff. I might have to go and have a look at the price of a GPS unit.

Thanks for your other advice as well.

5

This is true, and one of the silliest rules anywhere. Once upon a time the Saddle Road apparently was rather rough, but for at least a decade it’s been a good-quality paved road, suitable for any vehicle. Since it passes by and across numerous dark lava flows, it might make sense to avoid it at night.

I (and no doubt many others) routinely ignore this rental car restriction. It would be a great shame not to do the drive to the top of Mauna Kea, which requires driving on the Saddle Road. (The road to the top is strictly off limits for rental cars, but it is another good quality road suitable for any vehicle with decent brakes and a low-gear option for the long descent.)

6

That’s more time than I’d want for Oahu, and less for the Big Island.

See this thread for some Big Island suggestions, including info about the best adventure of all (the hike to the lava vent).

7

It’s touristy, but I recommend Hanauma Bay for snorkeling. Bring your own mask, fins and snorkel if possible. Nice protected bay, with beautiful tropical fish and sea turtles. You can walk around to the “left” as you face the ocean, around the bend and take in the “toilet bowl” which is also popular.

8

huh. that’s interesting about saddle road. the rental company didn’t say boo to us about it and the dive master has been to hawai’i about a dozen times in his life. and we were just there in october of 2005.

the arizona memorial and the mighty mo are awesomely worth the trip. drop a little extra cash and get a private tour aboard the mo. if you’reanything like the history/ww2 nuts we are, it was money well spent.

if you haven’t done so yet, go visit the national memorial cemetery of the pacific (both parents of the dive master are buried there). we didn’t get to the palace, unfortunately. maybe next time.

some of my pictures will follow at the bottom of my post.

about volcanoes national park. the day trip is neat but, the night time is even better. that said, however, there are genuine risks at night. if you’re planning to be marathoners like we were, there are things you should know.

after, i think it’s 10 at night? (maybe even earlier. i don’t recall now), there are NO more guides available on the lava fields. you are on your own and there are plenty of signs warning you well in advance of this.

that doesn’t stop anyone from going out on the lava fields of course. the dive master and i encountered two groups: a lone german tourist and a japanese tour at 4 in the morning and saw other flashlights from time to time.

there are no lights other than what you bring, no water, no public sanitation after the starting-off point and no telephones. it is truly the dark side of the moon in all ways, shapes and imaginings, and because of that you will be privy to the most magnificent starfield (no light pollution) you will ever see in your lifetime - other than being in outer space. absolutely stunning.

it might be wise to invest in a pair of hiking boots if you’re planning to do a marathon like we did. if you wear tennis shoes they will be ruined. i trashed a fairly-recent pair of new balances because of the lava. it cut the soles to ribbons.

it’s true people have died out there, others have gotten lost or disoriented or too tired to go further and have had to wait for daylight. the actual trek to kilauea is deceptive, especially at night. it’s much further than even we thought and we were prepared in advance. we were on the lava field for more than eight hours. yes, more than eight hours. :smiley:

GPS is an excellent idea, which the dive master did bring, altho he has a superb sense of direction (i have none) anyway.

the terrain is rough. did i mention the terrain is rough? :stuck_out_tongue: it’s almost all up and down over lava flows. hard on the knees. take a windbreaker or light jacket. despite the fact its hawai’i, you’ll want the covering. take more water than you think you’re going to need - and then take more. take good flashlights with fresh batteries. we used our dive lights, which are unusually bright since they’re designed to be under water and were glad we had them.

if you go out far enough, you’ll find signs that say ‘proceed at your own risk.’ after that point, which is roped off, you run the risk of open vents, fresh lava and steam. we finally quit a mile or so from the main eruption site to take pix and recoup. we got back to our hotel room in kaikua-kona around 7 am.

oh, and one more thing. do not under any circumstances, take any of Pele’s children (lava souveniers) at any time or in any place. bad luck will follow you if you do. :frowning: the goddess will not be happy with you.

here’s some pix of my hawaii trip. and don’t forget the mai tai in front of diamond head. :smiley:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/hctg2000/album/576460762324109180

9

On Maui, I would definitely spend one day in Hana, which is on the opposite side of the Island from most of the hotels. There’s a famously winding road (“the road to Hana,” it’s called) that you take to get there…and a couple of waterfall pools along the way that you can swim in if you want to…the water is always a nice temperature. On that side of the island, there is some great hiking at O’heo Gulch (also known as the Seven Sacred Pools). It is very humid & tropical on that side of the island, so wear a swimsuit, so you can take a dip if you want to (some of the pools are accessible to swimming).

Don’t stay too late in Hana, though…on the way back from there, you can stop at Mama’s Fish House, which I think is the best restaurant on the island. It is in Paia, which is the town where you pick up the Road to Hana. (Paia is a cool little town, with art galleries & such.) As I recall, for each fish on the menu, it tells you the name of the fisherman and where he caught the fish that day. Very cool.

Probably one of the coolest things to do on Maui is to go to the top of Haleakala, one of the volcanos. It’s a national park, and you can drive up there yourself, or take a van tour up (they usually go very early…the sunrise is supposed to be spectacular). A lot of the tours bring bikes for you, so you can bike your way back down. You can hike into the crater, and it is really amazing…but be careful not to hike too far down unless you are in really good shape, as the air is really thin up there, and it took me quite a while to hike out again…it felt a litte bit like I was walking through water at times. It’s worth seeing even if you don’t want to hike in…the view is amazing…you can see pretty much the entire island from up there.

Another place to check out is Lahaina. You could spend a whole day there, but a lot of it is very touristy. I recommend going there just because it has a lot of history to it. There is a place there called Aloha Mixed Plate where you can get an authentic “Plate Lunch,” a Hawaiian specialty you have to try when you are there.

Hope this helps…have fun when you are there…Hawaii is a very special place!

10

I don’t know if this is too quiet for you, but I dearly love to visit botanical parks in Hawaii.

I come from southern California, and a moist, jungly locale is intoxicating to me. And what’s more jungly than a botanical park in the tropics? I love to see the exotic, fragrant flowers and the fascinating varieties of tropical fruit which cannot grow in my home state.

And in Hawaii, you can see things like papaya trees growing right by the side of the road! Some fruit plantations grow durians and passion fruit - stuff we can’t buy for any money here in the states. Folks grow heliconia (that big vivid red, lobster-claw-like hanging flower) in hedges in their front yards as casually and easily as we grow boxwood! I’m always astounded.

Like I say, you may find this dull, but it’s near the top of my list of favorite things to do in Hawaii.

11

The best decision Hubby and I ever made on vacation was to hire a local guide on the Big Island. He was a fellow who drove bus trips around, and we negotiated a price of sixty dollars to take us to see the lava. We ended up paying him twice that because we were so thrilled with what he showed us. Not only did we see the lava, but he also taught us so much about the local culture-- everything from how houses are constructed to the informal, but very significant, system of community justice.

If you’re going to see the lava, be prepared for a very long walk over some really rough terrain. The rocks are very sharp and uneaven. I made the trek in sandals, something I do* not* recommend.

On Kuai, Hubby and I rented an SUV and drove out to see all of the waterfalls. It was wonderful to be able to explore the countryside on our own and it wasn’t very expensive for the rental.

It’s a place of climate extremes. Places like Lahaina (“Merciless Sun”) are aptly named, but up in the higher elevations, I was so cold I had to buy a jacket.

12

I’ll supply the boring advice.

Don’t take unnecessary risks. I grew up hearing about tourists (and people otherwise unfamiliar with what they were getting themselves into) who wound up injuring themselves when they fell, tripped, nearly drowned, nearly burned on lava, etc. If signs warn you against doing something, heed them. Stay on well-marked trails. Don’t play with lava. Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable doing. Be aware that many parts of Hawaii do not have lifeguards or rangers on duty 24/7.

Guard your possesions. Secure your valuables, including in your hotel room, in your rental car, and on your person. Don’t flash cash or expensive cameras. (That locals target tourists for theft upsets me; not only is it illegal, it’s stupid to treat visitors that way when your state depends on tourism.)

If you are staying in Waikiki, you should be able to make do with local public transportation. Many buses that go through Waikiki will take you to the tourist destinations; I know of a half dozen routes that pass by the Arizona Memorial/Pearl Harbor. The fare is $2, but the ABC Stores there sell a 4-day Visitors’ Pass for $20, and it’s good for unlimited uses.

Since there are specific things you want to see, I’d draft a very rough schedule once you know when you’re going and the availability of each activity. It helps to have at least a list of the things you want to see, lest you forget to do them and only remember on the plane ride back home. It sounds like you’ll be visiting 3 islands (Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui), so these plans might prove helpful in dividing your time.

13

I want to second this in saying that the snorkeling around Hawaii is simply amazing. I don’t profess to know very much about the Island but I went there a number of years back and I just remember being simply blown away by the crystal clarity of the water and the huge assortment of fish that were present at the coral reefs. There were also a large number of sea turtles just kind of swimming around with the snorkelers like it was no big deal. If you do go, make sure to bring an underwater camera as you will want to remember it.

14

I went to the big island last summer. The best part was taking a bus tour to the top of Mauna Kea (i think - whichever volcano has all the telescopes on top.) It was gorgeous and completely different from anywhere I’d been before.

I also really enjoyed the Hilo zoo. There were some wonderful monkeys and birds, but then again, I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff.

15

Well, maybe. It’s pretty silted over, rather crowded, can have some long waiting lines, and they don’t even let you feed the fish anymore.

But other than that, it’s fine. :wink:

If it were me, and it was, I’d do the snorkeling over on the Big Island.

I don’t know if you’re into it, but the Big Island of Hawaii has the best sportfishing in the world. And, a charter costs quite a bit less than an equivalent boat would cost in, say, Florida or California. It might be cheaper in Mexico, but Hawaii is definitely worth it. (Three blue marlin between my son and me over two trips.) I’d recommend chartering for the whole day. That’d run you somewhere in the $500 - $900 range, depending on how big a boat you demand.

Most charters on the Big Island go out of Honokohau Harbor. One that I’d recommend is Bite Me Sport Fishing. (Really!) But if you want to look at many more, just do a Google search on: Sport Fishing Kona Charters.

Also, you don’t usually have to worry about rough water since Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa block most of the prevailing winds leaving the waters off Kona relatively calm. Unless there’s been a recent storm. Like my first time there. Ya-hoo, ride 'em cowboy!

16

Oh yes, all the safety issues that people have raised are good ones. If you really want to hike on lava, you need to wear tough shoes and bring water and flashlights. Aside from the fact that lava is sharp, it sometimes cracks into huge crevasses that can be just about impossible to see until you are right on top of (or fallen down inside of) them. If it is an old flow with lots of vegetation around it, the problem is that much worse.

However, there are plenty of delightful hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that are safe and enjoyable, and also not too difficult. One of my favorite for guests is Kiluea Iki trail – it is a loop trail, and I think it is nicest if you start to the right from the parking lot where both ends of the trail meet.

HVNP has a great guide to hikes available for free at the visitor’s center, but for some reason they don’t seem to hand it out automatically at all times – you may have to ask for it. It is a single sheet of paper with the different trails listed, including how difficult they are and how long they take. (It is a different publication from the booklet they may give you; tell them you want that sheet of paper!)

As to robbery from tourists – of course, you do need to be careful. The aloha spirit is alive and well on the Big Island, especially the windward side, but unfortunately so is a big problem with crystal meth. When we first moved there people didn’t even lock their doors. Sadly, it is now necessary to do so. But don’t be too hard on the place; there is crime just about everywhere, and OF COURSE tourists will be targeted – they are the ones with all the money (Hilo is pretty poor, actually).

In addition to being careful about plain old theft and robbery, I guess I would have to caution against the more subtle, prevalent, and legal form that it takes: overcharging! Tourists are absolutely drained of their cash. Prices for a lot of things are just insane. Apparently, the tourist board/chamber of commerce types have done their homework, and most tourists to the State of Hawaii view their trip as a once-in-a-lifetime splurge for a honeymoon, 50th wedding anniversary, whatever. The average tourists expect it to be expensive and have been saving up, so the tourist industry correctly feels that it can get away with very high prices.

Those high prices are another reason I like to recommend hiking, geocaching, HVNP, etc. – it is a lot cheaper than paying through the nose for horseback riding, helicopter tours, and so forth.

One last thought – if you should happen to be on the circumferential road around the Big Island, just north of Hilo in (and I’m gonna misspell this) Papeekio – there is a hole-in-the-wall place called “Tom the Baker’s” across the road from Pinky’s convenience store. If you are driving north it will be on your left. His sign says he is the cheesecake king, which is absolutely true (his lilikoi cheesecake is to die for) but he also makes great masaladas. Tom himself is a real character – a bit strange but very sweet, and boy, can he COOK. You probably won’t even notice the place, but if you do, pop in and get some of his goodies. And tell him his friend from Egypt said hello.

17

Of course, a lot of guys speed and drive in the middle of the road. Since the road dips and rises unexpectedly, this might be dangerous. For instance, recently in the early morning hours, one car holding late night revelers met another car coming the other way holding employees going home after their late night shift ended. :frowning: