Hawaii - Staying in Oahu

Coalette2013

We will be in Oahu for 10 days and staying in Waikiki. We definitely want to go see Pearl Harbor and we plan on island hopping at least 1 day, maybe 2. I really want to go to the Volcano National Park on the Big Island but we aren't sure what the other islands are known for activity wise.  We bought our own snorkeling gear from Dick's Sporting Goods so that we can do our own thing with that when we are exploring. We've also heard a lot about a neat bike ride that goes down a mountain, I think it's on Maui?

I've been doing plenty of research, but I really wanted to hear from people who had been themselves. For those of you who have been or are planning to go, what have you done or are planning on doing? Also, is there anything that you think was overrated and/or not worth doing?

Jells2dot0

The easiest island to visit for a day trip is Kauai. I recommend checking out Waimea Canyon. I know you can do a day trip to the Big Island from Oahu, but it's one VERY long day and it can get a little expensive ($400/person or more). The BI is one of the only islands have yet to see,but it's definitely on my list!

 

delujm0

We were in Hawaii for 8 days and did 3 in Kauai and then 5 in Oahu.  They were completely different experiences (especially if you're staying in Waikiki - we actually stayed elsewhere in Oahu because we didn't want to deal with crowds).

 

We did Pearl Harbor in oahu and also did a few hikes - Diamond Head wasn't even really a hike, it was a paved path with a nice view a the top...and i forget which parks we did the hikes in, but they were beautiful.

 

In Kauai we did a great boat tour which included snorkling one day (Captain Andy's Sailing Adventure) nd we did some Zip-ining in the rainforest another day (Kauai Backcountry Adventures). 

 

We really really desperately want to go back to see the Big Island and hike in Volcanoes National Park.  Someday we will!

NotATotalBetty

I've done a couple of different island combos (Big Island and Kauai, Maui and Big Island most commonly). You could easily add on Kauai or Maui your Oahu trip. If you're looking for a larger contrast to the built up feel of Waikiki, Kauai has a very laid back, old school Hawaii feel. Maui is awesome because of the extremely diverse array of activities and sights. Another thought might be to balance your time in Waikiki with some relaxation on Oahu's North Shore: that can feel like another world in and of itself.

Pepper6

Although it's possible, it's not exactly easy to do a daytrip to other islands, so if there is something specific you really want to see on another island, I'd highly recommend looking into splitting your stay between two. (I'd recommend the bulk of your time on one of the other islands. Oahu is nice for a short stay, but very crowded and not as "Hawaiian" as the others.  Aside from Pearl Harbor and Dole Whip (pineapple flavored soft serve), Oahu, and definitely Waikiki, is overrated and any activity you can do there, you can do better on another island).

For Volcanoes National Park, they have daily reports on the lava flow to tell you where/how to see it.  Beware though, it's not always visible, when we were there, it was in a lava tube directly into the ocean, so it wasn't visible at all.  We still went to the actual National Park to see the crater and old lava tubes, which was still cool, but no lava.

You are correct, the bike tour down the mountain is on Maui on Haleakala.  There are several tour companies that do this and I think they have varying skill rides, etc.  We didn't do this when we were there because I was pregnant, but we did drive to the summit and saw all the tours on their way down.  They start very early in the morning though, so even if you attempted to do a day-trip to Maui, I doubt you'd be able to make one of these tours.

The best thing we did on Kauai was a boat tour of the NaPali coast.  It was beautiful and we were there during whale season, so we were also treated to seeing a lot of whales.  It was a long tour and they only run when the water conditions are favorable, so it'd take careful planning as a day trip.  Also, definitely take Dramamine, neither my H or I are prone to motion sickness normally, but 4+ hours in relatively choppy water made it pretty uncomfortable without it.

Regardless, Hawaii is awesome and you'll have a blast no matter where you are.  Definitely buy the "Hawaii Revealed" book for the island you'll be staying, there's tons of great tips in there for things to see, great snorkel spots, etc.

Miclan88

I definitely second Hawaii Revealed. that book was our life line when we went!

aloha5736

I lived in Hawaii for three years.  #1 thing I could recommend is make sure you have a rental car for each island.

Oahu I called home for 3 years.  I love all parts of the island except Waikiki lol.  The drive from Kailua-Kaneohe around to the North Shore is breathtaking.  You drive the coast line and stop along the way at difference points of interest and beaches. Kailua has some awesome beaches too.  I would recommend a Kayak tour over there.  North shore is great from May-October; but can be rough waters unless your an experience beach goer.    

My top island hoping is:

1.  Kona: i've been 3xs.  Tons to do night and day.  Good restaurants and nightlife.  Prob the best beaches as I felt they were so clear and warm.  Could see for days.  Tons of turtles (this last time I saw prob 15 turtles on my 2 day trip).  Can drive to Hilo and see the volcano, black sand beach, etc.  

2.  Maui: Been 4xs.  Was a mix of the laid back, but things to do.  

3.  Kauai: to laid back for me, everything closes I think at like 8p.  So we'd go all day long and then just sit at the hotel at night time.  We actually spent most of the time at our hotel the times we went. Other than the Napali coast, wasn't a huge fan of anything else.   I felt like I could do anything else on another island.  If the romantic, lay at the resort is what you want then Kauai is great.