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mickey-mouse35
08-07-2007, 07:32 PM
OK, DH and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary next April 2008 in Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai). I got the Oahu/Kauai Revealed guidebooks. Having never been to Hawaii, let alone a "tropical paradise" before, I'd love any tips people have on must dos, places to stay in Oahu, restaurants, beach dos and don'ts, etc.!! :lei: THANKS!

crazykids
08-07-2007, 07:44 PM
We stayed at the hilton hawaian village in Oahu & it was fantastic. We rented a car, but there was so much to do in the area, we walked to a lot of places. When you check in, make sure you mention that you are there for a special occasion - we got upgraded to their club level floor!

Zippy 1
08-07-2007, 09:00 PM
Kauai is beautiful!! We were there 2 years ago. The Princeville area is just gorgeous. We loved hiking the beaches at the north most point of the island. You can hike a trail to see parts of the Napali Coast. It can be a rough hike if it has recently rained. The trail can be very slippery in spots. But the view is worth it. There is only one main road from south Kauai to north, so the drive can be slow, but there is alot of beautiful scenery. Its fun to see the falls along the roads. In south Kauai you can see Spouting Horn - it's near Po'ipu. There are also alot of neat beaches. Depending on when you are there you might see the whales. Our daughter loved swimming with the turtles. They are huge. Overall just a beautiful place to visit and the people are so nice.

mickey-mouse35
08-08-2007, 08:27 PM
Thanks--great tips! Forgot to mention on the hotel we need in Oahu that I don't want to pay a fortune--seems like most are over $200 a night! The Hilton looked neat and even has fireworks, but very pricey! :(

PeachyGal
08-15-2007, 10:13 AM
We'll be heading to Oahu Sept 16-22. :lei: We are staying at the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel. My husband found a decent package that includes a car (convertible of course :car:). Since I know nothing about Hawaii, I've been doing some research online. Reading alot of reviews on different places we want to go. I know that you cannot believe everything you read because everyone's tastes and interests are different, but I've found it very helpful. I feel like I can make a semi-educated decision on places to go.

I can definitely post a complete trip report when we get back. :lei: :papple: :lei:

mac badger
08-15-2007, 10:42 AM
i went to hawaii (big island and kaui) 2 years ago for my honeymoon. in kauai we stayed in poipu on the south of the island, also known as "sunny poipu" but the north is beautiful also. when researching for places to stay i also saw some places in lihue area, the middle east side of the island. i wouldnt bother staying near there, not nearly as pretty as the north and south end.
the best meal we had in all of hawaii was at the beach house in poipu. really unbelievably good fish, and a stunning view. call for reservations and try to get there for sunset, its breathtaking.
we also did a sailboat tour of the napali coast, i would highly recommend that. we used captain andy's. and you have to check out the
canyon-waimea i think. its called the grand canyon of the pacific and it was really something, another must do.
and even though its touristy, i enjoyed going to the fern grotto.
if you have the revealed books you cant go wrong-we used those books for our trip and they were invaluable, they show a lot of places off the beaten path.
congratulations!:lei::lei:

murphy1
08-15-2007, 12:02 PM
My grandmother grew up in Hawaii, Oahu, her home is still there on Harding Ave! Now it's a Medical office, but it's a neat Craftsman style.
She and my grandpa met at Pearl Harbor, he was a photographer in the army, so the whole area is special for me.
I love Kauai so much! We went to Maui and Kauai for honeymoon. There is a great Italian Restaurant (I think it's the only one) we went to in Princeville. I agree about Napali and Waimea Canyon, both just incredible. In fact, you can see the outline of Puff the Magic Dragon on Hanalei Bay (remember the song??) We also liked Roy's, a famous Hawaiian restaurant. Kauai gets a bit of rain and most people don't know that. Have a great time!!!!!!

murphy1
08-15-2007, 12:05 PM
I just looked up and found the restaurant, it's called Cafe Portofino, he changed locations, it's right on the water, and looks gorgeous!! We went on Blue Hawaii helicopter tour of the Canyon, it was the highlight of our trip!

mickey-mouse35
08-15-2007, 06:52 PM
Thanks, everyone, for the tips! Can't wait to hear all about it, PeachyGal, after you get back!

I have read about Roy's; will have to check out the other ones! I'd love to take a sailboat or catamaran (or those the same? :confused:) to see the coast, but with my motion sickness, I'm just not so sure. I hear the N'Pali Coast is a bit rough.

MickeyandTink
08-16-2007, 03:03 PM
DW and I went to Kauai and Maui for our honeymoon several years ago. If you're going to be on Kauai for more than a couple of days, I would strongly suggest renting a car so you can see more of the island. If you do, you are probably better off renting at the airport than through the hotel. We rented through the hotel and paid about double what the airport would have cost.

Viewing the canyons on Kauai is pretty spectacular. You may also want to take a look at Kayaking on the rivers. Kauai is the only Hawaaian Island with freshwater rivers. It is very relaxing and you will see some spectacular waterfalls, but be careful not to get off of the beaten trail paths because you can get lost.

Have a great time.

murphy1
08-16-2007, 03:16 PM
Get a Jeep too, our rental was upgraded to one and it was awesome!!

Brian
08-16-2007, 11:21 PM
We visited Hawaii last month. We stayed on Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui. Since you're going to Oahu, I'll focus on that island...

We stayed in the Outrigger Waikiki. This was probably our favorite hotel of the trip and we'd definitely stay here again. They also had some good restaurants on the beach within the hotel. Duke's was our favorite for lunches. Also, the hotel was in walking distance of many restaurants and shopping areas. I'm not sure about a per night price, as it was part of a AAA package. But, the hotel is worth considering if its in your price range.

Some things to see on Oahu...

Pearl Harbor - I highly recommend seeing the USS Arizona Memorial. Get there early, though. We arrived before it actually opened and the line to get in was already starting to circle itself in the lawn out front. There are also some other exhibits here.

Diamondhead - This is the volcano right by Waikiki. You can drive (or walk) into the crater of the volcano. From there, there is a path up the side of the crater wall to an old army bunker. The view from here is incredible and worth the trip. The walk can be strenuous, so be prepared. It's all uphill and is a mix of paved paths, non-paved paths, steps, and tunnels. Just when you think you're near the top, you turn the corner and see more steps. Definitely bring some water with you if you do this hike. It doesn't require any climbing skills. People of all ages and physical ability were making the walk. Just be prepared to sweat. Again, though, the effort is worth it.

Kualoa Ranch - This is a site with several activities such as horseback and ATV rides. They also offer tours around their ranch. Many popular movies and TV shows (Jurassic Park, Lost, etc.) were filmed here. We only had time to do the movie tour, and really enjoyed it. The scenery is beautiful. If you're driving and trying to find this place, it may be easy to miss on the first pass. If I recall, the signs all said "Kualoa Visitor Center" and not "Ranch". Also, the pricing on their web site may be confusing. They have half/full day excursions which appear to be a little pricey. The individual tours are much cheaper.

Dole Plantation - If you're in the vicinity of the Dole Plantation, I think it's worth checking out. I wouldn't make an exclusive trip here, but if you're out and about, I'd stop by. They have a train ride through the plantation, a gift shop, and a drink/food area that serves some great pineapple treats.

Waimea Falls - This is a beautiful garden and waterfall area on Oahu. There are many paths that wind through their gardens and eventually end up at a waterfall. When we were there, people were swimming in the pond below the waterfall. If that's your thing, it looked like fun.

These are most of the things that we did and enjoyed. Most of these places have web sites, so some Google searches may be helpful. Good luck in planning your trip!

I nearly forgot one other thing... If you do rent a car, consider renting a GPS as well. This was my first time using one and it was really helpful. They provide you with a map and list of many popular destinations and you can just enter a numeric code and be on your way.