Hawaiian Vacation, what are the best spots and things to do?

[SpaceGhost]

Peeps who have been, or want to go! Wife and I are going to spend a week in paradise (just the wife and I) What should we not miss seeing or doing? Trip is free to travel and stay, so we are ready to pony up some cash to go do some really cool things. Open to helicopter tours, shark swims, Volcano tours whatever. What would you do if you went there and were ready to to do cool stuff like "bucket list" stuff? We are not limited to one island either. We will be flying in and staying on O'ahu and maybe the Big Island depending on things to do/see. I kinda want to ride the bike tour from the top of the big mountain at sunrise and end at the beach at sunset. Post links to stuff if you can please. Trying to make the most of the trip, if you have been there before, what did you do that was a waste of time even? I'm all eyes, Come at me!

[TTQ B4U]

Helicopter tours are great. We've been to several islands on various trip and I love the views from up high. Ironically I went two year ago, stayed on Kawai and rented white 5.0 drop top and took it all the way around the island....well from tip to tip since you can't drive all the way around.

[smokin5s]

go see pearl harbor.... getting to take the tour of the boats was freaking awesome... make sure to also check out the sub while you're there.

[Lauren]

Got married in Kauai. We did the luau, whale watching, some special cliffs, mountain or volcano. Over all Hawaii isn't very impressive. The beaches and water were nice but I could take it or leave it. I much prefer Panama or Costa Rico. Hawaii is stupid expensive. Be prepared today to get raped on pretty much everything except bananas or coffee.

[Forrest Gump 9]

Got married in Kauai. We did the luau, whale watching, some special cliffs, mountain or volcano. Over all Hawaii isn't very impressive. The beaches and water were nice but I could take it or leave it. I much prefer Panama or Costa Rico. Hawaii is stupid expensive. Be prepared today to get raped on pretty much everything except bananas or coffee.

 

It's FUCKING HAWAII, of course it's going to be expensive. Next time you go to Hawaii I know a real cheap place to eat. Costco, $1.50 for a hotdog and drink.

 

Oahu: north shore, diamond head, Waikiki, pearl habor, dole plantation, hanauma bay. Fok Yeun if you want incredible authentic Chinese food (right across from the convention center). Drop the wife off at ala moana shopping center and you'll have a day on the beach all to yourself.

 

Maui: Haleakala to see the sunrise and ride the bike down from 15,000 feet if you dare. Road to Hana will guarantee you to throw up. Wind surfing, whale watching, black sand beach.

 

Hawaii aka big island: volcanoes, and it's actually snowing over there so you can ski if you want. I don't care much for this island.

 

Kauai: not much here, perfect place to relax and hiking. Or you can spend a day on the golf course chasing chickens.

 

The most fun I ever had in Hawaii was on a scooter. This was on Oahu. A group of us rented scooters and ride around the island. It was sketchy because you have to watchout for the tourist drivers. But it was awesome. Oh yeah, you need to visit the Japanese Temple on Oahu too.

[RedRocket1647545505]

If I was going to Hawaii, I'd go to hunt either Axis Deer:

 

http://www.oxhuntingranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/axis-buck-hunts-1024x768.jpeg

 

or Mouflon Sheep:

 

[Wease]

For our 10th wedding anniversary, my wife and I rented a beach house on the North Shore of Oahu. It was really cool. Lots of waves in Hawaii. However, we went in June so it wasn't too rough. Not like the winter time.

 

Forrest Gump 9's description above is about spot on for each island. I wasn't into Honolulu / Waikiki. Just too touristy / shopping. North Shore was much quieter and more "authentic". About the coolest thing we did was the shark cage snorkel out of Haleiwa on the North Shore. So awesome and you are guaranteed to see sharks. They start coming as soon as they hear the boat. Totally safe too.

 

If I had to nitpick, I think Hawaii is great, but not from a "cost effective" standpoint. You're much better off going to an island in the Caribbean if you want a beach vacation. You're not going across a bunch of time zones, losing vacation time due to travel, and it's far cheaper. If you're into snorkeling / diving, it just doesn't compare. The reefs around a lot of Hawaii are pretty beat up. But I still think Hawaii is a vacation you need to do at least once...

[Berto]

Wease hit it on the head. If you are the type to sit at a resort, Hawaii is simply not worth it. The Caribbean is closer, cheaper, etc. We just went about a year ago as our honeymoon. We totally laid into the hype, did 2 weeks there. Big Island And Oahu just didn't sound good to us we heard they were busy, crowded and had big cities. The only exception was Pearl Harbor. We looked at taking a day trip over for just that but it simply was not worth it, flights were going to be $500 on top of missing a whole day and other expenses.

 

We did Kauai, where its a more relaxed atmosphere. After about a week we felt ready to go. This is the island you want to do your helicopter tour on. There is much of it which is just not passable, even the road around the island doesn't go all the way because the terrain is that difficult. This Helicopter ride was hands down one of the best things I've ever done, its expensive, and it was even more expensive for me since I had to buy two seats as I was over the 250 lb limit.....and it was still worth it. Do doors off. There are tons of cool places to see, I really liked the na'pali coast. Things I wished I did better.

- We rented a POS car, there are tons of offroad hunter trails in Waimea Canyon area, wish we would have got a Jeep.

- Hiking in the winter is sloppy, we'd go in the summer and hike more.

- I'd snorkel more. There are great places you can just snorkel right off the beach.

 

The second week we went to Maui. Maui was fun. Its a much bigger Island, we stayed near Lahaina (NW side). But after having stayed there a week we probably would have stayed somewhere a bit more central (like Kihei). We ended up doing a lot of stuff on the East half of the island which meant we spent a lot of time driving. The East side has Road To hana, which was just ok IMO, but I wish we would have spent some more time at the Black Sand beach near Hana. For Maui we sprung for the jeep, but there wasn't really any easy to access 'trails' to get on. The only trail was the road around Maui once you pass Hana, if you want to close the loop it turns into a dirt road. You read all kinds of people that are like 'ermagherd its so dangerous'. There was only one turn that had a drop and it had a cement barrier to keep you in. There were blind turns but if you take your time and honk, no problem. Plenty of people finishing the road in a mustang if you take your time. Its basically a gravel road. Both my wife and I actually enjoyed the dirt section and southern paved section as much if not more than 'road to hana' its a different landscape (arid), but very peaceful.

 

The whale watching in the winter was very good. We may have gotten lucky but there were tons of whales the day we went.

 

I don't get the draw to riding bikes down from Halaekala. Its freaking cold. There are millions of tourists coming down from the sunrise which are inpatient and don't know the road. Honking, passing illegally etc. Then there are tons of ppl that haven't been on a bike in 30 yrs learning on this hill again. Its a disaster. I love to ride my bike but this didn't seem enjoyable at all.

 

We rented a condo, which was best IMO. We could make breakfast and prepare for the day if we were going to hike (make lunch) etc. Food is very expensive (though Iceland was worse). If you have to rent a car prices are insane (granted we went in high season). We ended up doing priceline 'name your price' to get a reasonable price.

 

To be honest Hawaii was nice but not sure I'd go again. But you just have to see it for yourself. We went to Utah for national parks just 4 months later and my wife actually said it was better than Hawaii (which is good, much cheaper for me!)

 

IF you want to blue book that everyone uses for either Kauai or Maui just let me know, you can have mine for free if you pay the shipping. I also have my trip spreadsheet still with my highlights and references to the pages in the book.

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Fred%20Miranda%20Forum%20Entries/DSC_8658%20edited-FM.jpg

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Vacations/Hawaii/DSC_8687.jpg

[SpaceGhost]

This place rocks! Thanks, still would love more advise if anyone has more.

[10phone2]

If you can sneak away... go to Feeme Nu for titty's by the convention center (trust me). At night, drive Tantlus in Honolulu. It overlooks that part of the island and is where drifting started in Hawaii in the 80's before 240's became popular. I would recommend taking a drive around the island. Driving on Hawaii Kai/Sand Island is amazing. If the waves are up, it's worth a trip to the North Shore to take it all in. On the North Shore, there is a shrimp place up by Kahuku. Hike Diamond Head and see if you can sneak into the Stairway to Heaven in Kaneohe. If its during the day to start things off, the Mai Tai Bar has amazing chopped steak and cheap pitchers of beer for Hawaii. The island is best when you just roam around, eat plate lunches, and enjoy the scenery/beautiful women.

 

As others have mentioned, a helicopter ride in Kauai is something you will never forget. The only problem with this time of the year, is the rain.

 

The Ugly:

Here is a safety warning. If some says "hey Haole" and not in a friendly way, that basically means what the fuck is your problem white boy in local slang. Also, if you try to pick up a hooker in Honolulu near China Town, they likely have a dick. I would recommend you don't go out to Waianae. Folks are usually nice out there, but there are still shit heads that start shit with random people from the mainland who are loud and don't respect the land or locals.

[Geeto67]

Do you surf?

 

Yes? North shore. Get in the lineup and enjoy the ride

 

No? Learn. Rent a board and take lessons.

[Otis Nice]

Do you surf?

 

Yes? North shore. Get in the lineup and enjoy the ride

 

No? Learn. Rent a board and take lessons.

 

Listen to Geeto. He knows all about everything and has traveled everywhere on the planet.

[10phone2]

Do you surf?

 

Yes? North shore. Get in the lineup and enjoy the ride

 

No? Learn. Rent a board and take lessons.

 

I normally stay out of your bs, but wtf is your problem saying he should go surf in the north shore this time of year. Even 6-10 foot swells on the north shore for a novice surfer can have them drown or have to get saved by a life guard due to the current. Classy move.

[Otis Nice]

I normally stay out of your bs, but wtf is your problem saying he should go surf in the north shore this time of year. Even 6-10 foot swells on the north shore for a novice surfer can have them drown due to the current. Classy move.

 

DO NOT QUESTION THE GEETO! HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT EVERYTHING!

[SpaceGhost]

I have never surfed, I think we will find a lesson one day.

[Forrest Gump 9]

I have never surfed, I think we will find a lesson one day.

 

Stay in Waikiki or ala moana please. North shore will kill you

[Otis Nice]

Stay in Waikiki or ala moana please. North shore will kill you

 

No it won't! Geeto said so!

[Dr. Apex]

Places like Waimea, Pipeline, and Makaha are not places to learn to surf.

 

Drive the H3 on O'ahu, it was still being built when I was there last but it's supposed to be one of the most scenic drives around. Waimanalo beach was one of the best and quietest beaches on O'ahu when I was there last, SI has filmed multiple swimsuit issues there.

 

Most other good places on O'ahu have already been mentioned, Pearl, Haleiwa. Laie Point is a good place for cliff jumping(Forgetting Sarah Marshall scene). Lots of hiking to do even on O'ahu.

[Mallard]

We actually liked the Big Island better than Oahu because it's quieter and has a lot of variety. We're going to Maui in Feb, and it's actually cheaper than the Caribbean.

 

Do a helicopter tour wherever you go. Everyone else had good suggestions.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[10phone2]

Places like Waimea, Pipeline, and Makaha are not places to learn to surf.

 

Drive the H3 on O'ahu, it was still being built when I was there last but it's supposed to be one of the most scenic drives around. Waimanalo beach was one of the best and quietest beaches on O'ahu when I was there last, SI has filmed multiple swimsuit issues there.

 

Most other good places on O'ahu have already been mentioned, Pearl, Haleiwa. Laie Point is a good place for cliff jumping(Forgetting Sarah Marshall scene). Lots of hiking to do even on O'ahu.

 

+1 for all of these. H3 when it first opened was a heavenly experience. Below is a link for google image search for tantalus

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=tantalus+oahu&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi--_irkurQAhUIyyYKHdb6AIcQ_AUIBygC

 

Bellows beach, sharks cove, and kailua beach are all worth it. If you have military beach access, there is a secluded beach past Hickam beach that is close to where the planes take off and the water is as clear as glass. If you are into skateboarding, there are skate parks all over the island that are free. Ala Moana beach park on a sunday is worth it due to the cars and scenery.

Edited December 10, 2016 by 10phone2

[kirks5oh]

Pumped up to go to Maui in January. I did the big island last year and enjoyed the tour of the brewery on the big island. Make sure to do a traditional luau. This is my year to learn how to surf.

 

Expect shit to be expensive, but so what. Enjoy the seafood. Tuna there is amazing

[Forrest Gump 9]

Pumped up to go to Maui in January. I did the big island last year and enjoyed the tour of the brewery on the big island. Make sure to do a traditional luau. This is my year to learn how to surf.

 

Expect shit to be expensive, but so what. Enjoy the seafood. Tuna there is amazing

 

When are you doing the Kona Ironman?

[kirks5oh]

When are you doing the Kona Ironman?

 

Never!! Had an ex that qualified for kona. No thanks. I would definitely go to watch. I haven't even done a half IM. Hate the swim

[Versluis]

I highly recommend going to see Pearl Harbor. We also did a helicopter tour and we did the Blue Hawaiian Helicopter. They are super nice choppers. I spent a lot of time in the water too snorkeling because the wild life is amazing.

[Trouble Maker]

We rented a POS car, there are tons of offroad hunter trails in Waimea Canyon area, wish we would have got a Jeep.

 

Ditto; we rented a POS on Hawaii and I regret it. We rented a Mustank on Maui and had a ton of fun with it.

 

The East side has Road To hana, which was just ok IMO, but I wish we would have spent some more time at the Black Sand beach near Hana. For Maui we sprung for the jeep, but there wasn't really any easy to access 'trails' to get on. The only trail was the road around Maui once you pass Hana, if you want to close the loop it turns into a dirt road. You read all kinds of people that are like 'ermagherd its so dangerous'. There was only one turn that had a drop and it had a cement barrier to keep you in. There were blind turns but if you take your time and honk, no problem. Plenty of people finishing the road in a mustang if you take your time. Its basically a gravel road. Both my wife and I actually enjoyed the dirt section and southern paved section as much if not more than 'road to hana' its a different landscape (arid), but very peaceful.

 

We stayed 2 nights in Hana and really enjoyed it, probably because we could actually do some stuff there. And, we stayed in a tree house which was super fucking rad.

 

 

The road past Hana was one of my favorite driving sections during the whole trip.

 

 

IF you want to blue book that everyone uses for either Kauai or Maui just let me know, you can have mine for free if you pay the shipping. I also have my trip spreadsheet still with my highlights and references to the pages in the book.

 

Wizzard Pup? These books are great. They have a website too, and maybe an app? http://www.hawaiirevealed.com/

 

One of my favorite things was Volcanoes National park; go during the day and (quickly) check out the crater, do Chain of Craters road, hike the caldera, go have dinner in town and they go back and check out 'the glow'; you can see the heat/light from the lava in the main crater at night that you can't in the day. Very cool to see the difference from night to day. This was one of my favorite days of the whole trip. Long day but well worth it.