Oahu Recommendations
- Thread starter dero316
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Not even for a couple hours?
I think it's worth a stop and walk just to say you've been there. Agree 100% wouldn't be my choice of places to stay.
Years ago we rented a house in the beach in Kailua. It was pretty low-key but you can take 1/2 day trips to anywhere from there and the Kailua/Lanikai beaches are beautiful.
In my mind, its all about what you want to do. There are a lot of great restaurants in Waikiki, and the only real nightlife on the island. As a beach, however, Waikiki leaves a lot to be desired. The best beaches on Oahu are on the Windward side of the island (Waimanalo, Kailua and Lanikai).
If you give me an idea of things you’re interested in doing, I’d be happy to give some recommendations.
Hop on over to the Big Island. I hear Leilani Estates is a hot destination!
Yes, immediately fly out to Maui or Kauai (or the Big Island if it wasn’t exploding at the moment). Lol, I’m only partially kidding. The only thing I really liked in Oahu is the Polynesian Cultural Center for a luau and the area around Kalua Ranch. The rest is only ok if you don’t get spoiled by going to the better islands. And you can get really cheap Island hopper flights once you’re on Oahu.
Seriously, if you have time and options go to another island. Maui or Kauai. Hawaiian Airlines is not expensive at all.
Go to Pearl Harbor. When are you going? I am heading out there in February for 2 weeks, 1 week cruise and the other time is up for debate. But Pearl Harbor is definitely on my list. Interested to hear what its like there now with the Arizona memorial closed and the volcano screwing up Volcano National Park.
Wife and I went to the Arizona Memorial a few years ago. We couldn't get out fast enough. Elbow to elbow people. We did a once through and left.
I went to Oahu once in 1999. I have never felt the slightest urge to go back.
Every time I've been to Hawaii we've gone straight to Maui. The only thing I care to see on Oahu is the Arizona memorial.
Dukes
Haute Dogs
Watch Henry Kapono play at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Snorkel trip to Haunuma Bay
Haute Dogs
Watch Henry Kapono play at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Snorkel trip to Haunuma Bay
Stayed at Turtle Bay one time and highly recommend. It's the hotel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Aside from the normal popular activities, my wife and I did the nighttime paddle board tour at the Polynesian Cultural Center and enjoyed that.
Aside from the normal popular activities, my wife and I did the nighttime paddle board tour at the Polynesian Cultural Center and enjoyed that.
Surprised to see the Oahu hate. I've only been to Oahu and Maui, in that order and years apart, but found plenty to do and plenty of beauty on Oahu. Maybe that's because it was my first trip and I didn't know any better.
I definitely preferred Maui ove Oahu though.
I definitely preferred Maui ove Oahu though.
The general rule is if you’ve never been to the Hawaiian Islands or Pacific islands in general you will love Oahu. If you’ve been to more than a couple you know Oahu is the least interesting and beautiful of them. Definitely, if you just do the touristy Waikiki and Diamondhead you’re missing out big time as that’s probably the ugliest area of the HIs and it’s definitely one of if not THE worst beaches.
Meanwhile for Maui...that may be my ultimate financial goal. Accumulate enough money to retire to Maui with enough leftover to travel a fair bit.
I'm kind of surprised as well, but I guess I shouldn't be. So many people visit Oahu and never leave Waikiki, which is a real shame. There are a ton of beautiful spots on this island that most tourists never see, which is ok by me. The last thing we need is more of you people over here messing it up for us locals
.Normally I’m a big proponent of the Big Island, but the best of it imo like the Green Beach and Volcano National Park are in the south where as far as I’m aware are basically “no go zones” due to the continuing eruption. This year, I’d really suggest just keeping your main flight to Oahu and then get one of the cheap puddle jumpers (Hawaiian Airlines and Mokulele have really cheap flights).
It’s tough to describe to someone who hasn’t been there but Oahu is a “new” island and the Big Island is a VERY new island being created as we speak and so they have very thin layers of dirt so the forests are relatively sparse. Meanwhile Maui and Kauai are old islands with a lot of rich dirt so the forests are lush and thick with tropical plant life. The end result is that Maui and Kauai are insanely gorgeous while Oahu and the Big Island are kinda meh in comparison. Maui to me is the best by far as it has some rugged Black lava rock coastline to go with the infamous hidden (and it is hidden you need to research how to find it as there are no signs and locals refuse to talk about it at the resorts under penalty of being fired) red sand beach, plus white sand beaches, black sand beaches and lush forests everywhere. You really should rent a car in Lahaina and take “the Road to Hana” and then continue on the “forbidden roads” (by the car rental company, the invalidate your insurance if you get into an accident there) to complete the loop as that’s where the best views of all are located.
OK, now that we've gotten the preliminaries out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks: Which island has the best BBQ?
One of the posters earlier said it, but the best beaches are on the east side. my favorite being waimanalo. i live in honolulu so it's about a 20 minute drive. waikiki is good for a few things, mostly restaurants. if you're here during football season come down to Rivals on Kuhio street. it's the FSU football spot. between hiking, snorkeling, scuba, good eats, i'm not sure why people trash the island
Horrible traffic...homelessness..graffiti...no architectural style...Everything is old as crap, built 50+ years ago.
As a tourist, I don’t know why anyone would go there.
My thoughts exactly. Other than the large airport which helps you get to all of the other islands, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Kualoa Ranch and it’s immediate surrounds, Oahu is not worth your time. I’d rather spend one day in Hana than two weeks in Honolulu.
I know you're joking, but the answer is Maui. We went to Braddah Hutt's BBQ just south of Hana and it had by far the best kalua pork as well as BBQ'ed ribs (in a fruity but not overly sweet bbq sauce made from local guava, papaya and passionfruit)
Here's my pics from it.
And by the way, the best Poke is found on Maui as well, at a liquor store called Tamura's. Tons of flavors all done with with a wide variety of fresh local seafood caught daily.
So now that I'm on a real computer and can post some pics, here's a visual depiction of what I meant of old islands versus new islands.
Here's some of my pics from the Big Island which gives you an idea what the majority of the island looks like. It is beautiful but in a very austere way the same way Arizona or the coast of Maine is beautiful.
Meanwhile, Maui is incredibly lush over most of the island. The southernmost tip is the "newer" part of the island and gives you the austere look you find on most of the Big Island, but the rest of it is very lush tropical jungle.
Now there are some nice spots on the Big Island that you can't find anywhere else, namely the Green Beach and the main volcano, but I don't think you can get there currently.
As far as best beaches in Hawaii I've been to, the best by far was the Red Beach on Maui. It is very secluded (we saw only one other person on the relatively precarious hike out to it) but incredibly pictureque. You do need to be there at sunup or sundown to get the red to really pop though, I've seen other pictures by people who went when it was noon and it looks maroon or reddish brown. These are from about twenty or thirty minutes after sunup.
My second favorite was the gold beach at Makena State Park on Maui.
Before I close my computer out, I'll post some pics I took along the "forbidden road" after Hana on Maui and show you why you should take it. Don't worry about the fact big sections are unpaved, it's tightly compacted and my rental VW Beetle convertible had zero issues navigating the terrain. And yes, despite me saying Maui is more lush, the southern part after Hana is newer and looks like the Big Island, which for the OP would be a great twofer. You get the lush jungle of most of Maui and the austere volcanic portion of Southern Maui along the "forbidden road".
Great pics, Tribe
I’m going to have to take that roadtrip next time over. Looks awesome and pretty lightly traveled.
I’m going to have to take that roadtrip next time over. Looks awesome and pretty lightly traveled.
Very lightly traveled. The only time we came across another car was when some cowboys held up the road for 20 minutes or more driving an enormous cattle herd from one side to the other. After you somewhat get back to civilization other than vast free range cattle ranches there’s a little town that is the most authentic cowboy town you will find in America. We stopped off there at the Ulupalakau Ranch Store for one of the best hamburgers I’ve had in my life. And seated next to us in the outside seating...a dozen or more actual cowboys in full dirt and dust covered leathers enjoying the same hamburger made from the cows they helped raise.
There’s a winery in that same little town that is America’s southernmost winery and does exclusively tropical fruit wines (pineapple in many sugar levels, passion fruit, guava, papaya, you name it).
