WaltInOmaha
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2010
- Messages
- 4
We are 3 weeks away from our departure, and I am a bit of a planning nut. I wanted to share our current plans, and get a little bit of feedback from those who have visited both Hawaii and Aluani before, so we don't make any of the traditional new guy mistakes.
Background: This trip is to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, so I have gone well out of my way to try and make every day special. Every day has some planned activity and some leisure time to just do whatever comes naturally. We like to be on the go, and tend not to stay too close to the resort when we vacation, but I have ensured that we take the time to explore and enjoy the grounds at Aluani right away, as well as leaving additional room as we go. Maybe enough.. maybe not. We shall see!
We are DVC members, and we are staying at Aluani on points. We are booked for a Deluxe Poolside Studio, and I have noticed those only go up as high as the 5th floor. After reading here I have put in a room request for the highest floor possible, potentially in a room ending in 10. I am open to better suggestions or even other requests / notifications I should be making before we depart.
Wifey has been involved in planning, but there are several parts that I have keep quiet about because I love to surprise her with extras. It's very important to me that she has
We depart for LA on Monday March 6th where we will stay for 2 nights before moving on to Oahu.
Monday 3/6 - Land in LA mid afternoon, dive down by Disneyland and check into hotel. Dinner at the Chef's Counter at the Napa Rose at 8PM. We have friends in Berkeley that will be joining us.
Tuesday 3/7 - Disneyland / CA Adventure all day, topping it off with the desert party for World of Color.
Weds 3/8 - LAX to Honolulu. Pickup rental car and drive to Aluani. Check-in, explore the grounds, take a dip, a stroll on the beach, and watch the sunset. Ama'Ama for an 8PM Dinner to start things off right, a little stargazing afterwards (and photography) followed by a good nights sleep.
Thurs 3/9 - Private Circle Island tour of Oahu. Since we have a car available, but limited "free" time on this trip, we thought it would be best to get a good overview of the island. We hate the traditional tour buses, so I found a private guide who comes very highly recommended, albeit a smidge pricey. He will pick us up at 8AM and return us about 3:30PM. The plan is to hit the better spots that the buses might hit, but to linger where we find interest, and avoid the kitchy tourist traps and stops that we don't enjoy. the thought of course is this will give us a number of good ideas that we can attempt to re-visit if we find we have the time, and if we don't have the time, we maximize what we get to see! We have no plans after 3:30, so we may elect to drive somewhere, or just relax around the resort. I am pretty partial to trying to get down to the campfire for the stories, etc.. and likely some more stargazing, etc.
Firday 3/10 - We are both volcano enthusiasts, and we have pretty much decided if we are in Hawaii, this is a must do, so we've decided on a day trip to the big island, helicopter ride and trip up to Volcano National Park. Again, we hate buses, so I am booking the flights myself, grabbing a private tour guide, and having him pick us up after the helicopter tour. It's a smidge pricier than just buying the excursion, but well worth it to avoid the macadamia nut factory and things that just don't hold our interest. Plan is to hit the black sand beach, lava tubes, etc early in the afternoon, and finish up at the volcano around sunset before returning to the airport to head back to Oahu.
Sat 3/11 - Anniversary day. We will start by getting up whenever we feel like it.. and being lazy by the pool. She doesn't know it but mid morning I will detour us to the spa for a couples massage and pampering. We will spend ample time in the spa area enjoying the hydrotherapy gardens as long as we can. Mid afternoon we will get primped up, and head into Waikiki for a Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Star of Honolulu. Surprising her with a vow renewal ceremony with the captain on the boat.
Sunday 3/12 - We will head back to Waikiki for Scuba in the early morning. I love to dive, but she's a beginner, so we will do the beginner class at 8AM and then dive around 11. We have no plans following this, so we will be free for the remainder of the day to explore wherever we feel we want to spend more time, or to go back to the resort and enjoy all that it has to offer.
Monday 3/13 - I have a recreational tour to go out swimming with the dolphins planned for her. She has always wanted to do this, and we've never had the chance. It's expected to be a highlight of her trip. When we return the plan is to stay near the resort and we have seating for Ka Wa'a that evening. We will do our best to savor every moment as tonight is our last night at the resort and we check out in the morning.
Tuesday 3/14 - We will wake, check out and put our luggage into our rental. We have a Pearl Harbor tour pickup at 8:30AM returning us to the hotel around 3PM. We will have a late lunch / early dinner at Ama'ama before we depart for the airport to head home around 6PM. Flight out is at 9PM.
We like to be on the go, so it's a little bit packed. What should I make sure we don't miss on our private tours since there's a lot of flexibility there. I want to leave no stone unturned! I like having options in case of inclement weather, etc. What have I missed? I'm looking for any possible feedback.
Background: This trip is to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, so I have gone well out of my way to try and make every day special. Every day has some planned activity and some leisure time to just do whatever comes naturally. We like to be on the go, and tend not to stay too close to the resort when we vacation, but I have ensured that we take the time to explore and enjoy the grounds at Aluani right away, as well as leaving additional room as we go. Maybe enough.. maybe not. We shall see!
We are DVC members, and we are staying at Aluani on points. We are booked for a Deluxe Poolside Studio, and I have noticed those only go up as high as the 5th floor. After reading here I have put in a room request for the highest floor possible, potentially in a room ending in 10. I am open to better suggestions or even other requests / notifications I should be making before we depart.
Wifey has been involved in planning, but there are several parts that I have keep quiet about because I love to surprise her with extras. It's very important to me that she has
We depart for LA on Monday March 6th where we will stay for 2 nights before moving on to Oahu.
Monday 3/6 - Land in LA mid afternoon, dive down by Disneyland and check into hotel. Dinner at the Chef's Counter at the Napa Rose at 8PM. We have friends in Berkeley that will be joining us.
Tuesday 3/7 - Disneyland / CA Adventure all day, topping it off with the desert party for World of Color.
Weds 3/8 - LAX to Honolulu. Pickup rental car and drive to Aluani. Check-in, explore the grounds, take a dip, a stroll on the beach, and watch the sunset. Ama'Ama for an 8PM Dinner to start things off right, a little stargazing afterwards (and photography) followed by a good nights sleep.
Thurs 3/9 - Private Circle Island tour of Oahu. Since we have a car available, but limited "free" time on this trip, we thought it would be best to get a good overview of the island. We hate the traditional tour buses, so I found a private guide who comes very highly recommended, albeit a smidge pricey. He will pick us up at 8AM and return us about 3:30PM. The plan is to hit the better spots that the buses might hit, but to linger where we find interest, and avoid the kitchy tourist traps and stops that we don't enjoy. the thought of course is this will give us a number of good ideas that we can attempt to re-visit if we find we have the time, and if we don't have the time, we maximize what we get to see! We have no plans after 3:30, so we may elect to drive somewhere, or just relax around the resort. I am pretty partial to trying to get down to the campfire for the stories, etc.. and likely some more stargazing, etc.
Firday 3/10 - We are both volcano enthusiasts, and we have pretty much decided if we are in Hawaii, this is a must do, so we've decided on a day trip to the big island, helicopter ride and trip up to Volcano National Park. Again, we hate buses, so I am booking the flights myself, grabbing a private tour guide, and having him pick us up after the helicopter tour. It's a smidge pricier than just buying the excursion, but well worth it to avoid the macadamia nut factory and things that just don't hold our interest. Plan is to hit the black sand beach, lava tubes, etc early in the afternoon, and finish up at the volcano around sunset before returning to the airport to head back to Oahu.
Sat 3/11 - Anniversary day. We will start by getting up whenever we feel like it.. and being lazy by the pool. She doesn't know it but mid morning I will detour us to the spa for a couples massage and pampering. We will spend ample time in the spa area enjoying the hydrotherapy gardens as long as we can. Mid afternoon we will get primped up, and head into Waikiki for a Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Star of Honolulu. Surprising her with a vow renewal ceremony with the captain on the boat.
Sunday 3/12 - We will head back to Waikiki for Scuba in the early morning. I love to dive, but she's a beginner, so we will do the beginner class at 8AM and then dive around 11. We have no plans following this, so we will be free for the remainder of the day to explore wherever we feel we want to spend more time, or to go back to the resort and enjoy all that it has to offer.
Monday 3/13 - I have a recreational tour to go out swimming with the dolphins planned for her. She has always wanted to do this, and we've never had the chance. It's expected to be a highlight of her trip. When we return the plan is to stay near the resort and we have seating for Ka Wa'a that evening. We will do our best to savor every moment as tonight is our last night at the resort and we check out in the morning.
Tuesday 3/14 - We will wake, check out and put our luggage into our rental. We have a Pearl Harbor tour pickup at 8:30AM returning us to the hotel around 3PM. We will have a late lunch / early dinner at Ama'ama before we depart for the airport to head home around 6PM. Flight out is at 9PM.
We like to be on the go, so it's a little bit packed. What should I make sure we don't miss on our private tours since there's a lot of flexibility there. I want to leave no stone unturned! I like having options in case of inclement weather, etc. What have I missed? I'm looking for any possible feedback.
