Aulani with my 2 Adult Sons

[OKW Lover]

For others headed to Pearl Harbor, it is recommended to go during low tide. We went during high tide. It is very moving and still worth it if the timing doesn't work for low tide.

Is low tide preferable to be able to see the Arizona more clearly?

 

[jimmymc]

Day 2

We all woke up pretty early due to the time difference. Our room reservation included breakfast. After quick breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and were on our way to Aulani.

Oahu has three major highways H1, which runs from Honolulu west towards Ko Olina, H2, which comes off H1 going towards the North Shore and H3 which goes over the mountains to the beautiful Windward side of the island. The Windward side is the way you expect Hawaii to look. It’s lush green with beautiful turquoise.

It took us about 40 minutes to get out to Aulani. The Ko Olina resort area is very pretty.
Aulani is the most beautiful resort or hotel on the entire island!
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From information I got for these great people of the Disboards I knew to request the Ewa Tower high floor. I book a two bedroom Island Garden Villa. I forgot to mention we went early in September, which is a fantastic time to go. The points dropped significantly from the summer, and the weather was great. It wind up being a little hotter than predicted almost every day was anywhere from 87 to 90° partly sunny, and always a breeze.

We arrived at the resort about 12 noon. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t ready, but the cast member that helped us told me that I was getting my request of the Ewa (pronounced Eva) Tower high floor. She assured me it would be worth the wait.
She also told me it would probably be ready closer to 4 o’clock.

I told my sons that morning to pack a bag with their bathing suits and whatever they need just in case the room wasn’t ready.

The car was valet parked with our luggage. So we didn’t have a lot of things to work around with us. We had in search of the adult only pool where we easily found a few lounge chairs in the shade and we got changed into our bathing suits.
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Adult pool.

We took advantage of the food and beverage service right to our chairs. Had a great lunch.
My son took a swim in the ocean and explored the lagoon area. I took advantage of the lazy river, the water was a little cool, and I also got in the adult for a little bit.
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By 3 o’clock we were getting anxious for our room. All of changed and I went to the front desk to check on the status. I can’t member came up and pulled me out a line when she heard what I needed. She pulled out an iPad and checked and said you should be getting a text within the next eight minutes. We started talking for a couple minutes and she said let me check again and there was room 1675. Our two bedroom Villa was low cave in the Ewa Tower on the top floor. I only booked an island Garden view, but we had a view of the ocean and the luau lawn. we couldn’t ask for anything more. We were thrilled!!
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You hit the jackpot for an island gardens view!

 

[cruisehopeful]

Awesome report. Did you ever wish that you were staying on a different part of the island (besides the first and last night)? I really love the vibe and convenience of staying at Hilton Hawaiin Village and my favorite part of the island is actually the north side where Turtle Bay Resort is. I feel like I'll stay at Aulani when we go to Hawaii again because I'll want to use my points, but that part of the island just feels so far away from everything else.

 

[bbn1122]

Awesome report. Did you ever wish that you were staying on a different part of the island (besides the first and last night)? I really love the vibe and convenience of staying at Hilton Hawaiin Village and my favorite part of the island is actually the north side where Turtle Bay Resort is. I feel like I'll stay at Aulani when we go to Hawaii again because I'll want to use my points, but that part of the island just feels so far away from everything else.

I was not really into Waikiki Beach, small crowded. I am not into city beach vibe.
But I am glad we got to see it.
I worked in NYC.

I wish the windward side had resorts.
Next time I will visit other islands too.

North Shore is nice but very removed from everything.
The Ko Olina area was only 35 to north shore and on Sunday only 30 minutes to Kanehoe.
I think it was 25-30 to Pearl Harbor.
I did think it was too far from anything.

Aloha

 

[bbn1122]

Is low tide preferable to be able to see the Arizona more clearly?

I do not think the tides have anything to do with the view.
It is far out in the water from the Pearl Harbor Memorial. I had to zoom in.
You can not take photos of it from the boat on the way out.

 

[bbn1122]

Day 5

Back to the Windward/East side.

Out plans were beach, lunch and Koko Crater Botanical Garden, which is inside the crater.
My son and want to climb the Koko Crater Trial!!! Google it! It’s a crazy climb!

We choose Kailua Beach Park do to parking and bathrooms.



The water was gorgeous. Beach busy with lots of families.
There were kayaks to rent. Lots of folks were kayaking out to an island off shore. You can see it in 3rd photo.

After the beach we headed into Kailua for lunch and stumbled upon “Teddy’s Bigger Burgers”. All I have to say is “Yummy”. Onion Ringers were amazing.

Next up KoKo Crater Botanical Garden. The drive there was beautiful.



This Botanical Garden was stunning. Since, my son wanted to climb the crater before it got dark, we only explored half of the gardens. This place was more impressive than the botanical gardens on Monday.

Continue….

 

[bbn1122]

Day 5 continued

The drive to Crater and Gardens was stunning. My other son and I took a drive to see some of the stunning views we passed on the way to get my older son to the Koko Crater Trail Head for him climb.
I have a few photos of what the Crater looks like from far away. I am also including photos off internet. He only took a few the climb was intense. He said folks were running it.
1050 steps of railway ties. 1.6 miles up and back. Should take most folks 1.25 minutes. He did it in about an hour.


It’s consider a difficult hike… really! I was so proud of him but he was wiped! It was a bout 5pm in the evening and it was still very hot out. No shade with this hike.

While he was climbing my other son and me went for a drive.







We drove back down the hill towards Waimanalo. Stopping at the overlook for the lighthouse and the blow hole. (Which was not blowing.
We visited this area on our last day on Oahu! I will included sunnier photos of this area later. These photos were take around 5:30pm.

 

[bbn1122]

Day 6

North Shore….

We were planning on going to the waterfall and botanical gardens at Waimea Valley, but honestly we were hike out!!! Especially, my older son.

So we decided to visit Hale’iwa. Do a little shopping and eat at some Food Trucks. Maybe take a drive up the coast and hit the Dole Plantation on the way back to
The resort.

And that what we did. I couldn’t believe how different the topography was on this side of the mountains. Beautiful farmland!!!
I did t take many photos. The town of Hale’iwa main road is lined with cute shops, small restaurants and parking areas with clusters of food trucks.

We took a drive slowly through the town and take in all that I had to offer. We noticed some of the stores and we’re at the food trucks were located. We drove up the Kamehameha highway a bit and stop at Waimea Bay to use restrooms and get a couple of photos of the beach.



We headed back into Hale’iwa and stopped at some food trucks.




My sons had Korean BBQ and I had shrimp tacos. Each food truck has there on patio area with tables.

We then visited a couple of shops and then head out of town to the Dole Plantation. The Dole Plantation has a lot to offer with maze and a train ride. We were just stopping there to visit their store which has fantastic and yummy treats. I loaded up on chocolates and macadamia shortbread plus we had some delicious Dole Whip!!!




I also bought beautiful hand made quilled gifts, pot holders, ornaments and a chain purse. Too cute!

I wish I would have scheduled this North Shore Visit earlier in the week. All of us were pretty pooped.

We had back and chilled the rest of the day at the resort.

 

[jedijill]

Enjoying your report! We just changed our plans around for February and are going to spend a week at Aulani. Getting lots of great ideas from your report!

Jill in CO

 

[evangelion]

Love Aulani! When we were there in July, a cast member told us that the infinity pool plays whale sounds. Can't wait to go back!

 

[bbn1122]

Correction on my days.
Day 1 Arrival Waikiki
Day 2 Aulani
Day 3 Windward/Ranch
Day 4 Temple/Botanical Gardens
Day 5 Chilling at Aulani
Day 6 Pearl Harbor
Day 7 Beach/Koko Crater
Day 8 North Shore
Day 9 Next - checking out of Aulani
Day 10 Waikiki Beach Departure Day

 

[bbn1122]

Day 9 - Leaving Aulani

I wish Aulani had late check out, but the resort is too popular. So we went at 11 AM.

We were heading back to Waikiki Beach and staying at the Marriott across from the beach.

When we first got to the island and we’re heading in and out of Waikiki Beach, we passed the famous Leonard’s Bakery. I told my sons when we come back to Waikiki after Aulani we definitely have to stop there. So we did.



As the sign reads, they have been making their Malasadas (donuts) from scratch and by hand since 1952. And they are made to order.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a doughnut this good. They were hot, fluffy and light. Simply delicious! we tried the traditional ones just with sugar on them, but there are many varieties. The bakery also has other items that you can purchase that are in the bakery cases.

After our delicious donuts we had over to the Marriott Waikiki Beach and checked in. We had a family suite with three beds and two bathrooms. It was perfect for three adults. Our room was ready when we got there.
I was hoping for a higher floor, but our view was pretty good.



We had a very nice lunch at the restaurant that was outside overlooking the beach, near the family pool.

We spent the rest of the day chilling. I went to the pool and got more sun. My one son went for a dip in the ocean. The other guy hit the gym and then the pool.

I booked her last nights dinner on OpenTable. I chose the Tiki Bar & Grill, which was right next-door. Our table was overlooking the beach, the menu was great, there was entertainment and our server fabulous. What a way to end our trip.

 

[bbn1122]

The Tiki Bar & Grill on 2nd floor next door.


Our hotel from restaurant.



One more sunset from Waikiki Beach! Aloha!

 

[bbn1122]

Day 10

Leaving Oahu, Hawai’i

I also tried to get a late check out from the Marriott. Our flight was not till 5:30pm. All I could get was an extra half hour.

We decided to head back over to the Koko Head area near Hawaii Kai for lunch and a scenic drive.

Lunch was not that great, but that’s OK.

We stopped at some of the places that we did the day before, because my son that Koko Crater did not get to take the views. Plus, it was midday and the sun was shining when we were there yesterday. It was almost 5 o’clock at night.





After a nice drive, we headed to the airport. All three of us were flying Delta one, so we had the sky lounge to hang out in.

We had a fantastic time on Oahu.

I personally don’t know when I will get able to get back. But if I do, I will definitely add in the island of Kauai and the big island of Hawaii.

Thanks for reading along. Mahalo!

 

[dizneedoll]

Great TR! Thank you for sharing

 

[wishiwasindisneyjen]

Really enjoyed reading about your trip, thank you for sharing.

 

[Disney got all my$$$]

Day 3
We head back out to the Windward Side of the island. We took H3 over to Kaneohe for the day. Or plans were to visit the Byodo-In Temple and Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens.

The Byodo-In Temple, located at the foot of the Ko’olau Mountains in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, welcomes people of all faiths to worship, meditate or simply appreciate its beauty and history as a non-practicing Buddhist temple. Built in 1963, the Byodo-In Temple is a Hawaii state landmark and one of the states’s best kept secrets.

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Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens-
Strolling or driving through these lush 400 acres in windward Oʻahu, you will truly agree that Hoʻomaluhia is rightfully named "a peaceful refuge." Opened in 1982, this garden in Kāneʻohe features plantings from major tropical regions around the world grouped geographically. Geographical regions represented by our botanical collections: Philippines, Malaysia, Tropical America, India & Sri Lanka, Melanesia, Hawaii, Polynesia, and Africa. The Garden was designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood protection for Kāneʻohe.

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The Windward side is spectacular. When you take H3, you will begin to see the mountains become very green and lush. You the go thru a tunnel thru the mountains and come out on the other side to see the ocean and mountain landscapes.

After these two stops we found our way to a local restaurant for lunch Kim Chee 1 (Korean dishes/Bbq). This was our favorite food of the whole trip. We had the plate lunch special. The below menu price is from 3 years ago, I copied of the internet. We paid $13.99 and it was the best deal on the island.
Service was super friendly. The food was delicious!!!
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This is all GREAT information, thank you so much! I'm planning a trip to Hawaii (Aulani) in 2027 and can't wait!

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Great trip report! We did a similar trip in April of 2023. We flew direct from Boston and stayed in Waikiki for two days and Aulani for 7. Like you, we rented a car and explored the entire island. It was incredible. We did many of the same things you did, but also some different things. It’s hard to go wrong in Hawaii!

 

[DVCfan7]

Day 5

This was Pearl Harbor Day. It happened to be Wednesday, September 11th.

I booked us a reservation for the boat out to the USS Arizona. It is only a $1.00 per person. If you do not purchase tickets you are then in a stand by line.

They advise you to be there an hour ahead of time. We got there about 45 minutes, which was not a problem.

You need to pay for parking ($7.00) ahead of time. I did it thru the website. They have signs reminding you to pay for parking. The post QR codes to do so. I am guessing they scan license plates every once in a while.

They are exhibits to view before you line up for your boat out to the Arizona. Every group is gather in a small theatre ahead of time. A Park Ranger reminds everyone how sacred is this sight. Also, that we are being take out by the Navy on a Naval vessel. No photography or cell phone use on the boat out to the memorial. A reminder for quiet and at memorial quiet conversations.

The memorial was as expected. The reverence and honor we felt to be there was palpable. We were only in the Arizona for about 10 minutes.
It was smaller than expected.

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There is a submarine museum and a submarine to visit but we did not visit this. I believe it was an exchange.

On our way back to Aulani, we stopped in the near by town of Kapolei and had lunch at a local Filipino/Hawaiian restaurant “Broke Da Mouth Grindz”. This place was fantastic. I learned of this place from YouTuber Sean too.
The original Broke Da Mouth Grindz is on the Big Island, was featured on Guy Frieri - “Drive-ins, Diners and Dives”
I learned that the term “broke da mouth” is a Hawaiian slang to express that the food is so good that you broke your mouth eating so much.
We enjoy their lunch plates. So, much to chooses from. They had homemade lemonades offered in different flavors in mason jars.
I choose for my side Purple potato salad with bacon…yummy.
This place is right near the Foodland.

Note: Most of Oahu’s small restaurants do not offer bathrooms. Not even if the have table service. Usually there is a public bathroom in the shopping plaza.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I'm wonder whether most of the tour attractions are on the other side of the island. Will it take close to an hour to go to Pearl Harbor?

 

[DVCfan7]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I'm wonder whether most of the tour attractions are on the other side of the island. Will it take close to an hour to go to Pearl Harbor?

Also, how far is the Polynesian Village fro Aulani?