Planning an Oahu Vacation

[WriteDisney]

So we're planning a vacation to Oahu for later this spring. We've figured out mostly everything except whether or not we'll rent a car. Most of the trip we just want to spend at the hotel, on the beach, and just relaxing.

But we have 2 or 3 days that we want to go see some of Oahu... North Shore, some of the beaches of Windward Oahu, Byodo in Temple possibly, Kualoa Ranch is a must, Diamondhead, and possibly Pearl Harbor (I wish there wasn't so much to see! ). I'm guessing that might be a little too much to try to do in two days.

Basically we can either decide to rent a car or take a tour. Theres pro's and cons on both sides. If we rent a car we'll have alot more independence, stop where we want, and go at our own pace. BUT, then we might end up getting lost and not sure how we'll pick up/drop off a car halfway through the trip (Hertz has a desk at the hotel but we'd want to go with the best price). It's also very pricy at our hotel to park, 24 bucks a day

A tour could be less stress, most pick you up right at the hotel, and it might be nice to have someone tell you what it is your looking at. No driving and getting lost. But we'd have to adhere to there schedule. Alot go to the Dole Plantation and we don't really want to do that. Plus they can get very expensive.

I'm just looking for others' experiences and opinions on the subject. Maybe it'll help us decide. It'll be just DFiance (then DH ) and myself.

Thanks DIS

ETA: If you have recommendations for us, please feel free to add. It'll be our first time there.

 

[simonsmom]

we just got back from a 2 week trip there. I say rent the car! that way you can stop at Giovanni's shrimp truck,Matsumotos' for shave ice, and various fruit stands,etc...If you can borrow a gps from someone and bring it with you

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well if we were going we would be renting a car because a lot of our time would be spent at Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, The Missouri, go on a submarine tour, etc.....

And then we would be checking out other stuff. I proabably would not be doing a lot of beach sitting if I was in HI.

If you are planning on doing a lot of relaxing, I would play it by ear really. Then you are not forced to sight see if you don't want to.

 

[jsmith]

Lots of the hotels have rental desks where you can rent a car just for a day-or two-that probably the best option. We ALWAYS rent a car-but even though the hotel we stay at has an awesome beach we need to be able to get around on a whim.

 

[WriteDisney]

Thanks for the replies so far!

Well if we were going we would be renting a car because a lot of our time would be spent at Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, The Missouri, go on a submarine tour, etc.....

And then we would be checking out other stuff. I proabably would not be doing a lot of beach sitting if I was in HI.

If you are planning on doing a lot of relaxing, I would play it by ear really. Then you are not forced to sight see if you don't want to.

Well like I said, part of the stay we'll be relaxing, part we want to do some sightseeing. There are tours that check out Pearl Harbor, but we didn't know if we wanted to do that or rent a car. We'll probably decide one or the other before we leave, because we'll want to get the best rates, tours, etc. We're not 100 percent on doing Pearl Harbor at all, but its certainly on our list, along with the other places too.

Thanks!

 

[Pakey]

The first time we went, we did not rent a car. The vacation was a gift from my boss and he told us we didn't need one. We did use the city bus system to get around in Honolulu and we did a couple of tours. We were actually able to see everything we wanted without having a rental car but we were tied to schedules (either city bus routes/schedules or tour schedules).

We've taken subsequent trips to other islands and have always rented a car. If we were to return to Oahu, we would rent a car there too. Not having the flexibility to go where we wanted when we wanted bothered us.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thanks for the replies so far!



Well like I said, part of the stay we'll be relaxing, part we want to do some sightseeing. There are tours that check out Pearl Harbor, but we didn't know if we wanted to do that or rent a car. We'll probably decide one or the other before we leave, because we'll want to get the best rates, tours, etc.

Thanks!

I prefer the freedom to good rates. So it is really up to your style of vacationing.

Have fun!!! One of these days I will get there.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Stop at the Concierge Desk at your hotel. Many of the tour trips offer shuttle services to them like the Polynesian Cultural Center (which has gotten to be pricey in the last few years)
The luau up at Paradise Cove is very good. They do a nice job and the price is fairly reasonable.

Don't worry about getting lost. Just get a good map or a GPS system and you will do fine.

There is a great whale and dolphin tour up in Ko Olina. Ask at your hotel if interested. They offer a shuttle service. A meal and a light snack and sodas are included. You also have the opportunity to go snorkelling where you will be able to get some great underwater pictures of all the colorful fish.
We saw a ton of dolphins and got some great pictures.

 

[mjkacmom]

Rent a moped to go to Diamond Head, and don't forget your water bottles (we did, and as soon as we got to the top, we had to head back down, because we were SO thirsty!

 

[Deb in IA]

We spent a week on Oahu last summer.

We rented a car, and it was great. It is not that hard to navigate the island, even in the city of Honolulu.

If you go to the North Shore, you may want to continue down the highway to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was definitely a highlight of our trip, and really gives you a sense of the history and culture of the island. Great evening show, too!

A word of caution - if you rent a car, beware that the parking lots at Pearl Harbor are a high break-in zone. Don't leave any valuables in sight, or leave them at your hotel.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Dole Plantation if you have kids(heck even without it is cute).

 

[WriteDisney]

Thanks for the replies! We'll take them into consideration, but I think renting a car looks better now. We might even go with Hertz after all (didn't realize they have a AAA discount).

It's going to be so hard to try and put a list together of what we want to see. Any tips? Or restaurant/food recommendations?

 

[CruiserMom]

If you like snorkeling, go to Hanauma Bay. It is a nature preserve; a bay made from an old volcano crater that has filled with water. It is an awesome place to snorkel right from the beach. There are tours that will pick you up at the hotel, and will include snorkel equipment.

Also, there are tours that will take you to Pearl Harbor, the Missouri, and includes a city tour that drives by several sites (Punchbowl Cemetary, Iolani Palace, etc).

We went in 2009, and rented a car for one day to drive to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Get a GPS (if you don't already have one and are bringing it to Hawaii), it made things so much easier in the crazy traffic and crowds of Honolulu.