How many days in Oahu & BI?

[aliciaflorrick]

My H and I are planning a Hawaii trip for October and are trying to narrow down how much time we should spend on each island. We will have 7 days in HI not including our flights to and from.

We were thinking 3 days in Oahu and 4 on BI. Does that sound reasonable?

[iheartmaui]

We spent a week in Oahu a few years ago and will be heading to BI this winter for 9 days. We spent a day at Pearl Harbor, one on the north shore for surfing lessons and visiting the shops in that area and then spent the rest of the days at various beaches so we got a mix of activities and rest. For Oahu it would depend on what you want to do exactly and for BI, you'd want to spend those days on one side of the island. We are doing 3 nights on the west side and 5 on the east side. If you lurk on trip advisor that's not nearly enough but that's what we have

[aliciaflorrick]

Apr 14, 2015 13:22:33 GMT -5 iheartmaui said:

We spent a week in Oahu a few years ago and will be heading to BI this winter for 9 days. We spent a day at Pearl Harbor, one on the north shore for surfing lessons and visiting the shops in that area and then spent the rest of the days at various beaches so we got a mix of activities and rest. For Oahu it would depend on what you want to do exactly and for BI, you'd want to spend those days on one side of the island. We are doing 3 nights on the west side and 5 on the east side. If you lurk on trip advisor that's not nearly enough but that's what we have

Thanks for your input! I do have concerns about not seeing everything we would like but we would love to see as much as possible during our time.

For Oahu we definitely want to do Pearl Harbor and North Shore.

On the BI we want to see an active volcano, snorkel, do a luau and a hike to a waterfall.

I am sure there is plenty I am missing on my list.

[msturtle143]

We just got back from BI and Oahu.
We spent 8 nights on the BI, 4 nights on the Hilo side (good base for VNP and Akaka, Rainbow Falls).
We had a 3.5 year old with us so we didn't do a lot of extrenuous hiking.
4 nights on the Kona side to enjoy the great beaches.

Then we spent 6 days in Oahu. 3 nights in Aulani and 3 in Waikiki. NOT a fan of Waikiki beach at all or traffic around there. Too crowded, touristy. Just didn't have an "island" feel. DH and I agreed that's the first and last time we're staying near Waikiki beach.
Aulani was sooooo crowded. Accommodation was great/clean but even their ginormous/numerous pool area can get crowded. The character breakfast was fun, not so for a 3.5 year old apparently, but that's about it. Way too crowded for me and DH.

Next year, if we decide to go to Oahu at all, definitely staying in the Kailua area.
I recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center. Yes, a tourist attraction but the shows were entertaining. We were there from 11am to 9pm! Good luau and shows.
We didn't do the Pearl Harbor. We go to the Hawaii every year and plan to visit PH when DD is a little older.

[Susie]

Apr 14, 2015 13:53:48 GMT -5 aliciaflorrick said:

Thanks for your input! I do have concerns about not seeing everything we would like but we would love to see as much as possible during our time.

For Oahu we definitely want to do Pearl Harbor and North Shore.

On the BI we want to see an active volcano, snorkel, do a luau and a hike to a waterfall.

I am sure there is plenty I am missing on my list.

We were there in January, and the only place lava was actively flowing was on private land.  A helicopter tour was the only way to see it.  

We did the helicopter tour, and it was cool, but I was glad it wasn't the only reason I specifically wanted to visit the BI.  It was not the spectacular "lava pouring and steaming into the ocean" that you see photos of.  It was this:




^See the one finger of red hot lava in the lower right?

Since you can snorkel, go to a luau, and hike to a water fall on other islands, I would consider long and hard whether traveling island to island is really worth it.  It eats up a good chunk of a precious vacation day, between returning the rental car, flying over, picking up a new car, getting settled in your new digs, etc.  We did 6 nights on BI and 7 nights on Kauai in January, and I wouldn't have done an island hop on a trip much shorter.  I'd just have picked a single island (Maui?) that had more of the different activities that we wanted to do.

[aliciaflorrick]

Susie Thank you so much for the info on the lack of lava. That may impact our decision to go there. My H is pretty set on seeing Pearl Harbor but I am not sure I would like to spend all our time on Oahu. Looks like I need to do a bit more research.

[wineenthusiast]

I am going in October and just want to let you know Ironman is going to be on BI 10-10 and from what I've read the island will probably be very crowded and possibly over-booked the week prior and after. Not sure if either of those weeks were when you plan to be there but just something to think about. Of course this runs into my trip but I already have my air/hotel/car. I plan to book any excursions well in advance and have been thinking about if I need to make dinner reservations ahead of time as well.

I think your itinerary sounds reasonable but I don't mind traveling within a vacation, especially for Hawaii. We are moving around quite a bit... BI: 3 nights on Kona side, 1 night on Hilo side, 6 nights on Kauai, 2 nights on Oahu. I personally would've skipped Oahu but my H insists if we go to HI, he must do Pearl Harbor. We aren't renting a car for the duration here though. We arrive early am and will take a cab to our hotel and spend the day in Waikiki. Then my H will wake up and walk to get a rental car on day 2 for us to get to PH and the north shore an we will return it that evening. On day 3 we will hike Diamond Head and hang at the beach/pool before our evening flight home.

[aliciaflorrick]

wineenthusiast Thank you for all the info. Our dates actually do coincide so that may present a problem as well. So many things to consider. I think H and I need to do a pro/con list for each island and just get it booked.

[Susie]

Ooh, yeah, I didn't even think about Ironman World Championships when you said October. Duh! My coach from last year qualified for Kona in September 2014 (for October 2015) at IM Wisconsin, and the very first thing she did was book the condo. Even if you were willing to spend $$$$ for those dates, you might not be able to get near Kona in 10/2015 at this point. If you can, it'll be outrageously pricey. The crowds will also be intense; Kona's not a big town. If you're a huge Ironman fan it'd be amazing, but otherwise? Terrible time to be trying to fight for reservations at every turn.

[wineenthusiast]

Apr 24, 2015 11:54:45 GMT -5 aliciaflorrick said:

wineenthusiast Thank you for all the info. Our dates actually do coincide so that may present a problem as well. So many things to consider. I think H and I need to do a pro/con list for each island and just get it booked.

Book it soon!!!  I've been watching United Vacations prices religiously since about Jan and the rates are still pretty good for Oct.  Airfare has gone up on United's site about $60pp R/T since then but if you book air/hotel package thru UV the price is pretty close to the same as they were in Jan.  I used it to book all my inter island air as well and it basically saved me about $100 than if I priced it separate.  Their site was a little tricky to use at first with multi-destination options I needed but they had the best rates I'd found.  I ended up calling to book over the phone to make sure I was getting every promo possible and the agent was able to save me like $40 more than I found online.

The Ironman wasn't enough to deter me from going there.  I may regret it but I hope not!  I was torn between BI and Maui but ultimately decided I'd much rather see BI since we are also doing Kauai, which will probably be really low key.

[nahoku]

aliciaflorrick  I'm one of the few people, it seems, who really love Oahu. But I'm a bit biased - I was born there and visited many times growing up. Yes, Waikiki is touristy and busy but it is also full of great restaurants within walking distance, good people watching (on the beach or just walking around), and things to do - you can surf, boogie board, go on a catamaran ride, all right there at Waikiki Beach. Of course, you can do all those things at other beaches/islands, but just putting it out there. I've been to Maui once and it was beautiful. I think I'd appreciate it now more, with my husband, than I did as a 21 year old with my parents.

I just got back on Saturday from a 9 night trip on Oahu and I still didn't do every thing that was on my list. And we only visited Waikiki Beach 3-4 times - and they were some of our funnest times - even though our hotel was in Waikiki. It was nice to have as a home base (we were with our two kids, so it was convenient to get them home after dinner at a reasonable time). We had a rental car and explored different areas of the island. If you end up on Oahu for all 7 days and are looking for ways to fill up your days, let me know It's more than just Waikiki!

My mom and I did a day trip to Molokai from Oahu and that was so much fun - if you guys are interested in history, Kalaupapa is a National Historical Park and it is where people with Hansen's Disease (leprosy) were sent.

I'd love to do a trip to the Big Island. If I had my wish, I'd do a week on BI and a week on Oahu. My parents are spending the winter in Honolulu this year and are in their last couple of weeks there and are doing a quick 2 night stay on the BI b/c the volcano is so active right now.

[aliciaflorrick]

nahoku That sounds like a great trip. Thank you so much for the info. I think we have settled on 3 full days in Oahu and 4 on the BI. I am really looking forward to Oahu. I don't mind some traffic and we definitely want to explore the island beyond Waikiki.

If you have any restaurant recs I would love to hear that as well. Thanks!

[nahoku]

Apr 29, 2015 21:16:28 GMT -5 aliciaflorrick said:

nahoku That sounds like a great trip. Thank you so much for the info. I think we have settled on 3 full days in Oahu and 4 on the BI. I am really looking forward to Oahu. I don't mind some traffic and we definitely want to explore the island beyond Waikiki.

If you have any restaurant recs I would love to hear that as well. Thanks!

You're welcome!  

I would definitely rent a car, for at least one day.  Then you can drive around the island at your pace, find places you want to stop, etc.  The Bus is pretty good for getting around, too.  
Beaches to visit, other than Waikiki - 
Kailua/Lanikai - Kailua is like a dream beach. It's on the windward side so there are lots of kite surfers out and about to watch. Nice white sand beaches.  We didn't get to visit the Lanikai beach while we were there, but that's supposed to be nice, too.

Hanauma Bay - if you like snorkeling and don't mind crowds.  It's very busy there - if you drive, plan to arrive before 9am if you want a parking spot in the lot.  Like I said, busy (and you have to watch a short film before you enter), but the walk down to the beach is so pretty and there are still plenty of fish to see.

Sandy Beach - also windward. Big waves.  Not a good beach to swim at, but it's good for watching surfers, body/boogie boarders.

Shark's Cove - north shore.  Lots of tide pools.  Bring water shoes - we saw lots of sea urchins - and snorkel gear.  We saw plenty of fish just standing in one spot, but it would have been fun to explore more.  In the more open part of the water, people were saying there were turtles.

Waimea Bay - on the north shore.  There's a big volcanic rock people jump off.  Not me I haven't been there in a long time but we went by it a couple times this trip and it still looked nice.

Restaurants-
Duke's Waikiki - if you're there on a Sunday afternoon, catching Henry Kapono's live music and dancing is kind of fun.  The people watching is really excellent, lol.  Some of the people get really into it.  The food there is nothing special, typical bar food.  But it's right on the beach and can be a fun atmosphere.

Koko Head Cafe - all day brunch. It was realllly good.  Their pancakes especially.

MW Restaurant - we had our anniversary dinner there.  We did the tasting menu and it was excellent. They took good care of us - special anniversary message on our menu and dessert, etc.

The Pig and the Lady - Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown.  Delicious food, trendy place.

Max's of Manila - Filipino chain restaurant.  The one we went to was in a strip mall. Not much for ambience, but we liked it - the lumpia and garlic rice especially.  The kids ate best here, they loved it. They're known for their fried chicken. My dad's Filipino and my son's name is Max, so we had to go

Side Street Inn - "Hawaiian comfort food" - yes.  We got the fried rice and Korean ribs. Delicious and huge portions.  It's family style - they'll help you determine how much to order.  Two locations, we opted for the original.  

Uncle Bo's Pupu Bar and Grill - their dynamite shrimp was tasty. We went for the pizza and got the pepperoni (nothing special) and the boca rota (very good, but very rich!).  From the outside, I didn't realize how trendy it was inside.

Giovanni's Shrimp Truck - north shore.  Get the shrimp scampi.  Romy's also has good reviews.

Matsumoto - north shore shave ice. A great treat in a cute, surfer town, Hale'iwa.

Hula Dog - also in north shore, Hale'iwa.  We got the taro bacon buns and I had mine with coconut curry (they had all kinds - banana, guava, papaya, etc) and spicy garlic lemon sauce (you can also get mild or hot and hotter). They were really good!

As you can see, I could eat my way through the island  Still working off the weight I gained there! If you have any other questions, let me know!

[nahoku]

Oh and Arnold's Beach Bar in Waikiki was a lot of fun.

And, if you're interested in boogie boarding, try looking at their Goodwill locations. My mom bought some before we got there for $5 each - they cost $30+ new at ABC Stores.

[aliciaflorrick]

nahoku That is such good info. Thanks for taking the time to type all that up!

[mdgirl]

I was on the BI last year right before Iron Man and if you're able to I would avoid being there the day of the actual race. They shut down a lot of roads and I think it would be a pain to deal with as a tourist.

[dapotato]

like nahoku, i LOVE oahu, as does mh. we did 7 nights there several years ago and found plenty to do there. luckily, i blogged it in detail so have a ton of recs if you want to read my novels. it is a bit outdated (blog entries are from our october 2011 trip).
intro post/overall intinerary
day 1
day 2
day 3
day 4
day 5
day 6
day 7

the only other island we've been to is maui, and we didn't like it nearly as much. i still haven't found the exact words, but i feel like the culture is a bit more watered down in maui--even though we went off the beaten path a bit, even though less crowded than maui, it just felt very geared toward tourism & families (not a bad thing in & of itself, but we don't have kids & aren't about sitting at a resort all day). also the food was not nearly as good and a lot more expensive, in our experience, than oahu (food is a biggie for us when we travel).

we loved the diversity of things to do, see, and eat in oahu. we actually liked being in waikiki because it's walkable & you can find stuff to do in the evenings/at night without having to drive. you can definitely find local flavor and culture even on waikiki. we did rent a car when on oahu since we were there for a full week, & mh wanted to surf/lug a decent board around. but we also live near LA and are used to bad traffic so didn't think driving there was that bad. anyway, plenty of info on the blog so will shut up now!

eta: tagging aliciaflorrick

[aliciaflorrick]

dapotato Awesome info, thank you! I am going to read your posts this week.

[nahoku]

dapotato, great blog posts! You hit some places that were on our list but didn't get to (Ono hawaiian and ono seafood, marukame). Always more to do, see and eat on Oahu!

[Deleted]

As someone who (foolishly) did three Hawaiian islands in two weeks I am also going to chime in with how much I loved Oahu and a vote to consider staying on one island. I mean, Hawaii is awesome and there's SO much to see and do but I think planning got me a little crazy and I overplanned. We had almost no down time and traveling interisland is easy(ish) but you still need to pack up your stuff, go to the airport, check into a new place, etc.

If I were to spend a week in Oahu again I would do an entire day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was really cool. We also somehow missed the memo that you need to be the very first person on line to get to see the USS Arizona so I would book a tour for that or figure out how to actually see it. We went on the Missouri but we didn't get the full Pearl Harbor experience. We did a day long Lost Tour and it was awesome! Granted this was 5 years ago so the show was still in the forefront of our minds but I think even non-Lost obsessed fans would enjoy seeing a tour of the sights.

I would also have a relaxing beach day the day of your planned luau - and do a good one. We did a hotel one that was sort of lame.