With it being your very first visit and you are staying for only 9 days I would highly recommend you stay on Oahu and take it all in at leisurely pace.....loads to do!
Adding another island or two will eat up too much time packing/unpacking going to the airport, getting settled in another place, etc., etc..
If you want more info. feel free to pm me.
You're going to love it!
Thank you Kenji! I was considering a day trip possibly but looking at the time and things we want to do it'll be pushing things too much.
Watch your inbox though, you may have opened a can of worms!
With it being your very first visit and you are staying for only 9 days I would highly recommend you stay on Oahu and take it all in at leisurely pace.....loads to do!
Adding another island or two will eat up too much time packing/unpacking going to the airport, getting settled in another place, etc., etc..
If you want more info. feel free to pm me.
You're going to love it!
Thank you Kenji! I was considering a day trip possibly but looking at the time and things we want to do it'll be pushing things too much.
Watch your inbox though, you may have opened a can of worms!
My pleasure Conch!
Trust me, you and Mrs. Conch won't be disappointed and it will give you time to recharge your batteries before going back to your new business - congrats on that front! Even a day trip during the Christmas break (a busy time at any airport) would eat too much of your time.....Oahu has lots to offer in 9 days - savor it as the time will fly. I agree with Father Paddy's comment regarding the smell/feel when you arrive - heaven.....it never gets old for me.
Looking forward to the can of worms.....fire away!
Finally!!!! I can't wait to hear your observations and see your photos. Perhaps Golf can hook you up with "The Set Decorator". My only two comments would be if you are flying direct, try and upgrade to first or if available, business class, I was miserable both times I flew direct to Oahu, of course I am a strapping 6'2". Second, if you do go to a second Island expect to pay a lot more than you do on Oahu as your are normally stuck at a resort or resort area and have to pay whatever they decide to charge.............Oh, the anticiaption..............
Due to overwhelming response we will not be visiting any other islands.
You guys basically reinforced what Mrs. Conch felt, it would be compressing things too much.
With 7 "do something" days we're figuring on two days for Magnum Sightseeing, one day for Pearl Harbor, one day for rainforest/waterfall excursion and another day for a marine life thing leaving us two open days for beach RnR and the like. That's a pretty good balance.
It looks like Disney has a lot of excursions to choose from - https://aulaniexcursions.pleasantactivi ... s/#/Search
usually I trust Disney to incorporate the best of their surroundings, but if anyone can recommend tours they have been on I'd love the comparison.
Also, I wanted to see Henry Kapono at Dukes on Sunday, which would be New Year's Day. Is Dukes a must go or not worth it?
It also looks like I'll be due for a phone upgrade this spring, I'll have to get a Galaxy that can run Rubber Chicken's Guide. Nothing like a handheld Magnum Tour Guide.
HI Conch. I know I have only posted once since joining this awesome website, but I have been extremely busy in my every day life. Anyways, I used to live on Oahu for 4 years and Maui for 2. Like others have said if you only have 9 days, it would be best to just choose 1 island as there is so much to do on Oahu alone and you will understand what the locals mean by the term "island time". As a big Magnum fan myself, I can say to see all the sites from the show, you will need to rent a car (and to do things in general around the island unless you want to only stick around the resort). You will want to visit Waimanalo to see the estate. There is a park with a parking lot which is literally 1 condo away from the estate. So you can park in the parking lot and go down to the beach. If you walk to the right of the sea wall and around the corner you will see the tidal pool. It is really cool especially the 1st time you see it. Remember that all beaches in Hawaii are public including Waimanlo beach, unless it is on a military base so feel free to walk out to whichever beaches you like on the island. You will obviously want to go to Waikiki which is a zoo most of the time with tourists and tons of traffic, but there are a lot of good restaurants down there. I lived in Waikiki for a few years and would surf right in front of Dukes a lot (the break there is called Canoes). I used to frequent Dukes a couple times a month, the food is alright, but the scenery is great with Diamond head and of course the water. It is 1 of only like 2 or 3 bars on the beaches of Waikiki that I can think of. Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool. Waikiki is pretty cool as there are probably more Japanese tourists there than mainlanders so if you like different cultures you will experience that. A good steak reastuarant that I used to eat at in Waikiki is called Chucks Cellar. Kind of expensive, but probably IMO the best steak restaurant on the island. If you want a fun waterfall hike check out Manoa Falls. It is in the Manoa valley close to the University of Hawaii campus. They filmed a few episodes of Lost there and the hike isn't too bad about a mile there and a mile back. It gets kind of muddy though so bring some shoes that can be washed. If you like to snorkel there is always Hanama Bay. Cant remember which episode of MPI was filmed there (remember it was from the 1st season and Magnum was supposed to go on a date as a favor with a big local girl) but a scene was filmed there in the parking lot where MPI was shot at when standing by a wall over looking the bay. The snorkeling is good there. Sandy's beach is right past the blowhole (and close to Hanama Bay) and is an awesome beach to watch pro skim boarders at. Be careful if you go in the water there the shore break gets really big and is the reason why the good skim boarders go there. The north shore is a must. Haleiwa is a must with some good shops and restaurants. The world famous Matsomoto shave ice shop is there if you like that. The shark cage div is also there which I would recommend as someone else mentioned. Make sure to enjoy local plate lunches there and remember everything comes with 2 scoops of white rice and macaroni salad (it's a local thing). *Most important* The traffic on the freeways especially the H-1 get's really bad at rush hour. It used to take my wife an hour to drive to work going 8 miles. Try to drive during non rush hour times. It can get very stressful trust me. Have fun there is plenty to do there and see.
UHmanoa-guy wrote:HI Conch. I know I have only posted once since joining this awesome website, but I have been extremely busy in my every day life. Anyways, I used to live on Oahu for 4 years and Maui for 2. Like others have said if you only have 9 days, it would be best to just choose 1 island as there is so much to do on Oahu alone and you will understand what the locals mean by the term "island time". As a big Magnum fan myself, I can say to see all the sites from the show, you will need to rent a car (and to do things in general around the island unless you want to only stick around the resort). You will want to visit Waimanalo to see the estate. There is a park with a parking lot which is literally 1 condo away from the estate. So you can park in the parking lot and go down to the beach. If you walk to the right of the sea wall and around the corner you will see the tidal pool. It is really cool especially the 1st time you see it. Remember that all beaches in Hawaii are public including Waimanlo beach, unless it is on a military base so feel free to walk out to whichever beaches you like on the island. You will obviously want to go to Waikiki which is a zoo most of the time with tourists and tons of traffic, but there are a lot of good restaurants down there. I lived in Waikiki for a few years and would surf right in front of Dukes a lot (the break there is called Canoes). I used to frequent Dukes a couple times a month, the food is alright, but the scenery is great with Diamond head and of course the water. It is 1 of only like 2 or 3 bars on the beaches of Waikiki that I can think of. Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool. Waikiki is pretty cool as there are probably more Japanese tourists there than mainlanders so if you like different cultures you will experience that. A good steak reastuarant that I used to eat at in Waikiki is called Chucks Cellar. Kind of expensive, but probably IMO the best steak restaurant on the island. If you want a fun waterfall hike check out Manoa Falls. It is in the Manoa valley close to the University of Hawaii campus. They filmed a few episodes of Lost there and the hike isn't too bad about a mile there and a mile back. It gets kind of muddy though so bring some shoes that can be washed. If you like to snorkel there is always Hanama Bay. Cant remember which episode of MPI was filmed there (remember it was from the 1st season and Magnum was supposed to go on a date as a favor with a big local girl) but a scene was filmed there in the parking lot where MPI was shot at when standing by a wall over looking the bay. The snorkeling is good there. Sandy's beach is right past the blowhole (and close to Hanama Bay) and is an awesome beach to watch pro skim boarders at. Be careful if you go in the water there the shore break gets really big and is the reason why the good skim boarders go there. The north shore is a must. Haleiwa is a must with some good shops and restaurants. The world famous Matsomoto shave ice shop is there if you like that. The shark cage div is also there which I would recommend as someone else mentioned. Make sure to enjoy local plate lunches there and remember everything comes with 2 scoops of white rice and macaroni salad (it's a local thing). *Most important* The traffic on the freeways especially the H-1 get's really bad at rush hour. It used to take my wife an hour to drive to work going 8 miles. Try to drive during non rush hour times. It can get very stressful trust me. Have fun there is plenty to do there and see.
WOW!
Thanks for the detailed suggestions UHmanoa-guy! I'll be going through this in detail when putting together our itinerary.
What is considered rush hour in Hawaii? Is it the usual 9 - 5 or is it earlier because some people are trying to keep up with mainland businesses?
Rush hour is earlier than 9am and it depends on what route you are taking. Some routes are much better than others so rush hour isn't that bad, but others can get quite busy during peak times. Weekends are usually better and Christmas time should be a bit better too....you just have to plan out your day and do your best to avoid peak times and you'll be fine. I doubt you will be getting up a 5/5:30am to battle traffic on your holiday so no real worries. Enjoy your mornings at your resort and then head out just after rush hour. Again, picking the right routes depending on what you have planned for that day will help avoid some of the congestion. If there is an accident, then no planning will help. I've been there many times and only had a few issues, one being an accident......your on holidays so you can wait out the bad stuff.
I found the following info that should help understand how traffic generally flows on Oahu............
Traffic in Honolulu, and on Oahu in general (in particular the southern shore), is a persistent problem, and ranks among the worst in the nation. With almost one million people living in a relatively small space, and only a few main routes serving the major populated areas on the island, a single traffic incident has the potential to induce gridlock across the entire island. You are unlikely to encounter a traffic jam of that magnitude, but someone visiting Oahu and traveling during a weekday should be aware of traffic problems. Honolulu traffic during rush hour has been ranked among the worst in the nation.
Normal weekday rush hour in Honolulu is 5AM to 8AM going inbound and 3PM to 6:30PM going outbound. Expect heavy traffic on Interstates H-1 and H-2, Nimitz Highway/Ala Moana Boulevard, and the surface streets in downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. However, traffic congestion is the norm for most of the daylight hours, often crawling along at less than ten miles per hour on the freeway, and often congested near onramps and offramps on the surface streets. There is almost always a slow down during the day on the H-1 between the Likelike and Punahou exits, often in both directions. On the H-1 townbound, the interchange at Middle Street (H-1 & H-201), the Vineyard Boulevard and Ward Avenue onramps, and the H-1/H-2 Merge are some of the worst bottlenecks, especially during rush hour. The merge at Middle Street has been named the single most congested section of freeway in the United States. Traffic is less heavy during the summer and over the holidays when the University of Hawaii at Manoa is not in session. Maybe a unique thing about Honolulu is that while traffic congestion is high, drivers are generally courteous and will let you in front of them if you signal beforehand and wave after.
All in all though, driving on Oahu is pleasurable once you get off of the Interstates. Having a car on Oahu gives a visitor a chance to visit the whole island in just a few days. Once you get a little ways inland the traffic is not too bad and in the agricutural areas, there is little traffic.
UHmanoa-guy wrote:Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool.
And risk getting caught in the Molokai Express? No way!
UHmanoa-guy wrote:Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool.
And risk getting caught in the Molokai Express? No way!
Conch, you should also beware of The Kona Winds...
UHmanoa-guy wrote:Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool.
And risk getting caught in the Molokai Express? No way!
No worries Conch.....there's plenty of great viewing from land too.
Fr. Paddy McGuinness wrote:I envy that moment you step out of the aircraft and you smell & feel that Hawaiian air for the first time. Enjoy that moment because the first time is the best and you'll never experience anything like it again.
Hi Fr. Paddy,
My wife and I stayed in Lahaina for 3 weeks in 2007 for my 50th birthday. Your comment is so true ........... we both still recall the moment we stepped out of the aircraft ....... the scent was so sweet, exotic and almost disarming. A memory that will stay with us forever.
Like the rest of us MPI maniacs I know our brother CONCH will savour every moment of the whole experience.
By the way Happy St. Patrick's Day .
"Oh Jonathan !....oh Jonathan, come quickly ...... your hot cross buns are smoking".
Fr. Paddy McGuinness wrote:I envy that moment you step out of the aircraft and you smell & feel that Hawaiian air for the first time. Enjoy that moment because the first time is the best and you'll never experience anything like it again.
Hi Fr. Paddy,
My wife and I stayed in Lahaina for 3 weeks in 2007 for my 50th birthday. Your comment is so true ........... we both still recall the moment we stepped out of the aircraft ....... the scent was so sweet, exotic and almost disarming. A memory that will stay with us forever.
Like the rest of us MPI maniacs I know our brother CONCH will savour every moment of the whole experience.
By the way Happy St. Patrick's Day .
Howya Terry, from this displaced Galwegian, I hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day. I stayed in Lahaina for 9 days about 5 years ago. We rented a condo in a place called Lahaina Shores. It had a beautiful ocean view and we enjoyed breakfast on the lanai every morning. It wasn't the fanciest of places, but it was in the town and right on the water. Conch has so many great times and memories ahead of him. I hope he keeps us all up to date.
UHmanoa-guy wrote:Friday nights in Waikiki offer fire works on the beach that come from the Hilton. If you rent a surf board for a full day you should paddle out at night on Friday night to watch the fireworks. It is pretty cool.
And risk getting caught in the Molokai Express? No way!
Conch, you should also beware of The Kona Winds...
Peter.........Note the proper "Ultimate Magnum fan" Island attire.........Very short shorts and Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned below the nipple line. The heck with how embarrassed your wife may be....THIS IS A PILGRAMAGE!!!!
