I Need Your Hawaii Travel Advice!

[Little Garwood]

My wife and I would like to travel to Hawaii in the near future and of course we'd have a Magnum, P.I./Five-O emphasis. Let this thread be refulgent with your travel tips in terms of where to go and how/when and with saving a dime in mind. Which island? What time of year? How are the people? The traffic? The prices? I'll be doing my own homework, but I'm also quite interested in everyone else's views on this topic.

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[rubber chicken]

I can't speak from personal travel experience, but if you're interested in buying a travel book I'd highly recommend Oahu Revealed. I've never been to Hawaii myself, but the book is put together very well, and I greatly enjoyed reading it from front to back. As far as actually using the book while on the island, the reviews at amazon are overwhelmingly positive. There's also Revealed books for the other major Hawaiian islands, should you choose to visit one of those.

Enjoy your trip!

[Doc Ibold]

I'm VERY partial to Maui. If you rent a condo and are staying for like a week or two, go to Costco. You will save amazing amounts of money, as groceries are very expesive on the island.

[northshore]

If you want a Magnum / Hawaii Five-0 experience you pretty much have to stay on Oahu... but Waikiki is just too slammed with tourists, we stay at Turtle Bay, which is expensive but away from downtown traffic and whatnot. You have to swim over to the Robin's Nest for sure! See this site for directions on this and many other locations if you haven't already.

[Steve]

I have been to Oahu twice and Maui once and call me crazy (my wife certainly does) but I like Oahu better than Maui. Maui is gorgeous, the Resorts and Hotels are incredible but, it's just just too laid back for my taste. Oahu while "touristy" and city like, you at least can save money due to it being a city. If you don't want to spend $40.00 for breakfast at your Hotel, you can find the local Denny's. You can rent a car and drive to some more isolated spots away from the tourists..and....and this is a big and.......visit Robins Nest and other filming locations thanks to the wonderful Rubber Chicken guide........Just one man's opinion...........

[StarchedUndershirts]

I went to Oahu for the first time last winter. I didn't do too much of the Magnum/5-0 things since it was a family trip and we wanted to do/see as much as possible.

One thing I highly recommend is hiking Diamond Head. Go early before it gets too hot and skip breakfast until after the hike. It takes about an hour and a half to go up and down the volcano. AWESOME VIEW OF WAIKIKI!

If you don't mind spending a few extra $$, take a cab instead of TheBus (Hawaii's public bus. It's Slooooooooooooooow).

If you (or anyone going with you) is in the military, there's a military resort hotel called the Hale Koa in Oahu. I didn't stay there, but my grandfather did and they have great food/service.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll post more later.

[robspace54]

We'e been to Oahu twice, and Maui, Kauai and Hawaii once each in 3 trips (1983, 1985, and 2009).

Volacanoes National Park on the Big Island is awesome, Maui is beautiful, Kauai has the canyon, and Oahu everything else. Remember that the state is extremely rural - and if you only see Waikiki you are missing most of the experience. Rent a car and drive around some islands, especially the North Shore of Oahu. See how most of the one million residents live.

For Oahu: go to Pearl Harbor (the USS Bowfin and the USS Arizona memorial), snorkel at Hanauma Bay Park, go to the Pele Overlook, spend the day at Kailua Beach Park on the East Shore, hike the trail to the top of Diamond Head, drive past a certain 'compound' at 41-505 Kalanianaole Hwy Waimanalo, HI 96795, go to Waimea Park, eat shave ice... Need I say more! And have a mai-tai for me, please.

Rob

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[Jaybird]

Ok, been there at least once a year forever. If you want an MPI experience I would suggest staying in Lanikai or Kailua, just a short, 20 minute drive from the airport. There are no hotels. You'll have to rent an apartment or stay at a B&B. Lanikai is sort of an exclusive area of Kailua. Both beaches are rated as the finest (or a couple of the finest) in the Islands. The road to Waikiki, past Diamond Head, goes right through Waimanolo and at the end of the Waimanolo Beach Park, just around a point is Robin's Nest. Continue down the road and you'll have a veritable feast with all the sites from the show, TC's hanger (now a research lab) and much more. Going into Waikiki this way you go by Kaipiolani Park.
The town of Kailua is very nice, not at all touristy, (no hotels) no tour busses full of strange people hiding behind cameras taking pics of everything in sight. It is upscale and has tons of great restaurants.
Head in the other direction and you'll continue on the windward side and come to the North Shore in about 1 1/2 hours of easy driving.
Here is where we stayed last time:
http://www.ahawaiibnb.com/
The two less expensive units are smallish but very clean and tidy. You have a short walk to Lanikai Beach. The owner lives on site in the house so she makes sure you have a nice time.
If you stay in Waikiki and if you want cheap but nice with an unbeatable location:
http://www.parkshorewaikiki.com/
Stayed there after the Molokai Hoe race in 08 and 09. Fun restaurant there right at the hotel above Starbucks
http://www.luluswaikiki.com/
Place you have to dine...best authentic Hawaiian food on the island.
Ono Hawaiian Foods, 726 Kapahulu Ave. 11am to 8 pm Mon thru Sat. this is 7 blocks up from the Parkshore. Get there early. Small and a line forms...for good reason.
If you like getting off the beaten track, get this book:
http://www.taotep.com/AdvHI.html

I lived there in the late 50s and early 60s and, like I said, visit often and have for decades and with the information age upon us I have links to virtually everything.

For a MPI orientated trip.....Kailua and Lanikai and you'll be set. Go to Twogood's Kayaks in Kailua and rent kayaks for the week along with a portable rack. You can keep the kayaks in the carport at the B&B but you'll be able to paddle from Waimanolo Beach Park right into the tidal pool very easily. Plus, Kailua is just a great place for paddling. Go out the the Mokes, those two little islands and you'll see dozens of sea turtles along the way.

[Styles Bitchley]

[Jaybird]

Phew...I'll add some stuff. The windward side gets the most rain. However, that is what makes it green and lush. Summer and early fall are good bets. If you can round up a few couples you might consider renting a home for a week. As with everything, you get what you pay for. If you entertain swimming in the ocean, the windward side gets the least surf and the north shore....well, unless you are a good swimmer or surfer, it can be dangerous. The north shore has a totally different vibe. I'd say, you can smell the testosterone in the air. It is the place all the really good surfers go.
Here is a place on Lanikai Beach. We enjoyed the fantasy of living here while lounging on the beach right at the doorstep.

http://www.trinityproperties.com/Property_Vacation/169_Sunrise_Retreat.php

When passing through Waimanolo, shop here...high quality stuff with excellent pricing.
http://www.doublepawswear.com/
Waimanolo is a laid back, local kind of town. You have to have lived here to understand. I lived in Waipahu, same type of town. Mo'bettah is you are local. TC's hanger is just the other side of here and the pier is a spot for fishing, these days.
Here is Twogood Kayaks place.
http://www.twogoodkayaks.com/MainPage.html
Click on "custom built surfskis" for some pics taken on Kailua Beach.
Another good site that details all the beaches:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/beaches/default.htm