Jan 2015 Hawaii Trip

My wife and I will be going to Hawaii for 10 days next Jan for our 30th anniversary. This will be our 1st trip to the islands. We'll be staying the first 3 nights at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, then we'll be boarding an NCL 7 day island cruise. I just thought I'd post our tentative plans so far to see if we could get some input from anyone who might have done some of this stuff. Pros, cons, suggestions, etc. We're not planning on renting a car at all while we're there, just our personal preference. So all of these activities will either be reached by cab or pickup/dropoff with the tour group we book. Thanks!

Arrive Honolulu Wed afternoon.

Wedding vow renewal Thurs morning on the beach at Outrigger, then Pearl Harbor / City tour with Gray Line. Then try to find a luau close to the hotel for Thurs night.

Fri - All day Kualoa Ranch tour


Sat - board NCL ship Saturday afternoon for 7pm sailing

Sun/Mon docked at Kahului (Maui) - Shoreexcursionsgroup.com has a package where you can pick 3 shore excursions at 3 different ports so we're thinking about doing that. Our first one would be Road to Hana on Sun. Mon we would like to do the Haleakala Crater hike with hikemaui.com. On their website it says the trip and hike take 7 hours but it doesn't say what time we leave and get back. The ship departs at 6pm so if they won't have us back by 5ish we may have to change this. Will get more info when we book in Oct.

Tues docked at Hilo (Hawaii) - will do the 2nd of our 3 port package - Volcanoes NP / Rainbow Falls

Wed docked at Kona (Hawaii) - thinking about just a day at the beach right now, could change though

Thu/Fri docked at Nawiliwili (Kauai) - will do the 3rd of our 3 port package on Thurs - Waimea Canyon SP. Fri - ship leaves at 2pm to sail around Na Pali Coast so probably will just hang around at the pier area until then.

Sat - back to Honolulu.

Any thoughts from anyone about all this? We're open to suggestions. Thanks!

I don't know SQUAT about Hawaii, but I'm not sure I would plan the wedding vow renewal for your first morning, considering the possibility of delayed air, plus jet lag, etc., etc. Is that date your actual 30th anniversary??? If not, I might do it a different date. Cruise lines really know how to do those kinds of things. I might have a tendency to do that aboard ship, as you will not be having anyone else who needs to attend anyway. OR plan it yourself for one of your days aboard ship. You will be more relaxed, doing it later on.

Yeah, we thought about those possibilities too. The reason we settled on our 1st day there is because it's "free" at Outrigger and the only day they do it while we're there is Thursday, our 1st full day. It sounds like it's just a very simple ceremony on the beach with a photographer who's later going to sell us photos (that's ok, we only have a 30th once), which is what we're looking for: simple. The date of our anniversary actually falls on the Monday that we'll be docked in Maui. NCL charges $600 for their basic vow renewal package and it's a little too elaborate for our needs. If something was to come up to keep us from doing the one at Outrigger we'd probably start looking at options on Maui and do it there.

OK, I understand the issues. I still might think about just doing something on Maui on my own.

LOL! $600 to "renew" a vow, which really doesn't have an expiration date?! I'm with Carol. In Maui, drink some champagne and call it good for 30 more years!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations on the 30th!!

Thanks! Probably could get a nice bottle for $600. You think? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />R King,

We spent one of our more significant anniversaries in Hawaii and we enjoyed the same hotel for the first three nights of our ten day on island trip, though we didn't do a vow renewal......

There are two things I would suggest you think about if your plans have any room for minor changes.........

Oahu hosts a lot of incredible sights to see and things to do, and the Arizona tour can take the better part of a day all by itself, but it is an incredibly moving way to spend the time. And then there's Diamond Head, the Punchbowl and so very much more, not to mention time on the North Shore. We stayed the remaining week of our trip at Turtle Bay and it was wonderful. We rented a car for the whole trip which was one of our mistakes since it was more of a nuisance in Honolulu than it was an asset, but it sure was nice driving around outside the city with the top down and feeling like two teen-angers again.... (Or maybe twenty-something's??).

And one other Oahu activity we thought was wonderful was our day trip to the Hawaiian Cultural Center. Our TA threw it in for us as a gimme, and once there and in speaking to a few people who lived and worked on the island, we up-graded our free tickets to the private guided tour and we were so very glad we did. The up-grade included a luau dinner and reserved space and seating for the big show and so many other things. We felt it was one of the best things we did while there.

Let me also add, we spent ten days on just Oahu - no cruise or other island explorations - and we left feeling we would probably like another ten days to repeat some of the things we already did and to squeeze in all the things we missed.

Btw, congratulations on your up-coming anniversary, and I'm sure Hawaii will be a wonderful place to celebrate the occasion. We did our 40th there and are seriously considering a return to it for our 50th, the only drawback being the length of the flight from the East Coast. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Pat - Thanks for your suggestions. We haven't really looked into the Cultural Center so maybe we'll have to check that out. We really want to do the Kualoa Ranch Tour so we'll probably stick with that on Friday. What is there to do at the Arizona that would take all day?

Like you said, no matter what we do there are so many things to see there's no way we'll be able to do it all in the short time we're there.

Thanks!

It's very possible we spent more time at the Arizona Memorial than most might - parents served in WWII, both Army and Navy - and we had promises to fulfill. Plus the lines were incredible when we were there, or at least they seemed that way to us. By the time we viewed the preamble presentation and then made it out to the actual Arizona Memorial, we were in no big hurry to rush through it all, and then of course, we spent some time on the Missouri just trying to absorb it, along with the submarine presentation. It was all interesting and worth the time, IMO.

The cultural center tickets, as I indicated earlier, were originally a gimme from our TA but after speaking with folks we met in our travels, they recommended the upgrade and we were really glad we did it. Truthfully, I could have passed on the luau portion though I did discover that Poi must be something you need to aquire a taste for, but the actual tour was very enlightening and the private 'family' group allowed us entry to things we might otherwise have missed, along with very good seating at the show. We learned things about the Pacific islands we'd never heard or seen before and it really was very interesting and informative to us, the music was wonderful and some of the presentations were also very funny. I'm thinking if we went back, I'd probably enjoy doing it for the second time, too.

So little time and so very much to see.

One thing that was very surprising to me, and remember, we only toured Oahu this trip, was that we felt the Caribbean beaches of St. Maarten/St. Martin and Anguilla were far superior to all those we found on Oahu. Friends of ours who've stayed on a few of the other islands felt the same way but on another note, all the beaches we explored offered ample parking and restroom facilities which was a big plus.

And again, sincere congrats on your up-coming 30th! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

I agree there's so much to see and do. We've already caught ourselves saying "next time" and we haven't even gone the 1st time yet!

We're not really looking at this as a "let's go hang out at the beach" vacation. We've been to the Caribbean several times and I'm not really expecting the beaches in Hawaii to beat what we've experienced there. We're still pretty active in our mid 50s so we wanted to get in some hiking and horseback riding, and see lots of the beautiful scenery.

Thank you for the congrats on our 30th!

You should try to plan on getting to USS Arizona first thing and then most likely it will take a solid 4 hours +/-, depending on how detailed you are being, including boat trip out to memorial. Nice view of Diamond Head from Outrigger also.

I agree with the others that there is lots to do on Oahu, the Arlington of the Pacific (Punch Bowl), Pali Lookout, North Shore, hike up Diamond Head and a ton of other stuff but unless you are planning on a car you best stick to your plan.

The volcano hike looks cool, we did sunrise at the volcano but had to leave around 2:00AM for the 3 hour drive to the top of the volcano viewing area with sunrise around 5:30 or so. Incredible view and incredibly cold.
Best contact the tour service for the times though, most of it will no doubt be travel to/from.

We spent 10 land based days with 3 on Oahu, 2 Molakai, 4 Maui (or something like that).

Beadguy - Thanks for your suggestions. Pali Lookout looks like something we'd like to do. And maybe going to see the north shore. Now you've got me re-thinking about whether to rent a car. It would be nice to do things on our schedule vs the tour company's, but then I've heard things about how bad the traffic is.....we'll have to think it over. Thanks again!

On your vow renewal, We have found that when we arrive in Hawaii every time, we are up really early the first day. We always make ourselves stay awake until at least 10 PM and even I am ready for our walk around 5:30-6 AM the first full morning. Gene's awake around 3 and already has had quite a few cups of coffee. Lots of walkers real early also. Congrats! Our 44th this year and don't know where to celebrate.

Raking,

The only thing I did not like about our days at the Outrigger was dealing with the Honolulu traffic.....we ended up taking a few city taxi tours for a some of the in-city things on our list rather than drive.

The one day we decided to head out for the North Shore to familiarize ourselves with where we were staying for the majority of our trip and to take a look at Turtle Bay in advance of arrival we got stuck in a traffic jam that took hours to clear and not knowing the roads we were somewhat skeptical of getting off the highway at the only chance we had. It was so bad and we were stuck there so long we had to put the top up on the car because of the sun.......DH was not thrilled with my suggestion to drive out there that day... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> ....But once off the highway and out in the North Shore area we were thrilled with the rental so he did ultimately forgive me. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and is so worth seeing.

In your situation if you're planning on doing mostly in town things for only a few days I don't know if I'd rent one or not, but I do know IF we ever get back there, I'd stay in Honolulu for a few days and do tours without benefit of a rental car but I'd definitely rent one once I moved out of the city. It was nice to be able to stop for a Shave Ice or a Shrimp Truck as the spirit moved us and I wouldn't have missed the scenic drives for anything.

Another thing we didn't know about was the Honolulu city bus that circuits all the points of interest......Bus One maybe? A friend told us about it after we got back and suggested it's perhaps one of the best ways to see the city easily and inexpensively.

I hope your trip is absolutely wonderful - both land and sea - and I'm sure it will be. :handshake <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Hi

Just a set of suggestions but we have always rented a car to explore places. A return to Kauai is on our bucket list. We know you had only ten days, but the following are suggestions for when you go back - and you will go back!

Oahu - Not a big fan of the hotels in Honolulu or of Waikiki Beach with its people covered with oil (apologies to JB). The best view of Diamond Head, Waikiki and Honolulu was from Puu Ualakaa State Park. A drive south takes you to Hanauma Bay State Underwater Park, where you can snorkel with the reef fish (a crowded version of Trunk Bay on St. John). Lots of tour busses - so go early. The east coast is beautiful, with the Halona Blowhole and Sandy Beach and Waimanalo Beach - a beautiful place to eat lunch and swim. We stayed in a cottage whose porch extended into Kaneohe Bay. Got to be tough duty to be stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii! On this side of the Pali Overlook, you would never know Honolulu existed. The Hoomalahia Botanical Garden is the best thing the Corps of Engineers has ever done. Or visit the Valley of the Temples (an incredibly fancy multi-cultural cemetery) to see the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a temple I had seen in Kyoto. The Polynesian Cultural Center is essentially a Mormon-run theme park, but just beyond it is Malaekahana SRA, a very under-utilized area with picnic tables under the ironwood trees overlooking a fabulous beach. Or you can visit Waimea Bay - hopefully on a day when the surf is really pumping - or alternatively the other famous surfing places, Pipeline and Sunset Beach. There’s a web can for Wiamea at http://livesurfcamhawaii.com/oahu/waimea.html . (Very quiet this time of year.)
Kauai - At the Lihue Airport, Hawaiian Helicopters is located right across the tarmac : www.hawaiihelicoptertours.com/south_sea.html. They have a great heli tour : from Lihue, you can visit Hanapepe Valley, Manawaipuna Falls (the Jurassic Park falls), Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali coast, Kalaulau Valley and Wailua Falls. The other must see (for us) was Hanalei Bay on the north end of Kauai - if you’re in luck you may see Puff the Magic Dragon! Another great option is to rent a car and go to Waimea Canyon - the Waimea Canyon drive takes you to the main Waimea Canyon overlook and continues to Kokee State Park, with more views of the canyon and great hiking trails. The Kalalau Lookout and the Puu O Kila Lookout offer great views of the Kalalau Valley and a glimpse of the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast.
Maui - The Road to Hana is a spectacular drive - the people we felt sorry for were those who chose to have someone else drive there. Although the rental car agencies don't want you to continue around the south side of the island - go for it! The best stop along the way was at Waianapa-napa State Park, with its beautiful black stone beach, with a set of beautiful sea arches nearby, complete with noddy terns. . The cabins are great, a must-do if we ever come here again. Hana Bay is a must see along with Kauiki Hill (a cinder cone) across the harbor. Farther along are Wailua Falls and O'heo Pools. We never did see Lindbergh's grave or the church where it was located. The SW coast of Maui is cattle country, with Ulupalakua Ranch, where we stopped at the Tedeschi Winery and tasted wine samples, purchasing some pineapple wine.
Hawaii (the Big Island) - At Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, you can take Crater Rim Drive (occasionally closed is there is an active lava flow) and take the trail down into Halemaumau Crater. We only went as far as Byron Ledge Trail, which is marked by cairns of lava rock. There were native Hawaiian offerings to Pele, wrapped in Ti leaves, just outside the railings. Another place to visit is the Thurston Lava Tube, a very moist fern-filled area also filled with birds songs! Then there’s the north coast, where you can visit the Parker Ranch, an enormous cattle ranch (about 130 K acres), that’s now run by a foundation. It’s so strange to see prickly pear cacti in Hawaii! You can take a horse back ride into the ranch proper. On the west coast, our favorite place was Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, with its reconstructed City of Refuge. The Captain Cook memorial is across the bay (he was killed here) and the Royal Kona Coffee Company is nearby. Nothing quite like Kona coffee! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Peace
Dugg & Chris
Our VI pics are at http://picasaweb.google.com/papadugg/ and the 2014 pics are finally done

Outrigger has their vow renewal ceremony on the beach at 7:45AM on Thursday, our first full day there. I don't think we'll have any problem at all getting up early. Usually when we go to a new place we're so anxious to get up and get going we don't sleep much anyway.

Congrats on your 44th <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> I'm sure you'll think of somewhere to go celebrate it <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all the suggestions! I can already see a return trip in our future, maybe for our 35th? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

This is why we weren't planning on renting a car. But I guess if something major happens like what you experienced heading to North Shore everyone's going to be tied up in it, even a tour bus, unless the driver knows a way around it. We found a tour online (Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour) that sounds really nice and goes to Pali Lookout and the North Shore. The only problem is they pick up at the hotel between 7-8AM which would conflict with the vow renewal at 7:45AM. That's why I was thinking renting a car might be better as far as doing things on our schedule vs the tour company's schedule.

What we've done in the Caribbean is rent a taxi driver for the whole day and let him take us on a tour of the island. Usually we can do that for about $50. It would nice to be able to do that in Hawaii but I'm sure it wouldn't be $50 <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />