Our Top 10 activities/attractions/excursions

[Darthdaddy]

Thanks, cr8tiv1.

 

The first leg of the excursion, I.e., kayaking up the Waimea, is significantly longer than the return via motor launch. This circuit allows a longer kayak experience, which is a plus IMO. Also, it is done while folks are fresh. Our day was apparently a bit more difficult than most, due to wind direction.

 

The NA Pali coast sea kayaking tour is not offered during the winter. I suspect conditions are just too demanding. I spoke extensively with one of our guides about this, since two members of my group are weak swimmers. I would love to experience the caves and cliffs of NA Pali from a kayak, but would not want to put myself and/or family in over our heads (so to speak!). The guide assured me that the trip was doable by ordinary folks---during the appropriate season. I would insist that everyone wear a life vest, but think my group could handle it under proper conditions.

[cr8tiv1]

Thanks, cr8tiv1.

 

The first leg of the excursion, I.e., kayaking up the Waimea, is significantly longer than the return via motor launch. This circuit allows a longer kayak experience, which is a plus IMO. Also, it is done while folks are fresh. Our day was apparently a bit more difficult than most, due to wind direction.

 

The NA Pali coast sea kayaking tour is not offered during the winter. I suspect conditions are just too demanding. I spoke extensively with one of our guides about this, since two members of my group are weak swimmers. I would love to experience the caves and cliffs of NA Pali from a kayak, but would not want to put myself and/or family in over our heads (so to speak!). The guide assured me that the trip was doable by ordinary folks---during the appropriate season. I would insist that everyone wear a life vest, but think my group could handle it under proper conditions.

 

 

Hey Darthdaddy,

 

Is your CC name related to Star Wars? When I was teaching, I was called Yoda(last name)...

 

Thank you for your personal response. I completely understand your cautiousness. Although I grew up in Honolulu...I can swim, but just enough to save my life! Therefore, as much as I would love to kayak or zodiac the the Na Pali coastline, I will be content to view it through YouTube or through someone else's experience.

 

I have to admit that NCL has the very best itinerary (did this voyage in 2006), but am a "Princess". My kids/and their husbands ventured out and kayaked the Hanalei River and came back very sunburnt. But they had so much fun.

 

I am so glad you enjoyed the islands. I hope this will not be a one time vacation.

 

Aloha, Renee (displaced local girl)

[efghi9]

Aloha…

My family of 7 recently returned from 2 weeks in Hawaii. Our first week was spent at Disney’s Aulani at Ko Olina west of Honolulu on Oahu. Week 2 was a cruise aboard NCL’s Pride of America.

 

 

With all that out of the way, here are our cumulative rankings:

 

#10 North Shore food trucks (Oahu)

# 9 Polynesian Cultural Center (Oahu)

# 8 North Shore beaches (Oahu)

# 7 Molokini snorkel and catamaran (Maui)

# 6 Mt. Haleakala bike trip (Maui)

# 5 Diamond Head hike (Oahu)

# 4 Mt. Kilauea bike trip (Big Island)

# 3 Airplane flight (Kauai)

# 2 Kayak / Zipline / Hike Safari (Kauai)

And our favorite activity (drumroll, please!)

 

# 1 Hawaii Food Tours “Hole-in-the-Wall” tour (Oahu).

 

.

 

Anxiously awaiting your report on #1. What did you think of POA? My son (11 yrs) and I (Mom 49 yrs)are travelling on the Sapphire Princess in March and as such we only get four days on the islands. Really excited about our first visit. I too am a serious researcher and planner. thank you. Sandra

[efghi9]

If you don't mind me asking...what is the age of youngest child? this helps me guage safety and interest of some of the activities for my 11 yr old son. He is big and solid and basically lazy... more like a 12 or 13 yr old.

[Darthdaddy]

For what it's worth, thanks to all for having patience. I did not set out to drag my report out for so long. My goal has been to provide information that may help you determine how you wish to spend both your time and money during a visit to Hawaii. My family enjoyed all the things we did, although some were more enjoyable than others. While we tried to rank things without regard to cost, I would say that, with hindsight, I would drop the PCC from any itinerary. It is simply too expensive and delivers too little to justify allocating an entire day.

 

And now, my family's clear choice as our #1 Hawaiian activity...

**** **** **** **** **** **** ****

#1 Hole-in-the-Wall Food Tour

 

Surf boards…hula dances…waterfalls…flowing lava…whole pigs roasted in imu ovens…USS Arizona…these were the things my family thought of and anticipated before our first visit to Hawaii. In my wildest dreams I never expected the #1 activity experienced by my family would be the Hole-in-the-Wall tour provided by Hawaii Food Tours.

 

What is this tour? I advise checking out the web site at http://www.hawaiifoodtours.com for the basics. My goal is to convey that this is a truly fun, entertaining and informative tour. The operators, Matthew and Kiera, were extraordinary. Our day got off to a somewhat stressful beginning. The web site advises to allow up to 90 minutes for Honolulu’s morning traffic. We set out from Disney’s Aulani resort in the Ko Olina area, which is only about 20 miles from the city. I have to believe that something happened on H-1 that morning, because after an hour we were still 10 or 12 miles from the rendezvous point adjacent to the Ala Moana mall. Our call to the number provided dumped into voice mail and we left a frantic message. Within minutes, Kiera called back and talked us off the ledge. After determining where we were, she assured us that they would wait. We jumped off H-1 and began working out way into town on local roads. After parking at the mall and sprinting to Matthew and Kiera’s awaiting van, we apologized to the other tour passengers for the delay. Luckily the other folks were friendly and patient. A word to the wise: give yourself PLENTY of travel time so that your day does not begin the way ours did. Repeating our apologies to all, we finally set off on our tour. Matthew drove, while Kiera directed our attention to various notable sights along our route.

 

Most, but not all, of the tour is conducted throughout Honolulu’s substantial China Town. Matthew provides background concerning the cultures of the city, as well as the dishes themselves. Meanwhile, Kiera works her tail off scurrying from shop to shop making sure that our food is ready, etc. The web site provides information about the shops and foods. Sign up for the newsletter and get recipes and other detailed info.

 

Throughout the tour, we learned about the various foods that were served. As Matthew states, the tour is about the “foods of Hawaii,” rather than “Hawaiian food.” This means that we explored the ways in which food reflects the melding of the many ethnic groups and cultures of Hawaii. Be sure to try Kiera’s smoothies for a delicious treat. A stop at Leonard’s bakery for malasadas (look it up) concluded our tour.

 

Matthew guided the van through the Waikiki area to drop off some fellow guests. The rest of us continued the short distance back to Ala Moana mall. Laughs, smiles, and even hugs were exchanged.

 

My wife and I are not food snobs. My kids are not picky eaters. None of us could be mistaken for “foodies.” The tour is comprised of perhaps 8-10 stops at all sorts of places. We would NEVER have stepped foot into some---most---of the places on this tour. I guarantee that my family would not have tried most of the foods selected by Matthew and Kiera. ALL of us agree that we would have been the poorer, had we not had this experience. The food was very good and more than plentiful. The camaraderie was great fun. We received more than fair value and had a great, great day.

 

All 7 of us had a wonderful time. All 7 of us rated this Hole-in-the-Wall tour in the top 2 or 3 out of all the things we did during 2 weeks in Hawaii. All 7 of us agreed that this was an activity we would not have wanted to miss. My simple, but enthusiastic advice is…TRY THIS TOUR!

Aloha and Mahalo,

Darth

P.S. After you come back from your Hawaiian trip, be sure to return to CC and let everyone know your rankings!

[Darthdaddy]

Sandra,

My kids are all older than your son. While the ages may be different, please consider that 2 of our group are weak swimmers. Also, there is a good chance that an 11-yr old is more comfortable on a bike than someone who has not been on a bike in 15 yrs. Thus, your son may be able to handle everything we tried.

 

I'm not sure which ports you will visit. Neither do I know what kind of things you and your son enjoy. With these caveats I recommend: the kayak/hike/zip line safari on Kauai. A flight over Kauai would be another great option.

 

If you absolutely MUST go to a luau, I suggest finding one other than the PCC.

 

If I had to pick one volcano, I would visit Mt. Kilauea on the Big Island. I think there is more to see here than on Mt. Haleakala.

 

I strongly encourage you to go to Pearl Harbor. Take the trip out to the USS Arizona memorial, but don't miss the rest of what is offered here. Take some time to go through the museums and displays that are part of the site.

 

The Hole-in-the-Wall tour is within the city of Honolulu on Oahu. The tour begins at 9:30am---unless you have someone who is late {:-} The tour should end around 2:30pm-3:00pm. If this fits your schedule, I enthusiastically suggest you jump in with both feet.

 

The hike up Diamond Head is very low cost and a lot of fun. Allow at least 2-3hrs for this activity.

 

Regardless, of what you choose, I hope you and your son have a fabulous time.

Aloha.

[Darthdaddy]

I forgot to give my thoughts about the Pride of America, as requested.

 

First, POA is due to go into drydock within just a few weeks. Keep this in mind. Hopefully, those of you lucky enough to be sailing in the coming months will get to enjoy a fresh and up-to-date ship.

 

It should come as no news to any CC member that the POA cruise is "port intensive" to the max. Everyday is spent in port...there are ZERO sea days. For most folks this means that the ship's amenities are less important than on other cruises. POA (as configured in Jan, 2013) does not have a rock climbing wall or a water park. The theater is not as glitzy as many others. The main dining rooms are attractive, but lack any huge "WOW" factor. Of the two MDR's I preferred the Skyline Room. The decor of this room is art deco. It is attractive, but nothing special. I found the Liberty Room to be very off-putting.

 

In general, the decor of the ship seemed odd to me. I realize that the name of the ship is Pride of AMERICA, and that the decor is supposed to reflect this theme. Still, I wanted more Hawaii and less other stuff. The faux cowboy steak house left me perplexed. The mini-Washington Monument was cheesy. The heavy Williamsburg-style look of the main lobby was just plain weird.

 

There is no casino and the shops are very limited...it's clear that this ain't the free whellin' Caribbean. I'm not a feathers and sequins fan, so I don't miss that type of show. "Oh What A Night!" is the Four Seasons knock-off show that runs on other NCL ships, as well. It's enjoyable, but not me favorite. The live music in small venues around the ship is very, very good. Check out the wine bar and Pink's Champagne bar for excellent live acoustic music each evening.

 

Our cruise did not have a late night party crowd. I suspect this was because people tend to be so busy each day exploring each port. There were very few intrusive messages, i.e., we were spared from incessant pleas to play bingo or attend the art auction. The staff were generally friendly, competent and efficient. Again, since we were gone all day, we had limited interaction with the stewards. Officers were visible throughout the cruise and the captain seems to enjoy mixing with his guests.

 

On Thursday of our cruise, we were notified of an outbreak of norovirus on board. CC members most likely understand that this is not the end of the world. Neither is is unique to NCl or cruise ships in general. I was very favorably impressed with the degree to which we were keep informed. Even more impressive were the steps taken to contain the situation. Sanitation became job #1 for the staff. Guests no longer had direct access to the buffet tables...all items were served cafeteria style by staff. Hand sanitizer has available everywhere. Public areas were scrubbed and scrubbed again. All of this was a bit of an inconvenience, but consider the alternative. All in all, I felt that the officers and crew did a fine job of providing a quality cruise, while maintaing our communal health.

 

In summary, the pre-drydock POA was far from a state-of-the-art ship. Nevertheless, we did not take this cruise for the ship. We were there for the unique itinerary. On this score POA delivered.

Mahalo.

[ride4806]

Thanks so much for your in depth reports of your activities and the ship~your reports as well as others has helped me include and exclude a few activities from our upcoming cruise. I appreciate your taking the time to share all this information!!! :)

[jdblakeslee]

Thanks for a thoughtful and genuine review. Considering the ages your were out to please, it sounds like you did a good job! We booked the Hole-in-the-Wall tour before your recommendation but this further assures us of a great experience.

 

Jennifer

[Darthdaddy]

Jennifer,

I don't even recall how I first came across the Hole-in-the-Wall tour. I'm glad you independently decided to give it a try. Please come back and post your thoughts after your trip. I would like to hear your opinions and I'm confident other CC members would, too.

 

BTW: Matthew and Keira are the owners of the business. They still provide tours, but the business has expanded so that they now have a couple other guides. The others seem to get very positive reviews. I can only tell you that M & K were our guides and they were excellent.

I hope you enjoy this tour every bit as much as we did.

[Darthdaddy]

Skrebeir,

I'm curious...if you don't mind, which activities moved up and which slid down on your Hawaiian "to do" list?

I might be able to clarify or amplify any of my comments that relate to those things.

 

P.S. Go Sox!