Oahu touring

[2cruz]

If I just have 1 day to tour the island outside Honolulu/Waikiki Beach area, which route would give me a good taste of the island, with a lot of bnot to be missed places. Is it possible to do the North Shore and also do Lumikai Beach in that day? How easy is it to drive or should I consider using limo service. Thanks ahead for the help.

[spleen93]

Outside of Waikiki/Honolulu, I think Oahu is pretty easy to drive. My preferred route is to take H1 west going towards Pearl City, transfer to H2 going north and meander through the pineapple fields (Dole plantation if you have the time), and then work your way through the North Shore starting at Haleiwa. You can do the North Shore and Lanikai on the same day but it's a pretty long day and you might be pretty tired by the time you hit Lanikai. Parking may also be a problem at Lanikai depending on what day of the week you go there (no parking lot, street parking only, and it's popular on weekends). You can certainly hire a limo if it makes you feel better but I think doing your own rental car is pretty easy and would certainly be cheaper. But to each their own.

 

Spleen

[debjac]

Spleen - can you give me an idea of how much a gallon of gas is there?

Jersey is at 2.50 for regular and I remember 2 years ago noticing the prices in Hawaii were very high.

thanks!!

[debjac]

Spleen - can you give me an idea of how much a gallon of gas is there?

Jersey is at 2.50 for regular and I remember 2 years ago noticing the prices in Hawaii were very high.

thanks!!

[Suebee]

The average in Hawaii is $2.68. I have been paying $2.44 on the military base. I think Ive been seeing the $2.60's around.

 

Keep in mind though that you wont use a 1/2 tank of gas if you completely drive around the island. That's the good news!

[DaisyL]

Where I live in NY (50 miles North of NYC) the cheapest is $2.68 so I guess it's not too bad in Hawaii then....

 

Spleen, thanks for the driving tour suggestion. I've just started a Word file for all the suggestions, since I can't really remember them.... I'll be all set by Oct. 2006 .. :)

[debjac]

Suebee - thanks for the info. Rental car it is!

[spleen93]

Yikes, NJ is $2.50/gallon?? I remember NJ having the cheapest gas around when I used to go to college in NY. I shudder to think what prices are like in the City. :)

 

My car requires premium and I remember paying $2.62 last time I filled at Costco.

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Argh! It's over $3 a gallon here :mad:, and we live in an oil producing state with many refineries! Gas is always more expensive on the central coast in CA. For crying out loud, it's not like we're millionaires (only a few people are, and we sure aren't among them). It's less in Hawaii and it has to be "imported" to the islands. It's the same "insult," if you will, in how it usually costs us more to fly to Hawaii from the West coast than it does for travelers from the East coast. (Sorry; Just had to vent a little.)

 

beachchick

[spleen93]

Go ahead, vent away. We're here to listen. ;)

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Spleen, you are such a gentleman. Mahalo for letting me let off some steam.

 

beachchick

[Steamboatin]

Go to a local AAA office and pick up a driving map of the State of Hawaii. It will have Oahu and all the other islands as well.

 

Once obtained you will see that it is very simple and almost imposibable to get lost on the island.

 

My recommendation is to take and drive the east coast shore line all the way up to the nothern coast. Than drive the nothern coast to its end.

 

Here you have a choice, reverse your path back down the east coast to H-3 highway which is simply beautiful. It ends or starts at a point on the H-1 highway and the east coast highway. Other option is to drive south on the only road at end of northern coast road and pick up H-2 thru the center of Oahu back down into H-1.

 

It is really a scenic drive and an easy drive. Made trip in a rental car in May 2004. Caution: Than there were few places to eat or fill your car up with gas on the east and north coasts. So fill up the tank of the car in Honolulu and you will be OK.

 

Many beautiful pull off parking spots and state parks along the coast line making beautiful rest stops and photo opportunities on eastern and northern coasts.

 

H-3 highway most beautiful coming from the east coast into Honolulu. Most beautiful part is on east coast prior to going into the tunnel.

 

Forget and avoid the west coast as it is a very poor economic area that is barren and desert like.

 

Forgot name of Boulevard, but it is the main boulevard from Honolulu to Wakiki Beach area. Take that boulevard and it will lead you onto the east coast highway. Boulevard very beautiful and H-1 is a very busy, ugly and boring drive.

 

Happy motoring.

[spleen93]

Excuse me, but I live on that west coast that you describe as "a very poor economic area that is barren and desert like". True, the west coast of Oahu is drier than the east side (it is the leeward side of the island after all). But some of the nicer beaches on the island are located here (Makaha, Makua) and it has a rustic beauty of its own. One thing is that socioeconomically, the far west side of the island (Waianae/Nanakuli) is somewhat poorer than the rest of the island. But it certainly doesn't make it not worth visiting the entire west coast of the island. The Ko Olina lagoons are a fantastic place for visitors to spend a day at the beach.

 

Spleen

[Suebee]

Living in Honolulu, we like to go to Ko Olina for the safe swimming at the lagoons! Thanks for defending your side of the island!

[lgarner]

I too will be driving around the island (well, DH will drive) and at some point we will want to stop at a beach. I read in one book (Frommers) that either Lanikai or Kailua (sorry, I get them confused because they are close to each other) had no sun in the afternoon because of the mountain range - then, in Oahu Revealed I read that there is no shade at all on this beach. Do you know if one or both has shade? I really need shade.

 

How about shade at the beach you mentioned - Ko Olina?

 

Thanks!

Lisa

[spleen93]

I don't recall either Lanikai or Kailua Beach having shade either off the top of my head though it's been a while since I've been to either. Most people WANT the sun when they go. :)

 

Ko Olina is a manmade lagoon, developed when they developed the Ko Olina resort area - the main lagoon is next to the J.W. Marriott Ihilani hotel and there are 3 other lagoons that are available for public usage (though limited parking). There is some shade in the grassy area above the beach area itself but it's sort of limited. The only way to guarantee shade at any of these locations would be to bring a beach umbrella with you.

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Kailua has plenty of shade up a ways from the water. It's one of my absolute favorite swimming beaches ever. DH has to practically drag me out of the water and haul me to the airport in a wet swimsuit. It's just wonderful.

 

But, Spleen is absolutely right that the only way to guarantee shade is to bring an umbrella with you.

 

(Spleen, we've been to "your" part of Oahu several times. You're right it's worth the time. We found several nice areas and stopped at a couple of beaches, can't remember which off the top of my head, and had a great time. I think we'll check out the Ko Olina lagoons next time. I'm certain that I would remember going to something as nice as that sounds. In terrain, your part of Oahu is really no different than saying that the Kohala coast of the BI is dry and somewhat barren, you know what I mean? :D)

 

beachchick

[lgarner]

At home, when we go to the beach we take a beach umbrella (nice one from Costco) however, we have learned that it also needs an anchor - big metal screw thing (we bought one at Wal-Mart) that goes in the sand first - or else it will eventually blow over if there is any wind - which is usually common at the coast. We can't take it with us on the cruise (air plane, etc..) I know when we get to Hawaii we can probably find a Wal Mart on most islands (our first stop is Hilo) but still don't know if the cruiseline will let us back on the ship with umbrella and metal anchor - they might think we are dangerous!

 

I was hoping to just find beaches with some shade trees. I was actually attracted to Lanikai beach because Frommers said there was total shade - no sun - in the afternoon because of the mountain range. That's why I was so suprised in Oahu Revealed that they stated no shade at all!! I'm so confused!! LOL

 

Thanks for the input - and trying to keep me straight!!

[spleen93]

Can't see any reason why the cruise line wouldn't let you onboard with your shade umbrella/anchor. I'm sure that they've seen a ton of people do it before. :)

 

Spleen

[lgarner]

I may call Princess and check on that. It would certainly make our beach days easier!