It's Official#I'm going to Hawaii and you're not

[Diemen]

Nov 6-13th. Just booked the tickets and hotel today. I'm seriously excited. This will be my first real vacation of my own in around 3 years, and I've never been to Hawaii. I've already booked a Scuba diving class, but other than that I don't have any set plans. Any recommendations for things to do? Maybe a cruise around the islands? Swim with dolphins? Don Ho concert?

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

awesome vavcation!

scuba diving is a MUST, also if you can swing it take a helicopter tour.

 

[Lemon Meringue]

I wanna go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You lucky dog. I've been there twice. Which island(s) are you going to?

 

[Diemen]

Oahu. I'd like to check out the other islands while I'm there, though.

 

[bonosloveslave]

Yeah, which island? We really enjoyed horseback riding on the beach, and the helicopter ride was very cool. If you like to hike at all, there are several guides out there that will tell you how to get to hidden beaches and waterfalls and stuff - I could tell you one good one for Kauai

Skip the luaus

 

[nbcrusader]

I need a vacation

Visit Kauai and Maui - snorkel, bike ride down the mountain, eat at local places

Have fun!

 

[bonosloveslave]

Ooooooooo be sure to try an authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice - with ice cream on the bottom

 

[Lemon Meringue]

I have never been to Oahu...so I don't know much about it.

I have been to Maui, Kauai and Molokai. Oahu and Maui have the most nightlife.

If you decide to go to Maui, I know of a really fun bicycle tour you can take down Haleakala. There are a lot of these tours, but most of them are crap.

If you don't scuba dive, then you should at least go snorkling. There are nice excursions from Maui to Lanai and there are probably some from Oahu too.

I'm not sure of there will be any whales there that time of year. I think it will be too early in the season.

 

[Diemen]

That sounds really cool bls - I'm definitely up for hiking and would like to find some off-the-beaten-path spots. I want to do a lot of nature/landscape photography, and I figure getting away up into the mountains is a good way to get some good nature shots.

Yeah, I decided to pass on the luau and lei greetings and all that. Kinda lame, imo.

 

[nbcrusader]

That sounds really cool bls - I'm definitely up for hiking and would like to find some off-the-beaten-path spots. I want to do a lot of nature/landscape photography, and I figure getting away up into the mountains is a good way to get some good nature shots.

Yeah, I decided to pass on the luau and lei greetings and all that. Kinda lame, imo.

Kauai is your place then. Take a boat tour to the western side of the island (there are no roads to this side of the island). Absolutely gorgous!

 

[bonosloveslave]

If you think you are going to go to the other islands, see if your library has any of "The Ultimate Guidebooks" for Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, or Kauai by Andrew Doughty - awesome books that will tell you about the best things to do/see.

 

[Diemen]

Thanks for the tips, nb and bls.

 

[Mr. BAW]

Skip the luaus

We are your friends, read this - SKIP THE LUAUS!!

A terrible waste of $$ and time... they make it sound as if you and your friend on the only one at the luau...then you're whisked away by bus doing sing-along for 45 minutes (oh, they teach you the songs!) and when you get there, you would think that you just arrived at the Super Bowl... 95 bus loads of others from every hotel on the island...all for the luau !!!




to

Pearl Harbor, the Punch Bowl, Hunama Bay, the Blow Hole, Diamond Head (not the guy but the actual mountain) the Polynesian Cultural Center and a lot of places to drink and be happy!

Be careful at the International market place...lots of prostitutes and pickpockets....

Aloha!!!

Mr. B

 

[Lemon Meringue]

If we ever go to Oahu I want to see the Polynesian Cultural Center.

This is the bicycle tour I was talking about. It is excellent...not like most of the lame ass ones. First Class operartion!
http://www.mauibike.com/

 

[Diemen]

That site is great, LM! It has lots of nice tips and ideas for other things to do around Maui and Molokai as well. Very cool.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Woohoo!

Lei greetings remind me of Growing Pains, when the Seavers went to Hawaii... (I know, I'm such a dork, lol).

I'm jealous!

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

i've already been to Hawaii.
spent 2 weeks there.

mahalo

 

[~LadyLemon~]

I spent 17 days there this summer (two in Maui). If you're in Oahu, make sure you hit Hanauma Bay. It's a tourist attraction, and you have to get there super early, but it is breathtaking and it's a fabulous place to snorkel. I had so much fun snorkeling everywhere!

(hanauma on a cloudy day--really, this picture does no justice!):

The luau I went to was long and drawn out, but the food was amazing. I'd put that down as one of my best meals ever.

In Maui I went on a small sunset booze cruise, which was such a blast. This is the historic town of Lahaina from our cruise:

I think you'll still be too early for whale watching there. I missed going to Haleakala though. I was really bummed about that. I heard that watching the sunrise from the summit is one of the most incredible things you'll ever see, but it is freezing up there (30s) and you need to be there by 3 am or so. In Maui, another great thing I missed was the Road to Hana, which is an all day trip.

Oh, and another thing I am kicking myself for not doing this summer: taking a surfing lesson!!! DOH!

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

hey i went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. i took a picture at that same spot.

 

[Mr. BAW]

Check out Lady Lemon's top photo of Hunama (sp.) Bay..- the top portion where the waves (white water) are breaking..that is the Advanced swimmers area...I was caught in a major riptide and nearly drowned on the one and only day I was there...

unless you are a very, very good swimmer, stick to the lower portion of the photo - that is for beginning and intermediate swimmers/snorkeler's... have a great time!

Mr. B

 

[ABEL]

hey i went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. i took a picture at that same spot.

Hanauma Bay is one of my favorite spots!

we didn't go snorkeling there, but we did go swimming. i loved just feeding the fishies in the shallow water and having them swim around your feet. they were so pretty too...beautiful blueish color fishies with yellow fins

i've been to hawaii twice. both times we went to oahu and the big island. loved the polynesian cultural center too.

we also had fun driving all the way around the big island one day. i think it took about 6 hours or so to go all the way around. started off early in the morning and went to the dole pineapple plant. it was fun just looking at the beautiful countryside...the sugar cain fields, the pineapple fields, etc. it's amazing how much the climate and landscape changes from one side of the island to the other too.

i remember there was this one spot along the road where there was all this black volcanic dirt, and white stones. some people had made little pictures and written words with the stones. i remember even seeing the letters "U2" out there. i wanted to stop and take a pic but my parents wouldn't let me

i loved stopping at all of the little out of the way places too. (like this little place called Cook's Landing (tho i can't recall if that was on the big island or on oahu). but it's where Captain Cook stopped on his voyage. a lot of the locals hang out there and go swimming. definitely not what you'd call a 'touristy' spot. the drive there was beautiful through the little winding roads with the tropical plants and trees and flowers.

we also went to the town of kalapana, which no longer exists. it was covered over by the lava. there's a spot where the lava flow actually covers the road. the lava at the spot where we were was hard and cool, and you could walk right up to it and touch it. there used to be beautiful black sand beaches there too, but the last time we were there they had been covered up by the lava too. there may be new ones there by now.

i've got some pics around here somewhere i can scan too, but i gotta find them first.

am i imagining things or was there a smilar thread to this in LS a while back?

 

[Diemen]

*Adds bike trip in Maui, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and sunrise at Haleakala (with warm clothing) to list of things to do*

Man...you guys are getting me really stoked for this vacation. I looked into taking surf lessons, but the scuba diving lessons were actually less expensive, and it includes a 30-40 minute free dive. I think it'd be cooler to explore the underwater reefs and wildlife than surf, but that's just me.

 

[ABEL]

one word of warning...if you go to the big island of hawaii, and you stop at a place called Parker Ranch (which is an historical ranch and a very interesting place to stop - the largest privately owned ranch in the u.s.) don't stand on the big rock that is on the front lawn. apparently it is some sort of sacred rock to the hawaiians.

my brother stood on the rock when we were out walking around exploring the grounds, and he didn't see that there was a little tiny plaque on the rock. a car of local hawaiians drove by yelling out the window "get off the rock!!!!!!" at first we thought they were joking, but then once my brother got off the rock we saw the little tiny sign.

http://www.parkerranch.com/index.html

 

[beegee]

hawaii will be nice.

 

[cell]

i want to go some day.

 

[Salome]

I'm so jealous




ooh, wait a minute
I'm going to Australia nov. 12 - dec. 6
so I guess I'm not really all that jealous



have a great time

 

[Angela Harlem]

have a great time diemen!

 

[Laura M]

Im in Ireland, Im not leaving anytime soon, I have never left here.

Hooray for me

Sounds like you will have fun Diemen

 

[nbcrusader]

one word of warning...if you go to the big island of hawaii, and you stop at a place called Parker Ranch (which is an historical ranch and a very interesting place to stop - the largest privately owned ranch in the u.s.) don't stand on the big rock that is on the front lawn. apparently it is some sort of sacred rock to the hawaiians.

my brother stood on the rock when we were out walking around exploring the grounds, and he didn't see that there was a little tiny plaque on the rock. a car of local hawaiians drove by yelling out the window "get off the rock!!!!!!" at first we thought they were joking, but then once my brother got off the rock we saw the little tiny sign.

http://www.parkerranch.com/index.html

And beware of the tiki necklace Greg wore while surfing.....

 

[JessicaAnn]

<----------- is Jealous ...



Have a fun trip!