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KeepCalmBearOn

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Posts posted by KeepCalmBearOn

  1. Waikiki is the best beach in the world to learn to surf.

     

    The waves where the lessons are are very long, slow waves and it is shallow.

     

    Aloha Beach Services is who I would take lessons from. They are in front of the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the owners are descendants of the Kahanamoku Family.

     

    http://www.alohabeachservices.com/

     

    I'd also take an outrigger canoe ride with them. It is one of the most unique things you can do on Oahu.

  2. This is a bit off topic but since it appears many on this post have great knowledge I thought I'd ask here.

    I usually cruise but the sea time looks like too much. I was planning a 10 trip to Hawaii and I don't know which island---The Big Island or Maui---would be best to spend that time.

    My friend said the beach was better at the Big Island vs Maui. But she had more fun in Maui. She spent 8 days at BIG Island..and then got a puddle jumper to Maui for 4 days. This sounds great to me....I have no idea how much the plane cost.

    My question is ...which island would you pick for some beach but mostly adventure. I plan on renting a car. Any suggestions about either island or there personal favorite would be helpful.

    Thanks in advance!!

    Kris

     

    If you have never been to Hawaii, my 10 night split would 5 nights Oahu, home of most historical sights of the islands, and 5 nights Kauai.

     

    In only 10 nights I would not split the Big Island with another island, but split on it. 2-3 nights in Volcano (or Hilo) and the rest in the Kohala Coast or Kailua-Kona.

     

    I find Maui way too touristy.

  3. They might have at one time but after hearing such things I actually read the small print on the back and found nothing of the kind about that or the back of Haleakala.

     

    The language in the rental car contract is not road number specific, but it is language about "unpaved" or "not regularly maintained", I forget the exact language, but the map below shows the areas where most rental car companies will void your insurance if you drive them.

     

    http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54848297e4b0c710260b2aab/t/54eb4ffee4b07c3f6565076a/1424707582649/mauiMap.jpg

  4. Thank you all for the helpful advice and suggestions!

     

    We will be in Honolulu in late March.

     

    I'm a little worried with what I have been reading about beaches being full by 9am....are we going to be driving around just passing full parking lots?

     

    Hanauma Bay may fill up early, but it is probably the only beach area outside Waikiki that would.

     

    I will agree that other islands have better snorkeling, but I will vehemently disagree that Oahu doesn't have very good snorkeling. Places like Shark's Cove, Turtle Bay, Electric Beach, etc have great snorkeling.

     

    For information on snorkeling on the Big Island, I'd read this top question from TripAdvisor, Cruise Critic parent co.

     

    http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29217-c7522/Island-Of-Hawaii:Hawaii:Snorkeling.html

  5. The lanes on Diamond Head are much wider than normal lanes, therefore bikes ride on the right. Mopeds in Hawaii follow bike laws, not motorcycle and car laws, and are encouraged to be ridden as though you were riding a bike. You don't even need a license to ride a moped here. I understand using a satellite to see Diamond Head Road might not show the width of the lanes very well. As someone who has run the Honolulu Marathon the past few years and as a lifetime resident, I think I know what I'm talking about.

     

    I was running the Honolulu Marathon before you were born and was driving home to Kahala along Diamond Head Rd before you were born. Diamond Head Rd just past Senator Inouye's home is extremely narrow and not extra wide. The Google Street View is for the benefit of those who haven't been driving it for 40 years.

  6. Thank you posters for your information on the separate islands. .

     

    Here is what our goal is:

    Relax - Serene at night - Not hoards of peeps all the time

    Looking to rent vacation rental for a week as a base, post-cruise

    (We have 3 days pre-cruise in Waikiki at HHV)

    Ride motorcycle (so, multiple scenic drives are a plus +)

    ATV Tour or 2

    Do a Luau

    Snorkel for 1st time

    View some waterfalls

    No huge hikes, but some easier shorter trails okay

     

    Hopefully that can help narrow it down? :p

     

    I think Oahu hits most of what you want, as long as you stay either on the other side of Diamond Head (Kailua, Aina Haina, Hawaii Kai) or the other side of Ewa at Ko'Olina at with the Marriott or Disney condo properties.

     

    One is a very local experience (Kailua side) the other is the ultimate in planned resort. being on the Kailua side does put you closer to the ATV at Kualoa Ranch and the Chief's Luau is out that way. There are also very easy waterfall hikes like Manoa Falls and Waimea Falls.

     

    If you hadn't said ATV trips, Kauai would have been my pick. It is the most lush and scenic island, with the least people for the amount of stuff to do (if that makes sense).

     

    So maybe check both the Poipu area of Kauai (Poipu Kapili is our favorite complex) and the Kailua area of Oahu and see how they mesh up.

  7. I did all of that at 17 and was fine. There IS a bike lane on Diamond Head Road that mopeds can use.

     

    Sorry that facts get in the way of your opinion, but there is no bike lane on Diamond Head road as it goes around Diamond Head and even if there were a motorized scooter could not legally access it.

     

    Here is a 16 year old who did it and ISN'T fine. My condolences to her family.

     

    http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140321_Girl_killed_in_scooter_accident_is_identified.html?id=251470271

     

    AlohaPride try to keep your "Aloha Spirit". Cranky people are not worth it. If we take the mopeds i will take selfie pictures of our happy times. If we crash I'll send the police photos of our fiery crash. I wanted a light-hearted thread but now I wish it would just fade away.

     

    Thanks everyone for all your opinions. I love taking risks and really don't think this was that big of a deal, so if we can fit it in to our schedule we will do it. We will certainly take the traffic seriously as we have been warned. Maybe we will just drink Mai Tais instead just because of the fear factor.

     

    Many thanks, (Mahalo nui lao)? Is that correct? I hope to catch the "Aloha Spirit" myself this Thursday.

     

    Love you all!

     

    I've never seen someone ask a question and then be so resistant to the answer that is verifiable by a couple of Google inquiries, including using Street View.

  8. Thanks for the update. Glad you enjoyed the Chief's luau. For me a luau isn't as much about the Kalua pig, but do they have real Hawaiian dishes like lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, poi, squid luau and modern Hawaiian dishes like poke, chicken long rice, etc.

     

    As to the Samoan Fire Knife Dance, it isn't really Samoan. The knife dance is traditional Samoan and probably 50 years ago a Samoan knife dancer was touring with a vaudeville company where he met a fire eater in San Francisco. The knife dancer thought fire would spice up his act and it sure did. So just like Chop Suey and topless dancing, the Samoan Knife Fire Dance really comes from San Francisco :)

  9. We are planning on a week post cruise.

    Does anyone have a favorite island they would recommend over the others?

    I realize this is a subjective question, but interested in others insight.

    We have been leaning towards Oahu (Kailua area) but are unsure.

    TiA for any insight you can provide :D

     

    The trouble is you have said zero about what interests YOU and what kind of experience you are looking for.

     

    Kauai is my favorite island of the four "minor" islands (excluding Oahu) because it very much a throwback to what Hawaii was like 50 years ago. It has a nice mix of nature, good beaches and good dining to keep just about anyone happy.

     

    Maui is my least favorite island of the four "minor" islands. There has been so much construction along the southern and western coasts of Maui that there is little Hawaiian left. A couple of areas on Maui have more people who were born in another state than were born in Hawaii. Maui for me has been downhill since the 1970's. We still go for a variety of reasons and don't think we don't like it, we do, but not as well as the other islands.

     

    I love the Big Island, but you really need 10 days there to do it justice, spending 7 days on the Kohala/Kona coast and 3 near Hilo and Volcano National Park.

     

    I love Lanai and the two Four Seasons hotels there with my favorite being the Lodge at Koele up in the hills. Lanai and where the DW and I go to do as little as possible. There is no nightlife, few restaurants a few sights and a couple of beaches. You go there for its quietness.

     

    I didn't count Oahu with the others because it is so different from the rest. It has the great beauty of Kauai (as anyone who ever watched Lost knows), but it also has incredible world class restaurants, the most significant cultural and historic sites, great nightlife and a different vibe (on the Honolulu side) than anything else in HI.

     

    So it will come down entirely to what are you looking to do on your vacation. If you want to kick back in Kailua, visit Lanikai Beach, do some shopping, see Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace (only royal palace on U.S. soil), Shangrila, a rainforest (in a major metro city), botanical gardens, a Chinatown, take a ride in an outrigger canoe, a sunset cruise off Waikiki on a catamaran, etc...... Oahu offers that and more.

  10. I find all the commercial luaus pretty schlocky with mediocre food.

     

    The Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu probably has the best show. The only commercial luau I go to on Oahu is the Hale Koa luau for many reasons, two of which are it is in Waikiki so I can walk to it and leave if/when I want and it is inexpensive, relatively speaking.

     

    On Maui the Old Lahaina Luau is considered the best (Feast at Lele from the same people is more dinner show, less luau).

     

    On Kauai The Smith Family Luau is the oldest and most respected. Not sure if that makes it the best, but it is what it is.

     

    If you can check the date you are going and can find a church or community luau, that is where I would go.

  11. I think our traffic is getting a bad rap here. Mopeds are considered "bikes" in Hawaii, so they are able to use our bike lanes. If you are in actual traffic, you have to stay in the right lane. Traffic here isn't as bad as traffic in Boston. If you're careful, you'll be fine.

     

    Edit to add: If you don't want the Honolulu congestion, rent a moped on an outer island.

     

    By any objective measure, the only city in the U.S. worse than Honolulu in 2013 was Los Angeles. The year before that Honolulu beat LA. Honolulu is far worse than Boston.

     

    In going on Diamond Head Road there is no "right lane". There is zero room for a moped.

     

    And then the notion of taking the Kalanianaole Highway all the way to Hanauma and back on a moped is doubly crazy.

     

    Oahu isn't a sleepy, sparsely populated island.

  12. Boston isn't a big city with terrible drivers? I am so relieved that you are worried about my health. I'll let my mother know. She will feel better. She didn't even express that much concern during the summer I was jumping out of planes.

     

    And you've driven in Honolulu how many times was it?

     

    You asked for feedback. You got it. It is very dangerous. What you do with the feedback is up to you.

  13. Does anyone know where there might be this type of information but current??

    Jancruz1

     

    Cruise Critic's parent site, TripAdvisor :)

     

    http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g29222-i37-Oahu_Hawaii.html

     

    Dusty is one of the Oahu Destination Experts over there.

     

    And no one is going to tear down the Aloha Tower, parts of the Aloha Tower Marketplace interior will be demolished and reconfigured. Hawaii Pacific is going to use part of the new building for dorms, part for retail and part for other student services.

     

    http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2013/09/26/hpu-hires-group-70-to-redesign-aloha.html

  14. We decided on the Hilton Hawaiin Village for post cruise. Really just want to relax after such a port intensive cruise (NCL) Still trying to figure out the pre cruise. Seems there are plenty of good hotels to choose from. THanks again for all your recommendations.

     

    You've decided on the HHV so I hope you enjoy it, but I'll post for others who may come here with the same question.

     

    I stay at the HHV when I have to for business reasons, but the Ali'i Tower and Rainbow Tower are the only two hotel towers of the current seven towers (building out to nine towers eventually) I would stay in. Depending on the time of year the HHV can be very, very busy and crowded. It is the 17th largest hotel in the world and is more appropriate to Las Vegas than Hawaii. And while it is IN Waikiki, it is not on Waikiki Beach, it is on Kahanamoku Beach. Waikiki Beach is the beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider and Outrigger Waikiki Beach.

     

    Other hotels on the beach include the Sheraton Waikiki, Outrigger Reef and Halekulani, but hotels like the Hyatt Regency, Marriott Waikiki, etc all the way down to the Park Shore, while not on the beach have nothing between them and the beach other than Kalakaua Blvd. If you are in the Park Shore, for example, you are closer to the sand than 3 of the 7 towers at HHV.

  15. Finding local food is one of the enjoyments of travelling.

     

    Things I have enjoyed.

     

    On this Hawaii - Vancouver cruise in a few weeks

     

    Shrimp off food trucks - Hawaii

    Dungeness crab - Victoria BC

     

    The local experience!

     

    Except of course that "garlic shrimp" is not a local food in Hawaii. You will find very few, if any, locals eating at the shrimp trucks any more than you'd find a local in San Francisco eating clam chowder out of a sourdough bread bowl. They are both tourist items that few locals eat.

     

    Truly local food trucks are ones in Honolulu like Pacific Soul, Koi, Aloha Plate, da ala carte and Elena's, to name a few. Then there are the local food trucks not doing island food like Cholo's, Puffette's, DatCajunGuy and Pit Stop.

     

    You'll see almost exclusively Oahu residents at these trucks, not tourists. If you really want "local" food, these are the ones to hit.

  16. No mourning of the loss of the International Market Place from me. It has been a mere shadow of its former self since the 1980's, maybe earlier. Gone were the cool clubs and restaurants and gone was anything Hawaiian. All the trinkets and "souvenirs" that were being sold were from China, Indonesia and the Philippines, nothing Hawaiian.

     

    There are still plenty of souvenir shops in Waikiki, including the aforementioned Duke's Lane, but Long's at Ala Moana will have a larger selection in one area.

     

    And while Hilo Hattie's is in some respects the ultimate in touristy, at least it is locally owned and operated.

     

    I look forward to what comes out of the new IMP and all the good that the proceeds will do for the people of Hawaii.

  17. We stayed at the Ohana East, next door to the Sheraton. It was an older hotel, but it was clean, and we thought the location was perfect. I watched rates for several hotels for a couple of months, starting about 8 months before our cruise and booked when the rates were low (I believe we paid around $109 per night in 2012), then watched them climb to >$200/night as we got closer to sailing.

     

    There are many nice and pricey hotels in Waikiki, but also less expensive options if you don't have to be right on the beach.

     

    nbist, you have the wrong Sheraton. The Sheraton next to the Ohana is the Princess Kaiulani, I believe the OP is talking about the Sheraton Waikiki.

     

    Personally I find the Sheraton Waikiki a generally awful hotel. It is way too big, way too crowded, slow elevators and doesn't feel especially Hawaiian.

     

    I'd look at both the Outrigger Hotels (Reef & Waikiki Beach), Hyatt Regency, The Waikiki Parc Hotel and for giggles price out the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider.

     

    Off the beach, but nice places are the Holiday Inn Beachcomber and Hilton Waikiki Beach, but there are many, many nice places at relatively lower costs.

     

    What is your budget?

  18. Honolulu consistently has some of the worst COMMUTER traffic in the U.S., but that traffic is coming from Ewa of Punchbowl to Pearl Harbor, Downtown and Waikiki. I can't imagine how it would effect the short drive from the cruise terminal to Punchbowl.

     

    You might look at Helena's Hawaiian Food for lunch after Punchbowl. They have some of the best local food around.

  19. For good food I'd either walk into Little Italy or jump on the trolley that is pretty much in front of the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

     

    In Little Italy you have Italian at La Villa, Bencotto, Buon Apetito and Davanti Enoteca, for non-Italian look at Prepkitchen, Underbelly, Indigo Grill, Craft & Commerce and Puerto La Boca.

     

    For other sites with good advice on food I'd skip Yelp and TripAdvisor and look at Chowhound and Eater San Diego for the "essential 38".

     

    Right next to the Grand Hyatt is a new complex called The Headquarters (former police headquarters) with Mario Batali's Mozza and a few other spots, but most are still getting their legs under them.

     

    http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2014/01/07/updating-the-38-essential-san-diego-restaurants-jan-13.php

  20. Frankly I would fly from SFO or OAK to Long Beach (LGB) on Jet Blue. If you are flexible a little on the day, you should be able to get $88 each. I know it costs more than the Megabus, but 1 hour flight vs 8-10 hour bus ride.......

     

    You can also check Southwest Airlines to LAX or SNA.

  21. It may be too cold for locals in December to lie by the pool, in So Cal where we have on down coats when it gets under 55°l, but for someone from a cold environment, it might feel okay. For hotels in the Gaslamp with nice pools, look at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and Hilton Bayfront. You also might consider the Coronado Marriott.

     

    If you really want warm, look at the CA desert like Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage or the Scottsdale/Phoenix area.

  22. yes, I meant Coronado...silly me! Plus, didn't even know it wasn't an island -- only because I took the ferry over, I guess.

    And....the Wild Animal Park is no longer called that? Boy, I am have been stuck up north for too long! :eek:

     

    S'okay it IS called Coronado Island as it once was an island, but now is a peninsula.

     

    For the OP who hasn't gone on the cruise yet, I'd look at La Pensione in Little Italy, very near the cruise port, for a great budget place to stay.

     

    And yes, I'd rent a car the whole time, it makes life so much easier getting anyplace. There are car rental places near the cruise port, but since the airport is very close (about 2 miles) you might find more selection there. Off hand I think there is an Avis in Little Italy and an Enterprise near, maybe in the Wyndham Hotel.

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