BootsnAll Travel Community

I am heading to Oahu for a week at the end of the month. So far, I think my friend and I are going to check out Pearl Harbour, Diamond Head and do some random exploring by car. I think she has some ideas of some museums and the Polynesian Cultural Centre.

Other than our current ideas, do you have any suggestions for things we should go do/see while we're there?

Thanks!!

That's my home, Sky Annie! Give me some more ideas on what you like, and I'll give you a month's worth of "must sees."

The Hawai`i Theater is our restored art-deco theater downtown. There's a Taiko Drumming night there June 27. If you haven't seen a full Taiko show, then dress up and make a night of it!

Here's some good history of Waikiki - there is still a lot of mana there, hidden behind all the hotels.

Art After Dark at the Art Academy is always fun. The Museum stays open on a Friday night, and they have various special exhibits, as well as music and dancing in the courtyards. The June 27 theme is "Asian Sensation," while the dance floor will be entertained by an alt rock / Blondie cover band. It's multi-generational, so you get kids and kupuna dancing together.

The First Friday (July 4) Downtown Gallery Walk is another safe bet. The galleries stay open until 9pm, and there will be lots of free wine. It gets a bit trendy as the night goes on.

The PCC is, in my opinion, not very interesting. It is a bit kitschy, and presents a strange, idealized cartoon view of life in the islands. It is also exhausting - you will be outside walking in the sun all day. It's Mormon run, so there will be no stimulants to keep you going. Seriously. No coffee, and only caffeine free tea.

Pearl Harbor is a must. Go early, as you can't reserve a spot and you might end up waiting a long time for a boat over. It's surprisingly powerful.

Do you hike? If so, I'll have plenty of suggestions! Just let me know if you like it rough or easy.

There are calendars of events at Best Places and Alternative Hawaii. It's Bon Dance season, where the Japanese community gathers at the temples and performs dances to remember the ancestors. There are also Hula festivals going on, though these can be exhausting.

If you're a night owl the best modern Hawaiian music is after 10pm Thursday night at Chiko's. It's a gender-bending crowd ... traditional Hawaiian culture never segregated gay, straight, and transgender.

Sunset cocktails at the Moana Surfrider seaside courtyard are an affordable taste of old Hawaiian luxury. It's one of the few hotels in Waikiki that locals still go to - as well as the random minor European royalty - and the singers and dancers are among Hawaii's best. It's magic. In fact, if I hear you came to Hawaii and didn't stop here for a nibble or a drink I will be horribly disappointed.

Stop at Puu o Mahuka heiau on your circle-the-island drive.

Take a surf lesson! Don't go to one of the expensive schools (we're actually fighting to shut them down); just arrange a lesson with one of the Beach Boys on Waikiki Beach. Don't be intimidated at all; you're guaranteed to have a good time. You can arrange canoe rides also - they're really fun, and the big hunky Hawaiian guys do all the hard paddling.

My favorite free snorkeling sites are Kaimana / San Souci beach ( a short walk from Waikiki) and Three Tables / Shark's Cove on the North Shore. The second Saturday of each month Hanauma Bay stays open until 10pm. Pack a picnic and stay late. It's awesome. If you're brave, you can bring a waterproof flashlight and do a night snorkel.

If you want to be the only one on a beautiful beach then drive the 11-mile stretch between Waialua and Ka`ena Point. There will be plenty of spots to stop and claim as your own; even more if you're willing to walk a bit past the end of the road. If you want to watch hot boys and girls then head to Sandy's on the road to Waimanalo or to any of the North Shore beaches. If you want to work for your beach then rent a kayak and paddle out to the Moku Lua islets off of Kailua.

I guess this is a good start ...

I haven't been to Oahu in 15 years (YIKES), but when I was there last, I really enjoyed the North Coast; Waimea and Sunset Beach in particular.

I would still consider the Polynesian Cultural Center if you haven't been there before. Having grown up in Switzerland, I still think the outdoor Ballenberg 'Museum', depecting different parts of Switzerland and their customs is cheesy, and yet, any of my US friends, who have never seen it before, nor have anything to compare it with, all love it. I think the same goes for PCC; at least you'll get a feel of what the various Polynesian islands were like.

Thanks for the ideas.

Can you suggest a couple moderate hikes?

You people rock!

The state Na Ala Hele (trails) website seems to be down, but there are a lot of resources on the web if you google these:

Manoa Falls: Maybe 3 miles roundtrip. Jungle, a lot of the trail has a boardwalk over the muddy parts, nice falls at the end. The most popular one with tourists. In town (Honolulu backs right up to the mountains and rain forest).

Maunawili Falls: On the windward side, maybe a thirty minute drive. More jungle, one hill, can be very muddy. It's possible to swim at the end. Rare to see tourists here.

Kalawahine to Pauoa Flats to Nuuanu Overlook: Take a trail map for these, they're part of a network. You start off at elevation, so there's little climbing. You pass through a number of wet ecosystems to a stunning picnic spot a thousand feet over Nuuanu Valley.

Kaena Point: on the north shore. Coastal hike along undeveloped shoreline. The first two miles or so are along a beat up road that the local guys like to take their 4wd on, the last stretch is banned to all motor vehicles and has a lot of native plants and the islands' last intact dune ecosystem. Very hot - there's no shade! And can be spooky - the souls of the dead were said to travel this coast and then wait at the end for the spirits of their ancestors to come escort them to the next world.

Any of these can be done without a guide. There are some summit hikes that are fun if you want a work out, and many longer ones that are off the grid or take a fair amount of planning.

Bring water, though - dehydration is a bad thing!

We have so many trails that none ever get crowded, even on the weekends.

I second Hanauma Bay!

Thanks again for the input. It is always good to get perspective from locals or people who have gone before.

We arrive on Sunday night!!