1. Hotel: We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in Waikiki. This hotel is centered in Waikiki within walking distance to every beach in Waikiki and all the major shopping centers. Plus there are plenty of great places to eat within a 5 to 10 minute walk. The rooms are small, but shower has good water pressure, the bed was comfortable and the room was clean. We had a nice balcony that we would sit on in the morning to enjoy coffee and breakfast. The pool area was like a private oasis. It was shaded by palm trees and had plenty of seating. It was a great place to go after the beach when you still wanted to be outside, but didn't want the direct sunlight and crowds of the beach. This is an affordable hotel and we loved our stay.
2. Air Travel: I was really worried about flying to Hawaii. In total you will be on a plane around 8+ hours. So, I recommend flying with a major airline like United, Delta, American, or Southwest. They are going to be much better than the cheap airlines. We flew with United. We liked the planes and the staff, but the app is a little confusing. When I checked-in the night before our flight home we discovered that we had not assigned Jenny a seat. And there were no seats next to me to choose, so I ended up have to upgrade to Plus seating. And even then on the flight from Hawaii to Denver the best I could do was get her a seat right behind me. This mistake did cost us an extra $270. We also paid the baggage fee twice. But luckily when I called customer service they were nice enough to reimburse this extra fee. And when leaving Hawaii get to the airport a little earlier, so you can check out the botanica garden at the airport. It's really cool. And I recommend wearing compression socks when flying.
3. Transportation: I do recommend getting a rental car for at least part of the trip. We had ours for 2 days. Because parking is expensive and parking spaces are small don't get anything too big. We got a Chevy Camero Convertible and it was perfect for driving around the island. But once you've had a chance to drive around the island return your rental car and focus the rest of the trip in Waikiki where you can walk anywhere you need.
4. Places to Drive: Here are the places and sites you will want to be able to drive to while in Oahu, Hawaii. I highly recommend the Byodo-In Temple. It is a beautiful and peaceful site located in the back of a cemetery that has grave markers from different religions. Plan to spend about an hour there. Drive along the coast line on the HI-83. You will see plenty of beaches and mountains and you'll be able to pull off to take pictures. Next you'll want to visit Waimea Valley and hike along the paved trail to the waterfall. You'll see many beautiful plants and landscapes. This is an easy hike anyone can do. You should plan to spend 2 hours there, but could do longer if you want. Then you'll want to drive to the North Shore and the town if Halwwia. This is a surfer town with shops and restaurants and food trucks. Walk along the street and enjoy this tourist town. Get a shave ice at Matsumoto Shave Ice. Plan for 2 to 3 hours. Finally make your way to the Dole Plantation and try an authentic Pineapple Whip. The grounds are beautiful and the gift shop has lots to choose. I'd say plan on an hour. Other places I'd recommend driving to is the Halona Blowhole Lookout and the Amelia Earhart Marker. Both are great places to stop and take pictures. This will also take you around Diamond Head. Along this route you will get plenty of chances to see beautiful beaches, mountains, and the ocean. Diamond Head is also very popular to hike, bur we are much for hiking and decided to pass.
5. Pearl Harbor: Pearl Harbor is a must do. It is a sobering place that will stir a lot of emotions. I recommend going as part of a small tour. We were with 2 other couples in a luxury van. Our tour guide picked us up at the hotel and took us to Pearl Harbor. Along the way he pointed out historical sites. After Pearl Harbor our tour driver took us around Honolulu showing us more historical sites and stories behind them. We also went into the Punch Bowl Crater which is a memorial site for soldiers. Please remember to tip your driver at the end.
6. Luau: Some research we did said a Luau was too expensive and too touristy. We went to the Luau at Paradise Cove and loved it. It was worth every penny. The food was very good especially the roasted pork. The show was beautiful, exciting, and fun. Unlike some other laua I saw and researched Paradise Cove felt more real and not like a tourist trap. The entire area was next to the ocean and it felt like a private island. There were activities, shows, and a gift shop. I think if you are going to Hawaii for the first time you must do a Luau and I highly recommend Paradise Cove.
7. Restaurants in Waikiki: Leonard's Bakery for malasadas (Portuguese donuts), Donut King for more traditional donuts (super good). Marugame Udon for a truly authentic udon made on-site experience, but know it is always busy. For a more upscale experience in dining consider Duke's Restaurant, but pass on the salad bar. If you want to try a few different places at one location check out the food court at the Royal Hawaiian Center. It's an upscale shopping center and the food court has some really good choices like L&L Hawaiian, 206 BCE, and Poke Waikiki. Another place to get food especially for lunch you can bring to the beach are the ABC Stores. They are on every corner and a good place to find souvenirs and other things you might need like sunscreen. We got Shave Ice at 4 locations in Hawaii. 1 at the North Shore and then 3 more in Waikiki. And all 4 were different. I do recommend Ice Monster and Lahaina Shave Ice in Waikiki. Both different and awesome.
8. Shopping: First, when you get to Hawaii go to Walmart. Get some bottle water, snacks, and a couple of folding chairs that you can use on the beach. We found chairs for only $11 and on our last day we gave them away to some people on the beach. Now for some more fun shopping check out the 2 main open air shopping centers in Waikiki: the International Marketplace and the Royal Hawaiian Center. You'll also want to check out Duke's Marketplace. It's down a little alley filled with stalls of shops that have all kinds of Hawaiian souvenirs and wears. What's great about Waikiki shopping is there are places that have more moderate priced items and high end stores too.
9. Beaches: There are beaches all around Oahu, but we stuck to the beaches in Waikiki. While driving we stopped and took pictures of some beaches. From our hotel we were able to walk in less than 10 minutes to 3 different beaches in Waikiki. Waikiki has 2 miles of beaches and they are all a little different. The first we went to was the beach on the Fort DeRussy Boardwalk behind the Hawaii Army Museum. It is less crowded and very close to the ocean. There are also picnic tables behind the beach. The beach is a little more rocky especially in the water. Next we went to the actual Fort DeRussy Beach a little further down closer to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. This is a larger beach area with soft white sands. The water is clear and the sand is clear of rocks. The water is mostly calm for the ocean. It is a busy beach with lots of people, but we were able to find a spot with no trouble and had more than enough room. We saw an amazing sunset on this beach. This is also a great beach to be on Friday night to watch a free fireworks show. The last beach we went to was Kuhio Beach. This beach is cool because the water here gets more waves, so you'll see a lot of surfers. The water is more active with more waves making it lots of fun. The beach is busy, but again we had no trouble finding a spot.
10. What to Avoid: The Honolulu Zoo was very small and how it was set up we weren't able to see a lot of animals. It's not a bad zoo, but there are better. Don't waste a lot of money on alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are very expensive and they aren't any better than what you can get at any other bar. We didn't drink a lot, but looking back I wished we'd just saved our money considering the expense.
11. Misc: Expect to do a lot of walking, but take your time. Things do move slower. What I found interesting about the other tourists there is how happy and laid back everyone was during our visit. Everyone just seems to be having a good time. Make sure you have cash as some places don't take cards and you'll need it for tips. If you are just going to visit Oahu I would plan on spending at least 5 to 6 nights. We stayed 6 nights and it was the perfect amount. If you want to visit other islands you'll want to add at least 3 to 4 more nights. Also don't sleep in or stay up too late. Go to bed at a reasonable time and get up early. So much to do and see don't waste the daylight.
12. Budget: Whatever you spend on the hotel and airfare plan and spending that much when you get to Hawaii. Then add an extra $1000 just in case. Hawaii is not cheap, but it is worth it.
