Lets talk Hawai'i (for poors)

[RPM 26321]

49 under my belt, 1 to go. Arizona Memorial is a must, poi is not. A drunken luau that involves poi is acceptable (and lets be honest, expected). I know nothing about the islands and don't want to stay in a cookie cutter tourist joint. Surly, gimme what ya got.

[CoTex 1160]

Find the cheapest vrbo you can either in poipu or near hanalei on Kauai and go fuck off for a while.

Learn to eat a plate lunch

https://www.parrishkauai.com/103260/plate-lunch-kauai/

Skip the expensive ass Hinano or cocktails and just drink cheap rum or whiskey.

Skip the Arizona.  Skip the helicopter ride.
 

If you want to impress your friends buy a Cartier watch.  
 

If you want a cool experience, do Kauai on the super cheap.  Beaches, hiking and drinking is the way to go.

 

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

Kauai is the nuts.  Hamura Saiman Stand will set the tone after you get off the plane in Lihue.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

I know that I have said this on other threads, but we always go to the island Costco for proteins, be it local fish or some frozen proteins (read: steak), and then hit the daily farmer's markets for veggies or salads while we tourist around.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

We have never found better calamari than what Duke's serves.  The Kauai store by the Marriot near the airport is a great way to enjoy life before getting on the plane, but we've also been to their stores on other islands and in California.  Never a miss.

[Zepol87 9186]

Following and have no advice. Only been twice and been hammered ass drink each time but I mom wants to go next year

[jimmyjazz 45953]

If you go to Maui, there's a Sheraton a few miles north of Lahaina (which is probably wrecked at this point) that is less costly than the surrounding hotels but also has the best beach.  That's all I got.

[wild_turkey 3159]

If you go to Maui, there's a Sheraton a few miles north of Lahaina (which is probably wrecked at this point) that is less costly than the surrounding hotels but also has the best beach.  That's all I got.

Stayed there for our honeymoon 19 years ago. I remember liking it but I’m not keen on big resorts these days. Seems like it would still be a good option for someone looking for that.

[South Austin 52504]

I lived on O'ahu as a kid for three years (1976-1979) when my dad was stationed there.  Got stung by a Portuguese man o'war.  My parents drove some piece of shit car that backfired every time they pulled it into the carport.  I vaguely remember liking poi. 

That's all I got, and I hope it was helpful.

[wild_turkey 3159]

Skip the helicopter ride.

I’m going to have to strongly disagree with that. A helicopter ride in Kauai is pretty damn cool and allows you to see things you wouldn’t otherwise see.

[hookem2010 2624]

I did a week on Kauai for my honeymoon in 2018. I fell more into the poors classification, although we stretched it for our honeymoon. Stayed at the Sheraton Kauai, so don't have much of a recommendation for lodging outside of a resort. It was close to Poipu Beach, which got crowded, but was pretty good for snorkeling.

Fish express near the airport is a great place for poke. As others have mentioned, a lot of the Kauai stuff can be cheap, as it's mostly nature stuff you can do on your own without significant cost. Waimea Canyon is beautiful. You can drive up past that to do some hiking along ridgelines overlooking Pihea Valley. If you're real adventurous, you can continue into the Alaka'i Swamp and try to find some native birds that will probably be extinct soon.

We didn't get to do the Na Pali Coast hike, because crazy floods hit right as we arrived and fucked anything past Hanalei, but they look amazing. I'm sure Hanalei is more stunning when not shrouded by rain clouds and devastated by flood waters. The Kilauea Point Lighthouse is a cool overlook with a large seabird colony and the famous Hawaiian Geese. The rum distillery near the airport was cool to check out as well.

All the more expensive stuff (helicopter ride, fancy dinners, all-inclusive resort, horseback ride, zipline) are things I wouldn't have included if I was planning a trip solely for myself.

[hookem2010 2624]

13 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

 

I’m going to have to strongly disagree with that. A helicopter ride in Kauai is pretty damn cool and allows you to see things you wouldn’t otherwise see.

 

The helicopter ride is pretty cool. It does kind of suck that they're such a constant presence though.

[Baboontyme 2812]

If you insist on seeing the Arizona, do not spend more than one night in Honolululu/Waikiki. You will hate it. Also visit the memorial early as the trade winds pick up in the PM and sometimes they shut down the ferry that takes you out there. Best bet might be to book your return flight through HNL later in the day and book an inter island flight from wherever you're spending your week into Honolulu that morning. They're cheap, like $50. 

[Baboontyme 2812]

Oh, and here is a great tip for flying there cheap. Wait for an elevated sign up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card (75k points). Sign up, meet the spending limit, send a referral to your SO, get the points for that referral, and then have them meet the spending limit. You can easily find SW flights from PHX, LA or other WC cities in the 30k rapid rewards miles range on southwest.com and you can transfer your points over from Chase. Easy peasy. 

[BabaYaga 15298]

Just got back from Maui and Oahu last night.  LATE last night.  Fuck you AA and your short-staffed planes and fuck you Texas weather.

Anyway, lots of hotel options.  The issue is proximity to the beach and other places.  The two places we stayed had an outdoor grilling section with gas grills, so I did that a bunch.  Saved a ton of money.  Food is expensive there, but there are lots of smaller places to eat.  Get recommendations from the locals if you can.  Fuck the canned Luau's.  Giant waste of time.  Buy liquor/beer at the store and bring it to the hotel/resort.  I realized this early after a few $10 beers.  If you have snorkel gear, pack it.  We used ours quite a bit.  Places we stayed also had laundry machines on site, so I was able to pack light. 

On Maui, we drive up to the top of the Haleakala National Park.  It's the windiest road I've ever driven.  You go up 10k feet, through the clouds, then from the top of the crater are looking down at them.  Big observatory up there as well.  $30/car to get in.  Worth the trip.  If you into hiking, there are quite a few options up there, but that altitude can get you, so be careful.  It's also windy and colder being that high up, so pack a light jacket.

Hit the Arizona memorial again.  Obviously it's a must see.  If you have time, the Bowfin (submarine) is next door.  You can tour the inside, but be warned, it's unbelievably tight moving around in there.  Not like the movies.  There are two walk-through museums you'll want to hit as well.  We had a tour guide that drive us to the memorial that was pretty amazing.  I know a lot about what happened and came away impressed with how much he knew.  If you are a reader, try "At Dawn we Slept".  Great book about what happened. 

As the older sailors that served on the ships pass, most are being cremated and Navy divers place their urns in the sunken ships so they can rest with their fallen crewmen.  The last survivor of the Arizona passed last year.  He was 102 and the island had a huge parade for him before he passed.  Guy in line was wearing a Navy hat and said his dad served on the Oklahoma and survived the attack.  Pretty cool guy.  

[BabaYaga 15298]

And I hear the Axis hunting is out of bounds on some of the islands like Molokai & Lanai.  It's bow only, and they are twitchy and they can get, but I hear it's an amazing experience.  On Lanai they HAVE to hunt them.  The herd is up to 30K +/- on 90K acres, with zero natural predators.  

[Carl Spackler 3483]

Did Kauai 17+ years ago, so my info is obviously dated, but Wailua Falls was cool and Ke'e Beach just before the Na'Pali coast was outstanding.  Weather/clouds prevented us from exploring Weimea Canyon -- our one big regret.  I also agree with wild turkey in his post above that a copter tour of the Na Pali Coast is worth it.  I would do that again or perhaps a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast or both.  Macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup at Kountry Kitchen in Kapa'a for breakfast FTW.

The wife and I hit the Big Island last month.  Mauna Kea is awesome.  Rent a 4WD vehicle so that you can go all the way to the top.  Just make sure to acclimatize for a while at the visitor's center before doing so.  Other highlights include Wai'ipo Valley.  Do the tour that take you down to the valley floor.  It's a bit like going back in time.  Hiked to the green sand beach near the southernmost point of the island (and the entire U.S.) -- one of only 4 such beaches in the world.  Volcanoes NP was cool, esp. near Kilauea crater and the drive down to the coast.  Just wish we could have seen lava flow.  Kaaloa's Super J's in Captain Cook for great down-home plate lunches.  Try the lau lau pork.   

 

[bluto 4929]

There are “revealed” books for each island (ie Maui Revealed) that I’ve found very solid and used on Kauai Maui and Oahu. Being a real cheap ass you can maybe find them at your local library. If you stay in a non hi rise be prepared for the roosters/birds crowing at ungodly hours in the morning. 

[Carl Spackler 3483]

43 minutes ago, bluto said:

If you stay in a non hi rise be prepared for the roosters/birds crowing at ungodly hours in the morning. 

Yep -- stayed at a place we found on VRBO or AirBnb when we went to Kauai, and those roosters were the spawn of Satan with their crowing at 3 a.m.  Didn't have any issues recently on the Big Island, though.

[VABuckeye 2472]

Eat food truck food.  You won’t be dissatisfied. 

[Paco 1934]

Skip the Arizona.
 

Fuck off. It's a pilgrimage, motherfucker.

[shakahorn 1645]

23 minutes ago, Paco said:

 

 

Fuck off. It's a pilgrimage, motherfucker.

 

And it's cheap.  Helicopter rides not cheap.  Lanai not cheap.

[6th Street 6403]

Spent last week on the Big Island with the fam. That black sand beach on the southern coast Punualu'u Beach was sick. Put on the snorkel and bam, sea turtles everywhere. If you look closely you can even see Tom Herman there nesting on the beach. 

 

[Sam Lin 3559]

 

13 hours ago, 6th Street said:

Put on the snorkel and bam, sea turtles everywhere. 

 

Tell me more about this magic snorkel that makes turtles appear on the beach.

[6th Street 6403]

Lol they were super close in the water like 10-20 feet out in the AM.  Water was cold but they were everywhere - one even bumped into my leg.  As the sun came out they slowly moved out of the water and onto the beach in that protected area. 

[RPM 26321]

Well this doesn't look good.

Amid theft concerns, HPD urges beachgoers to bring valuables into the water with them

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you are planning to go into the ocean, HPD has a message: Don’t leave your valuables unattended on the beach.

Instead, the agency said, put them in a waterproof bag and take them with you into the water.

HPD shared the message on its Instagram page Saturday morning.

The recommendation caught some residents and visitors off guard.

“To take a waterproof bag in the water, that’s obnoxious to me,” said one Waikiki beachgoer.

“I think it’s crazy. There’s no way I would put my stuff in the water with me,” said another beachgoer.

But some Waikiki beach boys say theft on beaches is rising.

“It is a real problem. It’s been getting worse. There’s more and more every week, especially with summer out of school,” said one beach boy.

At a Waikiki Neighborhood Board meeting in April, HPD reported more than 160 thefts in the area that month.

“You can never be too safe. If you have to take an extra precaution, it’s too easy to do so,” said a beachgoer.

“I don’t think it’s over the top. If you’re out for the day and taking all your cash and phones, you do have to be careful,” said another.

HNN found waterproof phone cases at the nearby ABC stores that were selling for $19.99.

[Carl Spackler 3483]

On 6/4/2024 at 8:27 PM, 6th Street said:

Spent last week on the Big Island with the fam. That black sand beach on the southern coast Punualu'u Beach was sick. Put on the snorkel and bam, sea turtles everywhere. If you look closely you can even see Tom Herman there nesting on the beach. 

 

The wife and I drove down there after returning from the hike to the green sand beach.  It was pretty late in the day, so we were at Punualu'u for only about 30 minutes before we had to leave to drive back to the condo.  But there were two turtles on the sand.  That was pretty cool.

[jimmyjazz 45953]

Here's an idea:  install lockers that can be rented by the hour or day.  You know, like every amusement park in the country.

[Billy Pilgrim 1963]

2 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

The wife and I drove down there after returning from the hike to the green sand beach.  It was pretty late in the day, so we were at Punualu'u for only about 30 minutes before we had to leave to drive back to the condo.  But there were two turtles on the sand.  That was pretty cool.

I thought the green sand beach was prettier. Just pay some guy in a beat up 4x4 to drive you down to it so you don’t waste time hiking down. Its worth it when you get there.

Oahu is more than Waikiki. There’s plenty to see and do there. North Shore and Lanikai are some of my favorite places on earth. I feel like you can do Oahu cheaper than Maui.

[Orale 1087]

9 hours ago, RPM said:

Well this doesn't look good.

Amid theft concerns, HPD urges beachgoers to bring valuables into the water with them

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you are planning to go into the ocean, HPD has a message: Don’t leave your valuables unattended on the beach.

Instead, the agency said, put them in a waterproof bag and take them with you into the water.

HPD shared the message on its Instagram page Saturday morning.

The recommendation caught some residents and visitors off guard.

“To take a waterproof bag in the water, that’s obnoxious to me,” said one Waikiki beachgoer.

“I think it’s crazy. There’s no way I would put my stuff in the water with me,” said another beachgoer.

But some Waikiki beach boys say theft on beaches is rising.

“It is a real problem. It’s been getting worse. There’s more and more every week, especially with summer out of school,” said one beach boy.

At a Waikiki Neighborhood Board meeting in April, HPD reported more than 160 thefts in the area that month.

“You can never be too safe. If you have to take an extra precaution, it’s too easy to do so,” said a beachgoer.

“I don’t think it’s over the top. If you’re out for the day and taking all your cash and phones, you do have to be careful,” said another.

HNN found waterproof phone cases at the nearby ABC stores that were selling for $19.99.

This is just Waikiki. There's little to no risk of theft on the Windward and North Shore beaches.

[UpperWestside 6163]

On 6/12/2024 at 9:39 PM, Orale said:

This is just Waikiki. There's little to no risk of theft on the Windward and North Shore beaches.

I was there about three years ago and had no issue leaving my stuff out on the North Shore.  I got about seven months left here before moving to Honolulu. Definitely want to spend much more time up there.

[Hank_Hill 18807]

On 6/12/2024 at 5:38 AM, RPM said:

Well this doesn't look good.

Amid theft concerns, HPD urges beachgoers to bring valuables into the water with them

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you are planning to go into the ocean, HPD has a message: Don’t leave your valuables unattended on the beach.

Instead, the agency said, put them in a waterproof bag and take them with you into the water.

HPD shared the message on its Instagram page Saturday morning.

The recommendation caught some residents and visitors off guard.

“To take a waterproof bag in the water, that’s obnoxious to me,” said one Waikiki beachgoer.

“I think it’s crazy. There’s no way I would put my stuff in the water with me,” said another beachgoer.

But some Waikiki beach boys say theft on beaches is rising.

“It is a real problem. It’s been getting worse. There’s more and more every week, especially with summer out of school,” said one beach boy.

At a Waikiki Neighborhood Board meeting in April, HPD reported more than 160 thefts in the area that month.

“You can never be too safe. If you have to take an extra precaution, it’s too easy to do so,” said a beachgoer.

“I don’t think it’s over the top. If you’re out for the day and taking all your cash and phones, you do have to be careful,” said another.

HNN found waterproof phone cases at the nearby ABC stores that were selling for $19.99.

Just don’t go to the beach in Waikiki. I like it there because I live on Maui and need city shit and people sometimes but as a tourist trying to Hawaii I would fucking hate it.

[Hank_Hill 18807]

On 6/3/2024 at 9:02 PM, jimmyjazz said:

If you go to Maui, there's a Sheraton a few miles north of Lahaina (which is probably wrecked at this point) that is less costly than the surrounding hotels but also has the best beach.  That's all I got.

Point of contention but Makena is the best beach on the island(on the days when shore break won’t kill you) it’s Kaanapali without the hotels. But yea that Sheraton is rad, the bar at the pool validates my parking regularly. 

Edited June 14 by Hank_Hill

[jimmyjazz 45953]

1 hour ago, Hank_Hill said:

Point of contention but Makena is the best beach on the island(on the days when shore break won’t kill you) it’s Kaanapali without the hotels. But yea that Sheraton is rad, the bar at the pool validates my parking regularly. 

Sorry, I didn't phrase that very well.  I was only referring to the small stretch between the Hyatt north of Lahaina and that Sheraton.  We stayed at that Hyatt, which is a nice hotel, but the beach was smaller and rockier.  Walking up to the Sheraton (a little over a mile) it seemed the beaches got progressively larger and sandier.  

[BonzoMontreaux 1038]

7 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

Point of contention but Makena is the best beach on the island(on the days when shore break won’t kill you) it’s Kaanapali without the hotels. But yea that Sheraton is rad, the bar at the pool validates my parking regularly. 

I still crack up thinking about trying to get out of the water there.  Basically, I had to body surf on to the sand.  Ended up with half the beach in my trunks... and that sand gets and stays everywhere. 

[Hank_Hill 18807]

1 hour ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

I still crack up thinking about trying to get out of the water there.  Basically, I had to body surf on to the sand.  Ended up with half the beach in my trunks... and that sand gets and stays everywhere. 

Can always go to the beach on the other side of the cliff where they don’t wear trunks. And by they I mean primarily old gay men.