- Pearl Harbour/USS Missouri
- Waikiki Beach
- Hire a convertible to drive around the island
- Diamond Head
- Shopping
There are many other activities that I have not mentioned on my top 5 things. Please refer to the activities tab to see a complete list of my suggestions.
Hawai'i Holiday Hints by Deb 
Hey Deb
What a neat site. Makes me want ot go out tomorrow and book a trip.
You should look for a good deal. I didn’t go to all this effort to make people not want to go!
Hey Deb,
Just reading your blog, it looks great!
When is the best time to go to Hawaii?
I’ll need to keep an eye out for cheap flights. It’d be so nice to experience Hawaii.
Cheers,
Lena
Hey
August is the best time to go. I would def look around for a deal in this particular month. November gets a bit rainy. Jan is quite a good time too.
Cheers
Deb
Hi Deb,
Stumbled onto your blog from trip advisor and very grateful you have taken the time to document all your travel experiences and tips! My fiance and I are thinking of going there for our honeymoon and wondered whether you could recommend any accommodation, activites etc… bearing in mind the exchange rate! We are kiwis…. but don’t hold that against us!!!!
Thanks H
Hey Deb,
I came across your website , while surfing on the net for Hawaii.! I am in my early 40’s single. Decided to treat myself to a trip to Hawaii. Flying from Canada. I will be going down for 7 days to Oahu and staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Ist trip that I have taken alone and 1st trip in 10 year. I am going in October. Thanks for your tip on transportation. I really wanted to do the Diamond Head , Go to Zoo. sip Mai Tai at Royal Hawaiian , cheese cake factory and Luas. Does the trolley get you to these places?Can the trolley get you from one hotel to another? I am not into renting a car or going on a Bus
Thanks
MJJ
Hi MJJ
Thanks for your email. You will have a great time. It might be worth while booking a few tours as they are very cheap on the island. Having said that, most people that come from mainland USA say that Hawaii is expensive. My view is that it is very cheap as coming from Australia it is cheap in comparison. So I am not sure how it will fair with Canada. I have only been to Quebec City and that was very expensive.
Anyway there are few different coloured trolleys that you can catch. One is the Redline, Blueline, Yellowline and the Pink one. These are only free if you are staying at a hotel that supports them. Otherwise they are still very cheap regardless. Otherwise they have other trolleys available that you can catch which should get you about town quite well. I think the hotel you are staying at may offer the same deal as the Ohana hotels. I love the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Its great. It has a Starbucks, Restaurants, shops, hawaiian cookie company and the free fireworks. All the things you mentioned are great and you will really enjoy it. Just wandering around will be worth it. It would be great if you could make it out to Pearl Harbor etc. Perhaps this is a tour you could do.
Let me know if you need any assistance. Have a great trip.
Cheers
Deb
Thanks very muh for your response! Can you tell me about what time it starts to get dark , in Honulou
Depends on what time of month you go, but sunset should be around 6pm Honolulu time. Go to http://www.weather.com and look for a “monthly average” tab and it should tell the sunrise,sunset and average temps.
I’ ve been there solo for about 6 times now. The only time I don’t like being there by myself is in the evening, because I don’t like dining or drinking by myself, but I’ve gotten around that by eating where there is entertainment, then I don’t feel lonely.
Thanks for posting on my blog….I just got back last week and took note of the time it starts to get dark and it averaged around 6.30pm for this time of the year. Your right a lot of people don’t like going out by themselves but having said that if you stick to the Waikiki area in the main parts from a safety and people watching/shopping point of view it is great..
Cheers
Deb
Thank Very much for the informaiton, tips . Looking forward to the Trip
I hope you have a great time and a safe trip…please make sure you post your experience on my blog…..
Cheers
Deb
Hi Deb:
My husband and I have just returned from Oahu and taking a cruise around the islands, and had a wonderful time. We found your hints very helpful and were very happy staying at the Beachcomber hotel as it is so central. Took your advice on eating out and picking up coffees and lunch at Coco Cove. There is so much to do around the Waikiki area, we didn’t have enough time to see everything and will have to go back. Many thanks for taking the time to create a great site, providing your insights.
Hi
Thanks heaps for your feedback. I am glad that my blog has assisted you in your travels. Just reading your comments makes me want to go there NOW lol. I have booked another trip for Christmas time to the USA with a nice rest in Honolulu on the way back to Australia. Please feel free to share my blog with friends who may want information on Waikiki. Many thanks.
Deb
Hi Deb,
Wow what a great blog. We are leaving for Hawaii in 6 days and this information you have provided is so valid for us – especially as we are Australian’s too so we could relate to everything you said.
Can you tell me weather we need to go on a ‘tour’ to places like Pearl Harbour or can we just catch a bus ? We are only there for 6 nights and had hoped to squeeze in a Luau and maybe a the Magic of Polynesia Dinner and show …… what are your thoughts ?
We are staying at the Hyatt Regency – not too sure how far that is from the Moana Shopping Centre ?
thanks
Donna
Hi Donna
Thanks for your email. Im jealous!!!In answer to your question regarding Pearl Harbour you can get public transport to and from Waikiki. I would either recommend catching the bus which is cheap or hiring a car so its more convenient. It doesnt cost anything to enter Pearl Harbour but I would suggest getting there early to avoid waiting in the queue which can be up to 2hrs depending on the time of year. Its great to see though so a must!!
You can walk to the Ala Moana Shopping centre from your Hotel and is a decent walk. Probably about half hour. I did this everyday as it was something that I did for exercise! You can get the pink trolley back for $2 if you like.
If you are into Luau type things by all means do one. They are not my thing but I can see why people do Them. For the experience obviously. I would recommend hiring a convertible for the day with a sat nav and driving up the coast to the North Shore and coming back down through Pearl City. You could stop at the Pineapple Plantation on your way around.
I love Hawaii and I am planning on going back in October hopefully even though I have recently been there lol. Have a great trip. You will love the shopping it is fantastic. Pack light as you will bring heaps back.
Cheers. Deb
Hi Deb,
Do you just need a normal license (NSW) to hire a car in Hawaii ?
Is Hertz a good place to hire the Mustang or would you suggest somewhere else ?
Cheers
Donna
Hi Donna
I would book at least a month in advance. We arrived on one of our trips and thought we would book when we got there. Big mistake we had to ring around heaps of places and then we could not get a convertible we had to settle for a four door. Hertz is fine but I think from memory on one of my pages I suggest a broker and they source the cheapest car place. We got a convertible for around $55 for the day through a broker. If I can think of the website I will let you know. Cheers. Deb
Hi Donna
Have a look on the transport tab. It has a link to a carhire place. Cheers Deb
Deb we are leaving for Hawaii in 6 weeks and I am so glad to have found your blog. I am printing it and it will be my bible xxx
Hi glad it will help you. I was there in October again. Just email me if you need anything. Cheers. Deb
Deb this is good stuff! We are going to Oahu and Big Island in July with our kids 23 and 20, Every question I need answered I have found here. Thanks for all this info. You are so good to share your knowledge.
I am glad it is still being used by others!! I have booked another trip there for thanksgiving and will certainly include this experience in my blog. Goodluck and enjoy your trip! Regards. Deb