Travel Guide for O'ahu

[IleneF]

We are preparing to go in May to Aulani. Finding it difficult to get a grasp of the many different things to know. I hope it's OK if I ask some questions of those that have been.
1. Rental cars - where and what is a good rate for 11 days?
2. Luau's - which one is the best for an authentic experience!
3. Waterfall hikes - where?
4. Best places to eat outside the resort?
5. Go Oahu card worth it?
6. Costco membership for 30% off some tours worth it?

Thanks for any tips you can provide. I understand DVC members can park free at the resort, can someone confirm.

[disykat]

Originally Posted by disneypofq05

We're going to Hawaii in July and are planning to due the Polynesian Cultural Center. Have you done the Circle Island Tour as part of the package? We can't decide if we should do it or not. Thanks for any info!

If you're doing tours, I'd price it out. For us, it made much more sense to rent a car.

[aclov]

Originally Posted by IleneF

We are preparing to go in May to Aulani. Finding it difficult to get a grasp of the many different things to know. I hope it's OK if I ask some questions of those that have been.
1. Rental cars - where and what is a good rate for 11 days?
2. Luau's - which one is the best for an authentic experience!
3. Waterfall hikes - where?
4. Best places to eat outside the resort?
5. Go Oahu card worth it?
6. Costco membership for 30% off some tours worth it?

Thanks for any tips you can provide. I understand DVC members can park free at the resort, can someone confirm.

Have you checked out the DVC Resorts Forum...lots of info there

[grumpy & dopeys mom]

Originally Posted by IleneF

We are preparing to go in May to Aulani. Finding it difficult to get a grasp of the many different things to know. I hope it's OK if I ask some questions of those that have been.
1. Rental cars - where and what is a good rate for 11 days?
2. Luau's - which one is the best for an authentic experience!
3. Waterfall hikes - where?
4. Best places to eat outside the resort?
5. Go Oahu card worth it?
6. Costco membership for 30% off some tours worth it?

Thanks for any tips you can provide. I understand DVC members can park free at the resort, can someone confirm.

Aulani is way outside Waikiki. Although advertised just outside of Waikiki it is a 45 minute ride. Rental car rates vary based on size and when you want to rent. I recommend googling rental cars hawaii and try some of the agencies that come up. Try to talk with some of the locals for dining suggestions. The restaurants near your resort are mainly connected to the Marriott or Disney. Roy's is near the resort and very good. Costco membership for $$'s off tours would depend on tours. Some may be great others not worth it. Pearl Harbor is free well worth it. As said many times earlier go early in AM. Also go see Punch Bowl. Iolani Palace is another great tour. Not sure what is offered through Go Oahu.

[Paranoid Android]

We went two years ago for our 10 year anniversary. Best decision we made was to stay on the North shore. Waikiki was too busy for us and we were able to get an affordable home rental on Laie Point street right on the beach. Was cheaper than staying at a resort and we had the beach to ourselves most of the time.

For us we loved:
- Macadamian Nut farm. So fun and the tour is entertaining and cheap.
- Kualoa Ranch
-Rent a car and take the Tantalus drive
- Laie Point. My favorite spot in Oahu.
- The Banyan tree at Turtle Bay
- The shrimp trucks in particular Giovanni's
- Pearl harbor
- Lunch in Chinatown
- Aloha swap meet
- Haleiwa

[daughtersrus]

Originally Posted by nd5056

You know, as obsessed as this forum gets with any shows at WDW or Sea World, not many recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center. Perhaps because of the $$$.

To me it's the Heart & Soul of Hawaii, something that makes the trip memorable for years. just like the smell of flowers in the air...

.

It could also be because alcohol drinks are not served at the PCC. I know a lot of people want a real Mai Tai at a luau.

Make A Wish booked our trip and they chose the luau at Paradise Cove. Probably because of cost.

[gjl]

There is a difference between the luau part and the night show at the PCC...you don't have to go eat at the luau to go see the night show. You can get in to the PCC with your night show tickets and walk around for a while in the evening before the show and see the villages then go to the show. When we were stationed there we'd go to the PCC just for the night show and took our guests to the Paradise Cove Luau (by Aulani) if they wanted the whole luau experience. Even though we lived up on the hillside just to the east of Aulani (and could see it from our deck!), we would drive all the way around the island to the PCC night show, because we thought it was much better than the luau show at Paradise Cove.

[psimon]

If, instead of taking the island tour offered by the PCC, you were to put together an island tour of your own by car, where would you go and what would you see?

Has anyone done this? Do you have a list of places you went? How long a "tour" was it?

Many thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

[TnTWalter]

I have been researching a while. The hawaii forum on tripadvisor is very active.

when you say oahu maui and hawaii, i'm assuming you mean the big island. Most recommend at least a week just for the BI because its so 'big'. If you just want to concentrate in one area might be doable.

most would recommend 1-2 islands max. Count your nights not days. I'd consider oahu maui w kids, if summer oahu kauai.

fodors and frommers have online itineraries to give you a feel. Waydes world hawaii has oahu itineraries. Gohawaii and hawaiin airlines also.