Split stay advice

[surran12]

My family of 4 (DW, DS(13), DD(10)) will be going to Oahu in April. We have never been to Hawaii before and we were originally hoping for a split stay of Kauai and Oahu but inter island travel doesn’t seem smart to plan on currently. So now we will be staying in a 1 bedroom at Aulani our last 6 nights and I am looking for advice of where to stay for our first 4 nights.

Debating between Courtyard Oahu North Shore for ease of access to north shore beaches and sites and Waikiki, probably Royal Hawaiian.

We definitely want to see some of the Waikiki area sites(PH, Diamond Head, Palace) during our trip but mostly want to relax on the beach and swim in some waves and go on some hikes. Reading other travel boards there seems a lot of differing opinions if North Shore is swimmable mid-late April. I’d appreciate DISers views on this.

Also wondering how crowded Waikiki beach is in front of the hotels? Able to have some space around ourselves?

Thank you for your insights and advice!

 

[ldo]

I really like the Hilton HAwaiian Village. It's at the end of Waikiki, so walkable to things, but not as busy. Pools are fantastic. Be careful for N. Shore, which can have dangerous waves/surf. We have used HHV as a base to drvie around island, cut across the mountains to N. Shore, etc.

 

[floribr1]

Regarding island hopping - keep in mind that you can easily hop to Oahu from another island without issue. So if you start your Hawaiian vacation on another island, you can then go on to Oahu without needing a second test while you are there. We are travelling to Hawaii in May, and planning Maui as our first destination (6 nights), followed by Aulani on Oahu.

Just something to consider.

 

[surran12]

Regarding island hopping - keep in mind that you can easily hop to Oahu from another island without issue. So if you start your Hawaiian vacation on another island, you can then go on to Oahu without needing a second test while you are there. We are travelling to Hawaii in May, and planning Maui as our first destination (6 nights), followed by Aulani on Oahu.

Just something to consider.

Oh I didn’t realize that, I appreciate that info very much!
Just to help myself fully understand,

Currently we have a direct flight from Boston to Honolulu that lands 2:50pm with Hawaiian Air, so if I were to book a flight to Kauai or Maui with Hawaiian air say for 5 or 6pm for that-same day(never leave the airport just have a layover basically) we would be able to go to the First island just fine and 5 days later go on to Oahu with no issues?

 

[floribr1]

Oh I didn’t realize that, I appreciate that info very much!
Just to help myself fully understand,

Currently we have a direct flight from Boston to Honolulu that lands 2:50pm with Hawaiian Air, so if I were to book a flight to Kauai or Maui with Hawaiian air say for 5 or 6pm for that-same day(never leave the airport just have a layover basically) we would be able to go to the First island just fine and 5 days later go on to Oahu with no issues?

You need a negative Covid test when flying into Hawaii from the mainland, period. That requirement applies regardless of which island you are flying in to. However, anyone flying from one of the other Hawaiian islands in to Oahu does not need a second test. We are flying from New York (via Dallas) to Maui, i.e., Maui is our first stop in the Hawaiian islands. My understanding is that you will have no issues if you are simply transferring in the Honolulu airport to another flight (i.e., not staying overnight in Oahu). Here is the link to the State of Hawaii FAQ for Covid-19:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/
I found the information about transferring in HNL under the ARRIVAL Questions section..

 

[Daisy7425]

I'd recommend to stay at Aulani for all ten nights (if budget allows). The island isn't really all that big. We saw what we wanted in a few different afternoons.

Regarding swimming at the north shore: my sons were 9 and 7 at the time of our trip and we did not even consider letting them swim on the north shore. The waves were unbelievably big. We live on Lake Michigan and I thought I've seen waves....not even close. It was awe inspiring. Our youngest was not a strong enough swimmer and even I would not have swam through the currents/waves, etc as an adult. We went in January, so maybe the waves would be different in April.

 

[surran12]

Thanks

You need a negative Covid test when flying into Hawaii from the mainland, period. That requirement applies regardless of which island you are flying in to. However, anyone flying from one of the other Hawaiian islands in to Oahu does not need a second test. We are flying from New York (via Dallas) to Oahu, i.e., Oahu is our first stop in the Hawaiian islands. My understanding is that you will have no issues if you are simply transferring in the Honolulu airport to another flight (i.e., not staying overnight in Oahu). Here is the link to the State of Hawaii FAQ for Covid-19:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/
I found the information about transferring in HNL under the ARRIVAL Questions section..

Thanks for the link! I have our tests scheduled and lined up. Hawaiian Airlines has a partnership for someone who does it right at Logan Airport. Scheduled if for 40 hours before we fly to make sure we have them back, so will hopefully be good there.

 

[kdonnel]

The Royal Hawaiian was great when we stayed there 6-7 years ago. The location was spectacular and there was no trouble finding a spot on the beach that was not right on top of someone else. We had so much fun doing the outrigger canoe that leaves and returns right there on the beach by the Royal Hawaiian.

 

[corgi_monster]

My family of 4 (DW, DS(13), DD(10)) will be going to Oahu in April. We have never been to Hawaii before and we were originally hoping for a split stay of Kauai and Oahu but inter island travel doesn’t seem smart to plan on currently. So now we will be staying in a 1 bedroom at Aulani our last 6 nights and I am looking for advice of where to stay for our first 4 nights.

Debating between Courtyard Oahu North Shore for ease of access to north shore beaches and sites and Waikiki, probably Royal Hawaiian.

Pat's at Punaluu is not very nice, but it's directly on the beach. We stay at the beach house next door every May and that section of beach is very safe for swimming in the morning. My kids are 2yo and 4yo but even as infants, they could safely splash around and wade in the water. The water gets rough in the afternoon, but is safe for adults. At night, there are HUGE sand crabs for the kids to catch.

Reading other travel boards there seems a lot of differing opinions if North Shore is swimmable mid-late April. I’d appreciate DISers views on this.

This is a tough one. North shore conditions vary by location and time of day so it's best to just read the tide charts and surf reports. A good example is Shark's Cove - it can be completely calm on Monday with still water and great visibility. But if a system comes in on Tuesday, the water in the cove will churning, full of foam, and the current near the outlet may be strong. On Wednesday, it could be very calm in the morning with conditions worsening later in the day.

Also wondering how crowded Waikiki beach is in front of the hotels? Able to have some space around ourselves?

I walked all of Waikiki Beach from Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Moana Surfrider this past Saturday. The stretch of sand from Sheraton to Moana Surfrider was UNCOMFORTABLY PACKED at sunset. I'd guess less than 10% of people had masks on and there was very little social distancing between groups. I have never, ever in my entire life seen that area so crowded! The stretch of sand from Moana Surfrider to Queen's Beach was not crowded, nor was the beach in front of Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hale Koa.

Thank you for your insights and advice!

I really like the Hilton HAwaiian Village. It's at the end of Waikiki, so walkable to things, but not as busy. Pools are fantastic. Be careful for N. Shore, which can have dangerous waves/surf. We have used HHV as a base to drvie around island, cut across the mountains to N. Shore, etc.

We stayed at HHV this past weekend 1/16-1/18 and it is a great resort! For now, though, almost everything was closed, including the water slide, hot tub, about half the stores, all Hilton operated restaurants and bars, the kids club, and well . . . just about everything else lol. You couldn't even order a drink by the pool. They're still charging the full $50/day resort fee, too. The HHV website does not accurately reflect what is currently open/closed at the resort.

 

[longboard55]

We go to Oahu all the time. We usually stay in Waikiki buy have stayed in Aulani, also trips to Maui and Kauai. The thing to remember is every location is a different experience. Waikiki is nothing like Aulani, not even close. It has a fabulous beach, great surfing lessons, outrigger canoe rides, catamaran rides, amazing beach bars, but it is crowded. You want empty beaches rent a car and drive around the island.

 

[ldo]

We stayed at HHV this past weekend 1/16-1/18 and it is a great resort-but almost everything is closed-but still charging the full $50/day resort fee. The HHV website does not accurately reflect what is currently open/closed at the resort.

Wow! I’d be really upset to get there and find that out.

 

[corgi_monster]

Wow! I’d be really upset to get there and find that out.

We were there for a staycation and our only goal was to sleep I guess you could say they made it easy for us to relax!

 

[nkereina]

My vote would definitely be for the Waikiki area. We spent 3 nights in Waikiki followed by 6 nights at Aulani, and it worked out perfectly. We utilized tour companies to visit Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor, because these two have more complicated logistics when going on your own. We also did without a rental car during the Waikiki portion of our trip, which helped us save on that cost as well as parking costs and traffic hassles. Other than the tours we did, everything was walkable or easily accessible by the trolley. We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki Beach which was a central location. Its across the street from the beach like many hotels are on the strip, but we were not interested in beach time during that portion of our trip. We visited a lot of the resorts on the strip during that time and the Moana Surfrider was our favorite, but you can't go wrong with any that are centrally located. Hilton Hawaiian Village is a nice resort, but IMO, its too far at the end of the strip to be easily walkable to the main parts of Waikiki.

We were there a few years ago, but did find Waikiki beach to be pretty crowded. Its also small. I'm not sure how it would look in the current environment, but there are lots of better beaches on Oahu, including the one at Aulani. Kailua was our favorite beach - the only one we visited with powder white sand and calm warm water. We were there in September and the waves on the North Shore beaches were quite high. You would have needed to be a strong swimmer, so that was not enjoyable for us. In April, I would think the waters could be rough too, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

A PP above recommended staying at Aulani for the duration of your trip, but I would respectfully disagree with that. Waikiki is so different than Aulani that it feels like two separate vacations in one. Ko Olina is also isolated, so it makes it more timely and challenging to get certain places, and there is not much in walking distance.

 

[surran12]

I’m appreciating all the perspectives. Thank you all!

 

[wassily]

I like using Waikiki as a base area to do activities around the island... especially if it's your first time. Then use the Ko Olina area to relax in resort life.
Many hotels in Waikiki charge both Resort Fees and Parking Fees which are not included in the hotel rate. This can easily up your daily rate by $50- $100. So be careful about that.
Some, the parking fees are included in the Resort Fees.. need to read the fine print.

Hilton Hawaiian Village is a big resort.. lots of fun pools for the kids to do.. if they are open. But if you plan to explore the island more while you stay at Waikiki, then you may not need all those amenities. Leave that for Aulani where you will also have fun pools, slides and lazy river. There are some hotels with promos where they waive the resort fee/parking.. like Hawaii Prince. That's on the Harbor side and closer to Ala Moana, the big shopping center. If you have a car, it is easy to get in and out of Waikiki from that location. So if you plan to do alot of activities outside of Waikiki, could save some travel time.

As you head south east from there, you'll hit Hilton Hawaiian Village... I like the beach/lagoon area around there as it is much wider than Waikiki Beach. As you keep walking down the boardwalk, the beach get narrower to where there is no beach.. then it opens up where you are at the start of Waikiki Beach which is Royal Hawaiian. It's a nice central location to alot of the nearby shopping, dining and night life... but things may not be back to normal in April. When I was there in Dec, it was pretty much dead.

If you plan to go back again, then I would suggest a split stay at Turtle Bay Resort. Can do more North Shore Activities and easier access to Kahuku for delicious variety of food and shrimp.

 

[cgattis]

They're still charging the full $50/day resort fee, too

That’s heinous. That alone might’ve kept me from sleeping . Glad you had a good stay.

 

[Gracies Moms]

We just today booked a condo in Waianae for our first 5 nights.

 

[kyton]

We just today booked a condo in Waianae for our first 5 nights.

I personally wouldn’t stay in Waianae! It is a pretty poor neighbourhood with a very large homeless population sleeping along the roads, parks and beaches. Add into that it is located in an area where there is 1 road in and out. The traffic is horrific early morning and late afternoon with locals going to and from work.

As I stated in an earlier post, have you also been given a NUC to ensure legality of the rental?

 

[corgi_monster]

I personally wouldn’t stay in Waianae! It is a pretty poor neighbourhood with a very large homeless population sleeping along the roads, parks and beaches.

Strongly second this. Lots of chronics, crazies, and crime. There are a lot of VERY GOOD, hard working people who live there as well. I lived on the west side of Oahu (Makakilo) for decades and there are pockets of Waianae that I would not visit during the day, much less at night.

 

[happymommy]

I agree I wouldn’t stay in Waianae either.