My last article was about Kauai, the Garden Isle in the group of Hawaiian Islands. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something. This week is all about Oahu, nicknamed “The Gathering Place”. When clients tell me they want to go to Hawaii, this is generally the place they think they are heading. But, Oahu is not Hawai’i. Let me explain. The largest island of the Hawaiian Islands is Hawai’i, famous for a lot of things, but is VERY DIFFERENT than the island given the name Oahu. If you are looking to visit such iconic locations as the famous Waikiki Beach, the WWII Memorial, Diamond Head, you won’t find them on Hawai’i (the Island), known as THE BIG ISLAND. You need to know the difference for sure. Oahu is where you really want to go, IF your goal is Waikiki Beach (HA) for one. That landmark is on the isle of Oahu. HNL, the largest airport is located in the state capital, Honolulu. Though there are some direct flights from the U.S.A. to the other islands, generally speaking, when you head to Hawaiian Islands, you’re going to be connecting in Honolulu for a whistle stop on your way to any of the other islands. But this article is meant to tell you what there is to do on Oahu, what to expect. Having said that, let’s see what Oahu has to offer.
Now for a little about my opinion and thoughts about Oahu from personal experience. You are going to learn why the nickname ‘the gathering place’, got that name for a reason. Oahu is the most populated of the islands. In fact, most all native born Hawaiian people reside on this island, 2/3rds of all Hawaiian’s live there! It is crowded with or without tourists. Traffic is awful. However, an approximate 45 min. drive North you’ll see a much different island experience. BTW, if you have small children, or are grandparents taking young ones to Hawaii, Oahu’s Ko’Olina is home to the Alani Resort, by Disney. The beaches up there in Ko’Olina are wonderful. Some shopping, a golf course and beautiful landscaping, and easy to find. Continuing up North, it takes approximately 1 hr. 10 min. to get there, is called the North Shore. There is a great resort recently purchased and remodeled and rebranded as The Ritz Carlton, Turtle Bay. A luxury resort accessible to two (2) golf courses.
One of the most popular attractions is located up North not far from the Ritz Turtle Bay, it is the Polynesian Cultural Center, a must see! The prices have gone up but you can get basic tickets at $70 per adult and $62 for children ages 4-11, kids are free. But the food and other chargeables can get the tab up a bit.
I recommend you check the website for changes in those fees but also to see other packages that are more inclusive. Packages as of this writing range up from $119 per adult, $109 for young adults and $99 for youth. Go to Polynesia.com and you should find most all you need to know about it. There are shuttle buses from Honolulu to take you up and back at per person rates saving renting a car, but you can book day car rentals from most of the resorts in Honolulu and save some money too, especially if a family traveling across the island. When planning your visits on any of the islands, check the calendar schedules. The Polynesia Center is open Noon to 9 pm and it is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays.
So, back to Honolulu. Umm, my impression of Oahu. If you like shopping, it is a paradise for walking along the strip and heading to the Waikiki Beach. Along the blvd. are parks. As you head there, you’re gonna see statues of Don Ho and other figures near what is known as the Hawaiian Market Place. It’s busy, not cheap, for the most part. Food is very expensive, I THINK. If you like Food Trucks, you’ll be happy. Those however, are not cheap either. Since everything is imported, there is a reason for it, but this is a tourist destination. But let’s talk about the infamous Waikiki.
I was disappointed with the beach to tell the truth. If you’re not that excited about laying around a beach you may really like it. But here is the truth: Waikiki is a narrow beach lined with lots of resorts. Not all that many resorts right on the beach was a surprise. A major thoroughfare is between the Waikiki beach/park. And many other resorts with no direct beach access. You’ll find ABC markets, it seems, on every block. Now that’s a place to purchase alcohol and save some money on liquor, food (there are delis in them) and you can find discounted food after noon pretty much in all of them!!!!! Always beach towels, souvenirs and gift items, ice-cream…just about anything you might need and of course stuff you didn’t HA.
Back to Waikiki, besides a crowded and narrow beach, one good thing is that you won’t find vendors pestering you on the beach like you do in Mexico, but you need to know, it is against the law to take sand from the beach. Why you ask? Periodically, because of erosion, you’re going to see sand brought in to replace the beach. Along the beach/park you’ll see musicians, leis being made and classes of kids learning how to hula. Great for taking pictures. You’ll find surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, boat tours….lots of stuff. When you arrive on any of the Hawaiian Islands you’ll want to pick up one of the leaflets at the airports. They are called ‘This Week in..’ (choose an island) and you’ll find coupons for discounts on food, tours, activities, lots of fun stuff. Several companies publish them. I usually pick up a couple, don’t want to miss a deal.
So, when is the best time to go? If you are into surfing, you’ll want to head over there for the surfing championships up North on the island held in the winter months. It is a popular event and draws many people from all over the world. Prices will be higher during that event for sure. Great food trucks, resorts and all up there, and believe me, it is like a different world. If you are staying at a condo or home, good news, they have both Sam’s and Costco’s on the island, they can help tremendously for your budget.
One thing that you’ll find on Oahu are that the different resorts have Luau’s. That’s the Hawaiian version of All You Can Eat and drink BBQ with Hawaiian cuisine. Food is served buffet style. You’ll learn about the culture, history through traditional shows with dance, story-telling and the like. The resorts rotate through the week, but they have gotten very expensive. Maybe your resort is hosting one, you’ll probably get a discount. And, it is for sure an enticement for time-share presentations. Sad but the sales people can be found everywhere. Aggravating as they can be, it may be worth it for the savings to do a presentation (if you are good at saying NO!). Last I looked, tickets for most luaus are running for Adults, 21 and up at some of them are $119<>, under 3 is Free, $99 each for ages 4-12, and $109 for 13-20. It’s a tourist thingy, but will give you a taste of history and culture all in one place.
Talking about food, Oahu is known for Poke Bowls (marinated raw fish on rice with Soy Sauce, vegiesm and various sauces), Musubi (fried Spam sitting on a rice square and wrapped with Nori [sea weed]). You’ll find Spam everywhere and prepared different ways. Though you’ll find lots of foofoo drinks, the MaiTai is very popular. Shaved Ice is found on most all of the islands. To sit down in a restaurant, expect to rob a bank first (just kidding) but plan your budget for around $100 per person per day NOT INCLUDING ALCOHOL. You won’t find All-Inclusives on the islands. They want to support the local food establishments. Some resorts will offer Free Breakfasts or limited food plans.
Unless you plan on exploring the entire island each day, be prepared that car rentals can be high. Maybe you’d want to rent a car on the day you want to explore. If you are staying in the Market Place area around Waikiki take comfortable shoes, it is a walking town. Save your money from weekly car rentals and parking fees. There are buses and shuttles to take you to various spots along the main thoroughfare. Some trollies help for those who can’t walk long distances, and they are very reasonable.
They are priced per person and only a couple of bucks. I can tell you that they are worth their weight in gold. Visiting Oahu is best done through Packages: air, hotel, car or transfers in a bundle and pricing is all over the place depending on lodging and time of year. The weather is in the 80s anytime of the year, though it will rain anytime, short showers and gone in a blink. Most of the resorts provide umbrellas, they are serious about it. Sunny in the mornings, clouds can form at any time, it’s the humidity that complicates things. May is the University of Hawaii graduations period and expect higher costs for lodging, limited auto available FYI. During the winter is the surfing championships and the same goes for lodging etc., during that event. If you aren’t into surfing, or no family members graduating, HA avoid setting that time period for your vacation.
I’m asked about volcanoes and I gotta tell you that Diamond Head, the large hill in the middle of Honolulu hasn’t erupted for 150-200,000 years ago. No worries! There are some interesting sites to NOT MISS if you choose Oahu to visit. The Arizona Memorial, it is located near the airport. The Royal Palace, known as Lolani is located in Honolulu, and open for tours. Closed Sunday and Mondays.
Interesting notes:
1. The Capital of Hawaiian Island is now in Oahu but originally was in Lahaina on the isle of Maui. That changed in around 1845.
2. Jurassic Park was filmed on this island in the Kualoa Ranch, they do offer tours.
3. I’ve mentioned the surfing competitions…they are held at Elukai Beach where there is a Surf Reef called “Pipeline”….but hard to plan a vacation around the event because it all depends on the tides, and that’s up to nature. Dates are hard to lock down.
4. The Oahu state flower is the Yellow Hibiscus, each island has its own flower.
5. Made in Hawaii festival is held in August each year, check www.gohawaii.com, the official website for the island for detailed info to avoid very busy periods.
6. You can also visit www.Viator.com or www.GetYourGuide.com to find great ideas for culinary experiences, ziplining, and lots of other things to keep you busy while there, or plan ahead.
Basically, to sum up, Oahu is a great stop-over place to spend a couple of days and move on to one of the sun and fun islands, seriously. I’ve been there many times for various reasons: graduations, professional events. We usually head to the Ko’Olina area, less crowded and get the heck out of HNL. I don’t spend a lot of time there, anxious to get to Kuauii, Maui, Hawai’I.
