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YAY! I'd love to hear what other Bees have to say too.
@somethingmarysol: The trailblazer guide book series has great tips of finding beaches and sites off the beaten track! We used Trailblazer Kauai and loved it!!
Here is a link to Trailblazer Hawaii on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0967007259
Don't forget to pack your swimsuit!! :) Wear sunscreen while on the beach. Take a chance and trying surfing. Rent a board on Waikiki Beach - it's easy and fun!
Congratulations! I'm from O'ahu, and I think it's an excellent place to spend your honeymoon, tons of fun things to do. I'm from the North Shore, and I personally think the beaches are better on that side (of course I'm biased!), but I'd definitely take a day and drive down the H3/Kamehameha Highway to see that side of the island, very green, much more calm. What kind of things do you guys like to do? Beaches? Hikes? Sight seeing?
I loved our Hawaiian honeymoon! We went to Maui, but some of these tips will still apply:
Okay, that's a start, but I'm sure I can think of more. :) How exciting for you!!!! I'll never forget our honeymoon to Maui. Your time in Hawaii is going to be so special!
The revealed series for Hawaii is awesome
Some other day or overnight trip suggestion: My favorite island was Kauai for relaxation and gorgeous landscape. Big Island is awesome too for Volcanos National Park. If you go to Mani, consider a overnight to see the sunrise on Haleakela too.
Thank you everyone for being so helpful and getting me even MORE excited for this trip!!
We love to explore, hike, and see the sights so I think we will definitely want to do a Pearl Harbor tour, a North Shore relaxation getaway, and snorkeling!
@Gemstone: which sunset cruise did you do? sounds awesome!
@pinkshoes: we want to do Haleakela but i don't know if we can do an overnight--what do you suggest? is a day trip worth it?
@MsCarabiner: what's the best beach on the north shore? i've already looked them up and all are beautiful, but would love your recommendation!
@somethingmarysol: We did this cruise:
http://www.teralani.net/Maui-Sunset-Sail/dinner.htm
We loved it because it took a smaller number of passengers so plenty of room to wander around onboard, the food was great, it had an open bar, and the captain and crew did all of the food and bar service, and they could not have been nicer or more friendly people! :)
And I second the "Revealed" series. Maui Revealed was invaluable to us having an awesome honeymoon!
Third the "Revealed" series. I'd also recommend sneaking in an extra day in Maui if possible--we did Maui, Oahu, and Kauai and I liked Maui the best--beaches are to die for and Haleakela is worth the 2 AM wake-up.
I'd also suggest seeking out happy hour deals on food and booze. There are a ton and you can save a lot of dough. Since it was a huge time difference between home and HI for us (6 hours) it actually worked really well to eat in the 5-6:30 timeslot when we first arrived. We got 50% off at Sansi (I think they have happy hour deals on Mondays and Tuesdays)--would definitely recommend the sushi there.
And though it may seem like a downer, I would DEFINITELY recommend Pearl Harbor. I was iffy on it before we went, but it was probably my favorite part of Oahu. If you go early, you still have plenty of time for beach-laying later on. If you go later in the day, you may have to wait a few hours to actually make it onto the monument.
Finally, I would suggest a trip to the Iolani Palace. It's a hidden, beautiful gem and a fantastic way to find out about Hawaiian history in a short hour or two. Again, if you go early, still plenty of time left in the day to relax.
When I went with some friends, I got the Entertainment Book for Hawaii; it contains coupons for a lot of stuff, restaurants, sightseeing, etc. I think we only used it for kayak rentals and horseback riding but it still saved us at least triple the amount it cost.
Aloha!
Great tips so far! I definitely recommend the "Revealed" books, too. Even though I've lived here (on Oahu) for a number of years, I still keep a copy in my car to check out new places.
You may want to subscribe to Groupon and Living Social deals for Honolulu, too. Actually, Living Social deals seem to be more suited toward visitors / activities.
Kayaking, Surfing, and Stand Up Paddling are all fun things to try.
There are tons of hikes for all different skill levels and different types of views (ocean, mountain, rainforest, a few small waterfalls).
Waikiki Beach is pretty and lots of fun but definitely venture out to the other beaches. Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach are fantastic! If you're coming in the summer, Waimea Bay is also awesome, the water is clear as can be, the waves are fun and swimmable, and there's a big rock you can jump off, if you're brave :)
Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have about O'ahu. (Sadly, I haven't been to Maui yet)
I have two favoritesthat are a little abnormal. The first is Pounders, on the east side of the north shore. It's usually got great big waves, and isn't too crowded. Also, it's before the traffic hits. North shore traffic can be a nightmare, but fortunately the view is good so it shouldn't be a problem.
The other, on the west and more iconic side of the north shore, is called three tables. It is right between sharks cove (good snorkeling) and Waimea Bay (definitely jump off the rock if the tide is in, you can tell if it's safe usually if others are jumping). Three tableshas some of the clearest water I've ever seen, it has some reef, hense the tables. And it's not quite as busy as the beaches on either side.
Also if you go down that way the best shave ice i've had is at Matsomotos is Haleiwa, the lines are long, but for a good reason. Remember to call it shave ice, not shaveD ice, gramatically incorrect, but what can you do?
Let me know if you have any other questions, have a great time!
I don't have any tips, but I just booked my trip to Hawaii today and this thread is super helpful! :)
@Gemstone: We are also going to Maui for our honeymoon! Can you give some more detail about what and where to go and do? Where to stay?
@Atomlins81 what is a Haleakela?
i love Hawaii!! We actually thought about getting married there. If you want the name of a REALLY amazing photographer (shes on Maui, but she photographs everywhere in Hawaii), let me know. She could do honeymoon photos for you :) I still wish she could come to PA and shoot our wedding, because she's just that amazing.
Yay! How exciting. I used to live on Oahu. There are only 3 freeways on Oahu, so I would definitly rent a car and drive around the island. It only takes about 2 hours to get around the whole island. I would definitely make a trip to the north shore and visit the pineapple plantation, and Haleiwa which is a fun little town right before you hit the north shore.
My favorite, ALL TIME FAVORITE restaruant there is Haleiwa Eats...a really great american thai food (they are closed on Tuesdays). Also, my SO favorite sandwich place in Haleiwa is Stortos. We would stop there first, and then drive about 10 min further to the north shore, find a spot and eat our sandwiches on the beach while watching the turtles about 10 feet away from us.
I would also drive to the town Kailua. It's located on the windward (or eastern) side of Oahu. Our favorite place to eat there is Teddy's burgers. They are very well known for such good food.
Walk to Diamond Head, the blow hole, polynesian cultural center (a big tourist attraction with a fun luau), hanauma bay for snorkeling...it's a state park so you have to pay to get in...but totally worth it as it's a protected reef area.
You will find that Waikiki has high end shops and tons of people, so if you want to be more low key and visit quaint and quieter areas, I definitely recomend visiting the two towns I mentioned.
Just driving around the island and getting lost/doing your own thing is fun to do. Like I said, there are only three freeways, so you really cannot get lost on Oahu, as everything always points back to Waikiki.
I know you will have a blast...it's my favorite place on earth!
I also highly recommend the "Revealed" book. It's great. Pearl Harbor is definitely worth going to especially since it has been redone and has tons of interesting artifacts in the museum. If you are renting a car, drive up to the North Shore. The beaches are great and it is a little less crowded than in Waikiki. Diamond Head is super easy to hike and really beautiful. I'd see a luau as well, but I don't have a good one to recommend on Oahu since I've only been to ones on Maui.
I love staying at the Hyatt in Waikiki~it's right across the street from the main beach and the hotel is beautiful. The Royal Hawaiian is really pretty as well and is a historical landmark. Definitely worth walking through. Duke's is a fun restaurant to eat at as well. Snorkeling at Hanauama Bay is great.
If you want to go over to Maui, I'd stay for longer than a day but I'm biased since that is my favorite island. It's a little more slow-paced that Oahu. The Road to Hana is a great drive there but I'm not sure if that would work on a day trip from Oahu since it is a long drive if you want to get out and walk around~which is the whole point of doing that drive.
July is a great time to go. No matter what you end up doing, you will have an amazing honeymoon. Don't forget to tell people at the hotel you are on your honeymoon...you may get a free upgrade on your room or a bottle of champagne. Never hurts to throw that one out there. Enjoy!
I went to Hawaii 2 years ago for spring break and I would love to go back! Hope I can go for my honeymoon :)
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The FI and I are jetsetting to OAHU!! We'll be right by Waikiki Beach. I've wanted to go to Hawaii all my life :)
Any experiences, tips, etc. those of you who have been there can share...do tell!
I am also considering a day trip to Maui... so excited!