Hawaii peeps... a word...

[Opus]

For our 35th anniversary, Mrs. Opus and I are spending a week in Hawaii (Honolulu near Diamond Head to be exact). We have already booked a Luau (Paradise Cove) and a dinner cruise (Star of Honolulu). We actually dig the kitschy, touristy stuff. We're thinking of doing a trolley tour around the island. Any other things locals (or those who vacation there frequently) would recommend we check out?

An important note... my wife has limited mobility, so hikes and climbs (as awesome as I'm sure they are) are probably not doable for us.

Also, for getting around from place to place, what do you recommend? Should we look for cabs? Uber or Lyft?

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[Lateapex]

For our 35th anniversary, Mrs. Opus and I are spending a week in Hawaii (Honolulu near Diamond Head to be exact). We have already booked a Luau (Paradise Cove) and a dinner cruise (Star of Honolulu). We actually dig the kitchy, touristy stuff. We're thinking of doing a trolley tour around the island. Any other things locals (or those who vacation there frequently) would recommend we check out?

An important note... my wife has limited mobility, so hikes and climbs (as awesome as I'm sure they are) are probably not doable for us.

Also, for getting around from place to place, what do you recommend? Should we look for cabs? Uber or Lyft?

A few suggestions…

1. Pearl Harbor (including the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona memorial, and a visit to the air museum)…inspiring, historical, and a bit sobering.

2. Bishop Museum…truly Hawaii‘s “attic”, well curated and worth the visit.

3. Hawaiian Railway Society - take the Ewa train; be sure it is an “ice cream” train (most departures are), as it stops in Ko’Olina, where you disembark for an ice cream before continuing.

4. Dole Plantation…you said you liked touristy stuff; this place is tourist overload, but fun.

5. Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa…touristy shopping, and delicious shave ice.

6. Leonard’s Bakery…fabulous malasadas (sorta like a beignet or donut).

I could go on, but I’m guessing others will chime in with their favorites.

I think a rental car is worth it for touring the island, except in the greater Honolulu/Waikiki area.

 

[CDRMidnight]

A few more… (depending on Mrs Opus’s mobility, of course):

1. Byodo-In Buddhist Temple replica;

2. Green Coffee Farm (You’ll pass it on the way from Haleiwa to the Dole Plantation, so may as well. );

3. Polynesian Cultural Center in Lai’e;

4. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck - self-explanatory;

5. Waiahole Poi Factory - also self-explanatory;

6. Kualoa Ranch - where they filmed the various Jurassic Park/World movies. Similar to the Dole Plantation and/or Polynesian Cultural Center, you can spend all day here;

7. Kukaniloko Birth Stones - (If she’s okay with walking about a half-mile)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eFxjDeXeM39RFbgu7?g_st=ic

8. Haleiwa Town - on the North Shore.

And lastly, remember to just… slow… down.
Enjoy the fresh air, get in the water at some point, and… RELAX.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Opus]

Excellent. We do plan on taking one day just to sit on the beach and relax. Some of those destinations folks have listed thus far sound familiar. I've seen a few different trolleys that stop at some of those points. That might be something to check out.

 

[Radioman]

Another inspiring, historical, and a bit sobering location is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in the Punchbowl Crater.

 

[CDRMidnight]

Excellent. We do plan on taking one day just to sit on the beach and relax. Some of those destinations folks have listed thus far sound familiar. I've seen a few different trolleys that stop at some of those points. That might be something to check out.

No problemo - let me know a few days before you get here, perhaps we can meet up for a frosty barley pop or Mai Tai…

And did I mention that Jeep Wranglers are one of the more popular rental vehicles on island?

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[BRuby]

Took Trolley tours on 4 different routes incl Blowhole - plus hired a separate group Sprinter tour right around the island passing Temple + Dole + Coffee + Viewpoints. If you are a member of a yacht club - stop in and chill at WYC. Fireworks night was good - but lots of people. Diamond head fantastic - but requires a hike up lots of steps - so not at all accessible friendly.

Most fun though was renting Jeeps on Lanai - but that requires a hop on a plane. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Pinion]

I don't normally recommend books, but this one is great for getting around any of the islands as if you lived there.

We've taken the book to the pool and the beach and read up on what to do the next day. It's a good and entertaining read with no BS.

He won't lead you to tourist traps, and you'll get an authentic experience while on island.

 

[CDRMidnight]

I don't normally recommend books, but this one is great for getting around any of the islands as if you lived there.

We've taken the book to the pool and the beach and read up on what to do the next day. It's a good and entertaining read with no BS.

He won't lead you to tourist traps, and you'll get an authentic experience while on island.

^ Yeap, that’s definitely a good one to recommend! He has one for every island (well, almost - Molokai and Lanai are lumped into the Maui book, IIRC), and they’re all good reads.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[dragoneggs]

A few suggestions…

1. Pearl Harbor (including the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona memorial, and a visit to the air museum)…inspiring, historical, and a bit sobering.

2. Bishop Museum…truly Hawaii‘s “attic”, well curated and worth the visit.

3. Hawaiian Railway Society - take the Ewa train; be sure it is an “ice cream” train (most departures are), as it stops in Ko’Olina, where you disembark for an ice cream before continuing.

4. Dole Plantation…you said you liked touristy stuff; this place is tourist overload, but fun.

5. Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa…touristy shopping, and delicious shave ice.

6. Leonard’s Bakery…fabulous malasadas (sorta like a beignet or donut).

I could go on, but I’m guessing others will chime in with their favorites.

I think a rental car is worth it for touring the island, except in the greater Honolulu/Waikiki area.

A few more… (depending on Mrs Opus’s mobility, of course):

1. Byodo-In Buddhist Temple replica;

2. Green Coffee Farm (You’ll pass it on the way from Haleiwa to the Dole Plantation, so may as well. );

3. Polynesian Cultural Center in Lai’e;

4. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck - self-explanatory;

5. Waiahole Poi Factory - also self-explanatory;

6. Kualoa Ranch - where they filmed the various Jurassic Park/World movies. Similar to the Dole Plantation and/or Polynesian Cultural Center, you can spend all day here;

7. Kukaniloko Birth Stones - (If she’s okay with walking about a half-mile)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eFxjDeXeM39RFbgu7?g_st=ic

8. Haleiwa Town - on the North Shore.

And lastly, remember to just… slow… down.
Enjoy the fresh air, get in the water at some point, and… RELAX.

Cheers,
-CM-

Great Lists by @Lateapex and @CDRMidnight. We throughly enjoyed the app called ’GuideAlong’. Have to pay for the audio guide but we used it on Maui for Hana and other and found it awesome in telling you where to stop along the way for hidden treasures and where not to… along with fantastic history lessons!

I would definitely download the Oahu guide ($14.99) if you are renting a vehicle for self guided touring. It’s like having a ‘local’ riding along.

 

[Erievon]

A few suggestions…

1. Pearl Harbor (including the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona memorial, and a visit to the air museum)…inspiring, historical, and a bit sobering.

4. Dole Plantation…you said you liked touristy stuff; this place is tourist overload, but fun.

I think a rental car is worth it for touring the island, except in the greater Honolulu/Waikiki area.

3. Polynesian Cultural Center in Lai’e;

6. Kualoa Ranch - where they filmed the various Jurassic Park/World movies. Similar to the Dole Plantation and/or Polynesian Cultural Center, you can spend all day here;

8. Haleiwa Town - on the North Shore.

And lastly, remember to just… slow… down.
Enjoy the fresh air, get in the water at some point, and… RELAX.

Cheers,
-CM-

Just piling on these suggestions....

Is the Arizona Memorial Back open? Last time I was there you couldn't actually get on it due to structural issues. But the whole Pearl Harbor area is still worth exploring.

Dole Plantation, make sure you get a Dole Whip from the back of the store ice cream stand

Polynesian Cultural Center, be sure to check out the river parade.

The North Shore is gorgeous, we rented a house there for a week instead of staying in Honolulu.

Kualoa Ranch, if you've seen Jurassic Park, this will look darn familiar to you.

If you've got an extra week, book a week on NCL Pride of America, it'll take you to many of the other islands for a sampling. We did that in 2019, a week on Oahu, and a week on the boat, awesome trip.

 

[sherpaJL]

An important note... my wife has limited mobility, so hikes and climbs (as awesome as I'm sure they are) are probably not doable for us

https://www.bluehawaiian.com/en

 

[Opus]

https://www.bluehawaiian.com/en

Their tours are more reasonably priced than I would have guessed. Thanks.

 

[Opus]

An update...

We ended up taking my mother along on the trip. She's 77 and as long as I can remember has always wanted to visit Hawaii. So, this trip became an anniversary trip for Mrs. Opus and I... and a bucket list trip for Mom.

We booked two rooms at the Twin Fin on the north end of Waikiki. I wouldn't recommend the hotel itself, but the location and the views were spectacular. The luau at Paradise Cove was okay, but not nearly as authentic feeling as I had hoped. The Star of Honolulu dinner cruise was very nice. We bought passes for the Waikiki Trolley and that proved to be a great way to see Oahu, especially for my wife and mother with limited mobility. All in all it was a fantastic experience.

This is the pic that now hangs on the wall commemorating the trip...

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