Ohau and Maui activities

Hi Debbie, For Oahu, we participated in a 3 (maybe 4?) hour bike tour in Honolulu, stopping at the major sites to learn lots of history plus several fun locations, including a quick drop-in at a food market for a snack. I think it was with Pedal Bike Tours.

You'll definitely want to take the Pearl Harbor tour. I don't remember which company we used for it, but they picked people up bus stops at a few hotel locations.

At Maui, we enjoyed a sunset catamaran sail.

Wild pig hunting?? ha!

If you haven't been definitely go to Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona on Oahu. Going to the North Shore gives you a different view of Oahu and that time of year you might see some high level surfing. The art museum in Honolulu was good if you want to do that it had a lot of Polynesian art. We also enjoyed the Asian markets and of course the food. On maui if you are into hiking going into the crater on Haleakale is a unique experience, there are also waterfall hikes on the road to Hana even if you don't go all the way to Hana. We just rented snorkel gear and used the recommendations in the Maui revealed book. Try to snorkel in the morning before the wind kicks up. We loved it down in La Perrouse Bay. If you go toward Hana the 7 sacred pools are fun if you go early before they get crowded. There was a waterfall hike right across the way from there also. If you don't have it get the Maui Revealed book and Oahu Revealed book, They are fantastic resources to start.

Maui snorkeling (not deep sea diving). We prefer the smaller boats and enjoyed the snorkeling trip run by the whale foundation:
https://www.pacificwhale.org/cruises/activities/molokini-turtle-arches-snorkel/

Haleakala National Park would also be on my must see list. However, sunrise at the top is a question mark. The only time we tried, it was clear sky until a few minutes before sunrise then the clouds and mist rolled over us.
https://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm

Maui's Iao Valley is also worth a stop and walkabout:
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/iao-valley-state-monument/

And while tourist oriented, Lahaina is an interesting historic timeline including the impact of whaling and Christians:
http://lahainatown.com/lahaina-history.php
The Christians taught the Hawaiians to look up to god in prayer and when they looked back down their land was gone.

I haven't been to Maui. And you should know that I'm totally not a beach person - the only contact with water during my time on Oahu was while I was in the shower. And, I didn't have a car, so I was totally dependent on TheBus (Oahu's public transit system). I still had a great time. Here's what I did (that I remember off the top of my head):

Pearl Harbor
The Bishop Museum
Iolani Palace
Foster Botanic Garden
Hawaii State Art Museum
Doris Duke's Shangri-La
Honolulu Museum of Art (included with Shangri-La)
Waikiki Aquarium
Climb up Diamond Head
The "Circle Road" (by bus)
Various neighborhoods, including Waikiki, Chinatown, Ala Moana.

Of all of these, the highlight was Shangri-La. You must reserve in advance, as there are only a few tours a day and numbers are limited. Doris Duke not only had unlimited money, but great taste, and her home is amazing.

I also really loved the Hawaii State Art Museum. It was across the street from the Iolani Palace, and I only went because it was close and admission was free, but I was blown away by the number of high-quality works.

The Circle Road would be much better by car, so you can stop along the way. But even by bus, I could see the great variety of the island. From urban to suburban to rural, taking this ride really disproved the idea that there's "nothing of the real Hawaii" on Oahu. Certainly, seeing "Ching's General Store" showed me just how un-urban and un-touristy large sections are, as did seeing the places that looked just like New Jersey (strip malls included).

My most memorable meal for a good reason was at Okonomiyaki Chibo, where I was the only non-Asian customer. Lunch is much cheaper than dinner. I see they've moved since I was there in 2011. If you're curious about a kind of Japanese food rarely available in the mainland US, this is a fun place to try it.

My most memorable meal for a bad reason was at Rainbow Drive-In. This is famous as a place locals go to get local specialties. Indeed, I seemed to be the only non-local there. But it turns out the particular specialties served here are high fat, high carb, low taste junk. If you want junk food that's different from mainland varieties but just as bad for you, come here; otherwise, stay away.

A friend of mine did two things in Oahu that I didn't get to, but would like to for next time. One was a guided nature walk, and the other was a tour of Hawaii's Plantation Village http://www.hawaiiplantationvillage.org/. This was the highlight for him, as you get a guided tour from a former plantation worker and learn what their life was like. This is not to be confused with the Dole Plantation, which is quite different. Hawaii's Plantation Village isn't too far from Pearl Harbor, so you may want to try to see them on the same day (getting to these places from Waikiki by bus takes twice as long as by car, so it's quite a schlep to make that trip twice).

One issue I found was somewhat limited hours for these attractions. It was hard to fit them all in on my available days; do check hours carefully for any of your personal "must sees," so you don't miss them. For instance, Hawaii's Plantation Village guided tours are only at 10, 11, 12, 1, and 2.

TheBus website used to have a great guide on getting to various tourist attractions from Waikiki; they still have that text, but not the link. Keep looking - it was very helpful, as it's "turn by turn" directions (e.g., which corner to stand on and where to get connecting buses when needed, and how often they run).

While in Maui, I highly recommend a snorkel trip to Molokini! We used the company Trilogy and they were fabulous. The early morning trip is the best (snorkeling always better in the mornings before the wind picks up). It is wonderful to experience snorkeling, and they will help you if you’re new at it.
Be sure to enjoy shave ice at Ululani’s. There is a fish preserve called Ahihi past Wailea on Maui that also has great snorkeling.
Have a delightful lunch at Hailemaile General Store.
Enjoy your trip!

The Pearl Harbor Memorial and Arizona are important. So is knowing that access is limited. Many companies offer tours, but if you shop commercially, be sure the trip actually boards the Arizona memorial. Wikipedia offers this advice:

"The Visitor Center operated by the National Park Service is free to the public and has a museum with exhibits about the Pearl Harbor attack, such as the ship's bell from the Arizona. Access to the USS Arizona Memorial is by U.S. Navy boat, for which a numbered ticket, obtained at the Visitor Center and valid for a designated departure time, is required. More than one million people visit the memorial each year. Because of the large number of visitors and the limited number of boat departures, the 4,500 tickets available each day are often fully allocated by mid-morning. Before boarding the boat for the short trip to the Memorial, visitors view a 23-minute documentary film depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor. Touring of the Memorial is self-guided. The National Park Service Web site provides visitor information, including hours of operation and ticketing advisories.
A one-hour audio tour of the Memorial and Center exhibits, narrated by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, whose father, Tony Curtis was a World War II and Navy veteran, is available for rent at the Visitor Center. On the Center's grounds along the shoreline are more exhibits and a "Remembrance Circle". Nearby is USS Bowfin, a World War II Diesel submarine, which may be toured with separate, paid admission. The battleship USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor may also be visited, but require a bus ride to Ford Island."
https://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

On Maui, we enjoyed a day visiting the (only) winery, and then the upcountry "cowboy" town (Makawao) in the same area. Its a different feel from the resort/beach areas. Our favorite was the bike ride down the volcano (all downhill) all the way to the sea. Not sure if they do the whole trip now.

Check out this company:

https://www.robertshawaii.com/

We took a guided 4-island tour of Hawaii with Tauck Tours (a company that does high-end group travel), and we enjoyed the experience very much. You can look at the Tauck web site to see what their Hawaii trip includes (just to get ideas), but..................................

Roberts Hawaii was the local company that handled most of the Tauck arrangements, our key excursions, transportation, etc. Granted, we had a dedicated tour director with our group at all times, but I was truly impressed with the Roberts' private car service, their bus service, their staff, and the ease with which all happened. They also offer sightseeing to individuals traveling independently.

The Thurston Lava Tube (one of the things listed in one of their tour itineraries) was truly neat....we got to walk thru a volcano lava tube.

If there is any chance you might add additional islands (Hawaii, the big island or Kauai, the helicopter tours offered on those two islands are seriously not be be missed. The Napoli coast is unbelievably beautiful.

We'd never been to Hawaii before, and now that we have been, we can't believe it took us so long to get there. LOVED it. Do be aware that the VOG (volcano output gas) can be very problematic depending on whether or not the trade winds are blowing. We were there in mid-January several years ago, and we both developed various sinus issues. The local pharmacies just about sold out of very related over-the-counter meds each day. Google "VOG Hawaii" to read up, maybe pack a box of over-the-counter items, just in case.

Kaeleku,
Oh my gosh....stupid typo on my part. I always think fog first, to remember the abbreviation, but I had it on my brain and typed it incorrectly. VOG...yes, VOG. Wish it was never in Hawaii. It was really bad when we were there.
I'm going to go back and correct the original post.

If your son is serving in Hawaii, he should be able to get you discounted tickets to most every activity on Oahu and Maui through the recreation office on base unless the rules have changed. You don't have a lot of time, so highly recommend tour of Pearl Harbor/Arizona which is an all day tour, but easily doable by bus. Also, the Hale Koa (military hotel on Waikiki) used to have a luau and Sunday brunch that your son could get you into.

The Polynesian Cultural Center is also something you might want to do and usually offers bus transport from Waikiki hotels.

On Maui, as you have a car, you can do most whatever looks interesting to you. Put in a little beach time so you can kick back and enjoy your time.

Thanks to all of you for your terrific and informative responses.
Sincerely,
Debbie

If you are looking for a "different" Hawaiian experience check out the Slack Key Concerts at Napili on Maui. We love them. Also Surfing Goat Dairy Upcountry. We are not beach people but the snorkeling is pretty darn good on Maui (not Oahu). Hike the Kings Trail in south Maui. Best luau's are on Maui (IMO) we preferred The Feast Of LeLe (not a traditional luau as it is Polynesian not just Hawaiian) but not a buffet dinner. Lahaina has a great historical walk - ask at the visitors center near the large Banyan tree - can't miss it. Haleakala is pretty magical. Worth the drive but be aware you will be at 10,000 ft and take seriously the advice to gas up before you head up. I would have been a "take the cruise" person....it was our first experience in Hawaii and we loved it BUT now we travel 2-3 times a year back and are land based.

We got back from Oahu and Kauai yesterday. We stayed with friends at Ewa Beach so avoided the resorts and many of the touristy things on Oahu. We learned about hula and other cultural things from them and their family. He's Hawaiian, she's been my friend since high school and lived in Hawaii since they got married 44 years ago.
We had been to Maui years ago and wanted to visit a different island. We stayed in a resort on Kauai near Lihue on the beach. We didn't do the resort-y things, but walked along the beach in the evenings.

We spend an afternoon at Pearl Harbor. I didn't think I'd like the USS Arizona memorial, but it was interesting. Along with that we went to the cemetery/memorial at the Punch Bowl. There is a flight museum at Pearl Harbor I had hoped to see but we ran out of time. Iolani Palace well worth the visit - they had electricity before the White House - very forward thinking Hawaiian royalty. We didn't go to the Bishop's museum because we saw much of early Hawaii culture at Kauai's museum.
We rented cars on both Oahu and Kauai. Traffic on both islands was horrendous - bumper to bumper or very heavy all the time. On Oahu, we drove to the North Shore twice. Once on our own, going to road's end on the west and the other time through Pali Tunnel to the northeast when the surf was up. We also drove the west coast until road's end but there isn't really much to see. On Kauai we drove the south end one day stopping everywhere on the map and the north end the next, each time to road's end.
If anyone goes to the Kauai be sure to visit the Kauai Coffee Plantation. It's interesting that they grow, process and sell their own coffee. We bought several packages and shipped them home.

I second the recommendation of the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. A good introduction to a variety of cultures around the Pacific. More tourist-oriented than education-oriented, but it gets the job done.

And I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Maui Ocean Center, an excellent aquarium.

You are in for such a wonderful vacation!

I recommend getting some blankets and setting your alarm clock early to drive to the top of Haleakala's Crater. Watching the sunset rise is absolutely magical. For me it was something of a spiritual experience.

If you drive the road to Hana, make a stop at Aunt Sandy's for some banana bread!

Maui: snorkeling in the Kaanapali area is really great, Black Rock and the county park a little north of there. Also Napili Bay. My wife and I were there in April 2010, and maybe we lucked out but we found the water very manageable and not too rough (previous visits in Kauai in 2003 and 2004, we found the water to be more challenging--but maybe just bad luck). A Molokini snorkeling excursion is also worthwhile; that's the only one we paid for on a one week stay. Don't miss the Haleakala volcano, just be sure and get there early. Road to Hana was o.k., I would not say with your limited time that it's a must-do. There is plenty to do in Maui without paying a lot for organized excursions.

Snorkeling amongst turtles and sunrise at the summit of Haleakala are my favorite activities. Sunrise viewings have been part of a self-guided bicycle ride, albeit starting at a lower elevation, still >20 miles biking downhill in such a splendid environment is special. I’m also a fan of the drive to Hana, but would scratch that given a short time on Maui.