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Trekking Though Oahu: The Three Day Travel Plan
While all of us would love the option of being luxury vacationers to one of the five Hawaiian Islands, the reality is that the majority of American travelers are unable to do this. Hawaii, one of the top vacation locations for American travelers, is also one of the most expensive. Nonetheless, you don’t have to spend your vacation surrounded by smoke soaked curtains, mildew garnished restrooms, and bad customer service.
Many of you will pay a minimum of 2,000 dollars per person for basic air and hotel from Philadelphia International Airport to Honolulu. However, there are a variety of vacation airlines such as Northwest and Hawaiian airlines that offer moderate comfortable accommodations for as low as 700$ per person including air and hotel. This is where your first big decision comes in. On one hand you can sacrifice the extra 300$ for pure comfort, on the other hand that 300$ can be used to secure a rental car. My advice is to go for the rental car.
There a variety of pros and a few cons about renting a car in Oahu. Bad news first, the traffic in Oahu is equivalent to an island style Los Angeles back-up. The major difference is that on the island the only place to go is around and around. The pro ( and this is the major pro) you are free to travel the island and explore without having to pay the extra fees that you will inevitably pay for the multiple tour groups strategically located at your hotel desk and possibly every other corner in Honolulu.
If you happened to secure your travel plans through Aloha VIP tours there will be a free orientation breakfast offered at 7:30 on the morning of your arrival. “7:30 in the morning, you must be crazy”. That was exactly my thoughts. It won’t be so appalling the next morning when you find yourself anxiously awaiting the sunrise. Unfortunately, there is really no way to avoid jetlag as a result of the 10 hour time travel from the east coast. But “no worries” hang loose have a seat on your “lanai”-(balcony) and watch the piercing orange rays rise from the East. You can even head to one of the local downtown beaches such as Ala Moana or Kapiolani Beach Park where you’ll find a slew of early risers jogging. The orientation breakfast, besides being a free meal, you will also be offered special “discount” prices for luaus, helicopters rides (175$ per person), ATV tours (four wheelers) and Dole Pineapple Plantation tours. As an island newcomer you will be enticed to sign up for as many tours as your wallet can handle. BEWARE, you could easily leave the breakfast having spent 600-700 dollars on tours. DO NOT DO IT! Use this time to draw up a list of your top three “Must Do’s”. Maybe chose one tour with the group and the rest do on your own.
The first night it is commonly recommended to attend a luau. The two most popular are the Polynesian Cultural Center (65 $) and Germaine’s (55$). (If you’re really on a tight budget there you can arrange can attend a timeshare presentation and receive free tickets). Let’s put it this way French Cuisine versus McDonald’s. Regardless of which Luau you choose, by the end of the night you will have heard so much tourist jargon that it will seem as if every person is reading from the same script. You are also not being paranoid if you sense a slight disdain for American and Japanese tourists. If you are adventure travelers, such as myself, you will be aching to see what the “real” Hawaiians do on a daily basis. Not to mention everything you do on a tour you can do by yourself for cheaper.As a matter of fact, you can literally circumnavigate the whole island in 2-3 hours depending on traffic.
On day two, if you are beginning in Honolulu, take a day trip to Kailua which is about thirty minutes away. Kailua, voted as one of America’s most beautiful beaches by the Travel Channel, is truly amazing. The sugar fine sand makes if feel as if your treading on a cloud. The pristine turquoise ocean appears to float endlessly into the distance. While in Kailua, treat yourself to a massage at the Healing Arts College where you will pay 50$ for a certified therapist and 20$ for a student intern therapist. Between the soothing sounds of trickling water fountains and soft music you will feel as serene as a Tibetan monk in nirvana.
For day three, head out to the North Shore. Be sure to stop at the Dole Plantation for some pineapple whip (3.75$). The North Shore can be explored over multiple days. The Kamehameha Highway is literally one beach after another. Waimea Beach Park is an oasis which seems to appear out of nowhere and can easily be missed. Right across the street the Waimea Audubon Center consists of an assortment of over 500 plant and bird species (9.00 per person). Don’t be surprised if you have a family of peacocks greeting you in the parking lot. One could stay in the park for a whole day. Yet, if you happen to be hot and sticky you may want to rush on to the fresh waterfall at the end of the trail. Sit under the fall, let the water soothe your aches and resist the temptation to bottle some as memorabilia. On your way back to Oahu be sure to stop at one of the many Kahuku trucks for some garlic, hot and spicy or cocktail style shrimp.
While I’ve just touched the surface of Oahu’s unlimited treasures the most important rule is to sit back relax and “hang loose” Hawaiians have a rich cultural heritage that extends far beyond Honolulu. In the meantime “Aloha cousins”!
Many of you will pay a minimum of 2,000 dollars per person for basic air and hotel from Philadelphia International Airport to Honolulu. However, there are a variety of vacation airlines such as Northwest and Hawaiian airlines that offer moderate comfortable accommodations for as low as 700$ per person including air and hotel. This is where your first big decision comes in. On one hand you can sacrifice the extra 300$ for pure comfort, on the other hand that 300$ can be used to secure a rental car. My advice is to go for the rental car.
There a variety of pros and a few cons about renting a car in Oahu. Bad news first, the traffic in Oahu is equivalent to an island style Los Angeles back-up. The major difference is that on the island the only place to go is around and around. The pro ( and this is the major pro) you are free to travel the island and explore without having to pay the extra fees that you will inevitably pay for the multiple tour groups strategically located at your hotel desk and possibly every other corner in Honolulu.
If you happened to secure your travel plans through Aloha VIP tours there will be a free orientation breakfast offered at 7:30 on the morning of your arrival. “7:30 in the morning, you must be crazy”. That was exactly my thoughts. It won’t be so appalling the next morning when you find yourself anxiously awaiting the sunrise. Unfortunately, there is really no way to avoid jetlag as a result of the 10 hour time travel from the east coast. But “no worries” hang loose have a seat on your “lanai”-(balcony) and watch the piercing orange rays rise from the East. You can even head to one of the local downtown beaches such as Ala Moana or Kapiolani Beach Park where you’ll find a slew of early risers jogging. The orientation breakfast, besides being a free meal, you will also be offered special “discount” prices for luaus, helicopters rides (175$ per person), ATV tours (four wheelers) and Dole Pineapple Plantation tours. As an island newcomer you will be enticed to sign up for as many tours as your wallet can handle. BEWARE, you could easily leave the breakfast having spent 600-700 dollars on tours. DO NOT DO IT! Use this time to draw up a list of your top three “Must Do’s”. Maybe chose one tour with the group and the rest do on your own.
The first night it is commonly recommended to attend a luau. The two most popular are the Polynesian Cultural Center (65 $) and Germaine’s (55$). (If you’re really on a tight budget there you can arrange can attend a timeshare presentation and receive free tickets). Let’s put it this way French Cuisine versus McDonald’s. Regardless of which Luau you choose, by the end of the night you will have heard so much tourist jargon that it will seem as if every person is reading from the same script. You are also not being paranoid if you sense a slight disdain for American and Japanese tourists. If you are adventure travelers, such as myself, you will be aching to see what the “real” Hawaiians do on a daily basis. Not to mention everything you do on a tour you can do by yourself for cheaper.As a matter of fact, you can literally circumnavigate the whole island in 2-3 hours depending on traffic.
On day two, if you are beginning in Honolulu, take a day trip to Kailua which is about thirty minutes away. Kailua, voted as one of America’s most beautiful beaches by the Travel Channel, is truly amazing. The sugar fine sand makes if feel as if your treading on a cloud. The pristine turquoise ocean appears to float endlessly into the distance. While in Kailua, treat yourself to a massage at the Healing Arts College where you will pay 50$ for a certified therapist and 20$ for a student intern therapist. Between the soothing sounds of trickling water fountains and soft music you will feel as serene as a Tibetan monk in nirvana.
For day three, head out to the North Shore. Be sure to stop at the Dole Plantation for some pineapple whip (3.75$). The North Shore can be explored over multiple days. The Kamehameha Highway is literally one beach after another. Waimea Beach Park is an oasis which seems to appear out of nowhere and can easily be missed. Right across the street the Waimea Audubon Center consists of an assortment of over 500 plant and bird species (9.00 per person). Don’t be surprised if you have a family of peacocks greeting you in the parking lot. One could stay in the park for a whole day. Yet, if you happen to be hot and sticky you may want to rush on to the fresh waterfall at the end of the trail. Sit under the fall, let the water soothe your aches and resist the temptation to bottle some as memorabilia. On your way back to Oahu be sure to stop at one of the many Kahuku trucks for some garlic, hot and spicy or cocktail style shrimp.
While I’ve just touched the surface of Oahu’s unlimited treasures the most important rule is to sit back relax and “hang loose” Hawaiians have a rich cultural heritage that extends far beyond Honolulu. In the meantime “Aloha cousins”!
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