This Hawaii trip is my second visit and my first has been 14 years ago fresh out from school. First time to Hawaii, I was only able to tour Oahu. As a typical backpacker, my first Hawaii trip was all around taking buses, riding bikes, eating fast food, and cramping into a studio apartment with others. After these years, although major Oahu attractions remain the same, the second trip is all about families, self road driving, cruising, and eating good food. The difference is so big a change that I wouldn’t dare to imagine 14 years ago.
Hawaii has many beautiful islands to stay long or short. Life pace is really slow there that will drive fast-pace New Yorker nut. Hawaii locals do know how to enjoy life better. You can see people jogging, playing beach volleyball on beaches, swimming and surfing along seashores all the time. After 4:00PM to the sunset, the beaches are more crowded seems everyone coming straight from work into outdoor fun. If you are looking a place to retire and love beaches, Hawaii is definitely the place for you. There is one thing you have to bear in mind though. Living expense there is higher than any big city in US mainland. Most of things come from ships and even water is made from desalination. Everything costs more.
In the old day, Hawaii was so closed to have inter-island high-speed ferry connecting Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. Due to legal issue, the ferry services never fly. To do island hopping today, flights and cruises are only options. Among all cruise lines for Hawaii island hopping, NCL is the most outstanding one because of its Honolulu departure port and itinerary schedule.
2017 April edit: one of the two high-speed ferry sold to US Navy after bankruptcy is now running between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Quick Facts
- all beaches are Hawaii State properties no matter that is your house front yard, or part of hotels/resorts.
- bus + bike is a nice easy way to stroll Oahu.
- rental on bike or surfing gears aren’t cheap. You can consider buying your gears from supper stores in advance when long stays.
- Costco offers cheapest macadamia and pineapple if you have a chance to drive by.
- heavy west-bound highway traffic from Honolulu after 4:00PM until 7:00PM.
Recommendations on Hawaiian Fusion Foodies
- Alan Wong’s in Honolulu, President Obama’s favorite restaurant in Hawaii.
- Island Grill in Kahuku
- Roy’s in Ko Olina
Click here to view a picture book of this trip– link will open a new tab on picaboo site.
We stay totally 12 days along Hawaii islands. Since some seniors go with us, we avoid some good places that need steep climbing or not interest them. But I will note those places below for your reference. Here is our itinerary.
Day 1 Oahu West
| 16:00 – 19:00 | Disney Aulani |
Optional: other Ko Olina beaches
Day 2 Oahu West and South
| 09:00 – 11:00 | Dole Pineapple Plantation |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Green World Coffee Farm |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Kahala Mandarin dolphin pool |
| 15:00 – 18:00 | Diamond Head |
Day 3 Oahu East
| 09:00 – 12:00 | Hanauma Bay |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | lunch at Island Grill in Kahuku |
| 13:30 – 16:00 | Makapu’u Point Lighthouse, Lanikai Beach (+ Pillbox Hike), Byodo-in Temple (we didn’t go) |
Day 4 Oahu North Shore
| 09:00 – 16:00 | Polynesian Cultural Center (we didn’t go) |
| 09:00 – 16:00 | Shark Cove, Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout |
Day 5 Oahu History
| 09:00 – 11:00 | USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Iolani Palace |
| 12:00 – night | cruise embarkation |
Day 6-7 Maui
| First Day | |
| 09:00 – 12:00 | Lahaina town and banyan tree |
| 12:00 – 16:00 | Kaanapali black rock beach |
| Second Day | |
| 04:00 – 08:00 | Haleakala National Park |
| 11:00 – 13:00 | The Needle, Iao Valley |
Optional:
- Molokini snorkel and scuba diving
- Wailea-Makena area
- Road to Hana
Day 8 Hawaii (Big Island) Hilo
| 08:00 – 13:30 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Punalu’u Black Sand Beach |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | Mauna Loa Macadamia Factory |
| 16:00 – 17:30 | Wailuku River Rainbow Fall |
Day 9 Hawaii (Big Island) Kona
| 09:00 – 12:00 | Waipio Valley Lookout |
| 12:30 – 14:30 | Kona coffee plantation |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | Kailua-Kona town |
Optional: Pololu Valley Lookout
Day 10-11 Kauai
| First Day | |
| 09:00 – 12:00 | Waimea Canyon, Puuo Kila Lookout, Kalalau Lookout, Poipu Beach |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and Lighthouse Bistro Kilauea |
| 15:00 – 16:00 | Wet Cave and Kee Beach |
| Second Day | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Wailua Falls |
| 12:30 – night | cruising through Napali Coast |
Optional:
- back country camping on Kalalau Trail
- Helicopter tour to Jurassic Fall
Day 12 Oahu
Cruise disembarkation and fly home
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