Honolulu for a week, what to eat and do?

I%26#39;ll be going with friends to Honolulu for a week in August and was wondering if anyone can recommend any restaurants and things to do. Pearl Harbor? Is the Polynesian Cultural Center worth the time for adults as well as kids? Love seafood so if anyone has a favorite restaurant, I%26#39;m all ears. Thanks

Honolulu for a week, what to eat and do?

i am in waikiki now, visiting my daughter. she took me to the new holokai grill. it is some of the best i ever been to. the old lewers street has been remade and alot of stores are open now. and that is where this restaurant is. lovely decor and friendly waiters.

i am going to explore the nwe lewers street this morning.

the royal hawaiian shpping center is all ripped up. a 3 story huge hilo hatties will be there.

Honolulu for a week, what to eat and do?

halemu - I%26#39;m happy to hear you liked the Holokai Grill - I found it on the internet and printed up the menus so I%26#39;m ready to check it out next month when I get there. But it%26#39;s always good to hear in advance. I will be in Waikiki for two weeks in just 30 days ...

travelnut - You can be as busy (or not) as you want to be - there is SO much to see and do on Oahu! Some of my favorites are - Pearl Harbor, the Iolani Palace tour, Chinatown (to buy great produce and pastries), breakfast at Boots %26amp; Kimo%26#39;s in Kailua (the BEST macadamia pancakes EVER!), a drive out to the North Shore and stopping at the shrimp trucks and for shave ice at Matsumoto%26#39;s, stopping off to watch the turtles near Waimea Bay, browsing (and buying!) in the Dole Plantation gift shop - while eating a pineapple ice cream cone, wandering through the International Market Place, riding The Bus anywhere, shopping at the swapmeet at Aloha Stadium, relaxing in a rocking chair in front of the Moana, sunset at the bar in Duke%26#39;s (in the Outrigger), having a drink on the beach (you can do this at MANY places along Waikiki), watching the sunrise over Diamond Head, feeling the sand between my toes that very first time on Waikiki - I could go on FOREVER! Your trip will be what you make it - but don%26#39;t over-plan and remember to RELAX and ENJOY the beauty that is Hawaii.

There was even a shrimp wagon right in Waikiki when I was there in January. Parked in a lot on Kuhio. THAT was the best seafood I had all week. Cheap too ($10-12). You eat at picnic tables.

Honolulu activities not about the outdoors or the beach are:

Iolani Palace

Bishop Museum

Mission Houses

Honolulu Academy of the Arts

Doris Duke ShangriLa estate

Chinatown

I have not been to either Pearl Harbor of the PCC to make a comment.

One of the best resources for quick, cheap, and decent food is the ABC Stores. We grabbed sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc. every day and had a picnic on Waikiki beach (~$5pp).

The choices are endless on Oahu.....the best island as far as the number of things to see and do!! The Polysesian Cultural Center is definitely a must, especially if it%26#39;s your first time to Hawaii. The same for Pearl Harbor. The same for Hanauma Bay.

If you go to Pearl Harbor DO NOT do it as a rush job.

Stroll and Linger through. Absorb the energy! And if possible

dotake the USS Missouri tour. The best reason IMhO is that you

will be able to say that you were on 2 Hawaiian Islands.

Moku Ume `Ume (Ford ) and O`ahu.

The PCC, IMHO, is lots more oriented to adults than kids (it%26#39;s not an amusement park). Definitely see it, and be sure to stay for the evening show - best in Hawaii. The luau is just so-so, but I advise you do it anyway.

See Pearl Harbor the day after you get there, or the next. You will be waking up very early anyway. Get some malasadas from Leonards and some Kona coffee and get in line by 7 or 7:15. You%26#39;ll be done by 10. Then take in the Missouri, or if it%26#39;s on a weekend or Wednesday, go to the Swap Meet.

Make the hike up Diamond Head - fantastic view. Go early in the day. Take a bottle of water.

Drive to the North Shore. August won%26#39;t have high waves to see spectacular surfers, but the beaches are beautiful and Haleiwa is a fun little town. While there, have lunch from a shrimp truck, walk in to Waimea Falls, end the day with a shave ice and watch the sun go down from the beach.

See prettier and less populated Kailua and Lanikai beaches on the windward shore (east coast) after eating pancakes with macadamia sauce at Boots %26amp; Kimo%26#39;s.

Plenty to do on Oahu with a car. A week is hardly enough.

Oh, almost forgot - eats. Be sure to try local - plate lunch at L %26amp; L or Rainbow Drive In. Possibly Loco-Moco. Zippy%26#39;s has surprisingly good breakfast pastries, good chili, and plate lunches. Try the Kakaako Kitchen at Ward Center and Nico%26#39;s at Pier 38. Fatty%26#39;s chinese near the International Market Place, the food court at the Ala Moana, the Pineapple Room. These are all modest to downright cheap. For seafood, Nico%26#39;s is excellent - inexpensive but very fresh (bought that morning from the fish market next door) and well prepared - check their hours before going. Several upscale places, Chef Mavro, La Mer, Hoku%26#39;s, Alan Wong%26#39;s, all do seafood well.

You guys are making me hungry....

Havent had enough fish in my diet lately so cant wait to get to Waikiki and try different restaurants for fish!!

TG

If you love seafood go to the all you can eat restaurant at Pacific Beach. Devine.

THE PALMERIA HOUSE is a restraunt that i KNOW not many tourists know about, it%26#39;s inside of a popular hotel for the movie celebraties!(Cameron Diaz is a regualr,Pamela Anderson,Arnold Swartznager you name it) To our surprise it wasn%26#39;t expenive nor crowded. it would be a perfect spot for you and the friends. It%26#39;s outside on a beutiful patio facing the ocean. The ocean is only feet from your table. The grounds were tropical and green.. At 6:00 ukelele%26#39;e mucians and a hula dancer come out and sing to your table and to other guests.(Don%26#39;t forget to tip!). It was very classy,and enteraining. It really put an ALOHA SPIRIT in the air. We did this the second night we were there. 808)739-8911.Also there were dolphins on this property. We ended up signing our son up for the program. You get to swim with them. They say arrive 1/2 early so you can tour the grounds and see the wall of celebraties. that was fun. The president has even stayed there!

AnothEr easy place to recomend is Dukes. This place is jumping.

It%26#39;s in the middle of the waikiki strip right off the sand. Know that the outside patio area is bar menu only. Nobody told us that. The food inside was incrdiable. When your there,For sure try and make reservations. you may be sorry if you don%26#39;t. wait time can be up to 2 hours. If you arrive before 6:00 i don%26#39;t think it is bad. We arrived at that time and waited a half hour. 808)922-2268

Hula Grill is upstairs above Dukes they%26#39;re good too. Thier menu is more like Red Robin,or tgi fridays,chilis.

* * * Things to do* * * *

* Hanuama Bay %26lt;Touristy though

* EASY hike to Manoa Falls. Totally worth it!!

* Pearl Harbor

* Swap meet. This is open only on wed,sat sun. Right next to pearl harbor. Try and sceduale it the same day as pearl harbor. YOu%26#39;ll find that all the stuff they sale you can get at the swap meet for a 1/4 of what you%26#39;d elsewhere. No lie.

* NORTH SHORE! ! nOt to be missed!!

Good luck hope i was able to help.