Trip Report - BI, Maui & Oahu !

FLIGHTS: Ok, for all you Aussies (and others) out there asking questions about the Jetstar service, this is for you. We have always previously flown Qantas but were lucky enough to get the introductory ';cheap'; fares to Hawaii, so 13 of us went in total with Jetstar. As we connected from a Qld flight we arrived at Sydney International about 2pm which gave us plenty of time for check in. Jetstar check in does not open until 3 hours before the scheduled flight so we were one of the first in line. Check in was reasonably smooth however we did have to fill in some form at the check in counter with all our contact details etc which is something I have not had to do with international flights before. This can delay the check in time so be prepared. Flight to Honolulu departed on time and arrived on time so no problems there. We pre-purchased the comfort pack (blanket, pillow, eyeshade etc), video on demand unit and meals when we booked. The service we received on Jetstar was fantastic, I would rate it equivelant to any of our previous Qantas flights. We had great airline staff, the meals were very good (as far as airline food goes) we were give 3 different choices for meals. There was a variety of movies, tv shows on the video on demand units so that kept us entertained. The seats were comfortable and we had plenty of room (and Im not a small person). Overall I would definately fly international with Jetstar again.

Our interisland flights were with Hawaiian Air and they were great. Previous trips we have flown with Aloha but decided to go with Hawaiian as they had convenient connecting flights at the time we booked. I would have to say they were better than Aloha, the planes were newer, seating comfortable and all our flights left on time.

TRIP OVERVIEW: This was hubby %26amp; my 4th trip to Hawaii, we love it !! Our first 2 nights were staying on the Big Island, 3 nights on Maui and 9 nights on Oahu.

OAHU HOTEL: We have been staying at the Pacific Beach Hotel since our first trip. We love the location, right opposite the beach and very easy walking distance to everything (shops, IMP, restaurants, transport etc). We like the Beach Tower Oceanfront rooms...fantastic views of the beach !! As this trip was in May we noticed the hotel not as busy as previous visits which was good. PBH is not luxury 5*, but it is very clean and comfortable. The maid service to our room was always done first in the morning which was great and they were always so polite %26amp; friendly. We didnt have meals at the hotel this trip (we did last year) so mainly ate outside of the hotel. The PBH is starting to date as a lot of hotels and areas in Waikiki are going through or have had major renovations so it will be nice to see the changes when they do renovate (which I was told starts in the next year or so).

As for our other travel friends, they stayed at different places. One group rented a private condo at Waikiki Park Tower on Kuhio Ave, which was really cost effective for them. There were 4 adults, 5 kids in the condo and it was decent size for all of them. They had a fantastic view of Waikiki beach from 22nd floor and Hy%26#39;s steak restaurant in the Foyer always smelt good in the evening when walking past !!

My mum %26amp; sister decided to try a different hotel for a change and settled on the Hilton Hawaiian Village as they got a good rate. They were also on 22nd floor of Rainbow Tower overlooking the beach and Diamond Head. I must say it was a fantastic view and their room had recently been renovated and was lovely. The construction going on around HHV didnt bother them at all and I would definately contemplate a stay at HHV in the future.

SHOPPING: We did the usual places, Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (had to buy another suitcase to go home so got a good one here), International Market Place, ABC Shops, Ala-Moana and Waikele Outlet. This was our first visit to Waikele Outlet and the prices in some of the stores were excellent. We took the Trolley to Waikele, cost us about $20 rtn and we enjoyed the scenic ride.

TRANSPORT: We used all sorts transport while on Oahu, TheBus, Trolley (as mentioned above), cabs and car rental. We always find TheBus very handy to ride pretty much anywhere we want to go and its cheap for $2 one way with no parking problems. For 3 days we rented a Chevy 15 seater van for us all to tour around in which was great and very easy to drive (I navigated) LOL. All the transport on Oahu is very good, easy to use and cost wise economical.

FOOD: We have some fave places we like to go, Dukes (both breakfast %26amp; dinner), Hula Grill, Rock Island Cafe, Cheesecake Factory, Planet Hollywood, HRC, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Leilani%26#39;s Maui. We always find meals are exceptional in Hawaii, food is delicous and service is happy friendly and great but we were very disappointed this time with HRC Honolulu. We had been there before plenty of times in the past for hubby but meals and service were average on this visit :-(

PCC: This was our first visit to Polynesian Cultural Centre and I have asked myself why it took us so long to finally go. This place is fantastic, extremely well organised %26amp; run. We booked online about 4 months prior to going doing the Ambassador Package. It cost about $102 (online discount) and we had 2nd front row seats in the middle section....could not have asked for anything better. We booked the curbside bus pickup for 10.30am and arrived at 12 noon when the PCC opens. The Ambassador package gives you a tour guide in a small group (about 8 people), pick either buffett dinner or Alii Luau dinner (we had buffett and it was beautiful), souvenir DVD etc. Our guide was ';Olivetti'; from Samoa who is studying computers at BYI. He was excellent, taking us to all the villages for different activities, seeing shows on time and giving us general knowledge. My sister had been to PCC last year and said this time round was much better with the guide, we got excellent seats at the attractions and she said we got to see so much more than trying to do it alone. The Horizons show in the evening was fantastic and I would definately recommend the PCC to anyone visiting Oahu....it was brilliant !!

PEARL HARBOUR ARIZONA MEMORIAL/BOWFIN/MISSOURI: In previous years we had done this with Roberts of Hawaii Stars %26amp; Stripes tour (which was always great) however this time we had the car and drove ourselves. I really feel it doesnt matter how many times you go to the Arizona Memorial it is always moving and emotional. This was our 3rd visit as we took the friends who hadnt seen it. We arrived around 9am with no line up and got into the 9.45am movie screening which we thought was great. Looked around the bookshop, museum etc in the meantime before the video screening %26amp; boat trip. We made a pitstop after this to the Bowfin Sub for snacks and Missouri tickets so didnt get to have a good look around %26amp; would like to go back again. They did have a beautiful giftshop. Our next main stop was Missouri, we did the self guided tour and looked around for about 2 hours. It is so easy to spend the whole day at these 3 places and not go/see anywhere else the same day so if you really enjoy history then allow a whole day for these stops. The Pacific Air Museum is now open which we would like to back %26amp; look at as well and we noticed they are building a memorial museum for USS Oklahoma so this will be another trip back to see one day.

NORTH SHORE: Drove to Haleiwa for Giovanni shrimp %26amp; shave ice....yum !!! Our friends loved the garlic shrimp and we also took a stop at the North Shore chocolate factory shop...yummy truffles !! Then down the road to Aoki%26#39;s for shave ice...also yum, everyone enjoyed the shave ice !! We then took our time driving back to Waikiki along the Winward coastline enjoying the scenery along the way, stopping when we wanted.

BIG ISLAND: We wanted to go to the Kona area as my husband is a Hard Rock Cafe member and wanted to go as he hadnt been to Kona HRC before. I previously stayed in Kona 2001 and did the circle island, volcanos etc back then. I took my husband back to see the volcanos in 2005 hence this short stay on BI was mainly for his HRC experience. We stayed at Sheraton Keauhou Resort, which was lovely. I will post my hotel report on the TA. The hotel is large with beautiful surrounding grounds and about a 10 min drive to Kona. We mainly ate breakfast at Kai%26#39;s restaurant at the hotel (convenient) but it was nice and food good. I would highly recommend staying at the hotel. We hired a car, drove to coffee plantations, Painted Church, Place of Refuge which was great. The carvings and history here is very interesting and you can easily spend half a day here looking around. The Painted Church is on a little side road half way up/down the hill from the Refuge. It is a pretty little church and the paintwork on the inside is beautiful.

MAUI: Stayed at Sheraton Maui which was beautiful !! Again I will post my hotel review on TA. I really want to go back to stay here and do nothing for 5 days !! We had previously been to Maui for a day trip which made our decision to stay here this visit. The hotel was a 5 min walk to Whalers village for shopping, food %26amp; general needs. We spent a whole day in Lahaina shopping and looking around. Lahaina is a nice little town with lots of shops %26amp; restaurants to enjoy the day. We did Haleakala Sunrise with Polynesian Adventure Tours which was awesome. We got picked up at 2.30am for sunrise at 5.47am. Be warned it does get cold up there early morning especially with the wind blowing !! I thought my sister was kidding when she said to take warm winter clothing (beanie, scarf, gloves etc) to Hawaii for Haleakala but she was right !! I had all these plus a tracksuit and blanket from the airplane and it was still freezing. Im use to cold weather where I live in Qld (inland west) where temps get down below 0 in winter and I was still cold. But needless to say this was definately worthwhile, seeing the colours are amazing and it is an experience I will never forget. We spent our other day lazing by the pool relaxing with cocktails and room service !! If you need to get to hotels from Kahalui Airport and dont want to rent a car then I would recommend Speedi Shuttle (www.speedishuttle.com). We used them to get to/from airport %26amp; hotel and they were great. Family had car rental whilst in Maui so we drove around with them.

Well thats the end of another fantastic trip to Hawaii. Hope you enjoy the report, we look forward to returning again one day :-)

Trip Report - BI, Maui %26amp; Oahu !

thanks for sharing - glad to hear the thumbs up on the Sheraton as that is where we will be staying next trip.

Trip Report - BI, Maui %26amp; Oahu !

Really great trip report - thanks for sharing and taking the time to wrtie such an enjoyable report. I leave for Waikiki in 30 days and can hardly wait! Glad you had such a good time.

Great trip report! Thanks for posting.

Thanks for a great post!

Sounds like you had a fabulous time with your family especially with your big sister you drove you around heaps!!!

Aloha to all ... just returned from Honolulu late last night and before the jet lag really sets in (I have been awake since 5.00 am and its a Sunday!) I thought I%26#39;d do a trip report as well. Hawaii 50 glad to hear you had a wonderful time .. can you believe our trips are over?

JETSTAR - MELBOURNE TO HONOLULU

Well from what we experienced - there was NO DIFFERENCE! The food and staff were good ... the video on demand units certainly helped pass the 11 hour flight and they lasted the distance (battery wise).

We flew from Perth to Melbourne and our luggage was checked in all the way thru to Honolulu. That was great! We did have the heaviest suitcase on the planet on our return - and luckily with no excess charges!

Flights were on time both ways and even got us to our destinations earlier than expected!

Qantas Club access for Jetstar passengers - perfect!

SHOPPING

We did Waikele Factory outlets on day 2 - just so we could see what was out there before hitting Ala Moana Shopping Centre.

Ala Moana SC - what can I say its just AWESOME - however I am a bit shopped out at the moment! I did however get all the things on my ';wish list'; but a bit disappointed in my shoe buying ability this trip - only 3 pairs this time! Down on last trips ;-)

EATING OUT

We had some magnificent meals out - Arancino%26#39;s, Cha Cha Cha%26#39;s, Longhi%26#39;s for a special birthday dinner, La Cucaracha, California Pizza Kitchen, Ruth Chris%26#39;s Steak House, Holokai Bar and Grill and Tiki%26#39;s Bar and Grill.

Beach Walk - what a transformation to Lewers Street. It%26#39;s excellent especially if you knew what it was like before!

To answer the question on dress standards for restaurants - whatever you feel like wearing! You%26#39;ll fit in whatever you wear!

SURFING

Hubby hired a surf board for the duration of the stay from Hawaii Surfboard Rentals. Aloha to Dan! They were great - delivered and picked up the board direct to/from the hotel. What a great service!

GOLF

Hubby also played gold at Koolau Golf Course (I drove the cart!). Beautiful golf course - very expensive but alas!

As you can see, my hubby is a sports fanatic ... lucky my sporting equipment fits in my wallet!

OHANA EAST HOTEL

Perfect location but a tad noisy. Next time we will ask for a room on the higher floors. A nice walk to the beach, across the road from the food pantry, across the road from the Pink Trolley stop at Ohana West. Maid service was great .. done first thing in the morning so the room was always clean

PINK TROLLEY TO ALA MOANA

Using our room key you get free transport on the pink trolley to Ala Moana Shopping Centre! Certainly saved on the $2 each bus fare each way - more shopping money for me!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Anyway, the 2007 Aloha Vacation is over - time to start planning the next one ... I%26#39;ll definitely be looking out for the cheap airfares using Jetstar - one lady I was talking to yesterday at Honolulu airport - her flight was $29 plus taxes (one way) ... I know!

For all those who have trips coming up ... you LUCKY LUCKY things!. Enjoy and make the most of it! The time passes so quickly!

Have come back with a lovely tan but pity its winter and I have to cover it up.

Back to work on Tuesday .. blah blah blah!

Aloha

Ozsurferswife,

Sounds like you also had a great time......like me happy to be back home but already thinking about going back again !!! LOL

Hi There,

We are looking at going for Xmas and have just read your report. I have some questions which I hope you can answer. Where%26#39;s a good place to go to a lual.

Can you suggest any good accommodation at Northshore. Sort of only know of Turtle Bay Resort. Also what would you suggest we do. Want to spend maybe 5 days Waikiki, 2 nts Northshore then maybe fly to Maui. What else.

Durnie

Hi Durnie,

7 days Oahu (5 Waikiki %26amp; 2 North Shore) and maybe 3-5 days Maui is good.

If you are considering going to Maui then the Old Lahaina Luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort is suppose to be the best. I have not actually done this myself but friends did it and said it was fantastic

(they did a luau with us a few years ago). I think it was about $90-$100 but included drinks.

A luau on Oahu, there are a few to pick from. I would definately say the Polynesian Cultural Centre for a day then stay for dinner (either Ali%26#39;i luau or buffet dinner) and watch the Horizons show. Keep in mind if you want to drink the PCC is run by Mormons and does not have alcohol. The PCC was fantastic !! You could easily do PCC if staying on the North Shore for a few nights. Also a day in Haleiwa just wondering the shops, also Giovanni%26#39;s for shrimp lunch %26amp; either Aoki%26#39;s or Matsumoto%26#39;s for shave ice....yum. In way of places to stay on North Shore, Turtle Bay Resort is the only big hotel I know of up that way otherwise you could consider a private rental house/condo. Have a look at VRBO www.vrbo.com. As christmas in hawaii is winter, keep in mind that the big surf is up and you may have to book well ahead for private rentals.

We have previously done Germaine%26#39;s luau which was a good night. We enjoyed it, food is pretty much the same as other luau%26#39;s and you get 3 free alcoholic drinks (beer or cocktails) and free softdrink all night. Cost was about $55 per adult.

There is heaps to do on Oahu, we have been 4 times %26amp; still not seen everything LOL !! If you can, rent a car. It is very easy to drive around in Hawaii, although consider where you stay in Waikiki. Parking can be limited %26amp; hotel parking can be expensive from $10-$20 a day.

I would say definately Pearl Harbour/USS Arizona memorial is a must to see. Can also see USS Missouri %26amp; Bowfin while in that area. Doing a circle island trip is good, plenty of places to stop (Pali Lookout, Byodo-In Temple, Dole Plantation etc). Hike to top of Diamond Head one morning, fantastic views from the top !! A day relaxing at the beach you could incorporate Hanuama Bay snorkelling %26amp; just relaxing on the sand. On Waikiki Beach, take an outrigger canoe ride...they are great fun.

Hope this helps you with some planning, if I can help with anything else just ask.

Have a great trip ! :-)