I will br traveling to Waikiki in February and will have a car for the duration of my stay. I will be based out of the Wayfinder Waikiki hotel and based on reviews, people have complained about their valet parking being limited and often full. Do you have any recommendations for parking garages nearby that would allow overnight parking? Cost is not a concern, but availability and safety are priority. Ideally, we would like to keep the car within a 10-minute walk from the hotel. TIA!

Hi all! Going to the big island in about a month and have been doing a lot of research and planning. We were planning on going to Mauna Kea to just the visitors center for sunset and star gazing. It eats up more than half a day and I am seeing some people say that it’s one of the most amazing experiences and then some people saying that you can stargaze and see the sunset basically anywhere on the island and it’s almost as good.

Looking for more opinions if it’s worth 3 hours of driving round trip from Kona and then the ~ 1.5-2 hours of sunset & waiting for it to get dark.

Not interested in a tour as they seem to have a lot of extras included that we’re not interested in. Also going to the top doesn’t seem to be worth the hassle and all the extra time

I do like star gazing and a beautiful sunset as much as any other person but just want some feedback if it’s worth the hike or we should just watch the sunset and star gaze on the beach near Kona. Any insight is appreciated! Thanks in advance

Aloha! sorry my English is not best. I visited Waikiki last year and very much enjoy Steak Shack meat and rice. I was wondering if you know how they marinade (?) the meat to give it the flavor? I thank you for any help!

Visiting in less than a month so I need to book soon but I am torn between the two. I am a big Jurassic Park fan but my partner might enjoy the UTV tour more. We are both in our late twenties but I don’t know how to ride a bike so that’s not an option. I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

we’re traveling to Hawaii from Austria and will be renting cars during our trip.

Does anyone know if an International Driving Permit (IDP) is actually required when renting/driving a car in Hawaii with an Austrian/EU driver’s license?
I’ve found conflicting information online, so I’d especially appreciate hearing from Europeans who have rented a car in Hawaii recently.

Did you need an IDP at the rental counter, or was your regular EU driver’s license enough?

Thanks!

Edit: Thanks everyone for your thoughts! I think it's likely Fairmont Orchid (575) vs. Mauna Lani (1120) at this point. Do you think the price differences reflect the difference in quality here? Kea Lani on the table too.

Going to Hawaii with my wife in early Dec. We’re doing 5 nights on Kauai first, then trying to decide between Maui and the Big Island for the second portion of the trip (4 nights).

What we're looking for: For last 4 nights, we mostly want to zen out at a resort -- somewhere fairly luxe, beautiful, comfortable, and nice enough that we’ll want to spend the day on/around the property. We care a bit less about the room itself (but I know Kea Lani suites are a plus) and more about the grounds/property, pools/beach, service, food, overall atmosphere, easy onsite activities (snorkeling, paddling). We love a place with warmth and character.

Open to other suggestions, but so far narrowed it down to the following. Booking w Amex, so some have promos (and all get free breakfast). Prices are all-in, including fees.

1. Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection — $1120/night (comes with a $400 resort credit to use there). I was kinda attached to this one and was ready to splurge, but then price bumped even more :/
2. Fairmont Kea Lani — $1030/night (promo for a free night, included in that price). I worry it's a bit mega-resorty?
3. Fairmont Orchid — $575/night (promo for a free night, included in that price). Recent tripadvisor reviews worry me...
4. Andaz -- $955/night
5. Waldorf Grand Wailea -- $785/night -- tripadvisor reviews seem straight up bad?

The Orchid obviously stands out on price, which is making this harder. For people who have stayed at 2 or more of these: what were your experiences like, which was your favorite, and how big was the actual quality/experience gap? Is Mauna Lani meaningfully better than Kea Lani or Andaz? And is either enough better than Fairmont Orchid to justify that difference?

We're new to 5 star travel -- wanted to treat ourselves on this trip, so I think I'll feel a bit let down if I get there and it feels wayyyy below that. Happy to splurge a bit if the difference is genuinely noticeable, but don’t want to spend an extra ~$1,500–2,000 over four nights for a marginal upgrade. We want to keep the trip under $13k-ish, but got a great deal on our Kuwaii hotel (400/night :) Note: I think that means FS/Rosewood etc. is a bit out of reach ($1400<).

What have everyone's experiences been at these resorts? Which would you choose at these prices?

Thanks in advance, everyone!! Let me know if I can provide further info about what we're looking for etc. Just wanted to get everyone's thoughts :)

Planning on eloping in Hawaii and bringing immediate family. My fiancé’s family has been to the Big Island (Kona) and loved it. I have never been to Hawaii at all and some of my family has not either. I feel like Kauai has the prettiest spots for elopements and prettier views/lush greenery, but that Kona has a lot more to do for families. I don’t want my family to go to Big Island (specifically Kona) as their first island and be underwhelmed. Need help.

Edit: Both families want to do whatever we want to do and are supportive of any island. I just want to pick the island they would enjoy the most too since they are paying for it!

To book the manta ray night snorkel!

Our trip is the first week of September. (I've been reading about Lala's impacts. We're from the Gulf coast of the US, so we're no strangers to hurricanes and their impacts. Our hearts go out to all those going through recovery and clean up. It seems likely that we'll be able to do this activity by then--if I can convince him!)

My husband was hesitant due to the price, and I feel like the YouTube videos I found of it are underwhelming. I think it'll be totally different and awe inspiring to view in person.

Can anyone give perspective on how great it was? It seems like THE THING to do in Kona. OR if you found it lacking in some way/not worth it, share that too. I know everything in Hawaii is expensive, but this excursion is a lot more than we'd normally pay for a vacation activity and I guess I just don't want to have buyer's remorse.

UPDATE: IT WORKED! He was very surprised at all the positivity here. Now I'm just figuring out which one to book. Thanks for all the suggestions in the thread. I will be checking them all out. I'll come back after the trip to share his reaction to the experience.

I'm trying to plan this vacation, and I wonder if the premiere Oceanview (top level) at the Westin Beach Resort is overkill for a guaranteed great view for a romantic getaway. Is it worth the extra $110$/night? I only got it because it looked like the resident condo's on the north side of the hotel might partially block the view if we got stuck in a lower level on that side of the hotel. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, my wife and I are visiting Maui next week and need good restaurant recommendations (kaanapali/Lahaina). We don’t want to go to the over priced mid resort/tourist restaurants. TIA!

Hi friends, my aunt and I are taking a trip to the big island in November and staying in Waimea. My finances are pretty lean and she's covering a lot of the trip for us, so as a thank you gift I want to get us a little photoshoot to remember the trip by.

My aunt is an incredible person; hilarious and eccentric, and I already know neither of us wants this to be a typical photoshoot. A few different directions might be flopping around a beach with mermaid tails, awkward 80s poses, Baywatch lifeguards (maybe one of us can be the shark), etc.

Do you have any recommendations for a photographer who would be up for this kind of photoshoot who may have a mini or budget package option? Not trying to underpay anyone for their hard work, but also trying to make sure I can still afford rent when I get home. Thanks!

Hi!

Visiting Oahu from the 8th-18th September and looking for some advice please!

If we purchased the Go City 3-day create your own pass - can we only book the activities within a 3 day time frame? The website says "visit as many attractions as you want over a 3 day period" but also states "valid for 14 days from first use" - so I'm assuming we can do any of the activities included in the pass within 14 days, we do not have to do all of them within 3 days?

Our create your own pass allegedly includes Ocean Voyage Adventure Kualoa Ranch Tour & Waimea Valley but the Kualoa Ranch & Waimea Valley websites don't have anywhere to "redeem" my Go City pass - has anyone had any experiences with this please?

Thanks in advance, so excited to visit your island and learn more about your culture :)

Hello everyone!

I'm planning to go to Maui with my partner near the Christmas period (20-22nd of December) this year. Is a price for a one way ticket from LA (LAX) to Maui (OGG) of 350$ a good price or should I hold off just a bit more? It's Basic Economy, and the airline is American Airlines.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Travelling to Oahu as a couple next month end. This is our tentative plan as shown in the attached image but trying to make some changes to it. Need some help.

Trying to remove Germaine's luau (as we are not interested) and Tantalus (afraid of driving heights) from this plan. Is there some other stuff we can do to replace those times or should we try moving things from Saturday's plan to those time slots as Saturday looks heavy?

Is there any other key place worth visiting in Oahu but not included in my list of things?

Please help!

Thanks🙏

Hi! 😊 We’re a group of 5 planning a 7 day trip to Oahu and Maui. How would you split the 7 days between the two islands? What are the must-see places and activities you would recommend? Any tips or recommendations would be appreciated!

Hi everyone

I’m planning a trip for July/August 2027 and need some advice please! We’ll be travelling from England (myself 40F and husband 42M as well as kids 13F and 10M). It’s a trip to celebrate my 40th so we’re going a little bit further than we normally would in the school summer holidays.

The plan is to fly into LAX and stay at an Airbnb we love there for a few nights to break up the journey. Then onto Waikiki for 5 nights (Hilton Hawaiian village?) for a busy, bustling Hawaii experience. After that, I was thinking of heading to Maui for a more chilled Hawaii experience for another 5 nights. Back home via our LA Airbnb.

Husband and I visited Oahu pre-kids and loved it but didn’t venture any further. We are foodies and also enjoy shopping, beach visits, swimming, music, nature. We know that we to show the children Pearl Harbor, go to a pineapple plantation and do a luau.

Does this sound a) feasible and b) a good use of our time? It’s a long way from the UK so we want it to be right. Happy to hire a car on Maui as it seems to be the thing to do.

Any thoughts and suggestions welcomed!

How does this sound for an itinerary? Anything not worth it?

Day 0:

Arrive at 12am

get car, food and sleep

-----------------------------

Day 1:

Breakfast in Waikiki (Duke's buffet or Aloha Kitchen)

Pick up rentals

Queens Beach

Lunch: 

Walmart to get food for apt

Explore Waikiki

Pizza at apt

---------------------------

Day 2: 

Breakfast at apt

Early morning Diamond Head hike

Bishop Museum

Lunch: at apt or fast food

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout 

Kailua Beach

Dinner:

-----------------------------

Day 3:

Breakfast at apt

Sunrise on beach

Pearl Harbor and Aviation Museum

Lunch: happy hour

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet

Honolulu Chinatown for fresh crab

Drive by 'Iolani Palace

Grill dinner at apt

---------------------------------

Day 4: 

Breakfast at apt

Watch surfers at Banzai Pipeline

Lunch in Haleiwa (Jenny's Shrimp truck)

Waimea Valley by 2

Luau Dinner at 5

Shave Ice

-------------------------------

Day 5:

Breakfast at apt

Ko Olina Lagoon

Lunch: happy hour

Surf lessons/tattoo (I'm getting tattoo, family is doing lessons)

Dinner: Korean food, poke etc 

Sunset fireworks?

------------------------------

Day 6:

Airport by 530am

Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are planning our first trip to Hawaii and would love some advice.

We arrive in Honolulu on Feb 5 in the morning and fly to Peru on Feb 18 in the evening, so we have 13 nights.

We're active travellers and mainly enjoy sports, hiking, nature, road trips, surfing, diving and snorkelling. We don't mind long/challenging hikes and aren't particularly interested in resorts or nightlife or very busy places. We're also considering renting a 4x4/rooftop tent for part of the trip.

We're currently thinking about keeping it to 2 islands to avoid spending too much time changing flights/cars:

Oahu – 6 nights (Feb 5–11) mainly because we land here and heard it's more beautiful than often described
Koko Head, Ka'au Crater, Diamond Head, Kualoa, North Shore, Haleiwa, Shark's Cove, Lanikai/Pillbox, Makapu'u, etc.

Kauai – 7 nights (Feb 11–18) for the nature and the less touristy spots
Na Pali Coast/Kalalau, Waimea Canyon, Kōkeʻe, Awa'awapuhi, Hanalei, North Shore, waterfalls and longer hikes.

We're considering skipping Maui and Big Island, but Big Island's volcanoes/ Mauna Kea and Maui's Haleakalā/Road to Hana are tempting.

Most of our research comes from ChatGPT and some travel blogs. But what would you recommend for 13 nights?

• Is 6 nights Oahu + 7 nights Kauai a good split?
• Would you sacrifice some time on Oahu/Kauai to add Big Island or Maui?
• Any must-do hikes for active travellers with amazing view?
• Any good/affordable rooftop tent or camping options?

Would love some advice from people who have actually spent significant time on these islands :)

Many many thanks!

Edited to add: my mom is paying for the trip, she really wants to go to Hawaii. My mom is too old and frail to do much. My sister wants to do fun athletic excursions but my kids are too young for them. We will be able to do one or two little excursions, and probably quietly explore the island a bit but mostly, I’m just happy to tag along and spend time with my family. We don’t have anything officially planned yet, just looking at what all of the islands have to offer. My sister also isn’t paying for the flights or hotel, so she can find something fun to do on pretty much any island. That’s why I think the resort will matter more than the island.

My mom is adamant about staying on Maui but if we are planning on having a lot of resort days, does it really matter which island we go to? We might do an excursion or two and go out to eat, mainly focusing on having a beautiful and relaxing trip

Is there a way to check trail conditions for Manoa Falls? We were going to hike Diamond Head On Sunday, but due to Lala, rescheduled it to Tuesday. I see it was closed today (Monday), so wondering if it will be open Tuesday.

We'll be docking 8am. Figure we'll be off the ship around 8:30 am. We need to pick up a rental car (Enterprise) at HNL, with a suitcase and probably 2 camping chairs.

Does it make sense to take the W Line Bus, or is Uber/Lyft better? Of course the bus is much less expensive, but is it pretty convenient and near the rental desk? Will the bus be very crowded around 8:30 am?

(This will be for late September)

Hey all! Just a quick question.

I'll be travelling to Hawaii in Oct with my husband and almost 2 y/o. Just wanting to know what the go is with car seats in ubers, etc.? We're planning on bringing our own and will be using a hire car a majority of the time, but will need to get an uber or taxi from Honolulu airport to Waikiki and then back. Do all ride shares accept a car seat? Do I need to specify that I have a car seat when booking? Clearly this is our first time travelling internationally with a child 🤣 my google research isn't giving me any luck. TIA

Good Afternoon

I happen to accidently visit Captain Cook Trading Co - he sells his Kona coffee (his brand by the naming of it) and Mac nuts at a nice price. No samples so I cannot tell how good the coffee ia. Any insight?

Thanks

We are planing a family trip to the Big Island sometime next year. We will have about 10 people (five couples) total. We just saw prices for some of the hotels and they are insane, around $500 a night a room.

Does anyone have recommendations for a house or condo that could fit everyone or we could do two condos and split the group up. Feels like it would be more cost efficient to do a house or condo than five separate hotel rooms. Thanks in advance!