Hawaii Travel 2006

Need help with ITINERARY.

Oahu %26amp;gt;May 1,May 5, (5 days)

Maui %26amp;gt;May 6, May 12 (7 days)

Big Island %26amp;gt;May 13, May 18 (6 days)

We are a couple in our early 50%26#39;s. Visiting Hawaii for the 1st. time. We are world-wide travlers, always looking to experience ';the real'; destination%26#39;s culture, food, history. In other words ';like to feel as a local'; for the time we are there.

Example: Restaurants, bakeries, specialty shops, festivities, seafood and fruits in season the locals like and frequent.

Your experience and advice would really be appriciated.

Thanks,

Brotherhood-in-travel

Hawaii Travel 2006

My husband and I are about your age. We are active travelers as well and have visited Oahu, and the Big Island many times. I%26#39;ll tell you up front, we don%26#39;t do luaus (unless a friend or relative is having one), we don%26#39;t do expensive ';tours';, and we don%26#39;t eat in expensive restaurants unless it%26#39;s a special occasion. But we do have a lot of fun.

My husband was born/raised on Oahu. We prefer to stay at the eastern end of Waikiki, away from the crowds of the central area. That area is way too ';touristy'; for us, including Waikiki Beach and the International Marketplace, and we avoid this area at all costs. We%26#39;re kind of picky about where we stay, and we%26#39;ve found some really nice accomodations for under $200/night. The Hawaii Prince Hotel is one of our favorite places to stay. It%26#39;s a quiet, elegant hotel with all rooms overlooking the marina. This year we%26#39;ve booked a condo at the Ilikai Marina building next door(not to be confused with the Renaissance Ilikai Hotel). If you%26#39;re looking for a bit more space with a full kitchen and separate bedroom, a condo can be a good option for less money than you%26#39;d spend on a hotel room. The Ala Moana Mall is across the street from this area and offers decent shopping, a nice food court, and a grocery store. There are many great restaurants in Honolulu- check out the dining section on this forum for recommendations by other members. One of our favorite local-style places to eat in Honolulu is the Side Street Inn. The best bakery is Leonard%26#39;s, without a doubt. As far as evening entertainment goes, there are many hotels and restaurants offering excellent Hawaiian music performed by local musicians. Chai%26#39;s Island Bistro and Hilton Hawaiian Village are two places where we%26#39;ve heard some really good music. It will only cost you the price of a couple of drinks and a tip to the performers.

Our favorite places to visit in Honolulu-

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Chinatown- love everything about it- the food, the shopping, the culture.

Doris Duke%26#39;s Shangri-La

Queen Emma%26#39;s Summer Palace

Bishop Museum

Drive outside Honolulu toward the windward side and watch Oahu transform into an incredibly beautiful island. No planned tours for us. We just get in the car and drive. Pop some good Hawaiian music in the CD player and hele on. Bring a good guidebook along with you and stop along you way at whatever appeals to you. Kailua and Lanikai beaches on the windward side are gorgeous. Kaneohe Bay is stunning. Head toward the north shore and watch the surfers catch the big waves. Eat lunch at a shrimp truck and have a shave ice for dessert.

These are just a few of my favorite things to do on Oahu. There are many more places to see and things to do. If you think what I%26#39;ve suggested might suit your style, let me know and I%26#39;ll tell you what we like on the Big Island.:)