You can buy Poke (raw marinated tuna) in the supermarket (Foodland) or costco and its pretty good stuff. There are little stores everywhere called ABC stores that sell lots of souviners and assorted crap. If I need to buy stuff for people I go to Hilo Hattie which is a huge store, they have T-shirts, hawaiian shirts of crappy quality, little trinkets, macadamia nuts, chocolates, etc and is pretty cheap. Its outside of Waikiki, there are free shuttles but they take a while. http://www.hilohattie.com/ Since your not there too long, just go buy some wooden necklaces and shit like that for your kids at the ABC store. You'll also see these expensive cookie stores called Honolulu Cookie Company or something. They are pretty good, but you can buy those at the Tommy Bahama Store at Bridgeport Village. Some are exclusive to hawaii I believe though.
Doesn't have to be a fancy place for us to go to. As long as the atmosphere is cool. Would love to hang and eat on the water the whole time.
I think the day car trip to the North Shore will totally be up your alley. The drive gives you a great tour of the island and you'll have plenty of time to enjoy 2-3 beaches along the way. Sunset Beach, Banzi Pipeline, Waimea Bay and end with the small town of Haleiwa. (Or just pick one beach to spend 4-6 hours at . . . I like spending a couple of hours at 2-3 beaches and experiencing all of North Shore . . . but it's the North Shore beaches that have the "cool atmosphere") It is completely opposite of Waikiki. If you just want to beach it completely and don't like Waikiki (can't go wrong with beaching it in Hawaii), you got Kailua/Lanikai on windward side or you want all sun no wind (going to be hot) try Makaha or Ko Olina. Ko Olina is a beautiful beach and has a resort where you and FAM can eat. I think you would like it. You have limited time, can't do it all. My two cents is totally beach it one day at Ko Olina (or Kailua but kind of have to know what you are doing with parking and the right spot) and car trip to North Shore the other day.
So here is what I think the plan is FAMS....... We will get to our hotel around 4PM Thursday. We are going to drive up to the North Shore to Haleiwa so my wife can get her shave ice. Hang out up there for the evening. I work the next two days and will have evenings free, so we will be kinda' stuck close to Waikiki. But we don't leave til Sunday at 10 PM. So we are getting up early Sunday and hitting up -Makapu’u Beach/Lighthouse, -Waimanalo Beach,-Lanikai Beach If we get to all of them, great. If we really like one, we'll hang all day. Just can't wait to sit back and relax. Once again, all the tips have been great. Thanks so much.
Getting to the North Shore is not an "after 4pm" kind of thing. Stuff closes early, its far, there's traffic getting out of Honolulu, it'll take you 1 to 1.5 hours to get there, its a slow road and there aren't a lot of lit roads, its really easy to get disoriented, you'll be nervous whether you get there in time or not. Hawaiians are super slow paced and everything is chill, they drive slow and everything just takes a bit longer than you'd think. Plus checking in, getting your shit in your room and getting your car back from valet, you'll be jammin out of there at like 5 or 530. By the looks of your schedule, it doesn't look like the North Shore is doable unless you do that on Sunday.
Damn, thanks man. We land at 2:30..... Thought we'd have enough time. Sent from my baller ass iPhone 5S...... FAMS!
El press called it, while it is all good in Hawaii, heading out to the North Shore the day you arrive probably isn't the best idea. I think heading out to Makapu'u is doable but a little crazy pace given you just got in. If you really want to get some other beaches in other than Waikiki (which is a beautiful beach, just crowded), maybe switch the schedule. Get up early for North Shore day you leave and hit one beach (Sunset got some great sand and usually has waves), get the shaved ice in Haleiwa and head back. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get back in case you hit traffic. Got a feeling you will fall into Hawaii mode and just beach it locally while maybe making one trip to another beach. But again, whatever you decide, it all good in Hawaii.
close, it is paka lolo lolo anything is "crazy" how old are your kids? the aquarium and zoo on the west end of Waikiki are walkable through the park, banyon trees and slow traffic street plus the sunset celebration each evening on the west end will feature live local music on a stage on the beach. aquarium and zoo are small but would allow wife and kids time for stuff. sea dragon/seahorse exhibits used to be worth the price of admission at the aquarium. probably easy walk to sunset from hotel too. Oahu traffic is crazy. pearl harbor/Arizona memorial might be worth it to take kids for some sense of history/respect for veterans, though fewer are left every day. we just celebrated the life and passing of boyd a freind who served in ww2 last week here on the big island. stay on lit streets after dark. my 2cents aloha means hello -goodbye and love, mahalo means thank you, tell kids to address elders as auntie or uncle to show respect. you can call guys brah or girls sistah. bathrooms that say kane are the mens room wahine is the ladies room. concierge at hotel will be one of your best resources use them
If you're going to beaches on Sunday and parking with your luggage in a Jeep wrangler....chances are it'll get jacked. Leave it at the hotel Bell hop station and pick it up later. Lock it up though if its important stuff like computers/ipads/etc there too. 3 beaches in a day is too ambitious, even two is pushing it.
shootz with a "z",yea. ya,ya,ya, oh. na no can. i'll just let him find out about mahu and "aloha girls" for himself(hint if the girl has an adams apple its probably not.)
seriously ,if you go north shore beaches check out yelp for food truck locations and recommendations. some of the best grinds on Oahu will be at picnic table under monkey pod trees
I think on Thursday you should do the booze cruise in front of Dukes after you check in. I believe it leaves at 5:30pm which is pretty perfect to your schedule. Don't go if its super windy though because the ride can get gnarly if you go out far. You should go early and reserve a spot though. http://www.nahokuii.com/
You forgot to spell out "grinds" means food in your earlier post too! I'm starting to think you might be a haole like me ;]
Yeah, to find the BEST local food in Hawaii (aka GRINDZ) download the GRINDR app. If you share your feed to your facebook page, you get your first meal free!
