Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and that's if mom and dad aren't big
drinkers). In the
Expensive
category,
the same family of four can expect to
spend $150. In the
Moderate
category,
the family of four is looking at a dinner
bill of $75 to $100. In the
Inexpensive
category, a family of four can eat for less
than $75.
13 Suggested Itineraries
Hawaii has so many places to explore,
things to do, and sights to see that it
can be bewildering to plan your trip
with so much vying for your atten-
tion. Where to start? The first thing to
do: Decide where you want to go. You
may stare at a map of Hawaii, looking
at the six major islands—Oahu, the
Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai,
Lanai, and Kauai—and wonder how
to choose. Each island is distinct from
the others and has its own personality,
which I've tried to capture in the
chapters that follow. Read through
each chapter (especially each chapter
introduction) to see which islands fit
the profile and offer the activities that
you're looking for.
I strongly recommend that you
limit your island-hopping to one
island per week.
If you decide to go
to more than one in a week, be
warned: You could spend much of
your precious vacation time in air-
ports, waiting to board flights and for
your luggage to arrive, and checking
in and out of hotels. Not much fun!
My second tip is to
fly directly to
the island of your choice;
doing so
can save you a 2-hour layover in
Honolulu and another plane ride.
Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and
Kauai now all receive direct flights
from the mainland; if you're heading
to Molokai or Lanai, you'll have the
easiest connections if you fly into
Honolulu. Because the most popular
island for visitors are the islands of
Oahu and Maui, below are suggested
itineraries for each of these islands.
A WEEK ON OAHU
Spend your first day on Waikiki Beach
(don't forget the sunscreen). After
lunch, wander down to the Waikiki
Aquarium to see marine critters or
stop by the Honolulu Zoo in the after-
noon.
The next day, drive around the
island, stopping at Sea Life Park, the
Polynesian Cultural Center, and the
beaches along the North Shore. Be
sure to stop for shave ice in Haleiwa.
On day three, the kids still will wake
up early (they will still be on mainland
time), so head out early to see the
Pearl Harbor Memorial (and the USS
Missouri
and USS
Bowfin,
if they are
up to it). In the afternoon, take a hike
up to the top of Diamond Head for
the view.
On day four, spend the morning
snorkeling at Hanama Bay and the
afternoon pounding a shark-skin
drum at the new Bishop Museum at
Kalia (in the heart of Waikiki). The
interactive minimuseum features a
host of activities, including lei mak-
ing. Cool surfing movies, too.
The next day, head for the water-
front of Honolulu. Stop by the Hawaii
Maritime Museum, where your kids
can explore the maritime world of
Hawaii from the ancient journey of
Polynesian voyagers to the nostalgic
days of the
Lurline,
which once
brought tourists from San Francisco
on 4-day cruises. Inside you'll see
everything from the skeleton of a
Pacific humpback whale that beached
on Kahoolawe to the king's boathouse.
Outside, the
Hokulea,
a double-hulled
sailing canoe that in 1976 reenacted
the Polynesian voyage of discovery, is
moored next to the
Falls of Clyde,
a
four-masted schooner that once ran
tea from China to the West Coast.
There are lots of interactive exhibits to
