Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 74

like a San Francisco cable car. (See “Sightseeing Tours,” later in this chapter.)
The trolley loops around Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, stopping every 40
minutes at 12 key places: Hilton Hawaiian Village, Iolani Palace, Wo Fat's in
Chinatown, the State Capitol, King Kamehameha's Statue, the Mission House
Museum, the Aloha Tower, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Hawaii Mar-
itime Museum, Ward Centre, Fisherman's Wharf, and Restaurant Row. The
driver provides commentary along the way. Stops on the 2-hour fully narrated
Ocean Coast Line (the blue line) of the southeast side of Oahu include Sea Life
Park, Diamond Head, and Waikiki Beach. A 1-day trolley pass—which costs
$25 for adults, $18 for seniors over 62, and $12 for children ages 4 to 11—
allows you to jump on and off all day long (8:30am-11:35pm). Four-day passes
cost $45 for adults, $27 for seniors, $18 for children. Note that you'll have to
fold up your stroller when you're on board.
BY TAXI Oahu's major cab companies offer islandwide, 24-hour, radio-dis-
patched service, with multilingual drivers and air-conditioned cars, limos, vans,
and vehicles equipped with wheelchair lifts. (There's a $5 charge for wheel-
chairs.) Fares are standard for all taxi firms; from the airport, expect to pay about
$30 to $40 (plus tip) to Waikiki, about $25 to downtown, about $50 to $60 to
Kailua, about $50 to $60 to Hawaii Kai, and about $95 to $115 to the North
Shore. For a flat fee of $22, Star Taxi ( & 800/671-2999 or 808/942-STAR)
will take up to five passengers from the airport to Waikiki (with no extra charges
for baggage); however, you must book in advance. After you have arrived and
before you pick up your luggage, call Star again to make sure that they will be
outside waiting for you when your luggage arrives.
For a metered cab, try Aloha State Cab ( & 808/847-3566), Charley's Taxi
& Tours ( & 808/531-1333), City Taxi ( & 808/524-2121), Royal Taxi & Tour
( & 808/944-5513), Sida Taxi & Tours ( & 808/836-0011), or TheCab
( & 808/422-2222). Coast Taxi ( & 808/261-3755) serves windward Oahu, and
Hawaii Kai Hui/Koko Head Taxi ( & 808/396-6633) serves east Honolulu/
southeast Oahu.
WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORTATION Handicabs of the Pacific ( & 808/
524-3866 ) offers wheelchair taxi services and tours in air-conditioned vehicles
that are specially equipped with ramps and wheelchair lockdowns. Handicabs
offers a range of taxi services (airport pickup to Waikiki hotels is $40 one-way,
transportation within Waikiki is $20 one-way) as well as tours.
FAST FACTS: Oahu
Airport See “Orientation,” earlier in this chapter.
American Express The Honolulu office is at 1440 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite
104 ( & 808/946-7741 ), and is open Monday through Friday from 8am to
5pm. There's also an office at Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Rd.
( & 808/947-2607 or 808/951-0644), and one at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki,
2424 Kalakaua Ave. ( & 808/926-5441 ); both offer financial services daily
from 8am to 8pm.
Babysitters PATCH ( & 808/839-1988 ) or your hotel can refer you to quali-
fied babysitters. Many hotels use the licensed and bonded sitters of Sitters
Unlimited (www.sittershawaii.com); if you book their services directly, their
rates begin at $14 an hour for the first child, $17 per hour for two children,