The Islands of the Fraternal Order of Moai

The wife and I are attempting to plan a trip around early september of this year. We've been reading a ton of travel books and watching everything we can find, but are quite overwhelmed at trying to figure it out. Any advice on what is a must see or do, what to avoid, best places to stay and eat/drink? Thanks in advance

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If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower.

Which Island(s)?

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OK, I'll give you one chance to impress me.......

So far definitely Oahu and the big island probably maui not totally sure yet

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If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower.

Definitely Hawai'i a lot of island history there, volcanoes, Place of Refuge, and the Okolemaluna tiki bar. Stay on the Kona side.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.633851,-121.376982

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"Against my better judgement, I'll have another Zombie!"

PM Aloha from Leilani
She is from there.

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A belly filled with wrong.
She's a beaver killer!!!

Chip and I honeymooned there 17 years ago...so my information is a wee bit out of date. But, I really enjoyed seeing the enormous waves on the North Shore of Oahu. We stopped at a southern cooking restaurant in the middle of the island on our way up and had incredible fried chicken, greens and peach cobbler all washed down with sweet tea. Also on Oahu, I think it's called Pali Point, but there is a turn off on the highway at the top with a spectacular view and winds that will knock you down.

Kauai'i has a beautiful waterfall and Maui has great snorkeling.

Once you figure out all the best places to see, eat and drink start a Travel Hawaii thread here so we can all drool over it.

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Wherever you go in the islands, there is fantastic stuff to see and do. My husband and I go almost every year, and here's a quick overview of what we would consider "musts". Feel free to PM me for more info, website links, etc. I'm kind of a frustrated travel agent and am happy to talk about this kind of stuff in detail!

In no particular order...

Oahu - North Shore/Haleiwa for the surf (even just to watch it), the Pali Lookout (as Wahine Ina said), beautiful Lanikai Beach, Haumana Bay, the Polynesian Cultural Center for a day's worth of photo ops and learning about traditional Hawaii and beyond. For food/drinks, La Mariana is an absolute must-do old-school tiki palace. Also maybe consider checking out some of the grand hotels/bars along Waikiki - the Moana Surfrider, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Halekulani, etc. Byodo-in Temple, Iolani Palace, and the Bishop Museum if you're into history/culture.

The Big Island - Rugbymatt's right; stay on the Kona side. It's sunnier and there's lots to do. Drive up around the crater at Kilauea! Awesome. Place of Refuge for history and tikis and snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay. We haven't done it yet but are planning to later in the year - a road trip to the gorgeous Hamaukua coast and Waipio. Maybe do the sunset/stargazing trip up to Mauna Kea (another one we haven't done, but are planning). Dinner at Don the Beachcombers, with drinks at their Mai Tai bar at sunset - you might get lucky and see the green flash!

Maui - We love the Ka'anapali area to stay in - close to Lahaina Town and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I think. Also you can snorkel right off the beach at Black Rock and see turtles. Drive the Hana Highway. Go upcountry to the cowboy town of Makawao and on up the Haleakala volcano to the top. There are a ton of scenic drives - I'ao Valley, West Maui mountains, Hana Highway, etc. If you can afford it, eat at Mama's Fish House in Paia - expensive but the "upscale tiki" vibe and the amazing food are worth the splurge.

If you think you might be going to Kaua'i, I have info for that, too - just let me know.

I can keep going, but that'll do for now. You'll have a great time, I'm sure!

Malasdas (kinda like a donut) at Leonard's in Honolulu is a must they are fantastic.

933 Kapahulu Ave
Kaimuki
Honolulu, HI 96816

And Baileys (just down the street from Leonard's) is fun too. Kind of an antique store that claims to have 10,000 Aloha shirts vintage to new. Realistically they probably have 4-5000 on the racks.

517 Kapahulu Ave
Kaimuki
Honolulu, HI 96815

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OK, I'll give you one chance to impress me.......

Oh and I 2nd and 3rd La Mariana it is awesome! A little hard to find for beginners but well worth it. If you go driving there you will think "this can't be the right place" but it is, truly a hidden gem.

La Mariana
50 Sand Island Access Rd
Honolulu, HI 96819

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OK, I'll give you one chance to impress me.......

Thank you one and all!! Making my planning much easier!

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If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower.

Viva La Mariana Sailing Club!

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"Against my better judgement, I'll have another Zombie!"

I'm confident you will have an amazing trip! Insider info is the BEST thing EVER I think when traveling! I personally am a hole in the wall or old school lover Of Places when traveling. I'll take a diner full of locals over a chain full of tourists (like me ha!) anytime!

When I travel I always ask servers where THEY like to hang and drink... And I almost always have a great time when I follow their lead!

it's a little like being in an episode of the original "hawaii 5-O," you feel like you are finding the drug gang's warehouse or something.

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Snatching Kisses & Vice Versa

Heh! That's pretty accurate! Last time we were there, we had to give directions to the Honolulu cab driver, who didn't know where it was! Sand Island Access Road, and just as it bends to the left, look for the opening in the chain link fence with all the signs on it. Drive though and boom! You're out of the warehouses and at a beautiful little marina surrounded by trees, with the sounds of live piano music and the occasional squawk from the grey parrot.

Just got back from a two week stay in the Islands. Often stay at the Aston Waikiki on Oahu. Great price, free breakfast, and and and --- the Tiki's Grill is in this hotel. They did a super job on this place. The Tiki factor is off the charts and the property has a Great view of Diamond Head and all those classic hotels. You can pay double for a room this nice. Punch in (ent 12) on the Aston Waikiki promo code for the best deal. Lots of good deals at the Tiki's if you look for them, too.

Please rent a car with a GPS, they will pick you up at the airport and drop you off when you return. Easy and will save you - big time. You can park at the Banyan Hotel just a block away for $10 a day. Then you can get out of Waikiki. for a breather... The drive both south and north is nice and totally different. Nothing as urban as Waikiki.

So, La Mariana is a must. Great at night, but if your a Tikifile, please check it out during the day, too. The Tiki's at the Aston is newer but still first rate.

As mentioned, Kona, on the Big Island has the Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge, but also, Don The Beachcomber is across the street in the Royal Kona Resort $ Great place to stay.

Then there's the 7 day cruise that takes you to 4 islands and 5 stops. We stay in Waikiki for a few days on both sides of the cruise... We should talk.

AlooooHa, Greg and Teresa

La Mariana on Oahu is a must. Let me know if you go to the Big Island I lived there and can approximate drive times to different locations because a 50 mile drive on the big island is a lot longer than a 50 mile drive on the mainland. My children all graduated High school on the big island so taking road trips around the island I got to find all the best pit stops. I plan on going to the big island some time next month so I will check if some of our favourite places are still around.

On Oahu we stay at the Hale Koa on Waikiki Beach.
The North Shore and the Polynesian Cultural Center is a must. At the Center there are some huge tikis for picture taking. I also recommend visiting Pearl Harbor. If you are into sharks, you can do the shark cage tour. Pali Lookout and Diamond Head are beautiful locations especially for picture taking.

I know two fellow moai who did that and I think there are some fellows there right now.

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-Don

La Mariana is amazing. You want to go on Thursday if you can. Make sure to get reservations because the place is packed.

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"Warning: Contains multiple hairy penis"

Thanks again all for the tips! Unfortunately it looks like our workload is dwindling, we both work at the same place, hours are getting cut and the house needs some big projects done. Hopefully next year!

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If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower.