What is the best island in Hawaii for snorkeling and other activity and shopping?

Answer 1

Oahu is the capital of the State, therefore, it has the most complete of all things.

Here is my suggestions for friends & Yahoo users.

Have fun!

Day 1 - Mon ~ Waikiki
Arrive this day, check into hotel and check out Waikiki beaches or areas (like the zoo, aquarimum, Kapiolani park) in the morning.
Then, go to Ala Moana Shopping Center (just outskirt of Waikiki) for lunch.
Opposite of Ala Moana Shopping Center is Ala Moana Beach Park.
Magic Island, part of Ala Moana Beach Park, is an enclosed area, great & safer for younger kids.
Be sure to take a great picture of Diamond Head view from the park.

Keep the first day around your hotel as you might be tired to go farther.

Check out Todai resturants for dinner. They have great seafood (mostly Japanese style) buffet.

Day 2 - Tue
Drive around the island. Visit North Shore, Dole Plantation (see the world largest maze), more beaches at Sunset Beach, Sandy beach, Bellow Beach. Ko O lina. Make this a drive day and visit as many places as you can.

Find a beach you like and come back another day.

Day 3 - Wed ~ Aloha Stadium/Pearl Harbor/Might Mo Battleship/Pearlridge Shopping Center
Go to Aloha Stadium Swap Meat/Flea market in the morning (like 7a.m is the best time). This Swap Meat is only available on Wed, Sat & Sun morning. Large selections of Hawaii gifts to take home for family & friends. Be sure to negiotiate when buying large quality.

A small fee required to enter the stadium (50 cent per head currently).

Spent about 1-2 hours in this place.

Then, process to Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial, which locate across from Aloha Stadium.

Free admission to watch the World War II documentary (about 20 min) on Pearl Harbor attack and a free boat ride to the Memorial after documentary., a donation will be helpful to the center. Surroundings are plates of history.

The documentary & boat ride is about 1 hours. However, on Wed/Sat/Sun, it is very crowded. You might have to wait a few hours before you can into the movie.

If you have a ticket for a late show, go & visit Might Mo Battleship (next door to Arizona Memorial) or do it after Pearl Harbor.

Fee required. A trolley will take you to the battle ship. Please join the guide tour as it is very informative. Went with a few friends and the history the guide told was very helpful.

Spent about 3-4 hours on the ship.

In the evening, proceed to Pearlridge Shopping Center. It is about 5 min drive from Pearl Harbor. Turn left at the traffic light at Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial exit. Right turn at Pali Momi road and into the Shopping Center. You can do great shopping there or just have dinner there before going back to hotels.


Day 4 - Thu
Take a hike to Diamond Head. Great city view. But fee required to go in. At the end of the paved path, there are a lots of stairs to climb.

Spent about 1-2 hours.

[If you want free hike and great view, proceed to the East for Makapuu. Also paved hike path, but mostly ocean view, not city view. Another free city view will be at Punchbowl National Cemetery (see Friday).]

For lunch, stop at Koko Marina. There is a Zippy Resturant which is a local delight.

After Diamond Head, go to Hamauma Bay. Closed on Tuesday. Great safe snorkeling place.
Fee required..

Spent whole afternoon.

Head back to Waikiki for dinner. There is a place called Palama Market, outskirt of Waikiki, is famous for great Korean food. Prices are very reasonable.


Day 5 - Fri
Visit Punchbowl National Cemetery in the morning. Varies wars history can be read on the wall displays. Also, take a short walk to open area. Great city view.

Free entrance. Please be respectful to the dead bury there.

Spent less than 1 hours.

Drive about 10 min down to Iolani Palace. This is the only Hawaiian Palace here. Take pictures outside the palace only. Join the Grand Tour for interesting Hawaiian history. You can watch a film too.

Fee required for touring inside the palace.

Spent about 1 - 1 ½ hour if joining tour.

Across from the palace is the famous King Kamehameha Status.

Next to the left of the palace is the Downtown Business District. Walk down Hotel Street (this street only allow Bus to drive thru, no cars allow) towards Chinatown.

Chinatown only 2-3 blocks away. Visit Little Village resturant for delicious Chinese food. Or go to Chinese Culture Plaza for good dim sum.

If you like art, visit Honolulu Art Museum which is outskirt of Downtown, towards Waikiki. Fee required.

Head down to Kakaoko Park for a great sun set view. This was once a dump site. But now a nice park area.

Find a L&L Plate Lunch for dinner. Local favorite eat out. There is one in Wal-Mart (near Ala Moana Shopping Center).
Then, head to Tantatus Mountain for a great city night view. Driving required to get up there. Free.


Day 6 - Sat
If you find a beach worth second visit (from Day 2), spend another day at this beach. If not, visit Waikele Shopping Outlet for some last minutes gifts. There are also places like Pali Lookout (great view also has hiking trail), Bishop muesum, Hawaiian Water Park (theme park for family), Kualoa Ranch Horseback riding, etc. Just a note, some locals do visit these places, so it might get crowded during weekends.

Note, Swap Meat at Aloha Stadium available in the morning.

Day 7 - Sun
Fly home.

If you have a longer stay at Hawaii, I would suggest that you visit other islands.

My favorite recommendation is Big Island (also known as Volcano Island or the island of Hawaii).

Big Island is worth at least one day trip to the Volcano. You can do a early morning flight & jump on the latest flight back to Oahu. Fly to Hilo if you want to visit Volcano Park.

Otherwise, spend another 3 day there is great.

Answer 2

Cruising is fun, but you don't have a lot of time on any of the islands that way. Airfare between islands is reasonable ($29 one way) so you can base yourself on one island and visit one or more of the others. Most people start off in Oahu - it has many of the famous tourist areas - the Polynesian Cultural Center, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor - and if you like to keep busy, there is a lot to do on Oahu. Kauai is very pretty, rain forests, the 'Grand Canyon' of the Pacific, but less to do in the way of nightlife and it rains ALOT. Maui is more a mix between the laid back island life and the more busy Oahu - lot's to do, or not, as you choose. The big Island (Hawaii) has the volcanoes, black sand beaches, and is also a great place to be. Any island you choose will be a good choice - but for the first time, really think about traveling at least one time to a different island while you're here. Aloha

Answer 3

Maui has just as good shopping as Oahu and you don't feel quite so crowded. I have been to both, and Maui is my favorite. The whales come back every year to have their babies, they got it right. I have been snorkeling on Maui 3 times, I saw amazing fish just 10 feet off the beach in front of most of Kaanapali, and south of Kihei. Can't see anything like that on Waikiki Beach, it's too crowded. I even heard the whales singing while I was snorkeling with turtles that were huge right in front of the Kaanapali Shores. I don't think you can get much better than that. Check out La Parouse Bay as well. Lots of cool spots.

Big Island is good for snorkel and scuba as well, but the shopping is more limited.

Answer 4

Each of the Hawaiian Islands has its own personality and character. So, knowing what type of person you are and what you like to do will help you decide which of the islands you will like.

If you like tourists and fishing you should like the Kona area of the “Big Island” of Hawaii.
If you like solitude, a tropical feel, a rural atmosphere and you don’t mind rain, you should like the Hilo area of the Big Island. The west side of the Big Island has a few nice small beaches, including black sand beaches. Near Ka Lae, the southernmost point of the island you will find a green sand beach. Big beaches are not prevalent on the Big Island.

If you enjoy scenery, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking or surfing and don’t yearn for “night life”
then the oldest of the islands, Kauai is for you.

If you are the kind of person who keep a bathing suit, snorkel gear or a surfboard in your car, then Maui is for you, because it has 120 miles of easily accessible and swimmable coastline, more than any other island.

If you have an artistic temperament or perhaps you like to get away and write, then seek out the island of Lanai.

If you love nature, hiking and solitude, then “the most Hawaiian” of the islands, Molokai is for you.

You’ll enjoy Oahu if you like beaches, shopping, tourists, high-rises, traffic and don’t mind a lot of other people. Honolulu is like a tropical version of NYC, or LA as it was in the smog-free 1950's.

Answer 5

If you're looking for shopping and snorkeling, I would suggest that you come to Oahu. You can find snorkeling and shopping on the outer islands but the opportunities are fewer and the prices will be higher.

Have a great trip!

Answer 6

Oahu, the island with Honolulu and Waikiki. The shopping is incredible because of the huge number of visitors who come. There is a fish preserve called Hanauma Bay which is gorgeous and has more fish to snorkel among than you can believe.

Answer 7

Honolulu is best for shopping. You can also snorkel if you get away from the crowds on Waikiki Beach.

Answer 8

Oahu, Honolulu/Waikiki for shopping and partying Hanuama Bay for snorkelling etc

Answer 9

This question was what I was looking for. It has helped me alot for my trip to Hawaii. Thanks for all the information

Answer 10

Go to Oahu.

Answer 11

Many options and info www.onevacationclub.com