2007-07-11 03:37:42 · 4 answers · asked by key c 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Honolulu
I have been to Hawaii 5 times and visited all of the islands your cruise will visit. The important thing to do if you rent a car is to know in advance where you want to go and which you want most to see on each island. Here's some general information for you.
When you arrive in Hawaii look for the free booklets in the airport which describe the activities on the island and have coupons for tours and gifts. The booklets also contain maps and guides, lists of attractions, bus routes and fares, and lists of restaurants and shopping establishments. If you cannot find them in the airport, they will also be available in news racks on the street, in hotel lobbies and in some shops. There will be a booklet for each island with the title Maui Today, or Oahu Today, etc.
The top things to do in Hawaii are:
1. Oahu Island: Go to Pearl Harbor to see history at the US Arizona Memorial. You can drive or take the bus there; no need to book a tour. But you need to go early because the site is popular and the wait for your free tour can be about an hour. If you go on your own plan of allowing at least 3 hours for this tour.
In Waikiki you can browse around the International Market across from Waikiki Beach, go on a sunset dinner cruise on Waikiki bay, try an outrigger canoe ride on Waikiki, go for a sail on a catamaran on Waikiki Bay, or visit Diamond Head park. If you like to snorkel go to Hanauma Bay which has perfect flap water for snorkeling on a reef.
2. Oahu Island: If you are on the island of Oahu go to the other side of the island to see the great deserted beaches. Take highway 99 north toward Waimea and stop at the Dole pineapple plantation for a tour.
3. Oahu Island: The Polynesian Cultural Center is a great place to learn about authentic Hawaiian life. But its not a drop in for a short stay place; you can buy tickets to tour the place, and another type ticket that allows you to stay for the evening luau; it takes all day, and evening also if you stay for the luau.
4. Maui Island: If you go to Maui, you gotta do the downhill bike ride. I don't recommend the sunrise one because you have to get up at 3:00 AM to get started up the mountain and its cold up there that early. If you are a romantic do it, but otherwise no. There are different bike companies and some don't take you all the way to the top, and some don't guide you back down. You can come down by yourself, there's only one road with just a little traffic, but if you are squeamish about riding in the street, a company that accompanies you down will help watch the traffic for you. I have been twice and prefer Maui Downhill to the others. These companies have web sites They will pick you up at your hotel, take you to their shop to pick out a wet-suit (for the cold and mist/rain shower maybe) and gloves and helmet; then take you up the mountain; then follow your group down so they can block traffic for your ride; then afterwards take you back to your hotel. Expect this activity to take 75-80% or more of the day. If you are on a cruise ship you probably cannot do this and any other activity.
If you don't do the bike ride its worth the view to drive up Haleakala to the crater. Its up 10K feet and you can see all of Maui from there. It will probably take about two hours for this. The road is 35 miles with a 35 MPH speed limit but there is generally not much traffic on the road other than bicycles.
5. Maui Island: The Road to Hana is a great drive (you need a rental car). It’s a 45 mile winding road that takes 4 hours to drive. Its like driving through the jungle; has a bunch of one lane bridges. I have driven most of it a couple times and you do not have to go all the way to Hana to get the feel for it. Drive half way and then turn around. Also, it will probably rain as that part of the Maui gets lots of rain and fog on the jungle can limit visibility. If you do drive it all, then drive past Hana to the Seven-Pools attraction and go for a swim.
If you like to visit wineries there is one on Maui and they offer tasting and have a store where you can buy wine.
6. Big Island of Hawaii: go to the Volcano National Park. Also go see Akaka Falls. If you like horseback riding, go to the Parker Ranch and go for a guided ride. Drive to the south end of the island and see a black sand beach. Those are the major things on the big island. The Volcano park will take a couple or three hours and I do recommend Akaka Falls over the other falls there.
On Kaui I took a boat ride to the Fern Grotto that to me was just OK, but not that scenic or exciting. I think a helicopter ride over Kaui would be better. I cannot recommend anything as a must see on Kaui.
Below are some web sites you may want to visit to plan your drives.
2007-07-11 12:10:13 · answer #1 · answered by TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We rented a car when visiting the Island, and it really wasn't worth it for us. In Hilo we went to see the Volcano's and the tour bus went a different and more interesting route. I think we missed a lot.
In Maui, we rented from Budget, if you do go ahead and rent, definately do not rent from Budget in Maui, they only make 1 trip an hour to pick up people from the cruise ship, we missed the van and had to wait an additional hour to get our rental car. Than we wanted to take the road to Hana but the road is very dangerous and we turned back about half through.
But 1 bit of advice, if you love sea food, definately try the Calamari in Lahaninia at The Historic Pioneer Inn....it's the BEST!!
Good luck...and enjoy your vacation :)
2007-07-11 04:55:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's what we did on our Hawaii cruise. To be honest, I'm not sure I would do it again. In Maui, our time was really wasted and we almost missed the ship. On the Big Island we enjoyed renting a car as well as in Kauai. Here's what we did on each island:
HAWAII CRUISE PORTS
As with all cruises, plan to be back onboard 30 minutes to an
hour before departure. Time is limited in some ports, so I’d think twice about booking private shore excursions that might not get you back to the ship on time. We sailed away from port exactly on schedule at every stop.
Honolulu, Oahu- (depart 8:00 p.m.) Prior to the cruise, we
spent two nights at the gorgeous Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Waikiki Beach. It was the perfect antidote for a 12-hour flight with a seven-year-old. This resort offers something for everyone. White sandy beaches, snorkeling, several pools, and water sports. There’s even an exhibit featuring warm-weather penguins.
Hilo, Hawaii (The Big Island)-(dock 6:00 a.m.-depart 1:00 p.m.) Because we were traveling with a child we opted to rent a car at most ports. I can’t stress enough how important it is to book weeks in advance to get a decent rate. Most economical cars were sold out six weeks prior. In Hilo, we rented from Hertz ($36) and drove up to the amazing Volcanoes National Park. I highly recommend this trip for first time visitors. It’s a unique sight you’ll never see again. Our Hertz shuttle driver told us about a trick to try at the steam vents. Pull up beside the vent, put the car in park and
rev the engine. For some reason, the steam boils out every time. It’s a fun trick, but keep your windows closed for safety
reasons.
Kahului-Maui-(dock 1:00 p.m.-depart 10:00 p.m.)This stop is a heartbreaker because it’s so short. The ship docked at 1 p.m. right on schedule Unfortunately, it was after 2:30 before everyone cleared immigration. This process starts early in the morning and shouldn’t be a problem, but there are always those one or two people who hold up the entire ship by not complying.
The ship offers several great shore excursions in both Maui and Kauai and I recommend splurging on these two islands. Book your excursions early because the most popular ones sell out fast. Some of the excursions in Maui include helicopter tours and bicycling down Haleakala Volcano. If you’re traveling with small children, there is a free shuttle going from the port to the Maui Ocean Center aquarium.
Again, we opted to rent a car from Hertz ($60) and drove straight to Ka’anapali Beach. After swimming, we changed and headed to the Hoki Nui Luau at the Maui Sheraton. We booked the luau through the ship as a shore excursion. The food was good and the location couldn’t be beat for watching the sunset. The locals perform a ceremony with spears atop nearby Black Rock Beach and dive into the water at sunset. After a quick stop in Lahaina, we rushed back to turn in the rental car, and arrived back at the ship
minutes before all aboard at 9:00 p.m.
Nawiliwili-Kauai-(dock 8:00 a.m.-depart 6:30 p.m.) Kauai
embodies everything that Hawaii is supposed to be. Lush
vegetation, clear blue water and rainbows. We picked up our Hertz car ($55) and drove to Poipu Beach. The clear, gentle water provides a safe environment for snorkeling at all skill levels. We spotted several species of fish, turtles and eels just a few yards off shore. The best place to snorkel is to the right of where the sand bar separates the water. We noticed several passengers from the ship at Poipu on a snorkeling shore excursion.
2007-07-11 04:04:56 · answer #3 · answered by Claudia99 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, don't try to drive from island to island.
2007-07-11 03:41:31 · answer #4 · answered by EMAILSKIP 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋