Honolulu, Hawaii

 Hawaii, Oahu Island, Honolulu - Oct 28 - Nov 04, 2024


Getting from Honolulu Airport to Waikiki and transportation on Oahu Island

Using the bus is the cheapest way to visit Honolulu or go around the island. Bus 20 Eastbound route goes from the airport to downtown Honolulu, then to Ala Moana Center and ends in Waikiki. The buses depart every 25 minutes. The trip is about 1 hour and the fare is $3 to be paid in cash or by using the HOLO Card. We purchased HOLO cards on our last trip (physical card cost is $2) and loaded the cards online before our trip with 7-Day Passes, which cost us $35 for each card. The Bus is the cheapest option but you have to be aware of the baggage rules, you should be able to place your luggage under the feet or on your lap, no larger bags are allowed, even though we have seen sometimes travelers with bigger luggage being allowed on the bus. The bus drivers are all very friendly and eager to help. Most people visiting Oahu rent a car but using the bus is the cheapest way to visit Honolulu or go around the island. You can get to almost any popular spot on the island by just jumping on the bus if you plan carefully ahead.

Exploring Honolulu

Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii is the heart of Oahu Island of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Here you can combine a beach vacation with adventure by walking the scenic shores or hike the volcanic cones and beautiful rainforest trails. Being our second time in Honolulu we planned our time to do new activities and hike new trails while still enjoying seeing some attractions for the second time.

On our first day we explored Honolulu again by foot. Our hotel was in the Waikiki neighborhood so our itinerary starting point was at Waikiki Beach. From here we walked all the way to Aloha Tower and finished with a stroll through downtown which is full of historical buildings and attractions. It was a bit over 17 km walk but we returned to the hotel by bus. We walked barefoot on Waikiki Beach and KahanamokuBeach, passed by Hilton Lagoon and stopped at Ala Wai Boat Harbour where we were lucky to see a big turtle up close, something we never experienced before so it was the highlight of the day. We continued walking to the Magic Island, a man-made peninsula which is now a park. At the tip of the peninsula there are seawalls surrounding the Magic Island Lagoon, a shallow, serene lagoon. Wandering along on Ala Moana Boulevard we passed by Hawaii Marina, the base place for a lot of tour operators offering boat tours and other water excursions and adventures. Aloha Tower, located on Honolulu Harbor is an iconic symbol of Hawaii. The tower was the first place where the visitors landed when coming by the sea and today is still the place where the big cruise ships dock while in Honolulu. Downtown Honolulu is always nice to visit as is sprinkled with many historic places and important landmarks like Iolani Palace, home of the last of Hawaii’s monarchs, King Kalakaua, Ali’Iolani Hale, former government building during King Kalakaua and currently the home of Hawaii State Supreme Court or Hawaii State Capitol, the official statehouse of the U.S state of Hawaii.










Free Hula Shows in Honolulu

Hula shows are a display of dance, music and storytelling, very important to the culture and lifestyles of Hawaiian people. There are many opportunities to experience these popular dances, from going to a Luau dinner to enjoying the free hula shows happening at various locations in Honolulu.

Kuhio Beach Hula Mound

The shows are happening on Tuesdays and Saturdays, between 6:30-7:30 pm, near the Duke Kahanamoku Statue. They have a rotating lineup hula dance groups. Sitting and enjoying the free hula shows at sunset gives you an authentic Hawaiian experience.



International Market Place

The free shows are held at the Queen’s Court on the ground floor, Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays between 6:00-6:00 pm.




 



There are also free hula show events happening daily at Ala Moana Center and almost daily at the Royal Hawaiian Center so regardless of the length of your vacation, there is always an opportunity to attend and enjoy a show.

Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum

There are a lot of things to do when visiting Pearl Harbour. Some are paid attractions like USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum and Battleship Missouri Memorial. There are also free tours, Arizona Memorial tour and Ford Island Bus Tour which takes you to visit USS Utah and USS Oklahoma memorials. It is important to know that for these free tours a reservation is needed in advance on recreation.gov website and you have to pay a $1 program management fee. Also no bags are allowed inside the visitor center or on the tours. Before entering the gate, if you have a bag, you will be directed to go to the paid lockers first. We did most of the attractions on our last trip, so this time we planned to visit just Aviation Museum. The easiest and cheapest way to go to Pearl Harbour is by public transportation and Bus 20 goes all the way from Diamond Head, through Waikiki neighborhood and then by Honolulu Airport and has the final stop in front of the Visitor Centre. The museum is located on Ford Island and free shuttle buses take visitors there. The museum has inside and outside exhibits and artifacts located in two historic WWII hangars, Hangar 37 and Hangar 39, telling the story about the Pearl Harbor attack and beyond. The general Admission ticket cost was $27.99 and included a featured exhibit, The Walt Disney Studios and World War II, which we enjoyed a lot even though we were not allowed to take any pictures.














Manoa Falls Trail

This is one of the most popular hiking trails on the island because is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. To get to the trailhead you can take Bus 5 from Ala Moana Shopping Center. Even though is relatively a short trail, just 2.9 km return and it takes about 1-1.5 hours, it is very rewarding because you walk through a beautiful rainforest and lush vegetation, specific for the Hawaiian Islands. The trail tends to be a bit rocky and muddy so the usual recommendations are to wear good shoes, drink lots of water and bring bug repellant which I found very useful because there were a lot of mosquitos. The waterfall is beautiful and depending of the amount of recent rainfall can be really stunning.






Lyon Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Upon our return from Manoa Falls waterfall we visited Lyon Arboretum, situated on the right side at the end of Manoa Road. The Arboretum is spread over a vast area of almost 200 acres into the Manoa Valley and has numerous hiking trails. We limited our walks to the trails and gardens around the Visitor Center and enjoyed a lot the tropical landscape and the diversity of plant species. The admission is free but there is a suggested donation of $10 per person.








Swimming at Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and draws millions of visitors each year. Its fame might come from the nice views of the Diamond Head and for the turquoise waters. Swimming here is a must do and many people, experienced or first timers enjoy swimming, surfing, snorkeling or going on a board. There are plenty of beach facilities here: beach showers and bathrooms, lifeguard stations, rental stations of surfing boards or beach chairs and umbrellas.







Halloween in Honolulu

Halloween is celebrated by everybody in Honolulu, locals and visitors. In addition to the costume contests, spooky displays and other Halloween events planned by the city and local businesses, the streets were crowded with people in costumes, stores offered candy treats to the kids going trick or treating and everybody was walking enjoying the festive celebrations. 


Koko Crater Railway Trail

To get there from Waikiki we took Bus 13 and then Bus 1L. From the bus stop where we got off, it was a 1.5 km walk to the trailhead and it took us about 24 minutes. The railway was built by U.S Military during World War II as a supply line to the lookout at the top of the crater. This trail was one of the most strenuous we did ever, mostly because the ascent of the over 1,000 steps is very steep, especially on its last section. The return trail is 2.6 km and has 278 meters’ elevation gain. The hike requires to be mentally prepared, hike at a steady, slow pace and take as many breaks as you feel necessary. We were lucky to have good weather and we also made a friend on the bus, Viviane, who was headed there too so we hiked the trail, explored and enjoyed the views from top together. Even if is a challenging hike, the second you are on top and see the views you forget instantly your pain and discomfort and you are filled with joy that you did it.








Fireworks in Honolulu

Another free attraction in Honolulu if you happen to be there on a Friday is watching the fireworks which are held every Friday at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort at 7:45 pm.


Diamond Head Beach Park

There are many parks and beaches where you can relax and enjoy the nature on the island or around Honolulu. One of this places is Diamond Head Beach Park and can be reached by a relaxing walk from Waikiki. Here you can visit the Amelia Earhart monument, can run, enjoy the view from the top or take the few paved pathways that lead down to the beach and walk along the coastline from one end to the other. This beach is wilder than other beaches and without too many people so you feel as you have it for yourself. We even had a close encounter with a rare Hawaiian monk seal here who after few moments of staring at each other in surprise, barked at us and swam away.




Snorkeling at Queen’s Beach

There are unlimited opportunities to snorkel in Honolulu. You can book a snorkel tour, you can visit Hanauma Bay Nature Reserve known as one of the best locations for snorkeling but you can also snorkel on any beach in Waikiki and will not be disappointed. A recommended spot where I went for snorkeling is between the Waikiki Wall and the Marine Life Conservation District. There is quite a variety of fish here and you can even spot turtles which I did twice in a day which was an unforgettable experience for me even if I did not get the chance to film it.

Sea Life Park to Halona Blowhole Shoreline Hike

Having enjoyed this hike on our last trip we decided to do it again, less Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail, in order to spend more time exploring the beaches along the shoreline. To get to the Sea Life Park we took Bus 2L to Kahala Mall and then Bus 23. Just across the street from the Sea Life Park you can see one of the most beautiful ocean landscape. In front of us, there were Kaohikaipu Island and Manana Island Seabird sanctuaries surrounded by the white waves of blue ocean. The shoreline is all black volcanic rock creating tide pools and dramatic scenery as the waves crash into the rocks. From there we walked to Makapu’u Lookout enjoying some of the best ocean views and the islands. Continued on the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail which took us to Alan Davis Beach, a small hidden cove that is also the location of Pele’s Rock Chair a lava rock formation that looks like a giant chair from afar. Pele is the Hawaii volcano goddess, considered to be the creator of these beautiful volcano landscapes. We continued our hike along the rocky shores, to Halona Beach Cove, a small cove surrounded by high ocean cliffs. To the left of the cove is the Halona Blowhole Lookout, where you can see the geyser waterspout shooting the water high in the air. We returned to the hotel with the same buses after walking back about 1.5 km to Kealahou St + Kalanianaole Hwy Bus 23 stop. The total distance we hiked was a bit over 11 km and it took us about 3 hours to do it.









We enjoyed visiting Hawaii again, discovering new places and having new experiences, it is a place where we will return
















 

 

 

 




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