Tell me why I should go to Oahu?

We have been to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island so far. We love sitting on our balcony (ocean view is a must) and snorkeling. How bad is the traffic? Which resorts would fit the bill....or should we go back to one of the other 3 instead? By the way I do have 5000 HGVC points. Thanks!!

Honolulu, where almost all the timeshares are, is a big, crowded, busy city, with skyscrapers and miles of pavement and cement. Tons of traffic. In spite of that, it is interesting because it has so many cultural and historical places to visit, but once was enough for us.

I wouldn't go back, unless I could stay outside Honolulu. My choice would be the Marriott Ko'olina. HHV is right in the middle of Honolulu, and it's very urban.

Waikiki -



Hilton Hawaiian Village -

Great picture Denise! Thanks for your insight.

Carolyn

There's tons to do on Oahu so if you like to keep busy, this is the place. Also, tons of shopping and restaurants. Yes, there is lots of traffic in Waikiki, but there's no need to stay in Waikiki. Pearl Harbor tour (USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, Punchbowl Cemetery) are must sees on Oahu.

Agree that Marriott Ko Olina would be ideal:
http://www.wizardpub.com/oahu/orbeachvillaskoolina.html

Personally, I'd stay no more than 4 days on Oahu, and then bop over to another island for R&R.

We went to Oahu primarily to see Pearl Harbor. I had been several times before when I was much younger, but that was one place I had never been.

We like Waikiki

Great beaches,scenery,restaurants, and lots to do. Free music every night and some nice uncrowded places like the Hale Koa Beach and park. I am ex Navy and we like Oahu best Ther are two mile long beaches you can walk without seeing anybody. We stay at Waikiki three weeks ayear but go somewhere four or five days a week.We do go one week to one of the other islands mos year.
Second is the Big Island.Just writing this makes e look forward to Jan 18th when we get to Hawaii.

We have been to Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu. I can get quiet and boring at home. When we go on vacation, we look for activities, excitement, culture, and a ton of restaurants. Oahu and Waikiki has all of those, and is by far our favorite. I hate sitting by the hotel or condo pool doing nothing. I hate having to go to one of the 5 "close by" adequate hotel restaurants all the time or have to have a rented car to drive for 30 minutes to get to a better one, or one that I can reasonably afford. And the most important thing, my wife is also on vacation and vacation to her, includes no cooking. I can't say I blame her.
So to answer your original question, for us, a wide variety of restaurants, culture and history, activities, shopping, and the North Shore are some good reasons.

Oahu is our favorite, too. Lots of great shows, as well.

I love Oahu, but it's not for all. Having lived there for several years and with island ties (my in-laws born & raised), I have more sentimental reasons. It has its own unique beauty and unique qualities.

Here is a good resource for you if you're planning to visit:

http://www.bestplaceshawaii.com/calendar/oahu/index.html It's a monthly events calendar for all the islands. Lots of good, local happenings.

You can select other islands as well.

Like Oahu

Didn't think I'd ever come to prefer Oahu over the other Islands, but, I do for all the reasons others have already given and another reason is the great SCUBA diving from both boat and shore. We go to Hawaii every-other year for 2 weeks. One week in Waikiki and usually the 2nd week is on another Island. Even though we have been to Oahu at least a dozen times, still haven't done / seen everything, although now I'm getting close to that and it will be time to start over. And there is usually something new.
Last month we were there and we finally made it to the Iolani Palace and we were quite humbled.
We like not have to drive to anything unless we want to. Yet, there are places on the west and northwest shores as isolated as anywhere on the Islands. Most people don't see those areas.
Having just defended Oahu, I can understand how this just doesn't appeal to some people. Like what I started with, I didn't think it would appeal to me until I went.

Oahu is our favorite island. We have been to all the islands several times. It has everything plus a big city with lots of action. Oahu has the most beautiful beaches of all Hawaii. When you see ads for Hawaii they more than likely were taken at Lanaki on Oahu. We love to stay at Ko Olina. It is remote, quite, peaceful, and away from the crowds of Waikiki. However if we want to go to the big town and see some action you can drive over there.

We are heading over to Oahu in two weeks and will be at Ko Olina. We were in Maui in January and now looking forward to going to our favorite island.

You wont go wrong with any of the islands. Usually my favorite is the one I am at at the moment.

This thread has been very informative. I've been to the other major islands. Maui vacation is coming up in January. I thought of Honolulu as San Francisco with palm trees and Oahu as a good place to change planes for somewhere else. (of course Pearl Harbor, is special for it's own reasons)

Thanks for all the contributions.

Jim Ricks

Oahu offers the best of all worlds

I have been to all of the islands. I love Oahu best. It offers everything and I never get bored. I use DRI resorts if I want to be in Waikiki. They are in the heart of it all. I like the action in their location. However, I love my Ko Olina property because it is tranquil (until Disney get finished) and relaxing.

If you have teenagers, Oahu is the place to be. There is lots of action!!!

Oahu does get a bad rap and really doesn't deserve it. For years we avoided it. If it wasn't for a work trip I never would have tried it. Oahu is so much more than Waikiki. Just avoid Waikiki if you dont like crowds. It has everything all the other islands have, except for maybe an active volcano...

I, too, like Oahu for all the reasons mentioned. I also Kauai. But I end up going to Oahu more because it's less expensive. I don't need to rent a car unless I want to drive around the island for a day or two. I stay at the Hilton and can walk to dozens of restaurants (which are more affordable than the other islands) and more shopping than I care to do, plus free cultural shows in several spots. I can get to all kinds of places on TheBus for $2.50/trip. Plus flights are less expensive to HNL.

Obviously, it's not for everyone. But I've gone to Waikiki at least once a year every year since I bought HGVC in 2002 (I think).

It is worth a visit for the Arizona memorial alone.

There are beautiful places to see and explore. We did hiking up in Manoa Valley, and nothing prepared me for the beauty there. My favorite part was hiking in a rain forest and feeling like I was not near anyone. Then the trees cleared and in the distance I could see Honolulu and the tall building through the trees. I loved that image!

Ko'Olina is a great place to stay. The resort is lovely. We said we could go there and relax and never leave the resort. Might not see much of Oahu but would come back rested!

I wouldn't say Oahu is my favorite island of the others, but I would never turn down a chance to visit there!

In addition to all the reasons above:

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a beautiful resort and has the highest request of all Hilton properties. The Hilton beach has a new lagoon that is private and a nice place to relax. There are a lot of people, but it is not much different than any other large resort. There is traffic around Oahu, but if you avoid rush hour, it is not too bad.

Oahu has the nicest beaches of all the islands. Make sure that you drive the east side of the island around Hanamua Bay.

Overall, there is more to do on Oahu. If you like to walk, go shopping, and dining out, Waikiki has a lot to offer. If you like vacations to Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver, New York, DC, Tokyo, Sydney or any other big city, you would like Honolulu. If not, I would still recommend going once to check it out.

We love the Hilton Hawaiian Village

The Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV) is very popular. The current number of guests at the HHV annually is 2 million+. There are four dedicated hotel towers, two dedicated timeshare tower and one mixed use tower of hotel rooms and timeshare units. Expect crowds here during peak season (holidays and anytime the kids are out of school)

Here's the link to their website - http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/

If you decide to stay here make sure you book far in advance (best to book as soon as the booking window opens). You may also need to borrow HGVC points, depending on the season and room size.

We also love sitting out on the balcony at the lagoon tower watching the sunrise with our morning coffee and breakfast. We also like relaxing on the balcony watching the sunset. (NOTE: Each tower at HHV has its PROs and CONs. Lagoon Tower has the best ocean views).

Keep in mind, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a bustling mini-city. In the evenings there may be various events. It also may get a little noisy in the evening depending on the events from either the Luau, corporate events (held on the lawn between lagoon tower and rainbow tower) and/or live music from the hotel bar but things eventually quiet down by midnight. If you prefer to sit out on the balcony in the evenings and you're sensitive to noise perhaps the room facing the Ilikai Hotel & Suites might be better however you might get pool noise during the day on that side of the building (NOTE: I prefer the views facing the rainbow tower).

Link to HHV events - http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/resort_activities/

You'll want to rent a car to hit the various snorkeling sites on the island. Here's a couple of links I found for Oahu.
http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/oahu-snorkeling-hawaii.html
http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com/oahu_snorkeling.html

The oyster review has tons of photos on the Village - http://www.oyster.com/hawaii/hotels/hilton-hawaiian-village/
They also have photos of Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club (if you don't want to stay near Waikiki or want the slower pace) - http://www.oyster.com/hawaii/hotels/marriotts-ko-olina-beach-club/

Here's a picture from our oceanview room at the Lagoon Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (from a room facing the Rainbow Tower) and an oceanfront room directly facing the ocean. NOTE: studios in the Lagoon tower do not have balconies and all oceanfront rooms are two bedrooms.
More photos of our ocean view room at the Lagoon Tower can be found here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/40089311@N05/sets/72157623716277326/show/

OCEAN VIEW ROOM




OCEAN FRONT ROOM

Carolyn said:

By the way I do have 5000 HGVC points. Thanks!!

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Because it's in Hawaii:whoopie:
Sounds like Big Island or
HHV...
In that order for us....

Carolyn said:

We have been to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island so far.

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There's your reason: You haven't yet been to Oahu. Each island has its own personality. There are surely things you didn't like, as well as things you loved, about each of the islands you've already visited. The same will be true for Oahu. But you won't know unless you go!

tompalm said:

. . . If you like vacations to Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver, New York, DC, Tokyo, Sydney or any other big city, you would like Honolulu. If not, I would still recommend going once to check it out.

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I really think this statement captures the entire crux of the debate. Some people like the excitement of a place like Waikiki. I remember my aunt many years ago calling visiting Las Vegas like going to Heaven. Funny, I had exactly the opposite view!!

Some posters here have implied that one could get "bored" on the other islands, but not on Oahu. Wow! I cannot even imagine getting bored on any of the four main Hawaiian islands! I guess if one does not like hiking, horseback riding, beautiful and breathtaking scenery, and all of the other endless things to do and see, one could get bored in Hawaii, but not me. I could never get bored hiking to surface lava at the world's most active volcano; or hiking to a magnificent waterfall; or taking pictures of the Na Pali coastline.

This is not criticism of Oahu itself. I'm going back next year, and I am looking forward to it. No doubt, we will try to spend some time in Waikiki while there because some of our group have never been to Waikiki. But, there is indeed a sense that Waikiki is like Las Vegas with a beach.

I live within easy driving distance to New York City, but have never gone there. I have no desire to visit a big city. I would rather visit a national park and stare at the beauty of nature than stare at cement.

tompalm said:

Overall, there is more to do on Oahu. If you like to walk, go shopping, and dining out, Waikiki has a lot to offer. If you like vacations to Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver, New York, DC, Tokyo, Sydney or any other big city, you would like Honolulu. If not, I would still recommend going once to check it out.

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Just to tack on to the last poster's thought. We live near San Francsico. So, if we want a quick taste of "city" life we go there. That is not what we go to Hawaii for. Hawaii is for the slow pace, relaxing vacation. We don't get bored with the activities available to us, and prefer the quieter lifestyle on the other islands.

That said, yes I think you should visit Oahu, at least once. And remember Oahu is much more than just Honolulu. Once you get out of the city (which I will admit we did not do when we were there) it's much more boring.

We also like going to the other islands over Oahu but still have to go there every couple of years because things change. Other than the sights already mentioned, we like going to Oahu to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the north side of the island. There you can visit the different "villages" that make up Hawaii and learn of their culture. At the end of the day is an excellent show. You can also take in a luau there. I also enjoy going to the Dole Pineapple Plantation and getting my fix of Dole Whip which I've not been able to find anywhere else.

I would go to Oahu just for the food.

My previous post should not be construed as a put-down of Oahu. I have been there a number of times, and have always enjoyed himself there. One of my biggest thrills was visiting the USS Missouri moored at Ford Island. It was an unforgettable experience to stand on the bridge of that great battleship and stare out over those big 16 inch guns to the Arizona Memorial a short distance away.

I've always skipped the Paradise Cove Luau, but I might go this time if for no other reason than to say I've been to it. I also want to visit Lanikai Beach because I've never been there either. Having now been to Trunk Bay on St. John, I would like to see which beach is the more picturesque.

I've never been a big fan of the Polynesian Cultural Center. Too much like a amusement park without rides. But, I know many first-time visitors to Oahu want to visit it.

I will only have a week there, and I plan to enjoy the island thoroughly. Then it is off to Maui for another week. (What hardships one must endure in life!)