I want to visit Hawaii!!!

April 4, 2011 12:52 PM

I'd like to visit Hawaii, alone. Here's a few questions about it.

I assume I won't need a passport since I live in the US.
I'd like to spend 7 days there.
I plan to go alone, but I'd like to take part in some social activities and meet new people. I'd also like to be able to go off on my own on hikes if I feel like it. Can you rent bycicles there? I have this crazy notion of pedaling to the top of a volcano and then taking pictures.
I'd like to take some surfing lessons too.
I don't have a budget yet, but I'd like a cheapish place, maybe off the beaten path, where I can enjoy some nature but also be able to go out and mingle with locals.
Let's say I'd like to spend about $1000 for the flight ,$1000 for lodging and meals, and $1000 for entertainment and transportation.
If possible, I don't want to have to rent a car.
I don't know much about Hawaii, but since there's 6 islands, there should be one that fits the criterias above.
About me, single 31 male, lives on the East Coast, not a US Citizen but a Permanent Resident.
So, is this doable? If so, which island should I go to? Any tips from Hawaii connoiseurs?

posted by spacefire to Travel & Transportation around Hawaii (12 answers total)

You do not need a passport. It works just like a domestic flight (because it is a domestic flight). In some places, Hawaii flights might leave from the international terminal, but you won't go through customs or anything like that.

It might help to know what, if anything, you're looking for in terms of water activities. Lounging on beautiful beaches? Surfing? Snorkeling? Scuba diving? That might help narrow down the options somewhat.

Is not wanting to rent a car a cost consideration or is it because you don't want to drive? Some parts of Hawaii are definitely better accessed with a rental car, and rentals aren't that expensive, but if it's simply because you don't like driving, there are good no car places to go too.
posted by zachlipton at 1:04 PM on April 4, 2011

If you want to combine bicycles, volcanoes, and social activities, you can bicycle down Mt. Halekala on Maui. I have seen the sunrise 2x from the top of Halekala -- an awesome experience. Just make sure to pack warm clothes and wear everything because it is cold and windy up there in the dark.
posted by elmay at 1:09 PM on April 4, 2011

I'm planning a trip to Kauai, and the flight to Honolulu (the only direct flight from my small local airport) was under $400, but I live on the West coast. We chose Kauai because it is lush and tropical, with lots of beautiful hikes available, plus better snorkeling and less touristy than Oahu. I bought the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, which is great, and the author recomends a rental car (the cheapest I've found so far is $230 for a week) because the communities and sights are pretty spread out, but he also mentions renting a bike or taking the bus, so that's a possibility. You can also rent a moped, but that sounded pricy, and possibly not very safe.

Your budget sounds reasonable to me, but I'd recommend figuring out what island you want to visit first, then planning based on that.
posted by Safiya at 1:28 PM on April 4, 2011

You won't need a passport as Hawaii is a US state. You can rent bicycles there - most major tourist cities have bike rent places. I would not, however, recommend cycling to the top of a volcano unless you're ultra-fit - Mauna Kea, for instance, is 15,000 feet. Just riding in a van to the top, I was dizzy and short of breath for 10 min once we got to the top - I can't even imagine what riding would be like (and I bike every day). It's probably also not allowed, at least on Mauna Kea. There may be other, smaller volcanoes, but there are much better ways to get to the top of Mauna Kea.

With the caveat that this is the only island I've been to, I love love love and would highly recommend the Big Island. The Kona side is dry and warm and a bit more touristy, while the Hilo side is rainy and warm and very local-oriented, and both sides have lots of places to hike and get off the beaten path. It seems like it would fit your bill.

I will say, though, that renting a car is pretty much a must on the Big Island - things there are pretty spread apart, and public transportation is slight. There are cabs, but not many.

As others have said, an indication of what types of things you like to do might help focus the recommendations a bit, but for a first-time visitor, the Big Island would be hard to top.
posted by pdb at 1:34 PM on April 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

I took my mom to Honolulu last October as a belated birthday gift. Very much not off the beaten path but it was very easy to get around via public transportation (says someone who's only experiences with public transportation are NYC & DC). We did end up renting a car one day to drive to a botanical garden and to make some stops along the way. Non-fancy hotel for 7 days + 2 plane tickets from VA were $1600-ish using an Expedia package.
posted by bluesapphires at 1:43 PM on April 4, 2011

Hawaii's great, you'll have an awesome time!
I'd say if you plan on island hopping (and you should, since otherwise you're pretty much limited to Honolulu, and there's so much more to Hawaii than that) you'll need to rent a car. You can rent one at every airport, and drop it off there when you move on to the next island.
Some personal recommendations:

Kauai-
Hanapepe
Waimea canyon
A boat tour of the Napali coast (I had no plans to ask my wife to marry me when we went on this tour (I mean, I knew I'd do it eventually, but I certainly wasn't expecting to come back engaged) but it's just. that. beautiful.)
Coffee plantation tours

Maui-
The road to Hana (you'll need to rent a car. And you'll need to be careful if you're the only one in it, because it is narrow)
Paia town
Halekala

The Big Island-
Volcano national park
More coffee plantation tours

Oahu-
It's fun for a bit, depending on your feelings about city based tourists and tourism. It's very worth taking drives up to the north shore. There's some really great food to be found.
Pearl Harbor and the various museums are great. Be warned, there's a half dozen different sites of interest, and each can take a bit to get into and more than an hour to see.

Generally speaking, a week would be enough time to do two, maybe three of the islands The inter-island flights are very easy.
There's some great threads tagged with Hawaii and they helped me put together my first trip. I'm also happy to give more specific advice about places to stay/eat/tour and so forth.
posted by qnarf at 1:58 PM on April 4, 2011

Best answer: You know, for a first time visit, I'd recommend Oahu. You can go all over the island by bus, you can easily rent a bicycle, there is quite a bit of hiking to be done, and there's a reason that Waikiki is famous for surf lessons - the water is gentle and beginner-friendly. The commercial strip of Waikiki is just one small part of the island though; it's easy to get out and find some nature.

I flew from the west coast but recently did a week on Oahu for $700, hotel and airfare, all taxes included. Prices for airfare jumped crazy high shortly after I went, but still, given your budget you should still be able to do this.

Just keep in mind that food is probably going to be a lot more expensive than you're accustomed to. Do yourself a favor and get a hotel room with a kitchen, you can definitely save a bit of money that way.
posted by chez shoes at 2:20 PM on April 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Quick note: even if you are a good swimmer, use caution body and board surfing at beaches with strong waves breaking in shallow water (e.g. Makapuu and Sandy Beach on Oahu). Spinal cord injuries are fairly commonplace in Hawaii. Don't take my word for it. Google "Hawaii spinal cord injury" and look at all the personal injury lawyers specializing in the injury.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:01 PM on April 4, 2011

I spent about a week on my own driving around Oahu, then flying to Maui and driving around there. The biggest expense by far is hotels/lodging. Food is pretty cheap if you eschew (ha) crappy tourist restaurants and stick to the plate lunches and poke fish ("pok-ay").

There aren't a lot of real campgrounds, especially on Oahu, where most - especially around makaha - are unfortunately defacto homeless shelters. I slept in the car most nights, parked in residential areas or on dirt roads. You just have to be discreet about it. Haleakala volcano is fantastic and shouldn't be missed, but the night in the car at the campground halfway up was one of the coldest in my whole life.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 6:53 PM on April 4, 2011

We met a lot of interesting people staying in B&Bs on the Big Island. I would recommend this if you are looking to meet folks, although I guess you may end up playing third wheel to a lot of couples.
posted by troublesome at 9:07 PM on April 4, 2011

Oahu (to my knowledge) is the only island where public transportation is a viable option for getting all the places you want to go. That is also because it is the most developed of the islands, the only one with high-rises (right?), more traffic, more crime, more big city feel. At the same time, as others have said, it's still Hawaii, Waikiki is a famous beach for a reason (although completely overrun now) and you'll still be able to go to North Shore and get away from Waikiki if you want. There definitely is hiking but I haven't been there to test it.

I personally love the Big Island but you basically have to rent a car there, unless you would like to hitchhike (which is actually a viable, pretty safe option but you obviously have to be the kind of person who enjoys a little adventure and has patience and time, waiting for rides can be frustrating especially when going a long way.) From what you describe I would recommend the areas south of Kona, like Kealakekua or Honaunau. There is world-class snorkeling, kayaking and decent surfing. There are lots of cute jungly bungalow B&B's in this area, sometimes on coffee or macadamia nut farms

If you want to bike up or down a volcano, Haleakela on Maui is your choice.

Look for the "Revealed" series of guidebooks with the blue covers for more help deciding which island and to take with you (great for finding hikes and beaches). There is "Maui Revealed", "Big Island Revealed" etc. for most of the islands. These have very complete info and directions for travellers looking to go "off the beaten path" or at least avoid staying in the big resorts.
posted by dahliachewswell at 11:48 AM on April 5, 2011

My favorite thing in Hawaii is Mt Haleakala, as already mentioned above. I've never biked down it, though. I drive to the top and hike down it, into the crater. (As opposed to biking on the road. I'm really not sure if biking up it is feasible, unless you're in really, really good shape. But you could rent a car for the day. Mt Haleakala is also way on the far side of Maui where people don't generally stay as much. Though you ARE looking to avoid the beaten path.) I've been there 3 times and on the 3rd time I finally had the time/gear to drive up there, watch the sunrise, and then hike down and out (~11 miles). I started just after sunrise and finished around noon. There was much more hiking that could be done, but my travel companion was waiting for me on the other end and I didn't want to spend too much time on it.

The first dozen or so photos from the hike are linked from my mefi profile. Absolutely gorgeous. I have way more pictures somewhere, including a photo of a map ... thought they were on Flickr, but apparently not.

As for the rest of Hawaii, I've mainly stayed in resorts and spent the days on the beach and the nights in restaurants, so I don't have any other specific recommendations. But there's good hiking. :) And take a surfing lesson if you haven't surfed!
posted by iguanapolitico at 12:25 PM on April 5, 2011