OT: Hawaii!

[brannock_16]

Hello,

I used to live at Fort Shafter on Oahu and some of the most memorable things for me tended to revolve around the very unique and tasty food. Most of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu will be overrun by tourists...but since this will be your first time in Hawaii it is pretty fun and a definite must.

I personally would go to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. It is very informative and they actually have an amazing pineapple soft serve ice cream that is superb. Also, some of the nicer beaches that are not often packed with people are on the North Shore of the island. I remember going to Bellows beach and bogey boarding all the time. It is a quick drive if you rent a car. Drive around the island for a day and explore! When on the north shore side of the island hit up Matsumotos shaved ice...definitely a must.

Another fun spot is snorkeling at Hanuama bay...very cool. Also, if you are going to be there for a weekend try to swing by Aloha stadium to the flea market. They have a ton of souvenirs that are typically very cheap for friends and family, but they also have some very amazing local food from the vendors at the market.

Regardless of what you decide to do you have to share some pictures!

 

[Capt_Cully]

Dole plantation is on Lanai'i right? Lanai'i was my favorite snorkeling spot. Underwater topography was super cool and diversity of fish species was amazing. Triggers, sailfins, yellows, achillies, idols, so on and so on. Amazing to see first hand in the wild.

 

[titoav15]

We are sooo going to the Dole plantation Brannock 16, thank you for all the local tips, we love all the local gems and try to stay away from touristy places as much as possible Hawaii might be a different case. And of course pics will be coming shortly after our return I'm really lucky that this forum is full of awesome and knowledgeable people!

 

[brannock_16]

Dole plantation is on Lanai'i right? Lanai'i was my favorite snorkeling spot. Underwater topography was super cool and diversity of fish species was amazing. Triggers, sailfins, yellows, achillies, idols, so on and so on. Amazing to see first hand in the wild.

Dole Plantation is on Oahu.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Right ok, but doesn't Dole own like the whole island of Lanai or something?

 

[pascal32]

Next time your over I'll tell you the whole story, it's entertaining!

 

[talon4x4]

My wife and I went to the Big Island for our honeymoon last October and it was amazing!! I won't be able to comment on where you're going because we stayed on the Big Island the whole time. If the other islands are anything like the Big Island, I would recommend getting a jeep/SUV. The nicest beaches on the Big Island are pretty inaccessible and a 4WD vehicle was a necessity. Especially when I saw oil all the way down the trail where a car ripped its oil pan open!!

The highlights of our trip, visiting a couple Kona coffee plantations (there's nothing better than true organic Kona coffee from Mountain Thunder), helicopter ride over Mt.Kilauea (seeing the lava enter the ocean from 1000ft is awesome), 25 mile ATV ride through the rainforest (stopped at a freshwater waterfall to swim), to the ocean and then back and snorkeling at the spot were Captain Cook was killed (feeling the cold freshwater run off into the warm ocean water was cool as was seeing how the fresh water sat on top of the saltwater).

Also, as someone mentioned you must get the Hawaii Revealed books. They do an outstanding job at describing everything about the island you are visiting. Everything they said was spot on, including the restaurant reviews!! You can get the books right at Barnes and Noble. http://www.wizardpub.com/main/home.html

We are already planning a trip back but to a different island this time.

 

[thepircs]

I've been to Maui 3 times, we'll be going to Oahu early next spring (wife's brother moved out there a couple years ago..) I love Maui, but have watched it get more and more developed over the years; although I still highly recommend it. Besides not having to pay for anything (brother in law) I'm most excited to go to the Waikiki Aquarium... (I don't think anyone mentioned it an any of the previous posts, am I on the right island?) I don't know anyone who has ever been, but I've seen pictures in my Coral mag... Thats where I'll be spending most my time... We used a book called Maui Revealed... I wouldn't go to any of the Hawaiian Islands with out the corresponding Revealed book! (Oahu Revealed). Book was spot on!

I work out in the waters off of Hono and beyond.....here are a few shots from the Waikiki Aquarium from my phone camera

 

[titoav15]

Wow thanks for all the info and pics guys!! Really appreciate it I just bought myself this guide book, very highly thought of, I think someone here even mentioned it here is the name: Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond (Oahu Revisited) by Andrew Doughty. I can't wait to start reading it! I bought it from Amazon, and lucky for me, being a student they give us prime 2 day shipping so it should be here by the 7th

 

[titoav15]

P.s. David, last pic looks amazing! Thanks for sharing all of them

 

[thepircs]

Last pic is on the beach out at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

 

[titoav15]

if its in Oahu, I'll be sure to check it out
Has anyone used an underwater camera while snorkeling? Any tips on what is available out there and the prices? What is the best way to go about this?

 

[shawna1972]

awwww love turtles

 

[thepircs]

If you are wanting to see turtles...I went out to Ko'olino on the west side of Oahu for a snorkeling tour. They will get you out to a nicely populated area where I saw the turtles up close. They positioned the boat so a school of porpoises would swim right by us when we got in the water. It was about $150 for the bus trip from Waikiki, equipment, and boat ride. Really friendly and I had a blast.....I used a cheap disposable camera and one of the guys from the boat crew took professional quality photos and will sell you a CD when you are finished at the marina.

 

[talon4x4]

if its in Oahu, I'll be sure to check it out
Has anyone used an underwater camera while snorkeling? Any tips on what is available out there and the prices? What is the best way to go about this?

I bought the Olympus Stylus Tough - 8010. It tooks great underwater stills and movies, when under water. If you just floated along the surface while snorkeling the movement from the waves made the pics blurry. Also, make sure you play around with it a bit and learn the options and how everything works. Its difficult to do that once you hit the water (I made that mistake). All-in-all, great camera, great battery life, great pics and its a nice small size. Check it out. Got mine at Best Buy. Also made sure I got the accidental damage warranty.

Below are some of the snorkeling pics I took with the Olympus.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1932688&highlight=hawaii

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1932689&highlight=hawaii

And this thread has a link to a movie I took with this camera. The movie was shakey because I was at the surface and it was real windy. Plus you'll see the water was shallow and there were a lot of jagged rocks I had to keep avoiding.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1929807&highlight=hawaii


Hope that helps.