Hey folks. I’m in Hawaii next weekend, 30th (and for a few days after). Looking for some good ideas of what to do on Sat/Sun? The other days I’ll be busy. I believe it isn’t surf season though, right?
Lie on the beach and drink strong alcoholic beverages out of a coconut.
http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/
If you have a longboard, it’s always surf season in Hawaii.
You’ll need to be more specific about which island you are visiting if you want advice about other activities.
Is this a question that even needs to be asked?
What to do in Hawaii is be in Hawaii.
Yeah, I would just grab a longboard and hit North Shore. Shouldn’t be as busy as other times of year and… well… North fucking Shore!
That sounds so awesome…
so awesome…
Can you bring me back a mongoose? I made friends with some in Africa and I miss them.
If you’re in and around Honolulu (Oahu) then go check out the North Shore to check out the surfing or windsurfing (or do a little yourself if you’re not a total kook) or maybe hike Diamond Head closer to town. Or, you know, lay out on a great beach and get your drink on.
If you’re on ‘the big island’ you should definitely check out the volcanoes; go up to the summit and/or drive out to where the flow meets the sea.
If you’re on any of the other islands you should do a snorkeling tour or just rent the gear and ask where you can drive to that’s good. Not the best snorkeling in the world but what the hell, water is warm, lots of fish and often turtles.
Also… fishing if you’ve got the cash.
But basically I’d have to agree with bahimiron.
Eat tropical fruit. And I don’t mean pineapples. I’m not sure what’s in season, if anything, but these are all acceptable.
Star Fruit
Mango
Mangosteen (not a mango, totally different, and fantastic)
Papaya
Cherimoya (Buddha’s Head, aka Sugar Apple)
Apple Banana: totally different flavor/texture from standard Cavendish banana found stateside.
I miss the tropics.
This is the time of year the whales are often down there having calves, so a whale watching tour is always worth it and doesn’t take all day. I’ve only been to the big island, but Volcano National Park is worth the trip (definitely go down to the shore where the flow drips into the ocean).
Hitting the observatories on Mauna Kea is fun but eats up an entire day, and you have to be careful not to burn up the brakes on the way back down if you’re in a rental car.
One thing we do every time we’re there is rent a kayak and snorkeling gear in Kona, take it to Kealakekua Bay, and sea kayak to the Captain Cook Monument where the snorkeling is better than at most other places on the island because it’s not as accessible.
You can plan a lot of scenic drives. The Waipio Valley is worth a look if you like hiking, and there’s a black sand beach in Pololu Valley that isn’t overrun with tourists because there’s an extremely steep climb into and out of it. Akaka Falls is also nice.
I used to live in Aiea, which is around Honolulu. Be sure to visit Crazy Shirts and Pearl Harbor (in addition to everything else above), pick up a bottle of POG, and enjoy your time in paradise.
Also, don’t eat local food. It’s all based on combinations of fruit, jello, and spam.
Seconded. The snorkeling here is the best I’ve ever done.
I’ve only spent time on the island of Hawaii but, if that’s where you are going:
Visit Volcano National Park (like others suggested). There’s a ton of things to do (walk through a lava tube, hike near the lava flow, stand on smoking ground!) and it’s a pretty unique place to visit.
Take a trip up Mauna Kea at night, preferably when the moon isn’t out if you can manage it. I worked up there for a few weeks, driving up and down the dirt roads that make up the top of the mountain working in one of the telescopes found at the summit (~14,000 feet). I don’t know if I’d suggest doing so by yourself at night (it’s very dark and the penalty for missing a switchback is a rather big drop) but they do have tours that go up there. I always wondered why the ancients worshiped the stars. Visit Mauna Kea at night when the moon isn’t hiding everything and you’ll understand.
If you get a chance, take some time just to wander, picking up the various hikes here and there. The island of Hawaii has a bunch of them, typically nesting around a spectacular waterfall or awesome view. I can only assume that the other islands offer a similar ground level tour of some of the most dramatically vertical landscape I’ve had the chance to visit on foot.
Machfive, which island in Hawaii?
Memory is always the second thing to go.
When does a thread morph from an honest request for tips on things to do in a certain location to more of a boastful dig at the less fortunate who can’t afford to go or spare the time to go that location?
I’d suggest that you can probably ask for advice on any of the lower 48. Hawaii and Alaska and any global destination means you’re just rubbing it in.
;)
Dude, Calista’s a Kiwi. If he visits Boise it’s a global trip.
We chumped out and took a tour up to the top (a few of the people needed oxygen when we got there, if you can believe that), but it was nice in that they timed it so it was sunset when we reached the summit, and that was unbelievable. If you’re there at night there’s a camp part way down the mountain that always has a bunch of telescopes set up so you can stargaze without completely freezing your ass off. Although being from Nebraska where there is no shortage of starry nights I had more fun watching the idiots in rental Mustangs and Sebrings who were too dumb to put the car in low gear on the way down smoke by with their brakes glowing orange.
Engine braking is also your friend if you go to the beach at Volcano National Park.
Hey, if you haoles don’t want Hawaii anymore, you can always return it!