I recently had the opportunity to go to Honolulu for 6 days. There is so much to see and do so let me share with you what I did.
The first two nights we stayed at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach. This is a gorgeous hotel that is within walking distance of the main shopping areas but at the quieter end of Waikiki Beach. The first night there we attended Germaine's Luau. The Luau is approximately a 30 minute drive from the central Waikiki area and a coach will come to pick you up and drop you off if not at your hotel then at least a very short walk away. The best way to describe the Luau is lots of food and lots of fun! It is located on the beach and you definitely do not go hungry. There is also constant entertainment throughout the evening with Polynesian dancing, singing and even audience participation. One hint though - wear footwear you can easily kick off like thongs. As it is on the beach you don't really want to be wearing fancy high heels ladies. I did see more than one person have trouble with their footwear that night!
On the third day we picked up our hire cars to drive to the North Shore for our overnight stay at the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort. Don't let the idea of driving on the opposite side of the road put you off. Hawaii is very laidback so there aren't massive traffic jams to get caught in and you get the hang of driving on the opposite side of the road very quickly. Once you get out of Honolulu the scenery is just amazing and the only traffic jam we encountered was when everyone was trying to get a car park along some of the beaches along the North Shore! If you don't have the time or opportunity to visit some of the other Hawaiian Islands as part of your holiday then I would recommend a stay at Turtle Bay Resort to give you a feel for what staying at the other islands can be like. When here you can go swimming with the sea turtles and the monk seals come up onto the beach to sun themselves. There are also hiking trails and horse riding and the TV series Lost was filmed around here.
Our last two nights in Honolulu were at the Moana Surfrider Hotel. This is the first ever hotel that was built in Waikiki and has a real colonial feel to it. The Moana Surfrider is also a very popular location for destination weddings and we were advised that during the high season they can do up to 19 weddings a day!! The morning we were waiting for our transfer to Pearl Harbour we saw three different wedding couples in the space of approx half an hour and wedding finery being taken to rooms for at least two more. Back in Honolulu we also went to Pearl Harbour to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. This is a moving experience and one I highly recommend. We were picked up and dropped off to our hotel direct and once at Pearl Harbour there are different exhibits to view as well as the USS Bowfin. This is a submarine that you can go on and walk around.
The last thing I want to mention about Honolulu is the shopping. If shopping is your thing then you can go crazy from the amount of choices you have in and around Honolulu. From the market stalls along the beach to the high end boutiques to the absolutely massive Ala Moana Shopping centre there is something for everyone. On top of all these choices there is the Waikele Premium Outlets where you can find outlets for Levi's, Old Navy, Coach, Sak's 5th Avenue and much more. Waikele can be accessed by a trolley service that makes regular (and inexpensive - more money for shopping!) runs to and from Waikiki.
That was just a taste of my Honolulu adventure and if you would like more information then don't hesitate to let me know.
Brooke