Some advice please!

We just booked our flights. We will be arriving in Oahu at 9:30pm and will be leaving for Kauai the next day. Haven%26#39;t booked that flight yet --- here is where we need help - We need to find an affordable, clean hotel close to the beach, restaurants etc....we don%26#39;t need a pool or kitchen...it will only be basically to sleep. (Ohana-East/west??) The next day, before heading to Kauai we would like to go to diamond head...how much time do we need for hiking and how do we get to the trail head?

Coming back our flight leaves Oahu at 11pm...we would like to fly out from Kauai early and go to Pearl Harbour...how long would it take to go Pearl Harbour, what time does it close, how would we get there from the airport and most importantly --- what could we do with our luggage? Can someone help us plan our last day? We are a little stuck! Thank you so much in advance for any suggestions/help!

Some advice please!

I think the Ohana East Hotel would meet your requirements. Walking to Diamond Head from waikiki takes about 40 minutes, but you are better off taking the bus as its all up hill (you need number 23 i think, but you better check). The actual entrance is on the north east side of the crater, so make sure you dont get off the bus too soon. Just ask the driver if you arent sure.

It took my party about an hour to get to the top (stopping several times for the unfit people i was with), spent about 15 minutes up there, then about 25 minutes walking down.

I would allocate yourself about 3 1/2 hours to do the whole thing,(hotel to diamond head then back to hotel), as you may have to wait a while for a bus, or you may find it hard going walking up to the top.

As for the Pearl Harbour, i would get there as soon as possible. We got there about half an hour before it opened, and the queue was already very long and there is a limited number of tickets allocated each day.

You will need to take a cab to get there as you cant take big bags on the bus.

You absolutely need to do something with your luggage though as you cant take ANY bags in there with you... Maybe if someone in your party isnt that bothered about going in, they could sit outside with the bags and wait, or maybe you could take turns waiting outside if they do.

Some advice please!

Diamond Head is a must - and I would get the bus (although if there%26#39;s a lot of you, it probably wouldn%26#39;t be that much more to get a taxi - and if you%26#39;re pushed for time, the taxi will take you right up into the crater, wheras the bus will leave you at the side of the road.) However, if you have a bit of extra time, get the bus - the walk into the crater is scenic too and a nice %26#39;warm-up%26#39; to the proper hike up DH!! You can find out which bus and timetables at www.thebus.org.

With the luggage issue at PH, maybe you could rent a car at the airport when you fly in, drive to PH and leave your luggage in the car - someone local will have to tell you whether or not this is safe - PLEASE DON%26#39;T TAKE MY WORD THAT IT IS!!!! But if it is, then you can just drive back to the airport when you finish! I went to PH last year (oops, 2 years ago now - keep forgetting it%26#39;s 2009!!) and the car park seemed relatively safe in that there are loads of shuttle companies hanging around to take people back to Waikiki so it might be hard for people to break into your car. But like I said, Please check this out properly before just doing it - I don%26#39;t know how safe it would be!! Have an awesome time though whatever you decide to do!!

hey fellow Vancouverite :) We just got back from Waikiki, so haven%26#39;t written a review yet, but we stayed at the Ohana West (part of a WestJet package deal). We thought it was ok. It%26#39;s a budget hotel, but we paid a budget price, so who can complain, right? The room was dated, yes, but that seems common with so many hotels being pretty old. The main thing was that our room was always clean with fresh towels when we came back late afternoon, and the showers were always hot (only has shower stall, btw, not full tub). Checkin/checkout was a breeze. The staff were friendly. The place was packed, and the elevators get busy, so we took the stairs a lot (good thing we weren%26#39;t at the top). The location was good for access to shopping/beach. We looked onto Kuhio and could people watch. I%26#39;d say the downside to the location is that it was always busy and loud, and the first night I was woken up at 3am by blaring music (and I mean blaring, like I was laying in the middle of the dance floor) from a nearby club. Luckily after 2 songs it was turned down and that volume wasn%26#39;t repeated the rest of our stay.

Oh, and personally, I would avoid ';theBus'; at all costs!!! On the first day, before we had our car, we decided to take the bus to Hanauma Bay. Never again. We went in the morning but still lined up to get on, and had to stand. Coming back was worse. It only runs once an hour so it%26#39;s stupid busy! We got to bus stop at least half an hour before the bus came and there was already a huge crowd, and again stood all the way back, jam packed in like sardines. So when it got to Diamond head it had to breeze right by the stop. No room. It took about 4 times longer than it did to drive. It was hot and uncomfortable and a waste of a lot of time. I hate buses! Another day we drove there and the experience was SO much better.