Hi all!
I am sure you get this a lot but... My family and I are visiting Hawaii in June!
My mom has recently over come serious illness and her first wish after she finished her treatment was to visit Hawaii!! I am so happy to see my mom doing so well. Since I live in New York and all my family live in Japan, this is going to be a special event for us. So I need your help. Could you guys give me some tips to make this trip special for my family, especially for my mom ?
I know you guys must be tired of this kind of questions from outsiders... but my mom is old and most likely this would be her last trip to Hawaii.
I would appreciate any little tips you can give me... We are staying in Waikiki for a week in June. (it's going to be me, my sister, her husband, my 10 year old niece and mom) Any restaurant recommendations? Any local spot that is worth visiting?
Thanks guys in advance.

One thing is for sure, I will be waving like crazy at every MINI I see while I'm there! :smile: :smile:

 

Well, there's lots of things to do and lot of places to see. Why don't you tell us what activities and food you would like to eat and we can come up with suggestions. Also give us a budget so we know what we're dealing with.

 

The Beastmaster, mini-t and kbseto can come up with some top notch places for you and your family to eat at, so don't even worry about that question!

As for things to do, what are your mom's expectations? No matter what, you'll want to cater to what she is expecting and hoping to see. Find out what this is first, then we can help you try to find the best fit. Also, what island(s) are you visiting? Each island is unique in that you can gain a totally different experience from each. How long is your stay? Is this the first time she is visiting Hawaii?

 

happy to hear that your mom and folks will be able to experience hawaii.

i assume you all have plane reservations, hotel, and car. or are about to make reservations. that way you can ensure you get some good deals.

planning on visiting the outer islands? i know 1 week is not much time, but the outer islands each have their own distinctive charm. you can even do arrive-and-leave-same-day visits. i recommend visiting at least 1 of the outer islands, eg. maui or kauai.

back to oahu...fancy eating places include sam choy's, roy's, alan wong's, hoku's...the list is endless. check out http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com. they may have web access to their annual ilima awards, which finds out the local favorite eating spots. everything from expensive to cheap, unique eats. just make sure to look for eating places outside of waikiki, as there is so much more than just waikiki. i think we had a thread in the hawaii section that talked about fave restaurants.

shopping is endless. for unique deals visit the swap meet.

sites to see...hanauma bay, north shore and haleiwa town, pali lookout, makapuu lookout, halona blowhole, windward coast drive, diamond head lookout, iolani palace, polynesian cultural center, germaine's luau or paradise cove, bishop museum, waikiki aqaurium, sea life park, pearl harbor and arizona memorial. whew, too many places to see.

you gotta get some shaved ice. either from matusumoto's, aoki's, waiola.

gotta try chinese dim sum. i don't think mainland chinese is all that good. go to happy day's in kaimuki.

hawaiian food. ono's hawaiian food is always a fave.

ice cream. dave's, bubbies, stone cold creamery.

personally, i love pahke's chinese restaurant in kaneohe because of their food and delicious desserts, which their owner makes himself. he was once the dessert chef at halekulani hotel. and if you want, he can customize a delicious menu to your personal tastes. only thing is they don't have much dim sum.

kakaako kitchen has nice food in a very casual environment that is fairly priced.

hamburgers...either teddy's bigger burger or ...

not sure how our sushi bars compare. i like chaya makino's for kinda japanese food with sushi. plus it's a buffet. so you can try everything on the menu. and they got dave's ice cream for dessert.

other ideas and choices...808 motorers?

 

you can also check out the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau website. It has the best information about what to do/see while in Hawaii.

 

Thank you very much for all your great info!!
You guys are GREAT!!
I know one week is not at all enough to explore Hawaii and I told them that.
I am pretty disappointed not having enough time to go visit another island besides Oahu....but you know how Japanese society is like... it is very difficult for anyone to take off from work(in this case my brotheter-in-law and my sisiter), let alone a whole week!! :smile: :smile:

 

for a natural view of the islands, you gotta gotta get out of waikiki. of course, waikiki has its own charm and famous scenery, but there definitely so much much more.

there are tons of hiking spots/trails, many with spectacular views or treasured spots at the end of the road or along the way. of course, these depend on each person's physical condition/abilities. but this may be the single best way to take in the natural beauty of the islands, which to me is the green valleys and mountains with indigo blue ocean and clear blue skies all in once view. and it's free.

if not up for hiking any of the easier trails, take a drive up to the various ridge communities on the island. you can get a spectacular view of coastlines and valleys almost as well, eg. tantalus, pacific palisades, makakilo, waialae iki, hawaii loa, mariner's, pupukea.

and don't forget the cams.

the beaches...is a whole nother topic for another time.