My wife wants me to consider Hawaii in December. Neither one of us are really beach people. Usually when we travel to beach destinations, we may spend a hour or two here and there, but all day or even most of the trip.
Nevertheless, are there any worthy non-beach attractions on the islands, eco-tours would be okay?
Hawaii for Non-beach BumEvery one of the islands is beautiful to tour, even if you never set foot on a beach. A good introduction to Hawaii is to spend a few days in Honolulu to see Pearl Harbor, the Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Punchbowl, Waikiki, etc. Then rent a car and view the east side and north shore of Oahu for a day or two.
If you have at least ten nights, go on to one other island. Maui has more extensive lodgings and restaurants along with its dormant volcano, Haleakala, and Road to Hana for deep tropic adventure. Kauai is gorgeous and largely vertical, meaning you must plan to hike or take boat or helicopter tours to see what no roads can reach. Lanai and Molokai are also beautiful, and the most quiet of the islands. These are all small islands.
Big Island is larger than all the others together, so you would want at least a week there to see all its micro-climates.
After visiting the four major islands for 25+ years, we eventually bought on Maui, feeling it has the best mix of natural beauty and ';people comforts'; without being like ';big city'; Honolulu.
Hawaii for Non-beach Bumabsolutely. my husband is so not a beach person. swim yes, but not sit on the sand.
he loved the big island. the volcano and the top of Mauna kea.
and the people.
Oahu has all of the above mentioned and the polynesian cultural center.
also there is an eco tour operator forget the name, who does the most amazing tours on oahu. hiking, waterfalls, turtle watching, flowers, temples. just google hawaii and eco tours and you wil find it.
Besides things related to nature and natural beauty, Honolulu has lots of cultural and historical things to see %26amp; do. Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, ShagriLa estate tour, Honolulu Academy of the Arts, Chinatown tour, etc.
On Kaua`i:
Things to See and Do
? Waimea Canyon is a spectacular drive even if the weather isn’t perfect. Be sure to drive all the way to the top to the lookout over the Na Pali coast. You can get a quick lunch at Koke’e Lodge. (It’s a little pricey and not super food, but it’s the only game in town.) The museum at Koke’e is well worth a look. It’s small and won’t take up a lot of time.
? Lunch at the Shrimp Station in Waimea, with shave Ice at Jojo’s Anuenue for dessert.
? Opaeka’a Falls
? Wailua Falls
? The entire drive up to the northwest end of the road
? Princeville Resort (if you like opulent.) You can see “Bali Hai” from there.
? Kilauea Light and marine reserve.
? Spouting Horn (the best blowhole in the islands.) Look for turtles in the water. Some of the vendors have Ni’ihau shell leis at good prices. For the best selection, visit The Trading Post. It’s worth it to see their collection of antique and very valuable Ni’ihaus.
? Drive down through the Tunnel of Trees to Old Koloa town.
? Allerton Gardens – one of the National Botanical Gardens (at the south end near Spouting Horn)
? Limahuli Gardens – another NGB at the north end. Both involve walking and time.
? West of Spouting Horn there’s a coffee plantation and an old sugar plantation.
? Na Aina Kai gardens.
? There’s a museum in Lihue.
? The little green church in Hanalei
? Catch one of the local farmer’s markets. They move around the island daily.
? Browse the Coconut Marketplace; good for a short walk under cover. Shops are a mix of nice and touristy.
? Hilo Hattie for island wear.
? Luau. People seem to like Smith’s.
? Fern Grotto – a trip up the Wailua River – nice trip, a little touristy.
? In January you have a good chance of seeing whales from anywhere on the shore but probably best up at Kilauea light. A whale-watching boat trip may be worthwhile.
DO A HELICOPTER TOUR!! It’s expensive – a little over $200/person for 90 minutes – but it’s the most spectacular thing you’ve ever seen and worth every penny. Try Jack Harter, the original company. They give a great tour, and it’s the only practical way to see much of the island, as about 2/3 is inaccessible except by boat or on foot.
I have no idea why TA turned all my bullets into question marks.
I am not a big beach person either. After a couple hours I get bored and want to do something.
Oahu is a great choice for you. There is so much to see and do that you could go for a month and not get bored. Everyone else has given some great suggestions for things to do, and theres many more things you%26#39;ll discover once you get there.
As for the other islands, your best bet is a car rental, as public transportation doesn%26#39;t really exist and tourist attractions are not all within walking distance.
Lots of info including sites with free brochures for all islands:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862…
I totally agree with the above posts-we are not beach bums either-but we love Hawaii-been there many times-and will be there again in January,08.
hey wolf....make sure you get a price on airfare from ATA..com....I am scheduled to leave in 3 weeks and it was half of united%26#39;s fare. They will use Southwest out of N.O. and then ATA out of Vegas maybe....I have heard lots of positive about them and am looking forward to it....
Ditto everyone else%26#39;s comments ... plenty of non beach stuff and it is such a beautiful place.
If you like outdoors stuff, Hawaii is a great place to visit. I think I%26#39;d recommend maybe Oahu and the Big Island ... Oahu for the Arizona, the atmosphere in Waikiki, perhaps the Polynesian Cultural Center ...
Big Island for the Volcano (where else can you see a live one?), the ranch lands, maybe a stargazing tour on top of Mauna Kea (although stargazing at the volcano at night is pretty amazing, too), and even some snorkeling if you like the water. There%26#39;s not too much beach on the Big Island at all, actually ... but lots of beautiful coastline and scenery.
I am way too antsy to sit on the beach ... and the sun hurts the baby blues after a while. But, I am married to ';Aqua Man'; -- and I have adjusted.
Bottom line - you will have NO problem finding non-sitting-on-the-beach-or-snorkeling activities on Maui, the BI, Oahu or Kauai. The natural wonders will take your breath away ... some great museums/historical places in Honolulu. The Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu .... well, this could go on forever.
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