Hi I will go to Honolulu for 5 days with my two kids, one is 14 and the other 9, can someone help me and tell me what things I can do there, also in Maui. We like all types of things and we have never been to Hawaii.
In Maui we are also be 5 days I will rent a car, I have two option:
222 dollars for a convertible car and 143 for a chevrolet impala or similar.
What do you recomend me?
And if I rent the impala what car can I also have that is similar'Things to do at Honolulu with kids? car rental in maui?
First, the kids are going to want to spend time seeing OTHER kids on Waikiki Beach, maybe take surfing lessons as the water is safe for beginners here. Unlike the other beaches of Hawaii, this is an urban beach on par with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil or South Beach in Florida, and is the place to see and be seen (if you are young). Especially on Friday nights you will all have a blast:
* International Marketplace right on Kalakaua Ave is built around an immense banyan tree with multiple trunks. Only souvenir shops now, make sure to bargain.
* On Friday nights, the Hilton Hawaiian Village sponsors free fireworks. The beach is crowded however so go a bit early. The Hilton is near the far west side of Waikiki (towards Ala Moana shopping center).
* The city sponsors free shows near the statue of Duke a few times a week. They actually hire non-trivial talent and the shows vary each time with different hula dance troops or schools.
Other sites:
* Make sure to go to Nuuanu Pali Lookout, up the Pali Highway from Honolulu. The wind from the windward side of the island funnels through this point, and kids find the fierce winds that usually blow here amazing. For adults, the panoramic view of Kailua and Kaneohe is spectacular, easily one of the most beautiful in Hawaii. On the way up the highway, you will see a road to the right..the Old Pali Road..take it!! It goes through a smal rain forest and connects back up to the highway.
* Pearl Harbor has the Arizona Memorial, but the kids like the fully-restored and amazing WWII submarine also docked there, it really is amazing to think people stayed down for weeks on this small little submersible
* If you want to feed their mind, you may want to consider taking them to the Bishop's Museum which has the largest collection of Hawaiiana anywhere, and also Iolani's Palace, the only true royal palace in the USA.
* Go hiking in the rain forest. Make sure to wear mosquito repellent and don't wear regular shoes, they will be completely muddy and unusable at the end. Also, if you wear cheap flip-flops and they break (the mud can be sticky) walking through the rain forest or jungle without shoes is not fun. Invest in durable Teva-like shoes if you are going to hike. With kids, I recommend hiking to Manoa Falls right in back of Honolulu, in Manoa Valley. Alternately or in addition, you can hike up Diamond Head, but there are a lot of stairs and it is hot and dry inside the crater (did you know Diamond Head was a volcanic crater and is ';round'; seen from the air?).
* One of the highlights will be renting snorkeling equipment and watching the tropical fish in Hanauma Bay. This is a national preserve, you will need to watch a movie first. Also, GO EARLY to get a parking space, and also the water is clearer in the AM before all the tourists kick up the sand and cloud the water. And finally, you will have a higher chance of seeing the moray eels, sea turtles, etc. before all the people scare them away. Make sure to rent equipment rather than buy cheap equipment: If a mask does not make an airtight seal there is nothing worse than that! With rented equipment, you can swap. There is a rental counter right on the beach at Hanauma.
* Drive the windward coast (the hot, jungly side of the island) from Honolulu, taking the Likelike freeway to Kaneohe, and then go counterclockwise around the island following the coast. Along the way in Kaneohe, stop off at the Japanese Buddhist Temple called the Byodo-in Temple. Have the kids ring the bell for good luck and you can buy fish food to feed the thousands of brilliant orange, white and red koi fronting the temple in the lake. Further down, you will pass the Polynesian cultural center which is similar to EPCOT with pavilions representing each major south pacific polynesian culture (fiji, samoa, new zealand maori, tonga, etc.). This is rather pricey. There is a luau at nights, but since the center is run by Mormons, no alcohol if that is important to you... (it isn't to me!). And yet further down, you will pass the North Shore and all the famous surfing beaches (professional surfing in winter only when the waves are huge). Stop in Haleiwa (hah-lay-ee-vuh) for a traditional hawaiian shave ice at Aoki's (my favorite) or Matsumoto's (the most popular).
* Walk the kids through Honolulu's Chinatown, it is unlike any other in the USA. Make sure to stop inside the Mauna Kea Marketplace so they kids can see all the exotic tropical foods you see no where else. If you walk along Mauna Kea, the little florists are famous, as this is where they string the flower leis (necklaces). you can buy an orchid lei for each person for as little as $7 each ( I LOVE the smell of plumeria leis but they only last a day or two).
* For a fee, you can ride the Atlantis Submarines, or swim with dolphins at Sea Life Park or at the Kahala Resort.
In Maui, there are less sites, but the ones they have are amazing:
* Driving the sea cliff road through the rain forest to Hana is spectacular, with tropical waterfalls with bannans and bamboo forests at every turn in some places. Make sure the kids take a dramamine if they get carsick, else go very slow. Stop for bannana bread at many little stands along the way...each farmer has a different recipe. The road ends slightly past Hana at the 7 Sacred Pools, so remember you have to drive back the way you came. this is an all-day affair.
* You can take the boat tours to Molokini, a submerged small volcanic caldera that has filled up with coral. Wonderful (if sometimes crowded) snorkeling.
* There are zipline tours where you hike into the jungle and jump off cliffs hooked to a line. They start you slow, and you build up to higher and higher cliffs.
* You can drive up Haleakala Volcano. It is VERY cold up there. If you want to see the sunrise (not guaranteed...frequently there are clouds) you have to start driving up there at 2AM
* The beach near the Makena resort area (near Wailea) has one area called Turtle Town or Turtle City. It is right off the beach near the Prince Resort. If you snorkel here, you have a good chance of seeing the sea turtles here.
Make sure to take the kids to a luau somewhere, they are always fun!
If you can swing it, having a convertible is always special to the kids if you don't have one at home. For me however, I have to say the tropical sun and humidity makes it very uncomfortable...Things to do at Honolulu with kids? car rental in maui?
Aloha Stadium Flea market is open Wed, Sat %26amp; Sun to pick up things like towels, tshirts, little souvenirs, etc...
Arizona Memorial and Bowfin Museum and USS Missouri are right there as well.
Go up to Haleiwa for a Shaved Ice at Mastumotos.
North Shore to see the beaches.
Polynesian Cultural Center over on the other side of the island
Drive over the Pali Hwy and do the lookout
Drive around the island as well,
Hananma Bay is a decent place for snorkeling
Surf lessons on Waikiki Beach or going in an Outrigger
Sunset cruise
For the second rental car an Impala could also be a Ford Focus or something similar.
There are numerous beaches that are very family friendly and ideal for picnics - Kailua and Ala Moana Beach Parks are fun beach parks for a family outing. Go to the Dole plantation and have your kids solve the world's largest man made maze or take them to cultural activities like the Polynesian Cultural Center. Also take them hiking or bike riding in Maui, visit the Haleakala National Park. For more information on the activities on both islands visit http://www.sharinghawaii.com It is a great resource to help you with your planning and has plenty of helpful links to find additional information.
Rent the car that is most comfortable and safest for your kids. You can always wait to until pick up time to choose from the cars they have available. Ask the attendants when you go to pick one up from the car rental company.
just leave the kids at the hotel. their white skin will guarantee that they are treated like royalty, and you can go out and enjoy a night on the town, because of your white skin, you will be treated very well and respected like a hero
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