Christmas with the family in Hawaii

[mommyof3sons]

This year I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in
Honolulu. This will be a first for us all. Our itenerary already
includes a luau, but my question is this, what other local attractions
would be of interest to my family? I have 4 very young children, all
between the ages of 2-9.

I would truelly appreciate any helpful suggestions.
Thanks,
Angela

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

In article >,
(mommyof3sons) wrote:

> This year I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in
> Honolulu. This will be a first for us all. Our itenerary already
> includes a luau, but my question is this, what other local attractions
> would be of interest to my family? I have 4 very young children, all
> between the ages of 2-9.

Do you already have airfare? If not, you might want to re-think.

Note that there's two major luaus on Oahu. The one at the Polynesian
Cultural Center is dry.

Personal list: snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, Pearl Harbor, Polynesian
Cultural Center, Watching the surfers on North Beach, visiting the Sea
Life Park at Makapu'u point, watching whales (also Makapu'u point).

--
_Deirdre http://deirdre.net
"Dogs may have kept us company on the hunt, but it was the cats who
insisted we invent houses and discover fire." -- Khiem Tran

[Mark O. Polo]

Hi Deirdre,

If you are staying in Waikiki you might consider taking the young
children to the zoo and aquarium at Kapiolani Park and then the beach.
These are all within one block of each other and most children seem to
enjoy the experience. Aloha Week started last Friday and there are
always many attractions including a parade and street entertainment
during these type of festivities which are scheduled throughout the
year. If you give me the dates you intend visiting then I will check the
events calendar for you. Since the weather is almost always good, you
should have little trouble finding outdoor activities for your entire
family.

Aloha

[Brenda]

Forget the rental car on Oahu, since there is the Island Cirlce route
on the bus for $1.50 for a 4.5 hour tour of the island to transport
locals all around also. You can get off to enjoy something & pay
another $1.50 to keep going. Catch it in front of the Tower at
Waikiki. Great way to see everything there & pick what you want to do
the next day. Talking with the locals is great too.
Enjoy the whales also!



(mommyof3sons) wrote in message >...
> This year I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in
> Honolulu. This will be a first for us all. Our itenerary already
> includes a luau, but my question is this, what other local attractions
> would be of interest to my family? I have 4 very young children, all
> between the ages of 2-9.
>
> I would truelly appreciate any helpful suggestions.
> Thanks,
> Angela

[D Ball]

I couldn't disagree more. Unless you're looking for total down time hanging
around Honolulu/Waikiki, the North Shore is a must see! Your little ones
might get a kick out of the Dole Plantation maze. It's a total tourist trap,
but makes for a nice stop on a cross-island transit to the North Shore. If
you don't want the hassle/expense of keeping a car the entire time, no problem:
a good compromise is to pick up a car for a day or two. There are several
car rental locations conveniently located along the Waikiki strip....

Have a great Hawaiian Christmas!

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX
http://www.dianaball.net

NCL Sea - W. Carib - Holidays 99
RCI Explorer - E. Carib - Holidays 00
RCI Rhapsody - W. Carib - Holidays 01 (back-to-back)
NCL Star - Hawaii - June 02
Dawn Princess - Alaska - July 02
Star Princess - Mex Riviera - Holidays 02
RCI Serenade – Transatlantic 08/03 (maiden voyage)
RCI Mariner – E Carib – Holidays 03


(Brenda) wrote:
>Forget the rental car on Oahu, since there is the Island Cirlce route
>on the bus for $1.50 for a 4.5 hour tour of the island to transport
>locals all around also. You can get off to enjoy something & pay
>another $1.50 to keep going. Catch it in front of the Tower at
>Waikiki. Great way to see everything there & pick what you want to do
>the next day. Talking with the locals is great too.
>Enjoy the whales also!
>
>
>
(mommyof3sons) wrote in message >...
>> This year I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in
>> Honolulu. This will be a first for us all. Our itenerary already
>> includes a luau, but my question is this, what other local attractions
>> would be of interest to my family? I have 4 very young children, all
>> between the ages of 2-9.
>>
>> I would truelly appreciate any helpful suggestions.
>> Thanks,
>> Angela

[brenda]

(mommyof3sons) wrote in message >...
> This year I will be celebrating the holidays with my family in
> Honolulu. This will be a first for us all. Our itenerary already
> includes a luau, but my question is this, what other local attractions
> would be of interest to my family? I have 4 very young children, all
> between the ages of 2-9.
>
> I would truelly appreciate any helpful suggestions.
> Thanks,
> Angela

Waikiki is a great place for kids - in addition to suggestions already
made, ride the trolley all around town & get off where you like -
Chinatown is fun for kids. Your older ones could try surf lessons on
Waikiki. My daughter always loved the Oceanarium Restaurant at the
Pacific Beach Hotel - a 3 story Oceanarium to watch while you're
dining. Kids love the International Marketplace. Out at the Ihilani
Hotel, they have stingray & shark feeding - call their concierge for
details as there are age limits & an adult must accompany (ie. pay
too) - really fun & they learn a lot. Keep on driving from there up
to the North Shore to watch the surfers & huge waves that time of
year. Hit the ABC stores for really cheap beach mats & blow-up toys &
float/play in the relatively safe breakwater at Waikiki to the left of
the Hyatt looking at the beach. Go see the dolphins at the Mandarin
Oriental. All kinds of stuff to do - enjoy! Santa also arrives at
the Royal Hawaiian shopping center on the main drag & there's lots of
shows.