Oahu, is it really not that great?

[Anonymous]

After reading the other threads on Hawaii and trying to figure out what to do with our miles, I'm wondering about Oahu. I've never really heard great things about it but when you look at the pictures online, it looks kind of nice - especially the North Shore. I'm kind of fascinated by surfing culture so maybe it would be nice to see but I've just never heard great things about it. For those that have been there: what did or didn't you like about it?

We've been to Kauai and Big Island and liked those, just wondering about trying a dif. island and the husband is anti-Maui for some reason. Oh, this would be with kids.

[Anonymous]

Oahu is the Ocean City Maryland of Hawaii--fun and all but is it really worth the 12 hour flight. I would go to check out the Pearl Harbor Memorial and the North shore but I would do a quick trip for two days to accomplish this and spend the bulk of my trip on one of the other islands. I love the Big Island but think Mauii might be more fun for kids because Big Island is so remote.

[Anonymous]

agree with PP. Oahu is interesting...I was lucky enough to go with a native who took me all over the north shore. Cuturally it is interesting...very different from mainland US. Maui was much more interesting in alot of ways..rain forest, volcano, lush beautiful fields. Really diverse climates, geography. Felt like disneyland of geography. Culturally it is a little more California transplants than Oahu. Didn't get to the Big Island but hear that the volcanos there are amazing...Not so expensive to island hop so I definitely would see more than Oahu if you get all the way out there.

[Anonymous]

Ohahu is great! I've been to all of the islands, and we loved Kauai and Ohahu the best.
Ohahu has sth for everyone, it's the most diverse - you have a big city, you have historical sites, tourist attractions, but you can also have complete solitude, remote hiking trails, volcanoes, North Shore surf, and there are tons of great beaches for every taste. We felt that we could have easily spend more time there.
Most people never really explore Ohahu, you would be surprised at all it has to offer!

there is a great travel guide series written by "natives" to the islands:
Ohahu revealed (aka Kauai revealed, Maui revealed,...)
Look through those at your local bookstore - for impressions and inspiration!

[Anonymous]

Oahu is much more populated than the other islands. So it might not be the place to go if you are looking to get away from it all. We spent a week there and did quite a bit of exploring. Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, and the North Shore are all must sees. We also enjoyed the Dole Plantation and The Cultural Center. That being said, I enjoyed my week on Maui more. If I go back I think I'll hit Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

[Anonymous]

We really enjoyed Oahu... spent a week there and a week on Kauai a couple of years ago. We stayed a couple of days in Kailua, where they have wonderful beaches, and a couple days in Honolulu. My then 3-year-old son was proud of climbing Diamond Head. We also visited the Dole pineapple plantation, watched surfers at the North Shore, visited the excellent Pacific Aviation Museum, snorkeled at Hanauma Bay and visited the Foster Botanical Garden.

[Anonymous]

We spent several days exploring Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island, and the North Shore of Oahu was among our favorite places. Beautiful, remote, etc. Highly recommend the Turtle Bay hotel, horseback riding on the beach, (lots of surfers to watch too) etc.. We spent no time at all in Honolulu except to fly in and out. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay (Oahu) was also a real treat and I highly recommend. (We got there really early our first day, before we were adjusted to the time change, as it started getting crowded by 10 a.m., so go really early if you go) On the Big Island, we spent 3 days on both the east and west sides of the island. For snorkeling, the west side was great, but a bit too touristy. Thought the volcanos on the east side are amazing. Anyway, when we go back, we will definitely be returning to the North Shore of Oahu.