Hawaii Trip / Car Rentals - DPChallenge Forums

01/15/2010 06:58:16 PM · #1

Aloha! We are booked on a cruise to Hawaii this spring, and I've been busy planning what we want to do on each island. I've pretty much decided that rather than book tours either through the cruise line or elsewhere, I really just want to rent a car at each port so we can explore on our own.

Does anyone have experience with doing something like this? Any big disadvantage to this idea? I'm also wondering whether there's a way I can book a week's worth of cars on different islands through a single company (ideally in a single phone call)? It would be nice to book all of that at once, rather than trying to deal with a bunch of different entities.

I already know a bunch of stuff I want to see, but I also thought I'd toss out our itinerary in case anyone has suggestions for cool, out-of-the-way sorts of things, etc. Our stops include: Honolulu (2 1/2 days), Kauai (Nawiliwili), Kona, Hilo and Maui (Kahului) (2 days). I have already booked us for the Old Lahaina Luau in Maui, which seems to get really good reviews.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

smardaz

01/15/2010 07:03:26 PM · #2

i can tell you that on Maui it's best to get a rental car and drive the Hana Hwy yourself, there is a great book called Maui Revealed that will tell you all the great little spots to stop at (waterfalls,pools,food stands)

Message edited by author 2010-01-15 19:03:45.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/15/2010 07:10:21 PM · #3

Yeah, I'm gonna have to get that book. My brother got me "The Big Island Revealed," and people keep talking about the other ones in the series being really good, too!

We're definitely getting a car in Maui because the luau is at the other side of the island from where the ship docks, and it would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $75 to take a cab there, from what I've heard.

Originally posted by smardaz:

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

01/15/2010 07:22:17 PM · #4

I would strongly suggest a small 4WD for Maui. The road on the north side of West Maui is very narrow and hugs a steep cliff, so passing in a large car can be white knuckle time. Much of the road beyond Hana is very unpaved, and an ordinary sedan is ill-equipped to handle it.

Wiemea Canyon and the Spouting Horn at Poipu on Kauai are not to be missed. One of the best snorkeling spots in the world is a hidden lagoon beyond the end of the road past Keoneolo on Maui, but it's not easy to find... for most people. This should be the spot: 20.5809153706046 -156.40257954597473

Message edited by author 2010-01-15 19:45:38.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/15/2010 07:34:20 PM · #5

Cool... I'll keep all of that in mind. Wiemea Canyon was already on my to-do list... I'll have to check out Spouting Horn since I haven't heard of that. And you know I appreciate GPS coordinates! :)

Originally posted by scalvert:

I would strongly suggest a small 4WD for Maui. The road on the north side of West Maui is very narrow and hugs a steep cliff, so passing in a large car can be white knuckle time. Much of the road beyond Hana is very unpaved, and an ordinary sedan is ill-equipped to handle it.

Wiemea Canyon and the Spouting Horn at Poipu on Kauai are not to be missed. One of the best snorkeling spots in the world is a hidden lagoon beyond the end of the road past Keoneolo on Maui, but it's not easy to find... for most people. This should be the spot: 20 degrees 34 minutes 51.28 seconds N x 156 degrees 24 minutes 8.73 seconds W

photodude

01/15/2010 07:53:28 PM · #6

If you drive the road to Hana on Maui we did this Dog Rental. Koa was actually our dog too.

Oh and take the helicopter tour on Kauai. They rarely crash.

Message edited by author 2010-01-15 20:01:02.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

01/15/2010 08:34:18 PM · #7

Weird. I got those coordinates from Panoramio, but depending upon how I type them in, the same numbers in Google lead to Africa, the North Pacific, or somewhere in mainland China. I changed the coordinates to Google's version (you can copy and paste that into Google maps and zoom in on the satellite view to see the spot). The snorkeling is incomparable, and my wife and I went there every day of our trip.

Message edited by author 2010-01-15 21:54:19.

see

Canon PowerShot S95

01/15/2010 08:49:08 PM · #8

levyj413 took a small boat tour of the big islands lava flow at night, looked to be a cool experience. :P

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/15/2010 08:51:19 PM · #9

Originally posted by scalvert:

The road on the north side of West Maui is very narrow and hugs a steep cliff, so passing in a large car can be white knuckle time.

Very true.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4.0G IF-ED

01/15/2010 09:44:07 PM · #10

Our ship should be passing right by the lava flows as we travel between ports on the big island... I would expect that they'll give us some awesome views!

Originally posted by alans_world:

levyj413 took a small boat tour of the big islands lava flow at night, looked to be a cool experience. :P

jbsmithana

Nikon D300

01/15/2010 11:57:54 PM · #11

I'll second the rental of a Small 4WD, something like a Toyota RAV or the like. This goes for all the islands as some of the best beaches are off potholed dirt roads that can be very muddy if it rains.

I just got back from 3 weeks on Kauai and can tell you that two of the best (beaches that is) are Polihale and Mahaulepu. Both are dirt roads with potholes. Polihale is the most remote without hiking the 11 miles of the Na Pali. It is located as far northwest as you can drive past Wiamea Canyon. It is a huge expanse of beach with very few people on it but the swimming can be dangerous so a word of caution. It looks over the Na Pali to the north and east. Mahaulepu is off a dirt road outside Poipu and offers very clear water and is a great place to see the Monk Seals as they rest on the beach during the day.

One other beach that I can recommend on Kauai is Tunnels on the north shore. It is one of the best snorkeling areas in the island chain but only when the surf is down which it should be in spring. Last but not least is that if you want a simple relaxing easy to get to snorkeling area on Kauai just stop at the Poipu Beach Park. It has a great kids area and a decent snorkel area just on the west side of the Beach Park with lots of fish and turtles. Bring along a can of cheese wiz or even bread crusts from lunch that you can feed the fish. Wad up the crusts and keep them in your hand while snorkeling. As you see the fish let a little out at a time and before you know it they will be all over you.

I've taken the helicopter tour twice on Kauai and it was worth it both times, although both were different experiences due to weather. It is the only way to see large parts of Kauai as there are few roads.

I used to live on Oahu many years ago and it is very sad what has happened to it but I can still highly recommend driving to the North Shore and seeing Waimea Bay Beach, Sunset Beach and the Pipeline. Waimea Bay Beach used to be my favorite place top go for the day. The town of Haleiwa is still a small surf town but with a bit more tourist twist than it used to be but still holds charm. The best place to snorkel on Ohau is Hanauma Bay on the souteast side. Back in the 90-s they had to close it and start a conservation system becasue of the number of visitors so now you have to pay to get in. This has changed the bay for both good and bad but it is still one of the best areas for snorkling. Even President Obama took his kids there recently.

One word of caution about driving when your in a time crunch. If your boat is leaving the day you go to the beach do not underestimate how long it can be to get back as each Island has traffic issue in different parts, unfortunately even the route between Lihue and the north shore on Kauai. Give yourself a little extra time if you must be back to catch the ship.

Hope this all helps a bit.

Edti: BTW I bought a Canon D10 for, among other things, my trips to Hawaii. Takes great underwater shots when set to the underwater mode. Only thing I had problems with were framing. Here are a couple of shots:

I mostly used my D300 for landscapes using my Nikon 12-24mm f4 and birds using my Nikon 80-400. But here are a couple of sunset shots (using the sunset mode) taken with the Canon D10 at Poipu:

Message edited by author 2010-01-16 00:10:26.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

01/16/2010 12:09:16 AM · #12

Sean,

slaakso lives out there somewhere. If you PM him, maybe he would enjoy sharing some good tips about hidden places that the tourists don't often find. He may also enjoy meeting you if you are on his island.

Citadel

Nikon D7500