Thanks for all the great advice. I’ve made lots of notes. We leave Thursday. I found a much better priced rental car this morning cutting the price in half.
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Did you use Costco for the car rental, @Mom60?
Costco still was showing no cars available. Hotwire and Expedia both had availability with a lot of rental companies.
Bumping this thread, looking for recommendation for Waikiki. My first time in Hawaii, my husband has been to Kauai before and isn’t much help in researching. We are staying the first week of August at the Hilton. Kids are 13 and 8. We won’t rent a car because it seems like we can walk to a lot.
I have one catamaran tour booked for mid-week at noon. I have been told Lanikai is a must. Can we Uber there? My kids are strong swimmers, but are not seasoned in waves and tides.
I’d like to go to on a nice scenic walk or two. Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens Trail looks lovely. We are pretty fit and can handle lots of miles, just not in August noontime sun.
Restaurant recommendations? No dice at Duke’s, please tell me it is an overrated tourist trap? We eat everything and have no reservations anywhere, are we doomed? My husband is food snobby and doesn’t like fast food/chain but does like mom and pop ethnic food hole-in-the-wall places.
Would love any and all recommendations!
Lanikai is not walkable from Waikiki. It sounds like it’s not currently driveable either. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/07/17/construction-cars-clog-lanikai/
I wouldn’t count on Uber to get around. All shuttles, taxi operations and tour operators are slammed as well. Even before the rental car shortage, they were difficult to get. If you want to go to Ho’omaluhia, I would try to get a rental car for a day. You might get lucky.
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Agree that Lanikai is crazy crowded as is all of Kailua area and getting residents pretty upset with the traffic and overcrowding. Also agree Hoomaluhia is pretty far from Waikiki so looking for a one day car rental would be a good idea. Hui is a car rental that allows hourly or daily rates. They may have something. (I’ve never used them.)
I understand it’s very tough to get reservations for most restaurants but if you’re ok with just showing up early you may get lucky. The concierge at your hotel may also help you.
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Honolulu zoo was surprisingly entertaining for us, two adults trying to kill a couple of hours. 
We went there with low expectations and ended up spending a lot of time. Another must do thing is a hike to the top of Diamond Head. It will be an easy Uber ride for you. One tip: try to pick A-C seats on the airplane when flying out of HNL. You will get to enjoy a beautiful view of the city on a clear day.
Duke’s is good, but not an absolute must. Try calling the restaurant (not all tables are allocated to online reservations) or see if you can get takeout or go there later for hula pie! Hula pie is a must for us; if we can get it, the rest can be skipped. 
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Oahu has a useful bus system: http://www.thebus.org/
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As a side note, we have a Duke’s in San Diego also! Great ambience and pie (and tropical cocktails). So if you can’t get a reservation in Hawaii…
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While true, Ho’omaluhia and Lanikai are both 90 minutes by The Bus, and each requires a transfer or 2 from Waikiki.
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Try to rent a car for the day - the Hilton has a car rental desk and the cars are in an onsite garage, so it’s very convenient assuming cars are available. There are lots of fun drives - over to the North Shore, for example, which is a very different world from Waikiki. Regarding restaurants, the food is getting better on Oahu, but it is still hit or miss. I agree with @BunsenBurner about the zoo. It’s right along the main hotel drag and a charming way to spend a few hours if you enjoy that sort of thing.
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I swear we spent about an hour just watching the lemurs. 
It is warm enough for tropical beasts to be out and about, unlike in Seattle, where the poor things just sit and shiver.
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Our zoo is quite nice. The aquarium is also in Waikiki and air-conditioned—it’s fairly small but has interesting exhibits. (We spent many rainy days there with the kids when we lived in an apartment.) It’s walkable to/from Hilton or a short bus or other ride.
Most concierges can be quite helpful matching your interests with what’s available for food or attractions.
If you will be driving in Honolulu, check Waze app or similar. Even though distances are often quite close, traffic is surprisingly fierce through much of Oahu and neighbor islands. Give yourself a lot of time. Waze tries to factor in traffic and roadwork when it can. Roadwork can make a 2-4 mile drive take an hour+, seriously.
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You can call ahead to see when they are going to be feeding the aquarium or zoo animals, which may be more interesting. The zoo also has a petting zoo for anyone to enjoy.
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Expect crowds and plan accordingly. We normally have “rush hour” for a good portion of the day and night, with roadwork, it is worse. There is a considerable amount of Oahu roadwork going on, day and night.
When friends were visiting Oahu recently, they had a very tough time getting reservations anywhere to eat and only did finally because they knew someone who knew someone.
If you are flexible about what time you eat, it’s probably easier to get reservations during “off” times (very early or late) than when everyone else is wanting to dine. I’ve had many lovely dinners starting at 4pm, seriously.
Restaurant websites and opentable can snag you an advanced reservation. Please call and cancel/reschedule if plans changed.
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Would plate lunch or poke be easier to get these days?
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Takeout for B, L or D is very easy to get nearly everywhere. Poke is sold widely, including at many grocery stores as well as restaurants (tho grocers are often cheaper). Even very high end places have nice takeout options, especially since covid.
Locals often get takeouts. Ethnic Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian are pretty easy to get and there are many good to great options.
A local friend wanted to have a nice dinner for his bday with his wife. He called all over but couldn’t get reservations in Waikiki or East Honolulu for a weeknight.
He finally drove over to north shore and waited in a long line at a place that didn’t take reservations. He was told 2 hr wait so he put his name in and went next door to another place for drinks & appetizers.
Just saying it’s tough for lots of people to get reservations. After hearing that, I made reservations at a place I like for when they open at 4pm for dinner and we were the only people there for awhile. Got great food & service.
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Thanks for the traffic warnings. I don’t mind taking a bus, even with transfers, but we’ll play it by ear and see what the concierge has.
We would absolutely eat early or late, do poke takeaway at a grocery store, and would love any specific food recommendations. We love Top Chef and want to try Leann’s place and I managed to get a breakfast reservation for Duke’s after all.
A few favorite and eclectic (ethic) food places in Honolulu (both in the the old Chinatown neighborhood) are Ethiopian Love - eat, enjoy, we share the vegan options and it was all delicious! We also go to Opal Thai - there is not an actual menu (well, one is available, but pass it up for this unique experience) - the owner will chat with you about things you like, and dislike, tolerance for spice, etc. and seriously will have the kitchen prepare dishes just for your table. I thought “oh this is a gimmick, every table has the same food” except I walked around and every single table had completely different items. We went for lunch, he had the kitchen prepare 5 fully vegan courses for us (we were 3 people) and the bill was incredibly reasonable. Currently their hours are opening at 5 - it’s recommended to go early (as early as 4:30) to make the first seating -
Lanikai - a gorgeous beach - on the opposite side of O’ahu - and if you don’t mind a bus ride - I actually love busses when I travel as I get to see places that are more local and maybe even chat with locals (and drivers) who will give great recommendations…I would pack a lunch and snacks and enjoy the adventure!
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There is a Roy’s in Waikiki. A guy who lives nearby said he likes to get their happy hour specials (early for dinner) and eat them in outdoor lanai/patio near restaurant.
Ala Moana shopping center has 3 food courts — one at either end of the center and one in the middle. Each has different food, with locals and visitors enjoying the mix of foods.
For Hawaiian Food, there are several options: Highway Inn (dine in or takeout)—a short bus ride from Waikiki, or Young’s Fishmarket (takeout only).
Another place you could eat Hawaiian food and learn a bit about Hawaiian culture is the Bishop Museum. A side benefit is the good at the cafe is Highway Inn Hawaiian food. They also have a planetarium with a show as part of your ticket. Your concierge should be able to give you options for getting there. Not sure about bus routing.
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