Hale Koa Hotel & the USS Arizona Memorial

[Guest SPO]

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I'm blowing my wad (twss) and taking the whole family to the Hale Koa in Honolulu for a week this summer. Anybody stayed there before? For the first time (that I know of) they are waiving the two room limit per sponsor. I've got six rooms on the books...damn in-laws.

Anyways, I'd like to take the clan to visit the USS Arizona memorial one day. I've heard there are special tours available for the AD military type. Can anybody confirm this or point me in the right direction? Also, any other advice on what to do, where to eat, which activities to book in advance, etc. would be much appreciated.

Mahalo.

[Bronco130]

Never had the personal tour, but the USS Arizona is definitely worth the visit. The Hale Koa is a great hotel too, one of the few hotels that has a resort atmosphere on waikiki also. Behind the Hale Koa there is vegetation, a park close by, and is just a great place away from all the tourists.....has it's own part of the beach too that's usually less populated. The sand isn't as soft though...but minor details. Overall I had a great experience there, worth the trip.

[brabus]

You're probably screwed, but look into Bellow AFS. It's on the east shore of Oahu and is an awesome deal. The only problem is the places are booked a year in advance and you're only hope is someone cancels and you take their reservation (which actually happens a decent amount). Maybe just my opinion, but the Hale Koa and Waikiki is pretty much an LA clone. It's busy as hell, traffic everywhere and beaches you can get anywhere. There's nothing special about the place. However, I definitely recommend the Arizona tour. We spent several hours looking through the great setup they have there before even taking the boat tour to the Arizona itself. The trip will be fun no matter what, but it's not the Hawaiian experience I was used to (have been to Maui many times...far better than Oahu).

[Smokin]

My wife and I stayed at both for our honeymoon there; Hale Koa for the first half to see the tourist parts and Bellows the second half to relax on the beach without 3000 other people. I thought that was a great way to go and would recommend it. If you end up going to Bellows, I would recommend renting a car to get there, the bus only dropped us off at the gate and we had to walk the 2-3 miles to the check in area with our suitcases which was not ideal. Even if you just stay at the Hale Koa, I would recommend renting a car and taking a drive around the east and north coast then back by the Dole plantation, it only cost us $25 to rent a POS car for one day and it was really worth it.

[Bronco130]

Is the Dole plantation still up and running? I heard that it was getting closed down sometime? Could have been a rumor..

[Guest Flyin' AF Hawaiian]

'2' on Bellows. If you can get a cabin, I'd recommend it. It's right on/near the beach, and fairly accessible to most major points on the island. The Hale Koa is nice, but you'll be staying in downtown Waikiki, which is fairly crowded and, in the summer months, packed with tourists.

I would try and make it to an outer island, at least for a day. Maui is my personal favorite, but the Big Island and Kauai both have things to offer as well. The last time I was back home, I was able to get round trip tickets from Oahu to Maui for $78. I left on the first flight in the morning, and was back by 7PM. PM me if you want more details.

[contraildash]

Bellows is awesome. We stayed there as a kid, bungalow by the beach.

[Techsan]

My wife and I stayed at both for our honeymoon there; Hale Koa for the first half to see the tourist parts and Bellows the second half to relax on the beach without 3000 other people. I thought that was a great way to go and would recommend it. If you end up going to Bellows, I would recommend renting a car to get there, the bus only dropped us off at the gate and we had to walk the 2-3 miles to the check in area with our suitcases which was not ideal. Even if you just stay at the Hale Koa, I would recommend renting a car and taking a drive around the east and north coast then back by the Dole plantation, it only cost us $25 to rent a POS car for one day and it was really worth it.

We like doing this as well. Its nice being down in Waikiki, even with all the tourists. Its also nice being @ Bellows. Bellows the perfect place to throw some beer in a cooler, fire up the grill, and make a day of it. I think its also one of the nicest beaches on the island. Great way to relax.

When my wife originally caught wind that we were staying at a 'DOD only' hotel, she didn't think it would be really that nice. She was surprised! It was very reasonable and had an AAFES shoppette on property with reasonable prices. We didn't eat much @ the hotel for many meals, except for breakfast. The Koko Cafe was perfect for breakfast...great view (if you sit on the 2nd floor patio), good food, and it was very inexpensive. For standard pancakes, bacon, oj, and coffee, it was $5. This was back in 2005, but I'm sure its still about the same.

Smokin-my wife would have been a little pissed if she had to walk the 3 miles from the gate to the beach, especailly in the heat.

[ClearedHot]

Hale Koa is a nice place, comparable to most of the other hotels on Honolulu.

Be sure to have dinner or breakfast at the Shorebird which is just a few doors down, a great place that sits right on the water with great food.

Make sure you walk over to Moose Mcgillycuddy's, a great bar within easy walking distance of the Hale Coa.

Bellows is also great and I think they reduced reservation period down from a year and when I called last month they had openings.

Someone mentioned the North Shore and the Dole Pineapple Plantation, I concur and highly recommend. However, if you do rent a car, be careful on the North Shore...it has a very high crime rate. As I recall you can drive around the east side of the island and check out the following;

1. Diamond Head - not a bad climb to the top and a great view.

2. There is a park with a huge bay, famous place, just can't remember the name...incredible view.

3. Bellows (you don't have to stay there to check the beach out).

4. Waimea Bay on the North Shore.

5. There is a rain forest park on the north side you can walk through.

6. Drive back down the center of the island and go to the Dole Plantation. The smell is amazing...pineapple for miles. The also have or did have a giant maze for the kids.

[The Kayla]

Is the Dole plantation still up and running? I heard that it was getting closed down sometime? Could have been a rumor..

I LOVED the Dole Plantation! It should be open too!!!

I stayed at the Hale Koa for my honeymoon, and it was BEAUTIFUL! We had one wall that was a huge glass wall, and it was alll water views!!!!! AMAZING!!!!

We also did the Pearl Harbor tour... very very touching... amazing.. I suggest that every American do that tour at least once in their life.... We didn't do any "special" for military only tour.. we did the typical tourist tour.

[Guest SPO]

The Hale Koa activities desk said there used to be a military-only tour called "The Admirals Launch" but it may be shutdown. POC is 808-471-9988. I'll post if I hear anything back.

[Guest Flyin' AF Hawaiian]

2. There is a park with a huge bay, famous place, just can't remember the name...incredible view.

Hanauma Bay. Great for snorkeling and stuff. It's been a couple years since I was home, but if I remember correctly, they now charge about $5 a person for beach access unless you have a local ID. Just something to take into account, as just about every other beach is free.

[Tunes3]

Nyone know of any good spots to SCUBA on Oahu, or do most people just freedive around there?

[brabus]

The diving off Oahu is disappointing. I've dove a lot of places and Oahu is definitely the worst place I've gone. HOWEVER, there is a corsair wreck from the Pearl Harbor attack you can dive. That was really cool and I'm glad I did it. I'd definitely recommend doing the corsair wreck, but don't even waste your time anywhere else. I have heard Hanauma isn't bad, but don't know personally. If you want to dive, use Aaron's Dive Shop (https://www.hawaii-scuba.com/). They had decently better rates than anywhere else (including the company the military has a "deal" with) and were great guys to dive with. If I ever go back and decide to dive the corsair again, I'll definitely use them.

[JarheadBoom]

- The Hale Koa has a nice Sunday brunch. IIRC, it was $12/person, with about a half-hour wait (it's pretty popular).

- Diamond Head is well-worth the climb.

- The Arizona... it's the USS Arizona. What else needs to be said, other than "go"?

- If you're thinking about renting a car in Waikiki, call EARLY. Last time I was there, another boom and I rented a car; by 10AM all the big-name places were out of cars, and we ended up having to go with some hole-in-the-wall rental place (literally).

[old crow]

- The Arizona... it's the USS Arizona. What else needs to be said, other than "go"?

If you go to Pearl Harbor, go first thing in the morning...like when they open. It is crazy busy if you wait until late morning or in the afternoon.

[pelexecute]

Getting back to the original poster's question, yes, there is a special tour of Pearl Harbor available for military members. Contact the Public Affairs Office at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and they should point you in the right direction. I believe it's mainly a boat tour around the entire harbor, but not sure if they drop you off at the memorial or not. It's one of those things that isn't published anywhere, but it's available.

[Guest SPO]

Getting back to the original poster's question, yes, there is a special tour of Pearl Harbor available for military members. Contact the Public Affairs Office at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and they should point you in the right direction. I believe it's mainly a boat tour around the entire harbor, but not sure if they drop you off at the memorial or not. It's one of those things that isn't published anywhere, but it's available.

Thanks t34ip - appreciate the insight. I'm calling tomorrow AM.

- SPO

[aspec]

Hanauma Bay. Great for snorkeling and stuff. It's been a couple years since I was home, but if I remember correctly, they now charge about $5 a person for beach access unless you have a local ID. Just something to take into account, as just about every other beach is free.

It's free with military ID. Definitely a place to see.

[Finance_Guy]

I would try and make it to an outer island, at least for a day. Maui is my personal favorite, but the Big Island and Kauai both have things to offer as well.

'3' on Bellows if only to just spend a day there - https://www.bellowsafs.com/ . Hanauma Bay is a must if you are into snorkeling. I took a dive class while there and a place on the leeward side called "Electric Beach" seemed to be a good dive spot. Some sort of electric power or desalination plant is there and pumps out warm water a few hundred yard out and the fish are just all over the place.

If you do want to get out to another island, try out the big island and stay at the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC). Website here: https://www.kmc-volcano.com/ . Kind of cool to be camped out a few hundred yards from a dormant crater, at least as long as it stays dormant. We took a helo tour over the active crater.

Diamond head hike is a must too--The view at the top is incredible. And if you want to eat at a really nice restaurant with a local flavor, be sure to eat at Sam Choy's on 580 N. Nimitz Highway - https://www.samchoy.com/. The Local-kine Shoyu Poke is an awesome appetizer.

[brabus]

Another comment on the dive thing...Maui and Lanai have great diving. I've also heard Kauai is very good, but never been myself. Maybe it's possible to fly to Maui for 2 days...dive one day, fly back the next? Not sure what your budget is, but it'd be worth it if you can afford it. If you're very new to diving, then Electric Beach on Oahu might be fine for you, but it's pretty crappy when you've been elsewhere.

[CHS17]

The wife and I just got back from the Oahu/the Hale Koa this morning. I will echo the sentiments of most so far. We really enjoyed Hanauma Bay, the Dole Plantation, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona. Hanauma Bay is $5 per person, free for military stationed in HI. We had a car the whole time and made a trip to the Hickam Commissary for breakfast foods and booze. This really helped negate overpriced drinks and pricey food throughout Waikiki. As far as I could tell all Hale Koa rooms have been renovated. Something I overheard at breakfast one morning was to check the ITT office at Hickam/Pearl Harbor. Apparently you can get even better deals than the Activities desk at the hotel.

Any specific questions, PM me.

[Smokin]

Smokin-my wife would have been a little pissed if she had to walk the 3 miles from the gate to the beach, especially in the heat.

We were both less than happy about that, especially since we were already inside the gate, had no idea how far it was, and cars kept driving past us every few minutes with no offer for a lift.

For the Hanauma snorkeling, it would be worth checking the tides and see if you can go snorkeling at high tide. We went and it turned out that it was at low tide and I felt like I was going to scrape off my stomach (or worse) on the coral reefs. However, it was still awesome.

[Finance_Guy]

For the Hanauma snorkeling, it would be worth checking the tides and see if you can go snorkeling at high tide. We went and it turned out that it was at low tide and I felt like I was going to scrape off my stomach (or worse) on the coral reefs. However, it was still awesome.

2 on scraping the stomach feeling. I experienced the low-tide too but we just floated on out and no scrapes luckily. However, I do recommend diving gloves if anyone intends on going out over the reefs. Makes it much easier going over the reefs where there's only a foot or less of water above them. But once past the higher reefs, WOW!

Edit for sp. - Scapes?

Edited May 21, 2009 by Finance_Guy

[Tunes3]

Brabus,

I'll be on Maui for a week prior to Oahu. Do you have favorite dive spots or dive shops over that way? We'll be staying on the North shore of the island. My husband is a very experienced diver; I've only got 10 or so myself.

Thanks for the info!