Holidaying in Oahu Hawaii

Over the years my husband and I have visited Oahu many times but this time we had our kids so our approach had to change. Traveling as a family is more expensive and you can't just do what you want, the super active kids with no attention span need to be considered.

Cheap Airfares
Our kids are 11 and 14 so that meant 4 adult tickets. We had a wedding to go to so waiting until the 11th hour for a deal was no option. But if you can wait Jetstar (sign up) will send you notifications each time a deal comes up. If we had the time we could have paid as little as AU$2,400 in airfares for the whole family!

 Getting there
We flew Hawaiian and they were great BUT not a cheap option for the budget traveler. Jetstar is a good option, leaves you extra money to spend when you get there. My advice is take the overnight flight there and back as 10 hours flying time for kids during the day is testing to the say the least.

Airport to hotel 
Don't bother with a shuttle as taxi's are cheap (US$45) but if you are travelling without kids consider the bus. The City & County of Honolulu provides an island-wide bus transportation system that serves Honolulu International Airport. For more information visit http://hawaii.gov/hnl/ground-transportation/the-bus. It will will cost as little as US$2.50 and they run every 30 minutes. No backpacks with metal frames allowed. All bags must be able to be placed under the feet or on the lap without protruding into the aisle way.

Hotels
Just visit TripAdvisor for all you need to know.

Shopping
Ross Dress For Less
I purchased three lovely designer label dresses and three pairs of shoes for US$150! Visit https://www.rossstores.com/
Waikele Premium Outlets
Visit http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/waikele
Designer Labels
Visit http://luxuryrow.com/
Ala Moana Shopping Centre
This is a must-visit destination for rabid shoppers. The world’s largest outdoor Shopping Centre,

Outdoor Activities
I've been to quite a few places in the past but on this visit the highlights were:
Hanauma Bay
Spectacular views as you snorkel through aqua blue waters alongside spectacular marine life.
My tips are bring food and sun protection.
Diomand Head
Hiking up this amazing crater is a must. The strenuous climb is vitalizing and once you reach the top your reward is breathtaking views of the Island. It's so peaceful up there. It only took us 20 minutes to reach the summit but I've heard it could take an hour. Coming down is hard on the knees so keep that in mind if you play soccer like me.
Paddle Boarding
So fun! I'd never done it before but I had a blast and everybody got a good laugh at me falling off my board.

Eating
This is where Hawaii is like the Mainland, so much food!! Just explore and you'll easily find great places to dine but my one recommendation is The Cheese Cake Factory. Believe me don't let the name confuse you because this is a great place to eat your meal not just dessert (having said that their desserts are AMAZING). The serving sizes are huge so share your meal. A great menu which also includes healthy meals (my favourite - Californian Guacamole Salad, yum!) Visit http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/locations

Hope this helps.

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