North Shore on Oahu

[drsmith]

My husband and I have reserved a rental car for Oahu. We'll be in port all day, but the rental car has to be returned by 6pm :(

 

We're planning to hike Diamond Head first. Then drive to the North Shore. Any ideas regarding a recommended route or places to stop would be appreciated.

 

We're interested in hiking, waterfalls, seeing amazing waves, scenery, and in general...pretty stuff. NOT interested in touristy type stuff with crowds.

 

So, having said all of that...what should we plan to do at the North Shore?

[rockabutzer]

My husband and I have reserved a rental car for Oahu. We'll be in port all day, but the rental car has to be returned by 6pm :(

 

We're planning to hike Diamond Head first. Then drive to the North Shore. Any ideas regarding a recommended route or places to stop would be appreciated.

 

We're interested in hiking, waterfalls, seeing amazing waves, scenery, and in general...pretty stuff. NOT interested in touristy type stuff with crowds.

 

So, having said all of that...what should we plan to do at the North Shore?

 

Here's a link to Trip Advisor with suggestions on driving tours around Oahu.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29222-c124540/Oahu:Hawaii:Driving.Tours.html

 

Aloha

[CleoV]

Just get in the car and go. Frankly, it's all pretty on that side of the island. Take the coastal road, maybe stop at Crouching Lion for lunch, then head to Sunset Beach to watch surfers. There's another beach just beyond it (can't recall the name) which pipeline surfers prefer. Fun to watch both styles of surfing, especially if you haven't seen it before, and you may luck into a competition going on.

[cccole]

Why does your rental car need to be turned in by 6:00? We have rented cars in Honolulu and the rental office closes at around 6:00 but when we get back later we can leave the car and put the keys in a drop box. So much to see...

 

We like to pick up lunch at a shrimp truck, Ted's, or Kua Aina and eat on the beach. There are some nice hikes in Laie. Great surf watching, drinks, and lunch/dinner, sunset at the Turtle Bay Resort. You might google surf competitions on Oahu to get the schedule for February. If there is one at Pipeline it is fun because the waves break a bit closer to shore than Sunset. North Shore is our favorite area of Oahu and you will have a great day. On your drive to NS you might take the Kam Highway along the coast by Mokolii (Chinaman's Hat) and Kualoa Beach Park. It is a beautiful drive with fantastic scenery on both sides of the highway. Have fun. Cherie

[drsmith]

Why does your rental car need to be turned in by 6:00? We have rented cars in Honolulu and the rental office closes at around 6:00 but when we get back later we can leave the car and put the keys in a drop box. So much to see...

 

We like to pick up lunch at a shrimp truck, Ted's, or Kua Aina and eat on the beach. There are some nice hikes in Laie. Great surf watching, drinks, and lunch/dinner, sunset at the Turtle Bay Resort. You might google surf competitions on Oahu to get the schedule for February. If there is one at Pipeline it is fun because the waves break a bit closer to shore than Sunset. North Shore is our favorite area of Oahu and you will have a great day. On your drive to NS you might take the Kam Highway along the coast by Mokolii (Chinaman's Hat) and Kualoa Beach Park. It is a beautiful drive with fantastic scenery on both sides of the highway. Have fun. Cherie

 

What rental car agency did you use that allowed late drop off?

[cccole]

I will see if I can find the receipt. We use more than one company in Waikiki but I think most of them have the same policy. You might call the location directly (not the 800 number) and ask them. The free shuttle stops when the office closes but it has always been more important for us to have the car later. Cherie

[DALSAL]

We are using Budget in February. We picked 6pm to return the car, but they had later time slots.

[drsmith]

We are using Budget in February. We picked 6pm to return the car, but they had later time slots.

 

Are they near the cruiseport or are they located at the airport?