I am planning a trip to honolulu/waikiki and want to know this?

We are going to use one day out of our trip to drive all around the island of Oahu. We were planning to do this on a wednesday. Now my question is, since we are starting in waikiki, should we start driving east then north then west then back down to waikiki? Or drive towards the dole plantation, then haleiwa, then east and back down to waikiki? We will leave waikiki in the morning. ThanksI am planning a trip to honolulu/waikiki and want to know this?
i live on oahu, and we drive around the island on weekends sometimes! :)

you should start towards dole plantation, the second choice you gave.

i don't think you could fit all that in one day, unless you leave really early. you should plan to leave around seven thirty or eight AM. because last time we drove around the island, we started at 10:45 AM and didn't get back until almost 6 PM. and we only did a few attractions.

but if you do leave early, here are some other places i highly recommend:



Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm, you'll hit it about half an hour after Kaneohe. it's on the right side of the road, and there is a small sign. you can sample macadamia nuts, get free coffee and buy all kinds of local products. there is also a farm tour but we've never gone on it



Laniakea Beach. You can't swim here, but sea turtles and sometimes monk seals come on the sand to bask in the sun. it's amazing. you can take pictures



Pupukea Beach Park. Nice tidepools, calm and warm water, good place to snorkel and swim especially for kids. it's not as crowded and touristy as hanauma bay, so you might want to consider it instead. there are some tropical fish and sea urchins in the water. JUST AVOID THE BLACK SEA URCHINS THEY ARE POISONOUS.



Giovanni Shrimp Truck!!! Covered with graffiti, been here for years, and still the best shrimp truck in Kahuku. they have a really delicious garlic-and-butter shrimp scampi. the spicy one is good too.



Kualoa Ranch... It's where they filmed Jurassic Park. you can ride horses up in the mountains and book special tours, but if you're just stopping by it's fun too. you can see cows, horses, ostriches and other animals and check out the giant country store and the rest of the ranch.



the hygienic store. this old orange-painted roadside store is a historic landmark. locals use it when giving directions "oh, go west past the hygienic store and so on." nothing fancy, just stop off to pick up groceries/beer/chips/snacks for the road.
I always go east first. On the east side of the island there is many beaches which you might want to see (same with the north). I like that in the morning when I have the most energy. Whenever we go around the island, there are stops all the time, and getting in and out of the car every few minutes is annoying. If I would have to leave it at the end of my trip - I would probably just skip some of the beaches.

And the Dole Plantation is nice at the end of the day to have a nice meal, shopping and pineapple ice-cream! :)



And also, make sure to see the Waimanalo Beach Park. One of the most beautiful beaches plus, very close to there, next to 7-eleven is Keneke's. A small food place that serves the best hawaiian food ever! (the person that gave the 2nd answer here reminded me the name of the place)I am planning a trip to honolulu/waikiki and want to know this?
It's really up to you.



What is it that you're wanting to see? Depending on what time you're leaving, I would suggest you go against the rush hour traffic (5:30 - 8:00) that will be heading towards downtown Honolulu so whichever route takes you against the traffic is the best way.



I would suggest you visit the beaches/touristy areas as soon in the day as you can since as the day goes on, they will be more and more crowded.



Hope that helps you......keep in mind that when you are asking a local person directions, you cannot use east, west, north, and south.....most of us don't know which direction is which. Use makai (towards the ocean), mauka (towards the mountain), Diamond Head, and Waianae (obviously towards Diamond Head or Waianae).



Good luck and happy travels!
take the H2 until it ends will take you to wahiawa to dole plantation up to haleiwa, just follow the road....youll see it all
Kaena Point is most empty, but you have to park your car in Mokuleia and walk for 1 hour
You can do all of that in one day, but it will not give you a lot of time at any one stop. You will probably end up just stopping off to look at some of the beaches, rather than really exploring %26amp; swimming or snorkeling at them. I would go east (Diamond Head) first stopping at Hanauma Bay %26amp; Waimanalo. Then head up along the windward coast to the North Shore. Sunset Beach %26amp; Haleiwa are both worth a visit, but I am not so keen on Dole Plantation. If you still have the time %26amp; energy, go for it on your way through the central plain back towards Honolulu. But if you skip it, don't feel too badly about it.