We decided to get a rental car and do our own stuff, not the preplanned tours. We are a family of 5...two boys 21, 17 and a girl 15 so they like action as well as relaxing!
- First I bought the book from amazon "Oahu Revealed" and a full island map.
- I researched this site here obsessively
- I then purchased the "gooahu card" from Costco
I then booked separately:
Day 1: Ziplining 2.5 hour tour at Kualoa Ranch (I pay) then at the same location I booked the Movie tour using the gooahu card (free with card)
That same afternoon evening using the gooahu card we are going to the Polynesian Cultural Center (free with card) and we are doing the Luau and show there as well (free with card)
Day 2: Surf lessons with Sunrise Surrat (I pay) and then after lunch we are paddle boarding and kyacking down the road from surfing (free with card)
Later that afternoon we might go back to Kualoa Ranch and do the catamaran boat tour (free with card)
Day 3: Stop by Dole plantation for a quick look see if we want to do anything it would be free with the card or we will stay on the north shore and find some beaches with
turtles and snorkel. This is the day we check into Aulani...we are staying at a Marriot on the north shore for our first 3 nights.
Aulani will be home base but we will be doing Pearl Harbor (free with card) and maybe Diamond head (free with card) and my boys are renting mountain bikes to go on some trails with locals and I am taking my daughter to see the dolphins.
Trying to keep things easy when we get to aulani since the first three days will be high energy. We have our own snorkel equipment so we hope to hit a few beaches when we can!!
