TRAVEL TIPS
Tours
Guided Tours
One way to manage several Hawaiian Islands on the same trip is to take a guided tour that includes all your travel arrangements in the Islands, including hotels, interisland transfers, and some sightseeing.
Globus has four Hawaii itineraries that include Oahu, two of which are escorted cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America that include four days on the island. Tauck and Trafalgar offer several land-based Hawaii itineraries that include nights on Oahu. Both companies offer similar itineraries with visits to the USS Arizona Memorial National Park and plenty of free time to explore the island. Tauck offers a 12-night "Best of Hawaii" itinerary. Highlights of the Oahu portion of the trip include a Waikiki outrigger canoe trip and a private dinner at Iolani Palace. Trafalgar has 8- to 13-night multi-island tours.
Atlas Cruises & Tours, sells dozens of Hawaii trips runnin 6–13 days, operated by various guided tour companies including Globus, Tauck, and Trafalgar.
Contacts
Atlas Cruises & Tours. 800/942–3301; www.atlastravelweb.com.
Globus. 866/755--8581; www.globusjourneys.com.
Tauck. 800/788–7885; www.tauck.com.
Trafalgar. 866/513–1995; www.trafalgar.com.
Special-Interest Tours
Bird-Watching
More than 150 species of birds live in the Hawaiian Islands. For $4,950 per person double-occupancy, Field Guides has a three-island (Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island), 10-day, guided bird-watching trip that includes accommodations, meals, ground transportation, and interisland air.
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours, has two nine-day "Fall Hawaii" and "Spring Hawaii" trips to Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island that cost $4,095 (fall) and $4,295 (spring), including double-occupancy accommodations, meals, interisland air, ground transportation, and guided excursions.
Contacts
Field Guides. 800/728–4953; www.fieldguides.com.
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. 800/328–8368; www.ventbird.com.
Culture
Elderhostel, a nonprofit educational travel organization, runs tours under the name Road Scholar, offering several guided Hawaii tours targeted at adults 50 and over that provide in-depth looks into the culture, history, and beauty of the Islands.
Contacts
Road Scholar. 800/454–5768; www.roadscholar.org.
Hiking
Sierra Club Hawaii offers regular guided hiking tours, outings, botanical gardens visits, and cleanup and community service efforts on Oahu that you can join in on during your visit.
Contacts
Sierra Club Hawaii. 808/538–6616; www.sierraclubhawaii.org.
