A good list but a few others:* Surfing lessons at Waikiki Beachhttp://www.hhsurf.com/hh/* Hula Dance show at Kuhio Beach (Waikiki...FREE)3-4 times a week, these are serious dancers, not just amateurshttp://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/honolulu��* USS Bowfin WWII SubmarineI don t like war memorabilia that much, but even I admit this is amazinghttp://www.bowfin.org/website/index.cfm* Iolani PalaceThe only true royal palace on USA soil! It is small and a shadow compared to a real western palace in Europe, but very historic and a bit sad as Hawaiian royalty tried to mimic the trappings of western royalty to gain acceptance.* Hawaiian Shave Ice at Aoki s or Matsumoto sIn the North Shore surfing town of Haleiwa...just look for the lines of people. Get the Hawaiian Delight that has three flavors, perhaps with ice cream and if want to look like a local get it with beans (sweet azuki beans).* Shark s CoveHanauma gets all the fame, but on the North Shore is another famous snorkeling area called Shark s Cove. It is a bit deeper with slightly different fish and if you are going in the winter avoid it as the water is too rough. Great in the summer.* Polynesian Cultural Center (also a good luau if you don t/can t drink)This is like an Disney EPCOT focusing on Polynesian south sea cultures (Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand Maori, etc.) with a pavilion for each. The workers are actually from those islands, and are students at the Mormon University (who owns it). The only complaint I have is the price of admission.* Rain forest drivingYes hiking is fun albeit muddy (wear TEVAS not shoes, and wear repellent). But you can also drive through the rain forest. When driving up the Pali Highway from Honolulu, get off on the OLD Pali Highway which winds a short way through a small rain forest then connects back up with the main highway before the lookout itself. A much longer drive is called Tantalus Road which winds for miles through the forest. You find it right in back of downtown Honolulu, in the Makiki district. Get on Makiki and follow it for miles, it will change to Tantalus Road and then wind back out of the mountains near the University.* Hiking Diamond Head CraterThey call this an EASY hike, well, I guess I am no longer in good shape cause I find it hot and a LOT of stairs to reach the top. You hike inside the crater so the wind is blocked. BUT the view from the top of Waikiki and Honolulu is admittedly spectacular.* Waikiki on Friday NightEveryone (locals and tourists) hang out in Waikiki on Friday night, walking up and down Kalakaua Avenue. Watch your wallet. There are free fireworks on the beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, about 8 or 8:30PM. It is crowded, so did I say to watch your wallet ;-)* Honolulu ChinatownYou may have been to a Chinatown on the mainland, but it is different compared to the one in Honolulu which is much more exotic. Go to the Mauna Kea Marketplace, not for the tourist trinkets made in China, but to walk through the food stalls to see foods you won t see elsewhere in the USA. While there, walk down Mauna Kea Street to visit the dozens of small florists that string fresh tropical flower leis daily. Some are amazing works of flower art, the most famous being Cindy s (also the most expensive!).http://www.cindysleishoppe.com/P.S. - I don t like the shrimp trucks in North Shore (Kanuku). Very expensive and I just don t think it is that good.
I would add tour I olani Palace and do some shopping at the International Marketplace at Waikiki. But I will tell you I had a really long list of things that I wanted to do while on Oahu and didn t get to do but maybe half of everything. But it s a great reason for us to go back in a few years!
you got pretty much everything........
You ve got it pretty much covered, but I will add Waikiki Beach to the list.