Does the Queen K… Hotel have a transport from the airport?

 The Queen Kapiolani Hotel does not have its own transportation that takes clients to and from the airport. However, there are several shuttle companies that can take you to the Queen Kapiolani Hotel from the airport and vice-versa.

One of them would be VIP Trans, which offers shuttle services to and from the airport to any hotel in the Waikiki area. They even have shuttle services to and from the cruise ship ports.

Of course, there are other alternatives to VIP Trans. We’ve written about some of them here.

You can also take a cab or get on TheBus, but in our opinion, getting on a shuttle service such as VIP Trans is the best compromise between cost and efficiency.

I need to get from the airport to Makaha Valley Towers. Does the Bus stop at the airport> If not what is the most economical priced transportaion for one person.

Aloha Donna!

 Getting to Makaha Valley Towers from the Honolulu Airport is actually possible. It’s also the most economically-priced transportation option for one person or more.

From the airport, get on either the #19 (Airport-Hickam/Downtown-Aala Park to Waikiki Beach and Hotels) or #20 (Airport-Pearlridge to Waikiki Beach and Hotels). It doesn’t matter which one you choose, since both will stop along Nimitz Highway. Make sure that you get a bus transfer when you initially board the bus.

Once the bus is along Nimitz Highway, get off at the first stop. Cross Nimitz Highway and get on the #40 or #40a (Makaha Beach/Makaha Towers - Honolulu/Ala Moana). Present your transfer to the bus driver.

Total cost: $2.00 per adult, $1.00 per youth (17 years old and under).

 For more information (and to get printable routes and schedules, visit theBus website at http://www.thebus.org/Route/Routes.asp

Helen recently asked about finding a suitable transportation for her clients who want to go to the Pacific Aviation Museum from the cruise ship terminals.

Since the Pacific Aviation Museum is Pearl Harbor’s newest attraction (and in essence, Oahu’s as well), only a handful of tour companies are offering tours and transportation options for it in the meantime. However, things might change within the next month or two as a lot of tour companies are scrambling to create a tour program for it or incorporate it with their existing offers.

That doesn’t meant that there aren’t any that are already available at this time. Polynesian Adventure Tours offers a tour that combines a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial with a visit to the Pacific Aviation Museum. Prices start at $51.00 per adult, $32.00 per child. The tour also includes a short visit to the National Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl Crater), Iolani Palace, the Mission Houses, Kawaihao Church, and the King Kamehameha Statue. For more information, please visit http://www.polyad.com/oahu.htm

Contrary to what you’ve heard, tour companies can pick up from the cruise ship terminals. This especially holds true with Polynesian Adventure Tours.  

Another option to consider is renting or chartering a bus that can seat all of your clients. I recommend going through Superstar Hawaii Transit Service, as their service is top-notch. Their customer service is excellent, and their vehicles are well-maintained, especially their Royal Star service. For more information about Superstar Hawaii, visit their website at http://www.superstarhawaii.com/charters.html

The second option is good if you’re only looking for transportation from the cruise ship terminal to the Pacific Aviation Museum and nothing else. As charters are based on an hourly rate, you can probably save on the transportation element of your planned activity if you’re handling a lot of clients.

Chris asks,

What is the best way of transportation to get to the probowl from waikiki?

I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering for the Pro Bowl in the last few years, and from my experience, the best form of transportation depends largely on how you will be feeling after the game. People generally have three options: take your own car, get on a shuttle service, or take theBus. Let’s explore each option:

Taking the car (or basically your own vehicle):
Pro Bowl parking is all about getting there first. The earlier you get there, the more chances you have of securing a parking spot within the stadium grounds. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to park at Ford Island, and then take a shuttle to and from the stadium. This is bad. The reason is because after the game, a lot of people will be drunk and rowdy, and getting back on a shuttle will involve a lot of wait time. People will be impatient. Given that there’s only one shuttle stop going back, you can imagine how this situation can be.

The situation doesn’t only apply to Ford Island either. You will experience nearly the same even if you park at adjacent parking lots.

However, if your parking lot isn’t as far as say, Ford Island, it might be wise to consider walking from the stadium grounds to avoid the crowd.

Transportation Shuttle:
In my opinion, this is the best way to get to the Pro Bowl from Waikiki. Shuttles can pick you up from your hotel, drop you off at a designated drop off point near the stadium, and then pick you up at the same place. It’s also the fastest way out of the stadium without the need to worry about the traffic situation. Just sit back, relax, and you’ll be back in Waikiki in no time. The only downside to this service is it’s the costliest option among the three. Prices start at around $20.00 round trip. I believe the only shuttle company offering this service at the moment is VIP Trans. For more details, visit their website at http://www.viptrans.com/services/ProBowl2007.htm.

There are “other” shuttle services of course, and these are basically individuals who see an opportunity in the Pro Bowl’s parking dilemma. One quick view around CraigsList will show you one that’s offering $60.00 round-trip to and from the stadium. Interesting.

theBus:
The cheapest way to get to the stadium is probably via theBus. Aside from their regular routes, you can also take advantage of their Football Express service for $3.00 one-way, with round-trip fares also available. The only downside to this is that they only pick up from one location in Waikiki: Monsarrat at Kapiolani Bandstand, which is the street that cuts through between Honolulu Zoo and Kapiolani Park. If your hotel is on the eastern end of Waikiki, then this might be a good option. Otherwise, I would highly advise against it.

Pick-up hours are from 9:30AM to 11:30AM only. For more information, please visit http://www.thebus.org.

Hi,

Is it possible to hike up Diamond Head? Do you have any information about it? How can I get there? I could use a break from the beach. Thank you, Danielle

Hi Danielle,

Ah Diamond Head, the one of the first things you see (and that the pilot points out) when you’re getting ready to land, and one of the last things you look for when you leave.

Diamond Head is a great hike to do because it’s close and it gives you a view both of Waikiki and all the way down Hawaii Kai, which is bordered by Koko Head. It’s pretty easy and quick to get to (I’ll let Dale tell you how to get there), yet far enough away to give you a definite feeling that you are NOT in Honolulu. There are two parking areas, the closer one is more expensive (obviously), but the farther one is pretty well traveled (and free), so you should feel safe leaving your car there.

OK, onto the hike. The hike is 1.6 miles round trip and climbs 560 feet from the crater floor, as you’ll learn from the pamphlet you can grab when you pay your entrance fare. The walking terrain varies from a trail that’s about 4 feet wide to stairs. You’ll immediately feel like you’re somewhere else because it’s quite a dry, arid location. It’s a popular trail since it’s so close to downtown and Waikiki, but a courteous ‘excuse me’ will usually get you past anyone whose speed is a little too slow for you. The views are amazing and have numerous lookouts.

And then you hit the stairs.

The first 74 stairs are probably the hardest because they’re the steepest, and what was sort of nice and liesurely hike now becomes a workout. Following that ascent, you reach a 225 foot long tunnel to help you cool off.

And then you hit more stairs. I’ll let you do the counting this time.

From there, you enter another tunnel which puts you onto a set of spiral stairs, and you exit the crater through a kind of small slit, so watch your head. The breeze is definitely welcome after the vigorous stair climbing. From here, there is much to explore (observation and fire control stations for example), and the summit awaits atop the 761 foot crater.

Because it’s close and it’s a hike, it might seem like Diamond Head would be a nice place to do something like go on a picnic, but after climbing it, there are so many other fellow hikers that space is limited, so many other hikers on their cell phones (”HEY GUESS WHERE I AM???) that privacy is also minimal, and weather-speaking, it is generally hot and windy.

However, this IS a good hike to do, and I highly recommend it. It’s cheap (if you park in the free area then to walk the crater is only $2 per person), the views are excellent, it’s close to Honolulu and Waikiki (when we got down, there was a limosine offering $5 rides back to Waikiki), and later, when you’re back at your hotel sipping a lilikoi mohito on the veranda, you get a feeling of pride and satisfaction when you look up at the top of the crater and think to yourself “I climbed to the top of that today.”

Thanks for your question, Danielle. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Dale’s additional information:

Wow. Sarah answered that quite excellently. Now for my part:

To get to Diamond Head from Waikiki, get on Kalakaua Avenue (which is one-way). Kalakaua Avenue becomes Monsarrat Avenue right after the Honolulu Zoo. Follow Monsarrat Avenue. You’ll notice that Monsarrat follows the base of Diamond Head. The entrance to Diamond Head is clearly marked on the right.

You can park at the small parking lot before the tunnel (which is aptly called Diamond Head Lookout) for free, or you can take your car inside the crater and pay $5.00 per vehicle. If you do decide to park outside, expect to pay a dollar once you get in.