We stayed on oahu for 2 weeks. We didnt have much money, but found great stuff to do. For snorkleing, I would go to Hanama Bay. It was absolutely breathtaking. Hiking? Diamondhead. The big mountain you always see in the background in the pics of waikiki beach. Cheap and an unforgettable experience. You can see the whole island from the top. Just bring some water because it is quite a walk. Took us a few hours. Dinner, we went to Germaines Luau. It was the most expensive thing we did, but it was so worth it. There is a great store in Honalulu called Hilo Hatties, GREAT stuff like souvenirs for great prices. Food is gonna be expensive there. We ordered 2 pizzas from dominos and it was almost 70 bucks. There is an international flea market thing in honalulu that is really cool. Fun place to shop. Also, you MUST go see the arizona memorial. That was a great experience. It wasnt very expensive. There is sea life park. An aquarium on oahu and we got to pet dolphins in this big tank. Great. The best places to eat, ask the locals. They can direct you to fabulous non tourist trap little mom and pop restaurants with great traditional hawaiian cuisine for a fair price. Also, we took a trip to the dole plantation. It was cheap. They have all kinds of great pineapple dishes to try and oh the fresh soft serve pineapple ice cream. to. die. for. Its always fun to drive up to the north shore and watch the surfers almost kill themselves on the 12 ft waves. I wouldnt reccomend getting in the water there, but its a nice place to chill and have a picnic. Sometimes it can be windy. Just pick a day that isnt that bad. Walking down waikiki beach at sunset is FREE! and there is nothing more romantic. This is all I can think of at the moment. Hope you get some ideas.

A great place to go on Maui is Haleakala National Park. You could spend the whole day there. It is a long drive depending on where you’re staying, but definitely worth it. Get up really early, drive up for sunrise (although check the weather, don’t wanna go unless it’s gonna be a clear day), go for a hike(several different hiking trails), beautiful scenery.

ssbn598′s comments right above is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I highly recommend the “Ultimate (island name); (island name) Revealed” guidebooks.

If I may add some more details…
My rental car was broken into while I took a surfing lesson in a out-of-the-way beach. I lost all my cash that I stupidly left behind in a purse, as well as my video cam. (Doh!) I was insanely angry at myself for being so stupid, thinking that this was paradise and no one would dream about breaking into tourist’s cars.

Also, July is the hottest month of the year. For a fair skinned person, even 30 minutes of exposure to the midday sun can bring on a terrible case of sunburn. Wear waterproof SPF 45+ at all times, and make sure you reapply it religiously, especially after swimming, sweating, etc.

There is a series of books titled, “Oahu Revealed”, “Maui Revealed”, etc. They reveal all the secret places that only the locals know about. You should buy them (amazon.com has them) and talk to people that have been to Hawaii.

Hawaii IS an expensive place. Avoid the tourist traps. Shop where the locals shop. Don’t eat every meal in the hotel restaurants. Eat in the local restaurants or buy food at Safeway. Splurge on the helicopter ride, parachute jump, surf lessons, dive lessons, etc. You know, the once-in-a-lifetime things. Go and see the volcano on the Big Island. Nature is awesome! Go and hike down to where the lava flows into the ocean. Breathtaking.

The biggest mistakes people make is to forget about crime. They leave their belongings in their rental car trunk and are surprised when someone breaks in and steals everything. They go walking on the beach under the moonlight and are surprised when they get mugged or worse. The criminals love tourists because they always forget to pack their common sense.

People drown in Hawaii. Often. Don’t swim or dive alone. Pay attention to where your dive buddy is and how he/she is doing. Don’t dive drunk. Don’t turn your back on the ocean.

The second biggest mistake is people don’t take enough pictures or they use a cr*ppy camera. Buy or borrow a decent digital camera. Make sure you know how to use it BEFORE you get on the plane. Bring enough memory cards and bring the recharger. Do not take the camera to the beach. The sand will destroy the camera. Really.

You’ll have a great time if you plan ahead, take reasonable precautions and don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home.

Good luck!

When you are on Maui, take the road to Hana, its a long narrow road, but very beautiful scenary and places to get out along the way and hike up to waterfalls, very pretty. There are lots of good snorkeling tours. If you like history then I would suggest the tour at Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri.

Everything is more expensive out here, just because of the cost of living so keep that in mind when you come. North Shore in Ohau, is less crowded very laid back and full of outdoor activities to do. snorkling is a must, swimming in the warm ocean is a must , and my favorite is hiking to the falls, it was free and the most beautiful hike I have ever been on, Sharkys is the night club to go to here. I would visit tons of websites and compare prices of what you want to do, and where you want to stay

do enjoy it lounge on the beach,avoid waikiki(tourist trap) fun for a night though(clubs and dining) if you go to the big island stop in kona town there is a little italian bistro called Basils that has beautiful sunsets great food awesome service and very nice prices,if you do stop by ask for kenny he is one of the owners and a very dear friend of mine as i used to be the executive chef there tell him that chris sent you and i gaurantee you will have a splendid evening if you have any more questions bout the big island i would be happy to tell . by the way congrats and aloha noe! oh yeah i met my wife in maui she was on vacation there with family and after two weeks she said she didnt want to go back to cali so i said stay and she did need i say more?

If you want to find an out-of-the-way spot, try the little town of Maili on the western coast of Oahu. There is not much here including tourists but then, that’s the idea. It does have a very nice beach with fantastic tropical sunsets. You can get in some relaxing swimming, snorkeling, boogieboarding or surfing without the crowds you find elsewhere. Perfect for a honeymoon on a lower budget.

hawaii

Anything is possible. However, since tourism is down here in Hawaii right now due to the airline situation and the rising fuel costs, there are many businesses that are laying off people in order to cut expenses.

If you’re looking for short term employment, it might be best for you to grab a job at a hotel chain like Sheraton, Hyatt, Westin, or W and then transfer here for the summer.

As far as housing goes, you’re on your own to find yourself a place to live. There are very few employers that will provide you with housing. Finding a place to live isn’t going to be cheap though so be prepared for the average $1800/month for a studio rental rates.

Hope that helps you……good luck!