Oahu
The tour to Pearl Harbour and the US Arizona was very interesting and educational. We are not Americans and were impressed at the objectivity apparent in the various museums and displays. The Arizona Memorial is moving, all the more so as it is still leaking oil and we are forced to remember that it is something real, not a recreation or imagined scene.
Our guide, Frank, was personable and full of stories and information. He was fun!
Everyone should experience this tour sometime during their life. The memorial is a tragic, yet holy and beautiful tribute to our fallen military who died so suddenly on Dec. 7, 1941.
The tour operator was very informative and treated everyone like family. The downtown tour was full of history and tidbits shared by our driver, "Cousin Jerry", a full blooded older Hawaiian gentleman.
This may not be the best for younger kids but if they have any interest in the worlds history then this will be perfect. The memorial is breathtaking and a real tear jerker. I would recommend anyone visiting Oahu must see it. We had a mix up on the pickup location so we got on the bus about 30 minutes late but still made the memorial with plenty of time before our showing of the movie. The place is great and the stories behind it our sobering. The Mighty Mo is great for the whole family. Lots of cool things to touch and see. The tour continues with the downtown trip and punch bowl drive through. Both were well timed and needed after the long day of walking.
We took the Pearl Harbor tour with the Missouri. Sandy was our tour guide and she was fantastic! Very nice, fun and entertaining, plus knowledgeable. The bus was really big and comfortable (not like most of the yucky shuttles) and Sandy drove around Waikiki effortlessly. Amazing!
The Arizona Memorial is a must-see, although it is not exciting so kids are easily bored. On the other hand, the tour of the Missouri is great for all ages. We did the audio tour with the iTouch device, and my 13-year-old thought it was like an adventure to find the next location. We were able to explore and listen at our convenience.
The Punchbowl was closed for Memorial Day, but Sandy took us to Pal"i lookout, which was a beautiful sight and the drive up was very informational too.
Overall, a terrific tour that we are so glad we did and the price was VERY affordable. Many of the tours I saw were way over-priced, as I cannot see what they could offer over the tour we took.
We were much
The tour was what you'd expect about the Pearl Harbor experience. Our driver was exceptional! He was really friendly, helpful, and went beyond our expectations. At one point as I was talking to my wife on the cell phone (in Fl), I gave him the phone and he talked to her. When the Punchbowl visit was closed for some reason, he took us to another location to enjoy. He offered to drop us off at the swap meet and come back for us at a later time, which wasn't even a part of our tour. Our hotel wasn't a designated drop-off point but he took us there and dropped us off there anyway. I'd definitely book with this company again!
I looked at several sites trying to decide which tour to use for our Pear Harbor Tour and chose using Hawaiian Activities because they provided the best description of the tour companies. It was easy to book on-line and when I called to ask what time the bus would pick us up at the hotel, the customer service agent immediately called the company to find out. That to me is service so I booked with them. Booking before you arrive on the island makes life so much easier because everywhere you look, there are tours being promoted and it can be confusing.
The company I chose did a marvelous job. Our coach was clean and air conditioned and the driver/tour guide was marvelous. He told us so much about the history of Hawaii that his narration brought so much more value to the tour. The same applied to the tour guide we had for the USS Missouri. He brought the signing of the armistice with General McArthur, the Allies and the Japanese to life in ways no history book can.
I will def