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American Airlines Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) regularly scheduled to depart at 8:30am and arrive at 12:00pm. Usually a Boeing 767-300 is flown for this route, with in-seat power sources available. Generally, a movie is offered on this route, as well as audio programming and telephone service. The average travel time from San Francisco, CA to Honolulu, HI is 5 hours and 30 minutes.
During your Honolulu vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
U.S. Army Schofield Barracks
James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity, called Schofield Barracks "the most beautiful army post the U.S. has or ever had." The Honolulu Star Bulletin called it a country club. More than a million soldiers called Schofield Barracks home. With its broad, palm-lined boulevards and Art-Deco buildings, this old army cavalry post is still the largest operated by the U.S. Army outside the continental United States. And it's still one of the best places to be a soldier.The history of Schofield Barracks and the 25th Infantry Division is told in the small Tropic Lightning Museum,. Displays range from a 1917 bunker exhibit to a replica of Vietnam's infamous Cu Chi tunnels.
Sea Life Park
This 62-acre ocean theme park, located in East Oahu, is one of the island's top attractions. It features whales from Puget Sound, Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins, California sea lions, and penguins going through their hoops to the delight of kids of all ages. If you have kids, allow all day to take in the sights. There's also a Hawaiian reef tank full of tropical fish; a "touch" pool, where you can touch a real sea cucumber (commonly found in tide pools); and a bird sanctuary, where you can see birds like the red-footed booby and the frigate bird. The chief curiosity, though, is the world's only "wholphin" -- a cross between a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin. On-site, marine biologists operate a recovery center for endangered marine life; during your visit, you'll be able to see rehabilitated Hawaiian monk seals and seabirds.
Ala Wai Municipal Golf Course
The Guinness Book of World Records lists this as the busiest golf course in the world; some 500 rounds a day are played on this 18-hole municipal course within walking distance of Waikiki's hotels. For years, we've held off recommending this par 70, 6,020-yard course because it was so busy (tee times taken by local retirees), but a recent scandal, involving telephone company employees tapping into the tee time reservation system to get tee times for themselves and their friends, has shaken up the old system, and visitors now have a better chance of playing here. It still is a challenge to get a tee time, and the computerized tee reservations system for all of Oahu's municipal courses will only allow you to book 3 days in advance, but keep trying. Ala Wai basically is a flat layout, bordered by the Ala Wai Canal on one side and the Manoa-Palolo Stream on the other. It's less windy than most Oahu courses, but pay attention to the 372-yard, par-4, first hole which demands a straight and long shot to the very tiny green. If you miss, you can make it up on the 478-yard, par-5 10th hole -- the green is reachable in two, so with a two-putt, a birdie is within reach.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Honolulu area, including:
Hale Koa Hotel
We wish we could stay here -- but we're not allowed. This is a very exclusive hotel, for active-duty and retired military and their families only. It's a first-class hotel, right on Waikiki Beach, with the grassy lawns of Fort DeRussy on the other side. The price structure, which depends on military rank (lower ranks get cheaper rates), is 50% to 75% less than what comparable Waikiki hotels charge. The hotel sits on 66 landscaped acres with picnic tables and barbecue grills. The only drawback is that it's always booked; some guests reserve up to a year in advance.Facilities: 4 restaurants and bars (occasional dinner shows); 3 outdoor pools; 4 lit tennis courts; fitness room; Jacuzzi; sauna; racquetball and volleyball courts; concierge desk; activity desk; car-rental desk; business center; shopping arcade; salon; room service; babysitting services; coin-op washer/dryers; laundry service; dry cleaning.
Outrigger Reef Hotel
Location, location, location! This Outrigger is right on Waikiki Beach, across from Fort DeRussy, with beautifully appointed rooms, excellent service and a myriad of activities, shops, and restaurants. This is a big hotel with three towers and a megalobby connecting them. Off the lobby is an enormous swimming pool, with some 300 chaise longues surrounding it, three whirlpool spas, and food and cocktail service within hailing distance. Throughout the lobby are enough shops to qualify as a mini-shopping mall. And, of course, beautiful Waikiki is in the back yard. The rooms have the usual well-designed, well-appointed Outrigger furnishings and decorations with great views and plenty of extra room to have a couple of kids bedding down. Blackout drapes are a nice touch for jet-lagged travelers, as is a hospitality room for early check-ins or late checkouts.Facilities: 3 restaurants (including the Shorebird Beach Broiler, an immensely popular oceanside spot offering buffet breakfasts and broil-your-own dinners); 3 bars with Hawaiian entertainment plus poolside sports bar; giant outdoor pool; 24-hr. fitness room; 3 Jacuzzis; children's program; concierge; activity desk; business center (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm); large shopping arcade; salon; room service 7am-10pm; massage; babysitting; coin-op washer/dryers; concierge-level rooms.
Royal Grove Hotel
This is a great bargain for frugal travelers. You can't miss the Royal Grove -- it's bright pink. Among Waikiki's canyons of corporate-owned high-rises, it's also a rarity in another way: The Royal Grove is a small, family-owned hotel. What you get here is old-fashioned aloha in cozy accommodations along the lines of Motel 6 -- basic and clean. For years, Frommer's readers have written about the aloha spirit of the Fong family; they love the potluck dinners and get-togethers the Fongs have organized so their guests can get to know one another. And you can't do better for the price -- this has to be the bargain of Waikiki. For $44.50 (about the same price a couple would pay to stay in a private room at the hostel in Waikiki), you get a clean room in the older Mauka Wing, with a double bed or two twins, plus a kitchenette with refrigerator and stove. We suggest that you spend a few dollars more and go for an air-conditioned room ($60) to help drown out the street noise. Even the most expensive unit, a one-bedroom suite with three beds, a kitchenette, and a lanai, at $75, is half the price of similar accommodations elsewhere. At these rates, you won't mind that maid service is only twice a week.The hotel is built around a courtyard pool, and the beach is just a 3-minute walk away. All of Waikiki's attractions are within walking distance. Hot tip: Book 7 nights or more from April to November, and get a discount on the already low rates.
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