TOUR GUIDE FOR OAHU AND FIVE-0 LOCATIONS

 

-------------FIVE-0 Hot Spots -------

 

Aloha tower -- airport

 

Ilikai hotel -- where JL stands in the credits

 

Palace Grounds

King Kamehameha statue

Territorial Building

YMCA building across the street from Palace (where assassin waited to kill SM in Vashon2)

Aloha Tower – ANYBODY CAN BUILD A BOMB

 

Ala Moana Mall

Seen in Just Luck I Guess when S&D run across street

Ala Wai Harbor -- numerous episodes

ILIKAI -- credits

Waikiki -- various episodes

 

Ala Wai Canal

Steve’s condo

Waikiki Shell

Kapilolani Park

Zoo

Dan’s Condo

 

Diamond Head - bunkers on makai side

Interior

STUDIO

Back of DH - 18th and DHRoad

 

Kahala

Tony Alika estate - formerly owned by JL

JL condo

Kahala Hilton

Waialae golf course

Waialae Park many Magnum filed here - used for his club -- within sight of JLs real condo

 

Kahala Mall - JL memorial

 

Aina Haina - beach house - no longer visible because of a huge brick wall blocking the highway

Hawaii Kai Marina/Kono Head various episodes

 

Hanauma Bay - various episodes - great snorkeling

Sea Life Park - different episodes

 

Robin’s Nest - Kalani Hwy - also next door is Cathi Ryan’s house (also used for Phillip Christie episode)

 

Windward coast -- various episodes -- Wainmanalo/Sherwood Forest episodes

 

Valley of the Temples -- cemetery -- at the back is Byodo Temple

 

Pali Hwy - tunnels

Pali lookout

 

North Shore -- Turtle Bay Hilton (Kuilima resort back then - Thanks or the Honeymoon)

 

Surf shops - Haleiwa - (Tall on a Wave)

 

Middle of the island

Dole pineapple fields (worlds largest maze -- very fun)

 

 

Here’s some highlights you can’t miss for OAHU:

 

AIRPORT –

When you first arrive you will not the huge ALOHA sign on the tower. 

5-0 shot!

Inside, gate 12 is where they filmed the amazing and traumatic ending of DEADLY COURIER where Steve talks Dan out of shooting him.

 

FREE

Pearl Harbor. 

You can rent a car or take an organized group that will drive you over there.  The Bus will also get you there.  Make sure they give you enough time to explore the museum.  ***** MUST SEE

 

5-0 link – Several episodes, but the only one where you will be able to follow in Steve’s footsteps is the Pearl Harbor tour as seen in TIME AND MEMORIES

 

NOT FREE

Across the harbor is the battleship USS MISSOURI, also a must see.  There are trollies that take you from the Pearl Harbor tour over the bridge to the ship.  Also there next to Pearl tours is a submarine.  All of this costs money, so just expect it.

 

NOT FREE

Polynesian Cultural Center

The Church run and operated attraction is expensive, but worth it.  An all day event.  Go when it opens in early afternoon. Go to all the Polynesian villages.  Eat at the top luau dinner show they offer and stay for the spectacular night show.  Again, lots of money, but it is so worth it and you are supporting BYU students, too. ***** MUST SEE

 

5-0 LINK – While they never filmed here, the elvis movie BLUE HAWAII was shot here.

 

NOT FREE

TOUR THE ISLAND

--Requires car rental or tour group --

Drive up the windward coast and catch the greatest beaches.  Sand, surf and palm trees.  The main coast road (King Kamehameha Highway) will take you – all day if you want – up to the Temple and North Shore (surfing paradise), then you can go down the middle of the island though the pineapple fields.  Dole still has a tourist spot there.

5-0 LINKS – I WILL START GOING WINDWARD FROM WAIKIKI

Diamond Head – cement bunker on the side of the hill is where Danny shoots the crazy sniper AND I WANT SOME CANDY AND A GUN THAT SHOOTS (turn out overlooking the ocean is where Steve made his HQ there).

 

Black Point – neighborhood – where Danny nearly gets shot in STRANGERS IN OUR OWN LAND and there is some gunplay with Duke, Chin and Ben in JOURNEY OUT OF LIMBO

 

Going down the street to the Kahala Mall they filmed several scenes at the circular Bank of Hawaii there, including A LONG TIME AGO.  The back of the mall was used in THE LISTENER.  And the Jack Lord memorial is there at the mall.

 

Down at the beach of Kahala, was JL’s original house that was later used to film as Alika’s house in STRINGER, NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET

Also, JL’s condo

 

Then the Kahala Hilton where the guest stars of the show stayed.  Also filmed here were several episodes – DEATHWATCH, SIX KILOS.

 

Aina Haina – Steve’s beach house – SING A SONG OF SUSPENSE

 

Going around to Hawaii Kai, Koko Head Marina was used for TARGET: THE LADY,.  We saw that Steve kept his boat here in OLDEST PROFESSION LATEST PRICE

Sea Life Park – filmed RANSOM there

 

Waimanalo – Cathi Ryan’s house from MAN IN A STEEL FRAME/ also Robin’s Nest from Magnum.

 

Kahuku/Turtle Bay Hilton – FLIP SIDE IS DEATH

 

North Shore – TALL ON A WAVE

 

Wahiawa – cane and pineapple fields – SWEET TERROR, A KILLER GROWS WINGS, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, A STRANGER IN HIS GRAVE

 

 

NOT FREE

SNORKEL

Hanauma Bay – one of the best places in the world to snorkel.  There are day and half day tours to give you equipment and take you there.  Or, in your rental car you can drive there – about 20 minutes our of Waikiki, but it can be really crowded.

5-0 link – FACE OF THE DRAGON filmed here.  Also the end of BEAUTIFUL SCREAMER

 

FREE

Go to Nuuanu Pali.  It is a fantastic view, a breathtaking cliff with amazing winds.

5-0 - ELEGY IN A RAINFOREST, BIG KAHUNA

 

 

PUNCHBOWL CEMETARY - need to drive a car or join a tour group -- that will not be free

5-0 – COCOON

 

FREE

HIKE DIAMOND HEAD!

 

Rent a car or take a tour bus to the interior crater of Diamond Head.  Wear sturdy, comfortable hiking boots or tennis shoes.  Take a flashlight and water, wear a hat.  Too many precautions for a tourist in Hawaii – it is worth it. 

 

You’ll start out at the base of the interior volcano crater.  You hike up dusty, dirt trails for a while and reach a set of about 55 steps.  Then more hiking, through a dark tunnel where you have to kind of hunch over and crawl through the cement (old gun emplacement).  It is completely dark at one point so that is where the flashlight comes in handy.  Then you are confronted with 99 steps up!!    Keep climbing.  When you get to the top you turn left to an overlook and can see an amazing panorama from far over in Koko Head to way over at the airport.  Waikiki, the Shell, the beach, the sky, the high-rises – all spectacular.  Rest, take lots of pictures.  Get one of you as king of the hill.  Enjoy the cool breeze and warm sun, because you have to reverse your course and climb down again.  But that journey is so much easier.

5-0 -- Inside DH crater is Fort Ruger and hiking trails used in several episodes, notably YOUNG ASSASSINS and FOOLS DIE TWICE

 

Around the other side at 118th Street and Diamond Head Rd is the old 5-0 studio. 

 

Across the street is a cemetery used in several episodes including HOOKMAN

 

 

 Zoo -- small cost - in Waikiki

5-0 – GUN FOR McGARRETT

 

Waikiki Aquarium -- pay fee to get in -- but really fun -- you get to see two Hawaiian monk seals

 

 

DRIVING

When you drive on your own – traffic within Honolulu and Waikiki is rough.  Lots of one-way streets and parking restrictions.  Watch it.  Everywhere you might want to go is also covered by tour packages and even the city buss which is cheap but a little confusing sometimes because of transfers.

 

THE EPICENTER OF FIVE-0 –

 

Within Honolulu (not Waikiki) there is Chinatown, Iolani Palace (a great Palace built by Hawaii’s last king and the building used in Hawaii Five-0 – it’s pretty interesting even for people that are not huge fans of the show.  Lots of historical buildings.  King Kamehameha statue.

 

5-0 – across the street from the Palace, judicial building CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE, DEATHWATCH, SAMURAI

 

Ewa side of the Palace the apartment building where a sniper waited for McGarrett in V FOR VASHON

 

H-3 freeway --

The ONLY way to do th8is is by renting a convertible!  As you are driving into the hills, you see and experience the most magical, mystical adventure on earth!  As you enter the multi-layered hills, you see they are misted with rain.  The sun shines down and creates little rainbows inside the deep, fluted canyons.  As you drive, you DRIVE THROUGH the rainbows, mist and rain!  Awesome!  ***MUST EXPERIENCE

 

SHOPPING

Waikiki

A shopping mecca! 

Shave ice is everywhere! 

Ukelele and hula lessons for free at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and free hula shows, too.

Don’t miss International Market Place – a bunch of shops where you can get deals on jewelry, luggage, shirts, etc.  It’s in the middle of Waikiki.  Plenty of maps available, plenty of free offers that they hand out on the sidewalks.

 

Waikiki beach –

At night the big hotels have a torch lighting ceremony in most places where guys in lava lava (skirts) run along and light the beach torches.  You can also walk along the sand and listen to all the live bands in the night clubs without going in and spending big money on cover charges.

DAY – fantastic place to grab a beach mat and soak up sun.  Or walk.  There’s surf lessons in front of most of the hotels, outrigger canoes you can ride in, catamarans, and cruises.

 

5-0 – too many sites to mention but the Ilikai was the hotel where JL stands at the opening shots of the credits.  It was used all the time to film.  The marina there was frequently filmed, too.  JOKER’S WILD MAN, ALONG CAME JOEY

 

Steve’s apartment building is at the back of Waikiki along Ala Wai Blvd. V FOR VASHON.  Dan’s early apartment is the Waikiki Circle Hotel MOST LIKELY TO MURDER on Kalakaua and his later apartment is by Diamond Head.

 

FREE

At night, all along Waikiki and at most of the hotels, there is a sunset torch lighting ceremony and if you walk along the beach at night you can listen to the hotel dinner music shows.

 

ALA MOANA MALL –

At the very end of Waikiki, this is a fabulous three story mall with open air.  Tons of shops, a little higher end than Waikiki’s main stores.

5-0 – JUST LUCKY I GUESS – Steve and Dan have a great foot chase from here to the marina across the street.

 

FOOD ---

 

There are tons of restaurants everywhere.  We discovered a wonderful treat called plate lunch.  It is usually two scoops of the world’s best macaroni salad, two scoops rice, two filets of your choice of meat and cheap and filling.  The best is of course mahimahi -- a local fish that you can get grilled, fried or breaded and even in sandwiches. There was a great place by our hotel on Lewers Street, but many around Waikiki.

 

Waikiki:

 

Lewer’s Street Fish Market – exceptional fish but not cheap.  Only the plate lunches are cheap in Hawaii.

 

DUKE’S

across from the International Market Place,  RIGHT ON THE BEACH – the best view of any eatery.  Great breakfast buffet, but again, not cheap.

 

Shorebird restaurant, Beachcomber Hotel I think, down by Lewers again, fairly cheap breakfast buffet and again, right on the beach.  We went there often cause it was across the street from our hotel.

 

At Ala Moana Mall they have a food court.  Patty’s Kitchen, the best Chinese food I’ve ever had anywhere.  Also there’s a Hawaiian food place with plate lunch and poi and haupia, a coconut type pudding.  And sushi.  Chinese and Japanese restaurants everywhere – but you have to search for good sushi for a good price.  Best place for that is ALA MOANA MALL -- in the food court.

 

The best poi we had – freshly ground and like lumpy mashed potatoes -- at the Cultural Center in the Hawaiian village.  If the poi looks like purple soup it’s probably not too good.

 

There are brochures along every street corner giving you coupons and ideas and maps and advertising shows and anything else you will want to do. 

 

Most of all have loads of fun and relax and take some time to enjoy Hawaii’s best feature, the sun, sand, surf and views.  And the aloha spirit.