California/ Hawaii 2025

[Imnoonesfool]

. I had posted this on holidays but had no responses so posted here - hope that’s ok

Hi
im just in the process of booking a holiday to California.
we are planning on flying into LAX and spending 4 nights Santa Monica and plan to do Universal / studio tours and some sightseeing around Bev Hills and Hollywood (this is for my teen daughter) whilst using SM as our base. We will have a car. Is that a crazy idea . Then 3 nights San Diego Does anyone have any hotel recommendations as I’m going round and round in circles.
we are then flying to Hawaii and intended to stay on Waikiki Beach for a week. I have been recommended Moana Surfrider by a family member who has stayed there so think we will choose this but again you can over read reviews 😬

obviously I have been doing my own research but I just keep going round in circles so anyone’s POV very welcome and greatly appreciated . I never used to be this cautious or indecisive 😩

we will have 2 older teens 17/19

Many thanks

you can get the train to San Diego. Remember its 3k miles to Hawaii so a day there/back. There are tour buses to go into the Hollywood Hills etc. Otherwise all you see are gates and high walls.

Fab good point as may extend Hawaii by a couple of nights

Are you going to have a car? A week is a long time in Waikiki. Apart from the beach itself Honolulu is just another built up city. North shore Oahu is much much prettier.

Also Hawaii is a chain of islands. So being on Oahu is only seeing one thing. Big Island has the volcanoes and Maui has the cliffs/Jurassic Park set but you have to fly to each one. Can guarantee your children will be reading about Jurassic Park etc and want to go. think there are maps of the stars homes but really its just driving around. Is that Denzels? Is that Beyonce's? Better to be on a tour. But those house owners dont want to be on view so from a car you wont see much. Also LA is a sprawl so the homes arent on one street. Mulholland Drive, the various canyons, Pasadena all have the names living there (or not)

Is there a particular reason for Oahu?

We went to Big Island and Maui and had a great time exploring the very different faces of each of them. I could easily spend a week in each of them.

thanks for resoonding
Hawaii is purely for the beach and surfing and to chill after A Levels / GCSEs
my daughter wanted to do Hollywood, my son wants to chill and surf so it was the best of both worlds
I know there is so much more to see and we are probably wasting an opportunity to see more. I was recommended Waikiki beach due to the kids ages as I’d originally opted for Maui . That said my sis-in-law did 10 nights in Waikiki and loved every minute 😬
i was more after Hotel recommendations because I couldn’t decide as appreciate my idea of an itinerary is not to everyone’s taste

To add to that above :- and the reason we opted for Wakiki Beach was the age of the kids as it being more hustle bustle for them.

we did Thailand last year and we travelled around but they did find the more picturesque beach Island too quiet and preferred the more built up areas.

Although now you have me thinking that should we split the time in Hawaii for 5 nights wakiki and 3 nights Maui - but it’s spinning my head the amount of living out of a suitcase 😬🤦‍♀️