Hawaii...again!

[basil]

I know there have been a lot of threads posted on this before and I have read through them all, but I just wanted to get another opinion.

My husband and I are taking a vacation in May, and we''d love to go to Hawaii...we would have about 8-9 nights. I think 2 islands would be manageable, cause I don''t want to waste time/money moving about too much.

Right now I''m leaning towards skipping Oahu (touristy?) and going to Maui and the Big Island...but I could probably be convinced into Kauai instead of Maui if it is less developed...Our priorities are not so much sunbathing, but hiking and kayaking and snorkeling. Oh, and eating...we love good restaurants. And I really want to see volcanos!

I was thinking about this resort on the Big Island...Hilton Waikoloa Village, but I''d welcome recommendations for Kauai or Maui.

Would you plan on renting a car? Kauai or Maui? Any "can''t miss" activities you''d recommend?

 

[TripleG]

I realize you said you dont want to do Oahu because its touristy, but I just wanted to add that while I agree theres tourists in and around waikiki beach, if you get a rental car and drive you will be in remote areas without tourists. I went there when I was much younger and was just in the tourist area. When I went back with FI we rented a car and I was amazed at all the wonderful beaches and snorkling areas there are if you drive. Some hotels offer great free parking rates, or you can do daily rentals from the hotel so you dont have to pay for the overnight parking.

Just wanted to throw that out there as well

I havent yet traveled to the other islands so I cant recommend anything there but I too would love to actually see a volcano one day.

 

[LAJennifer]

I LOVE Hilton Waikoloa Village more than life!!! The grounds are gorgeous and all the restaurants are spectacular! I''ve stayed there several times and I still haven''t seen the whole resort. Driving north from the resort - you''ll run into a little art town called Hawi. Cute shops and restaurants. Keep driving north and you can hike down to Polulu Valley (bring bottled water - you''ll need it for the climb back up). Polulu is a rocky black sand beach (you can see it in the opening scene of Jurassic Park 2).

 

[Lilac]

Hawaii is soo beautiful and I think you''ll have an amazing time no matter where you go. I just went on my honeymoon to Oahu and Maui a few weeks ago and DH and I had SUCH an incredible time! I can''t speak for Big Island or Kauai - I''ve heard they''re both great, but I''ve only seen Oahu and Maui so I''ll tell you a little about those two and leave the other islands to people who have been there.

Here is the link from the thread I posted when we got back - it has a full description of our trip and some pictures: http://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/back-from-honeymoon-in-hawaii-t123609.html

Oahu - We stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. We wanted a nice hotel that wasn''t too expensive because we wanted to stay at a nicer hotel on Maui. Waikiki was definitely very touristy, but we actually really enjoyed walking around the shops and stores/malls at night with all the difference people. Waikiki Beach Walk and the shops around there were so much fun to go see at night. It seems like there''s not much to do at night on most of the islands, so we really enjoyed having somewhere to go the first few nights of our trip. The most fun thing we did on Oahu (and I think on our entire trip) was kayaking from Kailua Beach to one of the Mokulua Islands. Once we got to the island we swam and snorkeled there (and saw fish and sea turtles!) We went with a tour because I was nervous about kayaking ourselves and the beach, island, and ocean had such unbelievably gorgeous views. Most beautiful place I have ever been. I know Oahu gets a reputation of being very commercialized and touristy, but I think people who have said this haven''t been to Lanikai Beach, Kailua Beach, or the Mokulua Islands - they are truly beautiful and the color of the water is UNREAL!

We also hiked Diamond Head (twice actually) which was fun for us and the views at the top were really pretty. If you do this, try to do it in the morning or late afternoon because it gets REALLY hot during the day. We snorkeled in Hanauma Bay which was nice, but truthfully we enjoyed the snorkeling by the Mokulua Islands more because of the sea turtles and the water was kind of cloudy at Hanauma Bay. It was fun, but not as good as we had expected.

Maui - We were going to stay at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua, but long story short (the whole thing is explained in my thread that I posted above), we left there and stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani instead. The Fairmont was WONDERFUL and I would absolutely recommend it. We loved it there.

On Maui we did the Road to Hana which was a fun drive (well, the road itself is kind of scary, but the views are beautiful and we stopped along the way for some hiking to see waterfalls). I''m very happy we did it once as it was beautiful, but I wouldn''t do it again next time I go back. We went to see the sunrise at Haleakala - I would DEFINITELY recommend this. We did it with a tour because the road is very steep and windy and it''s kind of a scary drive especially in the dark. The sunrise itself is amazing. Pictures just don''t do it justice. Very very cold though up there so if you do this wear VERY warm clothing! We also did the Old Lahaina Luau which was great.

Another thing I would absolutely recommend on Maui is Warren and Annabelle''s - it''s a magic show and comedy act which sounds kind of silly and we were very skeptical when we went, but it was SO funny and every single person we''ve spoken to who has gone has loved it and would go back every single trip. It really was a fun experience.

Our trip really was so much fun, and I hope whichever islands you choose to go to you have an amazing time! If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask!

 

[Skippy123]

Okay my favorite is Kauai for the natural beauty and less developed feel than Oahu and Maui. Only 30% of Kauai can be seen by car, the rest has to be hiked or seen from Helicopter!!! It is a hikers and adventurists paradise. I have been to all the islands and Kauai is hands down my favorite. You do need a car for most of the islands unless you go to Oahu and just stay in Waikiki, but it sounds like the Big Island and Kauai are for you. Here is a thread NewEnglandLady did on Hawaii because she had similar likes to you https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/yet-another-hawaii-thread.70966/.
I have stayed at the Hilton and it is Nice!!!

 

[CDNinNYC]

DH and I just got back (yesterday) from our HM in Kauai. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, which is a gorgeous property. The beach is not swimmable; better suited for surfing but the pools and saltwater lagoon more than made up for it. We rented a car for the week (which you will need if you want to do anything off the hotel) and there were plenty of other beaches on the island to explore.

Kauai is definitely more rustic than Maui (the only other island I've been to) and on the quiet side but it was perfect for what we wanted, and there are plenty of activities if you get restless.

We did zip-lining and rappelling, which was a lot of fun. We also drove out to Waimea Canyon, known as the "Grand Canyon" of the Pacific.

We used "Kauai Revealed" and everything in the guide was spot on.

ETA: Food was awesome in Kauai; from shrimp taco shacks to elegant dining.

 

[Cind11]

Last summer we went to Kauai amd Maui for 8 nights. While I really enjoyed Maui, I loved Kauai. It is so much less developed then Maui. Even so, there was no lack of good restaurants etc. Of course, you will not see volcanoes there. But the beauty of the island makes up for that I think. And it as the hiking, kayaking and snorkeling you spoke of.

I am glad I saw two islands because I don''t know when we''ll be back. However, I think it would have been better to have just stayed on Kauai. It wasn''t very relaxing to have to pack up and fly to another island.

If you go to Kauai take a boat ride along the Napali coast. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!! We also took a helicopter ride wihich was VERY cool! (and I am afraid of heights!) Yes, rent a car.

 

[Rachie]

DH and I just went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon last month. We have both been to Oahu before and liked it but we wanted to see the other islands as well. We enjoyed Maui but we both fell in love with Kauai! We stayed in a condo which was perfect and the best snorkeling was just steps away. It is definitely less developed than the other islands but there were plenty of great places to eat. There is a ton of exploring opportunities and renting a car is a must. No matter which islands you decide on, I would definitely recommend the "revealed" (i.e. Kauai Revealed) books. There is a different one for each island and they have a ton of information.

 

[zhuzhu]

Basil, I wish you and your husband a great time! My DH and I are going next month, just to Oahu though. We are definitely feeling very excited about the upcoming trip!

TripleG, would you mind sharing what remote locations on Oahu you enjoyed the most?

Lilac, I would love to do the kayaking tour from Kailua Beach to Mokulua Islands, what tour company did you use? Thanks!!

 

[purelily]

Hi Basil.

I'm originally from Maui so I thought I'd help out

Maui is a more developed than Kauai and, often, tourists complain that it is more "commercialized" than the other islands.

That said, there are still a lot of areas on Maui that are not developed. Like Hana and Haleakala. If you want a Kauai feel you could stay at the Hana Hotel or at a B&B near Haleakala. Honestly, if you are looking for the best eating places, I would go to Maui. There are restaurants all around the island that are simply amazing. Plus, the hiking in Maui is also awesome. You can also take a day trip to Molokini and Lanai from Maui. I would highly recommend taking a day trip to Lanai ( you can do some whale watching!) or spending the night at the Lanai Hotel or the Lodge at Koele *swoon*. You can take a boat there for relatively cheap but the hotels may be a bit expensive. The scuba diving, I've heard it simply amazing, but I do not scuba dive so I don't know Haleakala is also the largest volcano but it is dormant (the only active one is on the Big Island ) and I believe one of the largest mountains in the world if you measure from below sea level. If you have any questions about maui, please let me know

I can't really weigh in on Kauai, but I've heard its a lot of fun too I'm not sure about the food since last time I was there was when I was six, but you can ride donkeys to Kalaupapa (whether Father Damian performed his miracles with the leper community). If you are looking for a second Honeymoon Kauai may be it, but you won't see any active volcanoes

The big island..... My best friend's husband is from the big island so I could probably get you some information about Kona. Kona is beautiful and the hilton waikaloa is beautiful but VERY commercialized. In fact, you probably never have to leave the hotel if you don't want to. You could drive to the volcano and see live lava though! And remember don't bring home rocks (its bad luck). The black sand beaches are also gorgeous. The food in the waikaloa is excellent but, again, commercialized.

I know this seems sort of a biased account, but it isn't really I just don't know the other islands as well. I hope this helps!

 

[coda72]

It sounds like based on what you want to do on this trip, you should go to Kauai and the Big Island. Kauai is less commercialized than Maui, and there''s plenty of beautiful hiking to do. Kauai also has some good restaurants. The Big Island is even less commercialized once you get outside of Kona and the resorts along the Kohala coast. If you want to stay in a good resort on the Big Island, there''s plenty, but you can also stay in a cottage overlooking a cliff like my husband and I did on our first trip. Also, the Big Island is the only one with an active volcano, but you should probably stay on that end of the island for a day or so because it''s a pretty long drive from the resort area. The last time I was there, which was last December, they weren''t allowing people direct access to lava flows, just distant views. It is still impressive to see, and if you''re feeling adventurous and can avoid park rangers, you might be able to walk right up to lava flows. (It can be extremely dangerous however.)

 

[Mara]

We got married in Kauai and love it. It is less developed and as such is quieter and more 'rustic' and seemingly more old Hawaii to us. Also I tend to think that some areas of it are cheaper than Maui and other areas of Hawaii that are a bigger tourist draw. Though I did look into the big island (Kona area) earlier this spring and there were some amazing deals on 4-5 star resorts. Not sure if those are still happening but worth a peek. On Kauai we stayed at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, but there is another place near there that is small cottages that I recall looking interesting also. We were on the West side, it is drier and less humid than the other side.

In Kauai you can definitely do hiking (there is a huge volcano/mountain there!), snorkeling, kayaking. You can do a trip to Molokini and snorkel around it. But in most islands you can prob find the same (hiking, snorkeling etc). Just depends on what kind of vibe you want to have. We have not been to Maui but hear it's bigger on nightlife and lots of 'things to do'....in Kauai we were practically in bed every night at like 10pm...hehee. But it was so relaxing. How fun, this year was our 5 year anni and we wanted to return but we went to Europe instead. Enjoy!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

You''ve gotten a lot of good feedback, but just wanted to add that you should look into the REVEALED series of guidebooks, no matter which Island you head to.

They were invaluable for our Maui & Kauai vists!

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252532453&sr=8-1

 

[Lilac]

Date: 9/9/2009 3:44:29 AM
Author: zhuzhu
Basil, I wish you and your husband a great time! My DH and I are going next month, just to Oahu though. We are definitely feeling very excited about the upcoming trip!

TripleG, would you mind sharing what remote locations on Oahu you enjoyed the most?

Lilac, I would love to do the kayaking tour from Kailua Beach to Mokulua Islands, what tour company did you use? Thanks!!

We went with Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks - we went on their 4 hour guided tour to the Mokulua Islands. They were great! We had two tour guides - a man and a woman who were both really nice, talkative, and made us feel very safe. One went at the front of the group and one stayed behind everyone that way there was always someone behind us just in case we fell behind the group. Once or twice people fell out of the kayaks (we actually fell out once but it was much less scary than I expected) and within seconds one of the guides was right next to us making sure we were ok and able to get back in. Once we got to the island, they were very willing to take any pictures we wanted and they went snorkeling with us. Obviously it probably depends on which guides you get for your particular tour, but based on our experience I would really recommend them.

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 9/9/2009 8:59:02 PM
Author: Lilac

Date: 9/9/2009 3:44:29 AM

Author: zhuzhu

Basil, I wish you and your husband a great time! My DH and I are going next month, just to Oahu though. We are definitely feeling very excited about the upcoming trip!


TripleG, would you mind sharing what remote locations on Oahu you enjoyed the most?


Lilac, I would love to do the kayaking tour from Kailua Beach to Mokulua Islands, what tour company did you use? Thanks!!

We went with Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks - we went on their 4 hour guided tour to the Mokulua Islands. They were great! We had two tour guides - a man and a woman who were both really nice, talkative, and made us feel very safe. One went at the front of the group and one stayed behind everyone that way there was always someone behind us just in case we fell behind the group. Once or twice people fell out of the kayaks (we actually fell out once but it was much less scary than I expected) and within seconds one of the guides was right next to us making sure we were ok and able to get back in. Once we got to the island, they were very willing to take any pictures we wanted and they went snorkeling with us. Obviously it probably depends on which guides you get for your particular tour, but based on our experience I would really recommend them.

Wow, the price is very reasonable, and the pictures look awesome! I am so excited! Thanks for the info!~