honeymoon: Maui or Kauai???

[sunkist]

Quick poll here, no voting gadgets, just respond

Which island is better for a honeymoon - Maui or Kauai??

These are the places we're currently looking at.

In Kauai: http://www.kauaibeachrentals.com/poipucondos/manasuite.html

In Mauai: http://villas.kapalua.com/villas.html

I'm wondering if restaurant prices and other activity costs are about equal on both islands. They both look gorgeous to me. I've heard that Maui is more touristy than Kauai?? What do you think?

 

[VegasAngel]

Ive never been to Kauai but I have been to Maui & loved it! Both resorts look wonderful I would love to go back again. For now I will have to reminisce.

Maui is touristy but it is still a nice mostly quiet island. There are lots of things to do parasailing, sunset cruises, snorkeling, Hana tour, helicopter ride etc... The food can be costly depending on where you eat, we live in Vegas with tons of restaurants so the prices werent out of the ordinary for us. We had a condo with kitchen/fridge/stove so we were able to save a little money by making our own breakfast & sometimes lunch. Our favorite restaurant was Mamas Fish house it was awesome.

 

[Mara]

we haven't been to maui but we adored kauai....k is more romantic, peaceful, lush...it's a quieter island with less nightlife etc than maui.

why not do both? you can stay 3 days on one island, island hop for like $50 to the other one and then stay there for 4 days or whatever. this is what we were going to do.

UNTIL we found out that tahiti (which is 5 hours from hawaii) was actually the same price with airfare as it would have been for us to stay in a 4 star resort on hawaii for a week. hawaii is expensive. moorea, our tahitian island, was like kauai 30 years ago...even quieter, more lush, stunning waters, romantic...we stayed in our own hut/house on the beach, the hut/house is a bit more rustic than the 4 star resorts since you are right on the beach, but it was priceless. we are dying to go back.

 

[littlelysser]

I haven''t been to Maui for a number of years - but I went often when I was younger, and every time I went, it was a little more touristy and less Hawaiian.

Of course, the Kapaulua condos are very nice. I stayed at the Hyatt and the Westin when my family went...Maui is nice...but if you are looking for something more authentic...maybe Kauai? I''ve never been to that island, but I''ve heard amazing things about it.

For what it is worth, my favorite island BY FAR is the big island, Hawaii. With the volcanos and such...it is an AMAZING place!

 

[Linda W]

Maui is touristy and crowded when dh and I went. We always go back to Kauai. It is quiet, laid back and meant for honeymooners or just if you want to be on a romantic holiday together.


Linda

 

[sunkist]

K, thanks for everyone''s opinions so far. I''ve been to Oahu. So is Maui a lot like Oahu?

Mara, how do you island hop for $50? Is it a ferry? That might be something Cliff would like to do! We also looked at Tahiti and Fiji, but flying straight there from LA is a long flight. I know you went straight from Hawaii, Mara, so that made it not as long as a flight. I would LOVe to go there, but we wanna get somewhere quick!

haha, anyways, I really want to go to Kauai, but we''re still exploring our options.

 

[Mara]

you take a 20-30 min plane ride from island to island. it''s pretty cheap, i think islanders get it for $50 but talk to your travel agent, maybe it''s more like $100 for vacationers. we were going to get married in kauai then fly to maui and vacation there. but then when we saw the tahiti prices and we were already going to be in hawaii we said 5 more hours to be in a whole diff country? lets do it!

 

[sunkist]

Date: 8/28/2006 1:00:50 PM
Author: Mara
you take a 20-30 min plane ride from island to island. it''s pretty cheap, i think islanders get it for $50 but talk to your travel agent, maybe it''s more like $100 for vacationers. we were going to get married in kauai then fly to maui and vacation there. but then when we saw the tahiti prices and we were already going to be in hawaii we said 5 more hours to be in a whole diff country? lets do it!

Ya, that sounds like sooo much fun Mara!! I so wish we could do that. I''ve always wanted to stay in those huts over the water. And I know the diving over there amazing. We love scuba diving and will do that in Tahiti or Fiji some day.... I think if we go to Hawaii, which we probably will, we''ll let scuba happen if it happens, but this isn''t going to be a diving trip. It''s a honeymoon!!!

 

[sunkist]

So I think we have reservations for a few nights at this place on Kauai. here. Can''t wait to go!

 

[Rosebud8506]

We went to Oahu for 3 nights, then took Aloha airlines for a flight to Maui for around $80.00 per person. (this was 3 weeks ago).

We had thought about Kauai, but my husband needs a lot of activity, whereas myself, I could be content sitting on the beach for hours. We had heard Kauai was more for "relaxing".

Maui suited us just fine, it is a bit of both. We stayed in Wailea - or you can stay in Lahaina ( an older city, more beachy and touristy). If you do stay in Wailea, you can always rent a car and explore - road to Hana (takes a full day), or drive to Lahaina for a day (about 40 minute drive).

Oh, and Oahu is not like Maui at all! I found there to be more tourist traps there than Maui. But then, you do have Waikiki beach, Pearl Harbor. The Polynesian Cultural Center I highly recommend if you are looking to do the best luau on the island!

 

[sunkist]

I guess I really need to just try out all of the islands! That way I can properly choose my favorite

I think we''re going to go with Kauai though for this trip.

 

[Sundial]

I have been to Hawaii several times and have stayed on all the islands except Molokai. Kaui is my absolute favorite so I think you made a perfect honeymoon choice! It is lush and beautiful and what Hawaii is supposed to be like. While I enjoyed Maui and there is more nightlife there, Kaui is more unspoiled and romantic. Still plenty to do. Be sure to have dinner at sunset at The Beach House!

 

[sunkist]

Thanks, Sundial! We definitely will go to the Beach House! I think I saw that it''s a 10 minute walk down the beach from where we''re staying.

 

[Mara]

sunkist where are you staying? the north end of the island gets a lot more rain than other sides...the south and west does not. we stayed on the west side in waimea...there are less tourists and it's more like we are just locals. we drove around the island and actually found we preferred the south/west since it was drier...and a little less humid.

if you are driving around, be sure to try Bubbas for burgers over near the north/east area, we had dinner a few times in the south over near Poipu where a lot of the tourists and hotels are...we did a luau which was fun too, cheesy in a way but a must do IMO. if you drive over between south and west, there's a great breakfast place called Grinds that we liked. we also rode ATVs the last few times we were there which was lots of fun. anyway you guys will have a blast!!! we want to go back next spring!

 

[sunkist]

We got a recommendation to stay at Turtle Cove Suites. here. It is in Poipu. I was looking at some of the beaches on the north shore that look fantastic. And the Na Pali coast looks amazing too. Mara, where did you stay in Waimea?

 

[nicolejrx]

I liked Kauai way better than Maui. We stayed at the Princeville which was fabulous. Maui felt kinda like I could have been doing the same stuff in San Diego (where we live). We were eating outside one night at a restaurant and FI and I looked at each other and thought "geez, are you sure we are in Hawaii?. Kauai just feels more tropical to me. There is so much to do on Kauai too! I don''t know where it gets the reputation for lacking activity but there is plenty of stuff to do. Helicopter tours, hikes, zip lining (highly recommended). Of our 4 days there, we only spent one day relaxing on the beach. Next time I go to Hawaii, I am going to bypass Maui and head straight to the Princeville!
Nicole

 

[sunkist]

Cool! It sounds like Kauai is the place to go for tropical exotic type feel and that''s exactly what we''re looking for

I can''t wait!

 

[Mara]

we stayed at WPC, waimea plantation cottages http://www.waimeaplantationcottages.com/...it's this huge old sugar plantation with a bunch of small cottages and houses on them that they rent. it's where we got married as well. the place is not a 5 star resort kinda thing, it's more like you are renting a small cottage and you 'live there' and do your own thing. there's maid service and the cottages can be super cute (if you know which ones to get and which ones not to, some have not yet been remodeled!) and some are right on the ocean...it's just a really quiet divine place to be and it's not packed like Poipu is. i just find as we get older we are not so into the whole 'where everyone is' kinda thing. i would definitely drive down from where you guys are and check it out, just walk around the grounds even! and they have a FAB brewery and restaurant on premises, waimea brewery i think is what it's called, get the ahi poke and fries, they are SUPER YUMMY!!!! and greg loves loves loves the beers they have....they make them. we had them for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. anyway we drove up to poipu a few times for dinner which was fun and then we also stayed in waimea a few nights and then one day we drove around the whole island and checked out different things too. we love kauai!!! oh and they have fab coffee...be sure to pick some up (lion company) and brew it in your room/condo/apartment!

 

[codex57]

We like seeing people and having more to do. We''re not too big into relaxing on the beach (relaxing in our hotel room is much more our style). So, I''d vote for Maui.

It''s Hawaii. You really can''t go wrong. We got lucky on our trip to Hawaii and got upgraded to an oceanview room. We were across the street from Waikiki beach. Even tho Waikiki is crowded like crazy, it was still fabulous just opening the window and seeing that beach and feeling the ocean breeze.

 

[sunkist]

Oh! Mara I did look at those cottages as well. They do look cute! I guess I read a view not so good reviews about a couple of the cottages there, but I know it''s different for each of them due to circumstances. The place we''re staying at is also a condo and it has a full kitchen so we''re looking forward to preparing our own breakfasts and lunches and then going out for dinner. We want to save the $ for the fun activities.

I''m open to hearing any more suggestions! Hey and Mara, would you recommend any specific cottages? I''d love to take my family there for a vacation sometime.

 

[Mara]

they have something like 80 cottages and it just totally depends on what you like...some people like the super rustic stuff and others want the remodeled. we have stayed in both! ehhe. anyway for the wedding i put my parents (and 2 of our friends) up in the Kruse House because it was just remodeled (totally gutted!) from top to bottom a few years ago and it''s beautiful inside. i think it has 4 bedrooms and it''s 2 stories. it''s not oceanfront but the ocean is just a 2 minute walk. so if you did like a family thing where you needed a ''house'' kinda thing, i''d totally recommend the Kruse. we stayed in the Manager''s House which is 5 bedrooms and a huge house, it''s oceanfront and we got married in front of there as well. on our first visit, we stayed in the most tiny first cottage, super rustic and greg loved it, hehe. it''s oceanfront so it''s cute but i wanted the more remodeled experience next time around..hehee. the Managers house was remodeled the year before we got there but some of it is still kinda so so. The Kruse is totally modern top to bottom.

 

[sunkist]

Thanks so much, Mara. I''m definitely going to check them out for our next family vacation.

 

[rainwood]

We''ve stayed on all the islands (except Lanai) and like Kauai the best despite having to ride out Hurricane Ewa there. I''m not sure what you''re looking for in a honeymoon destination so I''ll just tell you what I know. We haven''t stayed at the Turtle Cove Suites but did rent a house on Hoona Road a little further west toward Spouting Horn. We walked past Turtle Cover a number of times and know exactly where it is. Turtle Cove is not right on the ocean, it sits on a bluff above what I think is actually a river that leads to the ocean. It''s called Turtle Cove because there are lots of turtles at the mouth of the river so it''s a popular spot for divers and snorklers. It''s in a residential neighborhood with some small condos and inns sprinkled in so it should be fairly quiet. There''s no beach right there. The closest beach is probably Baby Beach, at least that''s what the locals call it because it is small and protected from waves. Not a destination beach unless you have small children or want to go a little further west through the rocks for some snorkeling which is what we did. You would probably end up driving to most things from that location, not because of distance but because it''s a busy road and not all that pleasant to walk on the shoulder of a busy road expecially at night after a nice meal.

I do second the Beach House recommendation though. Great restaurant.

Kuhio Shores is further west. I haven''t stayed there either but it didn''t strike me as particularly romantic-looking from the outside. It''s a great big building out on a point and it''s also even farther away from Poipu and all the restaurants and shops there. Definitely not walkable to the heart of Poipu unless you''re in the mood for a bit of a hike. And if I remember correctly, the beaches over that way are more surfing beaches because they get pretty good wave action. Fun to watch, not so good for swimming or snorkeling. If being really close to a beach is important, the only Poipu condo complexes on an actual, walk to it kind of beach are Kiahuna Plantation and maybe the various condo complexes to the east of Kiahuna. Kiahuna is kind of a family place, but it has fabulous gardens and a restaurant on site. It''s close to things although again anything except the restaurants in the shopping complex across the street involve either driving or walking that same busy road. If you want something special, you might want to look into one of the oceanfront condos at Kiahuna (not oceanview but actually oceanfront). Pricey but you''d be steps from the beach and with a great view. I like that the Kiahuna resort is big but the buildings are only two-story and sprinkled over a big place with lawns and gardens all around. Or if the beach is the attraction look at some of the complexes east of Kiahuna that are on the water. I can''t remember the names but there are others that either have their own sand or you could take the really nice walkway to the Kiahuna beach or Poipu State Park which has the biggest beach of all. There are places to stay near the park but all are across the road from the water.

And definitely eat at Brenneke''s Beach Broiler across from the park if you like fish. Great food.

Hope this helps.

 

[lilyinct]

We went to Kauai and Maui last year, and MUCH preferred Kauai...we stayed at this fabulous little inn, the Kauai Country Inn in the Yellow Ginger Suite...it was fantastic! Not to mention slightly less expensive than a hotel....for breakfast each day, we just went outside and picked from the various fruit trees.... if you go to Kauai, go to Mermaids for lunch for an ahi seaweed wrap...yum!

www.kauaicountryinn.com the website is a bit cheesy....

 

[pearcrazy]

We went to Kauai last year and rented an apartment in Kekaha for $75 a night. It''s way on the western side of the island and at first we were regretting it, but after a day or so of not getting stuck in the horrible traffic around Princeville we were loving the quiet and seclusion. We travelled all the way to the westernmost point on the island (and the westernmost point in the US for that matter) and watched the sun set on an almost deserted beach. It can only be accessed through a private sugarcane field and is about a 4 mile bumpy ride off the road but soooo worth it. It was by far our best adventure on the island. As a local how to get there.

You''ll definately need a car. We made sure we got a convertable and we had a blast being tourists with the top down.

 

[Mara]

lol we got a sebring convertible too our first time and every time we passed another sebring (like every 2 minutes) we were like hey it''s a tourist like us!!! and sometimes they''d wave or we''d wave. it was soooo funny. we loved it though, even though a big bug got into the car one night, and kept making an appearance every night at random places like..my seat...greg''s seat...the backseat..etc. the next time we went we got a jeep because greg wanted to try something different and fun...hehe...that was fun too.

 

[pearcrazy]

Too funny Mara, we got a Sebring convertable too. It screams tourist but eh, who cares? We looked with envy at those tourists who managed to get the Mustang convertables and had a conversation with a couple at a bar who told us that they had to reserve their Mustang convertable 4 months in advance!

Renting a Jeep wouldn't be a bad idea. Some areas of the island are a little rugged, we got stuck on some roots near one of the beach areas and were getting kinda worried about getting out of there.

Here's a link to the Polihale State park. It was as deserted as the picture on the web page. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/beaches/PolihaleStateBeachPark.htm

 

[Mara]

lily...kauai country inn seems really cute, i love the green rose suite!!!

 

[sunkist]

Haha! We were going to get the Sebring convertible too! But we didn''t, we''ll have some kind of SUV. I thought it would be good for driving to remote, secluded beaches

 

[sunkist]

All of this links and recommendations are great everyone. Thank you so much! I can''t wait to go back for a second time, and i still haven''t gone on my first!