Hawaii Trip

[NeekReevers]

Looking to take the wife to Hawaii during the first part of May. Neither of us have been before. We will probably stay for around 2 weeks. I know I want to spend at least a few days on Oahu to check out Pearl Harbor and some of the other typical Hawaiian sites. After that I really have no clue. How many islands and which ones should we try to see with 2 weeks?.....Should we stay in a condo/vacation rental or a hotel?.....Which airline is the best for getting out there and is first class worth it? Budget wise I am willing to splurge a little bit because I don't know when or if we will get back.

We are both pretty laid back people and once we've done the touristy stuff on Oahu we really just want to find a place to relax, eat some good food, and spend some time at the beach, hiking, snorkeling and enjoying other outdoor activities. I'd love some advice from those of you that have spent some time there.

 

[HighStickHarry]

Kuai is awesome for laid back. ive been there three times but I've never been to any other island.

 

[JonnyVito]

I personally love Hawaii it is my favorite vacation spot. I will try my best to help out with other islands but Maui is where I always go now when I go. You have the right idea on Oahu the only reason you could get me to go back there would be for Pearl Harbor. I will go back only for that since the wife has never been. North Shore on Oahu is where Baywatch was filmed and I actually do want to hit the Quicksilver Big Wave surfing comp they do in memory of Eddie Aikau at some point in my life. Oahu just felt like being in the city to me and when I vacation I am not into that type of feel.

Maui is a great island IMO because it has a great combo of laid back atmosphere and great shopping and eating places. I personally stay at a place called Napili Shores Maui by Outrigger but this is a condo and it basically has a bed, full kitchen and bathroom. As I am hardly in my room when in Hawaii I don't like to break the bank in this area. The place is very clean and safe. It is right next to one of the top beaches and it is great for swimming, snorkeling and laying out. I usually swim all afternoon while the wife lays out. They have the sea turtles all in there also so you will 100% get to swim with them. They also have the best breakfast place on the island in the Gazebo. It is about an hour wait though. What I do is rent an ocean side room this is where I spend the extra money. Cost about 300 a night or so maybe 350 but this is what a regular room at Westin will cost. I then just order in breakfast and pick it up every morning. I get the same view just with out an hour wait. If you want more of a resort feel with shopping and restaurants within walking distance the look into the Whalers BAy area. They have some really nice hotels and golf courses down there. Plus they have some good places to eat and of course shopping. I usually rent a car on Maui also. Good eating places: Mamma's Fish House is my favorite place on the island, Paia Fish Market has the best fish taco I have ate and the area is like an art district if your into that kind of thing so it was fun to walk around Paia. If you do the road to Hanna hit this place up as it is on the way. There is a zip line place called Northshore Zipline Co in Haiku and it was a blast. It is on an old WWII base. Wife an I really enjoyed that and I am terrified of heights. Also Lahaina is a great area for shopping and eating. There is a good Italian place there and I love Cheseburgers Paradise down there. There is another place down there I eat at but am forgetting it right now.

On excursions in Maui like I said Northshore Zipline Co is really fun. I just did a snorkel charter on a boat called Hula girl and it was great. The food wasn't all it was cracked up to be but the crew and boat where really nice. Also check out boats doing snorkeling at Molokini crater. That is worth doing at least once and pretty cool. The road to Hana is really fun also just have patience and expect it to take all day long as there are a ton of one lane bridges.

I tried to pull all this from memory hope it helps if you have specific questions on Maui just ask. If I had the chance at a two week Hawaii vacation I would do Oahu for 2 days then go to Kauai for the rest of the week. Then I would spend a week in Maui. Kauai is more laid back then Maui and has more of the outside activities then shopping. Hope it helps

 

[N. Pappagiorgio]

I am extremely familiar with the Hawaiian Islands and there is not a simple answer to your inquiry....

All Islands have everything...golf, beaches, hiking, good food, ocean sports, etc...
Some Islands are better than other Islands for various things. The Big Island is the best golf island. Maui is the best beach island. Oahu is the best shopping island. Kauai may have the best hiking.

I would do a cruise between Islands if time would allow or visit a couple of Islands by air.

VRBO's are a great option unless you want a high end Four Seasons type experience.

 

[Dally1up]

Old Lahaina Luau is real good on Maui and probably a tourist activity that you should do once. Food and entertainment was great.

 

[3putt]

While on Maui we did the bicycle ride down the volcano, It was about a 25 mile ride but you really never have to peddle. you will be riding the brake most of the time. The blue water rafting tour was also a lot of fun. It gets pretty rough out there so this may not be for everyone. they take you to see caves along the shore line and snorkel out at Molokini. It is pretty cool because they let you snorkel on the backside of Molokini as well as inside.

If you are active I would highly recommend doing both.

 

[Headhunter]

I've been to Maui and Kauai. I was much more impressed with Kauai. More beautiful and less commercial than Maui.

You can have a great vacation on any of the islands from what I've heard but I'd go back to Kauai in a heart beat. Would like to check out the Big Island one day.

I will say the snorkeling and whale watching was nice in Maui.

 

[SKC]

I spent time on Oahu and Kauai, and I don't plan to ever stay on Oahu in the future, unless I'm attending a specific event (wedding, etc) that is on that island.

This last trip we stayed just east of Lihue, Kauai, and loved it. It's a far more natural-feeling island and you feel less like you're in a city. Easy to get around. Quite a few nice beaches. Good hiking.

Honolulu / Waikiki is just another large city with all the downer things that go with a large city. Visit Honolulu once to visit Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl Cemetery, Diamondhead (if you want) and then fly back to the island you're staying on.

The day you plan to visit Pearl Harbor, go early. While the tickets are free, they can sell out by mid / late morning. We've typically arrived by 8am and are able to get the timed-entry tickets with minimal waiting.

I recommend visiting the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. The USS Missouri is also a fun tour. It's an awesome experience to tour the USS Arizona Memorial which represents the US entry into WW2, then tour the USS Missouri which is where the war ended.

Just about every major airline serves Hawaii. Most routes to the mainland have transitioned to narrow body aircraft, so if you have the means, first class can give you some of the room back that you lose with the smaller planes. Of course, if you're departing from the west coast (originating or connecting) it's only a 5 hour flight, so even in coach, that's not too incredibly long. Just last year we flew DFW-HNL on AA on the 8 hr non-stop, and we just made sure we got up plenty of times and walked around, and it wasn't horrible.

When looking at flights, check into Lihue (LIH) on Kauai, Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO) on the big island, and Kahalui (OGG) on Maui, in addition to connections in HNL. Sometimes you'll find non-stops that are cheaper, sometimes the connecting ones are.

If you're okay with the ultra low cost carriers, Allegiant Air flies to HNL from LAS and LAX. You'll definitely have to be okay with minimal leg room here, though.

 

[cableok]

Love Hawaii. Been to all the islands with the exception of Molokai .. And of course the forbidden island.
Agree with suggestion of Maui as the best.
Kauai is incredibly beautiful on the north side around Hanalei and the Napali Coast.
The big island has the fun of the active volcanoes.
Going to Pearl Harbor is a great experience in Oahu. Hiking Diamond Head is a relatively easy, for Hawaii standards, hike.
You will love going.