What islands are best to visit? Hotel/motel/condo/cottage? Organized tours/hikes/water trips or on your own? Restaurants or areas that are a must or to avoid? We want to go to Hawaii while we are still young enough to enjoy it - probably in a couple of years..... anyone have any info or tips?

By Pamt on Monday, July 4, 2005 - 07:59 pm:

I haven't , but I have friends who go annually, plus my brother and SIL got married there. It is always unanimous from everyone that Maui is the best island. That's about all of the info I have since I have no first-hand experience. I do hear that the USS Arizona is a must-see.

By Jann on Monday, July 4, 2005 - 08:43 pm:

I think the Big Island of Hawaii is fabulous! I have been to wonderful beaches, so Maui (while gorgeous) was just another beach. I want to see things I can't see anywhere else when I vacation, that's why the big island is so unique. There is the Volcano National Park with an active volcano! The Waipeo (not spelling that right) Valley with beautiful waterfalls. We went horseback riding down the side of the waterfall to a black sand beach and went swimming. So many other things to do there too.
The Mauni Lani is really nice and they have condos/villas that you can rent for almost the price of two hotel rooms. I think there is also a really big Hyatt too.
The Arizona is amazing, you can do that the day you leave from Honolulu.

By Melanie on Monday, July 4, 2005 - 09:08 pm:

LOL, I just got back from Maui last night!! We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. Beautiful with amazing service. We went snorkeling at Molokini. We went on the Paragon II for that adventure. We chose that because it was a sailboat with only 30+ passengers as opposed to the 100+ that go out on most of the other boats. It was amazing and I would definitely recommend it! We went to the Old Lahaina Luau and had a blast. I am happy to answer anything I can about Maui. We were only there from Tuesday through Sunday and spent much of our time relaxing, but if there is anything I can help with, just let me know. (And if your dh golfs, I am sure my dh will be happy to answer what he can about the golf courses. He golfed on two of the courses.)

By Bea on Monday, July 4, 2005 - 11:39 pm:

I was not thrilled with Oahu. Honolulu is a big crowded tourist trap. Waikiki Beach could have been Atlantic City. BORING. The Polynesian Cultural Center, The USS Arizona, The Punchbowl, Queen Liliuokalani house, and all of the North Shore are nice.

I love Kauai best. The Kalapaki Coast and Na Pali Coast, where the cliffs rise 4,000 feet above the ocean, are totally awe inspiring. That's where they filmed Jurassic Park. Lumahai Beach, where they filmed the movie South Pacific. The Fern Grotto is so beautiful. Old Koloa Town and the town of Hanalei are fascinating. The snorkeling was the best.

Like Melanie, we enjoyed Maui. We were there during the whale time in spring and it was fantastic. We snorkeled over Molokini Crater from a catamaran, and had whales breaching next to us on the return trip. Spinner dolphins practically jumped over our boat. We also went to the Old Lahaina Luau and enjoyed every minute. Coming out we noticed a strange arc in the sky. We were told it was a common moonbow, a nighttime rainbow caused by the reflected light of a full moon. The Haleakala Crater is something you can't miss. The town of Lahaina has a banyan tree the size of a city block, and a history that is unique. It's a quirky mixture of New England and Hawaii.

By Bea on Monday, July 4, 2005 - 11:42 pm:

We went with time share, and had a week in a two bedroom condo on the beach on each island. WE rented a car each time. THe mobility was very important. We never had a bad meal, but it was expensive.

By Feona on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 07:55 am:

I think Bea did it right. There is a six hour time lag - jet lag.... You are tired at night.

You need minimun 2 weeks to see anything.

I think a week an island is perfect.

There is a cruise around the islands - ncl. 7 days.

Or if I had two weeks - I would do two island so not as to get too tired.

I agree with everything Bea said but I didn't see all the thing she did. The north shore is better.... You can drive to one side of the island in 1 1/2 hours anyway...

I want to go back and do a island a week.

If I only had a two weeks I would do the cruise and pick and island... I am not sure which one...

Try to get a direct flight if it isn't too expensive. Try expedia or something to see.

Bring a sweater. and some sinus medicine. It is delightfully breezy. and humid but you don't feel the humidity too much. I got a sinus infection...

They say the hawaian breezes are like no other. It is true. The water licks you legs like not other place I have been. Warm and delightful with those breezes.

The polynesian cultural center is not to be missed if staying on that island. The show and the whole place is the only hawaian culture you can get on that island.

I want to go back... Even though it is an exhausting trip. When you get back you are jet lagged six hours the wrong way.

By Jann on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 08:52 am:

Oh, I wasn't saying Maui wasn't gorgeous, it was!
Just for me, I like going to see stuff I have never seen before.
I definitely agree with the others, a week is best. We did 3 days on Maui, 3 on the Big Island and a day in Oahu. That was nice.
We timed our flights to where we flew at night and arrived there or home in the am.

By Kaye on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 09:14 am:

I have been three times, but have only been to oahu. I think in general you can't go wrong! I would love to move there. I would reccomend doing at least one or two of the tour things, they always seem to show you the smaller things, and not as known by tourists. We went snorkeling behind magnum pi's house when we were there. I stayed on wakiki last time and adored it, yes it was busy, but it was beautiful all the same.

By Kate on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 09:35 am:

I did a week on Maui and a week on Kauai. I liked Maui better because I really like skyscraper hotels and Kauai has zoning laws that you can't build anything higher than a palm tree so most hotels are only three, possibly four stories tall. On Kauai we got stuck on a ground floor, no less. I would do the usual parasailing, helicopter tour, sunrise bike tour etc. Eat lots of pineapple, it's amazing! Do a raft tour in Kauai and go in and out of the shoreline and waterfalls. The helicopter tour we did in Kauai and it's really a gorgeous island to see from above. Feona is correct, it's VERY breezy! My hair drove me NUTS! It HAD to be completely back in a ponytail (and even then the 'tail' whipping around bugged me). So be prepared with either super short hair or lots of barrettes and ponytail holders. Also, not sure if this bugs you or not (it does me) at most places you eat outdoors. This bothered me for two reasons: I NEVER eat outside as I worry too much about the bugs landing on my food. Fortunately Hawaii doesn't HAVE too many bugs, but it still worried me. Also, because you eat outside, they don't have smoking sections (at least it was like this everywhere I went in 1992, which, granted, was a looooong time ago) so I was stuck near some smokers a lot of time and that always bothers me.

You pretty much can't go wrong in Hawaii....a tour of pineapple or sugarcane plantations is cool, too. Have fun planning!

By Feona on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 09:50 am:

The papaya and pineapple are the most amazing things to eat.

I think a week in Maui and Kauai(garden isle)

or Kono (volcanos)

would be most interesting. Though the north side of the main isle is interesting too....

See you need a month!

The car rental is a must I think. A few organized things might be nice too. Don't forget to go to the beach for at least 1/4 of the trip!

Tripadvisor.com is amazing for planning trips. We stayed in the hilton hawaian villiage in honolulu. It is nice, but too big. I think the north shore was nicer.

The zoo is a sad sad small place.
The aquarium is a good aquarium.
Sealife was okay to miss.
Maui has a really nice aquarium.
polnesian cultural villiage not to be missed.
dole plantation had a large pineapple maze that was fun. If you like those things..

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 04:48 pm:

I have never been there. I sure would like to taste real Hawaiian pineapple! I'm sure it's like eating oranges, or fresh-squeezed orange juice, in Florida. There must be nothing quite like it! Oranges in Florida, were a whole different thing from eating Florida oranges, in WI!

By Melanie on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 04:51 pm:

Dawn, the pineapple there are like little slices of heaven. Dh and I would sit out at the pool and order plate after plate of it. YUM!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 05:09 pm:

Oh yum! I know that oranges IN Florida tasted way better than any oranges around here!

By Bea on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 10:43 pm:

Try the Del Monte Golden Pineapple in your supermarket. Bring it home, and place it on your counter, out of direct sunlight. When you can smell it from about 5 feet away, it's ready to slice. They taste like sheer heaven.

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, July 6, 2005 - 07:48 am:

Bea, I buy those, they are delicious! I bought a pineapple corer from Williams Sonoma - it works like magic!

Thanks for all the info and ideas and suggestions, we are starting a *folder* on Hawaii, since this is a dream of ours, and hopefully, in a couple of years, we can go!