hawaii

[bluesfan]

We are planning a trip to Hawaii and I need help. Any suggestions or comments would be great. We are going to use points for 1 week and cash for the other week. We are planning on going to Oahu, Hawaii and either Kauii or Maui. Please share any good or bad experiences that you have had and which islands you would recommend.

:sunny:

[kem330]

You will have a hard time using points on Oahu- there are not many good timeshare properties there. If you can trade into Marriott with II, Ko'olina is a nice resort but kind of out of the way. So I probably would use cash on Oahu. As far as other islands go- it depends on your preferences. Kauai is very lush and laid back. You would want to stay at the south end of the island in the winter months as the surf is quite rough on the North Shore and it is more rainy there. Maui is beautiful, great beaches but more built up and if you are trading to Kapalua, it can also be quite windy there and its out of the way as well. We really like the Wailea area, but have not found any good timeshares there and have rented condos instead. The Big Island (Hawaii) is really different- lots of lava rock and lots of driving to get around, more rocky shoreline with beaches spread out. The resorts tend to be oasis of lush landscaping and golf, but when you leave it looks a little like you are on the moon- kind of rocky and desolate (except for the Hilo side which is rain forest- but no good resorts there). Mauni Lani is beautiful but pricey for food. We really haven't traded to any of the islands- only cash for various reasons, but I've seen the Marriott properties and they are nice if you can get in to them.(Dean knows more about this). I'm especially intrigued with the new Marriott resort at Waioho- Poipu Beach in Kauai It is in an excellent location with a nice beach. You could always rent your points and use the cash to rent a condo or stay in a hotel.

[ncligs]

We are planning on going in 2004, with FF miles, but Dean and DisneyDiane have excellent info on Hawaii. I am sure as soon as they see your post they will help you out.;)

[Dean]

I don't have the energy to type out the info right now. Just do a search with my name and words like Marriott, Maui, Kaui, Hawaii, World Passport, Interval, exchange as variables and I think you should get everything I know. Put in my name, chose the appropriate board from the pull down and put in one variable at a time then right click on the search to open a new window. Look through the threads and read the ones that seem to help. Do the same for each variable until you feel you have all the info you need. There is a lot of info there about exchanging as well as HI which may be helpful to you. If there are more questions after that, just let me know either here or directly and I'll do what I can.

We'll be in HI in 2 weeks for 2 weeks but didn't actually use DVC to exchange.

[edith76]

We just returned from 2 weeks in beautiful Kauai. We had a wonderful stay at one of the Pahio resorts in Princeville - exchange through rci, not dvc. Hawaii Visitors Bureau has great info they will send you on the islands. I think the website is gohawaii.com but I'm not sure. They print a brochure that's an overview of HI and one on each island. The info helps when choosing the right island for you as the islands are very different.

[bluesfan]

Thanks for all of your suggestions, it is very helpful.

Dean, thanks also for leading me in the direction to get even more information and have a great time on your upcoming trip.

[thepoohbear]

In addition to what everyone has already said, which I agree with completely, I just wanted to add a few things. First of all, if you are going in the winter (January to I think March), the whales migrate to the ocean right off Maui. Depending on the location of your hotel room, you could see them right off your balcony (lanai, in Hawaiian). They also offer whale watching trips.
Also, if you like nightlife, Kauai doesn't have much. Most places close pretty early--around 9 usually. We always stop in Oahu first so we get that all out of our system first and we're not really night owls so that doesn't matter to us but it does for some people.
Kauai is a smaller island and you can get from one place to another fairly easily which is nice. If you read about something in a guide book, it's not too hard to check it out.
Kauai is very lush, green, and tropical. I think it's more what people imagine when they think of Hawaii. I found Maui to be surprisingly rocky and dry (except on the Road to Hana) but the beaches are beautiful.
Truthfully, when it comes to Hawaii, I don't think you can go wrong.

[dianeschlicht]

We returned from our 3rd Hawaii trip in May. We had 3 weeks there this time. ! week at Pahio Bali Hai in Princeville, Kauai. One week at Kona Coast II resort on a DVC exchange in Kona, Hawaii. The remaining time was split before the first week and after the second week at two different hotels on Waikiki.

If it is your first trip, you will want to do at least 3-4 days on Oahu to do the historic things, Polynesian Cultural Center etc., but it is far from what I call Hawaii!!! Too much big city!!!:o

I think the Big Island of Hawaii is my personal favorite because of all the diversity there. You know, volcanos, mountains, flowers......! Kauai is a nice slow pace and very beautiful, but can get boring after awhile. We prefer the North side of Kauai (Princeville) or the East side near Kapaa . Maui has a lot to do and see, but has gotten quite commercial. I like the Lahaina area on Maui. The Road to Hana is a must there too, as well as Haleakala.

We did helicopter tours, small airplane tours, wagon team rides, and a host of driving in a rental car to the Volcanos National Park, etc. We love the old polynesian history and temples on the Big Island.

Just ask if you have more questions.

[bluesfan]

I really like all the good information that these boards provide.

Thepoohbear - the ideas that you have given sounds like what we are looking for. We are planning on going in March 2004, so the whale watching trips would be exciting. I think that we are gearing more towards Maui instead of Kauai, not necessarily for the nightlife, but we want to do some of the sightseeing on Maui. This is our first time to Hawaii, so we want to do the "tourist stuff" along with time to relax. We will just have to go again another time to catch some of the other islands. We will probably also go to Oahu first to get that over and then relax.

Disneydiane - your 3rd trip, that is great! I was actually in Hawaii many years ago when I was about 13, but I'm lucky to remember yesterday let alone years ago (age is creeping up on us). Since it was so long ago, I am really thinking of this as my first trip. I'm sure so much has changed and this is my husbands first trip to Hawaii. It sounds like 3-4 days in Oahu is probably a perfect amount of time. We are going for 2 weeks so my dilema is how to split up the other 10 days between Maui and Hawaii. We are going to have some points banked, so I'm not sure if we want to go 5 days each and use points at Kapalua Bay and Mauni Lani or try to get 1 week in an exchange and 3 days at the other island and possibly pay cash for those days.

Thanks both of you for your suggestions.

Cindy

[RLevy29]

Since this is your first time to Hawaii, Maui is a very good choice. Even though it is more built up you can still enjoy the beauty of the island. Do not miss Haleakala. The crater looks like you are on the moon, and you can see views of West Maui and some of the other islands.
Kauai is very laid back but there are many exciting things to do. There is Waimea Canyon which is nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. You can take a boat ride and see the Napali Cliffs. They are magnificent! If you like beaches, Barking Sands beach is beautiful. Bring lots of water and sunscreen though; it is VERY hot and dry. Kauai is also the island where you are more likely to meet native Hawaiians.
For some good information get the book Hidden Hawaii by Ray Riegert. This book gives you information on all kinds of places that are not your typical tourist attractions . I could go on and on about Hawaii. We have been there 6 times and the only island that we haven't been to is Oahu. It is a very special place and I don't think that you can go wrong no matter what island you choose. Good Luck!

[travelbug]

I've been to 3 of the Hawaiian Islands, and have enjoyed each one in a different way. Nine years ago, I spent 5 days on Oahu and 7 days on Kauai. I agree with what others have said about those islands. Oahu has some of the more famous spots to visit, like the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, Polynesian Cultural Center, etc. But it is pretty busy and congested around the Honolulu/Waikiki area. Kauai is very lush, tropical, and laidback. We found it nice and relaxing.

In March of this year, we spent 8 nights at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island. I did a detailed trip report when I got back. You can do a search with my name and key words "Mauna Lani" to find lots of details. We loved the Mauna Lani, and had a marvelous time. The Big Island has a lot of variety and lots of places to explore.

Haven't been to Maui yet, but hope to get there in the near future.

Our absolute favorite tour book was "Hawaii - The Big Island Revealed" by Doughty. The pictures, descriptions, and details were outstanding. I think that Doughty also wrote "Maui Revealed", but I'm not sure if he also wrote about the other islands.

Happy planning! :D

[lampy]

Maui is a great choice, but, trying to get an exchange for a week there will be VERY difficult.

I have had a request in since last August for a Maui exchange and have had no luck. I gave them any month of the year 2003 or 2004. They did offer Kona Coast II - but for our reasons we were not interested.

I am now pursuing an exchange at TUG or other means, good luck with your search.

[melanieewr]

We will be going to Hawaii for the 3rd time next January. We stayed in a hotel on Waikiki the first time for a week. The last time was January 2001 and we stayed in private homes. I loved this option. We started with 6 days on the Big Island and rented a wonderful 3 BR ocean view from Sunquest. It was great a gourmet kitchen, fabulous master bath with a double shower, bidet and tons of space. This home now has a pool but it didn't when we were there. I believe the rent then was $175-$200 per night. Worth every penny. It even had a papaya tree to pick fruit from. We thouroughly enjoyed this island. It is so unusual and we spent lots of time driving aroung it seeing all the diverse scenery. Hapuna Beach is PERFECT!!! We boogie boarded there almost every day.

Next we spent 4 days on Kauai. This was my favorite home but my least favorite island. It is beautiful but a little too laid back. The house was directly on Anini beach which is okay but the sand is coarse and grainy and no waves. It is a very popular area for locals, but we were at the far end and saw very few people just lots of roosters. They are everywhere on Kauai...even in the Wal-Mart parking lot! But this house was Perfect! It was 2 BR with a granite and stainless kitchen, fabulous master bath with jacuzzi, wood floors throughout and a wrap around fiber lighted porch that was heavenly. I believe it rented for $225 per night.

Next...the nightmare. The house I picked on Oahu was in the Hawaii Kai area. Not a good area and a horrible house! It was old and smelly, not at all what it was represented to me. I got on the internet the first night and searched for another place. We had a total of 10 people and there was no way to find enough to do for 7 days for all of us to keep us away from that HOUSE! Luckily I had only paid for the 1st night. I found a wonderful lady who helped me out (she had actually stayed at the awful house we were in when she was house-hunting and really sympathized with me) and let us stay in her Kailua Beach House for an amazing deal. It was 5 BR and Beautiful and sat directly on one of the best beaches in the world.

Our next trip will be back on the Big Island in a different home. Then Maui and back to Oahu.

If you decide to try the private home option, just do a search. A good place to start is VRBO.com or greatrentals.com or vacationhosts.com.

Melanie

[stlrod]

We're leaving for Maui and Kauai in just one week. We rented our points to pay for the vacation. Half were rented on ebay (before the new restrictions were imposed) and the other half on these boards. I rented 300 points for a liitle more than $3,000. In both cases, it was simple to do. I then used the cash to buy rooms at the Hyatt Kannapali and the Hyatt Kaui on Hotwire for 8 nights and booked the Kahala Mandarin for our last night. The total was about $2300, so I used the remainder to book a helicopter tour, luau and dolphin swim (one night. I believe it was a better value than using the points for rooms at the Concierge Collection hotels. I understand though that many people would find it easier just to book through DVC. My suggestion would be that if you want the maximum value for your points, go this route. An exchange at one of the Marriotts will be difficult, even with new resorts opening on Kauai and Oahu.

P.S. Are you and East-sider?

[bluesfan]

Thanks Stlrod. Another great suggestion of how to get this trip going. Not an East-sider. We are from Peoria.

[kem330]

Just to second stlrod's recommendations. Unless you need the size of condo, The Hyatt in Kauai has magnificent grounds and the Kahala Mandarin is an exceptional hotel- and you can get a fourth night free deal bringing your room cost down to a reasonable level- there is no bad rooms in this hotel so book the garden view category, they often upgrade you. The rooms are to die for and the location is just far enough from the hustle of Waikiki to be relaxing , but close enough if you want some action. My sister lives on Oahu so we go every couple years, at first we did not like Honolulu, but have since found other great spots on the island and have even gotten to appreciate Waikiki a little more!

[Allan]

We've only been to Hawaii once. We spent a couple of days on Oahu seeing the sights and 6 nights at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island and it was wonderful. There is so much diversity on the Big Island that I would love to go back there. I agree with melanieewr, Hapuna beach is beautiful. We also spent one night at Kilauae Lodge and toured the Volcano National Park the next day-not to miss. We hiked to the green beach at south point and that was unbelievable. We also took a horseback ride to Kealakekua bay (with a guy named Bones) and snorkled, something I'll never forget. Without a doubt, it was the trip of a lifetime for us, and with DVC we plan to do it again. :)

[JohnG]

...........IMHO, trying to do three Islands is overkill.

We've been to Hawaii at least once each year since '84 and are going back for 16 days this Aug/Sept, so I hope you'll believe me when I say this.

My suggestions..........spend just two full days on Oahu and then the rest of the time on one other Island.

You'll be up at the crack of dawn on day one, so use that early start to go to Pearl Harbor (get breakfast at the coffee shop there and be the first in line when they open [around 7 or so]). You'll be done by 9 or 10 and can go see Punch Bowl and then walk to the top of Diamond Head if you're game (pretty strenuous walk on a rough trail, but well worth it when you get to the top!). Have a late lunch and then drive to the North Shore (winter surf should be up!) and then wind down and relax with a Sunset Dinner Cruise off Waikiki. The second day you can veg on the beach.

Fly to your next stop the following morning, stay on that Island for the duration and dream about the return trip you'll make in a few years to see one or two of the other Islands.

Note - it's less than 1/2 hour to fly between most Islands, but with the distance most hotels are from the airports on Maui/Kauai/Hawaii you need to leave your hotel at least 3 1/2 hours before depature. By the time you land, collect your luggage, pick up your Rental, drive to your Hotel, check in and get your luggage delivered to your room YOU WILL WASTE AN ENTIRE DAY BY CHANGING ISLANDS.

Since this is basically your first trip to Hawaii, I suggest making Maui your "Out Island" stop. Bike down Haleakala. Combine a whale watching cruise with a snorkeling trip to Molokini. Vistas of Molokai and Kahoolave from Kaanapali Beach. Dining and Shopping in Lahaina. More Rainbows than any other Island (over the West Maui Mountains, mainly). Etc., etc.

And - our favorite Islands are Kauai (epitome of RELAXATION) and Hawaii (more options than any other Island)! Still, Maui is the one I really think every first-timer should see. We only go back to Maui about every five years, but it is the one to see on the first trip.

ENJOY!

[manning]

Are there other high quality accomadations other than expensive beach front hotels? How important is it to stay at a beach front hotel?

[kem330]

It depends how important it is to you! For us landlocked midwesterners, it is such a treat to be on the beach, I really enjoy waking up and looking out at the ocean out the balcony or eating breakfast outside at the beachfront terrace restaurant. Which island are you looking at? On Oahu if you want an excellent location, that's not a ton of money, the New Otani Kamaina at the far end near Diamond Head is reasonable with a nice beach and great little restaurant to eat breakfast (or other meals) right on the beach looking out at Waikiki. In Maui there are condos in Wailea that have ocean views and are quite a lot cheaper than sister resorts on the beach. Also all beaches are public and the access points are frequent. So it really depends on your preferences. But as a rule the more luxurious places are on the beach or across from it except for the Lodge at Koele on Lanai, which is inland.

[melanieewr]

One more thing that I just did for our upcoming Januaray trip...Aloha Airlines (we always use them for our interisland flights) is a partner with United. It takes 5000 United miles to purchase a round trip interisland flight with Aloha and they allow one open-jaw. Currently United is offering 10,000 FF miles to sign up for their credit card with an annual fee of $60. There are lots of ways to earn bonus miles also. Check their website at United.com

I think the last time that we went it was $360 for 6 one way flight coupons on Aloha.

Melanie

[thepoohbear]

I just thought of something that I should have mentioned before. I ordered the Entertainment Book for Hawaii over the internet. It gave me 50% off all of my hotels which ended up being a huge savings. I was able to book hotels that would have been out of my price range.
As far as ocean front, I would really try to swing it at least on Maui. The views there are breathtaking. You can get a really pretty city view on Oahu for much cheaper. The ocean view rooms there are SO expensive.

[tkldisney]

We have been to Hawaii lots of times and Maui is our favorite island. We have stayed at at the Maui Marriott several times, the Renaissance Wailea, Kapula Bay Hotel, Westin, Ritz at Kapula, & the Kea Lani Wailea. I have to say we like the Maui Marriott best, (though the Westin' pool bar has the best Mai Tai's we've ever found.) We go there every visit. The Wailea area is very very nice, but is a far drive to Lahaina and there's not much beach. Ka'anapali has the best beach if you want that. The Marriott just did total rehab (changed to include vacation club rentals) and is great. We were there last Nov. and is really nice. Great Pool!!:Pinkbounc

There's a lot to do and you can island hop to do day a trip like Pearl Harbor which is very emotional and recommended. I agree with JohnG, spend you time on one island.

Are next visit to Maui will be over Christmas in 2004. We will be taking our two nieces for there first trip. They will both be almost 13. We have no children so we get to spoil them.

[disneydawn6]

I used my Disney Club card with the Entertainment symbol on the back. They took it all my hotels for 50% rack rate.. We stayed at the Aston Kanapalli Villas for $80 a night:D Was a nice large studio with a fridge coffe maker etc. Little old but couldn't beat the price.. Could walk to the Sharaton, Westin, Mariott Hyatt etc.

[eva]

Hey bluesfan, we are neighbors. We are from Pekin, IL. We are considering a trip to Hawaii next year too. Right now just trying to decide between that or an Alaska cruise. So thanks for asking about Hawaii. This thread has given me a lot of information to help in the decision making.

[stlrod]

If you go to two islands, base the number of nights you stay at the island where you are paying cash on the desired hotel's "free night" promotion. Almost every hotel has a promotion whereby if you stay "x" number of nights, you get a free night. In Oahu, it's usually 4th night free and on Kauai and Maui, it ranges from 5th, 6th to 7th (with 5th being a rarity). The inter-island flight using FF miles is a great deal. American offers 2 segments on Hawaiian Air for 5,000 miles per passenger. If you accumulate FF miles, watch for reduced mile specials. We were able to buy 2 of the 4 tiuckets we needed by using only 20,000 miles plus $350. Keep in mind that where you are located, you get two airports to choose from (STL and ORD). American now flies non-stop from STL to Maui and Oahu w/ connecting service through LAX to Kauai and the Big Island. By flying directly to the island of choice or connecting through LAX, you avoid most of the expense of the inter-island flight from HNL (the cost to fly directly to one of the other islands is usually the same price or just a few dollars more than flying to HNL.) To decide what islands you should go to, order the brochures from each island's tourism bureau (www.gohawaii.com) and see what looks most interesting. You can check out the activities available on each island by going to www.hawaiiactivityworld.com, which I have found to be an excellent activity booking agency (Lynn has been wonderful.)

[DVC1996]

This is such a great thread! Dh and I are considering making an exchange to Hawaii in the future but instead of using our DVC points we might use our Marriott Reward points. Has anyone here ever done that before and if so.....what Marriott hotels do you recommend for first-timers?

[stlrod]

Although I have not stayed at any of the Marriott resorts, I have heard very good things about the JW at Ko'Olina, the Marriott on Maui and the Marriott on Kauai. Big Island does not have a Marriott. There are also two in Waikiki (the Renaissance and the Marriott resort, both of which just completed major renovations.) Prices on the two Waikiki resorts are fairly low and would probably not be the best use of your points. The JW, Kauai and Maui all require the same number of points and you need to book far in advance. The best deal using Rewards is the 7-night multi-hotel award which was 125,000 but I think a little higher now. By this time next year, there will be four Marriott timeshare resorts, Ko'Olina, Maui and two on Kauai including a new one at Poipu Beach. If you are a Marriott timeshare owner in addition to DVC, you can get a 25% discount at the timeshare resorts. I had been able to get it in Maui and Kauai when I first looked into it about 4-5 months ago, but then opted for Hyatts (when is Marriott going to do something about its mattresses?). If not a Marriott owner, you can get some pretty good deals for car/hotel packages if you take a timeshare tour. If interested, you can e-mail me with your name, address and telephone number and I'll turn the information over to Marriott