2 Weeks- 2 or 3 Islands with Teen

[ct7878]

I know that this board is Aulani specific, but it’s seems many of you have included other islands in your travel and I am looking for some opinions. DH, DS (14) and I will be traveling to Hawaii in June of 2019. While I have been to Hawaii (on a cruise), DH and DS have not. We will be spending 7 night in Maui at the Wailea Marriott (that is a travel package and can’t be modified or shortened). We then have another week- I am torn between spending the remainder of the trip all on Oahu (4 night at Waikiki or North Shore/3 nights Aulani) or to travel to Kauai for three night and then spent 4 nights in Oahu (2 Aulani/ 2 elsewhere). DS wants to visit Pearl Harbor and DH wants to spend time on the North Shore and we all want to stay at Aulani so Oahu is a must.

I think my biggest concern about spending the full week in Oahu is that my family does not like cities/traffic (all though we live in Orlando so it’s not like they are not used to traffic and such- just don’t like on vacation) - they really enjoys more off the beaten path travel. This summer we went to Iceland and Paris- they would both go back to Iceland in a heartbeat but did not really enjoy our time in France (I still can’t understand this, but this is what I live with ).

With this is mind, I am concerned that they will find Oahu too developed (especially Waikiki) and would really like the Kaua’i and the feel. However, it does feel like a lot of travel. Anyone have any experience- is 3 night too short for Kaua’i or 4 nights too short for Oahu (2 of these days will be fully spent at Aulani enjoying the resort) How long does it really take to island hop from a travel perspective? If you have traveled with teens, what have they really enjoyed doing?

 

[Magical2017]

I have never stayed at Aluani, but much prefer Kauai to Oahu. It is our favorite island.

 

[southerngirl528]

I think my biggest concern about spending the full week in Oahu is that my family does not like cities/traffic (all though we live in Orlando so it’s not like they are not used to traffic and such- just don’t like on vacation) - they really enjoys more off the beaten path travel. This summer we went to Iceland and Paris- they would both go back to Iceland in a heartbeat but did not really enjoy our time in France (I still can’t understand this, but this is what I live with ).

Okay, you asked for opinions, and here's mine : Do only TWO islands. It takes up a LOT of time each day you travel. Even inter-island travel you still have to get to the airport with the same amount of time (minimum 1.5 hours) ahead of your flight. Hawaii is about just BEING. Just soaking it in.

We go to Hawaii every year, mostly to Maui, and every 2 or 3 years we have been adding Aulani for several days. Like your family, I can't stand the busy hustle and bustle of Honolulu/Waikiki, but the good news about Aulani is that it is about 40 min (give or take as traffic can be BAD if you're going the same direction as rush hour traffic!) outside of Honolulu. Aulani is in a posh golf community and nice and quiet. We love it there. I think your idea of splitting your Oahu time between Aulani and North Shore is a great idea and sounds like your family would MUCH prefer that!

Kauai is lovely. Really lovely. My favorite part is the eastern and north shore there, but it is RAINY. It's why it's so lush, but it does rain a lot. I would save Kauai for a future trip. From what you have said, I think you would be happier with only 2 islands in 2 weeks. JMO.

Btw, Wailea is lovely. We stay in West Maui but always have to go to Wailea to go to Sweet Paradise Chocolatier. Hand made European style chocolates but with exotic TROPICAL flavors! A little bit of heaven in each morsel!! It's in the Wailea Gateway shopping center where Monkeypod Kitchen is located. Do NOT miss it if you love truly outstanding chocolates.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

I grew up spending 2 weeks on Kauai every summer, it is still my go-to island. We love the vibe, the beaches, the chickens and the rain... without rain you can’t have rainbows! We have done two weeks on the big island recently, and are planning a 16 day, 3 island trip next summer. Our Dd will be 15. We just got done country hopping all over Europe for three weeks, so I know it’s doable for our family to hop. I agree with pp, do two islands... you will get to soak in the atmosphere so much more. Our trip is essentially two islands. We are doing 6 days in Maui and 6 in Kauai. But the last four days we are doing Aulani with some Pearl Harbor thrown in. Flights from where we live usually connect in Oahu anyway. So I figured we would end with Oahu. I already know it’s not my Hawaiian-style... but Dd is old enough for Pearl Harbor, and I figured we would end with some pampering in Aulani... the rest of our stay is in condos.

 

[nkereina]

You'll see there are some varying opinions here which is totally fine, so keep in mind this is subjective. It entirely depends how you like to travel and what your future travel plans may bring.

For us, DH and I knew this could be our one and only trip to Hawaii - or at least our only trip for many years. It was our honeymoon so we wanted to stay for as long as possible, and see and do as much as possible. Coming from the East Coast, it was cheapest for us to book round-trip air to and from Honolulu, so we book-ended our trip with stays on Oahu.

We did 3 nights in Waikiki first - we knew we'd be up early from the time change, and took advantage of this by doing organized tours to Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head which are best done early in the morning. By doing organized tours, we didn't need to rent a car and were able to walk everywhere in Waikiki for shopping and dining. We also used the Pink Line Trolley which is cheap and easy to use. From there, we flew to Maui for 3 nights. Then to Kauai for 3 nights. We loved Kauai and thought 3 nights was just right - we did a helicopter tour over Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast and a sunset dinner cruise around the Na Pali Coast which was my favorite thing we did the whole trip. We then flew back to Oahu and picked up a rental car, and spent our last 6 nights at Aulani. We explored the rest of Oahu including the North Shore, windward side and Kailua. We didn't return to Honolulu/Waikiki, so we didn't encounter much of a city feel or *too* much traffic during that portion of our trip. We did contend with some rush hour traffic getting over to the windward side in the morning. But we felt Oahu had the most to do and see, which is why we spent the most time there.

It sounds like a lot of bouncing around, but we were very satisfied with everything we saw and did, and we were able to see and do everything we had on our list. I know there's tons more to explore on each island, but the same goes for any vacation destination. You never get to do it all.

My vote would be 3 nights Kauai and 4 nights Oahu. Personally, I would do 4 nights at Aulani but 2 nights there and 2 nights in Waikiki would work too, and maybe be cheaper.

Another tip from experience - book your island hopping flights for either early morning or late night. We booked ours for mid-day thinking we could sleep in, leisurely check-out, and possibly have a room ready when we arrived at the next resort. All of this was true, but it ate up the best portion of the day and we lost time on both islands because of it. The flights themselves are short and the airports are small - 2 hours in advance is NOT necessary and we learned this the hard way. LOL! Have a great trip!

 

[olafLover]

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[nkereina]

If you aren't keen on cities, why do both of your plans have nights on Oahu that are not in Aulani? We did 3 nights Waikiki, 3 nights Aulani and 5 nights on Kauai, Maui and Big Island. We loved seeing all the differences between the islands. And I have to say, Waikiki was our least favorite part. We explored the North shore from Aulani, and also did Kualoa ranch. We did Pearl harbor from Waikiki with an organised tour because we didn't have a car there, but you'd be perfectly able to do it from Aulani with a car!

I agree that if someone isn't keen on cities, Waikiki isn't a great place to stay. We enjoyed it and do think its worth at least a day trip for the unique shopping and dining with views, but it reminded us of South Beach or any other major city - just on a beach! Of all the places we stayed, it did have the most different and unique vibe than the others which were of a similar nature. So we enjoyed that. We also liked that there was some activity in the wee hours of the morning when we were up by 5am on our first few days. But I do agree that its easy enough to commute from Aulani, which would make for one less resort change as well.

 

[olafLover]

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[kittylady1972]

We just returned from our first (and probably only) family trip to Hawaii with 3 teens (18, 15 and 14) and since we were coming from the East Coast we flew to Kauai first, spent 4 nights there doing a LOT of stuff, then flew to Oahu and spent 5 nights at Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club and 3 nights at Aulani. Honestly thought this was a GREAT way to do things for us. We did rent a car, since there were 7 of us total, and that made it easier to do some of our touring. Not all of us did all tours, and that was fine too. On Kauai our favorite thing was Kauai Backcountry Adventures Mountain Tubing (but book it early...trust me on this one), but we also enjoyed our Na Pali Coast tour on a Zodiac Boat (but only for the very adventurous) and a tour at the Princeville Ranch (hike, kayak, zipline). On Oahu, we took ONE day to hike Diamondhead, then explore a few beaches on the way back to our resort before having dinner at the Kona Brewing Company. My boys did a SCUBA adventure in Waikiki and loved it. My daughter and I spent the day hanging out Aulani, kids rented a paddleboard for an hour one day, we spent time at Aulani's lazy river and pool and beach, it was the perfect ending to the trip.

 

[robinb]

I would also suggest that you do only TWO islands. I personally love Oahu. I love the urban hustle and bustle of Honolulu after a week in a more rural setting on a different island. In fact, we always stay on Waikiki Beach when we visit Oahu. Be aware that the North Shore is VERY tame in the summer. So tame that my DH and DD learned to scuba dive there in August 8 years ago.

 

[ebenmax]

Our family group of seven - including a 15 yr. old and 1 year old - traveled from Aulani (7 days) to Kauai (4) and Maui (3) this past June.
Of the actual islands we preferred Kauai the most by far! It feels and looks the way you dream Hawaii to be. Laid back, sun, waves, lush green, remote. We did a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour (a must do unless you see the NaPali coast from the water but we didn’t due to seasickness issues). Also the Lydgate Farm Chocolate Tour, travelled to the lookouts of Waimea Canyon, ate awesome açaí bowls, took surf lessons, and went to the Princeville/Hanalei Bay Area. I can’t say enough good things about Kauai.
Our teen loved all of these activities!!

Oahu did not overall feel like “Hawaii” unless you travelled to certain spots. In fact, I’m sad to say, I was originally disappointed in Oahu so much that it even distracted me from loving Aulani...at first.
The longer we stayed, and the more of the island we explored (North Shore with Oahu Private Tours, Pearl Harbor, Kualoa Ranch, Diamond Head, KCC Farmers Market) we grew to like it. We only spent part of an afternoon at Waikiki Beach and thought it was gorgeous and the shops along the street behind it felt like Rodeo Drive, but we did not stay in the area. The traffic was horrendous. Very big city feel. And then once you branch out of the area just a little bit, it’s highly poverty stricken or so it appeared. We were happy not to actually stay here although I know others love it.

Maui was beautiful. We stayed in Kihei (near Wailea) and did the Road to Hana, Laihana/beach, and Upcountry topping it off with sunset at Haleakala. To be fair, we needed more days on Maui to give it a fair assessment, but really enjoyed what we did.

On each island we rented a van and island hopping wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t have 15-20 pieces of luggage for our group. THAT was a pain to move! Other than that we didn’t mind the hopping. We got an early flight and got to the next island in plenty time to fit in an activity that first day.

All in all I have to agree with a previous post, that it depends on your long range travel plans. If this is “once in a lifetime,”
see as much as you can, but if you are planning multiple trips you may want to slow it down to 2 islands. We have no future plans to return, although we may someday, so we tried to squeeze in as much as possible. Plus, we are not all day beach people, and I know many who love Hawaii are. Again, it depends on your family. Based on what I read, I’d suggest your week on Maui, and second week split between Kauai/Aulani. I’d skip staying in Honolulu unless it’s a day trip. You can certainly get to other parts of the island from Aulani if you time things right.

Final tip...pack light!!!!

Remember, every trip will have some little things you might look back on and change, but go with your gut about what’s right for you and your family! Enjoy!

 

[cgattis]

On Kauai our favorite thing was Kauai Backcountry Adventures Mountain Tubing (but book it early...trust me on this one), but we also enjoyed our Na Pali Coast tour on a Zodiac Boat (but only for the very adventurous)

Out tubing trip got canceled due to heavy rains, so I’d love to hear a firsthand report! Also considered the Zodiac—like to hear that too. Hope you enjoyed Kona!! That’s my fave beer and was so cool to visit both locations.

 

[kittylady1972]

@ebenmax had some great advice! Love it. We can't speak to Maui either, I know a lot of people love it. We chose Kauai as something different and the scenery there just did NOT disappoint. It was so laid back. We stayed in the more beautiful but more rainy North Shore area but had a rental car and didn't mind the driving around to explore all other areas.

This was one of the views nearest our rental house
:



We missed out on doing a chocolate farm tour...but we had only 3 full days to squeeze in a LOT of stuff on Kauai and I barely got that done. Sorry that @cgattis didn't get to do the mountain tubing. It was definitely the highlight of our trip, but due to late late booking we had to do it in two groups...so 4 of us went at one time and the other 3 at another time. Thankfully my DH used his camera in a waterproof case to get some photos and videos and my son had a goPro he also used. Those all turned out great. We did not do an air tour due to costs, but opted for the boat and only ONE out of 7 of us got sick...bonus! Here is what we managed to do in Kauai:

• Visit the swinging bridge
• Mountain Tubing:
• 
• Waimea Canyon:
• Hanalei Bay:
• Opaekaa Falls:

 

[kittylady1972]

Continued with more photos:

Our trip via Zodiac Boat up the Na Pali Coast and in and out of sea caves:





Hiking, Ziplines and Kayak Adventure at Princeville Ranch:

 

[kittylady1972]

On our last day, we just drove around to various sites, waterfalls, etc and stopped to admire the views:






And we also enjoyed seeing the chickens and roosters EVERYWHERE:


So we definitely found it difficult to go from somewhere SO full of beauty...to Oahu where it just like a city and more brown than green. However after being so busy in Kauai, our stay at the two resorts near Ko Olina was a welcome change. We took a day to hike Diamondback and visit a beach for an hour or two and then a sanctuary where the boys could snorkel. We aren't all day beach people either, so that worked out well for us. By the time we came to Aulani for our last 3 nights, I was content just hanging out there most of the time...though the lack of chairs near the pool was irritating. We got a cabana on our very last day and that was great...it was also the ONLY day it rained during our 8 nights on Oahu. I didn't even visit Waikiki at all, but there was one day where the boys went SCUBA diving in that area and my friends went to the lighthouse around there...but I played tennis with a friend on the West coast area and then hung out at the resort (Aulani) for the rest of the day.

 

[cgattis]

Oh my gosh @kittylady1972 the waterfall pic with the round rainbow is amazing!! In our 14 days, we only saw two! Where is that, and where is the pic below it with the river? Those are going on my to-do list for our next trip to Maui and Kaua’i. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[kittylady1972]

Oh my gosh @kittylady1972 the waterfall pic with the round rainbow is amazing!! In our 14 days, we only saw two! Where is that, and where is the pic below it with the river? Those are going on my to-do list for our next trip to Maui and Kaua’i. Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks! We really did have some beautiful scenery on Kauai. Sadly we never had time to hike to any of these falls to get closer.

The one with the rainbow is Wailua Falls, famous because it was on the opening credits from Fantasy Island. The drive there was also beautiful if I recall. For that one I think there was a small parking lot at the end of the road where you could park and then walk back to take photos from an overlook. When the sun was out, that rainbow was pretty constant there.

Ok the river shot was taken when we headed to Opaekaa Falls. If you head here there is actually a small park-like setting with trees, chickens and restrooms across from these falls. If you walk around the falls, you can then cross the highway and you'll be looking at the Wailua Heritage Trail. This is an overlook where you can take photos like the one I have of that river, but there are areas you can drive down too from that road as well where I think you can schedule kayak or canoe trips along that river. According to the sign at the Wailua Heritage Trail, that Waialeale mountain represents the "navel" of Kauai and it's peak is the highest point on the island at 5243 feet. It is also supposed to be one of the world's wettest spots, averaging 400 to 600 inches of annual rainful, but as you can see we picked the perfect sunny day to see it.

 

[nkereina]

@kittylady1972 - how were the mountain tubing tour and the zodiac boat tour up the Na Pali Coast? We ended up scrapping the mountain tubing tour for something else, but thought it would be fun to go back to on a future trip. I've heard the water is very cold. Any need to swim? I'm not a strong swimmer but I can sit in a tube! lol!

We did a dinner cruise to see the Na Pali Coast which we loved but a smaller boat that can go in and out of the caves would be cool. Any motion sickness? We were on a catamaran and it was pretty bouncy.

 

[ct7878]

Wow- thanks you all for the great responses! I really appreciate all the suggestions and these are some great activity ideas! There have been a lot and you all look like you have had a great time. I think I am still up in the air- logistically, we should probably just stay on Oahu, but when I see some of these pictures in Kauai it is really pulling me - the tubing looks like something my son would love! In end it may come down to room availability- we have a ton of Marriott Reward points that we would like to use so it might be what island has the best resort with availability help me ultimately make my decision.

 

[nkereina]

Wow- thanks you all for the great responses! I really appreciate all the suggestions and these are some great activity ideas! There have been a lot and you all look like you have had a great time. I think I am still up in the air- logistically, we should probably just stay on Oahu, but when I see some of these pictures in Kauai it is really pulling me - the tubing looks like something my son would love! In end it may come down to room availability- we have a ton of Marriott Reward points that we would like to use so it might be what island has the best resort with availability help me ultimately make my decision.

We stayed at the Kauai Marriott Resort in Lihue which was literally a block from the airport. The resort was gorgeous and large, with several dining options including a Duke's on-site. It was about a 30 minute drive to Port Allen where many of the Na Pali Coast tours leave from. We also did a helicopter tour which is why we stayed so close to the airport. We only stayed for 3 nights so the close proximity to the airport also made it quicker and easier to island hop. We would definitely stay here again, loved the resort and the location just worked well for what we wanted to do.