Hawaii Experts! - Deb, Help!

[Galahad]

Deb in IA and other Hawaii Experts, I need some advice. DW and I have never been to Hawaii (Well, DW stopped there on the way to Japan/Korea when she was in the Army but that doesn't count). We are wanting to go in April for our anniversary. We've located several vacation rentals on multiple islands. But we don't know anything about Hawaii. Should we split our stay among multiple islands? Should we stay on one island and take day trips to the others? Which island? Etc? Any Hawaii advice?

Thanks!!

 

[trip]

How long are you planning to be there? I would make a list of your must-see places. That might help you narrow down how many Islands to visit. You do waste a day when changing Islands. If you can't narrow it down, you might spend the first few days on Oahu and then take a cruise.

www.hawaii.com has lots of info

 

[DawnCt1]

I live vicariously through other's Hawaiian vacations. I hope you can spend at least 17 days there. If so, three islands. My favorite islands? Oahu, Maui, Kaui, The Big Island, Molokai. I guess you have to choose. What do you like? When I am in Hawaii, I can live without luxury, although there is certainly a lot of luxury to be had. I just have a philosophy that the nicer the destination, the less you need for accommodations. If the accommodations are too nice, there is a reluctance to get "out and about". If you are looking for sand and surf, the Caribbean will do. If you really want to enjoy culture, fine food, beautiful beaches and mountains, a volcano, hiking, history, I love Hawaii. Hawaiian history is so close that you can actually touch their "ancient" history and be catapulted to the 21st century. Best tour I ever took? A mule ride to Kalaupapa Pennisula to visit the Leper colony. An incredible experience. I wished I had twice the amount of time there just to look at all fo the pictures and documents. It was a very moving experience. When I go again, it will be Oahu for a couple of nights, The Big Island and Maui, although I would love to spend a couple of nights on Molokai in a tentalo.

 

[DawnCt1]

Just to add, these are great books when you narrow down your islands;

www.wizardpub.com. If you can't narrow down your islands, get an overview with a book like Fodors. I love Fodors.com. They have a great forum of frequent Hawaii guests. Drill down through. It will answer questions you didn't know you had.

 

[Galahad]

Thanks. We're thinking 2 weeks. I know 1 week isn't enough but I don't think we can get away for more than 2 weeks. I also don't know how much DW can do that requires "legs". She had double knee replacements about 10 years ago. She "gets around" fine, but we obviously can't do a lot of hiking and climbing. Not even sure about horses - she hasn't been on a horse in over 10 years so we don't know whether she can do that either. Sand and surf is certainly the main attraction. I'm not a big fan of lots of crowds. The one thing DW just said about accomodations is that doing the right vacation rental might be really good because you can actually get away from other people more easily if you want. Don't know. Like I said it's all new to me. I'll check out those books.

 

[damo]

We spent two weeks and did three islands -- Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Next time, I would spend more time in Maui (we were there for three days) and less time in Kauai (we were there for 6). I think we really missed out by not spending any time in Oahu.

 

[monkeyboy]

Have you heard of my trip

 

[Galahad]

Have you heard of my trip

No I haven't. How did I miss that? Do tell!

 

[DawnCt1]

On Oahu I like Pearl Harbor, the Arizona, Missouri and the Bowfin. I like the Bishop Museum, the Polynesian Cultural Center. I love hiking up Diamond Head but it is a hot climb if you go too late in the day. It is steep. It may be too difficult. On Maui, I really like Ka'anapali. It is very convenient to Lahaina town and it has a wonderful boardwalk. Easy access to a variety of restaurants. We rented a condo at the Ka'anapali Alii. Loved it. Would do it again. We found it on www.vrbo.com. Great price. Things to do on Maui included sailing on the Scotch Mist, a mono hull sail boat, driving to Hani, its the journey, not the destination. Io Valley, beautiful. Haleakali at sunrise, Tedeshi winery, Oheo Gulch. I like local food, so Aloha Plate lunch, Maui Tacos and my favorite, Lei Lani's on the Beach, right on Ka'anapali. That is where my sig. pix was taken. For a more expensive meal, nothing can beat Roys. Kauai is a quiet island. The attraction there for me, is nature. I love the haieus, the hike along the Kalalau trail, which is not easy, and a sunset sail of the north shore. The north shore is fabulous. I also love Waimea Canyon. The Big Island is incredible. Volcano National Park is worth a night's stay at least. You can drive most of the major sights and it is a wonderful drive at night along Chain of Craters Rd. The glowing red lava down the pali, the chance of seeing a "moonbow" and the fresh mountain air make it a wonderful visit. On the Hilo side of the island, we really loved the mule ride into Waipio Valley the Pacific Tsunami Museum and the sights along the Hamakua Coast. The luxury resorts are on the kona side. The Kohala Coast has wonderful hotels. With just the two of you going, I wouldn't hesitate to bid on Priceline for all accommodations. Go to www.biddingfortravel.com to get tips and suggestions on how and how much to bid. I think I know you well enough to know that you also appreciate the culture and history of where you visit. I love the book, The Shoals of Time by AO Bishop. Its the history of Hawaii. I also have a list of books that I have read about Kalapaupa, which were fascinating. Mules aren't horses. They are serious, sure footed and not prone to mistakes. If your DW can sit on a horse, she could do the mule tour. If not, you can fly into Kalaupapa and out for not much more money. DH had hip replacement surgery and he did fine on the mule. We wanted to experience the isolation of Kalapaupa, so we chose the mules.

 

[abdmom]

I visit Hawaii frequently. My advice is to do maybe 2-3 days on Oahu and the rest of the time on 2 of the other islands. Day trips will not give you enough time to do the things that are really worthwhile.

My favorite island is the Big Island. I love the volcano and Mauna Kea. It also has the best snorkeling of any of the islands. If you need any recommendations as to where to stay on the B.I., pm me.

 

[monkeyboy]

No I haven't. How did I miss that? Do tell!

Well I found an idol which I thought was cool until bad luck happened.

Greg almost drowned while surfing
A giant spider was in the hotel room

Vincent Price showed up



it was sad and scary

 

[Galahad]

Ah that trip. I hear Jan was drinking behind the BBQ pit.........

 

[Green Tea]

If you want to see multiple islands, I would plan to stay on the islands. There are abundant flights between, but in terms of day trips....you are still going into an airport, checing in, going through security....all the stuff you did to get there in the first place. Yo would use up a lot of your visit time just getting into and out of airports.

We did 2 weeks on one island, Kauai. Stayed half on the southern coast, the second up north. Like 2 different places. Such a difference even withon a single island.

 

[Galahad]

DW is intrigued with a place on Kauai called Poipu Beach.Anybody know anything about it?

 

[abdmom]

Poipu Beach is on the sunny south coast of Kauai. It is good for surfing and for wading in the water. There are quite a few condos and a couple of hotels in the area. It's very popular. The nearby town is Koloa. There is not a lot of nightlife/shopping or restaurants in the area. Kauai as a whole is a very laid-back island.

Kauai is a relatively small island. From Poipu, it takes about 2 hours to get to the North Shore - Princeville and Hanalei Bay. It takes about an hour to get to Waimea canyon.

 

[crz4mm2]

We went for two weeks. Stayed three days on Big Island, 6 in Maui, 2 in Kauai, and ended the trip in Oahu with 3 days.

It was an action packed trip
I would have liked more time on the Big Island. Much more to see than we had time for. I have been to Maui twice now. It is a favorite island, but I want more time in Kauai and more time on the Big Island.

 

[shortbun]

Thanks. We're thinking 2 weeks. I know 1 week isn't enough but I don't think we can get away for more than 2 weeks. I also don't know how much DW can do that requires "legs". She had double knee replacements about 10 years ago. She "gets around" fine, but we obviously can't do a lot of hiking and climbing. Not even sure about horses - she hasn't been on a horse in over 10 years so we don't know whether she can do that either. Sand and surf is certainly the main attraction. I'm not a big fan of lots of crowds. The one thing DW just said about accomodations is that doing the right vacation rental might be really good because you can actually get away from other people more easily if you want. Don't know. Like I said it's all new to me. I'll check out those books.

You need an expensive, well located accomodation with a direct beach/ocean view - called oceanfront. Also, because of her limitations, I'd get a jeep or 4wheel drive that will take you some backroad areas that are unusual-road to Hana and so forth. You could hit Oahu for two nights(Sheraton Moana), like Dawn said-spend the day at Pearl Harbor and perhaps the evening at the Polynesian cultural center. Fly to the Big Island(Hawaii) the next day for four or five nights including a helicopter flightseeing over Haleakula(the only way to see it imho!) while choosing a wonderful room at Mauna Kea, Kona Village, Mauna Lani or a two bedroom condo on the ocean south of Kailua-Kona. Jeep around the island one day and discover it on your own. See the Kohala coast where the Kamehamehas ruled. Then, off to Maui for six/seven nights and a wonderful condo either in Wailea or north in Kapalua that has ocean views. Find a travel agent who can guarantee you oceanfront because in Hawaii, 'ocean view' means if you hold onto your wife's belt and she leans as far off the balcony as possible...you get the idea. Seriously, you can do this right or you can do it cheap and rarely do the twain meet in Hawaii anymore. Sadly, the days of that happening are pretty much gone. We used to stay at this little B&B up in Kapalua on Maui-wonderful breakfast on the beach; the accomodations were pretty much a thatched hut with a very comfortable bed and a tiny little pool. mmmmmmmm, the memories. Classic Hawaii has some pretty good information on their website regarding accomodations. The flight is very long. You spend a day going and a day returning. I've planned many Hawaii trips and taken several. April can be rainy so I'm warning you off Kauai as it's very rainy to begin with. I had a client insist on Kauai in April for her 10 day honeymoon; it rained all day, everyday - hard.

 

[Galahad]

You need an expensive, well located accomodation with a direct beach/ocean view - called oceanfront. Also, because of her limitations, I'd get a jeep or 4wheel drive that will take you some backroad areas that are unusual-road to Hana and so forth. You could hit Oahu for two nights(Sheraton Moana), like Dawn said-spend the day at Pearl Harbor and perhaps the evening at the Polynesian cultural center. Fly to the Big Island(Hawaii) the next day for four or five nights including a helicopter flightseeing over Haleakula(the only way to see it imho!) while choosing a wonderful room at Mauna Kea, Kona Village, Mauna Lani or a two bedroom condo on the ocean south of Kailua-Kona. Jeep around the island one day and discover it on your own. See the Kohala coast where the Kamehamehas ruled. Then, off to Maui for six/seven nights and a wonderful condo either in Wailea or north in Kapalua that has ocean views. Find a travel agent who can guarantee you oceanfront because in Hawaii, 'ocean view' means if you hold onto your wife's belt and she leans as far off the balcony as possible...you get the idea. Seriously, you can do this right or you can do it cheap and rarely do the twain meet in Hawaii anymore. Sadly, the days of that happening are pretty much gone. We used to stay at this little B&B up in Kapalua on Maui-wonderful breakfast on the beach; the accomodations were pretty much a thatched hut with a very comfortable bed and a tiny little pool. mmmmmmmm, the memories. Classic Hawaii has some pretty good information on their website regarding accomodations. The flight is very long. You spend a day going and a day returning. I've planned many Hawaii trips and taken several. April can be rainy so I'm warning you off Kauai as it's very rainy to begin with. I had a client insist on Kauai in April for her 10 day honeymoon; it rained all day, everyday - hard.

Thanks! We will definitely do it right rather than cheap. Not sure if we'll ever go back so I can't imagine we'll scrimp. Thanks for the April Kauai advice. Looks like I have a lot of work to do. DW is in South Bend plotting and planing and I'm here in Indy trying to play catch up. I guess if I want to have any influence at all I need to get educated fast . So are you saying that April is generally the rainy season for all of the islands?

 

[1 goofy family]

As usual I'm late to the party. It seems like you already got a lot of great advice on your trip from the resident experts . April is generally a rainy time for us, but Kauai sees the worst of it. It's not called the "Garden Isle" for nothing! You shouldn't see as much rain on the other islands.

Unfortunately for our economy, hotel rooms on all islands seem to be more readily available and coming down in price. If cost is not an issue I agree with a pp, spend some money and do it right.

I'm from Hawaii so if you have any questions feel free to PM me. I don't subscribe to threads so I might miss anything you post here.

 

[Green Tea]

We loved Poipu. So many beaches, lots to see. There is the beach so named, but the next beach has something different, the next on up something different again. It was a good place to stay. Easy to drive to various things. The vegetation and terrain is not mountainous like the north shore, but it also rarely rained in the southern part of the island. A sprinkle here or there, but not the sustained rain like in the north. (But not the rainbows either)