Hawaii- Oahu or The Big Island?

[IloveDisney77]

My wife earned (she is in sales) a free trip to Kauai this summer! We are very excited about that to say the least...nothing screams budget like free! Her company will pay for us to fly out early with a stop-over on another island. Which island would you go to and why? We are deciding between Oahu and the Big Island

We've been to Maui once before so we want to try a new one. I would like to go to Pearl Harbor but have heard oustide of that, not much on Oahu (meant to say overly commercial). True? The Big Island has the volcano?

Luckily I have just enough Sheraton hotel points so the hotel won't cost us anything.

If any of my fellow DISers have any thoughts we would appreciate it!

Thanks in advance.

 

[wvjules]

Tough decision...both! lol

There is a lot to do on Ohau. There is the Dole plantation, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, the Royal Palace, Turtle Bay.

There is also some exciting stuff to do on the Big Island. We did the Volcano National Park drive, hiked across a crater (I was hating life), in the evening we watched hot lava flow into the ocean. They also have night time Manta Ray dives, (you can see the manta rays hanging out in a cove area at the Sheraton), coffee plantations and the observatory on the mountain. We spent 2 full days on the big island and drove around the whole island. It was amazing. One minute it is beautiful and sunny, the next mintue you on top of a mountain and frigid. Oh, another cool thing is going to the most southern tip of the United States. It was actually pretty cool.

I was originally going to say Ohau because I could live on a beach. However, there is no experience like the Big Island. Where else can you see an active volcano and walk across a crater that still has steam billowing from it?

So I pick Hawai'i....that actually shocks me.

 

[DL55]

I vote for the Big Island also. Biggest draw is the volcano.
Oahu, biggest draw is Pearl Harbor. Since I don't care for big cities I avoid Honolulu. I'm sure you will have fun with either choice.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

It depends on the type of experience you're looking for. Both islands have great beaches, no problem there. Oahu has Honolulu, which is just like any other big city--traffic jams, chain restaurants, etc. There are lovely parts of the island, but it's also got a more tourist-y feel to it.

The Big Island is less spoiled and has more natural beauty. The volcano is amazing, as is the desert. There are things to do (coffee plantations, etc.), but they aren't quite as overdone. We went horseback riding and rented a sailboat for snorkeling/fishing (out of Kona, the more developed side of Hawaii).

So, it really depends on what you're looking for in a vacation. You'll probably have a great time either way.

 

[robinb]

Hmmm ... I like both islands for different reasons. I think I might suggest Oahu over the Big Island since you are going to Kauai. Kauai (home of Lilo ) is very laid back and Oahu would be a nice change. I second Pearl Harbor, the Dole Pineapple Plantation (Dole Whip!) and Waikiki Beach. I also liked driving up to the North Shore to see the giant waves. The Polynesian Cultural Center (run by the Mormon Church) is a really great place to visit and learn about the different Polynesian cultures. The Polynesian dancing in the evening show is spectacular! I skipped their luau because they don't serve mai tai's for religious reasons. It is said that the Polynesian Resort's main building at WDW was based on the building at the PCC.

I also ADORE the Sheraton hotels on Waikiki Beach. We stayed at the Moana Surfrider twice. Both times in the historic wing that made me feel like it was the 1920's ... but with a Sheraton Sweet Sleeper . If you like historic hotels this is the place for you. The "Pink Palace" aka The Royal Hawaiian is also a fabulous and historic hotel which is right next to the Moana. It is more modern and just completed an extensive renovation. The Mai Tai bar is right on the ocean and has the *best* mai tais I have ever had. Nothing compares to watching a sunset from there with a drink and some snacks.

 

[muffyn]

we went to both Islands

Oahu wins hands down for gorgeous scenery. the big Island is really scruffy looking .

besides what others have said about Oahu , if you like "lost" or other movies like jurassic park nothing beats the trip to kualoa ranch where they were filmed!!!

big Island: we had to do the volcano walk. MUST haves a gps & lots of water & time.. our night time walk went from 2 hours to 6 hours it is very hard climbing that volcano rock, & i did not bring enough water. big big big mistake.
easy to get lost at night with no land marks & most people gone!

a trip up to mauna kea to the observatory, really cool looking through their telescopes. read their websites for health advisories. & yes you can drive a rental car there ( although some say NO because of the road issues). ask at your rental places.

better whale watching tours at Oahu

better beaches at Oahu.. too much volcano rock on big island.. unless you can get into a resort that has a sand beach.


oh, also for us. its a MUST to have gone to Pearl harbor. ( have to get there EARLY)

 

[wvjules]

Hmmm ... I like both islands for different reasons. I think I might suggest Oahu over the Big Island since you are going to Kauai. Kauai (home of Lilo ) is very laid back and Oahu would be a nice change. I second Pearl Harbor, the Dole Pineapple Plantation (Dole Whip!) and Waikiki Beach. I also liked driving up to the North Shore to see the giant waves. The Polynesian Cultural Center (run by the Mormon Church) is a really great place to visit and learn about the different Polynesian cultures. The Polynesian dancing in the evening show is spectacular! I skipped their luau because they don't serve mai tai's for religious reasons. It is said that the Polynesian Resort's main building at WDW was based on the building at the PCC.

I also ADORE the Sheraton hotels on Waikiki Beach. We stayed at the Moana Surfrider twice. Both times in the historic wing that made me feel like it was the 1920's ... but with a Sheraton Sweet Sleeper . If you like historic hotels this is the place for you. The "Pink Palace" aka The Royal Hawaiian is also a fabulous and historic hotel which is right next to the Moana. It is more modern and just completed an extensive renovation. The Mai Tai bar is right on the ocean and has the *best* mai tais I have ever had. Nothing compares to watching a sunset from there with a drink and some snacks.

I want to get married at the Moana Surfrider. We had dinner at the Beachhouse one night and I fell in love. We were staying at the Sheraton Waikiki and had a great view of the Moana and Royal Hawaiian. Our room was great but what I wouldn't give to have been able to stay at the Moana.

As for watching the sunset with a drink...one (well 2) words...lava flow. Yummy!

*sigh* I really miss Hawai'i.

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

I vote for Oahu!

You will love Kauai, it's so gorgeous there.

 

[emma'smom]

I've been to both islands and I vote for the Big Island, hands down! It is a much more unique experience and you'll see things you just won't see elsewhere....the volcanoes were really other-worldly! We hiked out to see the night lava flow as well and did Volcano National Park. It was just such a neat experience.

I think you should think about what couples best with the kinds of experiences you'll have in Kauai.I haven't been there, so I don't know what it has to offer. Are there beaches in Kauai? If so, then you don't need Oahu for beaches.

Pearl Harbor was interesting....true. However, like many U.S. Memorials, you probably already know about lot about Pearl Harbor and visiting the monument makes it more real---but the learning curve is less than visiting someplace you might know nothing about.

This is why, I thought the volcanoes were a better choice. They were really something that I didn't know anything about. I also really thought the just being able to stop at random beaches and swim with sea turtles was cool (on the Big Island) and the coffee plantations were fun. True, the beaches weren't a special and the North Shore on Oahu, but we had a lot of fun.

Also, we went to a luah (sp) on the Big Island that was amazing!

P.S If you decide on Oahu, the Dole Plantation was fun, if not a little touristy. However I learned a lot about pineapples. We also tried to swim on the North Shore and I've never seen such huge waves. It was great....and then we had these great shaved ices afterwards.

 

[happymommy]

I used to live on Oahu, and although I LOVE the Big Island, if you are already going to Kauai, having one stopover will likely be more efficient on Oahu. I also LOVE LOVE Oahu (have brought my kids back 5 times now, and now will go every other year, as we bought at Marriott's Ko Olina, which is about 30 minutes from Honolulu).

I don't know what city you are flying from, but a stopover on Oahu is likely the easiest flight option. Also, don't know how many days you have.

We also LOVE the Moana! We used to go stay there for the weekend sometimes, or at least go down for Sunday brunch and hang out, or go for cocktails at sunset. The service and ambiance is unbeatable - only caution is that the rooms in the historic wing are fine for 2, but some only have one bed, so they are very small, and don't connect (won't work for a family). Last time we stayed there, we got connecting rooms in the Tower (not Diamondhead). Plus, city view rooms can be noisy, and almost all historic rooms have no balcony. They are a Sheraton, so staying there on points is a deal.

I would have to disagree with others that say there's not much to do on Oahu. We go for two weeks at a time, and have plenty to do! We love Genki Sushi, the Aloha Flea Market, of course the pineapple plantation, the North Shore, visiting Kailua beach (we used to live in Kailua), Aloha Tower, and we snorkel tons at Ko Olina. There is so much to see and do on Oahu.

I'd suggest getting a guidebook and see what you want.

Honestly, we've gone to Kauai for only 3 days and saw the whole island (it's very small). But you can go and chill, relax, snorkel, and enjoy for the time you have there! Definitely hike the canyon!

The Big Island is expansive - you really need a week to see it. We flew into Kona and out of Hilo (which most folks do, or the opposite). It was about a 5 hour drive from Kona to Hilo, plus we stopped a lot along the way, so it was all day. Very fun!

 

[IloveDisney77]

Wow!!! I knew ya'll would come through. I'll show all this to the DW when she gets home. We have to make a decision by Tuesday. As of now, we are on Kauai for 5 or 6 nights I believe. We would enjoying doing all of the previously mentioned activities on both islands so it will be a tough choice. It make come down to flights. As one poster mentioned it would definitely be easier/quicker go from Ohau to Kauai. I'll let ya'll know what we decided to do. Once again, I very much appreciate the quick responses.

 

[andrews_dad]

Big Isle, hands down. Our last two trips to Hawaii we skipped Oahu all together. Love the Big Island.

If you do go with Oahu, forget Honolulu and head straight to the North Shore.

 

[disykat]

I also kind of like Oahu. However, if you dive or snorkel, I'd go to the big island. If you google kona + diving, look for the guy who owns "wannadive." His website and blog has lots of cool diving photos!

 

[CrazyDuck]

I'm a little familiar with the islands you are talking about. I grew up on Kauai, went to college on the big island, and now live on Oahu. So here's the thing... You are going to Kauai! Great! When people think of "Hawaii", Kauai is most like what people have in mind. Now when you are on Kauai, are you going to have time to sit on the beach and go snorkeling? If you are able to do both on Kauai then you could flip a coin for the other island and be happy! See, the big island has great snorkeling but the beaches suck. Really there is only 1 sand beach on the whole island. Oahu has great beaches but the snorkeling sucks. Places like Hanauma bay are crowded and the coral is all damaged from the mass of people. Kauai has the best beaches. Generally the older the island the better the beaches, something about erosion blah blah.... Anyways, there pluses and minuses for each.... Here:

Oahu pros:
better beaches
better hotels
pearl harbor
north shore waves (only in winter though)
world class shopping
world class dining
HNL airport

Cons:
traffic
crowds
crime
traffic

Big Island Pros:
Volcano
snorkeling
lack of traffic
friendlier people

Cons:
bad beaches
only 2 good hotels (waikoloa, 4seasons)
+1 hr flight to HNL
long drives

I almost forgot to mention.... You interested in saving $? When you arrive at the airport you'll see these racks with these flyers for activities. Grab the ones that look interesting to you. What you want to do is call the company direct. Inquire about their rates, then ask them: "so do you think I could get a discount if I book directly with you or would my hotels concierge be able to get me a better deal?". You should be able to get at least a 25% discount. See my mom owns a tour boat company on Kauai and they love people that book direct because it is all profit. Whenever a concierge our tour desk books a tour, the tour company has to kick back 30% to the concierge.

Let me know if you have any questions a out the islands!

 

[rparmfamily]

Great info!!

I'm on O'ahu, so I'm biased LMAO. I LOVE Big Island though, it's our fav island! Very rural and remote feel to it, very spread out. The volcano is a once in a lifetime type activity.

Whoever said there isn't much on O'ahu is very confused, LOL it's where most of the stuff is! The zoo, aquarium, only royal palace in the us, pearl harbor including the arizona the missouri the utah the bowfin, dole pineapple plantation, the north shore, hale'iwa and its beaches-sunset, bonzai pipline, the shrimp trucks on the side of the road, matsumoto's shave ice, polynesian cultural center, kuuloa ranch, lanikai and kailua beaches (rated best in the world), waikiki in itself is fun, ko'olina lagoons, the aloha stadium swap meet, chinatown, dinner cruises, whale cruises, diamond head, halona blowhole, hanamuma bay and sharks cove for snorkeling, waimea bay and waimea falls,etc.

Have fun whatever you pick!

 

[jlm]

The big Island has my vote! Yes-Pearl Harbor, the Punch Bowl, but it's just a big city on water-very commercial, not Hawaii feeling of quaint. I have heard the north side of the Island is nice though. I still love the big island though-it's what I think of when I think of Hawaii~
Jen

 

[hockeyprincess]

We visited both the Big Island, and stayed/visited Oahu. Loved them both. Especially loved Pearl Harbor, I was very touched and emotional going out to the memorial. More so than I thought I would be. Also LOVED the Volcano National Park on the BI, both islands were AMAZING and offered once in a lifetime opportunities in my opinion. The flight is a killer for us, so although we would love to go back, and definitely visit Kauai, (my husband is a nature lover so think Kauai would be right up his alley) I don't know if it will ever happen.

What kind of sales is your wife in? (You can PM me if you prefer) I am in sales as well and also won a free trip to Oahu for both of us. (This was a few years ago) What a coincidence!

Hope you have a great time!

 

[IloveDisney77]

I really do appreciate all the replies and information!!! It is enormously helpful

To answer one of the questions asked, my wife is in software sales and if you exceed your quota by a certain percent they have a "club trip" for all of the sales people that make it. Unfortunately she had an awful year in '08 and was VERY concerned about losing her job but '09 was the complete opposite and everything came in. She was a certainly less stressed over this holiday season than she was a year ago...