hawaii vacation questions

[kessieann]

As far as seeing the sunrise on Haleakala, don't fall for the hype. You only have about a 50% chance of seeing the sunrise on Haleakala (maybe even less). To me, definately not worth waking up at 2:30 in the morning to get up there. That's why we opted for the bike tour we went with. Plus, we didn't have to dress so warmly as the sun was already up at 7:00 am. And we didn't have to wear the Power Ranger suit!

I agree it was just like any other sunrise but I did get a Mickey cloud picture out of it The only reason got up so darn early was because we were doing this as a tribute to my dad who had passed away and had always wanted to go to Hawaii.

I thought the Power Ranger suits were hilarious! Of course I thought the people biking down were a little crazy once I saw how steep it was. You people have nerves of steel if you ask me

 

[Mickey's Monkey]

I agree it was just like any other sunrise but I did get a Mickey cloud picture out of it The only reason got up so darn early was because we were doing this as a tribute to my dad who had passed away and had always wanted to go to Hawaii.

I thought the Power Ranger suits were hilarious! Of course I thought the people biking down were a little crazy once I saw how steep it was. You people have nerves of steel if you ask me

don't get me wrong. I would love to see a sunrise over Haleakala. But, I'm not taking a 50/50 chance to wake up at 2:30 am on my vacation

 

[Bellissima]

For us Oahu is where you go to nightclub hop and party. It's not the best choice for families. My sister lived there for many years, so I've spent quite a bit of time there. Now I am prepared to be flamed for this, but hear me out. My complaint isn't about racism, it's about sheer numbers. The main reason we don't go to Oahu is because of the heavy tourism from Japan.

Amen. I think that's why I didn't "enjoy" Oahu as much as I thought I would. I live on a Japanese island -- visiting Oahu was just like being HOME. Well, the beaches are definitely prettier. And the shopping. See, for us, we go to Hawaii to feel like we're in America. To hit Wal-mart, the Cheesecake Factory, etc. I think for sheer paradise value, Maui or Hawaii would be the better ticket.

 

[Twigs]

We just got back from hawaii a week and a half ago. We stayed the first week on Maui at the Maui Schooner Resort on our DVC points. It was a very nice ocean front condo in Kihei on the south shore. You cannot swim in the ocean right here, but down the road are some good swimming beaches. We were very busy all week. We tried to see the sunrise at Haleakala, but did not make it. We did see some great color effects on the clouds driving up, we were above them. It is an amazing park, but then I love the National Parks. We took a day to drive up to Hana and we did the entire circuit around, we did not turn back and had a great day. DS's really liked the Black Sand Beach. We took a snorkeling cruise and tried Snuba, which is easy and a great experience, you breathe thru a regulator and go down 20', your oxygen tank is on a raft floating on the water. We took a helicopter tour of western Maui and DS's loved seeing Jurassic falls, from the opening scene of the movie. We walked around Lahaina serveral times. We also took a one day trip over to the big island (Hawaii) to go to Volcano National Park, DS's (age 13) weren't too keen on it, but after we were there they wanted to stay over night so we would have more time there. Walking on a lava flow was really amazing.

The second week we went to Oahu and stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. DH and I were in Hawaii for our honeymoon 22 yrs ago, and Oahu has changed a lot. We stayed then at the Kahala Hilton, which is now the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, and we were sort of wishing we stayed there. It is out of Waikiki and much quieter. There were a lot of things that we liked and disliked about the HHV. It is a VERY busy place. There really isn't any place quiet there. Their "super" pool closed at 5:30pm each night as they have a poolside show every night around 6 or so. It is on the western end of Waikiki, but that was OK. We tried to drive into the heart of Waikiki to walk around and could not find any place to park, we realized it was easier to go back to the hotel and get a cab, (about $6 each way). The beach was nice and DS's took surfing lessons there and did great. They were really excited to get their lessons from Clyde Aikau, Eddie Aikau's brother, and the surfers we know here on LI were really jealous!LOL. We stayed in an ocean front room in Rainbow Tower and had a really great view, I could sit on the balcony all day and night. What I liked best was that after we went out around the island for the day and got back to the hotel, we didn't have to go anywhere. There are so many dinner choices, and when you are done, you are still at your hotel. The shopping was great and they had an ABC store and a Whalers general store in the complex, they are all over the islands and you can get things a little cheaper there. We got milk and cereal there so we could have breakfast in the room each morning as we are not big breakfast eaters. Most of the things we did on Oahu were already mentioned, Polynesian Cultural Center, we went swimming in Waimea bay which was a great beach and very calm in the summer. And getting Dole Whips at the Dole Plantation was fun too. They have the world's largest maze there and I did that with one DS. We had a 6:30 flight the day we were leaving and they could not accomodate us with a late check out, but we were able to sign up for a hospitaliy room for 80 min so that we could shower and change before going to the airport. That was really nice. I am rambling on now and will end this large post. If you have any question I would be glad to answer and promise to keep it to the point and short!

 

[NCRedding]

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaian Village for four nights after a 10 night cruise around the islands this past june and July. I really second what Mickey's Monkey said about the pool--it was not so "super" as they call it. We tried to go several times only to find no spots. When we got in, all you could do was bob up and down because it was so crowded. This is a BUSY hotel, the area was never quiet. There were lots of choices for shopping and eating there. The traffic in Oahu was horrendous. I thought it felt like a big city attached to a beautiful beach.

If I were going to go back, I would go to Maui or to Kauaii. These islands looked like what I was expecting of Hawaii. Good luck planning.

 

[Twigs]

The traffic in Oahu was horrendous. I thought it felt like a big city attached to a beautiful beach.

This is so true. If we ever went back to Oahu, we would stay on the North Shore or out of Waikiki for sure.

 

[kasar]

Just waking up and recovering from our 12+ hour trip so everything's still very fresh in my mind! We visited Maui and The Big Island.

Some thoughts:

Maui is beautiful. We stayed at the Sheraton which is very convenient as it's right near all the attractions and has snorkeling and beautiful beach right there. My only complaints are that the resort is HUGE - getting back to our room was a 1/2 hour ordeal - if you go there try to get a room near the pool (although it may be louder, our room was super quiet but too far away from everything), they charge for every little thing like beach chairs and their snorkel gear is very expensive - much cheaper elsewhere. The Sheraton seems like a good value at first but when you have a few $80.00 breakfasts and $9.00 smoothies for the kids it really adds up. I think staying at a more expensive place would actually work out better because they don't charge extra for everything. Just my opinion but the location is what you're really paying for and the Sheraton is great - right on Black Rock where they have a nightly event with a cliff diver (sunset) - beautiful.

Road to Hana is, in my opinion, not worth the effort. Very scary coming home in the dusk on those windy roads. Hana itself doesn't offer much and they didn't seem to love the tourists (not sure what else they have going for them there, if not tourism, but....). I'd skip that next time.

Haleakala sunrise was a highlight for us. We'd definately do it again. Yes, it's early but it was something we'll always remember. Besides, gives you a good excuse to nap later on the beach.

The hike to the Blue Pool was a bit hairy but the waterfall is like being in Eden. Read "Maui: Revealed" (blue book) - great for hidden jewels and off the path spots.

The Big Island:

Strange landscape coming out of the airport makes you wonder why you chose to come here. But you're rewarded once you reach the beaches. They are spectacular, especially near Waikoloa. We stayed at the Marriott which was fairly small (a nice change from the Sheraton (above)). It was nice but I did have a bit of Hilton envy being so close - we didn't know anything about Hawaii when booking the trip and went with the travel agent's recommendations. Go for the Hilton if you can. The Marriott is nice but it's just a hotel - the Hilton is an event.

In one day we went from the stark, dry desert-like landscape around Kona to a cowboy town, to a gorgeous rainforest (make sure to see the Akaka Falls) to the top of an active volcano. The crater is awesome and kinda scary. The lava flows were closed that day (figures) due to unstable conditions but we could still see the steam plume into the ocean. It was disappointing for us since we came to the Big Island to see the lava but it was still pretty cool. I'm still glad we went to the Big Island, I think I liked it more than Maui (the kids liked Maui better). Again, check out the blue book, Big Island: Revealed for things to do.

We didn't go to Oahu because this was a relax-only trip, we specifically didn't want to do any city things. I'd like to go back to see Oahu but not for a while. That trip was very long and while Hawaii is pretty, so is the Caribbean and Florida and they're only a few hours away - 10 days away from home was too much for us and you really need that much time if not more. We had so much fun though.

Let me know if you have any other questions. (wow, this turned into a little trip report, I guess).

 

[DawnCt1]

We have stayed at the Hale Koa twice and I don't consider it isolated and its right next door. The HHV is an easy bus ride to the center of town. The only reason I can think to go there is for shopping, which you can do at the HHV or the zoo. In additional to the sights listed already, climbing Diamond Head is fun, visit the Iolani Palace. Three days on Oahu is plenty for me. We love Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. The tropical side of the Big Island is the Hilo side. If would consider a couple of days there if you wanted to see an active, flowing volcano, (and who wouldn't?) Kauai is beautiful, particularly the north shore but I would not consider the north shore during the winter months. It rains a lot anyway, and it could easily rain for a month. Poipu would be a good choice. We have stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa Village and it is incredible. The pools, the grounds, etc . I was extremely impressed the first time. The second time, less so. Maui is always a must for me. I would choose the Ka'anapali Beach area for the summer, Wailea for the winter. Wailea is a distance from Lahaina town and there isn't much night life in Wailea but the beaches are the best. Kihei anytime if you want to save money.

 

[Jeafl]

We were in Hawaii for 2 weeks in June. We stayed in Maui for a week, and it was absolutely gorgeous. We never ran out of things to do and beaches to visit.

We then spent 4 days at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, which somebody else had already recommended. We absolutely loved it there. The rooms were beautiful, the grounds were spectacular, and it was NEVER crowded. While we were there, the American heart Association and the American Stroke Association had conventions there in conjunction with a marathon going on in Kona. Even theought the hotel was sold out, there was never a shortage of lounge chairs at any pool. The main pool is really beautiful, and HUGE. You can also swim in a man made lagoon there with huge turtles and other assorted fish. You can also swim with the dolphins there, but we did not opt to do that since it was around $125 a person and there were 5 of us.

It is a really a huge resort, you need to take either a monorail or a boat to get to your room, which some people may not like. We never waited more than 3 or 4 minutes for either the entire time we were there. It was incredibly relaxing. My only complaint there was the cost of food. Hawaii in general is expensive, but the food was outrageous, Those little 8 oz. cartons of milk like you get in school were $2.75, a small chocolate donut was $3.50, a cup of plain coffee was $4.00 with no refills. Because the resort is kind of isolated, it does take some effort to go elsewhere to eat. If you have a rental car though, it is no big deal.

We then spent the rest of the week at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I really liked this resort, but it is totally different than the rest of Hawaii. It really is a small village and is always busy. I didn't find it isolated at all, because we spent all of our time at the beach or pool, with the exception of the last day when we went to the International Marketplace. For whatever reason they upgraded us for free to a 24th floor executive suite which was unbelievable. It had perfect views of the ocean off of one balcony and the super pool and the penguins off the other. It was absolutely beautiful. My kids liked this place a lot.

If you have any questions, PM me, I'd be happy to help.

 

[mookie]

don't get me wrong. I would love to see a sunrise over Haleakala. But, I'm not taking a 50/50 chance to wake up at 2:30 am on my vacation

I have to disagree. We have done the sunrise bike trip everytime we have been to Maui, and have gotten a beautiful sunrise every single time. Everyone get's so worried about getting up, but the tip is that you go the first day you arrive, because you aren't on Maui time yet, and you'll probably be up early anyway. (We are from the midwest, so I was wide awake before my alarm went off that morning!) I like the bike tour because you don't have to drive yourself, and it is a bit scary driving coming down. (I'd honestly rather be on a bike than a big car around those turns!) The sunrise is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen. Think about it....you are standing, on the top edge of a volcano, watching the sunrise over the crater. How many times in your life can you see that? (Unless you live there, of course, in which case...I'm extremely jealous!)

When we went last March, it was for my sister's wedding. We had 30 people with us, and only 2 did not do the bike ride, and that was because they had another excursion planned. Everyone was of various ages - from 18-60. It's actually a lot better than it looks. The power ranger outfits do look funny, but most people we saw up top wished they had them because it does get cold that high in elevation. The bike ride down is actually very tame. It's riding a break the whole way down, and you get to stop and see the pinapple plantation, as well as go through some parts of Maui that you might miss driving in a car. The views at the top are incredible, and yet the scenery when you get to the bottom (you shed your suit, by the way) makes you feel like you've found a "hidden part" of Maui. They also have you stop for an amazing breakfast that overlooks the ocean. Trust me, many have their doubts about this experience, but I would do it over and over again until I'm 100!

If you do decide to stay on Maui, there is so much to do! You can also vist the largest underwater aquarium on Maui in Keihi..it's really neat! If you go in the Spring, the whale watching tours are amazing, and the best island to see them is Maui. While I agree that the Grand Wailea is awesome, it can get very pricey. I also agree with PP's comments about the Sheraton...great location, but for the price might not be worth it. The Hyatt is an excellent choice, but when we were there, I was told that they had already started converting those to timeshares. Actually, if you want to do Maui on a budget, there is a little known hint for saving money on hotels. If you buy the Entertainment book for Maui, you get 50% off the rack rates at any of the Aston Hotel properties. It isn't published in the book, but as long as you are a ent. cardholder, they will honor it. When we were there in March, we decided to go condo, but still liked the resort setting, so we stayed at the Aston Kaanapali Shores. We got 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom Oceanfront condos for 150.00 per couple/per night. A great deal when you are talking Hawaii. While the Kaanapali Shores isn't exactly on Kaanapali Beach, (it's up about a 1/2 mile) it fit us just fine. But, you can stay at the Whaler, another Aston property, and it's right next to the Westin Maui on Kaanapali Beach, which is a fantastic location in the middle of everything.

Some other things to do - snorkeling off Molokini, ride the America's Cup (yes the actual one!) to Lanai and back (great for Whale watching!), ride the Sugar Cane Train, helicoptor tour to the Hana Coast, visit a Winery, and the Old Lahina Luau is definitely the best in Hawaii. There are so many others, but my mind is going blank right now.

As you can see, my vote is definitely Maui. I think it has everything you could want in a Hawaiian vacation. I think Oahu is too crowded.

One great site to visit is www.tripadvisor.com. You can look up any hotel in Hawaii, and they have great articles and a message board. This is where I found out about the 50% off Aston hotels!

Good luck in whatever you decide, it will be a great trip!

ALOOOOHA!

 

[Mickey's Monkey]

I have to disagree. We have done the sunrise bike trip everytime we have been to Maui, and have gotten a beautiful sunrise every single time. Everyone get's so worried about getting up, but the tip is that you go the first day you arrive, because you aren't on Maui time yet, and you'll probably be up early anyway. (We are from the midwest, so I was wide awake before my alarm went off that morning!) I like the bike tour because you don't have to drive yourself, and it is a bit scary driving coming down. (I'd honestly rather be on a bike than a big car around those turns!) The sunrise is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen. Think about it....you are standing, on the top edge of a volcano, watching the sunrise over the crater. How many times in your life can you see that? (Unless you live there, of course, in which case...I'm extremely jealous!)

When we went last March, it was for my sister's wedding. We had 30 people with us, and only 2 did not do the bike ride, and that was because they had another excursion planned. Everyone was of various ages - from 18-60. It's actually a lot better than it looks. The power ranger outfits do look funny, but most people we saw up top wished they had them because it does get cold that high in elevation. The bike ride down is actually very tame. It's riding a break the whole way down, and you get to stop and see the pinapple plantation, as well as go through some parts of Maui that you might miss driving in a car. The views at the top are incredible, and yet the scenery when you get to the bottom (you shed your suit, by the way) makes you feel like you've found a "hidden part" of Maui. They also have you stop for an amazing breakfast that overlooks the ocean. Trust me, many have their doubts about this experience, but I would do it over and over again until I'm 100!

If you do decide to stay on Maui, there is so much to do! You can also vist the largest underwater aquarium on Maui in Keihi..it's really neat! If you go in the Spring, the whale watching tours are amazing, and the best island to see them is Maui. While I agree that the Grand Wailea is awesome, it can get very pricey. I also agree with PP's comments about the Sheraton...great location, but for the price might not be worth it. The Hyatt is an excellent choice, but when we were there, I was told that they had already started converting those to timeshares. Actually, if you want to do Maui on a budget, there is a little known hint for saving money on hotels. If you buy the Entertainment book for Maui, you get 50% off the rack rates at any of the Aston Hotel properties. It isn't published in the book, but as long as you are a ent. cardholder, they will honor it. When we were there in March, we decided to go condo, but still liked the resort setting, so we stayed at the Aston Kaanapali Shores. We got 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom Oceanfront condos for 150.00 per couple/per night. A great deal when you are talking Hawaii. While the Kaanapali Shores isn't exactly on Kaanapali Beach, (it's up about a 1/2 mile) it fit us just fine. But, you can stay at the Whaler, another Aston property, and it's right next to the Westin Maui on Kaanapali Beach, which is a fantastic location in the middle of everything.

Some other things to do - snorkeling off Molokini, ride the America's Cup (yes the actual one!) to Lanai and back (great for Whale watching!), ride the Sugar Cane Train, helicoptor tour to the Hana Coast, visit a Winery, and the Old Lahina Luau is definitely the best in Hawaii. There are so many others, but my mind is going blank right now.

As you can see, my vote is definitely Maui. I think it has everything you could want in a Hawaiian vacation. I think Oahu is too crowded.

One great site to visit is www.tripadvisor.com. You can look up any hotel in Hawaii, and they have great articles and a message board. This is where I found out about the 50% off Aston hotels!

Good luck in whatever you decide, it will be a great trip!

ALOOOOHA!

I've done both the Power Ranger bike ride and Aloha tours bike ride. While both are great, I prefer the one without the Power Ranger suit. Those tours simply get you up and send you down. The other one I did was much more personal and we were able to take a much time as we wanted to get down the mountain and do whatever we wanted. Then the ride over to the winery and the lunch there is as incredible as the ride down the mountain.

But, whatever you decide, the experience will be unforgettable.

 

[DawnCt1]

don't get me wrong. I would love to see a sunrise over Haleakala. But, I'm not taking a 50/50 chance to wake up at 2:30 am on my vacation

Actually, if you are flying into Maui from the east coast, waking up at 2:30 am is almost "natural" that first day.