Hawaii-where to go besides Aulani?

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Maui is absolutely my favourite place on earth! We love the Royal Lahaina, although there are certainly more upscale resorts that I'm sure are wonderful if they're in your budget! I'd definitely recommend Ka'anapali though; the beaches are wonderful (and I'm an Aussie - we love our beaches).

I wasn't too keen on Honolulu. It is very busy and commercialised. Waikiki beach is extremely crowded and there's actually very little sand to even sit on. It was also impossible to get into a restaurant without reservations.

We said that after nearly a month in the States Maui was like a foreign country while going to Honolulu was like going back to the States. Unfortunately for me, any future trips to Maui will involve at least 1 night in Honolulu!

If you want to island hop then I highly recommend Mokulele Airlines. They only fly small planes so fly a lot lower giving amazing views, can fly out of smaller airports (e.g. Kapalua Airport which is about 10 minutes from Ka'anapali) and no TSA (apart from HNL I think). I'm a nervous flyer but LOVED them and grinned ear to ear the entire flight; I figured as I could personally see both the pilots (and they weren't worried) and all the instruments (and there were no alarms or flashing warnings) then everything was safe!

We feel the exact same way about Oahu. The only part of the visit to Oahu we liked seeing was Pearl Harbour. That was worth the trip to the Island but otherwise, it feels like being in the States. Also did not like Waikiki Beach. We stayed at the Sheraton on the beach and it was wall to wall people and not at a busy time of year.

 

[bcla]

It's been many years since I've been there (long before Aulani was built), but my favorite island was Kauai. And as pp mentioned, best thing we did there was a helicopter ride over Waimea Canyon and the Na'pali coast. Worth the expense. We didn't go to the big island; it's on my bucket list!

If you go to Oahu, you don't have to stay in downtown Honolulu, but should visit the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. Also, take a drive to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the north shore. It's very touristy, but a must-see, IMO.

There's touristy classy vs touristy schlock. The PCC is touristy classy. It's done well but there is a slight religious message served there given that it's operated by the Mormon church.

 

[jdb in AZ]

If you visit Pearl Harbor -- definitely a must see! -- you also need to explore the Missouri Battleship which is right next door.

 

[jdb in AZ]

There's touristy classy vs touristy schlock. The PCC is touristy classy. It's done well but there is a slight religious message served there given that it's operated by the Mormon church.

One thing I like about the PCC -- 70% of the performers and workers at the center are students on scholarship, mainly from poor islands, and the PCC is their way of paying for college.

 

[AppleDumpling]

There's touristy classy vs touristy schlock. The PCC is touristy classy. It's done well but there is a slight religious message served there given that it's operated by the Mormon church.

I knew it was run by LDS but don't recall any religious message (although it wouldn't bother me). We did enjoy talking with the friendly young students from the countries represented (Tonga, Samoa, etc.) and thought the program was well-done, and the food served at the luau authentic and very good.

 

[disykat]

I love Oahu. Kailua is wonderful.

 

[cedricandsophie]

You will get all kind of answers. My suggestion would be a combination of Maui, Kauai and the big island. All have different terrain and their own beauty. You can easily find a home or condo to stay in for way cheaper than a hotel. Try HomeAway. LAst time in Kauai we stayed in a 3 bed 3 bath home for 250 a night.

 

[bcla]

I knew it was run by LDS but don't recall any religious message (although it wouldn't bother me). We did enjoy talking with the friendly young students from the countries represented (Tonga, Samoa, etc.) and thought the program was well-done, and the food served at the luau authentic and very good.

The message I remembered was just repeated mentions of BYU-Hawaii and the LDS Church, as well as offers to tour the campus.

I heard that they're not necessarily hardcore. I heard that even sell coffee and caffeinated beverage on site.

 

[manning]

It's been many years since I've been there (long before Aulani was built), but my favorite island was Kauai. And as pp mentioned, best thing we did there was a helicopter ride over Waimea Canyon and the Na'pali coast. Worth the expense. We didn't go to the big island; it's on my bucket list!

If you go to Oahu, you don't have to stay in downtown Honolulu, but should visit the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. Also, take a drive to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the north shore. It's very touristy, but a must-see, IMO.

Kauai

We didn't take the helicopter but stood on the rim watching them go by.....one after another.

Nice thing about Kauai is it is laid back. It is known as the garden island. The only place I came across a stop light in the sugar cane field. Needed because sugar canes are high.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Kauai

We didn't take the helicopter but stood on the rim watching them go by.....one after another.

Nice thing about Kauai is it is laid back. It is known as the garden island. The only place I came across a stop light in the sugar cane field. Needed because sugar canes are high.

Our favorite activity on Kauai was "tube the ditch" -- floating on inner tubes along an old sugar cane irrigation canal. It included lava tubes so the tour furnished lit helmets so we could see where we were going. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUse...ountry_Adventures-Hanamaulu_Kauai_Hawaii.html