Hawaiian vacation help

[caryrae]

My wife and I have never been to Hawaii but are thinking of doing it April next year for our 30th anniversary. We don’t know much about vacationing in Hawaii. We are thinking of Aulani for part and somewhere else on a different island if that’s a good idea. We are early 50’s, probably want to see Pearl Harbor, volcano national park, a Kona coffee farm, not sure what else yet. What other place/island would be good to stay at, gets overwhelming looking at all the different places to stay and things to do. Maybe it’s better to just stay at one place the whole time?

 

[NAB]

Depends how long you have. We did all the islands . Easy to fly to each. Spent 6 days on each…lol

Only stayed at Aulani for one night. It depends on if you just want to stay on the resort. We wanted to see everything. It was expensive too. We stayed at Airbnb’s mostly.

We rented cars and it a lot. The Big Island has the Volcano National Park. We liked this do the Chain of Volcanoes in the park. It goes through different years of the lava form volcanos. You can go walk out on it.

We did the black beach and saw the turtles. Did the Ranch and saw Jurassic Park stuff. The Dole plantation is fun and touristy.

Did the road to Hanna . Not for the faint of heart. Places are frowning up and curves are blind spots and scary.

I can’t remember but there is a tour app for each island and it tells you a lot of history , where to turn what not to miss etc. this was really helpful.

But it is nice just to sit and watch the water and the waves.

So much to see. I’m know I’m missing a lot.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’ll also ask, how much time do you have? Two of your desires are on the Big Island, and if you only have a week I’d spend it all there. You can visit Pearl Harbor on departure day by flying from Kona to Honolulu in the early morning, visiting Pearl, and flying home in the evening. Or fly to HNL the afternoon before departure, so you can start at Pearl earlier the next morning.

OTOH, if you want to spend time lying on a beach, Aulani is great for that, but you’d need to plan a couple of days on the Big Island to see the volcano and coffee farms.

Here’s the official guide - https://www.gohawaii.com/.

 

[abdgeek]

My wife and I have never been to Hawaii but are thinking of doing it April next year for our 30th anniversary. We don’t know much about vacationing in Hawaii. We are thinking of Aulani for part and somewhere else on a different island if that’s a good idea. We are early 50’s, probably want to see Pearl Harbor, volcano national park, a Kona coffee farm, not sure what else yet. What other place/island would be good to stay at, gets overwhelming looking at all the different places to stay and things to do. Maybe it’s better to just stay at one place the whole time?

From the things you listed, it seems that you want to visit O’ahu and The Big Island. You would need to visit Hawaii multiple times to come close to doing everything there is to do on each island. I go to Hawaii every couple of years and island hop every time I go. I normally spend 3 weeks at a time and a week on each island I visit and I still haven’t done everything there is to do on each island. There is no way to do everything there is to do on an island in one trip. If this will be your only trip, pick what is important to you on each island you want to visit. This will give you a good idea of how much time you need to spend on each island.

Aulani is a destination in itself, but is 45 minutes to 1 hour from Waikiki which is where most tours pick up. Aulani does have tours that pick up at the resort, but you need to read the fine print. Some of them require you to drive to Waikiki to get the tour. Regardless of the island you visit, you will need to rent a car to get around. Aulani has a car rental place on site and it’s recommended that you book in advance when staying on the islands because they do sell out. If you decide not to rent a car and want to sightsee, you would need to take tours. Don’t count on being able to get an Uber to your destination. They aren’t available in every area or island.

There is a lot to do on Oahu: Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, Polynesian Cultural Center, luaus, Kualoa Ranch, Waikiki, beaches, and a lot of other things to see. The Big Island has Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, black sand beaches, coffee farms, etc. Most people will stay in the Kona or Waikoloa area. However, it’s about a 2.5 hour drive to VNP from Kona. You can stay in Hilo, which is closer to VNP to decrease the amount of driving or take a Circle Island Tour that will show you the highlights of the island. Whatever you decide, you will still have a fair number of decisions to make. Good luck.

 

[OKW Lover]

Another thought on this. As the PP's have said, it depends on how long you have. I think a first visit to Hawaii would be best if you had at least a week. There is so much to se and do in Hawaii that it is impossible to really experience the state.

Even just oh 'Oahu there is more than enough to keep you occupied for a week, along with recovering from jet lag. You'll get suggestions about visiting the other islands and they are well founded. However, be aware that this will really spread out your attention during your visit.

 

[caryrae]

Not sure how long yet, no less than a week hoping 10 days depends on how expensive it gets. We don’t need to stay at Aulani just heard nothing but great things about it. Definitely sounds like the big island and Oahu for first visit maybe a good. We like to see nature stuff and I’m sure some sitting on a beach. Yeah we figured it will be impossible to see everything in one trip.

 

[NAB]

There is a lot you can do in Oahu. Great start.

Check out websites.

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

Generally, I stay 8 nights in Oahu only at Aulani since it’s DVC points. Oahu is small enough that I don’t mind driving to all the tourist spots. I try to avoid rush hour. I don’t island hop because I don’t have the time.

 

[jimmymc]

Lots of people stay on multiple islands. They are quite different from each other.

It sounds like you'd be good just going Aulani and the big island, based on what you want to see. Every island has farms you can visit, and Volcanoes NP is easiest to access from Hilo or the surrounding towns. Then Aulani is a reasonable drive to Pearl Harbor and many of the attractions on Oahu. You can reach almost anywhere on the island in a 1 hour drive.

 

[WinterSolider]

Generally, I stay 8 nights in Oahu only at Aulani since it’s DVC points. Oahu is small enough that I don’t mind driving to all the tourist spots. I try to avoid rush hour. I don’t island hop because I don’t have the time.

I agree with 8 nights. It's the sweet spot to me for a single island where the long flight feels like it's worth the hassle.

We just did 8 nights on the Big Island. We did 5 nights in Waikoloa and 3 nights in Volcano and it was perfect.

Highlights:

• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
• Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
• Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
• Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site
• Kailua-Kona (just walking around town looking at the kitsch tourist shops)
• Mauna Kea beach
• Greenwell Coffee Farm

 

[VGCgroupie]

Aulani is on such a quiet part of the island and I love that. I absolutely hated Waikiki and wouldn't recommend anyone stay there unless they like that kind of vibe (Hawaii meets Vegas imo) Four Seasons is next door to Aulani if you want a bit more relaxed vibe since Aulani does have a fair amount of kids.

 

[WillGan]

My wife and I have never been to Hawaii but are thinking of doing it April next year for our 30th anniversary. We don’t know much about vacationing in Hawaii. We are thinking of Aulani for part and somewhere else on a different island if that’s a good idea. We are early 50’s, probably want to see Pearl Harbor, volcano national park, a Kona coffee farm, not sure what else yet. What other place/island would be good to stay at, gets overwhelming looking at all the different places to stay and things to do. Maybe it’s better to just stay at one place the whole time?

Allow me to help…..

 

[WillGan]

My wife and I have never been to Hawaii but are thinking of doing it April next year for our 30th anniversary. We don’t know much about vacationing in Hawaii. We are thinking of Aulani for part and somewhere else on a different island if that’s a good idea. We are early 50’s, probably want to see Pearl Harbor, volcano national park, a Kona coffee farm, not sure what else yet. What other place/island would be good to stay at, gets overwhelming looking at all the different places to stay and things to do. Maybe it’s better to just stay at one place the whole time?

Do you think you’ll be back in Hawaii? If not, the islands you want to focus on are Oahu (Honolulu), Hawaii (Hilo/Kailua Kona), Maui, and Kauai. If you plan to hit up each island, consider a cruise. Not sure about the pricing though but it’s convenient. You don’t mention budget restrictions which is why it may make sense. Those tours I would presume would be available and you let the ship do the heavy lifting and planning.
If you do plan on coming back, perhaps one or two island per trip.
Honolulu is the priority since it’s your first time! Waikiki is a must! If you talk about Pearl Harbor, it makes sense to stay in Waikiki. The crowds, the traffic, the beach is what Hawaii is about. Waikiki’s beaches are ok but it’s packed to the brim because of the receding shoreline, but again, that’s what Waikiki is all about nowadays! The only reason to stay at Aulani is if you’re Disney fanatics! A 1 or 2-day stay is probably good enough to see everything Aulani has to offer. The beaches on the west side are good but all depends where you’re going and how good of a swimmer you are. The current and undertow can be very dangerous but in April, the surf is pretty much mellowing to flat levels. Nonetheless, nothing to ever take for granted! Pokai Bay Area is safe. Makaha, just gotta pay attention to surf. Anything else, I wouldn’t recommend.
There are great beaches on the east side: Kaiona Beach Park in Waimanalo near Sea Life Park. Kailua is ok but be ready to compete against crowds. April would be after Spring break so it should be ok. All the other beaches Oahu has to offer is your typical tourist attraction. Ala Moana Beach is just that, Sandy’s… be careful! North Shore is calm around this time so maybe historic Waimea Bay or anything up North is feasible. Just make sure you’re a good swimmer and may attention to surf reports just in case a swell comes in.
What else to visit, make sure to hit the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (Wed/Sat/Sun) as well as one of the popular Farmers Market. Kapiolani Community College has a good one but have been there in a while. There is one Kaka’ako (near Ala Moana Beach Park) on Saturdays that are packed so I’d check that out for sure!
The other islands….. are another story.
Hawaii: Fly into Hilo, drive to Volcano National Park. Drive around the island to Kona. Check out Coffee farms there. Not much stuff there besides that. Beaches are rocky because of lava but still beautiful and breathtaking. Fly out of Kona back to HNL or another island (may be costly that way). Oh… in April, watch out for Merrie Monarch. If you can book ANYTHING, you want to be there! If not, the crowds should be avoided. Google what it is…
Maui: in April…. Nothing that I can remember that’s a must do. Kihei town, Upcountry Kula, Lahaina is still recovering so no need to drive thru there unless you’re going to Ka’anapali. You can do the road to Hana. Good luck on that lol. 3 days should be more than enough there.
Kauai: Plantation island so again, not much to see besides the Na Pali Coast. It’s a cute island but it’s just that, nice to see. 2 days is more than enough.
Whew!!!!