OT-has anyone been to Hawaii?

[michelle1]

We will be in LA for 4 days in June so thought we would fly from there to Hawaii. We will have time to only go to one island and I have no idea which one would best suit our family. Nice beaches for swimming and some sightseeing is primarily what we are interested in (kids are 12 and 14). Any help is appreciated!

 

[mkmommy]

The islands are very different, it really depends on what you want, but with 2 teens I would just go to Honolulu, as they other islands are pretty quiet. I have not taken my girls yet, but I think the first time we all go, it will be Honolulu for a week, and then Maui.

I know a lot of people say Honolulu is a just another big city, but I like it, the beaches are beautiful, climbing Diamond head is fun, and if you like, you do not need to rent a car. First time we went, we rented bikes and you can take your bikes on the public buses, so we would take the bikes on the bus to other parts of the islands and then spend the day, we found some wonderful beaches and got off the busy areas, when we were tired of the bustle.


The other islands are special too, but everything is more spread out so you do lots of driving, and have a much more layed back attitude.

I have been to the Big island also and seeing the volcanco at night is something I will never forget.

Kaui is my favorite(without kids) as it is so beautiful, beches were not as nice, but it could have just been the time of year we were there (December) and the waves were rough.

Maui, the dive to Hana is not to be missed.

 

[gilsan]

I have not been to Hawaii since I was a teenager, but I would pick Maui over Oahu. I remember thinking Honolulu was too touristy.

I believe though that you will fly from LA to Honolulu and then from Honolulu to the other islands. So you could stay in Honolulu for a couple days to see the sights and then head over to Maui

 

[LSmith]

Here is another opinion.

My favorite island is Maui by far. You really feel like you are in the "Hawaii" you read about. Stunning landscapes like nowhere else. Beautiful beaches, amazing people. Rent a convertible.

I'm one of those people that feel like Honolulu is just another big American city, only better beaches. If you plan to shop for high end designer clothes then Honolulu is perfect. It is extremely crowded with tourists. Our family spent 4 nights there after 11 in Maui and wished we had stayed in Maui. Since you will be visiting LA anyway I wouldn't bother with Honolulu especially since you said you want mostly beaches and sight seeing.

Never been to Kaui or the Big Island yet so can't comment on them.

 

[Sue M]

As mentioned, it really depends on what you want. I love the Big Island, and stay in Kona. You need a rental car there. There are alot of hidden treasures on this Island, getting a guide book and doing some research is helpful.
But with the ages of your children they would prob. think Honolulu more exciting.

 

[damo]

Our favourite is Maui and least favourite is Kaui. The Big Island was also great but we enjoyed Maui more.

 

[abdmom]

From L.A., you will be able to get a direct flight to any of the 4 major islands. To decide which island suits you best, check out this questionnaire, it's pretty accurate IMO. Which Hawaiian Island Suits You My favorite island is the Big Island. I love the varied climates.

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

We were in Maui in 2002 for our 10th anniversary. We overnighted in Honolulu before heading to Maui. Honolulu was a big city - we much preferred Maui. Honolulu was clean for a big city, but found the beach sand to be less than pristine and much like the sand you see in cigarette ashtrays outside - course and grey in color. Maui was much more natural and less developed - IMO

 

[irisesareblue]

Waikiki is a beach that is a suburb/just oustide of Honolulu that has a stretch of beach that is fronted by many many acres of hotels. But if you're looking for things to keep your kids busy, I would think that it would offer the most attractions for them.

From Waikiki, you can take "The Bus" (public transit) all over the island for basically just the bus fares which can save you from renting a car. There is a Seaworld type aquarium park and lots of museums and historical sites (Pearl Harbour for one). If you choose to rent a car, you can do so and go around the island - there is the Dole pineapple plantation and you can swim in a waterfall (for a fee) called Waimea Falls - the group that "runs" the attraction also has botanical gardens. You can also go to a luau but I think that is on most islands.

My reasoning in listing all the activities is that you won't spend all day on the beach - you would roast and be so sunburned you won't be able to move after a few hours....the sun is incredibly hot - even more so than in the Caribbean or Florida, I found. Your best bet might be to plan some activities interspersed with laying on the beach.

Have fun planning!

 

[PanamaMike]

We will be in LA for 4 days in June so thought we would fly from there to Hawaii.

That's like saying "while in Los Angeles, we thought we'd fly to New York City". Quite a distance for a brief side trip.

 

[jemmouse]

I have been to both Oahu, and Maui. Two totally different feelings. If you like the hustle and bustle of the city and are into learning about historical sites, then this is for you. The beaches are famous, the hotels are legendary, and the authenticity of old Hawaii is everywhere. Now on the flip side, if you prefer a much more low keyed vacation, as in relaxing then I would definately try Maui. Maui wakes up early and goes to sleep early. The beaches are relaxing, the resorts are tranquil, the pools are enormous and serene. When we were in Oahu every night we would go out to dinner,then walk around then come back to the outside bar and just enjoy a night cap while listening to the waves come crashing in. In Oahu we stayed at the Moana Surfrider Hotel, right next to the famous pink one, not sure I remember the name. In Maui when we arrived we found out the bar wasen't open past like 8pm so then we would head out to the town. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency on Kaanapali Beach. There is a town about 5 minutes from there with car rental time and very quaint with restaurants, bars, stores. You can't go wrong wither way, I mean come on you are in HAwaii...Aloha.......

 

[michelle1]

That's like saying "while in Los Angeles, we thought we'd fly to New York City". Quite a distance for a brief side trip.

Toronto to Hawaii is a very long trip with a stop over in Vancouver so we figured by doing it this way the 4 days in LA breaks up the flying for the kids. We will have 8 days in Hawaii so I don't think the extra 5.5 hr flight from LA is too bad.

 

[LSmith]

Toronto to Hawaii is a very long trip with a stop over in Vancouver so we figured by doing it this way the 4 days in LA breaks up the flying for the kids. We will have 8 days in Hawaii so I don't think the extra 5.5 hr flight from LA is too bad.

I agree. 5.5 hours is nothing compared to 14 to 17 hours of flights (including stopovers). I wish we had done it this way. Definitely next time we will stop over in LA or Vancouver for a few days to break up the flight.

 

[alohamom]

We love to do this route! We started doing it when my DH had some training in Orange County and realized it is a terrific way to break up the long journey! For your first time with kids of that age I would tend to go with Maui. All the islands have beautiful beaches but Maui has a bit more for kids like the Maui Ocean Center, bicycle tours down Haleakala(dormant volcano), there is an old steam train called the Sugar Cane Train that is slow but unique and fun, a couple of mini-golf places and Lahaina Town. If you are looking to stay in a hotel(vs a condo) there are a lot of choices with amazing fantasy pools like the Grand Wailea which has caves, slides and even a water elevator or up in Kaanapali the Grand Hyatt, the Westin and the Marriott all have spectacular pools with grottos, caves, slides and more. There are many condo choices but not too many with excellent pools. The newest one that looks very nice is called Honua Kai just north of Kaanapali, you can get a great deal on www.vrbo.com. Another way to look at this however is that if you were ever going to go to Kauai from Toronto you have to make connections so since you are stopping anyway you might want to look at this as a "direct" way to get to Kauai(if that makes any sense)Kauai is a very beautiful island, very lush and floral where many movies are filmed because it embodies the perfect tropical paradise. It is a little quiet but is great for nature lovers with some spectacular hiking trails, the Na Pili coastal mountain range is incredible, many people like to river or ocean kayak on this island and you truly feel free here. We like the Grand Hyatt in Poipu because of the pool but the beach is not swimmable as it is very rough-you can swim 5 mins down the road but it is a bit of a pain. We have also stayed at Kiahuna Plantation in a condo which was very nice but there is no air conditioning here so in June it may not be where you want to stay. There are some beautiful new condos in Kapaa called Waipouli (I think) and it has a gorgeous looking river pool with slides and caves so you have the best of both worlds with this condo. We were married on the Big Island so I am fairly partial to this island. One side has an almost moonscape like topography but is dry and sunny with some terrific resorts, this is the Kohala coast and includes Waikoloa resort area and Hapuna Beach, probably one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to. The other side is lush and tropical and almost too wet. We have stayed at the Marriott in Waikoloa and the Waikoloa Beach Villages (condos) and really enjoyed both places. It can be very expensive to eat in Hawaii and it was never a problem when my kids were really little and ate like birds but now at 10 and 12 they eat like ravenous teenagers so we have tended to get a condo more and more. This is just skimming the surface, if you have any questions I am happy to help you out anytime, just ask- aloha, you will have a great time no matter what island you choose

 

[c&m]

We've been to Maui and Kauai with our kids. The kids love Hawaii, second only to WDW.

In Kauai, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. This is a beautiful property with an incredible pool, slide, and lazy river. So many kids played with our kids. It was just a fun family place. There's free entertainment on Saturday nights with hula dancers and traditional Hawaiian music at the open air terrace. There's also lei making and shell necklace making for the kids. We spent time at a couple of really popular beaches - Poipu beach and Hanalei Bay. Really beautiful and quiet island. Great place to really get away from it all.

In Maui, we stayed at the Westin Resort on Kaanapali beach. This was another excellent family resort. Our kids had so much fun. They also found other girls their ages to play with. We loved everything about this place. We spent our time also at the beach at Black Rock and at Polo beach in Wailea. Our girls loved snorkelling and boogie boarding on the beach.

We're leaving for Honolulu and Maui on Feb. 15 for 9 days - our first time in Honolulu. Normally, it'd be too touristy and city-like for us, but DH is a history buff and really wanted to visit Pearl Harbour. We're staying at another big family-type of resort, the Hilton Hawaiian Village. In Maui, we're at the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Villas on the northern side of Kaanapali.

As you can see, we love the resort and beach experience in Hawaii. Our girls love interacting with other kids at the resort. And the water activities are so much fun for kids that age.

 

[michelle1]

Thanks everyone for so much info! It's all very helpful...I can easily plan a Disney trip but this is something totally new and different so all of the advice and tips are welcome.

 

[mkmommy]

We like the Grand Hyatt in Poipu because of the pool but the beach is not swimmable as it is very rough-you can swim 5 mins down the road but it is a bit of a pain.

This is the one hotel that dream about staying in. We stayed in the Condos beside it and even morning I would walk over for a muffin and this wonderful tropical juice. The grounds and pools are breathtaking and the lobby has the most beautiful view of the ocean.

 

[c&m]

This is the one hotel that dream about staying in. We stayed in the Condos beside it and even morning I would walk over for a muffin and this wonderful tropical juice. The grounds and pools are breathtaking and the lobby has the most beautiful view of the ocean.

Grand Hyatt Kauai has the best breakfast buffets in their terrace restaurant. My DDs and I really enjoyed their morning smoothies and on Sundays, they make fruit crepes --- yummmm! --- mango crepes, strawberry crepes, etc. with a fruit coulis drizzle on top. It IS the most beautiful resort we've ever stayed. It was expensive but worth every penny for the experience we had as a family.