OT-Has Anyone Vacationed In Hawaii?

[mom_of_3_70737]

Hello everyone. DH and I are planning a trip to Hawaii next summer and to be honest I am a bit overwhelmed with the planning. To me WDW is a piece of cake compared to this Anyhoo, if any of you have vacationed there any tips would be great. We are looking at possibly staying on the island of Kauai, if anyone has visited there input would be great.
What island did you stay on?
What hotel/resort?
THings to do?
Restaurants?
What time of year did you go?
Pics would be awesome if you have them

THanks so much!!!!

 

[Sillyminny40]

What island did you stay on? Maui
What hotel/resort? 2 br full kitchen, washer/dryer, Maui Hill Resort on South Kihei Drive look up vrbo.com
Things to do? Maui is the perfect size Island: hikes, volcano hike, Road to Hana (world's most perfect scenery), best beaches.
Restaurants? No restaurants cook in condo. We shop at Costco. One meal at supper for 5 was $200.
What time of year did you go? Jan. Lovely!
Pics would be awesome if you have them : there are a lot on the internet on Maui.

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

What island did you stay on? Maui
What hotel/resort? 2 br full kitchen, washer/dryer, Maui Hill Resort on South Kihei Drive look up vrbo.com
Things to do? Maui is the perfect size Island: hikes, volcano hike, Road to Hana (world's most perfect scenery), best beaches.
Restaurants? No restaurants cook in condo. We shop at Costco. One meal at supper for 5 was $200.
What time of year did you go? Jan. Lovely!
Pics would be awesome if you have them : there are a lot on the internet on Maui.

Awesome! Thanks for the reply! I didn't think about checking out VRBO! Great idea. Do you remember what the price per day on the condo was? How far from the beach was it?

 

[Katieinwonderland]

We've been to Hawaii twice, both times we spent a week on the Big Island in Kona; then the first trip, we spent a week in Honolulu, the second trip we spent a week in Kauai.

Kauai is awesome, as long as you stay in the right place!!! We stayed at the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort, which sounds lovely...DO NOT stay here! The service was terrible, our room was dirty and instead of smoke alarm, there was a big hole in the wall (the front desk manager told me it was OK, because the smoke alarm system didn't work anyway!!!). The only good thing was the location. We took a drive to the other side of the island, and I would recommend the Princeville Resort, it was beautiful and not as pricey as it looks.
There isn't tons to do in Kauai, we did lots of snorkelling and sunbathing, but the island is beautiful.

Honolulu was awesome, the Hilton Hawaiian Village was an incredible hotel and right in the town center, you could walk to all the nearby restaurants etc. Plus Pearl Harbor is nearby.

Kona on the Big Island was my favorite place. We stayed at the Hilton Waikeloa Beach Resort, which was incredible. It has something like seven pools, one of which leads right out to sea so fish and green sea turtles swim in to shelter and you can snorkel with them. There are also four restaurants there on property, it's beautiful. It's fun to snorkel off that island too.

If you'd like pictures, I have a ton if you want to PM me!

 

[RocketCityMama]

What island did you stay on? Oahu

What hotel/resort? Luckily my mom/stepdad currently lives there so we stayed with them for 2 weeks, though we did go to Waikiki for 2 nights can't remember the condos name right off but it was only a few blocks from the beach.

THings to do?TONS in Oahu! Seriously, luau's (paradise cove is the best, it's $$ but FUN!), shopping (esp in downtown Waikiki), beautiful golf courses, aquarium, zoo, tons and tons of beaches (sunset, north shore, etc) ,Pearl Harbor, this is the island where they film LOST, you can tour the area, scuba diving, boat tours, bus tours, etc etc etc. The Hawaii State fair was also going while we were there so we went to it as well.

Restaurants? Cheescake Factory (downtown Waikiki) and a place called Cheeseburgers (best food!) so many other local places we went to but I honestly can't remember them all.

What time of year did you go?We went May 22 to June 5, perfect time, before memorial day (tickets were less) and it was not that crowded compared to typical summer.


Hawaii is beautiful and there is soo much to see and do, Oahu is the typical tourist island but I hear that Maui is very nice as well. Have fun!

 

[Rylee]

Ooh, I'm so glad you posted this!

I want to go there next year for my, shhh... 50th birthday!

I wish all vacation destinations were as easy as Disney! Transportation to and from airport, scheduling ADR's, etc.

BTW - I want to stay where "Jon & Kate plus 8," stayed. Have you seen that episode/place. It was gorgeous!

 

[RocketCityMama]

Oh and also in Oahu: Dole Pineapple Plantation (we loved this too)

 

[amergren]

DH and I went to Hawaii in March/April 2007 and had a fabulous time!! You're going to LOVE it wherever you stay. If you'd like to see our album on Shutterfly, PM me and I'll give you the link.

I'd highly recommend buying the "revealed" guide books -- there is one for each island. I found them to be a life safer for planning the trip. You can seach Kauai + revealed on amazon and find it. Do the same for the other islands.

We stayed on Oahu, Big Island and spent the most time on Kauai. We loved them all for different reasons. We are not big sunbathers or relaxing on the beach kind of people, so take that into consideration when reading this

Oahu -- we stayed at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. The thought of staying in Waikiki did not appeal to us, and in fact I didn't want to stay on Oahu at all but DH really wanted to spend a day at Pearl Harbor. So we compromised and stayed on the North Shore which was fantastic. Turtle Bay was MUCH less expensive than Waikiki hotels and beautiful. There are many hiking trails on their property and a secluded beach not far from the resort off one of the trails. We would stay again. Also, if you are a LOST fan they film a lot on the grounds of the resort which is fun. The big things we did on Oahu was spend a day at Pearl Harbor and a driving tour of Waikiki -- we also watched the sunset at the state park off Tantulus drive. The drive along Tantulus was awesome in itself and then the timing worked out that we could watch the sunset from an overlook at the state park. We also went to the Polynesian Cultural Center which was nice, but we wouldn't go a second time.

Big Island -- we stayed at the Hilton Waikeola too, and it was really nice. Be warned - it is HUGE!! Plan an extra 10-15 minutes to get to your car because of walking or waiting for the monorail. We almost missed our whale watching tour because of not allowing extra time. We also spent a day to drive over to the other side of the island to Volcanoes National Park. We stopped and got a picnic lunch and then hiked the Kilauea Iki trail and ate our lunch at the bottom of a crater next to a steam vent -- what a memory!! We also dropped the cash to do the Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour. It was AMAZING and I'd spend the $$$ to do it again.

Kauai -- we also stayed at the Hilton, but didn't have the same experience as Katie. It wasn't our favorite hotel of the trip, but it was nice. The room was by far the smallest of the three hotels we stayed in but we didn't spend much time in the room or at the resort for that matter. Maybe a half day a couple times to lounge by the pool. Friends of ours stayed at the Hyatt for their honeymoon and RAVED about it. We just couldn't afford it or Princeville. The location of the Hilton was perfect and looking back, that was most important for us. We did lots of things on Kauai but all were sightseeing and adventure -- zipline tour at Princeville ranch (fantastic!), boat tour of NaPali w/ snorkeling (not the best time of year for snorkeling but we did see lots of dolphins and whales which we didn't expect), couple of hikes in Waimea canyon. We rented a 4WD on Kauai and glad we did -- there were a few places we explored where it was needed. One drive in Waimea canyon was amazing but I forced DH to turn around (which was hard to do!) because it was late in the afternoon, looked like it was going to rain and our cell phones didn't work up there. I was so nervous we were going to get stuck!

As far as restaurants, we went on the recommendations in the revealed books and were not disappointed. Once you decide on which islands, buy the revealed books (or get them from your library). They will help you plan everything!

Let me know if you have any questions or want to see our pics. Have fun!! I'm jealous! I told DH when we were in Hawaii that I wanted to go back for my 50th birthday (12 years!!), and he agreed. I'm already planning what I want to do

 

[mom2travel]

We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii last summer (with our children) - absolutely LOVED IT!!

What island did you stay on?
Oahu - 5 nights
Kauai - 5 nights
Maui - 4 nights

What hotel/resort?
Oahu - Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki
Kauai - Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu
Maui - Westin Resort in Ka'anapali

THings to do? anything you can think of! Here's some highlights of what we did in addition to hitting the beaches:
Oahu - Hike Diamond Head; visit Pearl Harbor (the USS Arizona Memorial and USS Bowfin submarine); did a circle drive around the island

Kauai - did a kayak/hike/zipline tour; did an ATV tour; drove up and hiked Waimea Canyon; did a Na Pali Coast boat tour

Maui - horseback riding; drove up Haleakala; snorkeling boat trip

Restaurants?
Ate breakfast every day in our room/on the lanai
Most lunches we made sandwiches or it was included as part of a tour; we may have bought lunch once or twice
Dinners:
On Oahu ate at restaurants at HHV
Kauai - Tidepools at Grand Hyatt; Pizzetta in Old Koloa Town; did the luau at the Grand Hyatt; Brenneckes across from Poipu Beach
Maui - Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina; Leilanis and Hula Grill at Whaler's Village; Giovanni's in Ka'anapali

What time of year did you go? July

Pics would be awesome if you have them - I did trip reports for each island on Tripadvisor; I have links to a sample of photos on those - same user name as this forum if you search that name you'll find them

We had such a great time in Hawaii! We would jump at the chance to go back. It was planning that trip that I got hooked on travel forums - spent lots of time on the tripadvisor Hawaii forums
If you have any questions that I can help with, feel free to PM me

 

[minniebeth]

subscribing...we've been to Maui and Kauai but it was well over 15 years ago, so I'm thinking things have changed a lot.
I'm curious to see what others recommend...

 

[Tiffa]

Well I just finished planning WDW for this year and my DH said hey why dont we go back to Hawaii next year! We went in 2003 and stayed on Oahu for 3 days then Maui for 5 days Maui was awsome, Road to Hana and a must is snorkling at Molokini I need to find the boat that spends a 1/2 day there. The Old Lahaina Luau is the best not cheap but what a show! The road to Hana is nice for a long day the locals think its fun to scare tourist to death on that road! We missed Pearl Harbour due to an inter island flight and we stayed in a 1 bedroom condo right on the water we could see Moloki from our balcony, we used VRBO.com for the condo - we cooked alot in the condo- and everyone does like to go to Costco but what they didn't tell us is its like a Sams club you must have a membership we dont have one of those around home so we didnt know, we kinda walked in and got someone in trouble for not checking cards we just swam and snorkled alot in front of our condo, I really want to start planning but I think its too early-OHH Hawaii is a NO FAULT STATE! get the car insurence for sure we found that out when someone rear-ended us at the Dole Plantation

 

[Sillyminny40]

Awesome! Thanks for the reply! I didn't think about checking out VRBO! Great idea. Do you remember what the price per day on the condo was? How far from the beach was it?

We actually used a TA for Maui Hill but found out you can go cheaper through VRBO. We paid $230 a night (2 br) but you can get it from owner for $140 to $200 depending on time and unit.
Forgot to say that we went with Pacific Whale Foundation for whale watching plus snorkeling at Molokini Crater (take motion sickness pills for that and Road to Hana). Do not waste your time going to most Luahs they are so expensive and food is not great. Seems they are shuffling tourists through on pig and cheap drinks. We were warned and did not heed the advice. We went to Prince Maui luah. Yuch. Our Costco card from Canada is good in Hawaii too. We bought the best fresh fish, meat and veggies there. Wow. Also buy boogie boards for the kids there too. Most vrbo stock beach chairs, boogies boards. Take your OWN towels to Hawaii or buy them cheap at Walmart. (huge towels for $5-7).

 

[holden]

We have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village several times and never had a bad experience. Next summer we are staying at the Grand Wailea in Maui. We are so lucky that DH travels for a living and all of our airfare and hotel stays have always been free (either because he's traveling there for work or because we are using miles/hotel points)!

There are great websites out there with reviews on hotels, activities, etc. Tripadvisor is a good one.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[hopefor4]

What island did you stay on? Big Island
What hotel/resort?Hapuna Beach Prince hotel
THings to do?We went whale watching, helicopter tour, hiked a waterfall, and best of all hiked up Mt Kileau to the lava flows! AMAZING!
Restaurants?The Hotel was great, I don't remember a lot of the names, but some really nice small places, the Big Island is Metropolitan! It has rainforest on the Hilo side (rainest place in the US, and Kona side is the dries! The drive from one side to the other is gorgeous!
What time of year did you go? March

I would recommend this Island is you are looking for a quieter vacation, their really isn't any nightlife, with is fine with us! I would go back in a heart beat!

 

[asoko]

Loved Hawaii! DH went with friends and loved Kauai. I don't think they stayed there, I think they did a day trip. We stayed on Maui at Ka'anapali Beach hotel and ate in La'haina alot. The hotel was smaller and quaint. I think the guide books said it was the "most Hawaiian" I think they meant traditionally. There were luaus at night and we could walk along the beach and see the whale museum and the other hotels and restaurants. we took a day trip to Lana'i, drove toward Hana (beautiful drive) and went to Iao Valley.

We also stayed on Oahu at the Ihilani Resort at Ko Olina. Went to Pearl Harbor. We also drove to the north shore.

My parents have friend who frequent Maui, so they gave us a list of restaurant. We didn't really do the chain restaurants.

We went in beginning of November. I remember because it was the day after I found out I was pregnant with DS (now 5)

 

[echo63]

We have visited Kauai every year for the last 5 years, some years combining other islands (Big Island or Oahu). You can't really go wrong choosing any of the islands, as each island has its own unique attractions.

In Kauai, we go to Marriott Waikoloa (a timeshare) in Poipu by renting through a Marriott owner. The beach in front is super nice and swimmable. Previous posters have mentioned Hilton, which is in the east side by the airport. The waves there are too rough, and if you have little ones, you would need to drive to places like Lydgate to find a protected beach. Princeville in the north side is also preferred by families, as snorkeling in Ke'e beach area is probably the best in the island. Great thing about Kauai is that the island is so small, you can do a day trip from one side to another without getting too tired. Look elsewhere if you're looking for nightlife, though.

The Big Island, on the other hand, is really big. The first time we went, I put in 1100 miles in the rental car in 8-days. We stayed at the Fairway Villas in Waikoloa thru VRBO. You can get a very clean 2 bd/2 ba condos for about $200 per night (tax and cleaning inclusive), but you have to drive everywhere. Black sand beaches, amazing snorkeling, picture-perfect crescent shaped beaches of Hapuna and Mauna Kea are some of the attractions. If your kids are young (like us), you probably won't do the walk to see the lava flowing into the ocean, but it's definitely in our things to do list.

Many bashers out there when it comes to Oahu and Waikiki. It is crowded, but also fun to combine a few days in Waikiki with a quiet stay in Kauai. We like Pacific/Asian fusion food, so that alone is a reason to pay a visit to Oahu. We've stayed at Hyatt Waikiki, right smack in the middle of Waikiki, and everything was within walking distance. Be warned, however, that parking fees are rather high at ~$25 per night, as parking spots are a scarcity in Waikiki.

We will do Waikiki and Kauai again this summer. The worst part about Hawaiian islands is having to come back home.

 

[Pakey]

We've been 3 times in past few years. First time was to Oahu and Hawaii. I agree with PP, I would not want to spend entire vacation on Oahu but I enjoyed a few days there as there is a lot to do and island flights are cheap enough that there's no reason to avoid a split stay if you want it. I do not remember where we stayed on these islands as a TA put it together for us. I was not impressed with them though although they were beachfront. This trip was late-November. Oh Oahu, we went to Pearl Harbor, and did the Polynesian Cultural Center. Oh Hawaii, we did the helicopter volcano tour and lots of driving, lol.

Second time to Maui we stayed at Grand Wailea. Although I loved the resort, I did not like the Wailea area very much. This trip was mid-February. We went out on a whale watching boat but other than that, we pretty much golfed, spa'd and hung out at the beach and enjoyed the amazing resort.

Last trip was to Maui again and we stayed at Kapalua villas, got a huge 2 bedroom condo on the beach and I mean on the beach, we could practically spit into the ocean. We loved it here, loved the closeness to Lahaina but still able to leave the madness behind for those nice quiet times of sitting on our Lanai. This trip was mid-March. We did golfing, a luau, and zip lining over the volcano crater. Since we were ON the beach, we spent a lot of time there as the kids wanted to try surfing.

 

[TaraPA]

Been to Maui twice, both times Grand Wailea..cha-ching! It was gorgeous & luxurious but I'd opt for a private house or villa next time. Hawaii is beautiful, and has a lot to do. We went whale watching, snorkeling, golfing, hiking around waterfalls, shopping, biking, etc. I'd love to combine 2 or more islands on my next trip there - if we go back. We're on the east coast & getting there is a bugger!

Have fun whatever you choose!

 

[amyngary]

We have been to Hawaii twice for 2 weeks each time. The first time, we visited 4 islands - second time narrowed it down to our 2 favorites: Maui and Kauai. On Kauai, we stayed in a condo on the North Shore next door to Princeville called "Pu'u Poa". I had done a year's worth of research to choose it, and I highly recommend it. If you don't stay there, I at least recommend staying on the North Shore - it's phenomenal!

Things to do: na pali helicopter tour - BEST! beach hopping - very secluded beaches with sea turtles if you swim out a bit - breathtaking views; hiking to waterfalls; the Canyon (a day trip); relaxing; a little shopping. It's not very touristy compared to t he other islands, so t here isn't as much to do there. It has the most natural beauty though.

Restaurants: My favorite were "Gaylord's Plantation" and the lounge at Princeville. The Hula Performance held on Sunday nights at 6:30pm in the Living Room (the lounge) at the Princeville Hotel was nice too. Others are:
-Hanalei Wake Up Café / Great breakfast... popular with locals
-Hanalei Gourmet (ate here several times)

Time we went: July-Aug.

On Maui, we stayed at the Ka'anapali Ali'i and it was perfect! The best luau there is in Lahaina. Best restaurant is Mama's Fish house, lots to do there, but way more crowded too.

We love Hawaii and intend to go back every few years.

I'm still a newbie, so I don't think I can post pics. I hope this helps!

 

[Crystal824]

What island did you stay on: Maui
Oahu
What hotel/resort: Kahana Falls
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Things to do? Maui: Road to Hana, Old Lahaina Luau, exploring Lahaina, the Maui Ocean Aquarium, wonderful beaches, Haleakala crater, etc.
Oahu: Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Honuama Bay, Polynesian Cultral Center (sort of like a mini Epcot for Polynesia), Dole Pineapple Plantation.
Restaurants? Maui: Cheeseburger in Paradise (awsome view and fun atmosphere), Pacific'o (expensive but wonderful food), Sea House Resturant (great for breakfast); Hula Grill (get the Hula Pie); Humuhumu (great setting)
Oahu: Dukes (fun), Tiki's (fun for a drink); Alan Wong's (expensive but great),
What time of year did you go? We went at the end of May just after whale watching it might be fun to go a little eariler if you are interested in that. It was our honeymoon. We got married on May 19 and left for Maui the next day.

Maui was, to me, a better experience than Oahu. It just felt like what I thought Hawaii would be. Don't get me wrong, Oahu was great too. . . Wakiki is a city. I prefered the other side of the island. We rented a car one day and drove around.

As someone else mentioned, I would get the Revealed books, they are awsome and read better than any other travel book I have ever had.