OT-Has Anyone Vacationed In Hawaii?

[LadyShea]

What island did you stay on? Maui
What hotel/resort? Kea Lani in Wailea
THings to do? Road to Hana, blue water rafting/snorkeling (Molokini!)
Restaurants? Hali'imaile General Store
What time of year did you go? May

I got interrupted then forgot to come back and finish my post!

The Kea Lani is stupendous, but we were there on business and the company got it through trade...don't think we could afford it ourselves. We had meetings at the Westin in Kaanapali and it was lovely as well.

If I ever go back to Maui, I want to stay at the top of the Road to Hana. So far the Hana Coast is my favorite place on Earth (well, next to WDW).

The Blue Water rafting tour was an all day thing, they fed us breakfast and lunch and made three snorkel stops. It was truly wonderful.

 

[dfarner]

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)

We went to Maui about 10 years ago and stayed at Kaanapali Beach hotel as well. We loved it. I wonder how much it's changed. We drove the Road to Hana and I got so sick from all the twists and turns. There was a fire truck behind us that was driving so fast I thought he would just fly off the road. I remember stopping at one of the sights along the way and the sign said they filmed the opening scenes for one of the Jurassic Park movies (I think the original movie) there. We also snorkeled every day and did the sun rise trip up to the volcano. I can't wait to go back...when my girls can stand the long plane trip!

 

[zigfam4]

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 airport, 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!

I won a trip off of Wheel of Fortune and we stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa Village on Kona Island. It's absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the staff was great to work with. I figured if it's good enough for The Wheel, it's good enough for everyone else!

 

[NLD]

What island did you stay on?

Maui. We loved Maui--friendly, relaxed, quiet, stunning scenery. So many different "types" of land in such small space--desert looking areas, rainforests, mountains, beaches, farms/plantations... just so incredibly beautiful. The island is small and easy to get around. It's quiet. It's just... incredible. I could feel the stress melt off my body the moment we stepped of the airplane, I can't even explain it.

I suppose if you want lots of nighttime entertaintment (dancing, clubs) then it's not the best pick of an island, but honestly I can't imagine even going anywhere else now. Our best friends just got back recently from their honeymoon, too... they stayed at Oahu and Maui (split) and also said they liked Maui best.


What hotel/resort?

Four Seasons Resort Wailea. I can't say enough good about this resort. We are NOT rich by any means, we made it work by booking the cheapest room category and using a special that the hotel was running at the time. Incredible service--complimentary champagne and roses in our room one night for our honeymoon--stunning landscaping and interiors--friendly staff--good food--heck they bring you towels and spritz you with water while you're lying on the beach--just absolutely amazing. We didn't have kids obviously, but there is a Kids Program for them. The pool was GORGEOUS.

Now all this said... if and when we go back, I probably will not book the Four Seasons again--ONLY because of the cost, though, and ONLY because there are other beautiful, quality resorts for less $$. That was a once-in-a-lifetime splurge for us (honeymoon trip). I'd still probably pay to spend money in the Wailea area though--that part of the island is just incredible--sheltered from the wind, never got a drop of rain, stunning views, etc.

Things to do?

What we did: spent a day in Lahaina shopping and seeing the sights (loved it), helicopter tour of the island (loved it), beach (both at our resort and at Little Beach--nude beach! --loved it, but obviously not for everyone), luau, shopping at the Wailea mall, and a Molokini snorkel/snuba cruise (very cool--snorkeling and snuba'ing off of Molokini crater and then a second snorkeling stop at "Turtle Town"--area where there's lots of sea turtles).

We didn't do any hiking (totally regret this--meant to but I got sick and just needed a rest day) and didn't get up to Haleakala (again big regret), but you can do that too.

Restaurants?

Oh man, can't remember... good food though!

We did a luau one night at a neighboring resort. Will have to see if I can figure out the places we ate...

Edited: okay one place we ate was Cheeseburger in Paradise. Also Humuhumu's. (Figured this out from reading the other posts, lol!). And I agree with the PP on both those--good food, nice setting for Humu's. We also ate at an Italian restuarant somewhere though (LOL, yes in Maui) that looked like a hole in the wall (and sort of was) but had FANTASTIC Italian food--the real deal. Can't remember... augh....



What time of year did you go?

First week of November, 2002. (PERFECT weather--80 degrees and sunny, absolutely no rain, not a drop of humidity)




Oh oh oh... we used a travel agent for booking the flight and room. Hawaii 5-0. They got us airfare from the eastern U.S. for much cheaper than I was able to find on my own.

 

[bankgirl05]

Haven't been yet, just wanted to say that I read somewhere that Disney is building a resort somewhere in Hawaii, I think I even read that it is going to be "all inclusive" which you don't find, for some reason, in Hawaii...

 

[mom2aredhead]

We went for our Honeymoon about 10 years ago and spent about 4-5 days in Oahu, then about 8 days in Maui. We stayed in Hyatt properties on both islands - the Hyatt Waikiki and The Hyatt in Ka'anapali Beach...both fabulous at the time, but remember it was 10 years ago. We spent a lot of the evenings in Maui in La'haina - lots of shops, restaurants, and the Old La'haina Luau was fabulous. Oahu was great for the time we were there, but I don't think I would want to spend more than the 4 or so days there that we did. It was kind of like Miami Beach meets Tokyo...busy, crowded, high-rise buildings everywhere and lots and lots of Japanese tourists with a lot of attractions and menus geared for them. We went on a dinner cruise, toured Pearl Harbor and the other tourist attractions, but I enjoyed Maui much more.

 

[ppan77]

We've been to Maui twice. Once for honeymoon in July. Stayed at Kea Lani. Loved it! Weather was awesome. Hotel was fabulous! Took snorkeling trip to Molokini also saw sea turtle cove. Did half day hike to waterfalls up road to Hana but not all the way. Also did catamaran cruise.

Went to Gran Wailea for xmas for big family trip. Had our 3 month yr old son with us. Did day at the spa and lounged with the baby by the pool mostly. Lots of cool slides for kids here.

Great Restaurants in this area (Wailea)!

Of the two resorts we still like Kea Lani the best. Its more quaint than Gran Wailea and xmas was crowded there.

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

Thanks for all of the replies! Keep them coming. I would love to see some pics of some of your favorite things if you have them. I have a ton of research to do...good thing we have time to plan it all out!

 

[mom~of~2]

I love Hawaii! I've been to Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. I have yet to try the big island but am anxious to do so! Maui is a great island because there's so much variety. If you're looking for more action I would stay on Kaanapali (I've stayed at the Hyatt and it's very nice). The Wailea area on Maui is quieter and more "posh". I've been lucky to stay at both the Four Seasons and the Kea Lani. The Four Seasons was incredible... not the best pool but wonderful service and surroundings. We loved snorkeling right off the beach and also saw a few celebrities! We stayed at the Kea Lani with our two very young children. It's beautiful and all of the rooms are suites. I know a lot of people that have had wonderful trips renting condos in Kihei (or splitting a trip by staying 1/2 the trip at a condo and 1/2 the trip at a resort). There's so much to do on Maui... snorkeling, boat rides (whale watching during the winter months), road to Hana, luaus... it's wonderful! I've been in February, July & November. The only trouble we ran into was in November when it rained quite a bit.

Kauai is my favorite vacation spot (so far). We found it to be quiet and laid back. We stayed at the Hyatt in Poipu and it was so nice. The beach was not for swimming but the hotel has a great pool and salt-water lagoon. We visited in December and Poipu was nice because it was sunny most of the time, whereas the rest of the island was raining a lot (not ideal for swimming but awesome for seeing beautiful waterfalls). Nice, calm beaches were a short drive away. The north side of Kauai is a must see - it is gorgeous! We went on a boat ride along the Napali coast. We also took a very memorable horseback riding tour and I felt like I was transported to the movie Jurassic Park.

 

[amergren]

Mom of 3, here is a link to the photobook I created from our trip to Hawaii back in '07. I posted last week with the details of our trip but couldn't post the link until today Most pages/photos state have captions, but feel free to ask any questions via PM.

Have fun planning!

http://community.shutterfly.com/gal...postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDFgwZuWbJo0YA9NBb2q

 

[karen624]

This is my first post here.

I have been to Oahu many times, since my husband is in the Navy, we have had port calls there and we lived there for a few months last year. I love staying in Waikiki, and have done that when we were just there for a few days.

When we were there for an extended period, we rented a condo through VRBO in Ko Olina, which is way out on the west side of the island. All I can say is GORGEOUS! It was fantastic. This is the resort that Disney is building their new property on. There are currently Marriott properties there, as well as lots of condos and houses. Some people live there full time, some rent them out.

There are 4 man made lagoons that you can go to that are beautiful, and great for swimming in, especially for kids. I took my kids (1 and 4) all the time.

From Ko Olina it is an easy drive up to the Dole Plantation, and then drive a little further to the North Shore.

You are a ways from Waikiki and Pearl Harbor (probably 30-45 to Waikiki and about 20-30 to Pearl Harbor), but I enjoyed the tranquility of being out there.

If you go to Waikik, you should eat at Duke's Canoe Club which is in the bottom of the Outrigger Waikiki. The parmesean-macadamian nut encrusted Opah is to die for! We eat there every time we go, and my husband goes whenever he travels there.

 

[4Ms Family]

What island did you stay on? Oahu (twice) and Kauai
What hotel/resort? Hawaii Prince - Oahu; Outrigger Waikiki (I think, can't remember but that says much) - Oahu; and Princeville - Kauai
Things to do? Tons of stuff to do but if you are looking for a more secluded island or more outdoor activies like hiking, go with Kauai; Oahu is bustling with tons of nightlife and things to do; more citylife atmosphere around Waikiki
Restaurants? My husband liked Hy's Steakhouse on Oahu; We both liked Java Kai Coffeehouse on Kauai; On Oahu we liked the "fast food" restaurant Zippy's. My DH and I are of asian decent so we felt right at home in Hawaii, especially with the food.
What time of year did you go? The first time we went was in February for Valentine's day, where we got engaged; the second time was in September for our honeymoon

Hawaii holds a very place in my heart as I got engaged on top of Diamond Head Crater in Oahu and then went back for our honeymoon and also spent a week in Kauai for our honeymoon. We're planning to go back for our 10-year anniversary, probably to Maui. Each island is unique. First you have to figure out what type of vacation you are looking for and go from there. Again, Oahu was great if you like a more bustling atmosphere with tons of restaurants and a night life. Pearl Harbor is also a must see. If you like to surf check out the north shore. Waikiki beach is always crowded but a great place to watch a sunset. Hanauma Bay is the best place for snorkling.

On Kauai, we loved beach hopping. Each is different. You don't get tired of trying different beaches. You have to take a helicoptor tour. It's amazing. You'll never see so many waterfalls in your life, plus you get to see Waimea Canyon. We loved hiking the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali coast. This is definitely a more secluded island with not much for a nightlife, which is why we found it perfect for our honeymmon.

Anyway, you can't go wrong. Hawaii is just amazing. Hope you have a fabulous time. I know I can't wait to go back!!!

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for all of the different info. I can't get over how different the islands are, and how many different things there are to do!!! It is going to be a very exciting/adventureous vacation for DH and I!! I seriously can't wait! Too bad we are a long ways off! Thanks to everyone that has posted info and especially pictures, I love seeing them....keep them coming!!!

 

[mickey&arielsmom]

We're trying to decide between a trip to Maui or WDW and I'm so torn! For those of you that stayed in a condo - was there a pool? I visited Maui 3 times as a kid/teenager/young adult and we spent most of our time at the amazing hotel pool. If we go, we're taking 3 kids - 8, 5, and 2 so while I would love to stay at a condo for cost, we also want a great swimming pool. Any suggestions?

 

[Missy29]

What island did you stay on? Maui
What hotel/resort?Maui Bauyan, we rented through VRBO
Things to do?We ziplined, parasailed, went jet skiing, drove to the top of the 10,000ft. volcano, did the drive to Hana and hiked through a Bamboo forest to a 400ft. waterfall. You can also take surfing lessons, take dinner/sunset cruises, and best of all just relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches and scenery.
Restaurants?There's a ton of choices(not sure about whats on Kauai though)
What time of year did you go? DH and I went May 22-28,2007(I think) perfect time to go IMO
Pics would be awesome if you have them Have tons of pics but have no idea how to post

The planning is overwhelming,(I bought a guide from Borders which helped a lot) but it's all worth it in the end. ,You will have a great time, don't forget to relax and watch the sunsets.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

subbing

 

[aussietravellers]

What island did you stay on? We have always stayed on Oahu

What hotel/resort? In recent years we have stayed at Moana Surfrider about 8 times, but both Sheraton Waikiki a couple of times and Royal Hawaiian about 4 times were years and years ago.

Things to do? We love going shopping (Ala Moana, Waikele Outlets etc), going to Kahala Resort for the Dolphin Quest, taking a drive around the island, visiting the Pineapple plantation and doing the maze (we love the maze), go to the zoo, go to the aquarium, we love going to lewers street at night for a gelati, visit the international market place which is still the same as when i went there as a child 30 years ago.

Restaurants? Benihanas, The Banyan Verandah (for afternoon tea and dinner), Dukes, Chucks Steak House, Luau at Royal Hawaiian (don't know if it is going to still be there when they reopen after their renovations), the pineapple room at Macy's Ala Moana. Not a restaurant, but I recommend Beard Papa's Puffs' YUM and a gelati or icecream from Lewers street.

What time of year did you go? We have gone at many times of the year. Over Christmas, April, July, September/October. I think our favourite time to go is September/October.

 

[scjo68]

We are probably going this summer. My SIL and BIL are in Oahu (Navy) so we will stay with them. I am glad to read all this info.

The thing that is holding me back from getting the plane tickets is the price. It is so expensive! (From VA). And you can't cancel, so I have such a fear that as soon as we buy them DH will get laid off or something.

We never fly, so this is all new to me. I am used to us just driving to WDW, booking room only that we can cancel right up to the last five days. Not that we ever have had to cancel, but you just never know.

What island did you stay on?


Oh oh oh... we used a travel agent for booking the flight and room. Hawaii 5-0. They got us airfare from the eastern U.S. for much cheaper than I was able to find on my own.

NLD, did you like Hawaii 5-0? I looked at their website, and it only mentioned room/flight packages. Of course we do not need a room, just a flight.

 

[JD3419]

We just got from Hawai'i and we are already planning our next trip.

What island did you stay on? Oahu
What hotel/resort? My sister and brother-in-law live in Honolulu
Things to do? Pearl Harbor, North Shore, lots of golf, spa for the ladies, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Punch Bowl National Cemetary, Pali Lookout, Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, beaches, shopping at Ala Moana Mall and Waikiki, Turtle Bay and a lot of relaxing. A few things we would like to do on our next trip are snorkeling, whale watching, Diamond Head, the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Restaurants? We ate at home most breakfasts and dinners, but when we did eat out it was a lot of plate lunches and loco moco's, local style. Yummy's Korean BBQ, L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Y'Kele Korean BBQ, Byron's Drive Inn, Big Kahuna Pizza, Kaka'ako Kitchen, Boot's and Kimo (best banana/mac pancakes ever), Leonards Malasada's. We ate a lot of Shave Ice and our two favorites were Matsumoto's and the Shave Ice lady in front of Sports Authority in Waikele (it is well worth coming to see here). A few places we didn't get to, but would like to try Ono Hawaiian Foods, Zippy's, the PCC Luau,
What time of year did you go? Jan.

I highly recommend Boot's and Kimos. It's a small restaurant in Kailua with maybe 8 tables. Their is usually a wait, but it is well worth it. They serve the banana/mac pancakes with a vanilla sauce that is so addictive we had to go back a couple times.

 

[Jennygt]

I did not read all the post but the best info is Maui Revealed, Kaui revealed, Big island revealed, etc, just google and you will get there website, the books are awesome! Maui is my favorite, second by the Big island. I have been 4 times so any specific questions feel free!