Poly fans who've been to Hawaii

[WendyMichaelJohn]

Where would you go if a chance to go on a Hawaiin vacation came up and why?

 

[magicmouse2]

Tikiman should be able to answer this. I think I read that he has a second home in Maui. You could PM him

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I've been to the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, and the big island of Hawaii. My favorite is Maui, good mix of stuff to do, restaurants, and natural beauty. I like making a stop in Oahu, even though Honolulu can be very commercial and parts look like any other big city, there's still some fun things to do and see there.

Depends on what YOU are looking for though.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I've only been to Mui twice... and I love Maui!! I wouldn't feel bad if I never get to see the other islands. I think with Maui, it's less hustle and bustle. It's more laid back. Oahu is more city like. My friend who lived in Maui for 29 years and visited other islands told me. His family still lives in Lahaina, Maui.

 

[Laura]

We loved Maui, too. DH has visited Kauai as well, and says it's his favorite. Very lush and uncrowded. The Big Island is huge and has a variety of landscapes to see and it isn't as developed as Maui seemed to be.

But I think if I were taking a first trip to Hawaii, I'd go to Maui. I agree with LadyTramp... that it had a good variety of things to do. It's a beautiful place.

 

[jw50]

What you need to do is to go to Oahu, Hawaii (the big island), Maui, and Kauai and decide which one you like the best because they are all very different from each other. Oahu has Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, North Shore, etc. Hawaii has Volcanoes National Park with Kilauea (a very active volcano). Maui has Lahaina (old fishing village), Haleakala (dormant volcano), Hana, and the resorts. Kauai is the garden island, very lush and green, a spot on Kauai gets the highest annual rainfall in the US. Most people consider Kauai the most beautiful island and a number of movies have been filmed on Kauai including South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Six Days, Seven Nights.

 

[nwdisgal]

It depends on what you like. If you like great beaches with a some action - night life, restaurants, shopping, etc, go to Maui. Kauai is absolutely breathtaking - the Garden Isle but tends to get more rain than the other islands (if that is a concern for you). Oahu has more city than the other islands, but it also has less developed areas that are very beautiful. For example, you can drive up to the North Shore of Oahu and feel like you are in another world. Big Island is rugged and has dramatic changes in geography. If you are into volcanoes, this is the place to be. It is also very large compared to the other islands with lots of geographical area to explore. If you are going to spend a lot of time at the beach, I would probably choose Maui or Oahu. If you are into sun, book yourself on the Leeward side of the islands which tend to receive less rain than the Windward sides. Another consideration is how the weather patterns go. In the winter, the weather comes from the Northwest, so the wave pattern is rough to the North. In the summer it comes from the South, so the South facing beaches can be rough. Also, seasons delay about two months from the Mainland. Winter runs from mid December to late March. That is when you can potentially get the nastiest weather in Hawaii and the crowds are the busiest too. February is standing room only. May is pretty quiet, so is September, but the weather can be quite humid in September, with September and October being the warmest months. It's also hurricane season, but haven't had one of those in a while. Thank goodness.

 

[Tinkaroo]

We absolutely love Kauai!!! My parents bought a timeshare on the island a couple of years ago, and we are reaping the benefits of that. It's my 2nd favorite spot in the world (after WDW, of course).

Everyone's descriptions here of Kauai are correct. Basically, the island is mainly inhabited on it's north, east, and south shores. Towards the western shore is the spot for the most rainfall, and the north shore also gets a fair amount of rain. The south shore is a bit drier (but still lush and tropical), so you have more sunny beach days. We love the Poipu Beach area where our timeshare is - there's quaint shopping, good restaurants, and is very relaxing. It still has a "native" feel to it. We love it!!!

 

[Dizzyworld]

We didn't have any real interest in going to Hawaii until our stay at the Poly. Then we went for two years in a row. Maui was our favorite island. I nice mix of being able to lay back and see the beauty in such a place, plus many acitivitites to do if you wanted to do them. Would love to go back with our children.

 

[caribbeanme]

If you like watersports or would like to try some I would recommend Maui. It's a snorkellers/divers paradise. The beaches are magnificent, and a bunch of local shops rent gear and can point you in the right direction for snorkelling, diving, surfing, etc...

 

[Disney_1derland]

I love Maui. We stayed just outside of Lahaina and took some day trips out to molokai and Lanai. Very relaxing, Lahaina is a sweet town and we had a very nice time there.

We also spent a week on Oahu, not as much fun because it is so developed but we did see a lot of interesting things...polynesian cultural center, pearl harbor, the government buildings in honolulu. It's still beautiful there on the beach but it's very city-like. we stayed just off waikiki beach and there is a lot of shopping etc, not as much nature-based stuff to see/do.

 

[RKB]

Why not book an NCL cruise Pride of Aloha or Pride of America and see more than one island? I love cruises cause you only have to unpack once and your food is already paid for also! I stayed on Kauaii before. We did the movie tour where they take you to where the above mentioned movies were filmed - the kids and I had an excellent time there. We loved the island - so you can't go wrong with Kauaii!

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Where would you go if a chance to go on a Hawaiin vacation came up and why?

Well, we've been to all of the visit-friendly the Hawaiian islands (Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Oahu) and my personal favorite is Kauai, but I crave the different environments of each unique island so I try to go at least once a year. I was just in the Big Island last April and the terrain there is very dramatic--desert on one side (built upon with luxury resorts), the southern volcanic area, lush Hilo on the eastside and the historic paniolo country up on the north. Then there's the huge, snow-capped mountain near the center of the island. The downside to the multi-faceted BI is all the driving time. I loved the coffee plantations and the volcano, however.

I'm planning a trip to Kauai again next time because I love that the island is manageable car-wise and also quite dramatic in atmosphere (there's the mini-grand canyon, fantastic rainforest-like north shore, the warm, calm waters in the south shore...). I just love Kauai's particular mix of activities and natural attractions.

Maui and Lanai would be tied for my second favorite islands--Maui for much of the same reasons as Kauai, but it is larger and much more developed than Kauai. Maui is definitely edgier than Kauai or the BI...there's a s. cal feel in certain places and there is nightlife (though not on the scale of Oahu). Plenty of natural beauty and striking terrain in Maui. My favorite time to go is in January for supreme whale watching from the northeast side of the island (Kaanapali and Kapalua).

Lanai is much, much smaller than any of the islands already mentioned and doesn't have quite the range of natural attractions...but it still has kind of a rural feeling while sporting two very beautiful resorts. My favorite resort anywhere in the world is the Lodge at Koele in Lanai. There is a quaint downtown area nearby and interesting archaelogical exhibits around Manele Bay, the site of the second luxury resort down on the south side of the island. The island is mainly desert however, but it is still an island not to be missed in my humble opinion.

Molokai was great, too (it's not as if any of the islands should be skipped! ). It is the least touristy of all of the islands...if you want a more remote, natural Hawaiian vacation this is the island you'd want. I stayed at the Molokai Ranch Lodge which I'd highly recommend. Very plush, well-maintained while staying unique. It had a luxury-paniolo feel.

My least favorite island is Oahu...much to big city hectic for me around the Waikiki area. I like the north and east shores but they still aren't as interesting to me as Kauai or Maui. Just my personal preference, of course.

 

[4greatboys]

On our honeymoon we stayed on Oahu and the big island. Didnt care that much for Oahu, if you not on the beach it looks like you are just in the middle of Downtown Anywhere, USA. We loved the big island so much more and would love to try a couple of the other ones as well.

 

[LoveWDW]

If I could only go to one Island, I'd make it Oahu. I know it is more commercialized than the others, but there is plenty of incredibly beautiful scenery, lots of night life, outdoor flea market, and the Polynesian Cultural Center- which showcases the people who came to Hawaii originally. At the PCC is an amazing show in the evening as well as several choices for dinners. On the way to the Center the bus driver talks about the countryside.

Maui we found scenic and restful. I was unable to get to Hanna because I have a problem with heights, and the road to Hanna is narrow and curved and right on the side of the mountain. I made my husband turn around at the first available stop.

Hawaii was fascinating. Take the Circle Tour and be in about 4 different climates all during the same tour as well as tunnels formed by lava and lunch near a crater with the steam coming out (Take your own sandwich, the food at the stop was not very good). Hawaii would be my second choice to visit. But then I have only been to the three islands.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Can't add much more than what Ladyhawke10 wrote in her excellent review of each island -- If we go again (big If, because it's a long trip from CT), we'd probably go back to the Big Island of Hawaii & Maui.

 

[csaribay]

I actually live in Lahaina Maui- it truly depends on what you're looking for in a Hawaiian vacation. If you're looking for a great mix of modern convenience and luxurious resorts, yet unspoiled natural beauty and the devoid of overdevelopment, Maui is definitely where you want to be. You can't go wrong at Wailea, Kapalua and Kaanapali. A ton of activities are available here, and Haleakala National park is pretty breath taking.

Kauai, Lanai, Molokai and the Big Island are all in the same boat from my perspective. If you want the most untouched parts of Hawaii, these are the islands you should be looking into. Some with only two hotels, you'll have the most intimate experience on these islands. Not all the activities found on Oahu or Maui are found here, but if you just want to take a drive to see nature's beauty, or if you want to hang out at a very quiet (often deserted) beach, they are your best bet. The Big Island is more like Maui in a certain aspect, but is more untouched than not. If you're family is into Volcanos, I'll second suggestions by others- you'll want to check out the Big Island (the only active volcanos in all of the islands are on the Big Island).

Oahu is an entirely different devil. It's a cityscape, with a lot of development. There are some untouched areas, but most hotels are not located in such, rather, in the metropolis that of Waikiki. If you're looking for activities and shopping opportunities, Oahu is your best bet.

I'm biased, but I'd lean toward Maui either way .

If you're feel like doing some major island hopping, Aloha Airlines offers a visitor island hop pass for $351, not cheap, but allows you unlimited use of their frequent inter-island schedule, for seven days (note that you need to have proof of out of state residency, the pass is for tourists only). Keep in mind that the cost for the pass can be payed for in less than 3 roundtrips between islands, if you were to pay normal (discounted) ticket prices.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Island for Island, I would have to agree with Maui. Hawaii is breahtaking but SLEEPY! Oahu is commercial, but it does offer MANY activities.

All that being said, there is no place I would rather be most of the time than Lani Kai, on the windward side of Oahu. Its name means literally 'heaven on earth" - and it is.

If you get the chance, GO!

 

[WendyMichaelJohn]

Totally looking for a deserted experience, with a little bit of Maui activity. Maybe we can do a little bit of both. This may be a way off, but we want to start planning now. You guys have given me a great place to start. I had no idea where to begin.

Thanks

Shel

 

[Tikiman]

As the Hawaiians say "Maui No Ka Oi" which means Maui is the best!

Every Island has different things. Maui gives the best mix. Kauai is the quietest. Hawaii is like another planet and don’t look for lots of beaches there. Oahu is great for a short trip and seeing a lot of touristy (in a good way) spots and the least expensive way to go.

Csaribay said it well.

We will be in Maui in a few weeks.

Sorry I don’t have more right now. I just got home from WDW and only had about 4 hours sleep.

Aloha

Steve