QuestionL trip to hawaii

[musicotb]

Hello Dis! DBF and I are looking at possibly taking a trip to Hawaii in May. Any tips? We're not looking at a huge budget, but prob. 10 days (incl. flying time from TN).
Any help would be great! We are just looking at the idea right now.

 

[christineann]

The Hyatt Regency in Maui is gorgeous! I went there on a company trip, and it was paradise. I hope to return to Hawaii some day and see more of the islands.
We went kayaking and diving, including a trip to Molokini. Another popular excursion is the bike ride down one of the volcanoes at sunrise, but the road was being repaired and wasn't open when we were there.

I believe there are several good websites with info - just do a search on the internet.

I envy you!!!!

 

[Philagoofy]

It would really be worth it to research the Islands, there is so much to see & do. It depends on what you two like. Each island has it's own beauty, activities and sights.

You could go snorkling, even if you can't swim, I did & you can stay close to shore & still see fish & coral. On Kauai is the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", beautiful waterfalls and a boat ride to the Fern Grotto.

The island of Hawaii has some great historical areas, the place where Captain Cook came ashore, a green sand beach which is the southernmost point in the US, some beautiful black sand beaches & Akaka Falls, horse country, the drive through volcano, Thurston Lava Tube.

Oahu has a lot of great scenery and of couse Pearl Harbor. There's so much to see & do. It's a beautiful place.

 

[Jeafl]

If you are going to be there 10 days, I would try to do at least 2 islands.

If you go to Honolulu, be prepared to wait forever to see Pearl Harbor. We got there an hour before it opened, and we still waited in line for hours just to get a ticket to wait in line some more. It was the biggest disappointment of the entire 2 weeks we were there.

We stayed at some amazing hotels on the Big Island and Oahu, but we rented a gorgeous condo on the beach in Maui that was an incredible deal. If you want pics or more info, let me know. The going rate for the condo was $375 a night, and we paid $120 a night. It was worth every penny and then some!

The best advice I can give you is to buy or borrow the "revealed" books. Maui Revealed, Big Island Revealed, etc. They are a wealth of information and very entertaining to read. Also, when choosing your hotel or condo, you can't beat tripadvisor.com for totally honest reviews by people who have already stayed there. Any questions, let me know.

 

[DawnCt1]

I love all of the islands and in 10 days you could probably visit two comfortably. I would pick up Fodors and read an over view of all of the islands. If you are on a budget, the Hyatt is probably not for you. There are some nice hotels up further from Ka'anapali that are less pricey but on very nice beaches; Napili is nice. If you are really on a budget check out Kihei. South Kihei is nicer. We loved Kauai as well. The Big Island is BIG. I would suggest a couple of nights on the Hilo side and then find a nice hotel on the Kona side. Lots of sight seeing in between. www.fodors.com/talk is a great web site. Search Hawaii and ask the participants on that board. Also, don't forget Oahu. Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, The Bishop Museum, the Polynesian Cultural Center, etc are all great places to visit. Hawaii is TOO NICE to just sit on the beach. Get out and enjoy it.

 

[sweet angel]

Wayyyyy back in 1979 or 1980, my parents and I went to Hawaii for 2 weeks (I was 13). We went as part of a Tauck Tour. Five islands in 2 weeks.

We visited Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii, Molokai, and Maui.

We stayed at the Royal Hawaiian on Oahu, and I want to say Sheratons on the rest of the islands. My favorite was Maui.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

On our last trip to Hawaii we just went to Maui. The snorkeling was great. The boat left early in the morning, we had a continental breakfast and then we stopped and snorkeling in some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen. The visibility was great. We saw so many tropical fish. Then we had lunch and then stopped at another place to snorkel. This place had giant sea turtles in the water. DS (11) loved it! We also saw many dolphins and whales along the way.

We also took a helicopter tour. It as very expensive, but worth every penny. We could even see dolphins in the water from the helicopter.
We went on a submarine ride, which I would not recommend. The visibility was terrible and it was not worth the money. We also did a luau, went to the Ocean Center, and spent time on the beach.

Another fun thing we did was drive the road to Hana. It was beautiful. The road is a two lane winding road. It takes several hours, but the views are amazing. There is a cliff and the ocean on one side and tropical forest on the other. We passed by several waterfalls. Then we got to a black beach, where the sand in actual volcanic rock. Amazing!

There are so many things to do, no matter which island or islands you choose. Have fun! BTW, we flew there from TN too.

 

[musicotb]

Thanks for all these replies! I am looking further into it, and your suggestions will help!