So..Tell me about Hawaii...and Fiji??

[Andona]

I can't stand it, I've been back home not quite a fortnight and I NEED to be planning or at least thinking about a holiday...

Our DS will probably be doing a big school trip in the September school holidays next year so I reckon that's the best time for DH and I to head off on...gasp...a child-free holiday ( ...except for the odd weekend it's over 26 years since DH and I spent 2 weeks alone together! )

Now, the where? We'll have less than 2 weeks which isn't really long enough for the future Road trips we want to do in the USA and Europe BUT DH discovered US$150 left in the back pocket of his wallet the other day , AND I know I'll REALLY want to go somewhere warm so I was thinking maybe Hawaii?? That way I get to tick off another US State from my bucket list

So, I've come to the DIS for some help, I know there's plenty of you that have been there. What do we need to do/see?? We love big scenery and history etc , DH would be happiest if we could get some scenic drives in too but I really want to have some downtime as well.

I was thinking maybe 4-5 days each on Oahu, The Big Island and Kauai ? Is that a plan or do I really need to go to Maui as well?

Any suggestions for sightseeing and hotels and tours? The only thing I know we will definitely be doing is visiting Pearl Harbour.

Help me..Please...

Andona

 

[Travel Mum]

Well it sounds like a great idea Andona but, as you can see by my ticker, I won't be able to give much advice until mid January when I get back!

 

[tapdancer]

I sooooo love Hawaii My husband was lucky enough to be awarded with a 5 night all expenses paid trip in 2007 from his work.

We stayed at Moana Surfrider which was amaaaazing. We did Sea World and swam with the Dolphins, shopped at Ala Moana, had dinner at the Aquarium, my hubby played golf, we outlet shopped and laid on the beach bliss (maybe not the golf bit )

Loved every minute

 

[Franrose]

Subbing as also interested in thoughts on Hawaii!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Subbing in as well would love to know more about Hawaii

 

[becpee]

Hawaii is awesome but is a bit more pricey than other US states

I haven't done the full on touristy thing when i've been there (I've only been to Oahu), but I know Ala Moana like the back of my hand

Pearl Harbour is a must do for anybody.

Good luck in the planning

 

[meandmygirl]

Will be watching with great interest as well. Planning on a December 2013 trip to Hawaii and was just looking at a cruise on the Pride of America that goes around the islands for 7 nights.

I can't stand it, I've been back home not quite a fortnight and I NEED to be planning or at least thinking about a holiday...

I know exactly what you mean. I wish we could go earlier but I have to schedule holidays when DD is with me for school holidays and not her father Would love to head to Hawaii in the Easter hols but not quite sure the budget will stretch that far (although I am trying) - might have to settle with a short break to Mooloolaba

 

[areweindisneyyet]

Lots of Hawaii in my TR rfrom Dec last year with pics. Link in ticker. Did 10 days in Oahu. Easy to het around my local bus. That's how we did Pearl Harbour nfree entry to take bot out to memorial and most of the museums. You get allotted at time for boat. Earlier you go the better and less wait. We also did Aulani. Turtle beacha nd north shore also great. Love Ala Moana and outlets near Aulani.

Big Island still on my list. Maui and Kauai also lovely but haven't been to them for 20 years.

Would go back in a heartbeat.

 

[JessNewbs]

I can't help until May/June when we are stopping over there for 5 days We are just staying in Honolulu. We plan to do the Breath of Life fire show at the Polynesian Cultural Centre, Pearl Harbour and maybe a dolphin swim for DS big 8th birthday!

I would love some advice from people who have already been Especially to make DS big birthday extra special

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm probably the exception to the rule, but I didn't really like Hawaii. I only did it as a stopover in Honolulu, and it was quite a few years ago, but I found the beaches to be quite a bit more crowded and busy than I expected. Fine if you're a supermodel, but personally I prefer that the person lying next to me isn't so close they can see every spot of cellulite on my wobbly thighs

The shopping and range of eateries was quite good, and I can definitely see the appeal as a place to stopover. But if picking it as the main destination, I think I could have just as much fun in Queensland for a much cheaper airfare. Either, that, or I'd want to try and get to the more untouched parts of Hawaii, to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

If it's mainly beautiful beaches you're after, don't underestimate the beauty of the closer Island nations such as Fij and Raro etc. Of all my travels, my favourite place in the whole world is a little island resort in Fiji, just 3 hours flight away from NZ, where the snorkelling straight off the beach is out of this world.

Anyway, sorry, just my 2 cents. I always like it when people present me with both sides of an arguement, but I hope I haven't come across as too negative.

 

[Beee]

Might be able to help more after our trip in December, we are spending a week in Waikiki after DL/LA. Honestly, I'd rather be going to the other islands and explore the less touristy parts of Hawaii but as I'm not paying for that part of the trip I will gladly laze around by the pool/beach and shop til I drop at Ala Moana and we will do the off the beaten path bit another time. So far our only real plan is a day at Pearl Harbour, the Mr is a history/war buff so this will be right up his alley and DD wants to go snorkelling. The rest of the time it'll be spending time with family and just taking things as they come - after the rush of disneyland and LA that is going to be awesome!

The only other thing I really wanted to do was a helicopter tour of the active volcano but that is mega bucks from Oahu so I gave up on that idea as if I did it then the Mr & DD would want to do it too and multiplying the cost by 3 was too scary to contemplate.

Something I thought about doing next time was a cruise of Hawaii instead as that way you stop in at all the islands and get to see a bit of everything without having to constantly cart bags from one hotel to the next every other day

 

[Franrose]

I get your Fiji love Wanderlust... We just spent a week at Castaway Island in September, that place is amazing. I had been there as a kid and had always wanted to go back and finally did (had been back to Fiji to lots of other resorts, but not Castaway, always looking at it wistfully though anytime we'd pass it in the good old Tiger 4!). It was just as amazing as I remember it being nearly 30 years ago (showing age, whoops) so I'm sold for "tropical island" destinations now. With the GC just down the road (and since we're originally from NZ, the holiday vibe there hasn't worn off yet) and the fact that we tend to get to Fiii every few years, I wonder if Hawaii would be right for us. Ponder ponder!

 

[KBW]

I have to agree that Fiji is a great option. We went in June of this year. We are americans and were going to Australia for a conference that my Husband was attending. We personally chose Fiji because it was waaay cheaper to stop there for a week on our way to Australia (from east coast of US) than it was to stay at a resort on the Great Barrier Reef for 4 nights (I was looking at Heron Island, just to give you a point of reference). There are tons of really nice resorts that are pretty inexpensive, especially compared to Hawaii. I had some very specific requirements about what I wanted in a resort and how much I was willing to spend. I had to do a lot of research, but the resort we chose met all of our needs.

The people there are so wonderful. As an example, Our driver from the airport told us to let him know the next time we came back to fiji so that he could have us over for dinner!

The only bad part of the trip was that we flew Air Pacific (only option from the US). I felt like I was stuck in 1975 for 10+ hours!

 

[Andona]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like I need to wait a few months to get some real-time trip reports

Well it sounds like a great idea Andona but, as you can see by my ticker, I won't be able to give much advice until mid January when I get back!

I'll hold you to that TravelMum - I want to know all the juicy details

Hawaii is awesome but is a bit more pricey than other US states

I haven't done the full on touristy thing when i've been there (I've only been to Oahu), but I know Ala Moana like the back of my hand

Pearl Harbour is a must do for anybody.

Good luck in the planning

Displaying my ignorance here..is Ala Moana a shopping mall? Or an Outlet centre? I will definitely need to add this o the itinerary if it is

Lots of Hawaii in my TR rfrom Dec last year with pics. Link in ticker. Did 10 days in Oahu. Easy to het around my local bus. That's how we did Pearl Harbour nfree entry to take bot out to memorial and most of the museums. You get allotted at time for boat. Earlier you go the better and less wait. We also did Aulani. Turtle beacha nd north shore also great. Love Ala Moana and outlets near Aulani.

Big Island still on my list. Maui and Kauai also lovely but haven't been to them for 20 years.

Would go back in a heartbeat.

I'm heading off now to read your TR...

I can't help until May/June when we are stopping over there for 5 days We are just staying in Honolulu. We plan to do the Breath of Life fire show at the Polynesian Cultural Centre, Pearl Harbour and maybe a dolphin swim for DS big 8th birthday!

I would love some advice from people who have already been Especially to make DS big birthday extra special

Jess, I expect to hear all about it after June!

I'm probably the exception to the rule, but I didn't really like Hawaii. I only did it as a stopover in Honolulu, and it was quite a few years ago, but I found the beaches to be quite a bit more crowded and busy than I expected. Fine if you're a supermodel, but personally I prefer that the person lying next to me isn't so close they can see every spot of cellulite on my wobbly thighs

The shopping and range of eateries was quite good, and I can definitely see the appeal as a place to stopover. But if picking it as the main destination, I think I could have just as much fun in Queensland for a much cheaper airfare. Either, that, or I'd want to try and get to the more untouched parts of Hawaii, to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

If it's mainly beautiful beaches you're after, don't underestimate the beauty of the closer Island nations such as Fij and Raro etc. Of all my travels, my favourite place in the whole world is a little island resort in Fiji, just 3 hours flight away from NZ, where the snorkelling straight off the beach is out of this world.

Anyway, sorry, just my 2 cents. I always like it when people present me with both sides of an arguement, but I hope I haven't come across as too negative.

Wanderlust, thanks I'm very happy to hear alternative points of view. I certainly don't think that an entire holiday at Honolulu would suit us , we like to go for walks along beaches but generally prefer to lie by a pool and it doesn't look to me as if the Waikiki hotels have particularly nice pools? Our time on Oahu would be mainly to visit Pearl Harbour and do some shopping and, maybe a drive to the North shore.

To be honest , and with the little bit I've read so far, the other islands appeal to me more for relaxing/swimming/scenic drives etc - I'd love to go to Volcanoes National park on the Big Island and also to do some snorkeling and do some scenic drives on the other islands.

I'm also very interested in what you have to say about Fiji. We have never been there and its definitely on my list, in fact I was trying to decide between Hawaii and Fiji next year. I just thought that Hawaii would have more in the way of sightseeing/scenic drives than Fiji? My DH would go stir crazy if I expected him to lie by a pool and relax for a fortnight - he gets bored and need lots of things to do to make him happy on a holiday.

Might be able to help more after our trip in December, we are spending a week in Waikiki after DL/LA. Honestly, I'd rather be going to the other islands and explore the less touristy parts of Hawaii but as I'm not paying for that part of the trip I will gladly laze around by the pool/beach and shop til I drop at Ala Moana and we will do the off the beaten path bit another time. So far our only real plan is a day at Pearl Harbour, the Mr is a history/war buff so this will be right up his alley and DD wants to go snorkelling. The rest of the time it'll be spending time with family and just taking things as they come - after the rush of disneyland and LA that is going to be awesome!

The only other thing I really wanted to do was a helicopter tour of the active volcano but that is mega bucks from Oahu so I gave up on that idea as if I did it then the Mr & DD would want to do it too and multiplying the cost by 3 was too scary to contemplate.

Bee, I'll be interested to hear what yuo think. I am also very keen to doa flight over the volcanoes, it's one of the reasons I think we'll go to the Big Island so we can do it from there ( which I hope will be cheaper!) I just have to persuade my scared-of-heights DH to set foot inside the helicopter

I get your Fiji love Wanderlust... We just spent a week at Castaway Island in September, that place is amazing. I had been there as a kid and had always wanted to go back and finally did (had been back to Fiji to lots of other resorts, but not Castaway, always looking at it wistfully though anytime we'd pass it in the good old Tiger 4!). It was just as amazing as I remember it being nearly 30 years ago (showing age, whoops) so I'm sold for "tropical island" destinations now. With the GC just down the road (and since we're originally from NZ, the holiday vibe there hasn't worn off yet) and the fact that we tend to get to Fiii every few years, I wonder if Hawaii would be right for us. Ponder ponder!

I'm really interetsed in these plugs for Fiji. I've been thinking we might do Hawaii next year and Fiji the year after? Or vice versa

They certainly seem to have some amazing deals for Fiji holidays too.

Andona

 

[zaccy]

We have been to Hawaii twice and really loved it both times. First trip was for 4 weeks and we did 12 days on the big island and the rest Oahu. At that time the kids were just 5 and not quite 2 so we took things very slowly and were staying out of Waikiki in accomodation that was work related (ie we were in the suburbs). Second trip was about 12 months after the first and for 2 weeks we stayed on Oahu the whole time and did alot of driving and stayed a few nights on the north coast. The scenery everywhere is just breath taking - I will come back after I have finished getting dinner ready and try and post some pics for you.

There is lots to see and I think it would be too much to try and fit any more than 3 islands into a less than 2 week trip. You also need to factor in the travel times too and from the islands and this can really eat up lots of time hanging around at airports. I am not sure if it has changed or not but we needed to be there 2 hours prior to flights for security checks.

I would love to go back and get another island or 2 !! under our belt .

As for fiji - I didn't like it that much at all

 

[Andona]

Lots of Hawaii in my TR rfrom Dec last year with pics. Link in ticker. Did 10 days in Oahu. Easy to het around my local bus. That's how we did Pearl Harbour nfree entry to take bot out to memorial and most of the museums. You get allotted at time for boat. Earlier you go the better and less wait. We also did Aulani. Turtle beacha nd north shore also great. Love Ala Moana and outlets near Aulani.

Big Island still on my list. Maui and Kauai also lovely but haven't been to them for 20 years.

Would go back in a heartbeat.

AWIDY, I just finished reading your TR! Thankyou

I was wondering - were you happy with the Hilton Hawaiian Village? Would you recommend it for Waikiki? It sounded like you were well placed to visit Ala Moana etc?

Andona

 

[Travel Mum]

Andona, we are going to Hawaii with my sister and brother-in-law and their children and we are both getting a rental car for a few days that we are there. For two of those days, I have designed driving itineraries for us so you might be interested to see them. Throughout my actual itinerary, I have lots of photos of the various spots but, when I cut and paste it onto here, of course those photos don't appear. Here is the text though:

RENTAL CAR DAY 1 – CIRCLE ISLAND TOUR
A Driving Day exploring the Upper East Coast and the North Shore

Start in Waikiki at about 8 – 8.30 am

Take McCully or Kapahulu to H-1 West. Take Pali Highway (61) towards to Kaneohe. Either stop at Pali Lookout (for panoramic views) today or leave it until the end of Day 2 of Rental Car.


To continue to Kaneohe, make a left onto Highway (83) towards Kaneohe. At Kaneohe, turn left onto Highway 63 and then right onto Highway 83 North (Kahekili Highway). Go about two miles. Turn left into Valley of the Temples (Byodo-In-Temple). A stunning replica of the 900 year old Buddhist temple at Uji, Japan. Exquisite Japanese gardens and fish pond. Entry is $3 per adult and $1 per child. http://www.byodo-in.com


Head back to the Kahekili Hwy and continue around the island. In a mile or so Kahekili Hwy will end and intersect with Kamehameha Hwy (83). Continue around the island towards Haleiwa.


Possible Stops on Kamehameha Hwy on the way to Haleiwa:

- Kualoa Regional Park/Chinaman's Hat (nice for pictures).

- There is a Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet on the right just before Kualoa Park. Nice stop for free samples, coffee trees, macadamia trees. They have an inexpensive tour if you want.

- Kualoa Ranch (where lots of movies and T.V. series were filmed e.g. Jurassic Park, LOST) is across from Kualoa Park (this would need to be visited on a separate day).


In Laie, make a right at the stoplight. Go to Laie Pt. Scenic, good for pictures.


Polynesian Cultural Center is in Laie. Also Mormon Temple is in Laie.


Just past Laie, is Malaekahana State Recreation Area. Scenic with an isolated beach and several islands.


Kahuku – Possible early lunch or snack stop. Several shrimp trucks are located here (these are famous in Oahu) including Giovanni's. http://www.giovannisshrimptruck.com Romy's is just on the other side of Kahuku. Those are the two most popular shrimp trucks.


North Shore Beaches (where we will hopefully see the huge surf):

-Sunset Beach Park

-Ehukai Beach Park (Banzai Pipeline)

- Pupukea Beach Park (Shark's Cove)- Scenic with lots of small lava islands. If you make a left on Pupukea Road (at the stoplight), go up the hill and park off to the side where the road to the Heiau starts. Walk back on Pupukea Road about 1/2 block for great view of some of the beaches. Then drive to the end of the road to the Heiau about 1 mile) and park in the Heiau parking area. Take the short (about 1 block) red dirt trail straight ahead for a nice view of Waimea Bay.

-Waimea Bay Beach Park - Best scenic beach on the north shore.


Laniakea Beach - About 1/2 way between Waimea Bay and Haleiwa. Look for parking on the opposite side of the road. Several sea turtles are here. The best time to see the turtles is the afternoon as they like to bask in the afternoon sun. This is also called Lani's Beach or Turtle Beach.


Sunset Beach, Ehukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline), Waimea Beach, & Haleiwa are four of the best known places to see surfers.


Continue onto Haleiwa - a plantation town that has come of age-old general stores co-exist with modern boutiques, art galleries and eateries (some say Honolulu as it used to be). Perhaps visit Matsumoto’s famous Shaved Ice: http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/


Take Highway 99 to Honolulu. Follow signs to Honolulu. We will pass the Dole Pineapple Centre. Stop there if we have interest, need the bathroom or want to have Dole Whip (Yummy – however can also get one at International Market Place in Waikiki).


Continue south back to Honolulu and back to our hotel.


DRIVING DISTANCES/ TIMES (in ideal traffic conditions)

From Ohana Waikiki West to Byodo-In-Temple – 17.5 miles / 36 minutes
From Byodo-In-Temple to Kualoa Regional Park – 7.8 miles / 14 minutes
From Kualoa Regional Park to Laie Point – 13.1 miles / 21 minutes
From Laie Point to Malaekahana State Recreation Area – 1.9 miles / 4 minutes
From Malaekahana State Recreation Area – Kahuku – 2.1 miles / 5 minutes
Kahuku to Haleiwa - 15.8 miles / 27 minutes
(however, we will stop at the surf beaches along the way)
From Haleiwa to the Dole Plantation - 7.8 miles / 14 minutes
From the Dole Plantation to the Hotel- 28.1 miles / 35 minutes



RENTAL CAR DAY 2 – HANAUMA BAY & LOWER EAST COAST
Snorkelling and beautiful beaches – a day in our togs

Depart early morning and take the Kalaniana’ole Highway (Route 72) from Waikiki to Hanauma Bay

- Must get to the bay early before the parking lot fills and in order to avoid long lines at the ticket booth. Parking is $1 per vehicle.
- Admission Fee is $7.50 per person for everyone ages 13 and over.
-Masks, Fins, Snorkels and lockers can be rented. We must not leave anything in the rental car so will have to rent a locker but will need to work out if we take our own snorkelling gear from N.Z., rent from a vendor in Waikiki or rent from Hanauma Bay.


Spend 2-3 hours snorkelling at Hanauma Bay – longer if we want.


Continue north on Route 72 past the Halona Blowhole– perhaps stop and look at it.


Nearly hidden from view, yet in the middle of Halona Beach Cove (the Here to Eternity Beach), there is a long dark lava tube which was formed by rapidly moving lava flows millions of years ago. This tube is large enough to enter and you can actually see the “light at the end of the tunnel” which leads to its other side, going under the highway. Having a torch is recommended to explore it.


The Blowhole overlooks a nice beach – Sandy Beach. Sandy Beach is popular for body surfing and a favourite place for local kids to fly kites. (If we see cheap kites in the ABC stores, perhaps buy a couple and have a try ourselves)


Makapuu Lighthouse Trail - Just past Sandy Beach and just after the road turns inland, look for a gate and a paved trail on the right. Trail is about 1 mile one way. You can often see whales from the view near the lighthouse. Consider doing this.


Continue to Makapuu Pt. Lookout. Consider stopping. It overlooks Manana (Rabbit) Island, Makapuu Beach and Sea Life Park. This easternmost point of Oahu is known for the islands best body surfing at the 1000 foot long stretch of beach (I think best left to body surf experts though). Locals love to come from September to April to watch hang gliders jump from the cliffs.


Continue to Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area (just past Waimanalo Beach). Scenic isolated beach (just before Bellows Air Force Base). Bellows Beach is also nice. Open to the public on weekends. Another possible stop.


Continue north, turn right onto Kailua Drive and drive to Kailua for Kailua Bay and Lanikai Beaches. Suggest lunch in that area and probably an afternoon beach break as these are the two of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S.A.


In the afternoon depart Kailua back onto the Pali Highway (Hwy 61). Take it back to Honolulu, possibly stopping at Pali Lookout for panoramic island views.


DRIVING DISTANCES/ TIMES (in ideal traffic conditions)

From Ohana Waikiki West to Haunama Bay– 10.5 miles / 18 minutes
From Haunama Bay to Halona Beach Cove– 1.5 miles / 2 minutes
From Halona Beach Cove to Makapuu Lighthouse Trail– 2.7 miles / 4 minutes
From Makapuu Lighthouse Trail to Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area– 4.8 miles / 9 minutes
From Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area – Kailua Bay Beach– 7.1 miles / 15 minutes
From Kailua to Pali Lookout - 8.5 miles / 19 minutes
From Pali Lookout to Hotel - 11.5 miles / 21 minutes


So I can report back on how they went when I get back

 

[JessNewbs]

Lots of Hawaii in my TR rfrom Dec last year with pics. Link in ticker. Did 10 days in Oahu. Easy to het around my local bus. That's how we did Pearl Harbour nfree entry to take bot out to memorial and most of the museums. You get allotted at time for boat. Earlier you go the better and less wait. We also did Aulani. Turtle beacha nd north shore also great. Love Ala Moana and outlets near Aulani.

Big Island still on my list. Maui and Kauai also lovely but haven't been to them for 20 years.

Would go back in a heartbeat.

Loved your TR! Just a quick question (sorry to hijack the thread) How did you find the sea life park dolphin experience? Do you think it would be a good birthday present for DS 8?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I get your Fiji love Wanderlust... We just spent a week at Castaway Island in September, that place is amazing. I had been there as a kid and had always wanted to go back and finally did (had been back to Fiji to lots of other resorts, but not Castaway, always looking at it wistfully though anytime we'd pass it in the good old Tiger 4!). It was just as amazing as I remember it being nearly 30 years ago (showing age, whoops) so I'm sold for "tropical island" destinations now. With the GC just down the road (and since we're originally from NZ, the holiday vibe there hasn't worn off yet) and the fact that we tend to get to Fiii every few years, I wonder if Hawaii would be right for us. Ponder ponder!

Franrose, Castaway Island looks beautiful and certainly gets some good reviews. Our budget is yet to stretch far enough to go to Castaway, but one day I'd love to try it, even if it was just for a few nights. We stay at Navini Island Resort. It doesn't advertise, but books out months (if not a year in advance) just from repeat business and good reviews. If you're looking for somewhere else to try in Fiji, I can highly recommend it.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm also very interested in what you have to say about Fiji. We have never been there and its definitely on my list, in fact I was trying to decide between Hawaii and Fiji next year. I just thought that Hawaii would have more in the way of sightseeing/scenic drives than Fiji? My DH would go stir crazy if I expected him to lie by a pool and relax for a fortnight - he gets bored and need lots of things to do to make him happy on a holiday

Adona, to be honest Fiji probably isn't the best place for scenic drives. The roads are rutted, the speed limit is 80km/hr and the beaches on the mainland aren't that great. Also, the shopping is not good in Fiji, so I wouldn't recommend it for shopoholics.
You need to catch a boat to the roadless, shopless islands to truely appreciate the beauty that is Fiji. Some people get wowed by the 5 star resorts on the mainland, not researching the fact that some are built on reclaimed swamplands, and then wonder why the beaches aren't like the pictures in magazines.

My husband and I have always been like your DH - we still would go stir crazy sitting around a pool all day. IMO, lazing around a pool could put us anywhere in the world, including NZ, so we have no interest in that. When a family member first suggested Fiji, we said "No, way. How boring". However, keen to give anything a try once we agreed. No one was as shocked as we were by how much we ended up enjoying it. I think what we loved the most was the way we became unbelievably relaxed despite managing to keep ourselves mostly busy.
The resort we stay at includes all watersports equipment and a tour every morning as part of the accommodation costs. Every morning, after breakfast, the resort boat would take us to places such as a deserted island, snorkelling, a local village market, fishing, another resort, sand cay, dolphin spotting etc. Then in the afternoon we would either kayak, swim, or snorkel the protected reef around the Island. Pretty much every day we were wowed by small reef sharks, rays, triggerfish, parrotfish, angelfish, anenome fish, and pretty much fish of every imaginable colour. We even saw some stunning lionfish on our last day, but I chose to admire them from a distance. IMO, there's nothing better than seeing underwater animals free to explore their own environment.
Anyway, the point of that long-winded passage, is that if you pick the right resort, I think there's a good chance neither your husband or you will end up bored. But once again, it depends on the type of holiday you're after. A driving and shopping holiday Fiji is not.