what other island would you go to and why Oahu and....

[dis2cruise]

we are thinking about spending 1 week at disney's dvc aulani and then go to another island in Hawaii but not sure which one to consider whats your choice??

 

[CrazyDuck]

Kauai... Maui too much like Waikiki, Big Island too boring, Molokai and Lanai too remote!

 

[ddavis]

I have to agree, Maui is way too commercial and congested. Didn't enjoy much there.

But Kauai, is my absolute favorite. We have been there 4 times and each time we find something different and wonderful to explore. It is called the Garden Island. It is beautiful, laid back, friendly, relaxing. Ohhh, I just talked myself into going again. Last time we rented a convertible and had the best time. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific is there, and it is breathtaking. The botanical garden is absolutely gorgeous.

You can't go wrong with Kauai.

Dorothy

 

[stormer]

We have only been to Maui and it was fun. We went to the top of the big volcano and drove the road to Hana, which was beautiful.

 

[El&Asmom]

I have to agree, Maui is way too commercial and congested. Didn't enjoy much there.

But Kauai, is my absolute favorite. We have been there 4 times and each time we find something different and wonderful to explore. It is called the Garden Island. It is beautiful, laid back, friendly, relaxing. Ohhh, I just talked myself into going again. Last time we rented a convertible and had the best time. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific is there, and it is breathtaking. The botanical garden is absolutely gorgeous.

You can't go wrong with Kauai.

Dorothy

Ditto. We went there for our honeymoon 12 years ago. Loved it. Promised ourselves we would go back for our 10y anniversary. Still working on that one.

 

[patdotson]

Maui is a must see. Stay at Ritz Carlton in Kapaula. Amazing places and views and is great for golf.

 

[IloveDisney77]

We spent 11 days in Hawaii this past March. We spent 3 nights at the Moana Surfrider on Waikiki Beach...we LOVED the time spent there. Highly recommend Sansei for Sushi and Alan Wongs for a very nice dinner.

We then spent 8 fantastic days on Kauai at the Grand Hyatt (6 nights) and the St. Regis (2)...HIGHLY recommend them both..but the Hyatt more so. On Kauai, you have the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, the Fern Grotto, Kauai Coffe Plantation, the beaches, snorkeling...and the list goes on and on and on....We loved it and will be back many many more times in the future.

Now (I think this is true, I'm sure I'll be corrected if not)...if you go to Kauai plan on staying on the South Side...It is sunny year round...The north Side, is sunny during the Summer/Fall. We drove up to the St. Regis for the last 2 nights and we very much enjoyed it...however it was on again/off again rain for the 2 days we were there (with sun in between)...we found out it had been rainy and cloudy for the previous 10 days...it was sunny the entire time on the south side with an occassionaly passing storm..just something to think about.

2 years ago we spent 9 days on Maui. We were at The Ritz for 7 nights/Shearton 2. Personally, I can't really recommend the Ritz, though they did just do a refurb. It is a very nice location but the resort was just ok and the pool, in comparison to many other resorts was severly lacking...IMHO the Sheraton had a much better pool/beach complex then the Ritz, you can't go into the water at the Beach because of the intensity of the waves. At the Sheraton, you can snorkel right off the beach and the point minimzes the waves there...Maui was nice...in my opinon Kauai was better....

 

[El&Asmom]

We spent 11 days in Hawaii this past March. We spent 3 nights at the Moana Surfrider on Waikiki Beach...we LOVED the time spent there. Highly recommend Sansei for Sushi and Alan Wongs for a very nice dinner.

We then spent 8 fantastic days on Kauai at the Grand Hyatt (6 nights) and the St. Regis (2)...HIGHLY recommend them both..but the Hyatt more so. On Kauai, you have the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, the Fern Grotto, Kauai Coffe Plantation, the beaches, snorkeling...and the list goes on and on and on....We loved it and will be back many many more times in the future.

Now (I think this is true, I'm sure I'll be corrected if not)...if you go to Kauai plan on staying on the South Side...It is sunny year round...The north Side, is sunny during the Summer/Fall. We drove up to the St. Regis for the last 2 nights and we very much enjoyed it...however it was on again/off again rain for the 2 days we were there (with sun in between)...we found out it had been rainy and cloudy for the previous 10 days...it was sunny the entire time on the south side with an occassionaly passing storm..just something to think about.

We had the same experience. We also stayed at the Hyatt and LOVED every minute of it. We went up to Princeville and it was raining. Some locals said that the south is typically sunnier than the north side of the island with less rain. It was nice to hike the Napali coast after a rain though. Lots of beautiful waterfalls.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I have to agree, Maui is way too commercial and congested. Didn't enjoy much there.

But Kauai, is my absolute favorite. We have been there 4 times and each time we find something different and wonderful to explore. It is called the Garden Island. It is beautiful, laid back, friendly, relaxing. Ohhh, I just talked myself into going again. Last time we rented a convertible and had the best time. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific is there, and it is breathtaking. The botanical garden is absolutely gorgeous.

You can't go wrong with Kauai.

Dorothy

Is Kauai the one that's called "The Movie Island" also? Last year DS worked on a cruise ship which went to 4 different Hawaian Islands (it's a tough job, isn't it?) One was especially beautiful, he said-it was used for filming several different movies, thus the nickname "The Movie Island".

 

[jekjones1558]

We love Maui for whale watching Jan. - April. It is addicting.
We love the relaxed feel of Kauai. Stay on the south side, in the Poipu area for best weather.
But our favorite is Big Island. Kona, Volcano Park, Kohala Coast, Hilo (tropical rain forest and gardens) and Parker Ranch area are 5 totally different experiences and they are all on the Big Island. It will take a week explore the entire island.
Visiting an island other than Oahu is a great idea. Oahu is actually our least favorite island, though Pearl Harbor is unforgettable and watching the surfers on the northern beaches in the winter is pretty amazing.
WDW may be the "happiest place on earth" but Hawaii is my idea of paradise. Have a great trip!

 

[mecllap]

They're all wonderful, but I've always said, if I won the lottery (which I don't play much) I'd move to Kauai
(altho now that we live on the east coast, we love Grand Cayman -- not anywhere near as scenic as Kauai, tho.). Definitely a good idea to visit another island than Oahu.

 

[Anal Annie]

We go every 5 years and island hop a bit. Maui is our favorite. It is not commercial like Waikiki at all as someone else suggested. There are no major cities or looming skyscrapers. There are a couple of shopping centers but no major malls or anything. Wailea is more remote and more resort oriented than Ka'anapali. We've stayed in both. Found that when we were in Wailea there wasn't much to do so we'd end up driving up to Lahaina. Ka'anapali is closer to Lahaina so it's more convenient to stay in Ka'anapali. You can actually walk along the beach to get from point A to point B in the Lahaina / Ka'anapali area. http://www.gohawaii.com/maui/regions-neighborhoods/west-maui/lahaina. There are also some very remote resorts on Maui as well though if that's what you're interested in. We don't like to be tooooo far out tho. We still enjoy going up to Haleakala http://www.haleakala.national-park.com/ to see the sunrise. Many people bike down Haleakala after the sunrise http://adventuremaui.com/biking_the_volcano.htm. We have found good snorkeling excursions out of both Lahaina and Maalaea Harbor, some to Molokini Crater & some along the coast & to Lanai. The golf courses on Maui are extrordinary as well.

The Big Island of Hawaii has a totally different personality. It has desert, black sand beaches with nesting sea turtles, the active volcano, Kilauea, http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html and http://www.nps.gov/havo/, tropical rainforests and lush waterfalls and of course lots of golf. The beaches are very different there as it's the newest (youngest) island and therefore the coastline is still very rocky. It is a fabulous island to spend a few days exploring. Kona is on one side and Hilo is on the other. Take a 1/2 day helicopter ride across the island from Waikoloa over the volcano and up around the North coast to see the waterfalls in the Waipio Valley - talk about GOOSE BUMPS it's so pretty!! We found some of THE BEST off shore snorkeling EVER at Kahalu`u Bay (at Keauhou, near Kailua-Kona). We've never seen such a wide variety of fish. And the volcanic rock makes the water SOOO clear!! Sunsets on the Big Island are FABULOUS! We always try to take a helicopter ride over Kilauea as it's so facsinating.

We've only done a day trip to Kauai. It seemed too quiet for us & we haven't felt the call to stay there yet. I suppose one day we will just to say that we HAVE. We didn't feel like there was enough to do there to keep us occupied for multiple days. It does have Waimea Canyon which is similar to the Grand Canyon and is an awesome site to see. But you can see that in a day, really. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/html/sites/waimea_canyon.html



Personally, we usually only spend 2-3 nights on Oahu. It is our least fav. island and we cannot go to Hawaii without going to Maui for a few nights. Maui is beautiful and relaxing and offers a lot of variety for what we're looking for in a vacation. We like to save the best for last and usually go there for our last leg. Hawaii is definitely too far to go to only visit 1 island. You should also plan for a MINIMUM of 10 days!! There is just too much to see and each island is very different from the others. We LOVE it there!! GOOD LUCK DECIDING!!

 

[CrazyDuck]

Is Kauai the one that's called "The Movie Island" also? Last year DS worked on a cruise ship which went to 4 different Hawaian Islands (it's a tough job, isn't it?) One was especially beautiful, he said-it was used for filming several different movies, thus the nickname "The Movie Island".

They did a lot of movies on Kauai. Jurassic Park, Raiders of the lost Ark, Blue Hawaii... For some good footage of the island go rent. 6 Days 7 nights and Honeymoon in Vegas...

My favorite hotel on Kauai is the Grand Hyatt: http://kauai.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

BTW if anyone ever does go to Kauai let me know... I can give you tips on saving $! Especially on Napali Boat tours since my family owns an operation over there

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since you will be spending a week on Oahu, I'd say either the Big Island of Hawaii or Kauai. I agree with a previous poster that Maui is a lot like Oahu, but it is kind of a mix of too many people along with very lots of nice places to see.

We like Kauai a lot, but I have to say I think the Big Island of Hawaii is our favorite because it is more open, and has more of that old Hawaiian charm yet. Kauai and Hawaii have ordinances that prevent them from building high rises, and that's what I like about them. Bear in mind that different sides of each of those islands can be very different from the other. Each has a dessert area, a mountain area, a very wet area, and in the case of Hawaii, a volcanic area. We always rent a car and spend a lot of time sight seeing. On Oahu, you wont necessarily need a car. Aulani is a fairly remote area and I don't believe the bus goes out there, but transportation is still possible on most of Oahu. The outer islands you will find you need a car.

 

[ACDSNY]

BTW if anyone ever does go to Kauai let me know... I can give you tips on saving $! Especially on Napali Boat tours since my family owns an operation over there

Another vote for Kauai. We've enjoyed our stays at both of the Marriott's on Kauai and the Westin Princeville. We'll be heading back in Jan 2012 and trying Aulani for 3 nights before or after Kauai.

I'd love your info on the Napali Boat tours.

 

[UConnJack]

They did a lot of movies on Kauai.....Honeymoon in Vegas...

I need to get back to the States!
We are a state!
The mainland!!!!

The seven pools are here!!?!?

I love that movie. Couldn't stop quoting it the whole time there. My favorite Nick Cage movie.

 

[UConnJack]

Hard to pick my favorite island. Least favorite was Oahu, although I'm sure I would be quite happy at Aulani for a week. North Shore was cool, have to see the Arizona memorial, the Punchbowl, and maybe the Dole plantation but other than that, not much on Oahu worth doing.

Beyond that, each island was so different, and so enjoyable in its own way. Maui is the most touristy, but not obnoxious like Oahu. Lots to do, some great resorts and beaches, and impressive natural sights and beauty (Haleakala, Iao, Road to Hana, etc.)

Kauai was gorgeous, the most tropical paradise-like with some amazing natural sights. But it is a slow-paced kind of vacation there, for better or worse.

For my money thought, I think I liked the Big Island the best. A combination of all the islands in a lot of ways, slow paced but wit plenty to do and see. The variety of stuff to see and do was just unmatched. In a day's drive you can pass through just about every kind of terrain and climate zone possible. Between the lava fields and resorts of Kona, the volcanoes, the Mauni Kea observatories, black sand beaches, Waipio Valley (amazing), Parker Ranch, rainforests on the Hilo side, I was never bored.

 

[adminjedi]

We've stayed Kauai and Maui.

We stayed ocean front in Kaapa. A lot of the coastline is lava rock, there are however public parks with sandy beaches. The town is known for arts and crafts shops. We rode a Harley through Waimea Canyon and it was interesting and beautiful. LOVED IT!

We were ocean front on ka'anapali beach, Maui in January and were enthralled with watching all of the whales breaching, fluke slapping, etc. from our balcony. Weather was beautiful, sand great, turtles along the reef and shore. LOVED IT!

Have fun - you will enjoy the uniqueness of any island you choose!

 

[lilpooh108]

Ultimately, I think it depends on your vacation style. Maui is more commercialized, with shopping centers, malls, and more "paid for" activities (like submarines, ziplines, sunset cruises). It's more family friendly, has awesome restaurants and easy hikes (Iao Needle, Haleakala). There's more traffic (but nothing like Oahu). It's a great place for a first visit. There are alot of "organized activities" available (Molokini crater, Pacific Whale Foundation and the Aquarium, etc). Maui is big, so research the area where you'd like to stay. The "feel" of each area is really different. Kapalua is more mountain terrain, complete w/Evergreens. Lahaina area is fishing port/town feel (but commercialized), Kaanapali to me feels like Laguna Beach, CA, and Wailea is more white sand/resorty.

Big Island consists of more outdoor activities that you must plan yourself; there are alot less organized activities to do.

Volcano National Park is amazing, hiking to lava at night is amazing, snorkeling at the Big Island is amazing, and sometimes when you're there you can drive for miles and miles and see nothing but black rock. When you're on the Kona side, it's a stark landscape until you get to a resort. I personally love it. You can spend days in Hilo (tropical landscape) or days in Kona (lava rock) or days on the Kohala coast (sandy beaches). Dining is limited, but very good (Brown's Beach House, Four Seasons stars and sand buffet, Merriman's).

The downside is it is hard to find middle of the road hotel options. It's either 3 star hotels which are pretty run down or 4-5 star options which are expensive. Try renting a condo. I recommend condos in the Waikoloa resort, and personally suggest Kolea (or Halii Kai). Sunsets are amazing on this part of the Big Island (can you tell I'm biased?).

Kauai is really laid back, less developed, more tropical (IMO) than Maui or Big Island. There's not too much off-resort dining (at least when I was there). The scenery is amazing, waterfalls are abundant, hiking is awesome. It's more of a honeymoon destination, and kids might eventually get bored. The mosquitos are thriving here...so you'll probably get bit, bring bug spray.

I would pick and choose which fits your personality.

One tip---make sure you do the hustle and bustle part of your trip FIRST.

I always forget how annoying it is when you get so relaxed on one island, you move to the next one (that's a little busier) and it's hard to get into the groove. (Once I did Big Island first, then Maui and hated it the minute we landed and saw all the traffic).

HTH

 

[bxmetfan]

How cost efficient is it to travel to the different islands?