You obviously know Hawaii well! Please help us with some tips and suggestions on how to choose which island.
Four of us (young 50 year olds)will be visiting Hawaii for the first time for 9 days from Aug 28 to May 7, 2 coming from the Pacific coast and 2 from Eastern Canada. We are all not really beach people(i.e. suntanning all day long) and prefer walking around & checking things out kinda of holiday. We would enjoy sightseeing(volcanoes, waterfalls, lush tropical rainforests/parks) hiking, culture (e.g. luau) and history. We are not interested in nightlife and nightclubs. We don’t mind off the eaten path for local sights and sounds and are considering renting a car. We have looked briefly into Hawaii packages (flight & hotels) but is it better to book them separately?

We would prefer no island hopping and rather choose a island that will provide us with enough to do for a week. Thanks for your help!

If you like nightlife, Waikiki on Oahu or Lahaina on Maui would be ideal.

If you want to do snorkeling, then I might suggest you lean towards Maui slightly only because snorkeling at Molokini is really a special experience. http://www.govisithawaii.com/2007/09/05/hawaiis-molokini-island-a-top-snorkel-and-scuba-diving-spot/

On Maui, look for a hotel in Lahaina (within walking distance of the action on Front Street) or in Kaanapali. http://www.govisithawaii.com/2007/10/08/kaanapali-a-great-base-for-a-maui-vacation/ Kaanapali has a little bit of bars with entertianment. Some Kaanapali resorts offer shuttle service into Lahaina. Unless things have changed, I believe the Sheraton Maui still offers shuttle service into Lahaina:http://www.govisithawaii.com/2009/06/08/review-sheraton-maui-resort-spa/

We are from Scotland, both interested in relaxing around beautiful beaches and scenery but also interested in snorkeling and water skiing.

We would love a beach side resort to wake upto in the mornings.

Also we like our nightlife and would be looking for entertainment and bars in the evenings.

Still cannot decide where to go! Any help would be great.

Thanks.

My sister and I are planning a trip to one of the island around the end of October for 10 days. Only we’re not sure which one to pick.

Some of things we want to do go snorkeling, hiking small distances,dinner cruise, waterfalls. I love taking pictures especially animals and nature.

Also we will be renting a car, which island is the easiest to drive about, I drive when I have to but don’t really like to. I know sometime we will be heading out very early.

Thank you for your help.

Finding beaches in Hawaii with water calm enough for kids can be challenging. So, I’ll list some beaches that tend to be on the gentle side:

Oahu — Ko Olina, Turtle Bay, though crowded, there are protected sections of Waikiki Beach. All of those beaches have condos within walking distance.

Kauai — Kalapaki Beach, Lydgate Park, and a protected area at Poipu Beach. There are condos within walking-ish distance

You can find good dining and spas on both Oahu and Kauai.

First one late April or early May with friends. 7-10 days. Between our two families we have 4 kids ages 3-6 at time of travel. Boy and girl age 6, girl age 4, boy age 3.

We like: beach time with water calm enough for the kiddos. Preferably one we don’t have to drive to. Pool time. Fun kid activities (aquarium, local historical sites, museums, plantations). Hiking, yes, but easy, shorter trails. We’d love to get the older (6 year olds) kids snorkeling.

Probably not on the list until the kids are older: zip lines, big water, surfing, cliff diving, long hikes, road to Hana, long scenic drives (two of the kids get car-sick).

Parents are active and like to explore. Moms like spa time if available. We like good dining (Mama’s Fish House on Maui is a favorite) but stay in condos as we dine in more than we eat out.

Not committed to any island. We’ve been to Maui several times, and the Big Island. We prefer to balance major attractions (ie – crowds) with lazy days or spots off the regular route.

Second trip: Sept or Oct. 7 days. Just our family (2 adults, 2 boys age 3 and 6). Done Maui. Love it. Would go again. Done Big Island. Thinking it would be more fun when kids were 6 and 9. Little guy might have a hard time hiking over lava to get to cool beaches. Have time-share options available on Big Island or Kauai. We like off the beaten path but with restaurants, small towns, local sights. As little driving as possible.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

You might find it to be useful for your planning.

I know of pineapple plantations on Maui (in Kapalua) and on Oahu (at the Dole Pineapple Plantation). So you may want to include one or both of those islands. For spectacular beaches, Maui and Kauai top my list.

You’ll be able to find nice condos with kitchens on any island you choose.

So, seems like Oahu, Maui and Kauai would all be a good fit for you. They all have excellent sightseeing.

The majority of flights to Hawaii go in and out of Honolulu on Oahu. Each island has one major airport, with the exception of the Big Island which has two major airports. See this post on inter-island travel for more information.

Based on what you described, I think I know the ideal resort for you, Hilton Waikoloa Village. Here’s why:
- On the Big Island, the only island with an active volcano. Seeing the lava flow and/or glow is truly amazing to see!
- Hilton Waikoloa Village has a neat lagoon with a sandy beach where it’s safe for swimming, snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, etc.
- This resort has a Dolphin Quest on site where you can arrange to swim with the dolphins. (We’ve done the Dolphin Quest in Oahu and it was very good.)

Most resorts in Hawaii have live music every evening. In Poipu, I’ve heard live music at the Hyatt and the Sheraton. I’m sure there are other places which don’t come to mind.

On the North Shore, we’ve enjoyed live music at Princeville St. Regis and down in some of the shops in Hanalei.

One thing to bear in mind is that if you’ll be visit Hawaii from the US Mainland, you’ll be jet lagged for at least a few days. Most likely, you’ll be wanting to wake up early and go to sleep early in the evening. We fly to Hawaii from the East Coast and the first few days we’re in Hawaii, we’re probably asleep between 8:30pm and 10pm.

You can find condos/hotels withing walking distance of restaurants/bars in the Poipu area of Kauai.

I’m glad to hear that you are finding useful planning information here at Go Visit Hawaii.

I think Maui would be a good fit for you, with one very slight caution, it’s notoverflowing with shopping. That being said, I think you’ll find interesting shopping between historic Lahaina town, Whalers Village in Kaanapali and at the Shops at Wailea. With all the great sightseeing mixed with a little pool or beach relaxation time, you won’t need a lot of time for shopping. By the way, you didn’t mention you were looking for spa time, but just in case, I thought I’d let you know that Maui has some fabulous spas.

Maui has some excellent restaurants — many with ocean views. Here’s our favorite places to dine in Maui: http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04/28/how-to-find-the-best-maui-restaurants/

Best area on Maui to stay? I would flip a coin between Wailea and Kaanapali/Kapalua. Wailea has the more “high-end” hotels, but Kaanapali and Kapalua are prettier areas, in my opinion. One of our favorite places to stay on Maui is at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. The only caution is that it can get windy there.

Hope that helps. I’ll be interested in hearing what you decide and how it all goes.