Hawaii experts

[jerseygirl07067]

I could not see your original post...

To quote DH, Maui has more things to "do", Kauai has more things to "see". It is not as built up as Maui, iirc, no hotel is higher than 3 or 4 stories, so it maintains it's pristine beauty.

Our faves - Oahu - since you have to fly in through there anyway, may as well stop and see Diamondhead and Pearl Harbor. Diamondhead is a fairly short hike and the views at the top are awesome! Pearl Harbor was awesome too. We just stayed one night there. Waikiki is very built up, but once you drive away from it, you can check out the northshore and the pineapple plantations.

Maui - Haleakala, watch the sunrise at the top, take the bike ride down (optional) the Road to Hana (start early in the day, it's very windy and takes a long time) - amazingly beautiful. It's a common thing to do, but due to the numerous stops, it never felt crowded at all. Many stops we were the only ones there.
We also went scuba diving when we were there and took a plane ride over the big island to see the active volcano.

Kauai - Waimea Canyon (looks like the Grand Canyon but not as big), hike the first 2 -3 miles of the Napali Coast (it's amazing - I remember DH and I went a bit off the beaten path and wound up on a secluded beach with caves), a great way to see all of Kauai's beauty is by helicopter. I totally recommend doing it, you get breathtaking views of Napali, Mount Waileale with it's waterfalls, (I think I may have spelled it wrong), and Waimea Canyon. Beaches are so pretty, we just drove around the whole island and checked out all of the coasts.

Honestly, on all the islands, there is so much to see that we actually didn't want to waste our day laying out on the beach.
I think we only did that one day, iirc or maybe another 1/2 day. We were there for 12 days total, and since we live in FL, we can lay out on beautiful beaches anytime, lol.

I don't know if you're going with kids or not...it does stink to be in the back seat of a convertible as your head feels like it's being blown off, but we were there on our honeymoon so hence no kids yet, and a convertible was a must!

I personally loved all 3 islands. They were all different in their own way. But all very beautiful. Kauai is the most pristine, Maui more built up, Oahu way more built up since it's very populated.

[new_mommy25]

Can't see your original post but Lost was filmed on Oahu, not Kauai like a pp mentioned. Jurassic Park was filmed on Kauai.

[citymama]

It's hard to reply to a post without seeing it! How bizarre - can a mod explain where it disappeared to?

I've been to Hawaii 8 or 9 times, twice to the Big Island, about 5 or 6 times to Kaua'i (I've lost track!) and once to O'ahu. I loved every island, but Kaua'i has absolutely won our hearts, especially the Hanalei area in the northwest. Still unspoilt and remote. Beautiful beaches, amazing hiking, lots of relaxation. Get there on small winding roads and past 7 covered bridges, so it isn't very crowded, and still feels "wild".

Every island is special, and the different parts have different things to offer. You can find "wild" places in Oahu and Maui too, despite the population size and tourism invasion. Northern and eastern Oahu are not very built up. There's great hiking on the Big Island and wonderful snorkeling and sea kayaking.

[ChefGirl]

How's West side of Oahu? We were looking at the Marriott Ko'Olina Beach Villa to rent for 10 days next year. Anybody has ever stayed there before? It will be our first trip with the kids and with my parents.

DH and I have been to Maui. Beautiful and the watching the sunset was amazing...you can't go wrong with that!

[123LuckyMom]

Kauai is the most pristine, as other posters have mentioned. It is the least built up, and it's gorgeous!

If I were you, though, I'd go to Maui. Get the insider's guide. It tells you about lots of great hikes off the road to Hana, which is spectacular! That side of the island is rainy, though. It's a day trip, not the place to stay. Maui also has Mt. Haleakala, which is a must do for sunrise. It's a dormant volcano, and as a PP said, looks a bit like the surface of the moon! The beaches are beautiful! I think you'll have the most fun there.

If you absolutely must see an active volcano, you must go to the Big Island. There are some wonderful things to see there, but the beaches are not great, and everything is very far apart. You'll have to stay in different hotels throughout your visit to get cultural sites, volcano, and beach.

Oahu is a different sort of animal. It has a little bit of everything. There's Honolulu and Waikiki, the North Shore, the Pineapple plantations, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and some beautiful beaches on both the West and East coasts. It's small enough that you can stay in a resort hotel on a great beach and do day trips to everything you'd want to see.

[Tondi G]

How's West side of Oahu? We were looking at the Marriott Ko'Olina Beach Villa to rent for 10 days next year. Anybody has ever stayed there before? It will be our first trip with the kids and with my parents.

DH and I have been to Maui. Beautiful and the watching the sunset was amazing...you can't go wrong with that!

we have friends who stayed at the Marriott Ko'Olina. They stayed there for 6 or 7 days and then spent a night or 2 at the new Disney resort Aulani. She said they stocked up on groceries at Costco on the way to the Marriott. I do recall her saying that it is very mellow, not too much to do outside of the resorts and it is a good distance from Waikiki ... lots of beach and pool time. They were happy because they were kind of doing a family reunion thing. She did say that the Aulani was beautiful and the kids loved it!

[citymama]

How's West side of Oahu? We were looking at the Marriott Ko'Olina Beach Villa to rent for 10 days next year. Anybody has ever stayed there before? It will be our first trip with the kids and with my parents.

DH and I have been to Maui. Beautiful and the watching the sunset was amazing...you can't go wrong with that!

We've rented a condo in Lanikai (not far from where the Obamas vacation, but definitely not as nice a rental!). It was lovely and peaceful. Nothing like Waikiki. The most amazing shave ice in all of Hawaii is to be found there - Island Snow. SOOOO good. The north of Oahu is really nice in the summer too. It's the southeast that is most developed.

[MMMommy]

We have stayed at the Ko olina Beach Villa Resort several times and love it. Not to be confused with the Marriott Ko olina.

http://koolinabeachvillasresort.com/

Parking is included, there are two nice pools (one "quiet"- adult pool and one family pool. You walk right past the pools, through a gate, and you are right on the beach. It is wonderful.

Just an exit or two away on the hwy are stores like Costco, Target, and Safeway. Walmart is not too far away in Pearl City. It is about half hour (if no traffic) to Waikiki. If there is traffic, it could take considerably longer to get to Waikiki. I recommend avoiding rush hour for those drives.

We always drove further for good food. We do not think the food is very good in Ko olina (just a few restaurants and hotel resort food).