Choosing a Hawaiian Island

[Superflyer]

Kinda on the topic of where to stay in Maui I have to start this thread.

I am looking at going to Hawaii next year for the first time. We are looking at going over Christmas so I know that it will be busy and expensive but that is whatever. We are a family of 4, two kids 8 and 11 so not young but not old enough to do things on their own.

My question is which island do we choose? I am assuming it is not overly easy to island hop and we will be stuck on the one that we choose. Right now I am going between The Big Island, Maui and Oahu.

I am looking at doing beach time, maybe some snorkeling. Taking in the local culture and history. Trying out local food, (one of my favorite things to do when I travel) and anything else fun.

Thanks for the thoughts in advance.

[WhiteTiger]

It is actually pretty easy to island hop...but it tends to be expensive. Planes are the fastest way, and the most expensive, of course.

My wife and I enjoyed The Big Island. We found plenty to occupy our time there.

[The Goon]

I feel this is one of those choices where you can put all the island names in a hat and pick one. You can't lose no matter where you end up!

[MelBridgeman]

with kids i would go Oahu - i'm thinking more to do.
to me maui has always been couple island

[drewboy12]

They all have their site seeing. I wouldn't consider Maui to be a couples island by any means. But yes you have more options for the kids in Oahu if you want to do the Dole tours or going to the water park.

Thing about Oahu though is it is just like every other big dirty American city unless you stay on the North Shore, which I think your only option is Turtle Bay, or renting property.

Maui, there is lot's to do still. Road to Hana, Aquarium, many tours and historic sites to visit. Also less people, and nicer beaches in my opinion. You also have the volcano which is pretty awesome.

I have not been to the big island, but all the same. I have heard very good things about it. Lots of site seeing, amazing beaches, and less people then Oahu.

Id vouch to take your family to Maui or the big Island, and try and avoid Honolulu/Waikiki

[Rathji]

Since fotze seems to be busy...

I'll have all of them, right on her stomach.

[Rockin' Flames]

I was trying to make the same decision about 4 months ago and after looking at all the things to do on the various islands we finally settled on the big island and we leave in 2 weeks. we narrowed it down to the big island and Maui but decided on the big island due to not wanting to waste a tonne of time driving to see the whole island and the way the big island is laid out we are able to spend some time on the different parts of the island at a reasonable price for accommodations.

I'm sure both islands would be great. I'm trying something new for my accommodations this time around to cut down costs and booked through vrbo.com and it might be a site you want to check out.

[CASe333]

Personally I'm not a fan of Oahu at all but if you would rather be in a big city then the Waikiki strip and Honolulu might be for you.

My parents moved to the Big Island ~6 years ago so I have spent a lot of time exploring there but no experience with Maui yet. From what I've heard its a great island for the family too.

The Big Island is known to be more on the quiet side so not a lot of night life but that doesn't sound what you would be looking for. It does offer a wide range of activities for the family. For example, it has the only active volcano and the lava flows can be viewed quite easily (best at night) although the only way to get real close up is by helicopter or boat these days ($$). The snorkeling and beaches are very good particularly on the Kona side. My favorite snorkeling spot is called the City of Refuge which is south of Kona. Waters are almost always very calm and clear so you will be able to see tons of tropical fish and usually sea turtles. Near there is the Captain Cook monument where he first landed in Hawaii and in that bay I've had the pleasure of swimming with dolphins. If swimming isn't your thing you can go on boat or kayak tours to see dolphins or whales depending on the time of year although of course there are no guarantees of what you will see. Other suggestions would be to visit the Mauna Kea Observatories. You can drive up to the top and the scenery is surreal, similar to what I imagine the moon to be like. The elevation is 4,205m so its common for there to be snow up there in the winter and its high enough to get altitude sickness which is something to be aware of. There are also other touristy things to do such as luaus, ziplines or atv tours but all of the islands offer these types of activities. The Kona side is very dry and receives almost no rain whatsoever so you are guaranteed to get a lot of sun. On the other hand, the east side is very wet and more tropical and possess some amazing waterfalls. You will definitely want to rent a car for the duration of your trip as most of the best spots are quite far apart.

I've gotten a little carried away so sorry for the book! No matter which Island you chose I'm sure you guys will have a great time and if you do go the Big Island and want more info I'm happy to answer any questions.

[Cowperson]

I stayed at Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island earlier in 2011 for a few weeks. Great place I thought. Very benign bay for kids and adults to swim . . . . and turtles are swimming in the bay all the time. Nice packages for snorkelling, kayaking, etc. Some coastal walking. Wonderful beaches in that area, with no hotels up against them. At the hotel, there's a large pool that's kid friendly. Restaurants and parking are expensive there though. We had to evacuate for a night for the Japanese Tsunami but that's another story. About a 20 minute drive to Kona and a few other small towns within the same distance approximately.

Exploring the Big Island can be time-consuming because, well, its a big island.

Maui is more compacted. Basically 26 miles from Wailea to Lahaina . . . . I know because I ran it - not well - in a marathon a few years ago.

Some Big Island photo's near the Fairmont Orchid . . .

One of many obscure, largely unoccupied beaches in the area.



Kid friendly beach at the Hotel . . .



The hotel grounds . . . .



I'd go back there. Again, a bit isolated. That was fine as I enjoyed a lot of running out on the highways.

If I were first-timing Hawaii, I might pick Maui though. Its everything your imagination conjurs up. I've been there four times.

Cowperson

[MoneyGuy]

If you're not in a hurry, there's a new island forming.

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/haw_formation.html

[OldDutch]

I have been to Maui twice, Big Island last June, and just got back from Oahu.

Based on your family, this is what I suggest.

1. Maui - Best all round island, urbanized, things are fairly close by car. Lots of beaches, you can drive to quickly. Road to Hana is great if you go halfway, and do the waterfalls. Down side, is if the weather sucks, there is not much to do indoors. Stay in Kehei or Kanapalli.

2. Oahu -Stay in Ko Olina, turtle bay is nice, but the beaches are so so. Ko Olina is near enough to wave beaches for the kids, but is located in a quiet lagoon. Ko Olina is next to Pearl Harbor, 10 mins to premium outlet mall, and 30 mins to Waikiki, 45 mins to Lanikai beach. You can see a surf event on North Shore if you go in winter. Downside, very urbanized, and least true Hawaiian island. Oh and it is on average the most expensive island to stay for accommodations. Also, for the love of Pete, don't stay in Waikiki, that is not Hawaii.

3. Big Island - Stay in Waikoloa (or Kona coast area). You are near the few great beaches on this island. This island was the most authentic of the bunch. The food was awesome, and people were the best. Lot's of outdoor things to do if you like hiking. Farmer's markets in the towns are awesome. Never had fruits and vegetables as good as we ate here. Downside is that while there are nice beaches here, they are much fewer. One side is rock, and the other a tropical rainforest. Also, everything is far apart, and is very quiet (ie: family friendly)

4. Stay in a condo and not a hotel, unless you get a huge huge discount. I stayed in 5 star level condos (Built in the last few years, Wolf/Viking appliances, awesome pools) on each island, and never spent more than $250/night for 2 bedrooms and kitchen. Get a kitchen. You will want to cook/BBQ to keep cost down, and sample local Hawaiian food best. I can send you a list of Condos on each island we stayed at if interested.

5. Every beach in Hawaii, even at a hotel is legally and fully accessible. Don't stay at a hotel for the beach, stay next to it in a condo, and drive/park. By law all beaches must have access to all people.

6. Shop at Costco for food. Seriously. Ahi Tuna steaks that would cost you a fortune in Calgary are $8/piece. Opakapaka is a fish you must try, Ono too. Probably my favourite ever. Everything else grocery wise is the same or cheaper than Calgary. Just amazing.

7. Hawaiian BBQ is awesome, but Hawaiian Shaved Ice is the best.

That is all I can think of at the moment. We love Hawaii, and hope the dollar stays where it is, so we can keep going back every year with our 1 year old son. Next stop, Kauai....

[awildermode]

I just came back from a 7 day cruise around the islands. NCL has the only ship that can do island hoping without docking on a foreign port.

1 cruise starts in Honolulu
2 dock in Maui
3 overnight Maui
4 dock in Hilo (north of big island), cruise around island at night to see lava flow - AWESOME
5 dock in Kona
6 dock in Kauai with overnight stay
7 back to Honolulu

cruising is a great way to see highlights of destinations (not just Hawaii). there are plenty of excursions that will keep you busy. actually, for this cruise, you will want to take excursions as the ship is kinda lame compare to others.

we flew into Honolulu and got right on the boat, then flew to Maui for additional three days. flew home from Maui. you may want to spend time on Oahu if you do the cruise.

you can easily spend a about a week (or more) on each island and not get bored.

[FLAME ENVY]

I have been to Maui twice (2005/2011) and the Big Island back in 2008. My preference is Maui for a variety of reasons. The Big island is just that "Big". You have to drive a fair bit to get anywhere, very few nice beaches compared to Maui because they have not yet had time to develop (should be many in about 10,000 years). We stayed in Kona and the "Vog" from Kilauea grew tiring as it obscured the sun and it felt cloudy almost everyday we were there. Hilo is a fair drive from Kona and quite boring (and being on the windward side rainy). I love the ruggedness of the Big Island and Volcanoes National Park is a must if you do go. I rented a Cessna 172 from the Hawaii Flight Academy and did an aerial tour of the island which was very cool. I enjoyed the Big Island but like Maui much more. Both islands are more than suitable for your kids, they will love it.

* Make sure to stop by Big Island Candies if you go to Hilo

[valo403]

Anybody have any suggestions for Kauai? I'm headed there pretty soon and outside of the more well known highlights haven't really had a chance to look into the sights. We're staying on the south shore, poipu area, but will have a car.

[Brotato]

Originally Posted by valo403

Anybody have any suggestions for Kauai? I'm headed there pretty soon and outside of the more well known highlights haven't really had a chance to look into the sights. We're staying on the south shore, poipu area, but will have a car.

Newbie here but this thread caught my eye. I too was hoping to see mention of Kaui as well. We are headed there in Oct 2012 for a few weeks and would appreciate some comments\thoughts\etc.

Thanks all!

[Jordan!]

Kauai /thread

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Kauai /thread

Please elaborate

See the two posts above you

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by valo403

Anybody have any suggestions for Kauai? I'm headed there pretty soon and outside of the more well known highlights haven't really had a chance to look into the sights. We're staying on the south shore, poipu area, but will have a car.

Kauai is awesome, great choice! Poipu is where we stayed and it was spectacular. A few recommendations from me:

For hiking, this trail is an absolute MUST

http://www.kauaiexplorer.com/hiking_...apiai_hike.php

You hike along the edge of the ocean to a beautiful beach and from there you can head up to some spectacular falls.

Also hiking around Waimea Canyon is pretty awesome.

For the Luau, we went to this one and had a good time.

http://luaukalamaku.com/

The all you can drink blue hawaii's and beer didn't hurt.

For eating in Poipu:

Keoki's Paradisr: Cheesy little restaurant with a bar overlooking a pond...but our favourite restaurant! They had the best fish taco's and nachos. Weird, I know. Also they have an awesome mud pie.

http://www.keokisparadise.com/

Other notable restaurants we ate at were the Beach House http://www.the-beach-house.com/ and Casa D'Amici (great island take on italian) http://www.casadiamicipoipu.com/

For other things to do, we spent some time beach hopping up near Hanalei which is nice but rainier than Poipu. We went to some coffee plantation which was pretty boring. We went to the Kilauea Lighthouse and saw whales and crap. http://www.kilaueapoint.org/

Lucky dude. I wish I was there right now!

[ma-skis.com]

i'll put in my vote for the big island

everyone is pretty much bang on above, just base it on what fits your family best, I liked doing the little hikes for the out of the way beaches, but again, your kids will have stronger opinions than my kid who was 4 at the time.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

Kauai is awesome, great choice! Poipu is where we stayed and it was spectacular. A few recommendations from me:

For hiking, this trail is an absolute MUST

http://www.kauaiexplorer.com/hiking_...apiai_hike.php

You hike along the edge of the ocean to a beautiful beach and from there you can head up to some spectacular falls.

Also hiking around Waimea Canyon is pretty awesome.

For the Luau, we went to this one and had a good time.

http://luaukalamaku.com/

The all you can drink blue hawaii's and beer didn't hurt.

For eating in Poipu:

Keoki's Paradisr: Cheesy little restaurant with a bar overlooking a pond...but our favourite restaurant! They had the best fish taco's and nachos. Weird, I know. Also they have an awesome mud pie.

http://www.keokisparadise.com/

Other notable restaurants we ate at were the Beach House http://www.the-beach-house.com/ and Casa D'Amici (great island take on italian) http://www.casadiamicipoipu.com/

For other things to do, we spent some time beach hopping up near Hanalei which is nice but rainier than Poipu. We went to some coffee plantation which was pretty boring. We went to the Kilauea Lighthouse and saw whales and crap. http://www.kilaueapoint.org/

Lucky dude. I wish I was there right now!

That trail looks amazing, I'll definitely put that on the must do list. Much appreciated.