Hawaii in December..?

[DangerDad]

Official retirement is 12/31/21 however I’m taking the last couple weeks as vacation and considering trip to Hawaii to mark the occasion. We’ve been to Hawaii couple times (Kauai and Maui) and loved it—but never in (or near) December. I understand December is rainy season but this isn’t a deal breaker for us.
Hoping to get some advice from you kind folks—especially those who have traveled to Hawaii in December.
Is this a reasonable month to vacation there?
Which island is best to visit during December?
Any other specific advice?

Thanks,
DangerDad

[Aerides]

The problem with Hawaii right now, is everyone who wants to travel, is going there. This recent thread makes it sound like overpacked disney land, and I would doubt the winter will make it suddenly empty:

https://www.early-retirement.org/for...lu-110431.html

[njhowie]

Hawaii is advising tourists not to come.

Suggest staying somewhere closer to home ... plenty of options in continental US. Save the Hawaii trip for when things settle down, maybe in a few years.

[audreyh1]

If their hospitals are full, it’s probably better to give them a break by not visiting.

[RobbieB]

Yeah, go to Miami instead -

[njhowie]

There's a story this morning that Fiji will be opening and welcoming tourists before year end - they are shooting for November. That may be a good substitute for Hawaii.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/f...hnk/index.html

[Sunset]

OP - if you are going to HI, read the recent news articles.

You will need to reserve things a month in advance, one restaurant has a 1,000 person waitlist!
The Parking lot for the twin falls on the road to Hana fills up at 8am, heck I haven't even had breakfast by then !

It's crowded.

[pacergal]

Hawaii in December is beautiful! DH and I went there for our retirement celebration a few years ago.
It was a bit odd to see all the holiday decorations shining in the sun, however they looked gorgeous.
We went for two weeks mid Dec, came home Christmas Eve. Weather was lovely both on Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii, a few days of rain (warm), which didn't bother us as we are from the PNW--rain is normal :-)

If you do go, enjoy.
We are not traveling at this point yet, but Hawaii is on our list again. We usually go every few years, love it!

[Venturer]

When my DD got married her husband was in Navy on a sub based in Hi. She wanted us to come over there for Christmas and checked the pricing. We then decided that Christmas in January would be wonderful since it was nearly 1/2 price to fly then instead. That was what we ended up doing and they left the decorations up and we took our gifts along. It was an amazing 2 weeks and he was a great tour guide as well. That being said I have no desire to go back any time soon. If I want to see palm trees and salt water I'll just head south to Fla.

[Starsky]

My friend who lives on the big island says that December (Christmas) is the busiest time of the year at the resorts. Given how busy it was this summer, Christmas in HI could be very challenging. It was so busy this summer, and hotel labor was so hard to find, that the big resorts wouldn't allow any non-hotel guests to use their restaurants and amenities. That was a first. It is beautiful though. Southwest had a $99 sale, so I'm going back next week!
P.S. Book your rental car reservation now.

[DangerDad]

Thanks for the responses thus far.
A good friend is in Hawaii currently—I’ll check in w him when he gets back. If he confirms that it’s crazy crowded and if that’s likely to continue through December, I’d probably choose a different travel destination.

Cheers,
DangerDad

[ivinsfan]

Now that you are retired you need to change your mindset..enjoy your holidays at home and travel the first part of Jan..it should be cheaper as well as calmer..

[DangerDad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan Now that you are retired you need to change your mindset..enjoy your holidays at home and travel the first part of Jan..it should be cheaper as well as calmer..

Your recommendation would work for travel w just me and DW—however this trip will be w DS and DD—their winter breaks require travel in December.

[gcgang]

https://mauinow.com/

Above is a good site to see what’s happening on Maui.

Hotel/restaurant/rental car stuff is very up in the air due to COVID protocols. Hawaii government seems to like to make regulations, whether they help or not.

That being said, if December is your window, go for it, but book early, and be aware of cancellation policies.

Some of the preceding discussion reminds me of a Yogi Berra saying, nobody goes there anymore - it’s too crowded.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DangerDad Your recommendation would work for travel w just me and DW—however this trip will be w DS and DD—their winter breaks require travel in December.

Now you tell me!!!

[SecondAttempt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan Now that you are retired you need to change your mindset..enjoy your holidays at home and travel the first part of Jan..it should be cheaper as well as calmer..

First off, as a resident of the Big Island, I will reiterate the message from our governor - PLEASE DON'T COME HERE RIGHT NOW! The covid situation is worse now here than it ever has been. Our tiny hospitals are overwhelmed and our morgues are full and they are piling bodies in trailers. We simply do not have the infrastructure to handle the situation right now.

Normally I am not against tourism at all but right now it seems like every #$%^%$ from the mainland who could afford the cheap tickets when travel first opened up is here and is behaving badly. I see people everyday walking around town or on the beach with no mask, or wearing one on their chin, and disregarding the rules. I'm not saying you would do that, just that the State is actively discouraging travel and many wish we could ban tourists right now. I was in Waikiki about a month ago and it was a nightmare there as well with lots of people flaunting the rules.

It's true that you supposedly have to be vaccinated to come here but people have gotten around that requirement and a few have been caught.

Now, having said that, December is a good time to be here. January is when a LOT of Canadians and people from other cold places arrive and spend 3 months so condos and similar places are more expensive and hard to find as are rental cars.

I strongly suggest you wait at least a year before visiting Hawaii. Even if you don't heed the governor's advice, you will have a better experience when things return to a more normal situation.

[SecondAttempt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by njhowie There's a story this morning that Fiji will be opening and welcoming tourists before year end - they are shooting for November. That may be a good substitute for Hawaii. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/f...hnk/index.html

In May we had a "short list" of places to go on vacation in July (2021): Iceland, Tahiti, Turks and Caicos. These were selected because they were open to vaccinated Americans and had very few covid cases/restrictions.

In trying to work out he logistics for a trip though things like very few flights (Tahiti), unclear rules (T&C), and so forth made us decide to go to California instead. We went just before the latest surge and fires and had a great time. Just as we returned we learned that all the places on our short list had been added to the CDC's "very high risk - do not travel" list!

Lesson: You can't predict these things (disease, government policies toward tourism) 2 months out right now.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecondAttempt First off, as a resident of the Big Island, I will reiterate the message from our governor - PLEASE DON'T COME HERE RIGHT NOW! The covid situation is worse now here than it ever has been. Our tiny hospitals are overwhelmed and our morgues are full and they are piling bodies in trailers. We simply do not have the infrastructure to handle the situation right now. Normally I am not against tourism at all but right now it seems like every #$%^%$ from the mainland who could afford the cheap tickets when travel first opened up is here and is behaving badly. I see people everyday walking around town or on the beach with no mask, or wearing one on their chin, and disregarding the rules. I'm not saying you would do that, just that the State is actively discouraging travel and many wish we could ban tourists right now. I was in Waikiki about a month ago and it was a nightmare there as well with lots of people flaunting the rules. It's true that you supposedly have to be vaccinated to come here but people have gotten around that requirement and a few have been caught. Now, having said that, December is a good time to be here. January is when a LOT of Canadians and people from other cold places arrive and spend 3 months so condos and similar places are more expensive and hard to find as are rental cars. I strongly suggest you wait at least a year before visiting Hawaii. Even if you don't heed the governor's advice, you will have a better experience when things return to a more normal situation.

I 100% understand your comments.... my SIL who has timeshares always says January is a good time to go visit the Islands, so thanks for giving a residents point of view.

[SecondAttempt]

While I think this year is NOT the time for you or anyone else to visit Hawaii, I'll offer some more helpful comments to address your specific questions.

First off the islands can be very different yet also very similar. Oahu is mostly going to be faster-paced although there are quiet areas there. There is arguably more touristy things to do on Oahu depending on what you like. There are museums (Polynesian Cultural Center, Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace, etc.), an aquarium, zoo, etc. The Pearl Harbor Memorial is there as well as Punchbowl where a lot of famous people are buried.

You can do ocean activities on any island. Things will be generally more crowded on Oahu though. I've snorkeled and scuba dived on every island and would say Oahu is the least good, but still not bad.

You've been to Maui and Kauai so I won't say too much on those. I like visiting both, Kauai for peace and quiet, Maui because it is a little busier than the Big Island without being Waikiki.

The Big Island has some great waterfalls, an active volcano, coffee farms, and some great resorts that are far cheaper in general than Maui.

Weather can vary dramatically over a short distance. It can be clear and hot at the beach and raining a mile away upslope. Most resorts are on the beach but if you rent a condo/airbnb it could be upslope. It can be much cooler upslope.

December is after hurricane season. It is usually dryer then, at least where I live. The water is usually warmest in November so it will still be warm but cooling in December. It should still be in the high 70s or low 80s at the Big Island and a little cooler as you move northwest toward Kauai.

The humpback whales start arriving in December most years but you won't reliably be able to go whale watching until January. Some outfits may start up in December if the whales hsow up but don't count on it.

Which island is best then really depends on persoanl preference and not time of year. Since you have not been to the Big Island I might suggest that only so you can compare. If you mention the kinds of things you like - activities, sights, etc. I and others can probably offer more specific suggestions.

[Badger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB Yeah, go to Miami instead -

You really don't want to visit Florida right now. It is the worst place in the country for Covid and the hospitals are filled with patients with more waiting to get in. At the moment only 55% of the population have been fully vaccinated and the rest won't wear a mask. Then couple this with the fact that Fl is a tourist state with people that carry the virus from all over the world contributing to the problem.


Cheers!