Recommendations for Hawaiian Islands

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Pineapple13

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Hi All,
DH and I are traveling to Maui in August to attend a friend's wedding and were hoping to make the most of our flight out there by adding other islands. We plan to stay at the wedding resort with our friends for 5 nights but would love to visit other parts of the island during the day. As we are retired :) we can take all the time we want! Any recommendations on islands to visit, places to stay, and things to do? We are in good health and enjoy outdoor activities. Not looking for luxury. Basic is fine by us. The only island we have been to is Oahu 30 years ago. Thanks for your help!
 
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We have been to Maui twice since 2017. We were fortunate enough to experience Front Street before the fire. I have been keeping tabs on the banyan tree and it looks as though it has recovered nicely.

To your question. The first time we went we flew to Oahu for a couple of days to see Pearl Harbor and we also swam at Waikiki, Dole Plantation, and more. We enjoyed it however, we stayed blocks from Waikiki and it was a very busy noisy city. We found Maui to be much quieter and more relaxing - we stayed at Kaanapali Beach, rode the Hana Highway, drove to the top of Haleakala Park, and also went on a helicopter tour (expensive but worth it IMO - paying extra to sit up front is the way to go).

Whatever you decide it will be a great time. Enjoy!
 
How long is your trip? Plenty to see and do on Maui IMO. We split our 10 days into AirBnB stays in Ka'anapali and Paia to save time driving. Stop at the Costco after picking up car rental and stock up on food. Rent gear at Snorkel Bobs and snorkel at Honolua Bay and Black Rock. Visit the Nakalele blowhole and hike the 'Ohai trail. Visit 'Iao Valley. Dinner at Honoapillani food truck park. Drive the Road to Hana and experience the black sand beach. Sunrise/sunset on Haleakala. Body surf/boogie board/surf at Fleming Beach. Book a couple of excursions that would be difficult on your own through Viator. Try some misubi. Rinse/repeat.

Safe travels!
 
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Maui itself has so much to see and do I don’t think you need to visit other islands unless you plan a long visit. There are direct flights to and from the US to Maui. Maybe one other island if a lot more time. We once spent almost 2 weeks on Maui, stayed at three different places on the island and were very busy. You definitely want plenty of time to relax, snorkel, hang out at the beach, etc.

The first few days we stayed part of the way up the Haleakala volcano because we went up to the Haleakala summit to view the sunrise on our wedding anniversary. Then we moved down to a couple of resorts on the northwest coast. Lots of opportunities for beach walking, hiking, snorkeling, etc., lots of additional activities available.
 
We have been to Maui many times and there is plenty to do there especially for first timers but first and foremost is to relax and enjoy the beach/weather. For Maui, given that Lahaina is no longer an option I recommend the trip up to Haleakala -- if you do the sunrise then breakfast at Kula Lodge is excellent. Also the winery at Ulupalakua and Surfing Goat Dairy are both fun and not hard to get to especially if you are staying in Kihei or Wailea. Hana probably not worth the drive. Ditto on the previous comment about food trucks -- best food and not expensive.

We took a day trip to the Big Island once -- flew over to Hilo in the morning and took the tour up to the Kilauea volcano and then spent the day in town and came back that evening. It's a short flight but the tour was worth it. Hilo tends to be rainy so be prepared.

Overall, don't try to do too much -- flying to another island burns a whole day.

​

 
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if you have the time to add a week, I would go to either end of the chain.
We have treasured our weeks at Kona on the Big Island, and equally the week at Kauai.
I agree that Ohau is a little too city-like for us. Been there done that.
I also agree that trying to cram an extra island into a single week is a pain.
 
Lots to do in Maui. If you spend a week, you'll see most of it but not all. The snorkeling is excellent on Maui - you can visit lots of beaches. The trip to and from Haleakala is an all-day event. The road to Hanah is an all-day event.
 
I think we also stopped at Kula Lodge on the way down, but by the time we stopped there it was time for lunch! After sunrise we explored the national park and visitors center. And just a little below that is a lovely grove of trees with a hiking loop, Hosmer Grove, full of colorful native Hawaiian birds. There are very few places you can see the smaller native birds, and they are all high altitude.
 
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skyking1 said:
if you have the time to add a week, I would go to either end of the chain.
We have treasured our weeks at Kona on the Big Island, and equally the week at Kauai.
I agree that Ohau is a little too city-like for us. Been there done that.
I also agree that trying to cram an extra island into a single week is a pain.
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Agree - either Kauai or the Big Island for a second choice.
 
Very hard to give advice without knowing how long you have. I wouldn't try to split any trip of less than 10 days between two islands and even that is going to short-change something. If you have the time for a second island, then it just depends on what kind of experience you want to have.

If you go to the Big Island, then you've got Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, the Mauna Kea observatory, Kona, several national historic sites, etc. We did a great round-the island road trip once, spending two nights in four different places.

If you go to Kauai, then there's hiking, kayaking on the river, gardens, beaches, the Na Pali coast.

On Oahu, you've got Honolulu, Waikiki, the north shore, some great snorkeling beaches and bays, Pearl Harbor.
What sounds good to you?

One fun thing we did on Oahu and Kauai was to use the Shaka Tours app https://www.shakaguide.com/ It took us to a few interesting places we probably wouldn't have found on our own.
 
skyking1 said:
if you have the time to add a week, I would go to either end of the chain.
We have treasured our weeks at Kona on the Big Island, and equally the week at Kauai.
I agree that Ohau is a little too city-like for us. Been there done that.
I also agree that trying to cram an extra island into a single week is a pain.
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We have plenty of time. We'd love to visit Volcano National park so the Big Island is likely. I know nothing about Kauai. Do you have recommendations on places to stay and must see?
 
audreyh1 said:
Agree - either Kauai or the Big Island for a second choice.
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We have plenty of time. We'd love to visit Volcano National park so the Big Island is likely. I know nothing about Kauai. Do you have recommendations on places to stay and must see?
 
We were out to Maui and the Big Island last fall. This was over 16 days. If you have a week I would suggest just staying on Maui. If you have longer then definitely could do 2. The islands each have their own personalities.

On the BIg Island, we split the between Hilo and Kona. The volcano is active now, cool to see lava. Hilo is a charming town. Some nice waterfalls nearby. If you snorkel, the best snorkeling experience we have ever had is the night snorkel with manta rays, near Kona. Tour the Waipio Valley, 4WD only (can book a guide). Probably the most diverse island.

We were on Kauai recently too in 2023. There are some really nice hikes and beaches.Waimea Canyon is an amazing site in the west, great views and hiking. Napali Coast, take a boat tour. Lots of movie and TV sites here. This may be the most beautiful.

Lots of options if you have the time.
 
If you like snorkeling, Princeville on Kauai is some of the best in the island chain. Helicopter flights over Kauai are cool if you're into that kind of thing. A boat trip to the inaccessible side of the island is worth doing.

If you're not a Costco member yet, get a membership. Just the money you save on fuel will pay for it.
 
The big island would be a must for me with the volcano erupting.

Kauai is beautiful, but very laid back. We have taken snorkel trips from the east and west sides and have also hiked the ridges above the Napali coast. Most memorable!
 
cathy63 said:
Very hard to give advice without knowing how long you have. I wouldn't try to split any trip of less than 10 days between two islands and even that is going to short-change something. If you have the time for a second island, then it just depends on what kind of experience you want to have.

If you go to the Big Island, then you've got Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, the Mauna Kea observatory, Kona, several national historic sites, etc. We did a great round-the island road trip once, spending two nights in four different places.

If you go to Kauai, then there's hiking, kayaking on the river, gardens, beaches, the Na Pali coast.

On Oahu, you've got Honolulu, Waikiki, the north shore, some great snorkeling beaches and bays, Pearl Harbor.
What sounds good to you?

One fun thing we did on Oahu and Kauai was to use the Shaka Tours app https://www.shakaguide.com/ It took us to a few interesting places we probably wouldn't have found on our own.
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We have stayed in Hilo at the
HaleKai
Twice on our tours around the island. Stay in Kona and get a night in Hilo to break up the drive. Maybe two!
We booked the room on the east end, and watched the sun come up out of the sea from our bed. Truly delightful.
The local surfers will be around the corner to the west at the river inlet break below the bluff, skipping work when the break is proper.. It was funny to hear the chatter out by the pool, 60' below the bluff.
I could go on about our trips to the big island, but I would book HaleKai any time.
 
Pineapple13 said:
We have plenty of time. We'd love to visit Volcano National park so the Big Island is likely. I know nothing about Kauai. Do you have recommendations on places to stay and must see?
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If we go back to Kauai it will be to stay right in Hanalei proper. That place is magical.
We stayed at a condo on Waipouli beach in Wailua. That was pretty nice.
If you can find a boat tour out of hanalei to the Na Pali, try to book that. The catamaran tour we took is closed.
The rest of the Na Pali boats come around the west from the southern ports and lots of motoring to get there.
Out of Hanalei it is just minutes.
 
Others would argue, however, I found the “Road to Hanna” and Hanna itself to be beautiful. It’s interesting, Charles Lindbergh is buried there behind a little church. Can’t make that trip in a day.

I also would encourage to go see some other islands.
 
Our favorite area of Kauai is the north shore. We stayed west of Hanalei Bay and beautiful beaches, good snorkeling and tons of additional stuff to do nearby. There are lots of lodging options in the area around Hanalei. Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is also worth visiting if you are into dramatic coastlines and seabirds. We always made a point to take a day and drive all the to Waimea Canyon State Park - spectacular.

The Big Island is great. We stayed a few days in Volcanos National Park. We also stayed near Kealakekua Bay and kayaked over and snorkeled the bay at the Captain Cook monument. We also explored the island quite a bit doing day driving trips.
 
5 days on Maui is probably about right, but it’s pretty diverse. Kauai is our favorite island and it is also diverse, but not nearly as developed. Most of the hotels are on the south end, but to us, the north is the best. Princeville is a good place to stay. We’ve found several wonderful VRBO properties in that area, including a condo situated right on the cliff and next door to the Princeville Resort for restaurants. I think there’s a Westin in the area too.

We’ve only been to the Big Island once and it just wasn’t what we were hoping for. Visiting the volcano area was cool, but we preferred Maui and Kauai much more. That’s very subjective, of course, as many people love the Big Island.

The north end of Oahu is also beautiful.
 
I loved all our time on Maui, Kauai, and Big Island. Great places to visit and you'll likely love any/all of them. I prefer to live on Oahu as it has virtually everything you would find in any significant metropolitan area. Of course, that means lots of traffic and crowding, so you take the bitter with the sweet.

Rather than suggest things to do or Islands to visit, let me offer a series by an author named Andrew Doughty. His books on the Islands are excellent and can be kept in your rental car as you travel the Islands - there are maps and "things to do that the tourists don't know about" kinda stuff.

I'd get all of the books if I were you and start planning/deciding on which Islands and what things you wish to do on your trip.


If you have specific questions - especially about Oahu, there are several here who can possibly help.

ENJOY!!
 
Koolau said:
I loved all our time on Maui, Kauai, and Big Island. Great places to visit and you'll likely love any/all of them. I prefer to live on Oahu as it has virtually everything you would find in any significant metropolitan area. Of course, that means lots of traffic and crowding, so you take the bitter with the sweet.

Rather than suggest things to do or Islands to visit, let me offer a series by an author named Andrew Doughty. His books on the Islands are excellent and can be kept in your rental car as you travel the Islands - there are maps and "things to do that the tourists don't know about" kinda stuff.

I'd get all of the books if I were you and start planning/deciding on which Islands and what things you wish to do on your trip.


If you have specific questions - especially about Oahu, there are several here who can possibly help.

ENJOY!!
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Fantastic! Really appreciate the help.
OldConch said:
How long is your trip? Plenty to see and do on Maui IMO. We split our 10 days into AirBnB stays in Ka'anapali and Paia to save time driving. Stop at the Costco after picking up car rental and stock up on food. Rent gear at Snorkel Bobs and snorkel at Honolua Bay and Black Rock. Visit the Nakalele blowhole and hike the 'Ohai trail. Visit 'Iao Valley. Dinner at Honoapillani food truck park. Drive the Road to Hana and experience the black sand beach. Sunrise/sunset on Haleakala. Body surf/boogie board/surf at Fleming Beach. Book a couple of excursions that would be difficult on your own through Viator. Try some misubi. Rinse/repeat.

Safe travels!
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We're retired so as long as we want! That's why we figure we should make the most of our flight out there and visit more than one island.
 
I visited Kauai for the first time last year. Wonderful island. We stayed in Poipu and visited all parts.

We did a Na Pali snorkel cruise, which went out to Ni’hau. You can’t go on the island and we snorkeled around a small island right north of Ni’hau. The trip back was rough, really rough. It was quite entertaining to see the crew offer drinks and everyone just sat there with pale faces. Not a drinking a vibe, even though the crew did a wonderful job. Not much you can do about rough seas.

Seeing the Na Pali coast was fantastic though. We’d definitely do that part again.
 
tulak said:
I visited Kauai for the first time last year. Wonderful island. We stayed in Poipu and visited all parts.

We did a Na Pali snorkel cruise, which went out to Ni’hau. You can’t go on the island and we snorkeled around a small island right north of Ni’hau. The trip back was rough, really rough. It was quite entertaining to see the crew offer drinks and everyone just sat there with pale faces. Not a drinking a vibe, even though the crew did a wonderful job. Not much you can do about rough seas.

Seeing the Na Pali coast was fantastic though. We’d definitely do that part again.
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I also experienced the rough trip back from Lehua close to Ni’hau, quite unpleasant. I think the catamaran captain was in a hurry to get back too. And we were obviously going against the weather. Hawaii is the only area where I’ve experienced seasickness with coastal sailing. Hawaii doesn’t have a continental shelf and those ocean swells come right in to the reefs. Of course this particular sailing was crossing a large expanse of blue water, but I have trouble also with sailing close to shore but only in Hawaii.

I now know that Bonine works very well for me.
 
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When we visited Oahu the farming communities on the North and west were our favorites too. Oahu really does have everything and I see why you live there @Koolau .
Since I grew up a country lad on farms, you can see why it also ultimately did not relax me as much as the others.
I am near Seattle and mostly avoid rather than embrace it. I think I would have to live IN it to really get it.
 
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