Which Hawaiian Island???

Question

We are in our 60’s and have never been to the islands, so have no clue as to which island to choose. We want a hotel right on the beach; romantic and cozy would be great. We are planning a Valentine’s week trip (our 3rd anniversary). We need to know whether to book online at one of the travel.com sites or deal in person w/travel agents? We’ll need ‘the whole package' - flight, rooms and car rental. Money is a concern of course, but we’re not getting any younger, so want to choose carefully and make this a vacation to remember. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks,

Answer 1

Like many people have said, it all depends on what you're looking for in a vacation. My husband and I just came back from Oahu, stayed at the Kaimana Beach Hotel at the base of Diamondhead, and had a lovely time, but I liked Maui better (but I might be a little biased because Maui was for our honeymoon four years ago).

Plus side of Oahu: our hotel was at the southeastern tip of Waikiki, so we were far enough away from the crowds that it was peaceful and quiet on our beach. But we were within walking distance (10-15 minutes) to the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. We could stroll in for breakfast in the morning or drinks in the evening. We got good use out of our rental car going to see other beaches, North Shore and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Down side of Oahu: it does remind me of California, which is where I'm from. And I'm looking for something different from the ordinary on my vacations. The food along Waikiki was the same stuff I could get at home, with the exception of the kahlua pork omelet at Lulu's (yum!). Waikiki is nothing but a tourist strip with a pretty beach, really. Driving on the freeway around Honolulu was pretty annoying--just like at home.

Plus side of Maui: we stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel and loved it! Kaanapali is a gorgeous beach and our hotel had the largest square footage of beach with the fewest people (other luxury hotels like the Marriott had only a little strip of sand for their beach space and the people mostly crowded around their pool patios, with lounge chairs laying shoulder-to-shoulder. I shudder to think of it!). We were near Black Rock, which is a rocky area at the end of the beach that had great snorkeling. We were an easy walk away from the luxury hotels so we could walk around and admire them, and just beyond those hotels was a shopping area with nice restaurants to have a drink by the sand and watch the sunset. Lahaina was a nearby cute, tourist-ey beach town that was worth a visit for shopping and strolling. We didn't venture out much beyond Kaanapali and Lahaina, but were perfectly happy where we were. It was more relaxing and romantic than Waikiki and the Kaanapali Beach Hotel was voted most Hawaiian by the local papers--they have activities like lei-making, polynesian dance lessons, etc. Maybe they were tourist-ey, but it sure beats walking the hot, crowded streets of Waikiki. And your first morning there, they invite you to a complimentary breakfast buffet where they serve lots of traditional Hawaiian foods like ahi tuna poke, kahlua pork, fresh pineapple and sweet bread as well as the usual mainland fare: eggs, bacon, toast, etc. They have a little entertainment while you eat, raffle off gifts like a complimentary beach lounge chair rental or tickets to their evening shows, and give you tips on things to do and see on Maui. And we told them at check-in that we were on our honeymoon, so they sent a complimentary bottle of champagne to our room. That hotel really makes you feel welcome. And when you check out, they give you a complimentary kukui nut lei and tell you the symbolism that leis and kukui nuts have in Hawaiian culture. I was a little sad to leave anyway, but the whole thing got me a bit teary-eyed.

Down side of Maui: I can't think of anything. Even if you're the nightlife party type that Waikiki is full of, Maui has Lahaina which is nearly the same, just without the concrete jungle. I guess the only downside might be that Maui is generally a bit more expensive than Oahu.

I recommend working with a travel agent as well, preferably someone who is very familiar with the islands so they can help you find what you want from a vacation. Good luck, aloha and have a wonderful time!

Answer 2

Hi! I too am in my 60´s and I lived on the Big Island from 94-95. The Big Island has many, many wonderful places to visit and seeing the volcano and driving through Volcanoes National Park is quite an experience!

When I went to Hawaii on a shoestring budget I happened to find a small hostel/motel called Arnott´s Lodge. It is located in Hilo, not far from town and is close to the water. They offer shared spaces plus you can rent a small little apartment like place with 2 bedrooms, one shared bath, a living room and kitchenette all for only $32.00 a night- for the one bedroom - more if you want the whole place to yourself. Each bedroom locks! Of course those prices were then and I suspect that prices have risen by now.

It is a very favorite spot with many international travelers and everyone meets in the central court yard under umbrellaed tables. The lodge offers many outings around the island - turlte watching, and probably a trip to the ´Millionaire´s Pond` a must see, must experience.

The Big Island - the largest in the Hawaiian chain is also home to the largest ranch in the US - over 150,000 acres and about a 3 hr beautiful drive from Hilo. Generally, the BI is pretty laid back as is most of Hawaii. Just about everyone - especially women wear sarongs and thongs. It rains - pours everyday - so leather shoes are not recommended. The lighter and less clothing you wear, the more comfortable you will be as the heat and humidity can be awesome. Most mainland women living in Hawii do NOT wear bras - they are too hot and uncomfortable. Same with jewelry - metal heats up too much and can actually burn the skin.

The looser and the lighter your clothes the better! Treat yourself to a lovely Hawaiian hat, worn by most women. Also, the black sand beaches are truly remarkable. There is also a green sand beach on the BI composed of crushed peridot - a pryoclastic rock.

You can also swim with the Dolfins too. A trip to the south west side will take you to the Kona side of things where it is hotter and drier, but which is downwind from the volcanoe.

There is also lodging at the volcanoe, so my vote is the BI - you are sure to have a good time. Hope this helps.
Sincerely, Sandy

Answer 3

My husband and I went to Oahu on our honeymoon in September 2005. We stayed at the Outrigger Reef Hotel. It was right on the beach and we had a partial oceanview and we were facing the Honolulu Harbor so we sat on our balcony and watched all the huge ships come it! It was awseme! We just stayed on Oahu because we did not want to spend our whole week jumping places and moving hotels. Oahu has a lot of the touristy things to do, such as Pearl Harbor, snorkling, Dole Plantation (which has really good pineapple ice cream) and we took an all day bus tour and it was great. We went around the whole island. Our bus drive Kieu was the greatest driver, he was funny and showed us everything, even places where alot of movies are filmed and where the hit show lost is filming. I would like to get to another island but I am going with my family again in two years and I think we are going to be doing the touristy thing again but if I don't get to another island it will not be the end of the world because we saw a good amount of Hawaii when we took the bus tour and it took us out of Honolulu and the bussle of city life. We had a great time and cannot wait to go back!

Answer 4

Here's an over view of Hawaii. I have lived their and it all depends on how much (todo) action you would like.

I say the most fun Island to me is Waikiki, the Hilton is on Diamond head is real nice, has a mall inside the court yard, they also have bus tours and car service.

If you want to do nothing but be lazy, then go to Maui or Kona, The big Island-called Hawaii.

The only thing to see on the big Island is the Volcano, it's like looking into hell or a version of waste land, not great carma.

Here's a tip: make comparison on getting travel & hotel, without the car, then check on all three combined.

I only rent from Budget or Avis in Hawaii. The cars are kept up better than the others.

Answer 5

Hi, I recommend the big island of Oahu. The Hilton Hawaiin Village is a wonderful place to stay & the restaurant is fabulous..the coconut waffles,taste like coconut pound cake!! Maui is beautiful also, but wasn't as much going on there as Oahu. We did hop to 5 islands by plane while there and those 2 were the best for us.
You can find the lowest air fare by going to cheapflights.com & also by going to your search bar and type in discount flights,then search...If I were you I'd call a local travel agent & get a price for your round trip fare,then search on your own as said above to get best trip.
Hubby & I were there during Christmas one year and was so mind boggling w/folks running w/surf boards and headed for the beach in bikini's & swim trunks-because sure was cold at home on that day.
Have fun !!!

Answer 6

Home to the State Capitol, Honolulu could be the vibrant epicentre of Hawaii and a city worth visit, as you might find with hotelbye . In Honolulu you will find everything from ancient landmarks and valued monuments to world-class shopping and a flourishing arts and lifestyle scene. House to nearly all Oahu's citizenry, the vast city of Honolulu develops through the entire south-eastern shores of Oahu, from Pearl Harbor to Makapuu Point, encompassing world famous Waikiki. Pearl Harbor is one of Honolulu's biggest tourist attractions. Although it is home to the Navy's Pacific Fleet, guests can take a visit to see the USS Arizona Memorial, and the USS Missouri.

Answer 7

Maui is the 'lovers island' so it would be befitting for a Valentine's sweetheart anniversary. I will say this, try to upgrade to first class on your long leg of your trip...it's worth it.

O'ahu is great, it's very reminicient of California, and has lots of action.

Answer 8

What most people tend to do on there first trip to Hawaii is Maui and Kauai as a split stay. Usually the Big Island tends to be more the island people go on a return stay. But this really doesn't make a difference; it's all in your preferences. I will tell you that people don't really go there for the beaches though. They have some nice ones, but not like other islands do.

Many Hawaii hotels have stay X amount of nights get one free. This varies from hotel to hotel on length of stay required to get a free night. I would highly recommend for sure doing Maui. Others said that they would do Honolulu, Oahu and in my opinion unless you want to do Waikiki beach, Pearl Harbor or Diamond Head I wouldn't even bother but change planes here.

Waikiki is just high rise hotels with 90 % of them not even on the beach. Maui on the other hand is more like 90 % hotels on the beach. Oahu though is going to be the least expensive islands. Think of Oahu as Hawaii's "Cancun" if you will. In so many ways they have taken away the beauty with the high rise hotels. Maui has a few that yes there a few stories, but nothing like Oahu if you look at hotel pictures. Maui is the island where you can be as lazy or active as you choose. Several Natural sites to see, so most definitely as you said you want to have the car rental. Several hotels so you are aware do charge for parking daily and the prices varies.

The Big Island (Hawaii) is a great choice, but depending of what part of Kona is chosen will determine if you have a nice white sand beach or a beach that is rocky to where you need shoes to walk on the beach.

Kauai is another consideration to look at. Very laid back and relaxing island. From the sounds of what your describing you would like I think you would enjoy this option.

You asked to should you book on an online site or work with a travel agent. Well obviously I’m a bit bias considering I am a travel agent, but I will explain why I truly do feel you should do this with a professional.

You said so yourself this is very important of a trip for you. With doing things online you are looking at pictures sure, but some of these pictures are touched up, some aren't. Online reviews from people you can read, but take them with a grain of salt considering some people when they have one bad thing happen the entire trip is a bust and they vent about things that really weren't bad, but there upset. With travel even the best of agent can put together your dream package within your budget; however problems can still happen and if they do then you have a contact agent. If that agent is out of the office, no worry there is another one that can pull your file. This is assuming during normal business hours =) It is usually problems that happen, that can't really be fixed, but we resolve on the return home. This is why most agents like to call and find out how everything went because a good caring agent really does want to know. It is very rewarding for agents that love there job to know they helped a person in making these new found travel memories a reality.

There are certain hotels/condos that are a good choice for one couple that isn't right for another couple. This is another thing that a good agent will do. That is why if you have someone who asks a lot of questions the reason we are is to try and qualify you for what we feel is the perfect resort.

Like any profession there are good and bad agents. Most of the time in speaking with one you can tell which one they are though. I myself will never claim to know everything as I’m leaving on a daily basis and I have been doing this for a while! However if you were to ask me a question I don't know the answer to I will say I don't know, but I will find out for you instead of making an answer up. People who do that most definitely fall into the bad agent category. It's just typically laziness in my opinion!

Believe me; I want to do everything in my power to make a holiday memorable for my clients. I don't want them coming back and being upset with me because they were "misrepresented" on what there hotel was like. Which can happen very easily online. Some agents do this to though, which is very bad! Laziness again, quick sale. When a client comes in and says I want to stay here, even if the agent knows this hotel isn't a good choice. Sometimes they just agree with you to make it quick, simple and completed as opposed to asking questions and actually taking time on your trip. Most travelers would agree that they would prefer and agents honesty on if a hotel is nice or frankly a dive.

Such as our agency we do charge a $20.00 per person service fee for reasons that we search many vendors to find you the best prices with your dates, hotel choices, etc. It is commonly misunderstood that a TA tacks on commission where in fact we don't at all. See if you book directly through a vendor you are going to pay the same price only that vendor will make more money because they don't have to pay an agency. Service fee of course aside. Instead of you looking at several various possibilities let us do it. We know which vendors tend to price out better with certain destinations.

I am one of those honest agents. In the end it is in everyone’s best interest with honesty!

So I would suggest highly either find a local agent that you like or you can certainly feel free to email me and I could email you my contact information if you like. Hawaii isn't well very inexpensive so make sure you know exactly what it is you’re paying for.

Either way I truly wish you a magical experience in Hawaii's Beautiful Islands!

Answer 9

not oahu, Maui, Big Island or Lanai

Answer 10

Here are some resources we have used. Enjoy

http://www.travelsmarthawaii.com/...
http://alternative-hawaii.com/
http://www.alohaair.com/broadband_home.p...
http://www.hawaiianair.com/
http://www.expedia.com/?rfrr=-483...
http://www.sheraton-kauai.com/
http://www.blackrockphotography.com/...
http://www.westinmaui.com/
http://www.kauaiexplorer.com/
http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/index_flash.asp
http://oahu.aloha-hawaii.com/activities/hiking+diamond+head/