Hawaii - In which part should I stay?

Question

the less touristy the better...

Answer 1

The North Shore of Oahu, or possibly the JW Marriott at Ko olina (also known as the Ihilani Resort).

This way, you are on Oahu, with the activities, restaurants, accessibility - but without the crowds.

The Turtle Bay resort on the North Shore is very nice.

Answer 2

Hawai'i has a lot to offer. If you can get out to one of the neighboring islands, you have a better chance of experiencing the real Hawai'i. Try a google search on Kaua'i Maui, Moloka'i and the Big Island. O'ahu itself has many beautiful areas, but I don't know anything about hotels other than the ones in Waikiki--its an easy drive out to Waimanalo or Lanikai, or indeed around the whole island. You can easily find a totally empty beach on the Waimanalo side and have it all to yourself for a whole day. Some of the best swimming in the world because of calm and warm water.

Maui has indeed been over developed in a lot of areas but the windward (Hana) side is very beautiful, many people consider it the prettiest area in the Islands. There are some hotels and condos available there. The drive from Kahului is long but pretty. Maybe you could get a room at Keanae.

Kaua' i is the oldest island, not very large, it has incredible geological features--the Waimea Canyon, Kalalau, and the whole Na Pali coast. It also has wonderful beaches. The Kalalau trail is the best hike I have ever done. Also the hardest.

The Big Island...the land of my heart. The towering volcanos, the lava deserts the jungles, the spectacular coastline, wow do I love the Big Island. As with all of the Hawaiian islands, the west side is the dry side, the east side the rainier windward side.

And Molokai, "The Friendly Isle", rather far off the beaten path, there is some tourist development but not a lot. The old joke used to be that the most exciting news that ever happened in Kaunakakai was when a cat chased a crab down the main street. It is a wonderful island, its relative isolation has made it the most Hawaiian of the Hawaiian Islands.

Answer 3

Maui is the most heavily trafficked by tourists, Oahu is basically like Miami, so I'd say go to Kauai or "The Big Island." My wife and I spent a week on Kauai last year and had a ball -- so much, in fact, this year we're taking a 7-day Hawaii cruise that stops for a day and a half in Kauai. No big cities there, not so touristy, and a lot of movies were filmed there like South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Six Days - Seven Nights, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.

Answer 4

MAUI!!!!!
IT $$$$$$$$