I'm Planning a vacation to hawaii and am curious about the differences in the islands?

Question

it will be for me and my husband, we are both 25. We want to go in October. I am also pregnant and will be about 5 months pregnant then. we are newly weds so this will be our honeymoon. some activities that interest us would be Snorkling, nice soft sandy beaches, maybe horse backriding, although i'm not supposed to but whatever! shopping and nightlife are not our thing, although i would like to get an outfit or two and some suveniers. we love rainforests and birds, so somewhere where we could take a tour of that would be nice. also i hear that there are some sunset cruises, that would be romantic.

we have never been so we don't really know where to go. our other choice would be a cruise of the carribean but we don't have passports or time to get them.
thanks for all your help!

somewhere that offers a massage, ohh i need one bad! but they need to be well educated in pregnancy massage as well, not just some parlor..

also if anyone offers suggestions on hotels, i want one that is right on the beach, preferably with an ocean view, but no walking 3 blocks to the water.

Answer 1

If you'd like to have a variety of activities, Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, will be your best bet. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has oceanfront hotels, is close to tourist shopping,
lagoons, pools, and nightlife areas. Snorkeling is available at Hanauma Bay. There are dinner cruises in the ocean off Waikiki Beach. The rain forest near the Pali lookout is beautiful, and you can hike up into Diamondhead crater. Transportation is your choice -- car rentals are cheaper by the week, and The Bus can take you anywhere on the island.
Take a trip Ewa for dinner at Haliewa Joe's one evening.
Check out the Honolulu Zoo and Aquarium and be sure to see the free Hula show at the Duke statue at sunset. Try a dinner at Honey's inside Koolau Golf Club for an unforgettable dinner and some Hawaiian music. Be sure to get a reservation.

Maui is more laid back, but there are still many things to do there. On Maui you MUST take the early morning trip up to the volcano to see the sunrise! You have never seen anything as beautiful. Bring the blanket from your hotel!!!

Kauai and Lanai are the quietest islands.

The key word is to have enough MONEY, as it is on the expensive side for tourists!

Just ask at the hotel desk about different activities -- they're always happy to help!

Answer 2

It sounds like Maui is a great option for your family. Lahaina has restaurants and some attractions but it isn't "big city" like Oahu/Waikiki. For waterfalls, I recommend that you drive "The Road to Hana" which has stops with hikes to waterfalls all along the way. We spent the night in Hana and were glad we did. Most people do the drive in one day - by spending the night, you have the waterfalls closest to Hana nearly to yourself the next morning. And you'll enjoy the trip more if you aren't worried about getting back. Eating at Mama's Fish House was a highlight for our group -it met the need for the "Golden Age of Hawaii" fantasy we had in our heads and hearts. Snorkeling in Honolua Bay (just north of Lahaina) was absolutely amazing - like being in a National Geographic special! It is a protected cove so it is fine for people who are beginning snorkelers but lots and lots of fish in all shapes, colors, & sizes. We also saw squid & turtles. It is a short walk from the place you park down to the water but it is a pretty walk. We sent the grandparents and the kids on a submarine ride and they all loved it. The grandparents were in their 60's in this case and we weren't sure they would snorkel, which is why we scheduled the Submarine excursion. The grandparents did snorkel but they still considered the submarine a highlight. We stayed in a condo which worked out very well for our family. We generally ate out once per day but appreciated having our own kitchen. We stayed in three units at the Hale Kai which suited us perfectly - we prefer smaller locations and the fact that it was so close to the water was wonderful. Unit 220 was especially nice. It does not have air conditioning which didn't bother us but does bother some. The other condo we considered was Kahana Sunset. ResortQuest has some nice Maui Locations. Another neat location is the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel which works hard to be Maui's "Most Hawaiian" hotel. I am a travel agent and would be happy to help with your travel arrangements.

Answer 3

Hi,
First thing on landing pick-up a copy of Maui Gold and 101 Things to do on Maui. For that matter whatever island you choose pick up the booklets, they are full of all kinds of stuff.
You will not go wrong with this treat, Last year I pulled off my three year anniversary. My bride lets me do all the planning so here is what I did. We booked our flight to Maui for an early arrival time, before lunch. We rented a car and our first stop was Paia Town for the CD "Road to Hana". We stopped for lunch Ma Ma's Fish house on the road the Hana this is a must, it's a real neat place, with good food, expensive, that's why we did lunch. We took our time and drove to Hana. This is the cool stop. We spent our first two nights at the "Hana Maui". This is by far the best romantic place on the islands. This location is very quite, and out of the way. By the time we arrived all the tourist's are long gone. We enjoyed dinner and then a very romantic evening. At this place you don't get a room it's a suite. On the last day in Hana we drove the back-side of the island to up-country to our final hotel the Kamaole Sands, this is not the Ritz but a very nice Condo. There are a number of plush places to stay around the island you could try Wailea.
For another great time, take the time to see the "Old Town Lahaina Luau" this requires advance reservations, one to two months and even stay up-island near Lahaina. You'll enjoy Lahaina Town. There is a sunset dinner cruise on what looks like an old sailing ship, very romantic. Any of the islands beaches are good for snorkleing, just ask around and you'll have no problems.

For the Big Island, Hawaii, there are a number of sites to see, my bride and I stayed at the Volcano House for two nights right in the National Park. You can make reservations on line. The hotel over looks the Kilauea Caldera, all the things to see in and around the park will not be any trouble for the both of you, except the walk to the lave flow. Nest head to Kona it's an all day drive with a few stops. Once in Kona you'll enjoy your time touring around. Check out the Green Sea Turtles at the Black Sand Beach on your way and once in Kona you can see them Kaloko-Honokohau National Park. The City of Refuage is a place to see as well. Just check out your booklet Hawaii Gold and you'll find all the stops.
Hey have a great time we did.

Answer 4

I would recommend two general areas: Poipu Beach on Kauai or Kaanapali on Maui.

Kauai is laid back and rural - there are even wild chickens running around the island. Poipu Beach is about 20 miles west of the airport. It's near a little "village" called Koloa Town that has shopping, restaurants, and a supermarket. Poipu Beach has great snorkeling and a string of hotels/condos along or across the street from the beach. It's also closer to Waimea Canyon, where you can hike up to "the rainiest spot on earth" (it gets about 500 inches a year - truly a rain forest). The top of Waimea Canyon overlooks the Napili Coast, with sheer cliffs of jungle that run down to the sea. Make sure to take the Napili Coast sunset cruise. It's incredible.

Kaanapali/Kahana in Maui is, in my opinion, the best part of all of Hawaii. There are beautiful beaches with great snorkeling (Black Rock at the Sheraton is the best), plenty of places to shop (Lahaina and Whaler's Village), and a range of accomodations from luxury high-rise hotels to studio condos, most right on or across the street from the beach. The only place for horseback riding that I know of is on a ranch about halfway up Haleakala Crater. Like someone said, get a copy of 101 Things To Do In . They tell you everything.

BTW - Maui no ka oi (Maui is the best). But, Kauaii - the Garden Isle - is for couples.

Answer 5

I've only been to Kauai and found it to be layed back, quiet, an almost rural feel. There are no "big" cities there and it wasn't very crowded on the beaches. It was beautiful, tons of waterfalls, awesome scenery, I've never seen water so clear and blue. We snorkeled at a place called Tunnels Beach. Plenty of little shops to check out and some nice restaurants.

I don't have any hotels to recommend. We stayed in a rental home in the mountains. It was only 900 a week!! It was a little more expensive to stay on the beach but some were still cheaper than a week at a resort.

Answer 6

Each of the Hawaiian Islands has its own personality and character. So, knowing what type of person you are and what you like to do will help you decide which of the islands you will like.

If you like tourists and fishing you should like the Kona area of the “Big Island” of Hawaii.
If you like solitude, a tropical feel, a rural atmosphere and you don’t mind rain, you should like the Hilo area of the Big Island. The west side of the Big Island has a few nice small beaches, including black sand beaches. Near Ka Lae, the southernmost point of the island you will find a green sand beach. Big beaches are not prevalent on the Big Island.

If you enjoy scenery, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking or surfing and don’t yearn for “night life”
then the oldest of the islands, Kauai is for you.

If you are the kind of person who keep a bathing suit, snorkel gear or a surfboard in your car, then Maui is for you, because it has 120 miles of easily accessible and swimmable coastline, more than any other island.

If you have an artistic temperament or perhaps you like to get away and write, then seek out the island of Lanai.

If you love nature, hiking and solitude, then “the most Hawaiian” of the islands, Molokai is for you.

You’ll enjoy Oahu if you like beaches, shopping, tourists, high-rises, traffic and don’t mind a lot of other people. Honolulu is like a tropical version of NYC, or LA as it was in the smog-free 1950's.

Answer 7

First off.....congratulations on your marriage and your pregnancy!

As far as your trip to Hawaii, I would suggest you either visit Maui or the island of Hawaii (known to locals as the Big Island) and go to one of the higher end hotels such as the Hapuna Prince on the Big Island or the Maui Prince on Maui. These hotels will offer the types of services that you're looking for and often have spas on site that can handle your needs. They all will have close access to some very nice beaches and if they don't have the activities you want offered on site, they'll be able to refer you to a nearby location.

As far as rainforests and birds, the only place that i'm familiar with that has such a place is the Panewa Zoo that's located outside of Hilo (Big Island). This zoo is located in a rainforest so they have a wonderful assortment of animals and a fabulous aviary.

Hope that helps you some........once again, congratulations and happy travels!

Answer 8

if you like rainforests, go to Hana on Maui. You can hike O'heo Gulch (7 Sacred Pools), swim on great beaches, and more. You can go to the spa in town or at the Hotel Hana Maui, which also has a terrific restaurant and spa as well. To save money, stay at the Hana Kai, which is right on the beach, but you will probably want to walk down the block to the bay (sandier beach). They also have horseback riding through the cattle ranch there and I think on the beach.
I have been to Maui twice, and this is my favorite place - no crowds, no traffic (except on your way there on the Hana Highway if it's a weekend espacially), lush plants, etc...
If you go, be sure to check out the red sand beach.

Answer 9

I've been there once with my wife. We went to Maui. We hadn't planned a thing. The hotel had a planner. They printed out an agenda and tickets to all events. On day one we sat down and planned golf, scuba diving (at the hotel), helicopter ride, snorkeling (don't take the cow boat...pay extra and take a catamaran ride), trip to the top of Maui, luau, etc... Stay a a resort on the beach. You'll love the banana smoothies and pineapple slices.......

Answer 10

Yeah congrads on the kid,
well islands the best island would be first Oahu then anywhere else,Oahu has everything its the main island, everwhere else is nice too. after going to Oahu it doesn't really matter which island u choose next any one has its own unique sites.