My SO and I are planning a vacation to Hawaii sometime after the summer rush. We think we want to stay on the big Island but are not sure. Our main goal is to stay in a nice and clean Hotel and see the lush, tropical areas as well as the volcano and blue-water beaches.
Any doper advice?
You should rent scooters! Their top speed is right around the speed limit anyway, so you don’t have to worry about getting a lead-foot, they can go anywhere, and they are just generally fun as hell to ride around the island on. Cheaper than a car too. They should be available through the hotel you’re staying at for a discount price.
Other than that, it’s pretty hard to go wrong in Hawaii. You will find cool stuff to do and you will have a blast :).
That definitely sounds like a blast! Thanks for the tip 
I’ve been to both Kauai and the Big Island, and can very much recommend both.
Depending on your budget, think about doing a helicopter tour of the islands. I did one on both islands, and they were both spectacular. The helicopter tour is definitely the way to go if you want to see the volcanos on the big island. We actually hovered right above a live volcano, and also zipped down to see where molten lava was pouring into the ocean. There’s just no way you could get views like that on foot or in a car.
Also try snorkelling. You can do it right off the beach in some areas, but it’s better if you go on a tour where they take you on a boat to areas that are harder to reach. Either way, if you’ve never snorkelled before, you’re in for a treat. It’s like swimming in an aquarium - there’s that many colorful fish.
As far as where to stay, that really depends on your budget. Both times I went I was lucky enough to either get a good deal or had a decent amount of cash to spend. The Hyatt Regency Kauai is hands down my favorite hotel in the world - even if you can’t stay there (it’s really pricey) definitely walk down the beach to their grounds and take a look. It’s really spectacular.
On the big island, we stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa Village, which I heartily DON’T recomend. We were far from miserable there, but the Disney-esque atmosphere got old really fast. They also didn’t attend to every detail like other hotels in that price range do. The Four Seasons, down the beach, looked much nicer.
For more budget travel, I’d look for funky hotels in Hanalei, on the north coast of Kauai, or Hawi on the big island. Both are pretty cool little towns, not too touristy, and IIRC there’s some neat hotels in both.
“hidden hawaii, the big island revealed” is a pretty compehensive guide.
There’s quite a lot here and you can get caught up in trying to do too much . I hope you will have enough time to both explore AND relax and let the island talk to you. Some of my favorites… End of the road on the north end is Pololu valley, go early, short hike to the beach… lunch back in Hawi at the Bamboo Restaraunt. Mountain road back to Waimea. Hapuna is a great beach but also very popular. Inquire locally for directions to the remote beaches in Kona. Always worth the walk or 4-wheel. The ocean in kona is wonderful but often rocky. Great snorkelling, diving. Kona is the dry side. On the wet side Waipio valley is worth a look… or a lifetime… the road to Hilo has waterfalls, jungle. The Volcano is awesome… we’re all used to it but it’s a trip to see the world getting born. A drive up Mauna Kea is pretty special .
Recommending hotels is tough… of course we have very nice resorts etc, but we’ve also got some cool little hotels… Kona hotel in Holualoa, Kohala Inn in Hawi, and the bed and breakfast scene here is well established with one in every little niche. There are so many little wonders and micro climates in each area that it is hard to recommend one over the other, hard to go wrong.
So back to your OP… Lush tropical will be the Hilo side, Akaka Falls and the north end of the island, Hawi / Pololu, The beautiful blue water will be best at the remote beaches in Kona… Volcano is a LONG day trip and well worth it.
aloha!!!
Thank you for your wonderful insights to Hawaii! I can’t wait to book our trip and see the beautiful island! Thanks
Volcano House in Volcano National Park on the big island, right on the edge of the caldera of Mount Kilauea.
My faves.
Try the Haleakala Downhill on Maui. A bike ride from the top of the volcanic rim. Fabulous views and don’t worry about pedaling. But you will use the brakes!
If you are on Oahu, the Arizona Memorial is one of the most moving national monuments I have ever been at.
Nother Oahu must-see. There’s a fort at Waikiki Beach, name not remembered. It has an intersting history and displays inside.
Personal opinion. The beaches on Maui are much better than Oahu.
We recently returned from honeymooning in Hawaii. It was great fun!
We visited 3 different islands: Oahu, the Big Island, and Maui. I wish we could have seen more of Oahu. We stayed at Waikiki. We saw the Arizona memorial, and I agree with FandJ that it was a very moving experience. We also got to tour the USS Bowfin, a World War II submarine. That was fascinating – made all those WWII sub movies come to life. We didn’t get to the north side of Oahu, which I understand has some interesting beaches and stuff.
On the Big Island, we stayed in Hilo, at the Hilo Hawaiian. We toured Kilauea and Chain of Craters road. We didn’t get to see any “red” (i.e., hot) lava, but we walked out where the lava had flowed across the road. Amazing stuff. I really liked the rain forest side of the island. Akaka Falls is amazing. We left out of Kona airport, so we drove the long way around the north end of the island and got to see some of the dry side. Wow. Lots of black crumbly lava, with “graffitti” spelled out on it with white coral stones. For miles.
Maui seemed to me more like a mainland American resort. We stayed at the Renaissance Wailea, a much swanker place than we usually stay at. (Hey, it was our honeymoon. We splurged a little.) We watched the sun rise from the top of Haleakala (chilly, but worth it) and took the bicycle ride 38 miles down the volcano. We went snorkeling for the first time, and paddled sea kayaks out to see the green sea turtles. We took the road to Hana – 30 something miles of the narrowest, twistiest road I’ve ever driven. It’s on the rainforest side, which I liked. Amazing foliage, lovely ocean views, which I didn’t seem much of because I had to keep my eyes on the road!
You’ll have a good time wherever you go. The only parts I didn’t care so much for was the traffic around Honolulu and how cramped everything looked there. I loved Hilo, which had a nice small-town feel to it. I met some very nice ladies in a knitting shop there (I’m a knitting geek too) who told me how to knit a lei.
Have fun! I’d go back in a heartbeat.
Waikiki on Oahu reminded me of spring break in Florida – only the view was nicer. But the traffic and the bikinis were evidence that this place is party central.
Maui was an odd island. You had so many touristy things to do, yet some parts of it were desolate. You could stay for a month and not run out of things to do.
If you like seclusion, then of course you should consider Kauai. It is much more private than the other islands, though I’ve heard it doesn’t off much in terms of night life or restaurants.
You could also check out the cruise ships that island hop. That way you’ll still sleep in the same bed each night but have various alternatives available each day.
Not that I have any advice for your holiday but read this thread.
Not that I claim to be psychic or anything but…
puts psychic hat on
You should get married in Hawaii
takes psychic hat off
That is all. Have fun! 
I hope you have a blast!
And to slightly hijack your thread (sorry) **Archergal ** those are the exact same three islands I’ll be spending my honeymoon on this coming January! We are staying five days on each island. Still haven’t booked the hotels yet though.
I’ve lived here for 25 years, on three islands, and been to most of the islands, and every island has something to offer as well as some downsides. It’s hard to recommend one island to go and stay, since each choice means giving something else up. So, I’ll list the islands by my preferences, saying what each is like and what it has to offer.
**Kauai** Where I want to live. Kauai is green and laid-back. The absolute most beautiful spot on Earth is Hanalei. If you have lots of money to spend, you can stay at Princeville, on the top of the hill at one end of Hanalei. If you want to save money, get a bed-and-breakfast in Kapaa or the Hanalei area. You can go to the end of the road at Haena, past Hanalei, and hike out along the Na Pali coast to Kalalau valley. We are talking lush tropical valley rainforest, secluded, with neat people all around, a beautiful beach, great camping (permit required - inquire way in advance cause numbers are limited!) and no commercialism. Hawaii the way it is meant to be.
Personally, I could go to the North Shore of Kauai and never leave; probably will some day. But, there's lots more island to see. Waimea, the "grand canyon of the Pacific;" Mount Waiale`ale, the world’s wettest spot; quaint Hanapepe.
The key here is lush, comfortable, laid-back, friendly.
Hawai`i aka the Big Island
Think primal, raw, new, natural. Also diverse, a lot to do. There’s a lot of island, and auntie Pele is making more every day. The volcano is the biggest draw here, of course. Depending on her whims, you may get to see hot, molton lava, maybe not. This year chances are still good you will; Kilauea remains in an eruptive phase. It’s a day trip from Kona to Hilo (stay off the saddle road if you want to stay alive), but worth it. Kona for world-class resorts, fishing, diving, activities. Hilo for more laid-back activities, also closer to the volcano, so hiking, caqmping, etc. There are great bed & breakfast places in Volcano, near Kilauea, at an altitude that doesn’t permit mosquitos, and tons of out-of-the-way places to explore, like the North Shore valleys. If you get bored, it will be your own fault.
Maui
Disneyland of the Pacific. Maui is still less-developed than O`ahu, but it has a very well-developed tourist infrastructure. Bring lots of money. You can do everything on Maui. The Lahaina side is well-developed for tourism: fishing, para-sailing, golf, diving, etc. The East (windward) side is greener and offers more in eco-tourism type activities. Up-country Maui is heaven-on-Earth, with endless fields with roaming horses, wineries with good wines, Haleakala crater with a lunar landscape, flightless nene geese, dramatic silversword plants, downhill biking, literally everything a tourist could want. The spirit of the islands is there, but you have to look for it. If you run out of money you can get bored.
**Molokai** Think boring. If you want to get away from it all, this is the place. However, it is the most unspoiled part of Hawaii. It’s like going back in time 100 years or so. Oh, sure, they got running water and flush toilets and all, it’s not a retro-theme-park; people live here, and they have more Aloha in their little finger than all the rest of the islands combined. It’s not like the other islands; you won’t be entertained. You will have to look for and find the activities that interest you, but if you are into relaxed seclusion, this is the place.
**Oahu** It's the city. Honolulu. The whole of Oahu is called “the City and County of Honolulu.” OK, there are some rural areas that are outside the city limits; the North Shore is a bit out-of-the-way. And Oahu has the most to offer of any of the islands, but it's really hard to find the aloha here. We have 3 major freeways. We also have the most developed tourist economy; you *will* be harassed by people trying to sell you stuff. However, we got history. Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, statues of everybody, Hanauma Bay for snorkling with the exotic fish, Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head Crater, Haleiwa surfing, Waimea falls, valley and botanical garden, Nuuanu Pali (where Kamehameha became king by pushing his opponents off a cliff), the Polynesian Cultural center, makapuu beach bodysurfing, hiking, camping, mansions of the rich and famous, Chinatown. Everybody should come here at least once in their life.
**Lanai** The word Lanai means “porch.” And this flat, developed golf-course of an island is a porch off of Kaua`i’s main house. The island was developed to grow pineapples; when that industry went belly-up, they planted grass and made golf courses.
And that’s it. Have a good trip.
S¬
Sorry the colors didn’t come out; I should have previewed…
I guess you get the idea, though. Here’s just the island names again, with representative colors.
**Kaua`i
Hawai`i aka the Big Island
Maui
Moloka`i
O`ahu
Lana`i**
When you decide on an island, email me for specific tips.
S¬
I actually am married already, but thanks!
Snakespirit, thank you for all that inside information
And skittles, good luck to you and Congratulations!
I actually am married already, but thanks!
Snakespirit, thank you for all that inside information
And skittles, good luck to you and Congratulations!