I think I’d love this.
I’m going to second the recommendation for the Beach House on Poipu. Make reservations before you get to the island though, the best we managed on our trip was lunch since it was fully booked the entire week we were on Kauai.
Blue Dolphin was the dinner cruise we did. The food is just okay, but honestly the only thing you’ll remember is the scenery. The most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen. It’s not a huge boat though so be sure you don’t suffer from seasickness before signing up.
Also pick up the Wizard guides for whichever islands you’re going to. The best travel guides I’ve ever used.
Cool. Thanks!
Too bad. Oh well. I was hoping to avoid the TSA nightmare when going from island to island.
Excellent!
Gotcha.
Fantastic! Thank you so much for taking the time to work this up! I truly appreciate it.
Thanks to everyone who posted and responded to my queries. You have all given me the foundation for a really good vacation.
Thank you, Moonlitherial. Will do.
When you first get off the plane have your taxi take you to the Moana Hotel. Order a drink under the banyan tree and introduce yourself to Hawaii, one of my favorite memories from my first trip there way back when.
Having flown out of both Honolulu and Kahului (Maui) on our trip last year, neither were bad at all, from a time standpoint. In line for no more than 10 minutes at Honolulu, and maybe 3 minutes at Kahului. (If you fly out of Kona, man, that airport is tiny, so it’d be even less of an issue.)
Your flight:
On the way there, you will need to fill out a survey asking if you’re bringing any non-native plants into the islands. So don’t. 
On the way back, you will need to take your bags through an agricultural inspection, which is just like a normal security x-ray machine.
Shirokiya:
Loved this place as a kid and I still do. The store is two floors: the first has Japanese houswares, books, electronics, clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics; the second is devoted almost entirely to food, both packaged and fresh-made. I haven’t sampled the bentos in years, but I was always fond of the teriyaki and chicken katsu as well as the shrimp tempura. You could easily pick up food and drinks here and take them to the beach across the street.
Hikes:
Wear comfortable shoes that give you traction on wet rock or mud. If possible, keep your hands free.
Restaurant recommendations:
I guess it depends what you mean by exotic-- keep in mind that “exotic” is relative. Almost every major cuisine is represented, along with some fusion styles, so you should be able to find whatever you’re in the mood for.
My recommendations:
Italian: Assagio’s
Japanese: Shirokiya, Gyokaku, Ezogiku (ramen), Coco Ichibanya (curry)
Local: Rainbow’s Drive-In or Zippy’s
Chinese: Hee Hing or Golden Duck
Late night: Wailana Coffee House or Anna Miller’s.
The SuperFerry:
They went out of business, sadly.
One of the things we like to do is travel lite, and by lite I mean one small backpack with essentials, i.e., cameras, phones, chargers, some undies, and an emergency ration of a few feminine products… and that’s it. We don’t take any luggage at all. The only clothing we have is what’s on our backs. We usually buy everything, including toiletries, at the destination. We find this enhances the adventure aspect of the vacation. It also leaves us unencumbered, at least at the beginning of the vacation, to freely go from place to place without lugging tons of crap around, much of which, in our experience, we end up not using. Of course on the way home we’re luggage laden, but that can’t be helped. 
I really want to experience Shirokiya. I miss the aromas and tastes of authentic Japanese fast food, which you just cannot find on the East coast, at least I haven’t, and I’ve looked.
Hands free?
Are these all on Oahu?
Oh well.
Ah, one last thing. I know there’s a large Japanese population in Hawaii, at least that’s what I’ve read. How prevalent is the use of the Japanese language? Will I have the opportunity and, I’m hopeful, necessity, to converse in Japanese with people I meet, or should I not get my hopes up because everyone speak English?
If you’re planning on visiting the Big Island, you might want to keep an eye on things at the park (closed) due to a recent new lava flow.
Thanks for starting this thread - we’re heading to Kauai for the first time in May, and I’ll take note of Kauai-related advice!
We’ve been to Maui a few times and loved it. I’ll try to think of specifics.
Some great advice in this thread already, especially about not trying to island hop all over the place (you only have 7 days!) We’re back to Maui shortly for 10 days, and I know we won’t run out of things to do.
Sounds like your interests (shopping, fine dining) are not exactly the same as ours. But if you want advice on where to snorkel on Maui or the Big Island, let me know here or via PM. We’ll be snorkeling every day, probably in a couple of locations.
I believe all bags, carry-on and checked, are subject to inspection. For carry-ons, they just combine it with the normal security inspection. You shouldn’t have any problems and should zip right through, except for the five minutes it’ll take to fill out the survey (on Scantron forms!).
Japanese:
You’ll see the occasional crowd of Japanese tourists-- there are buses and trolleys that Japanese tourists charter to travel around the island. Many shops and restaurants, especially ones at Ala Moana (where Shirokiya is) and Waikiki will have Japanese-speaking hosts and waitstaff. There are also many Japanese-language guidebooks free in newstands aloong the streets of Waikiki.
However, the majority of your interactions will be in English. You’ll encounter locals who speak pidgin English, which is like a foreign language, though, and it gets thicker and more old-school the farther away from Oahu you go.
So you can grab rocks or handrails. Some trails are hilly, rocky, the ground twined with tree roots, mud, and puddles.
Yes, though Zippy’s can be found on the other islands.
Yeah, I’m leaning toward spending most of our time in Maui at this point.
Unfortunately, we won’t be snorkeling. My wife tried it and didn’t care for it; viewing a world below the water line makes her a little uncomfortable. I’m not sure I get it, but based on her previous reaction, I’m sure that’s something she won’t miss.
Maui is great - you will have plenty to do, and you’ll have a great time.
Too bad about the snorkeling. On the one hand, it’s sad that folks sometimes have one bad experience, and/or don’t really see what the fuss is about. On the other hand, more room in the ocean for me!
It’s like Dave Barry once said: “Going to the ocean and sitting on the beach is like going to the circus and sitting outside looking at the tent.”
One thing I’d suggest for those who don’t want to get wet - the aquarium in Maui is very nice and a great place to get a sense of what is happening on the reefs right outside your hotel/condo.
Have a great time!
I’m really looking forward to it. Thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, she loves the water, and will frolic around in it all day. There’s just something about looking down on an expanse that she finds uncomfortable. She doesn’t look outside of plane windows before we’re above the clouds for the same reason.
I enjoyed Germaine’s Luau at Kapolei.
Arizona Memorial has lockers so your wife could lock up the stuff she won’t go out without.
Sadly, Hawaiian waters aren’t really great for frollicking. First of all, there are tons of lava rocks in and out of the water, so water shoes are a must. Secondly, it’s a volcanic island and the shelf drops steeply, which causes a rollicking surf. Getting in and out of the water gracefully with flippers on is a trick that I can’t say that I’ve mastered yet, though I’m sure I’ve provided entertainment for my fellow beach goers. The water is pretty cold, even in the summer. We wear surf shirts to help us keep warm. Add in a constant wind that really picks up as the sun rises…and you’ve got some drop-dead beautiful, though not very hospitable, water.
The first time I went to Hawaii, I was expecting to spend all day at the beach, like I do when I go to South Carolina. In reality, I ended up spending much more time in the hotel pool, and just viewing the ocean. I was only in the ocean when I was snorkeling.
For frollicking, I much, much prefer Florida or the Caribbean, with its gently sloping beaches and lapping waves.
Agreed! We enjoyed it a lot.
Although not really the Caribbean, we absolutely loved Horseshoe Bay beach in Bermuda. The sand was soft and fine, and the water was warm and wonderful. Best beach I’ve ever been to actually.
Several years ago, I did the Big Island and Oahu with the Divemaster, who already had a dozen visits under his belt. He knows from the islands.
The scuba diving is not great in Hawai’i. Too much particulate in the water because of the current. Lousy viz. Go to the lower Bahamas if that’s your thing. I loved the Big Island for Volcanoes National Park, which is a must-see at night - especially right now with the escalated eruption going on. Definitely worth your time - especially if you’re a hiker.
Be aware though, that after a certain hour AND a certain point in your hiking , the park service declares you are on your own. They shut down. The park itself doesn’t. If you get into trouble out there, you’re going to have to get out of it on your own, and yes, people have died out there, so be careful.
If you decide to hike on the lava flow, wear comfortable shoes with good support, and be prepared to junk them before you fly home. The lava tears the hell out of anything it comes in contact with. I left a fairly-new pair of New Balances in the hotel trash can before we checked out. Bring a light cover-up too. It gets surprisingly cold at night.
Do keep your hands free in case you lose your balance and fall. Better a few scrapes to your hands than deep lacerations to your legs. I actually brought home a piece of lava embedded in the back of a knee when i slipped on the lava fields around Kilauea!
Pele was NOT amused that I took one of her children from the site. 
Take plenty of water. There are no places to buy it after sundown. We had our dive lights to see where we were going (no artificial lights anywhere, period) and allowed ourselves all night and part of the morning to hike out to the flow. Awesome - and exhausting.
Do go see the Mighty 'Mo (WW2 history afloat) and the Arizona Memorial. Very moving. If you’re into subs, the USS Bowfin tour is neater than heck.
Have fun!