Hi, I%26#39;ve never been to Hawaii before and have 3 weeks over xmas. Can anyone help with planning a trip and suggesting which Islands would be the best.. maybe 3, 1 a week ?
Many thanks !!
Which Islands for a 3 week trip ?
Hi Debbie,
We did the same thing in December 2005 - it was our first trip to Hawaii too.
We did 7 nights Maui, 10 nights on the Big Island then 3 nights on Oahu. I wouldn%26#39;t recommend doing more than 3. I%26#39;d do Oahu first, then Maui then the Big Island.
As far as which islands would be the best - it all depends on you. I strongly suggest doing a search on the boards for more info.
A very quick %26amp; basic overview:
Kauai - smaller, dramatic beauty. Not alot of nightlife but offers a great deal of hiking, gorgeous beaches and unbelievable beauty. In December I%26#39;d stay in the South Shore/Poipu area.
Big Island of Hawaii - youngest, very laidback and largest island in the chain. Everchanging landscapes. Active volcano. Again, not alot of nightlife but excellent outdoor activity - hiking, snorkeling, diving, etc. Definitely split your stay - we did 7 nights in Waikoloa and 3 nights in Hilo.
Oahu - Waikiki/Honolulu area - most developed. Waikiki - very busy, lots of shopping, very happening night scene. It wasn%26#39;t our bag but lots of people love it there. Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl for history. We really enjoyed northshore %26amp; the huge waves (they were around 20-25 ft). It was quite an experience watching the surfers.
Maui - more built up than Kauai or the BI but not as much as Waikiki. People stay either Ka%26#39;anapali or Wailea area. Very beautiful with lots to do.
Hope this helps,
Chris
Which Islands for a 3 week trip ?
Your biggest problem may be finding lodgings starting so late. This is ';prime time'; in Hawaii, with many places booked as much as a year in advance. OTOH, if you can start your trip before mid-Dec., that can be Value Season.
I agree that a good introduction to Hawaii is on Oahu. Spend some time seeing the sights of Honolulu/Waikiki. Rent a car to tour the rest of the island -- east side, north shore. (West side is not recommended -- druggies, homeless.)
Winter tends to bring cool weather, rain and wind to the northernmost portions of the islands. Oahu and Kaui usually have the worst of it, but sometimes even Maui%26#39;s northern section gets more rain and wind than you%26#39;d like.
Maui has a nice combination of beauty and ';people comforts'; -- restaurants, bars, excursions. IMO it offers the best selection of lodgings of any of the islands -- choose West Maui (NW lobe) or South Maui (SW coast). It also has wonderful beaches.
Kauai is gorgeous, but largely vertical. You can tour it by paved road in two days. Need to hike, helicopter or take boat tours to see more -- may not have the right weather for that in December. Stay Poipu or Kapaa.
Winter is a great time to tour Big Island, which is larger than all the others together. Best lodgings are NW corner, so if you want to see the active volcano, plan to stay at least one night right in the town of Volcano. Hilo and Kona have little to offer in the way of nice lodgings. Keauhou has some good places.
Unless you want VERY quiet (Lanai, Molokai), I%26#39;d spend less than a week on Oahu, more than a week on Big Island, about a week on Maui or Kauai.
Now, what sort of lodgings appeal? There are 4-5 star hotels and lesser ones, very nice resort condos, B%26amp;Bs.
Our very first trip nearly 20 years ago was 3 weeks and 4 islands. Back then you could buy an interisland pass with unlimited travel between islands. It was fabulous except for lugging all our baggage around with us. Our kids still talk about that trip. I didn%26#39;t realize it back then, but what ChiSue says is absolutely correct...you are really late in booking. Have you already got your air booked? That was our main problem so we kept having to back up the dates to December 18th or 19th, which is why we ended up spending so much time there...kind of by default. Our next problem was we couldn%26#39;t get the accommodations we wanted.
I like the time frames the others have given you unless you want to throw in Kauai. Our itinerary was Oahu, 3 days, Kauai, 3 days, BI, 8 days, Maui 7 days. If you are renting condos, keep in mind you get a better rate by staying at least a week, another discount for 10 days.
Pick up a good guidebook on all the islands, I have used Fodors, Frommers and others, and read about all of the major islands and decide which ones sound the best to you for what you are looking for. Or, go to each island%26#39;s forum and type ';trip report'; in the search box and read about other%26#39;s trips to that island and what they did. Come back on and ask all the question you can think of. There are lots of people to help.
There is more to see %26amp; do on Oahu than any other island. So You should spend more time there.
If you do not plan to rent a car, then Oahu is the only island where you can realistically get around. They have a good bus system.
Lots of info:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862鈥?/a>
www.visit-oahu.com Free brochure. There are over 400 websites for lodging, restaurants, attractions in the brochure %26amp; on the site. Click on: OVB Yellow Pages
www.mauihawaii.org
www.visitmaui.com Free brochure
www.bigisland.org Free brochure
www.kauaidiscovery.com Free brochure
www.kauai-hawaii.com
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