What to do in Hawaii?? what other islands to travel to?

Hi there,

My husband and i are travelling to oahu in august this year with some friends and we don%26#39;t know where to start about what to do in terms of what other islands people recommend to visit.

we are planning to stay in hawaii for 12 nights, spending around 5 in oaho then going off to explore another island for 3 or 4 nights then returning to oahu for the remainder.

Any suggestions or tips on what islands would be good to visit other than oahu whould be very helpful as they all sound so lovely!!! and on what to do! will definitely take surfing lessons and battle the waves andalso want to experiencea luau - are they on regularly??

Appreciate any assistance,

What to do in Hawaii?? what other islands to travel to?

Our favourite islands are Oahu, Maui %26amp; Big Island. We have also been to Kauai (which we enjoyed) but it wasnt for us.

Big Island has lots to do/see for 3-4 days. In Kona area is Kona village which is by the ocean with lots of shops %26amp; restaurants. Also some historical buildings. We recently stayed at the Sheraton Keauhou which is only a 5-10 min drive to Kona. It was a beautiful place to stay and very reasonable. Not too far from this area is Place of Refuge %26amp; lots of coffee plantations to stop at. On Kohala Coast is Hilton Waikoloa Resort which is gorgeous. Near Hilo is Volcano National Park with current volcano erruption of Kilauea. You can easily spend a whole day at VNP as there is so much to see up there. In Hilo is tsunami museum and at Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory. Some links for Big Island:

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/

http://www.bigisland.org/

http://www.nps.gov/puho/

http://www.tsunami.org/

http://www.maunaloa.com/

Maui is beautiful with gorgeous beaches. We stayed at the Sheraton Maui on Kaanapali Coast which was lovely. Maui also has lots to do/see over 3-4 days. IAO Valley %26amp; needle, Haleakala crater 10,023 feet (you are above the clouds) and you get an awesome sight going up for morning sunrise (very cold) !! There is great snorkelling at Molokini Crater and the town of Lahaina is good for a day shopping. It is another town by waterfront with history buildings, largest banyan tree ever and restaurants. Some links for Maui:

http://www.visitmaui.com/

http://www.nps.gov/hale/

hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/iao_valley_sta鈥?/a>

http://www.visitlahaina.com/

As for Luau%26#39;s you will find these throughout all the islands. I have read/heard the best one on Maui is Old Lahaina Luau at Royal Lahaina Resort. On Oahu you will find a few from Germaines Luau, Paradise Cove and there is Polynesian Cultural Centre. This has an awesome show called Horizons with a luau dinner or sit-down buffet dinner. I would highly recommend a day at PCC with dinner %26amp; show in the evening. Most luau%26#39;s run a few nights if not everynight of the week so pretty regular. Some links for luau%26#39;s

http://www.oldlahainaluau.com/

http://www.germainesluau.com/

http://www.polynesia.com/

http://www.paradisecove.com/

Hope this helps with your planning, have a great trip :-)

What to do in Hawaii?? what other islands to travel to?

If you like rural surroundings and nature/outdoors-type activities you might think about spending some time on Kaua`i. It%26#39;s not called the Garden Isle for nothing. We have spectacular scenery and great beaches, lots of hiking. Maybe our resident hiking experts will chime in here.

For a first trip, I%26#39;d suggest Maui. I love the Big Island, but Maui is smaller and more accessible for a 4-day visit and is ';green all over'; (mostly) which meets most expectations better. You can stay in south or west Maui and see the other parts. South is quieter, West has Lahaina and Kaanapali. It you will be in Waikiki, you might like south Maui as a chnage.

Rather than split your stay on Oahu, I%26#39;d plan to stay in Honolulu/Waikiki for five nights, renting a car and driving around the island only the last two days. Then make your hop to Maui for the remainder of your trip, returning to Honolulu the day you fly home. I suggest Maui because it has more things to do and probably the best choice of lodgings over any of the other ';out-islands';.

Kauai is gorgeous, but vertical. You can see everything that%26#39;s available by paved road in two days. If you are hikers, or want to do helicopter or boat trips, that would extend your stay. Kauai has three main lodgings areas -- not a lot in the way of restaurants, shops.

Big Island would be too hot for me in August. It has spectacular scenery and many micro-climates, but also a lot of bare lava (hot stuff, baking in the summer sun). It is also HUGE, requiring a lot of driving to see it all. Unfortunately, all of its best lodgings are in the NW corner. Also, few beaches.

Maui has two main tourist areas: West Maui and South Maui. (You might also want to stay a night or two in Hana.) I like South best because it is quieter -- home to four posh hotels (Wailea) and many nice condos from S. Kihei through Wailea. West Maui has Lahaina and Kaanapali (high-rise, high-density) and farther north, Kahana, Napili, Kapalua. It%26#39;s more people in less space than I like. It%26#39;s a longer haul to the rest of Maui%26#39;s sights from the NW corner (West Maui).

You should read up in some travel books to see what sights on what islands are of greatest interest.

I don%26#39;t have a favorite and mention this simply because who knows how much longer it will be flowing but I would go to the BI if nothing else for the oppurtunity to see a volcano.

Hi everybody,

thank you all so much for the detailed responses. It has certainly helped with ideas of what to do and taking the next step of planning what to do and where to stay.

Thanks for the links Hawaii50 i will be checking these out for sure.

one quick question why did you not like Kauai? i was thinking of this as an option because it sounded like there was lots to do nature wise - walking and breathtaking views?? Or do the walks require a tour guide because they are not easy to get to?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

Cheers.

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