Possible trip to Hawaii - West Coast and Hawaii folks

[mclmk8d]

We are thinking of going to Hawaii for a week to relax; neither of us ever having been there ...If you could possibly guide us, it would be much appreciated.
1) Is it better to book separate flights to LA and then Hawaii, or book all the way through?
2) Which island is better for relaxing and doing some sightseeing?
3) Any hotel recommendations, restaurant recommendations? We are looking to be on the beach or as close to it as possible.
4) Do we need to rent a car? Is there a central area that has everything where a car rental is unnecessary?
We are open to ideas and suggestions from all...thanks guys.
Serge

[BeyGon]

I would look on Travelzoo and try to find some deals, I would book the whole thing round trip, it will be easier, and I can't think of anyplace there that I wouldn't want to have a car.

[wildthing]

I'd go to Maui again for more relaxing. Though I've only been to Maui and Oahu...

[Craig T]

Hawaii is all about your budget. They have cheap hotel rooms in Honolulu paired with cheap flights. You can swing that for $1500 a week. Then there's ocean front suites at the Grand Wialea or Ritz Carlton in Kapalua that'll set you back $15K per week.

Every island is different, and one side may be rainforest and the other side dry e.g.. Kaui and Maui. Are your activities surfing, scuba, nice beaches, or golf, hiking, and nature?

[pc100porsche]

On Oahu our favourite is Moana Surfrider.

Stayed at Royal Hawaiian last month and also Trump and thought Royal Hawaiians service level for the price was lacking considerably, Trump had real nice rooms, its very new and the service was great (very few Americans staying but a lot of Japanese).
Favourite restaurant is "Hys Steakhouse" ... and love "Dukes" for Sundays between 4-6 "Dukes on Sunday" .......

[Bill Douglas]

Speaking New Zealand dialect here "The place is bloody marvelous."

The bus service on Oahu is VERY good. And that saves you money plus avoids the drama of where to park the car. The bus goes around the island so you can check out some of those famous big wave spots that you always hear about.

[WPOZZZ]

Hy's. Ho bah, da buggah stay off da hook. Hawaiian pidgin for, it's good. lol

[WPOZZZ]

The Bus, is very good. Fares are $2.50 per trip, but you can get a day ticket for $5.

If you want to relax, Oahu is not the place. Crazy traffic, crappy drivers. However, we do have some nice hotels here and have some tourist attractions. A getaway would be to Turtle Bay on the North shore, but there is nothing else out there.

[LakeCleElum]

Gawd...... We've been thru this many times very recently.....a search is your friend.

[LWJ]

Kauai for the first time. Jungle paradise. Small island but not too small for 7-10 days. Yes, you need a car.

I LOVE Kauai and the Big Island. Only other island I have been to is Maui and that was just not my deal.

Read the blue cover travel books. They are written by locals. I forget the name but they will point you in the right direction.

[tevake]

Kauai or the Big Island for relaxed natural Hawaii.
Oahu or Maui for city, social entertainment.
Lanai or Molokai for very layed back low key relaxation.

North and east sides for lush green. South and west sides for dryer more reliable sun.

As mentioned, search for resent detailed threads.
It's pricy but very nice, enjoy!

Vrbo lets you get out of the resort zone.

Cheers Richard

[Eric at Pelican Parts]

I would say Maui would be better if you like hiking or scenery. Oahu if you want to be around the city life, but also enjoy some nice scenery and great beaches.

I've only been to Oahu to visit family, but never really got do any tourist stuff. If you are a part of a club that has a reciprocal membership with Outrigger Canoe Club, I HIGHLY recommend you go there!



I did venture out to eat quite bit and I liked these places in Oahu:
Side Street Inn
Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp
The Alley @ Aiea Bowl
Kalapawai Cafe & Deli
Marukame Udon
Masa's Cafeteria
Cafe Maru

[Cajundaddy]

A favorite destination. They speak our language and take our money. Violent crime tends to be low but if you leave your phone/camera/wallet out in plain sight it will be gone in 60 seconds.
Lodging runs full spectrum from cheapo hotels to luxury Ritz Carlton resorts. Food tends to be quite expensive everywhere and the super-touristy adventures like helicopter rides are big $$$. 80* air, 78* water temps.

Oahu- Beaches, hiking, night life, cheap hotels. Probably don't need a car and can take Uber or the bus for day trips.

Kawai- quietest/low crowds, with great snorkeling, hiking, beaches, tropical adventures. Probably don't need a car.

Maui- Beaches, best diving/snorkeling, night life, hiking, adventures. Lots of beach front condos with kitchens for rent so you can prepare your own food and save $2k vs eating out every day. I like south Kihei or Makena. Lahaina is also nice with good night life. Probably do want a car at least a few days to see the island and hit the best snorkeling spots with few crowds.

Big Island- Beaches, good snorkeling, hiking, active volcano, lower crowds, adventures. Lots to see here so you probably want a car for a few days.

[69porsche]

Hawaii Getaway

[bleucamaro]

..

Originally Posted by mclmk8d

We are thinking of going to Hawaii for a week to relax; neither of us ever having been there ...If you could possibly guide us, it would be much appreciated.
1) Is it better to book separate flights to LA and then Hawaii, or book all the way through?
My favorite flights sight is www.google.com/flights . It lets you easily move dates and destinations, and has good filters.
2) Which island is better for relaxing and doing some sightseeing?
My favorite island is Maui. I've had the best snorkeling experiences there, Kaanapali is a really nice (albeit touristy) area, but there are other slower paced options. And a fair amount of sight seeing.
However, I think Kaui is a much more organic experience. If you want peace and quiet, and an option to do some really great hikes, helicopter rides, boat tours,
it's really great.Not much of a beach scene.
I also really like Oahu, but there will be many more people there, and more of a beach scene.
3) Any hotel recommendations, restaurant recommendations? We are looking to be on the beach or as close to it as possible.
Marriott Maui Ocean Club, or any Hyatt property.
Get ice cream at a Lappert's.
Waikiki: I like Roy's or Duke's for dinner
KoOlina: Monkey Pod is fun
Maui: Kimo's for dinner, Aloha Mixed Plate for lunch, I thought Mama's Fish House was overrated
4) Do we need to rent a car? Is there a central area that has everything where a car rental is unnecessary?
Kaui, Maui, Hawaii: yes
Waikiki: not really, useful and fun to drive around the island. Parking is expensive,
try to just do day rentals if needed.
We are open to ideas and suggestions from all...thanks guys.
I really like Snorkelling at "Airport Beach" near Kaanapali and the road to Hana is fun, Maui.
I like watching surfers at northshore and people watching in Waikiki, Oahu.
I like hiking and think a camping trip in Kaui would be a ton of fun.
Serge

[mclmk8d]

Update on our trip:
We are going to Maui in September , flying to SFO then to OGG Maui; we will be staying at the Hyatt Regency in Lahaina.
So now, we are looking for recommendations for places to eat (nothing fancy, but good Hawaiian food), places to see and things to do. We have snorkeling on our list, a road to Hana tour, the volcano, and sitting on the beach drinking and relaxing. I'd like to do a bit of simple sailing, a la 12' Hobie or sunfish type.
Go for it guys...we are listening

[look 171]

How much time will you be out there. There are inter island flights that will get you to another island for next to nothing. Think fo them as a bus ride. Some run every couple hours. They did when we used to go there a lot.

Start with this
https://www.travelshack.com/big-island-hawaii/activities?msclkid=bf2c73490bb01c450b042833249cfdf 5&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Big%20Island%20General&utm_term=big%20island&utm_content=General

If you can swing the time, fly out and get a helicopter ride. Worth every penny. you gotta to do the tourist thing at least once, do one of those Luau out of one the hotels. Don't forget to show us vids of you shaking your ass with those Hawaiian girls.

[plexiform]

Costco has great packages for not so much $$. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian village in Waikiki and it was a relaxing week.

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by look 171

If you can swing the time, fly out and get a helicopter ride. Worth every penny. you gotta to do the tourist thing at least once, do one of those Luau out of one the hotels. Don't forget to show us vids of you shaking your ass with those Hawaiian girls.

A tip I read here was to tip the helicopter pilot before your ride, not after, to make sure it is especially memorable. Have a good trip. Love Maui, but wife feels that if she flys 9 hours , she doesn’t want to go to an island with gridlock traffic that is still the US.

[island911]

Originally Posted by mclmk8d

Update on our trip:
We are going to Maui in September , flying to SFO then to OGG Maui; we will be staying at the Hyatt Regency in Lahaina.
So now, we are looking for recommendations for places to eat (nothing fancy, but good Hawaiian food), places to see and things to do. We have snorkeling on our list, a road to Hana tour, the volcano, and sitting on the beach drinking and relaxing. I'd like to do a bit of simple sailing, a la 12' Hobie or sunfish type.
Go for it guys...we are listening

Ka'anapali, excellent choice. Many resources around there. No car needed. It's a bit of a trek from the airport (OGG) but very close to the inter island (West Maui) airport. Snorkeling is good all up the beach from where you'll be. Most congregate near Black Rock (in front of the Sheridan).

One year, staying near there, we used the Maui bus to get around. It was nice not having not find parking, and cool seeing the local vibe, but that lasted a week before I rented a Jeep, to have an easier time hitting other parts of Maui.

Road to Hana. Done that a couple times. Last trip we hosted friends who wanted us to hit that road again (their first time) - pass. If you want a tight dicey twisty road, the one from West Maui over the top (north) to Kahului has been known to cause divorces. But it is similarly scenic.

So much to do, or not do. I don't know of any sail boat rentals in that area.