Hi from the UK .. My wife and I quite like the idea of having an early vacation and have never been to Hawaii. We are spending 10 nights there ... looking for some advice if you would We like a nice standard of hotel, ideally with something to do in the evening - ie different restaurants, bars shops etc. A good clean sandy beach would be excellent, ideally calm waters. Would you guys recommend staying in one hotel or splitting the vacation between two hotels. How is the weather in March? Any advice and pictures links etc appreciated Rob
March is usually our wet season, so we get a lot of rain. Ten days is a lot of time to spend on one island. I'd suggest splitting your time on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii (aka the Big Island).
I would honestly want to know more of what you intend to do. It sounds like the Hilton Hawaiian village would be your best bet for stay in Honolulu. As for things to do, depending on your motivation, fitness level and age, my recommendations would be different. If you feel spry, there are lots of beautiful hikes throughout the islands. If you dont get seasick, Maui should be at the tail end of the whale watching season. If drinking and watching waves is your priority, again Maui is a great choice. If you want to get wasted every night of the week, and party like a college student, Oahu/Honolulu is the only place to go. Honolulu/Oahu also has Pearl Harbor, all of the touristy Hawaiian history sites (the other islands have sites too, but they are much less tourist oriented). If this is your first time, I suggest picking Oahu, seeing Pearl Harbor, hiking Diamond Head, going to a Luau..etc. Hopefully there was something useful in that bit of info.
I'm vacationing in Hawaii as I write this. we are doing 6 days on Maui and 3 on Oahu. First questions I would have are 1: are you traveling with children? 2: What are your interests? 3: What is your price range? There are a wide variety of properties here offering different levels of service, family oriented, etc. I'm traveling with my 6 year old so it is all about the pools and water slides. if I wanted a romantic trip with my wife, I would be considering other hotels and possibly different island s as well.
I would suggest Kauai, Honolulu, Maui in that order. The Princeville area is the most beautiful spot of the Islands imo. The scenery can not be beat, anywhere. Honolulu is great and touristy, which is a good thing. Stay on the beach then definitely make trips to Pearl harbor, diamond head (if in shape) and Sunset Beach on the north shore see other thread for drive directions. Days 3-4-3 St. Regis Princeville Resort (Kauai) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa (Hawaii/Honolulu) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor some place on Maui - I have not been there, but went to the big island, which I would not repeat. I am suggesting places I have been to for the location and building. You need to do some research on the above links for picking the right floor and section. But with that little time and so much to do and see the hotel is just for sleeping.
I'd limit your time spent in Honolulu. Spend more of your time in the smaller, less populated areas and avoid the tourist traps.
May be true if this is your first time to the Islands and you don't know if you will ever get back. Then split your time. But splitting time means interisland flights and time wasted... I've been to Hawaii 10 times and my 11th will be in April. I've spent a couple of those 10 trips JUST on Oahu for 12 days each time. Loved it...in April, my wife and I will be spending 2 weeks on Maui.
There is nothing you "must see" in Honolulu. It's just another big city tourist trap, and it happens to be on a beautiful island. Rent a house in Kailua or Lanikai, or maybe even on the North shore, and see what Hawaii really has to offer.
The cool thing about the islands are that they can provide some many different experiences if you are open to them. For the first trip, it really depends on what your expectations are. Do you want to get a taste of everything? Or do you want to dive into an experience? Do not want to take on too much? Are you bored easily and do you need nightlife and entertaining after dark? The outer islands are pretty nice but offer differing experiences. I find Maui has too many tourists from CA and I want to avoid them, which I can if I head off, away from West Maui and Kihei. Still it's too small an island to pull that off for very long. The Big Island is about the best overall Hawaiian experience, IMO. So much space, so many different palces to see and experience. It's a bit short on beaches, but not that bad. Kauai is kind of the in between experience. If you are really adventurous, go see Molokai. Lanai is a day trip at best unless you want to hide out at the ultra plush resort. Oahu still offers a good slice of the island life but at the risk of seeing the overcrowding and tourist trappiness that people criticize. Dustin's suggestion of a house in Kailua or Lanikai is a great get-away far from the crowds, but can be too remote if you want more. It's a sleepy little town - I grew up there, and believe me it hasn't changed much in 40 years. Kaneohe nearby has more but its not known for resort living. Try VRBO for some vacation rental ideas.
Only on the Big Island can you see an active volcano, swim at a beautiful black sand beach and head up to Mauna Kea to play in the snow, all in the same day.
Wow, are you wrong! Pearl Harbor is a MUST SEE!! The view from atop Diamond Head is a MUST SEE. The view from the Pali Lookout is a MUST SEE. Depending on time of year, the breaks of the North Shore are a MUST SEE. I even think Valley of the Temples is a MUST SEE. While Waikiki is certainly a tourist minded part of Honolulu, I think it's a MUST SEE...go to Duke's or Hula Grill and enjoy!!
