lenleigh

Thinking of a vacation to Hawaii in May for about 10 days. I have been researching part of the time in Kauai and then the rest in Maui. For those of you that have been to several islands, would you suggest going to two of the more "relaxation type" islands or splitting it up on this trip and hitting Oahu or the Big Island for some of the more touristy things? I would like to see Pearl Harbor and/or the Volcanos but probably not on the same trip. So I was thinking maybe it would be better to do the first half sightseeing on a bigger island and then relaxing on either Kauai or Maui for the rest of the trip. Any suggestions?

tour guide

How can you see Hawaii without starting on Oahu? So much of the history of Hawaii is best understood on Oahu. Pearl Harbor is why all the great powers of the time wanted Hawaii and the Arizona Memorial is quite sobering. The Hawaiian Monarch was headquarted in Honolulu (see the Iolani Palace & Bishop Museum). Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head is what made the islands famous and there is nothing to compare on any of the neighboring islands. Pali lookout is where King Kamehameha fought the final battle to unify the islands.

Kauai is less developed and has Waimea Canyon and Na Pali. Maui has Haleakala and whale-watching. The Big Island has the volcano and great resorts. But don't overlook the island where it all started and where great experiences are still to be had.

Nova

The Big Island may be the biggest Hawaiian Island but it is far from being the most developed. The Big Island and Kauai are very quiet, Oahu is most developed, and Maui is somewhere in the middle.

Nobody can tell you what islands to visit as it is a matter of personal taste. Learn about each island and make your choices.

Anne

I went to Honolulu in May and thot it was okay. Some people posted that Waikiki Beach is beautiful. It was very pretty but you are still in the city. I'm looking forward to visiting Maui and Kaui.

George

Waikiki Beach and Oahu are not the same thing. Oahu is a completely different experience once you get outside of the concrete and bustle of Waikiki.

Debi

We have been to 3 of the islands this past year. I like your concept of one island "touristy" and 1 relaxing, but you need to make some decisions.
1) The "touristy" islands would be Oahu and Maui
2) If you like beautiful white sand beaches - that would be Oahu and Maui
3) If you like more black sand beaches, that would be Kauai and Hawaii
4) Hawaii is the newest island in the chain - Kauai is the oldest, so Hawaii is partially very stark, covered with broken up lava - and still growing, and Kauai is a lush partial rain forest.
5) As a previous poster said - Waikiki is not Oahu. Even if you stay on the Waikiki strip, there are beautiful places to go (definitely get a car no matter which ones you go to...)
If it were me, I would probably do Maui and Kauai. Maui has Haleakala, the road to Hana, you can get to Molokai or Lanai for a day, good diving near Molokini and I understand Kauai is breathtaking (it's our next stop). We loved Oahu and would definitely go back - so you could substitute Oahu for Maui. It all depends on what you like to do.................

David

top it off

lenleigh

Thanks for the replies. I am not asking for anyone to "Tell" me where to go. I expect at some point I will go to all the Islands. I just wondered if it would be a better idea to hit the attractions (volcanos, Pearl Harbor and other cultural things) and then relax on the rest of the trip. My thinking is that If I go to Maui and Kauai first, I would go to Oahu and the Big Island on the next trip. Has anyone done a day trip from Maui to Molokai? I have heard there is a ferry.

p.

Sorta depends how much rushing around you want to do - isn't one reason to go there to calm down & relax ?
I could see ten days between Maui & Kauai.. no problem, but could also see ten days on either alone, splitting between two areas perhaps. Either way you'll have a wonderful time, don't overplan, part of the charm is to arrive and then end up chucking half of the plans anyway to just chill out!

Brenda

Have done the ferry day trip from Maui to Molokai. It has been a few years, but we thought it was a day well spent. The ferry goes out of Lahaina and if I remember correctly took a little over an hour. When we arrived we went on this arranged tour bus, about 10 people. It was a good introduction to the island of Molokai and the local driver was informative. If you prefer to explore on your own, you can always rent a car and do your own thing. Molokai is still years behind the other islands, no traffic, no malls, no fast food joints. Actually, a pleasant change of pace. People seemed vary friendly. It is pretty easy to see most of the island in a day.

lahainaluna

If you plan on going back to visit all the islands, then don't worry too much. I would start, on my first visit, with Oahu and Kauai. On my first trip I would not miss at least 2 nights on Waikiki and a visit to the Arizona and the Missouri. If you took 1 day for Pearl Harbor and one day for a drive around the island, you could then take off for the final destination of Kauai. THE place to relax. Lots to see or just lots to see from your lanai or local beach.