jr98

going to hawaii for the first time. spending 5 nights in kuaui with parents at the resort at princeville, looks wonderful. need one other island for 4 nights. lanai? big island? maui? oahu? what do people think? want to relax but not sure we want total isolation. . .

MaureenB

What about just moving to the Poipu area of Kauai and seeing another aspect of that same island, instead of spending one day in transit for the sake of 4 nights? Princeville is known for getting more rain, isn't it? Either that, or try the Big Island for a real contrast to the lushness of Kauai.

bashfulLV

I'd cast my vote for spending the rest of your time on Oahu. You could stay in the Waikiki area and rent a car to drive to other parts of the island or stay out near the North Shore, Makaha, etc. Oahu has so much to offer and so many things to do - you can be as busy or relaxed as you choose to be.

JohnD

It would be easier to give advice if you stated outdoor activity preferences.
My own activity preferences would narrow it to down to the Big Island or Maui, and if you want the chance to safely see an active volcano and possibly red hot lava flowing, that can only be experienced on the Big Island.

jr98

we like a mix of doing nothing, lounging, and real outdoor activity. not sure what the weather will be there in february. what kind of island is kuaui? lots going on or just sit at the beach?

vaca03

My vote is for MAUI! I think you would like the town of WAILEA. It is very relaxing. There are the shops of Wailea and the other hotels are connected by a beach walkway so you wouldn't feel isolated. The other nice resort town in Maui is Kaanapali. That town is a little more crowded and therefore more lively. Some people prefer because there is more action. Lots of bars nearby,shops,etc. Depends on what you're looking for.

JohnD

Reply to jr98, Islands in terms of increasing amount of stuff going on: Lanai<Kaua`i<Big Island<Maui<Oahu

We have been to Kaua`i at the end of Feb. and the weather was fine though it does tend to be more up north than southern Kaua`i, and the surf can be rough enough to make boating unpleasant, though we have always been able to snorkel and swim in southern Kaua`i (e.g. Poipu) in Feb. There is real outdoor stuff to do on Kauai like spectacular hiking and even ATV tours in addition to great beaches. By the way, Maui should have great whalewatching in February, if that is of interest to you.

Here is a link to an island festival calender, please enter your precise travel dates for Feb. 2005 and you will see how the islands compare in terms of activities:
calendar.gohawaii.com

MaureenB

Just a word of caution: one January we were in Kauai at the Hyatt (before it was destroyed by the hurricane), and it was cold and rainy every single day. It was a bummer. One day, out of sheer stubbornness, we decided to try snorkeling with wet suits on. We still froze in about an hour's time. Not good.
We were so glad we were moving from there to the Big Island for the second week of the vacation. Just going that much further south gave us much better weather.
Just something to consider.

Knowing

The problem with island hopping is the airport and car rental hassles and it eats your vacation time up. I like Maureen's idea that since you are spending five days in Princeville, do four in Poipu. It will feel like a new island as it's very different than the north side.

alg

I also suggest splitting your time between Kauai and Oahu. We did a similar trip (3 nights Oahu, 6 nights Kauai) and thought the itinerary was very relaxing. Pearl Harbor is not to be missed; we also spent a day on the North Shore and a day in Waikiki before changing islands.

We have done a separate trip to the Big Island and I'm afraid that 4 nights might not be long enough...because of it's size, it takes awhile to get around. You could easily spend a whole week there.

LindainOhio

We visited Kauai in February and loved it. The best thing about visiting in February is the whales--be sure to take binoculars. We just took mini binoculars (I asked for them for Christmas) and they were fine and easy to pack. We sat on our lanai every morning and were amazed at the show those whales put on. You will love it.
You don't mention if you are flying directly into Kauai and if you will have to fly out of Kauai. You want to spend as little time in airports as possible. Getting from island to island, renting a car, and checking into a new hotel is time consuming and takes away from your beach time. All the islands are beautiful and with only 9 days, I would be really tempted to just stay on Kauai. There is so much to do on the island. As was suggested earlier, since you are in Princeville for 5 nights, I would spend the other 4 in Poipu. The beaches in the Poipu area have calmer water in Feb, even though, I think the northshore beaches are more beautiful. In fact, the whole northshore is one amazing view after another.
On the southshore,we loved the Maha'ulepu beaches out past the Hyatt. We drove the dirt road beyond Gillin's Beach to a wonderful little cove beach--great on a windy day.
Hiking in Kokee and the drive up to Waimea Canyon is wonderful too. We took our all time favorite hike there--the Nu'alolo/Cliffs/Awa'awapuhi Loop--a very long hike that about killed me but the views were unbelievable---only hike it on a clear day.
The weather varies a lot In Feb.(it's their rainy season) between the northshore and the southshore in Kauai. We stayed in Poipu but watched the weather every night to decide which side of the island we were going to explore. We followed the sun and had great weather. If it's raining in Princeville--head south. It did get cool at night.
How wonderful for your family to visit Kauai together. What a great trip. We took our children to Maui when they were in high school and would love to share Kauai with them--if we could just coordinate schedules. It is a spectacular island. Have fun planning your vacation.