My fiance are and I are planning to visit *either* Kauai or Maui in July and spend several days there as part of our honeymoon.
We will have a rental car and regardless of which island we end up on, we want to do drive around and take day trips. We are especially interested in hiking, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, and just loafing on the beach.
We also want to have one place where we are staying and use that as a base of operations. Right now we have a short list of resorts - the Koa Kea Hotel on Kauai, and the Hotel Wailea on Maui.
How easy is it to drive around the islands? For example, if we are in Wailea on Maui, can we drive to other parts of the island within a day? Or if we are in Koloa on Kauai, can we get to other parts of Kauai?
As you can probably tell, I'm a mainlander and this is our first trip to Hawaii! Thanks!
Honeymoon trip - Driving around Kauai or Maui
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The only parts of either island that are somewhat time-consuming to get to are on Maui - up to Haleakala and all the way to Hana. If you're staying at the Koa Kea on Kauai, you can go all the way north (Ke'e Beach, the end of the road) or all the way south/west (Waimea Canyon lookout) within an hour.
You can drive to anywhere on Maui or Kauai within a day.
Why did you chose Hotel Wailea? It isn't beachfront and is more like an older condo complex.
We found the Hotel Wailea on Jetsetter, which we have used to find more "upscale" travel accommodations on past trips to various parts of the US. We of course haven't booked anything yet as we are still deciding which island!
Are there other places on Maui you'd recommend instead?
Try the Westin Resort and Spa on Maui. Lush and beautiful. Five pools and great beach.
Cool, thank you for the tip, emmitt.
Any other suggestions for somewhere to stay on Kauai, just in case the Koa Kea is booked up? Thanks!
North Shore. North Shore. North Shore.
Didn't you have another post pretty much on this topic?
IMO - staying at Poipu is sort of like staying in the supurbs.
Check the St. Regis in Princeville for luxury http://tinyurl.com/7e9hlzg - and the Hanalei Colony Resort for a great - secluded beachfront http://www.hcr.com/?gclid=CLmX5Mna4q8CFQJ9hwodilFDDg . If you want more choices - google away - and also check VRBO for houses/condos.
I think the Hotel Wailea would also feel very suburban. Nicely kept up, but suburban. That pool is very underwhelming.