Personally, I prefer Maui - between Lahaina and Napili area. It sounds though like you may prefer Kauai although I am not sure "upscale" is a good description in general. Definitely quieter and if you like hiking and that type of activity it would be good. Maui is more people. Four days on Kauai was enough for me.

We're not hikers at all! Anyone else have feedback? Thanks in advance.

and thanks, charli, for your input. where do you stay on Maui?

I love both - if you want to be in a resort at one hotel in a strip of hotels and condos, stay in Kaanapali Beach - the Hyatt is probably the most upscale, and the choices range from the Kaanapali Beach Hotel and Sheraton on the less upscale, low-key end, to the Westin and Hyatt at the more upscale, glitzy pool end. The other choices are the very upscale Kaanapali Alii condos, the not-so-upscale Whaler condos and the excellent Maui timeshare resort.

For lower key in general, go north of Black Rock to the "other" part of Kaanapali Beach, north of that to Napili Bay (more "homey", less resorty) and north of that to Kapalua (Ritz-Carlton).

Others will chime in regarding the Kihei/Wailea area I'm sure.

Kauai is less developed than Maui. Yes, it is fabulous for hiking, but I've only hiked twice all the times I've been there. Many people love the north shore - gorgeous gorgeous beaches, cliffs, etc., cute little Hanelei, spectacular natural scenery . I don't like to stay up there because most hotels/condos are not on the beach, they''re above the beach, so we stay south at Poipu Beac, where there are nice condos and hotels, and some very good restaurants.

What "experience" are you looking for?

The incredible beautiful Bali Hai view of the North Shore of Kauai at Princeville/Hanalei. No conteast - not even close.

thanks for chiming in, sf7307: We'll be in the hustle and bustle of Waikiki first using some points for an average hotel. I would like the second leg of the trip to be upscale, beachfront, Not really in the middle of things but still within a short drive or walk to great restaurants. A more adult atmosphere than what we'll be experiencing in Honolulu would be great. I'd like beautiful grounds, beautiful food, views, inifinity pools, etc. And under $400.00 a night!

On the N. Shore of Kaua'i, Hanalei Colony Resort is true beachfront http://www.wizardpub.com/kauai/krhanaleicol.html
It has been a while since i stayed there. It is not at all glitzy but is very very nice. The beach is beautiful and great for walking, but not great for swimming. Staying there puts you very close to Tunnels and Ke'e beach, the beginning of Na Pali trail. Limahuli Garden is nearby, part of natl botanical gardens which has native plants, beautiful and educational. It is a short drive to Hanalei.

You can stay at World Class resorts, or other nice places right on the beach. For some idea - see: http://tinyurl.com/7b8owso

and http://www.hanaleibayresort.net/?gclid=CNrzh6W86q8CFQOEhwodyye90A

LOL Aloha: We were posting at the same time about the same thing. We stayed at the Hanalei Colony Resort the 2nd week of our honeymoon (after spending two days on Molokai and 5 days at Kona on the Big Island) and loved it. You can snorkel in front, BBQ looking at the great view, head down to the end of the road at Ke'e beach to watch the Green Flash at sunset, and also snorkel/swim/hike there.

Just incredible.

I didnt see your post before i posted. HCR is not that upscale, but is quiet...no television in the rooms. On Kaua'i i think you would be looking at the Hyatt or Princeville St Regis, don't know about prices.

As far as adult atmosphere, That is likely to be easier to find in spring or fall than summer, as you no doubt are aware

thanks Tomsd and aloha. I'll take a look at everything you've offered. I don't need real quiet, just some affordable elegance, I think. I need a television for my husband.

It has to be a summer trip. Another non-negotiable.

Check out timeshare place at Princeville - the Cliffs Club and then ask what deals they have. Quiet with veautiful views of the Pacific (if you the right room) - and Bali Hai (ditto for the room) and nice TV's, etc. http://www.cliffsatprinceville.com/

I'm not interested in staying in a condo this time.

The HCR and Cliffs Club are nice but not upscale, and as its name attests, the Cliffs Club is not beachfront. Check the Hyatt Kauai or Maui, or the Koa Kea in Poipu for upscale. The first two are mega-resorts (but not at all like HHV), the latter is small, beachfront, upscale, lovely (and with a highly-regarded restaurant)

Kaui is our favorite isand. The Hyatt on Kauai has awesome grounds, pools, etc. We prefer the Poipu Beach area of Kauai, although some prefer the more lush north side.

We also like Maui, but it is definitely more crowded than Kauai. And it depends on whether you are going with kids or not as to where I would recommend you stay. We like the Kaanapali area.

Do you like water activities? If you are looking for nightlife, Mau would be better for you than Kauai.

Thank-you, sf and bazinga. I'll take a look. Is there a preferred side to either island in the summer months as far as weather is concerned?

No kids nor grandkids on this trip.

We don't seek a lot of nightlife. We dine late and have a nightcap somewhere, with or without music, when we're traveling.

(our surfing 'window' has passed. what other water activities, other than swimming and kayaking, are available?)

I just bought 'Hawaii for Dummies' so I'll take a look at that tonight.

Again, 'Thanks' everyone.

If you go to Maui and want upscale and quiet my vote is for Wailea. We were in Maui in November and split our stay between the Makena Beach Resort in the Makena Wailea area and the Honua Kai resort (condo.) Wailea is pretty quiet and not much nightlife so if you are looking for that its not the place. The Makena was offering a great deal when we went because the property was being rehabed after a bankruptcy. It was not a super luxury property but the was something about the location that I loved.

I personally prefer Kauai because it is beautiful & more tropical and reminds me of what Hawaii was like 50-100 years ago. I like Maui, but I find it too Mainland for my tastes.

Thank-you, SeeHag and nanabee.

nanabee: Where do you stay on Kauai?

sf: I LOVE the Koa Kea on Kauai, it looks like a gorgeous place. I wonder if I can afford it. I'll have to see. Thanks for the suggestion.

And the Princeville St. Regis is also kind of amazing. Time to put in some dates and run some numbers.

Is there more than one airline doing island hops from Oahu? if so, is one 'better' than another? Cheaper?

I've only been to Maui once (on a family reunion trip) but loved it. I really enjoyed the Lahaina area because I like having a town to walk around in. There's shops, shows, bars, restaurants, historic walking tour, etc. On Maui the Haleakala crater is absolutely amazing and a must-see in my book. It most definitely does not remind me of the "mainland" at all!

suze: After our Honolulu stay on Waikiki Beach, I think I'll be ready for a break from shops and crowds. Where's the best place on Maui for a respite?

We love to going to the St. Regis for morning coffee and looking at the magnificent Bali Hai view from their deck.

They have a great beach down below - and it's private enough find a spot and chill - or you can also head to the end of the road at Ke'e beach and snorkel to your heart's content.

For night life - authentic Tahiti Nui in Hanalei town was visited by the likes of George Clooney and cast when they filmed The Descendants. http://www.thenui.com/

We like Hawaiian Airlines for inter-island flights. Aloha Airlines was also great but they are no more.

As for prices - you have to check. Here is one google page w/ info: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=Airlines+flying+inter-islands+Hawaii&btnK=

We like to snorkel on the islands, take boat trips, and explore different beaches.

I think the best Hawaii guidebooks are the "Revealed" books. Look on www.wizardpub.com to find them. You can also order these books on www.amazon.com. These authors originally made lots of people angry for telling about "secret" places in the islands. Also, some people felt that the places they were encouraging tourists to visit were dangerous. However, I noticed last week that their books were in the Oahu stores again.

There are more restaurants on Maui than Kauai, but we've stayed on Kauai for a whole week and never felt like there weren't enough restaurants.

The Koa Kea DOES look amazing, doesn't it? I've never stayed there, but I am on their email list. We really enjoyed the Grand Hyatt. We've also stayed at the Marriott in Lihue and also the Marriott timeshare property on Poipu Beach.

Hi Bowsprit, we've stayed numerous places usually we use RCI to exchange our time share. We've stayed in Princeville, a private residence thru VRBO, and with my brother when he lived there (unfortunately he moved to Australia)! Sorry I can't be of more help in that regard.

Sorry I don't know Maui very well so can't recommend a place for 'respite'. Only know what I know from a single trip there. If just kicking back is all you want to do on your second island, maybe looking at Kauai instead is the right choice?

The Makena Beach Resort in Makena, Maui is in an incredibly nice and quiet location. It is the only hotel on the beach so it never feels crowded.

It isn't as plush as the Ritz nor does it have the waterpark pool system of the Hyatts or Grand Wailea.

The ocean front suites have astonishing views and you feel like a prince or potentate staying there. The other rooms are hotel rooms with a subdued and not overdecorated look.
I find the place incredibly relaxing.

Bazinga, we've stayed at all those places, plus Kiahuna. We were last there last October, and the one change we noticed from 2007 is how many more good restaurants there are in the Poipu area

Well, I checked on inter-island flights and I'm getting $150.00 pp One Way! That's $600.00 for the two of us. Hmmm. I'll have to keep looking for discounts. I am hoping to get airfare at half that price.

I'm considering not leaving Oahu but instead leaving Honolulu and Waikiki and staying 4 nights on another part of the island. Thoughts? I know Maui and Kauai are beautiful; the photos I've been seeing online are quite breathtaking, but $500.00-$600.00 in inter-island airfare is high.

There was a promotion not too long ago if you applied for Hawaiian Visa & spent $1000 in first 4 months in purchases, you would have enough miles for 2 interisland r/t flights. We did this for our upcoming trip. Don't know if this is still a valid promotion.

Our last visit to Maui, we stayed at a very nice B & B - the Hooilo House - my husband can't stop talking about that place! - it is in W. Maui. It would be in your price range.

This visit, we are also splitting our stay - Oahu & Kauai. We'll be staying at the Koa Kea in Poipu. The Hyatt next door looks lovely & if we were going not at peak season, I would have considered it, but in June, I think there will be a lot of children & we also wanted quiet!

Did you try Island Air? We are flying round trip Honolulu to Maui in July for half that price.

I love the ambience of the Koa Kea. I'll continue to check Island Air.

Has anyone booked a package, air/hotel/car, through expedia, travelocity, etc. for an other island trip from Oahu?

I love Kauai and normally stay at the Marriott in Lihue, it would probably be in your price range, has a lovely pool and nice beach on Kalapaki Bay and several good restaurants onsite (Duke's has good, reasonably priced food and Portofino has good Italian) plus a number of others within walking distance. I will admit to a bit of bias since I own a timeshare there.

If I could afford it, I would stay a couple of nights at the Grand Hyatt, lovely pool and grounds, lagoon, koi fish, parrots, and several good restaurants onsite as well as others within walking distance. I think you might be able to get it in your budget. During the summer there will be children but there some adult only pools as well. Only drawback is it is not on a swimmable beach so you would have to drive or walk to nearby Brenneke's Beach or Poipu Beach Park.

Things to do besides relaxing:

1. Spend one day driving up to the North Shore and visiting the incredible beaches and scenery up there, including a stop at Kileaua Lighthouse, continue on through Princeville to Hanalei and the end of the road at Ke'e Beach. The Limahuli Gardens as mentioned by another poster are up on the cliffs if gardens are of interest to you, it is only about 3/4 mile to walk and you can do guided or self-guided (they give you a bookleet), I think self-guided is $15 and the views from those cliffs are fantastic.

2. Spend all or part of another day driving to Waimea Canyon (west shore), going first to Kokee State Park above the Canyon to visit the Kalalau Lookout and Puu O Kila Lookout, try to get an early start cause the fog rolls in often about 9-10am. Then visit the Canyon on your way back down.

I always enjoy taking a tour of the Na Pali Coast on a boat, the morning tours are calmer sea-wise, have done this 7 times.

I'd' just keep checking the airfares, right now LAX to Lihue is $850 on up, last time I went 2 years ago I paid $650 and was horrified at the price at the time.

Thanks for all this. Airfare is just crazy. If I can't find a reasonable flight from Honolulu to another island, I'll relocate on Oahu for the last few days of our trip.

Mahalo!

Hey bowsprit when you're in paradise any island is all good!! Have a wonderful time - the hard part is always leaving.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt and the Marriott in Lihue (hotel) last October. We liked the Hyatt a lot, thought the Marriott was a little "worn". The price differential is pretty large I think, in recognition of the difference in overall quality. The Hyatt rooms had just been refurbished when we were there.

Again, thanks so much for your help. You've been great. We've nearly committed to the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort. The rest of our trip requires more thought, I think. I'm reading about all the islands; it's relaxing just to read what each island offers!

Figuring out where to stay in Waikiki was the easy part since you were choosing between three places. Now the real challenge begins!

Exactly.