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Maui and the Big Island - Activities for each island

Maui and the Big Island - Activities for each island

Old Aug 26th, 2015, 02:35 PM
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Maui and the Big Island - Activities for each island

My boyfriend and I are visiting Maui and the Big Island in October. There are several activities we want to do but are having difficulty determining which island is best for each activity. We'd appreciate any feedback and also any recommendations for specific vendors.

We'll be at the Westin Maui Ka'anaPali for four nights and the Hilton Waikoloa Village for three nights.

The activities we want to do are:

Kayaking tour

Snorkeling tour (we are both novices)

Helicopter tour

Sunset cruise

Luau

Private tour - Road to Hana

Private tour - Volcanos National Park

We'd also like recommendations for the best black sand beach - my boyfriend is obsessed with seeing this!

Thanks in advance.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 02:44 PM
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Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour, Big Island. Amazing. We did the longest tour several years ago and it is still one of our best thing ever done on vacation.

For snorkeling tour, do a night snorkel with the manta rays. excellent adventure. There are lots of tours, we used http://sunlightonwater.com/swim-with-manta-rays and they were great.

We did a nice sunset tour out of Lahaina on Maui. Don't remember with who....

For an amazing evening, go to http://www.warrenandannabelles.com Try to see a show with Warren. It sounds corny, but he was superb, we couldn't believe the things he did. We were spellbound.
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 05:12 PM
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My fave black sand beach: Wai'anapanapa State Park -- just before you reach Hana.

I strongly suggest Haleakala either for sunrise or sunset. But dress warmly. It was breathtaking. (You can view my pix.)
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Old Aug 26th, 2015, 06:34 PM
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I agree with Songdoc on all points. My favorite black sand beach on the BI is at Pololu, at the end of Hwy 270. Access requires a bit of hiking but it's well worth the effort imo. A more accessible (and swimmable) black sand beach is at Punaluu, but it's quite a bit further from Waikoloa than Pololu and imo not nearly as stunning visually.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 05:43 AM
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Thanks so much for all the suggestions and information. Neither of us has ever been to Hawaii and we're so excited!
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 09:54 AM
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My relatives who live on Maui recommend this snorkel tour company. They've gone with visitors and said they had a really good time.
https://redlinerafting.com/

Lee Ann
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 10:44 AM
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That's a lot of paid tours/excursions (costing a lot of money). How long will you be in the islands?

I think it's generally agreed that the Big Island has the best snorkeling in the Hawaii. One of our all-time favorite excursions there was a kayak-snorkel tour of Kealakekua Bay. The outfit we went with no longer offers them, but Kona Boys still does: http://www.konaboys.com/.

Best luau are on Maui; check out Old Lahaina Luau or Feast at Lele.

We haven't done many sunset cruises, but our fave so far has been with Mauna Lani Sea Adventures: http://maunalaniseaadventures.com/sunset-sail.html. We also did an outrigger paddle excursion with them a couple months ago, and that was a LOT of fun.

Whether on Maui or the Big Island, you won't have to go far from where you're staying to find a black sand beach. On Maui, head north past Kapalua and Honolua Bay to Honokohau Bay. On the Big Island, Honokaope Bay is just a few miles north in the Mauna Lani Resort property.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 12:08 PM
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Two islands in one week? One of them the HUGE Big Island?

Please reconsider. People visit Hawaii to get on Island time and soak up some Aloha. It's not a 'checklist' kind of place.

Day One in Hawaii is spent adjusting to the time change. No departure day is a full day either. Each transit between islands will consume 4 - 6 hours door to door.

One Week = One Island.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 01:36 PM
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Old Lahaina Luau on Maui was excellent. Feast of Lele is good too but more like dinner theater than a traditional luau. I also enjoyed the show U'lalena at Myth & Magic in Lahaina.

Going up Haleakala would be my only other personal must-do for Maui.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 03:11 PM
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Ohhh.... I didn't see that you'd only be there 7 nights, which means only 6 full days, 1 of which you'll spend 1/2 of transferring from island to island. So yep, I agree with ChiSue. And I'd suggest you cut your paid activities back to just the luau, and snorkel/kayak tour or sunset sail (the point being to out on the water). RTH and/or VNP are easily (and for most of us, preferably) done on your own.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 03:25 PM
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I also wouldn't do Road to Hana with such a short time on Maui.
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Old Aug 27th, 2015, 04:46 PM
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> Please reconsider. People visit Hawaii to get on Island time and soak up some Aloha. It's not a 'checklist' kind of place.

I agree, but some travelers are checklist kind of people. I'd also limit myself to one island with six full days in Hawaii, friends of ours would consider six days on one island to be a complete waste of three or four days in Hawaii. Not to state the obvious but it depends on the priorities of the travelers. Some go to relax and others go to see and do stuff.
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Old Sep 7th, 2015, 07:44 AM
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The Westin Kaanapali is a great place to stay on the best side of the island. Best Luau is the Old Lahaina Luau but you better book now plus it is close to where you are staying. Don't take the road to Hana tour. Rent a car, drive yourself and leave early.....NLT 7am. It is an all day event. Download an APP or buy a CD that tells you the secret spots as you drive. Having your own car lets you stop and explore on your time, not the tours. Enjoy !
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Old Sep 7th, 2015, 11:47 AM
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Pick just one island, personally I would go with Big Island but would not stay at that Hilton, it is way too big and spread out. Also they used to have the sad captive dolphins, not sure if they still do. We enjoyed the snorkel tour to Kealakukui Bay with Fairwinds.
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