Hi. My name is EJ and I'm a Caribbeanaholic.

Okay, seriously. I've just found out that my husband will be doing a lecture in Hawaii next June around the time of our wedding anniversary. I was hoping to go to the Caribbean, of course, but now that wouldn't make a lot of a sense. His airfare to Honolulu will be paid for, so now we're talking about having our 5th anniversary in Hawaii. I'll join him for about a week (plus travel time), but I'm not sure where to start looking. To be honest, I'm not very excited about the possibility. So, I'm asking all of you Hawaii lovers who frequent the Caribbean board to give me ideas of places to stay--my own limited sense suggests sticking with Kauai and the Big Island. I'd love to get excited about this trip, but right now I think I'm still mourning the loss of the Caribbean!

Since so many people on the Caribbean board also love HI, I thought I might save myself time and trouble posting here rather than on the US board. I'd be very grateful for being pointed in a few directions. I'd say that priorities for this trip would be beautiful scenery, good snorkeling, and a nice beach. Price range, well, not sure. Would be willing to splurge for this trip if perfect place was found, but would strongly prefer not to spend more than $300/night on accommodations. My very limited reading so far leads me to believe that most touristy activities are very expensive--moreso than their counterparts in the Caribbean. (Snorkeling daytrips at $130pp instead of $90, the price we paid this summer, for one specific example). I would LOVE to be disabused of this notion.

Thanks in advance, y'all!

We spent 9 days on he BI a few yrs. ago. Really this was my favorite Hawaiian island as it turned out. Do stay on the Kona side as Hilo gets tons of rain. We stsyed at the Marriott and the locaton is very good. Right across the street are the Kings Shops which have many stores, restaurants, etc. There is plenty to do and to see as well. You can see black sand beaches, green sand beaches, the place of refuge, a lava tube, you can copter over lava/volcanoes, go the observatory, go to Valcones nat'l Park, sww the spot where Capt. Cook was killed. In short you can stay busy really or jusr elax on the beach. The Kona side is limited to beach spave. The Marriott has a nice one and there are others so look into it.
Kauai is great as well and look into the Princeville resort or resorts in Poipu. Don't worry. Hawaii actually at least for me surpasses the Carib. for natural beauty.

Hi EJ-- We're as passionate as you are abt the Caribbean; have been visiting at least other year since our honeymoon-- 38 years ago. But I have to say that if we weren't east coasters, we'd be much more frequently alternating with Hawaii. We LOVE those islands-- at least as much as we love the Caribbean, and in some senses even more. But we also don't enjoy flying, especially long trips, so we've only been to Hawaii 3 times (and not in 10 years or so-- as we get older, we like long flights even less)
The main reason we love H is that it's absolutely breath-taking. Much as I love the Caribbean, I don't think it has quite the jaw-dropping scenery that H has. On the other hand, it doesn't have as wonderful snorkeling. Plenty of places with good snorkeling, but not quite as good as the best places in the Carib imo. I think that June will be a good time to go, by the way. In winter, the water isn't all that warm (not nearly as warm as the Carib) and it can be pretty windy.
We love Kauia best of all. Spectacular hiking and drop-dead-gorgeous scenery. I've never done the helicopter tour, but our kids have and they said it was one of the great experieinces of their life. We also loved the Big Island, but we liked the east coast as well as the Kona coast. If I'm remembering correctly, Volcano National Park is on the opposite side from Kona, and we loved that park. Did a couple of days of interesting hiking/walking there. A very unusual sort of experience for us-- very different terrain. We liked Mauia also, but less well. Liked Hana a lot, and Wailea, but not so much Kanapaali beach. As I said though, this was all a while ago, so things may have radically changed.
In short, I think that Hawaii can hold its own with Caribbean anytime. Each has its own special pleasure, and each is superb. (Hawaii will definitely be more expensive though. I don't think you'll find great places for under $300/night. But maybe by renting a condo?)
Happy travels. I envy your having that excuse to visit Hawaii.

Big Island is wonderful. It has the to-die-for scenery with fantastic hiking opportunities, stunning waterfalls, great beaches (including black and green sand beaches)don't miss Hapuna, hot springs to soak in, an active volcano, interesting cultural sites such as The Place of Refuge, coffee farms, a few great spots for snorkeling (Kealakeakua bay is excellent) with turtles, dolphins, manta rays, whale watching and on a clear night is the perfect place for star gazing atop Mauna Kea. It has much more to offer than the 'average' Caribbean island but as you know no island is perfect and Big Island comes close. It's BIG though and a week is barely enough (stay 5 or 6 nights on the Kohala coast and 1 or 2 in or around Hilo or Volcano).
I haven't found Hawaii to be any more expensive than the Caribbean and at least your husband's airfare is paid for so you're quids in!
Get a copy of Hawaii the Big Island Revealed and check out the tons of info on the US board. I think you could learn to love Hawaii after one sniff of a plumeria lei.

I've never been to the Caribean (trying for this year) but have been to Hawaii several times and love it there.

Kauai is much more laid back of the islands. It does get the most rain of the islands so prepare for that, although the rains never last too long when they hit. It can have a little rougher waters for snorkeling so try to stick to the east side of the island for calmer waters.

Definitely get the "Revealed" books as the prior poster suggested. They have one for each island and they have wonderful tips that I have not seen in any other book.

Bubba's Burgers are great (2 locations on the island) and there is a wonderful restaurant called Duke's at the Marriott Resort. The Marriott Resort is a little more costly to stay at but the grounds are beautiful and it's in a bay with a fantastic beach.

There is a place called the Queen's bath that is fantastic to stop although hard to find because you have to drive through a golf course and then park and walk in between some houses. The path down leads you to some lava rocks and you walk down a ways to an area that was once a collapsed lava tube but now is great for swimming. We've seen sea turtles, harbor seals and lots of other fish in the waters there. The actual water there is very rough but the Queen's Bath is like a private swimming pool. You can find instructions on how to find it in the Kauai Revealed book.

I also recommend kayaking on the Wailua river which is very scenic.

Smiths Tropical Paradise offers a luau that is pretty good and the property is very beautiful.

The last trip we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott. I was a nice hotel with a great little shopping center next door. The only drawback was that the beach was very rocky so not good for swimming.

If you can - a day trip over to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor is very much worth the trip. It is incredibly moving to see and you can easily spend a good part of the day there.

If you can swing the cost, a helicopter trip to see Waimea Canyon is a once in a lifetime experience. Take some Dramamine before you go because the in and out of the canyons can my you nautious. It is very much worth the trip and all of the helicopter companies seem to offer the same trips for about the same price. Just check the weather first because if it's cloudy visibility can be a little bad.

If you drive up to Waimea Canyon, there is a nice cafe at the top to stop for lunch and definitely take all the road all the way up to the very end for some wonderful views down into the Kalalau Valley.

Overall, my favorite island is Maui so if you can, make plans for there for at least a couple of days. This is the only island that offers water activities (parasailing, jet skis, etc.) and the Road to Hana is a fantastic day trip to take. Snorkeling is fantastic (I recommend getting a boat to take you to Molokini which is a small collapsed volcano that has tons of fish.) We usually stay at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel (Check because they were going to do rennovations). They have a fantastic beach and there is a nice shopping center within a short walk along the beach. The property is very nice and the restaurant is decent but a little costly, although they do offer free breakfast. There are lots of great restaurants within walking distance. The only drawback to staying on this section of the island is that there tends to be a little traffic back up if you head to the hotel in the late afternoon because many of the beachs have road side access and everyone seems to leave between 3 and 5 pm. That is my only complaint about the whole island.

Hi EJ. We loved Maui. We went there when we were pregnant with Patrick so it was awhile. We thought the island was just beautiful (very scenic). We have not made it to the other islands but hope to one day. I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip. Have fun planning and I hope the excitement will come soon for you.

Thanks for the input, everybody!

Okay, so maybe I'm not totally without excitement about Hawaii. After all, it's travel and it's a place I've never been to before. And in all honesty I'm sure I will have a wonderful time--I've never had a vacation that wasn't fantastic.

So there really are green sand beaches? I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing! I look forward to seeing my first one.

So, it looks like most of you really give Kauai and the Big Island a thumbs-up, so I will continue to look into those places. But now that Maui has been brought to the table, I'll have to look at that, too. Any starting places y'all recommend?

Okay, so if $300/night is a little low for a really nice place, what would be reasonable? $500? I just took a look at a place called kona Villages (I think that was the name) on the BI and with the FAP meal plan it was close to $1000/night. That's definitely more than I'd like to spend, but it's exactly the atmosphere I would love to have. Are there any places in a similar vein that might be on a smaller scale and less resort-y?

On a different note, I'm seeing that a few places on Kauai do not have air conditioning but do have ceiling fans. They're right on the water. Is air conditioning in June essential? I've done without it in the Caribbean many times and if the room/villa is built well to catch the breezes, I usually don't miss it. Would you say Hawaii might be the same in June?

Wow ej can't believe I have the opportunity to offer tou advice! I will diifer from what most people are saying and say that I do prefer the Caribbean over Hawaii, however not because of the beauty I will admit Hawaii wins on this one, but because of the vibe and the people. I just love the funkiness of the Car. All the islands are amazing my fav's being BI, and Kaui, Hana on maui is really awesome very fun day. We have close friends who live in Hawaii and they love it(the lady has been allover the world her fav.is the Greek isles) in Hawaii her fav.is the BI. We did go to Oahu did not care for the island but the pipeline was GREAT! So much fun to watch pro surfers. EJ, you seem like the kinda person who brings her fun with her you WILL love it!

Check out the Waikoloa Beach Marriott on A bay, Big Island .
Rates about $300 a night on Expedia. We've stayed there twice and like the size of the resort (not huge!).
It's been recently renovated and the beach is great (turtles too).

Thats where we stayed. Great location with the Kings shops right across the street. And if you like golf the BI has alot to offer.

EJ, have you considered renting villas? If you are willing to spend $300-500 a night for a hotel, you can get a lot of house for that money and be closer to the water too. Example:
http://www.hawaiianbeachrentals.com/...anquility.htm#

I don't think you need A/C in Hawaii if you are reasonably close to the water, because of the breezes. I found I didn't want to close the windows because of the wonderful, soft, scented air. (On Kauai, anyway.)

Happy hunting!

I just checked Costco. They are offering the Hilton Waikoloa village for 7 nights/$1110.00 PP with a car and daily breakfast included. Not bad.

Hi we went to Hawaii spring break 06. It was a great trip. We originally booked our trip to be Oahu/Kauai. Years ago, we went Oahu/Maui.
Well, the rains came and there was terrible flooding and sewage, etc..So, two days before the trip, I changed everything. We went to two nights Oahu and 7 nights Big Island. So, I have never been to Kauai.
As far as being scenic, I believe Kauai wins. They have filmed more movies and such there.
We really enjoyed the Big Island. It is so weird looking. We got off the plane and started driving north to our hotel, the Hilton, and it is all black rocks (like you have landed on the moon or something) and the water is really blue. The black rocks all have white rocks placed on them for graffiti. Just strange. We enjoyed the Hilton, but it is a huge resort, with lots of families. The Marriott next door was just being renovated and was smaller.
Now, the good part. The Big Island had the best snorkeling I have ever seen. We just went to caymans for spring break this year and the big island had better snorkeling. The fish are beautiful colored and the turtles are huge and everywhere. Kona has some great beaches with tons of turtles. I don't know the resort mentioned, but there are many resorts on the island to choose from. There is a nice Fairmont and also the Hapuna Prince gets good reviews. I saw the Fairmont,it is a nice elegant hotel. The Hapuna Beach had some great waves to boogie board and the sand was so soft. We also drove around the island. There are waterfalls and lush parts of the island. There is an active volcano. We drove at night to an emergency room so my DH could get stitches (he was cut on a lava rocka at the hotel and it was rather deep). As we were driving north, we went up these mountains and it was raining and we saw a rainbow! It was nighttime. Very strange. Also, the moon was huge and seemed so close as if we were right next to it.

Anyway, we loved our stay there. We enjoyed the Hilton. We had our kids with us and so there was lots to do on property as well.
I think you will enjoy Hawaii because it is very different. It is scenic and the asian influence makes it very different than the Caribbean.
And one more thing, the way to go to Hawaii is partially on a business trip. It is nice to have someone else pay for the airfare! Enjoy!!

We got married in Hawaii 13 years ago yesterday. From the time we got off the plane and they put the lei's on us, I was hooked. My point of view is that both Hawaii and the Caribbean are great and we should fully enjoy the life of each. I think you will find the beauty of Hawaii is better. To me, the spirit of Kauai shows a true feeling of the Hawaiian Islands, as they have expressed an interest in maintaining their heritage. When I'm in Kauai looking at these beautiful surroundings, I never want to leave.
We always just stay at the Hyatt, so I'm not going to be much help with the hotels, but I CAN tell you to bring your beach bag for a day trip. Also, a couple of bathing suits, flip flops, shorts, sun glasses, hat, suntan lotion, casual but comfy walking shoes, sundresses, capri pants and cool tops. There is a K-mart store there so don't worry if you forget anything. Bring tons of photo equipment. Books to read at the beach/pool during the day.

Actually the neat thing about the BI is its diversity. yes, the Kona or west side is arid and dry. It does remind you of a moonscape. However the east side is completely the opposite. Hilo is the wetest city in the US and is lush, green and, well wet. You can easily circle the BI in one day and as you goe from Kona, where most people stay, to Hilo the change is amazing. Also, if yiu choose to go there we found helo tours a bit less expensvie if taken for Hilo vs. Kona. Cheers, Larry

The Hyatt Kauai is amazing! I know the Princeville Resort is spoken highly of here on these posts. Make sure you dine at Roy's; the tuna appetizer and chocolate molten cake alone are worth it. A few people suggested the "Revealed " books - definitely get them. They'll give directions on how to get to the seculded places, like Queen's Bath (which is totally worth it). Kilueau lighthouse has amazing views, and Barking sands Beach is worth the drive to see the surf (not a good swimming beach). Waimea Canyon will make you forget your on a tropical island.I can't speak for BI. And as far as a.c, kauai will probably be tolerable, but if you go to Maui, particulary Lahaina/Kaanapali Beach area, you'll want a.c - the mountain blocks the tradewinds. I used to live in Hawaii, and haven't been to the Caribbean since '99 and am going this Nov., so I'm curious to see the differences. Though, I would give anything for a tradewind breeze carrying the scent of the plumeria trees!

I forgot - if you're going to take a snorkeling/diving boat in kauai, go all the way and go to Niihau. You can't actually go to the island itself, but the boat goes right off the coast.

ej,
You will find the best snorkeling on Kaua'i on the north shore in the summer months, or on the south shore in the winter. The beaches on the east side are generally not considered safe swimming/snorkeling beaches, although they are pretty.

I found the snorkeling on Maui south of Wailea into the Makena area to be superior to anything on Kauai, but north shore Kauai still wins in my book for overall package.

Here's my true story:

I always "hated" Hawaii, made a big fuss that is was all "Disneyland", touristy, etc. And I loved the Caribbean (5 trips) more, well that is until I went to Mexico (19 trips now) and loved it even more than the Caribbean...

Soooo finally got taken to Hawaii on a family reunion trip. Guess what? It is AMAZING, spectacular, and completely unique. I gladly had to eat my hat on my completely incorrect (mis)perceptions.

I've been four times recently (Maui and Oahu). Can't get enough. Picking an island is a tough choice, I'll give you that much.

Hi EJ!,
Glad to hear that you are going to Hawaii!It is beautiful and I believe that you will love it!

I would highly recommend that you splurge a little and go to Kauai and stay at the Princeville Resort.When we went to Kauai in 2002,we did not stay at the Princeville,but boy do I wish that we would have.The view is unbelieveable and the restaurant at the Princeville is rated excellent.Not sure how much it is but you can "google it" and check more into it.It is very close to my favorite snorkeling spot Kee' Beach but go early as it gets crowded.

The Hyatt at Poipu Beach is also nice if the Princeville is not feasible.

We went in June and it was VERY hot and we did not have AC because my good friend (who lived in Kauai)told me that we should not need it..trust me..get a room with it to be safe.It was unusually hot the year that we went in the high 90's.

I think that you will become a Hawaiianolic after your trip! , if I lived closer...I would be!

Have fun!
Christie