Am starting to plan a trip to Hawaii in March. Would these two islands be a good mix of Hawaii? We've been to Maui and Oahu and want to see nature and beaches, and visit coffee plantations and get a sense of the non-touristy part of the state. Any thoughts?

While i've never been to kauai i've been to the big island twice as well as to Maui and to Oahu once each. The Big Island is quite big, an island the size of the state of CT. It is the most diverse in terms of different types of geography and climate, so that covers the nature question. It is not known as a beach destination primarily. There are coffee plantations as well as Volcanoes National Park and the lava fields outside Kona and the longhorn cattle with ranches and cowboys in the middle of the island. You will however do a lot of driving to get from place to place but that is the same as it is in Maui.

How long will your trip be? How many days total? To know whether two islands will work or would it be better to pick just one.

Hi, We plan a two week vacation and for now are thinking a week in each place.

With two full weeks, a week on each island is very reasonable and gives you time to settle in rather than rush.

The Big Island and Kauai are actually a nice complement to each other, especially if you’re looking for nature and a less “resort-heavy” feel than parts of Maui or Oahu.

The Big Island is about variety and scale. You have Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, very different climate zones, coffee farms around the Kona side, ranch country in Waimea, black sand beaches, and lava landscapes. It feels spread out and less polished in many areas, which can be part of the appeal. You will drive a lot, but the drives are part of the experience.

Kauai feels greener, more compact, and more dramatic visually. The Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, and the north shore scenery are hard to beat. It’s lush and scenic, and while there are tourist areas, it’s easy to find a quieter rhythm compared to some parts of Maui. Beaches on Kauai can be beautiful, but ocean conditions in March can vary, especially on the north shore.

If your goal is:

• Volcanoes, lava landscapes, coffee farms, then Big Island
  
• Lush scenery, hiking, dramatic coastline, then Kauai
  

Together they give you two very different expressions of Hawaii.

With a week on each, I’d recommend not trying to "see everything". Pick a home base on each island and explore from there rather than moving accommodations multiple times.

If you don’t mind sharing, are you more interested in hiking-focused days or more scenic driving with light walks? That might help refine which side of each island to stay on.

A week on each island sounds good. Once you figure out what you want to see and do on each one, you can decide on the split. Might want 9 days BI and 5 days Kauai, for example rather than an even divide. Aloha!