We've decided on Hawaii for our honeymoon. What do we HAVE to do/see. and where should we stay? probably going to Kaui and the Big Island. Thanks!

Kauai and Big Island are a good mix for a honeymoon. On Kauai, the must is a helicopter tour of the Napali coast--truly breathtaking. We did lots of hiking, including the Napali coast. The snorkeling is phenomenal. We stayed at the Sea Lodge condos near Princeville. We loved staying at Unit C8 at www.hestara.com.

The Big Island has an incredible diversity of ecology and things to do. Hapuna beach is beautiful. You can do a tour of Mauna Kea to see all the telescopes. Do a drive up north to Wailea, where you see ranches and it looks and feels like Wyoming. And, finally, Volcanoes National Park, but allot plenty of time to drive there (if you're staying in Kona) and plenty of time to hike the trails. We underestimated how long it would take to drive there and back.

The guidebooks to get are the Ultimate guidebooks, which are available in most bookstores--they have the distinctive dark blue covers with a topographical map of the island. I think the one for Kauai is called Ultimate Kauai, and the one for the other islands is called something else, but they share the same cover design. Very useful; good restaurant and hotel recs.

I'm having trouble picking my honeymoon destination. What Island in Hawaii would be best for snorkeling and a romantic getaway? Not into rough water. Any suggestions are appreciated!

I have spent time on the Big Island and Kauai and hands down, for a romantic honeymoon, Kauai gets my vote. It is lush and tropical and you can see it all in a very short time and pack your day with activities. The guidebooks I use for everything are Fodor's (for restaurants and hotels) and the Kauai Trailblazer and Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer. Getting to the beaches on the eastern side is mysterious unless you have these books to point you down the right dirt road. The good ones that are isolated require a short hike down well worn paths in many cases. On the Big Island, the same holds true and the roads are bumpier.

The Kona Village Resort on Hawaii is very special. And expensive, but definitely honeymoon material.
www.konavillage.com

A romantic tour that we took on Kauai was a plane tour. It was in this beautiful small plane, very comfortable and wonderful big windows. We saw EVERYTHING! The aerial views of Kauai are like none other, they may be the most beautiful landscapes you will ever see. We flew with Air Ventures (808 651 0679) a family owned business that was so friendly and professional. There plane was very smooth and the flight was very relaxing. It was the highlight of our trip!

A fun snorkeling tour that we took was with Kauai Sea Rider Adventures (808 332 7238). They took us out to some prime snorkeling spots on the south shore in a zodiac. We saw turtles, dolphins and hundreds of beautiful fish! It was the best under water experience that we have ever had on our many trips to the Hawaiian Islands!

Congratulations and have fun in paradise!

Ally