10 nights starting in HNL then???
 

My husband and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary next March in Hawaii. We arrive at 11:30 p.m. Monday March 8th in Honolulu (wanted to fly direct to Maui but we have free air miles and this is all we could get). I have read so much about Maui and Kauai but I am thinking with only 9 1/2 nights (by time we get to a hotel after arrival) that 3 islands would really be too much. Also I could easily skip Oahu but my husband would enjoy seeing Pipeline and Waikiki (because he hasn't read Maui Revealed or Ultimate Kauai Guide or these boards! So if I convince him we don't need to tour Oahu is it possible to skip a hotel on March 8/9, find somewhere to hang out until first flight to Maui (we are arriving from EST so 11:30 is like 5:30 am to us) and then stay in Maui 5 or 6 nights and then go to Kauai for 3 or 4 nights. We leave late on Thursday March 18 so we could spend that morning in Kauai and then fly to HNL checking luggage all the way from Lihue.

Sorry this is so long and confusing! Hope I can get some advice from veterans!

DON'T WRITE OFF OAHU SO QUICKLY !!

Okay, Rusty why? I don't know much about Oahu except that Honolulu is a big city with traffic, Waikiki is wall to wall skyscrapers, I know a bit about PCC, Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor. We are not big frequenters of night clubs, prefer nature to big cities. What I have read about Maui and Kauai sounds great in terrms of snorkeling (the only snorkeling spot I read about in Oahu - begins with H on so shore - sounds very crowded), hiking (in rainforests, to waterfalls etc), kayaking etc. What in Oahu compares? This is a serious request for information!

Oh, I think Oahu has the most beautiful white sand beaches. Like Bellows Beach with pine trees in the background. Or the ankle deep warm sand at Sunset Beach. The clear waters of Lani Kai for kayaking. The private waters in Kaneohe Bay at the sand bar. There are many, many nature sites. In fact someone puts out a map of all the hidden beaches and hikes. The Manoa Falls hike is beautiful with bamboo and flowers leading to a waterfall. The town is quaint with coffee shops and restaurants. You can look for the famous sunrise shells on the north shore, some sell for $3,000! You can snorkel at Shark's Cove. (Sneak in some frozen peas.) Great view at Laie (sp?) point. The beautiful silence and gongs at Temple Valley as black swans swim by. Empty shores along the west coast. Spending a day at Makapuu with the contrast of the black lava rocks with the green shrubs and pounding skyblue and white waves. The roar of the ocean at Sandy's beach as you fly a kite. Wander among fields of pineapples. Find hidden galleries and fruit stands. There's so much to do. Check out the activities at the Nature Center or Seirra Club.

There is good snorkeling everywhere. Such as Waimanalo or behind the luxury homes on the back side of Diamond Head.

Islandmom - thanks for information! Do you know a good guide book for Oahu? I love Maui Revealed and the UKG - wish their "blue bible" for Oahu was finished! Also should we consider staying somewhere outside of Waikiki if we want to explore island more. I have a brochure on Hilton north of airport and have heard about Turtle Bay which I think is on northeastern part of island. Also this may sound weird but did you see movie "Blue Crush" Do you have any idea what resort they filmed that at? The suite the football players had looks fabulous (although it is probably budget busting!)
Do you live on Oahu? Some of your posts about interisland travel lately have me thinking we should limit ourselves to just Oahu and Maui and save Kauai for another time but I hate to miss seeing Kauai since we are going to be so close (relatively speaking)! Wish we had more time...

miscrapper, I heard the Blue Crush movie was filmed at the JW Marriott Ilhiani resort in Ko Olina. They have "super suites" there w/ hot tubs on the "patio". We are planning to be there (only in an ocean view room) at the end of July - I'll write up a report on the resort upon my return middle of August (there are other reports now, but not much in detail).

Islandmom's description of O'ahu really hit the mark, in my opinion.

The North Shore of O'ahu is unique I think in terms of the beaches and surf and well worth your time. You might consider renting an apartment or house on the North shore or Kailua. there is a wide variety of prices and locations at vrbo.com, cyberrentals, etc.

Waikiki is a lot of fun, and makes a nice contrast if you will be in more remote areas on the other island(s). It's very developed but with a lot of beauty, with classic hotels like the Royal Hawaiian and Moana. I love to walk through those lobbies, get a drink at their bars, or swim at the beach in front of those hotels.

To see what O'ahu has to offer, get a copy of "Driving and Discovering O'ahu" by Richard Sullivan. It's full of pictures, maps, and detailed directions, and you can get updates on the web site.

"Frommer's Hawaii" doesn't have pictures, but I think gives a good overview of all the islands.

With your time frame, one solution would be to spend your first night in Waikiki, then enjoy a full day walking and beaching in Waikiki (no car needed). then late in the day fly to either Maui or Kaua'i, stay there for about 5 or 6 days, then fly back to HNL and rent a car, spend your last few days based on the North shore. Since you have to fly in and out of HNL, that plan could minimize time spent in airport waiting to change planes. personally I wouldn't try to fit in 3 islands in 10 days; I like to be in one area long enough to soak up some of the atmosphere.

Both Turtle Bay or Ko olina are nice choices. Turtle Bay is in a more lush area.

I live on Oahu and have lived on Kauai. My husband often works on the other islands so we go back and forth.

I'll have to check out the books.