We are flying into Honolulu and plan to see most of Oahu. Traveling with 2 teens, the wife, and active 60+ parents.

I've read the threads and am trying to balance the advice on whether to see another island. I think the kids would enjoy the volcanos on BI.

We have no problems with driving or long days. We don't want to lay on a beach all day and would like to stay active. Hiking, snorkeling, touring.

Based on your experience, how much should we 'bite off' - one other island, stay on Oahu, 2 islands, etc?

Thanks for your advice - we have the Fodors and Frommers (shhh) books but can't decide. Thanks!

Correction - we are staying 10 days!

Must have been a subconscious typo of wishing it was 19 days.

Sorry!

Rule of thumb:

7 nights or less - 1 island
8-10 nights - 1 or 2 islands
11-14 nights - 1, 2 or 3 islands
15+ nights - 1, 2, 3 or 4 islands

So you can easily do 2 islands. Three islands would be stretching it, but with not much beach time needed, you could do it.

Others say one week minimum on each island.

Just a note about the active volcano on Big Island. The lava flow is currently in a remote area that is not accessible. So the only way to see live lave is by helicopter.

But, that can change by the time you get there.

Lots of info including sites with free brochures for all islands:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

I would suggest adding one other island. We spent 10 days in Hawaii this summer--5 on the Big Island and 5 on Kauai. I don't think you can go wrong with adding either of those, as both have a lot to see and do.

The snorkeling at Captain Cook on the Big Island was amazing, and Volcano National Park was really neat. As Dusty said, the lava flow is not currently accessible, but we drove around the park at night and got to see the red glow which was amazing.

While I loved the BI, the scenery on Kauai was just breathtaking, and there is such a contrast between the North and South shores. Lots of hiking (NaPali and Waimea) and other activities there as well.

The Ultimate Guides (the blue books)to the Hawaiian Islands are a great resource. Happy planning!

I agree with the other posters; I would add one island to your trip. We've been to Maui, BI, and Kauai - I think the BI would be a good addition so you could spend time at Volcaoes National Park; we hiked out at night to see the lava flow into the ocean, and it was amazing. The lava has shifted, so you can no longer do that - hopefully it will shift back because it was one of the highlights of our trip. The Kilauea Lodge is a nice place to spend a night near the volcano. The Hapuna Beach Prince is nice and located on a gorgeous beach. Check out Akaka Falls - over 400 feet tall and so gorgeous. We also had fun snorkeling Kealakekua Bay.

If you have 10 days and you like to be active, you could definitely do 5 days on Oahu and 5 days on the BI.

Of course it would be great if you had longer on either or both, but you can see and do a lot in 5 days. But I wouldn't try to squeeze in more than 2 islands total.