My wife & I have been trying to decide if this itinerary will work or if we should eliminate Big Island & stay an extra couple of days in Maui. We are travelling with 2 teenage children. Of course, we differ but let's see what the majority thinks.
Dec 21st- Spend night on Waikiki Bch at Circle Hotel.
12/22 - Morning walk & breakfast on beach-since we are flying in from the East Coast, we should be up early.1pm flight to Hapalua.
Check in at Embassy Suites,Maui. Check out resort/Kaanapali Beach.
Evening - Luau at Hyatt.
12/23 - Morning at kaanapali Beach. 10.45 time share presentation for 90 minutes. (Can be changed to 8.15 but this way kids can enjoy the pool while we are gone) Lunch, maybe at Lahaina. Drive to volcano to watch sunset. (What time should we plan on leaving?)
Dinner at Hula Grill
12/24 - Maui Swap Meet (Optional for kids) How long should we plan for this if we leave around 8-9am? 2pm snorkel or snuba. Again, what time should we arrive to rent equipment etc? Check out Kehekili Beach if on the way back.
Dinner at ?.
12/25 Hanauma Bay for am snorkeling if we want enjoyed it.
Option 1 Lunch at Da Kitchen Express. Spend afternoon at Wailea beach.
Option 2 Continue north upto Nakalele Blowhole. Quick bite on the way. Relax at pool, hotel in the evening. Dinner somewhere close or at Roys maybe.
26th - Drive to Hana.
27th - Leave for Big Island for 3 nights.
Need to find time for a half hour couple massage at the Hyatt too.
We do not usually retire early so would like to know what activities are available at night, what stores are open etc.
The problem is also that we have already booked great hotels for Big Island & are not finding anything much now in Maui for 2 nights if we extend our stay. The Rennaissance Wailea is available for $370/night-a little steep but will do if we cannot find anything else. Does anybody think we will have any luck with Priceline?
Please give us your suggestions & honest opinions - if you think we are crazy, let us know! Looking forward to hearing from all.

Ash1, a couple of comments on your itinerary ... you mention visiting Hanauma Bay while on Maui. HB is located on Oahu, so I presume you're thinking of another Bay? Also, you mentioned seeing the sunset at the Volcano on Maui ... I really would do the sunrise at Haleakala instead. IMO, much, much more impressive although the sunset is nice. Will you be arriving in Honolulu late on the 21st, and that is why you will fly to Maui on your second day rather than the first? Also, if you arrive in Maui on the 22nd and leave on the 27th, that gives you four full days to enjoy there. I probably wouldn't use one of those days for Hana. It is a tiring trip, leaving early ... coming back late, and there is so much else to do on Maui. If you had seven days on Maui, I'd do it for sure, but I'm not sure I would with four.

I would not eliminate the Big Island as I think your teenage children will really enjoy it. Very diverse, very unusual!

Whatever you decide, your trip will be wonderful, I'm sure!

Sorry, I meant Honolua Bay, I have been reading too much! Yes, unfortunately there is no flight out to Maui after we arrive in Waikiki, around 8pm.

I wouldn't skip Big Island either... our teenage son loved it last year.
There are some great snorkeling spots and hiking trails for the novice in white tennis shoes to the expert who disappears for days.

Where are you staying?

We live on the East coast and are going to Hawaii for Thanksgiving again this year. (We're spending 2 nights on Oahu and 6 on Big Island)

Just a reminder - you'll be in Hawaii - relax! See what feels right to do at the time - and do it - or don't.

Betcha by day three the Aloha spirit will have kicked in and you'll wonder why you worried about an itinerary at all.

Enjoy!

highflyer, we will be staying at the Hilton Waikola. Have also booked the new Sheraton but will probably go with the Hilton (2 nights) & the last night is at Volcano Village. Planning to fly out from Hilo the next day.
SFImporter, you are probably right about the itinerary, we never usually have one but since we were trying to decide if we should skip BI, we tried to put together something listing all we want to do in Maui to see if it would all fit in 5 days. Also, since there is so much to see & do, I wanted to get feedback on what will work from others who have been there, done that. I am still looking for estimates of time it would take to get to Haleakala, Maui Swap Meet, Nakalele Blowhole etc to see if this is a feasible plan. We need to buy the inter-island tickets soon (to BI or HNL)so need all the help we can get to make this decision...Help!

Since your hotels are all booked and you're happy with them, I'd vote for sticking with your original plan. (If we were starting from scratch I'd probably try to talk you into dropping 1 island and only going to 2 instead of 3).

On Maui I'd keep Haleakala, but skip road to Hana. I'd probably lighten up your itinerary by at least 1/2 (but that's just me). As mentioned above one of the great things about Hawaii is getting into the spirit of aloha and living on "island time".

Lahaina-town has lots of things going on in the evenings, from art galleries and shopping, to various shows, bars, etc. Lively place.

We live on Maui and unless your a time share nut I would avoid it. There are other means where you can get discounted activities. Our friends run an online place www.alohabound.com, you might try them. Great prices and very helpful with information. Her name is Nadine.

Places to stay, older clean and close to airport on Maui, is the Maui Seaside and Maui Beach Hotel. They are not in tourist areas but a heck of a lot less money. The company that runs the Maui seaside also runs a place called the Kona Seaside. Again close to activities without the big bill. These are not resorts but older clean places to stay.

I suggest watching sunsets from the beach. Kamaole III in Kihei is fantastic place and Lahaina good too. Perhaps a sunset dinner?

On Maui, go to Mulligans on the Blue restaurant. Fun place and good food. Great kids place (and adults too) in Lahaina is Cheesburgers in Paradise. Biggest and best hamburgers!!!

Whatever you do. Take time to slow down. Go do some things, but take the time to go and enjoy the beaches. Best time is early mornings. Water is warm year round. Any time of the day is good though, just use sunscreen. You can get burnt here easily.

Best of luck and have fun.

Aloha

It's been my experience that detailed itineraries don't work real well in Hawaii. I'd pick opne or two things you REALLY want to do and then play rest of it day by day. Five days will fly by. Don't be afraid to chuck the itinerary once you get there.

I'd go onto the BI.

Sunrise at Haleakala is worth doing. Bring a blanket from the hotel or have a jacket handy. It will be COLD!

Honuloa Bay might be unswimmable in December. It can get pretty wild there in the winter.

-Bill

Hi, we stayed at the Embassy last summer and just want to make sure you understand that the resort is not on Kaanapali Beach, it is actually about a mile north of there (even though they seem to indicate it is) It is not on a great beach by Hawaii standards and you cannot walk from the Embassy to all the restaurants/shops/resorts of Kaanapali. To get there, drive to Whaler's Village and park in the parking garage there. This might impact your itinerary somewhat. We liked the Embassy just fine (it was a timeshare trade)but next time would choose a resort on Kaanapali for the convenience and access to activities.

You will have a fantastic time on Maui. Especially during that time. I have been going there since 1974 when I was 17 and I still love to go.

The luau is nice at the Hyatt, you can walk on the beach walkway about 9:30-10:00 am and watch them put the pig in the emu pit. Supposedly the best luau, however is in Lahaina. Much more authentic. I have never heard anyone have anything negative to say.

Most people go to the volcano for sunrise. I have never heard of sunset. You will get heavenly sunsets over Lanai from the Embassy Suites. However, Makawao, which is a town "up country" on the way to the volcano is a great day trip. Be sure to pass through Paia (spelling). It's a flash back to the 70's.

My opinion of the Hula grill is that it is ok, not great. It is right on the beach however and has great Hula pie for dessert.

One of my favorite meals which happens to be low cost is the Hawaii Mixed Plate in Lahaina. Take out or eat in for lunch or dinner. Fantastic.

You also don't mention Lahaina. It is a great town and a day spent there is well worth it.

Some island confusion, Hanauma bay is on Oahu. You might be thinking of Honolua bay which is north of Kaanapali. Lots of surfers and not easy to access but beautiful to look at. For the best snorkling believe it or not it is at black rock which is the rock that the Sheraton Maui sits on. Great snorkling right there. You might also be thinking of Honokahua bay or Fleming beach. Lots of Pineapple bugs, I don't recomment it.

You mention going to Wailea then. Wailea is a good 40 min south of Kaanapali. You might be thinking of Kapalua. Wailea is in the Kehei area and is a separate day trip in itself.

As for the big island, there is not much to do for adults or teens. But especially for teens. I recommend spending the time on Maui. Especially if you are there on New Years Eve. Kaanapali is unbelievable on New Years. But watch the kids! Too much fun.

Enjoy and Mahalo!

Eileen, thanks for the info, we definitely had the impression that the Embassy suites was on Kaanapali Beach. Is there no beach that one can just walk to from there? That really puts a damper on things, that was the main reason we were willing to tolerate with the timeshare. Now there are not too many options available for December. Can you please tell us about your stay there in more detail, what areas are easily reachable from there? And how long did the drive to Hana take (if you did it) How was the timeshare pitch itself? Thanks.

Ash1, please see this site:
http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/hawaii/maui/m_west.htm

This article describes the location of Embassy Suites on the North Beach area of Kaanapali Beach ... We visted friends at Kaanapali Shores right next to Embassy a few years ago, and they seemed to have a good time on the beach right there. But as a poster above said, it is not that convenient to the busiest section of Kaanapali Beach. With teenagers, I would probably try to get more in the thick of things if I could. But if you have to drive to Whaler's Village, well... you're still in Hawaii, having fun!

Ash1, go to the below link (TripAdvisor), and read all the reviews of the hotel & beach area (I did), and I think you'll stop worrying about the beach!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ui_Hawaii.html

Maui--Your idea of seeing the sunset from Haleakala is great--it's one of my favorites, and everyone I send just raves about it (allow yourself a couple of hours to make the drive and get situated--the overlooks into the crater from the west side can be gorgeous as the light slowly changes). The bay you refer to can be very very rough in the winter--you will probably be watching surfers rather than snorkeling. Why bother with the swap meet,unless you have extra suitcase space for anything you buy? The blowhole--you never know if you'll see spray (I would hit the beaches at Wailea and south). Remember, all beach activities, swimming, snorkeling, etc. are best in the morning, as the wind and waves rise as the day goes by. The earlier the better, less crowded, more to see, etc. No offense to Kahului, but unless you are Maui for business, I would avoid the lodging there and go to the resort areas, or even up country. Lots of bargains to be found in condos (cheaper than hotels). I wouldn't skip Hana and driving on to the "seven pools" (owyhee gulch); just leave early and enjoy any waterfalls that have the spigots turned on! (YOu can go all the way around past Hana, too, back to Kahului and then on to Kaanapali. I do it every visit, and love the different scenery; and that way you don't retrace your steps if you didn't like the way to Hana.)

By the way, go ahead and rent your snorkeling gear for the duration; it's available all over the island, and if you have it with you, you'll be able to enjoy it whenever the whim hits. Several places let you return the gear on a different island!

Thanks for the very helpful replies. We only thought of including the Maui Swap Meet because if the positive things I read about it on the posts since we will be looking for souvenirs. However, we do not need tacky souvenirs, more like something we can display in the house tho' my daughter will probably buy things for her friends. I did not realize it is a long drive, but if so, we can skip that. Also, seems like snorkelling on Honolua Bay will not be an option in Dec, thanks for that info. Where else can we snorkel on our own if we rent the gear? Will Black Rock be fine? That should be quite close & convenient.
I think we will do the drive to hana on Dec 25th. (unless someone knows of some other activities not to be missed on Christmas Day in Maui)That way we can move to the Renaissance in Wailea or the Best Western on the 26th & relax on the beach there. We will not have to start as early for the airport on the 27th.
sylvia3, I am glad u approve of seeing the sunset from Haleakala. I do want to drag the family out at 3 am & then have everyone tired & cranky all day.
But my big question still remains, should we eliminate the 3 day trip to Big Island? My kids are keen to see the volcano but since it is quite a hike upto the lava flow itself, we were planning on doing a helicopter tour from Hilo & then just going to the rangers outlook etc at the park. I just hope they are not disappointed. We were planning to stay a night in the Volcano Village to see the lava by night but since we are not doing the hike to the lava, is it worth staying there or should we come back & stay in Kona? I think 5 days in Maui will be fine, if the weather cooperates but that seems to be a big IF in Dec! How many people have experienced bad weather during that period? Please keep the advice coming!! Thanks.

The Maui Swap Meet is tiny and really a waste of time. I would suggest hitting Costco and Walmart near the airport instead.

Ah, yes, nothing say "I've been to Hawai`i" like a made-in China trinket from Wal-Mart.

First off, you couldn't pay me enough to make me go into Kahului, and especially to the Swap Meet on Christmas Eve. You can find a lot of the same stuff that you'll find at the swapmeet (souvenir stuff that would interest kids) at the shops at Kalama Village in Kihei, or at various "craft" fairs, such as the one at Kukui Mall Tues and Wed, on the highway in Lahaina, one in Napili--there is at least one someplace everyday. Look for the banners. Lots of cheap pareos, jewelry, board shorts, shirts, misc "stuff" etc. A lot of the same stuff is at WalMart, but I'd rather browse "craft" fair booths than spend my vacation in WalMart. Even cruising Front Street can be fun and you'll find lots of the same type of stuff.

And, your 2 pm snorkel on 12/24 might not work out so well. By 2 it gets pretty windy and blown out. Earlier is better, even more so in the winter.

Nightime is good time to walk Front Street. Everything is open until 9-10. Friday night is art night, and there may be other activities going on for the holidays.

Didn't mean to give the impression that Embassy wasn't on a beach, it's just not anywhere near the part of Kaanapali Beach that I know of -- which is the long stretch with Whaler's Village, Hyatt, Marriott and all the other resorts, the watersports concessions etc. Calling it North Kaanapali is really pushing it -- because of erosion and seawalls etc., you cannot walk from Embassy to anywhere near the part you want to be. It's an okay beach, just not wide and you can't walk for miles due to erosion (when we were there, the beach would almost disappear at high tide in front of the nearby condos). The Embassy was a great "base" for exploring Maui, it's only 15 minutes to Kapalua and only about 10 minutes to Lahaina. It's about 45 minutes from the Wailea area and about 50 minutes from the airport. It is a perfectly nice resort, nice rooms, good service, free hot breakfast buffet every morning (a great value for a family of four), complimentary drinks and snacks at cocktail hour, free valet parking (except for the tips). Only concern is -- if you want to be on the main Kaanapali Beach, it isn't located there!