3 generation trip to Hawaii - Need Advice
 

My family is planning a trip to Hawaii in Feb 2004. 3 Grandparents are coming, 2 girls ages 9 and 7 and my husband and I. 2 of the grandparents and children have never been to Hawaii. The other grandparent and my husband have been 4-5 times. I have only been once to Maui. We plan to stay for 10 days. Some want to relax and others want to sight see. I'm leaning towards Maui and Oahu. My 9 yr old wants to see a live volcano but I think a third island may be too much. This may be the only time the 2 Grandparents who have never been will get the chance to go. Any suggestions on how to plan this trip?? I need your help. Thanks:))

Also, Any suggestions about lodging? Does anyone know of a 3 bedroom condo in Lahaina? Is Lahaina the best beach area on Maui? Thanks again:))

No, that's not a good beach area. It's more of a boat harbor.

Three islands would be too much for kids and grandparents. My suggestion would be dropping one and going to the Big Island instead if the volcano is a priority.

There are no good beaches in the town of Lahaina. Many hotels and condos that are near but not in the town of Lahaina have a Lahaina mailing address. Actually the best beach in the Lahaina area is in Kaanapali, three miles north of Lahaina. There are also good beaches in Kapalua and Napili, about five to seven miles north of Lahaina. If you want a beach you do not want to be in the town of Lahaina.

If the grandparents are physically able to walk a mile + on fairly level terrain and no one has asthma or other lung problems, the teacher in me says, "take the kids to see the volcano." The Big Island has a very diverse mix of climatic zones and would probably be most interesting to the grandparents who have not traveled to Hawaii before. You could book a week at Maui or Oahu and then do a three day hop over to Hilo. I was in Hawaii this past winter (Feb/March) and there were very few school aged children vacationing at that time. Let me reassure you that the child centered activities that you do choose will not be crowded.