Anniversary in Hawaii!
 

We're planning a trip to Hawaii in the near future. We have never been before. What islands are the must see's and what are the one's we shouldn't waste our time on? Don't really want to be caught up in any tourist traps either. <BR> <BR>We'll be leaving from the Atlanta airport. About how long of a flight are we looking at? Should we plan on taking one or two weeks for this vacation. I heard one week is'nt enough to see it all! <BR> <BR>Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! <BR>Thank you,

Deb, <BR> <BR>Definitely do two weeks! Especially coming from East coast, you need it! And you don't have to worry about wasting your time on any of the islands there. There're all fabulous (really!) in their own way. <BR> <BR>I do think you should read a good Hawaii travel book (all islands) by Frommers (they do a great job on Hawaii) or other good guides, and decide which islands sound most appealing to you. Then I'd plan a good 3-4 nights on Oahu combined with two other islands. Don't let anyone talk you into bypassing Oahu; it's much, much more than just Waikiki (which I also happen to love!), so much history and beauty on the island. <BR> <BR>Let us hear from you again. <BR> <BR>Aloha, <BR> <BR>Lani

Debbie: <BR> <BR>Don't miss Kauai! It's a dazzling island without a tourist trap on the island! Also, don't let anyone fool you - stay at the Hyatt at Poipu Beach. Simply the most breathtaking resort I've ever been to - and I don't typically like those big type places. This is very "Kauai" and has a spa within it. It's the only time I woke up regularly at 6:00am to spa, exercise and soak in beauty that early. The golf course is amazing. In Nov. the Grand Slam of Golf is hosted there.

If you want to avoid 'tourist traps, stay away from Waikki! It's PACKED all the time. I'm not saying don't go SEE it, just don't STAY there! Check out the Turtle Hilton on the north shore instead. I think Maui is the best. LOT'S of diversity.

I forgot to tell you about the travel time. I don't know how far it is from Atlanta to LAX, but I assume you will have to go through LAX. Depending on the airline you choose, you're looking at a 5-6 hour flight from LAX to the islands.

Hi Debbie. Just wanted to let you know you don't necessarily have to fly through LAX. There are flights through other west coast cities as well, and even through Dallas. My mom and I are going in October and are flying American Airlines -- she is flying out of Charlotte NC and I'm flying out of Washington DC -- we each got flights that connect in Dallas, then we're flying nonstop on American from Dallas to Honolulu and then on to Maui. We got the Frommers Hawaii book too and it along with a couple of other sources including this forum have been a big help in planning our trip. After doing lots of research we decided on ten days total -- 5 on Maui (Renaissance Wailea) and 5 on Kauai (Hanalei Bay Resort). We'll save the rest of the islands for another time -- there's just no way to do all of them justice in one trip, although I can't imagine any of them are a "waste" of time! Oahu does seem to have its share of touristy stuff and we wanted to avoid a lot of that -- not interested in a crowded beach with lots of highrises like Waikiki, although I know there are some wonderful parts of Oahu too which hopefully we will get to another time. Kauai was a priority for us because we heard it was a little less heavily touristed and populated than some of the other islands, and is lush and beautiful with lots of waterfalls, the NaPali coast, beautiful gardens, etc. Deciding whether to spend the rest of our time on (1) Maui or (2) the Big Island of Hawaii was a real toss-up -- both seem to have a lot of natural beauty as well. After doing a lot of reading we were ultimately more excited about some of the activities on Maui, so that's why we chose it. Do your own digging, read others' trip reports, etc. and see which islands sound most appealing to you. (Once you've figured out which islands, figuring out where to stay on each island is its own challenge!) If I had 14-15 days I think we would have chosen Maui, Kauai and Hawaii but we could only swing 10 vacation days for this trip. Hope to do Lanai on another trip as well although accommodations options seemed a lot more limited there. <BR>In terms of how long to go for, there's no way I would fly that far and only spend a week (unless I lived on the west coast so it wasn't such a long haul). By the way, our flight from Dallas departs at 11:10 a.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 2:13 pm (I believe there is a 6-hour time difference).

Just returned from Kauai. Third trip. Best island. Really laid back. No buildings taller than tallest palm tree. We rented a cottage on the beach on the north end. The north end is the best for peace and quiet. Not a lot of shopping places. We were at Haena point. Just about as far north as you can go. If you like the beach and aren't interested in the fancy resorts try Hanalei Vacations in Princeville for rentals. If you have questions feel free to e-mail me. We flew from Lincoln to St. Louis and then over to Honolulu. St. Louis to Honolulu was almost 9 hours. Do two weeks if you can so you can get the full benefit of the island. You might want to split your time up. Half on north end and half on south end of island. Have a great time. <BR> <BR>Joyce

In my humble opinion, shared by many lists I have seen, Poipu beach, on Kauai, is one of the world's greatest. And the previously mentioned Hyatt is top notch. I've also had friends stay at some nearby condos. All excellent. <BR>I heartily join in encouraging you to take in Poipu. For excitement, you can take a helicopter ride around the North coast or the "Grand Canyon" or both.

Just returned from our 4th trip to Hawaii, have been to Oahu, Hawaii (Big Island), Maui and Kauai. Kauai is my favorite. Most beautiful naturally, less congested. The Hyatt at Poipu is where we've stayed, one of the nicer hotels anywhere. Maui is very nice, but MUCH more commercial. Not as much as Honolulu, but then Honolulu is a big city and you expect it there. I don't like Maui for that reason; I see that it could have been much more beautiful if it weren't developed the way it has been. Big Island is great; very interesting, black sand beaches, of course the active volcano, stark scenery. I actually don't mind Honolulu and if you venture out, Oahu is beautiful. You should rent a car on each island so you can really tour. It's easy to do and there is so much to see. <BR> <BR>Have fun.

Take as long as you can. We spent 22 days there last time and wanted to spend much more time on each island (we intend just visiting one for three weeks this Christmas). <BR> <BR>Of all of them, Big Island is most impressive. The geological diversity, the way the climate changes so totally as you go round the island (or up a bit), and the volcano, make it a must see. We stayed in a good resort hotel (The Disneyesque Hilton Waikoloa Village where you can swim with Green turtles in the lagoon or with dolphins if you pay a lot and win a lottery), an excellent B&B (The Historic Shipman House in Hilo - a very wet place [wettest town in the world the claim, I don't doubt them]), a rather drab hotel in a wonderful location (The Volcano House on the crater rim), and the best resort I've stayed in (Kona Village - indulgent and relaxing - we hope to go back there one day for at least two weeks and chill out - but it is expensive). There is also excellent snorkelling and diving. <BR> <BR>We got married on Maui, and it is a lovely place, but it does seem just to be designed for tourists. Oahu (outside Waikiki, at least seems lived in), while the other islands have few tourists (by comparison). There is a lot to do and, again, the diving and snorkelling is great. The restaurants were almost all good (except David Paul's Lahaina Grill - where they knew how to cook, but not when to stop....). We stayed in Lahaina, to benefit from being able to walk to and from restaurants at night. It is also where the excellent Trilogy cruise goes to Lanai. The drive round to Hana (and back the dirt road) was scenic, as was the northern windy route around the top of the island. Cycling down the volcano (to the Pacific's only winery) was great too - we didn't do the dawn ride (the view is better at sunset). <BR> <BR>Kuai is, if anything, more spectacular, but has less to do. Excellent for chilling out. This is where you really want to do the helicopter ride (the only way of appreciating the Na Pali coast). <BR> <BR>Much maligned Oahu was a lot better than expected. There is so much to do. Waikiki may be a tourist trap (but not the sort of trap I'd object to). The Polynesian Culture Centre, which we thought would be crass and exploitative, was actually very good (luau was nice too). Perl Harbour was more moving (get there early - and if you have to wait, go next door to the Bowfin Museum, and get a [tape] guided tour of a WWII submarine. Hanauma Bay is the perfect place to snorkell if you want to see lots of fish (go in up to your knees and they are all around you). And, if you want to escape the bustle of Honolulu, there are lots of quiet beaches around the island (we were often the only people on them). <BR> <BR>HTH. <BR> <BR>dfx

Although I have never been to Hawaii, or for that matter never left my parents basement, you might find the following cites useful: <BR>www.noach.com; <BR>www.hawaii.com; <BR>www.priceline.com

just to correct the time difference to hawaii east coast 5 hrs, central 4hrs, mtn 3hrs, & west coast 2 hrs. a direct flight from chicago is appx 9.25 hrs not sure about atlanta but should be about the same or maybe 1 hr longer. I would take at least 2 weeks 2 isles we are going in nov 2000 for 3 weeks 3 isles & am wondering if that is enough

How much is enough? <BR>Hmmm. I'll take whatever time I can get in Hawaii. If 5 days is all someone can swing, those will still be 5 great days. Certainly more is better, but I would never think of telling someone, "Oh geez, if you've only got 5 days don't bother going to Hawaii". <BR>3 weeks ought not present any challenges to your itinerary.

We went to Kauai and Maui in May from Atlanta. The connection was in Dallas then into Honolulu and on to Kauai. The whole trip was 17 hours door to door. The same on the way back. We have been to Hawaii 5 times. Oahu is our least favorite but probably worth two days if you absolutely must see the Arizona and drive around. It is the most populated island and Honolulu is a city. Not why I go to Hawaii. Kauai and Hawaii are the most laid back islands, beautiful and different from each other. Maui is also beautiful but very developed. If you are into night life, you would find it here, not on Kauai or the Big Island. I would agree that you will have a great time whatever you decide. The reason you have to do at least 10 days, is the adjustment to the time change. You should also take a day or more off from work after you arrive home. It is said that it takes one day to adjust for each hour of time zone change so you will be tired for at least a week once you get back. Also, don't try to fit in too many islands in too short of a time. We lost a half a day to travel getting from Kauai to Maui. More if you figure checking in and out of hotels and becoming adjusted to new surroundings. Have a great time.

debbie if you can get a direct flight it will a shorter day also you pretty much lose the 1st & last day + any day going from isle to isle ie 3 days if only 2 isles & to jack above i have a rule i generally go by traveling.if by car 1 week per 1000 miles round trip but because hawaii is by plane & such a long flight i would figure 1 week per isle or a minimum of 5 days per isle + 1 day for each flight. as for myself no way would i travel 8500 miles r/t for 5 days total 2 of which would be traveling i would find a closer vaca spot to enjoy (I am from chicago area just in case you wondered where the mileage came from.) <BR> <BR>

Debbie, I think either United or American offers a direct flight from SF and LA to Kauai now. I think it's only on certain days, though. It would cut out a few hour lay over on Oahu. <BR> <BR>If it's United, I'd just as soon try and swim to Kauai than fly them again...oops...there I go again! Prior posts on United still getting the best of me!?!? <BR>Kal

I have tickets in hand for a Delta flight from Atlanta directly to Maui. The flight leaves Atlanta at 8:45 a.m. (Atlanta time) and arrives Maui at 2:20 p.m. (Maui time). Elapsed time = 11:35; Miles = 4431. I will be flying back directly from Honolulu, leaving at 5:00 p.m. and arriving Atlanta at 4:25 a.m. Elapsed time = 8:25; Miles = 4502. All flights are via Delta on a L-1011 Jet. <BR> <BR>Hawaii is a very long way from Atlanta, but I am hoping it is worth every minute. From reading some of the posts above, I may have messed up, since we will arrive home around 9:00 a.m. one day and my husband will have to work a 12-hour shift the next day and the following three days. However, I felt like we had to spend all the time we could in Hawaii since it costs so much to go!