fullhouse

Hello- my husband and I are trying to plan an anniversary trip in mid March - I don't even know where to begin! We bought the recent Fodors book for Hawaii, but are still overwhelmed at all the choices. We definitely want to visit two islands (considering Oahu and Maui) and definitely want a place on the beach - preferably a smaller/condo type, not a huge hotel. Any help with links, suggestions, must-sees, etc... would be SO appreciated. Cannot wait to go - it's been over 20 years since I've been and he has never been - new to this forum, but already have found it so helpful!

bashawdi

I'd recommend you research Hawaii in the forums to ensure that information isn't already posted. If not, I would repost this using a more apppropriate title titled Hawaii something or other.

I can't help as I've never been to Hawaii. Good luck.

hulajake

How long do you have and do you want a three star or higher rated condo? The Waikiki Circle Hotel is across the street from the beach. While there are a few others across the street in Waikiki most of the beachfront are the bigger hotels. There are condos at Turle Bay and some in Haliewa also vrbo has many listings for Oahu.
Pearl Harbor, the view from the top of Diamond Head, the marine museum, sunset on the beach ( this is live entertainment followed by a movie on Queen's Surf Beach), PCC the villages and the evening show the food at the luau is alright but the show is very good, a glider or sailplane ride, a catamaran ride, Laie Point.

Ag3046

It's often helpful to give us a $idea about your budget so we can give advice that is appropriate for your expectations. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Maui Prince Hotel which is subdued and relaxing and not at all like a big hotel. However, I don't know if it will fit your budget, as you don't give one.

f64club

Save yourself a lot of headaches and find a travel agent in Hawaii. Tell them what you want and then step away. This is supposed to be a fun trip! Let someone else do the work.
Go and enjoy yourself.

mark99

You really need to let us know what you like to do on vaca and your lifestyle.

My wife and I go to Waikiki every year. This year we went to Maui to check it out....we did not like Maui at all, and we will never go back...just was not what we enjoyed.

Oahu in our opinion offers far more variety....and while you can be in paradise and I thought much nicer scenery within 20 minutes driving, you still had access to great shopping and dining.

Now...our idea of vacationing is NYC, San Fran, HK, Miami, etc and NOT Sanibel, Palm Springs, etc

So as I said...be sure that you determine what you like and then match up the location.

If you are unsure...split the trip half in Maui and half in Waikiki...it is only a 25min flight and the cost is less than a 80$ return.

turtlebay02

We just returned from Maui....love it. You will be there for whale season...so fun to watch. We stayed at Napili Bay a cute studio for $157 a night with a balcony overlooking the bay. The beach is very nice. It is the quiter side of Maui. The building is only two stories....they have a nice grill area.

turtlebay02

oh,forgot...maui beachfront rentals is who we rented through. They are very helpful. You can go to their website and see the different places they have to rent. We checked out the rooms while we were talking with them to decide which place we would like to stay.

trippinkpj

Mark- Just curious where in Maui did you stay?
I'm always puzzled when I hear someone didn't have fun in Maui. Thanks.

trippinkpj

I should say "on Maui".

mark99

Stayed at the Fairmont...nothing wrong with the accomodations, just thought that Oahu offered a lot more diversity, people, food, culture and scenery.

Kind of like comparing Boston to NYC...and like that, I would much rather vacation in NYC than Boston for the same reasons.

Travelled all over the Island including the road to Hana.

Just reminded me too much of Vegas...staying at the Belagio....but like I said....it is a personal thing....and I'm just glad that we split up the vacation and did the last half in Waikiki.

ready_to_go

We just returned from our first trip to Hawaii and stayed on Oahu and Maui. Stayed in Waikiki for 4 nights at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani to experience the "scene" and then off to Kihei for a week. For us this worked great and we really relaxed on Maui. Walked and used the bus on Oahu, rented a car on Maui. I'll share more if you'd like but the point is everyones dream trip will be different. I would recommend the Maui Banyan in Kihei. They are not on the beach but right across the street from Kamaole Beach 2 where we swam and relaxed. You could spend more $ just down the road in Wailea. Others would stay up around Ka'anapali. Let your budget be your guide and have a great time!