Hello
My fiance and I are headed to Hawaii from Boston in August for our honeymoon. We don't have an official itinerary, but we do know the types of things we'd like to do. Any suggestions on activities, restaraunts, or shopping would be helpful! (It's our first time to the islands.)

1.) We are staying the first 2 nights on Oahu at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. Looking to see Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach. (Haven't decided on whether or not rent a car for just 2 days, if we do, we MIGHT try to get to Han. Bay for snorkeling or a drive along the North Shore.) Want to eat at fun, casual places like Duke's or Cheeseburgers in Paradise.

2.) Staying the next 4 nights at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Big Island. We are definitely going to take a day trip to VNP, and also hoping to see Black Sand Beach, Waipaio Valley, and snorkel at Kealukula Bay, possibly the Manta Ray Night Dive/Snorkel. (Maybe Botanical Gardens or Akaka Falls)(BTW, I know staying at this hotel will mean a lot of driving, but we really wanted to stay here because of the beach.) Any restaurants in Waikoloa or Waimea to recommend that aren't too expensive?

3.) Our last 7 nights will be at the Hyatt on Maui, where we hope to relax a lot because our first 6 nights will be so busy! Want to do the Road to Hana, and explore different beaches and snorkeling. Want to splurge on 2 nice/expensive dinners, one for my birthday, and one the night before we leave.

Thank you so much for all your help! These boards are a wonderful tool for helping to plan trips!

1. Be prepared for Waikiki. It's not what most people imagine when they think of Hawaii -- it's crowded, noisy and urban. Lots of highrises and tourist traps everywhere you look. This changes dramatically once you're away from Honolulu, but with only 2 nights there you probably won't have time to see the north side of the island.

2. The Big Island (at least most of it) is the exact opposite of Waikiki. The majority of terrain on the west/Kona/Waikoloa side is undeveloped lava flows, while the north and east sides of the island are lush and wet. After experiencing Waikiki, the Hapuna Beach Prince will seem like paradise. The best white sand beach on the island is right at your doorstep.

One suggestion for Waimea is the Paniolo Country Inn -- great food and prices are amazingly reasonable.

3. Maui is a great place to just veg on the beach, as it has a lot of great white sand beaches. Be aware that prices for most things are higher on Maui. It's geared for the upscale traveler and things like food and gas are priced accordingly.

Don't make the same mistake we made on our first trip to Hawaii, which was to get completely stressed out in Waikiki and believe all of Hawaii is like that. It isn't.

ttt for beachgirl because she wrote Hawaii in the header!

A suggestion about the Hyatt Maui. If you haven't already done this, ask your travel agent (or the hotel if you called directly) about a Hyatt package called "Sunshine on Sale". It includes the 7th night free, and a buffet breakfast daily at the Swan Court restaurant. It saves lots of $$$ and the breakfast is soooo wonderful (eggs benedict, eggs Florintine, breads, cakes, fresh fruit, juice, etc...I could go on for days about all the things on the buffet) that you won't have room for lunch.

As for those dinners - Try: 1. David Paul's Lahaina Grill, which was voted Best Restaurant in Maui for 3 years in a row by Honolulu Magazine or 2. Nick's Fishmarket at the Kea Lani Hotel in Wailea. It has both indoor and outdoor dining, and the restaurant has a spectacular 800-gallon aquarium which shimmers with light reflecting from its incredible 2,000 bottle wine collection. (but don't go to Nick's on Oahu, because it's dark and decidedly unattractive).

Also, if you have the time to see a show in Maui, definitely go to see Ulalena (in Lahaina). It's Hawaiian myth and magic, but is produced by the same company that does Cirque du Soleil, so it's not your every day Hawaiian show. It's really special.

another restaurant suggestion on the big island would be Edelweiss. We found it by accident - its up on the north shore - really enjoyed the food and service. One place on Maui to watch the sunset is Keoki's paradise in Lahina. There is also a really fantastic waterfront restaurant down by the acquarium - can't remember the name offhand, but a good concierge should be able to find it for you. One of the best dinners we've had on Maui.

My husband and I stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki on our honeymoon last August. I would strongly recommend renting a car and going to either the windward side/Hanauma bay or the North Shore one morning. You'll be paying for transportation to/from the airport and Pearl Harbor anyways. Chances are that you will crash the night you arrive and then be up early the first morning. We woke up naturally at 5am and went to Hanauma Bay with our snorkel gear. Just going for a drive was so cool- great scenery, Lanikai beach, etc. And the North Shore is just beautiful. Get a shave ice at Matsumoto's.

We liked Waikiki but it is very busy for a honeymoon. That said, our favorite things were having drinks at House Without a Key at the Halekulani (very romantic) and taking a sunset sail on the Outrigger Reef's catamaran. For 20 or 25 dollars it was a blast. Dukes and Cheeseburger are both fun. Expect crowds and lots of tourists and you'll be fine on Waikiki. I think the key is to taking a few hours to explore the other side of Oahu.

On Maui if you enjoy snorkeling, spend a day along the south shore beaches. One of our best days was taking Maui Revealed and checking out some of the different areas. We saw many turtles, a black sand beach and some nice waves. We had a nice dinner at the Hula Grill- nice relaxing atmosphere.

We are heading to Oahu and Big Island this coming January- can't wait. You'll have to post your tips on the Big Island for us!

For your nice dinners, I second Nisk's Fishmarket at the Kea Lani, it is awesome. Also on Maui check out Mama's Fish House and go early to see the surfers. Have fun!

On the BI check out our favorite Roy's Waikoloa Grill - also you can find Roy's on Maui and on Oahu...

Also a fabulous place on the way back from the Volcano or Kealakekua is Kei'ei Cafe

We just returned from our honeymoon and we stayed for part of the time at the Hapuna Prince. It was the BEST hotel during our stay...perfect for a honeymoon!! If you take a right out of the resort, then go left at the end of the road, (about 5 minute drive) there are a few reasonably priced restaurants and ice cream shops. We loved "Cafe Pesto". They have delicious pizza, as well as seafood, chicken...just about everything. Really good food and not too expensive. We ate there a couple of times, and then we had leftover pizza for lunch on the beach the next day! Have a great time... congrats!

#1 you have covered, #2 I am not familiar with yet, #3 the most romantic dinner and setting you will have is right where you are staying at the Black Swan. Pacific O's in Lahaina should be your other celebration dinner.
Congrats.(hope this wasn't too late)

I'd make one slight change, drop 1-2 days from Maui and add to Big Island. Enjoy!