RollTide_Houston

My fiance and I are looking to plan our July 2016 honeymoon in the next few weeks. I had originally planned on going to Virgin Gorda to stay at Little Dix Bay. But the airfare from Houston to VG is ridiculous in both price and length (most flights have 2+ stops and are $900, for 1 stop flights are $1600+). After researching flights to Hawaii it looks like we can do roundtrip to either Kailua-Kona or Honolulu for $1100 (non stop or with 1 stop). Our budget is $8,000 for 7 nights including airfare. Can anyone recommend which island to go to or a particular resort? We want somewhere that is a bit quiet, has great snorkeling, and we do not prefer all inclusive. I appreciate your input.

FrankS

For that budget and those locations, Mauna Kea on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island would be my suggestion. Its as close to a private Beach as you can get in Hawaii, great snorkeling nearby, very quiet, with good dining on site and nearby

http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/m...otel/index.php

sylvia3

Agree! There's nice walk-in snorkeling at both ends of that beach, and several places nearby. The location is great for heading north, or east to Waimea or to Waikoloa Village and (formerly) Saddle Road.

FaceInTheCrowd

I also agree that Mauna Kea would be nice; it has one of the nicest beaches in the state, IMO. But Mauna Lani, 6 - 7 miles south could be equally as good, with two great snorkeling beaches within the resort property. And it would also be a little easier on the budget. With a 7 night stay, you might also consider a condo.

RollTide_Houston

Is our budget high enough in yalls opinion? Will that the 8k get us a decent honeymoon for a 7 night stay? Is the resort you suggested high end or more of a budget option? From what everyone so far has suggested it sounds like The Big Island. I will say that my fiance and I also will like to go inland and explore the mountains as well so not sure if the Big Island has that. Reading on these forums in seems alot of people are high on Maui and Kauai. Any other thoughts than Mauna Kea so that way I can compare. I appreciate the help.

RollTide_Houston

Is our budget high enough in yalls opinion? Will that the 8k get us a decent honeymoon for a 7 night stay? Is the resort you suggested high end or more of a budget option? From what everyone so far has suggested it sounds like The Big Island. I will say that my fiance and I also will like to go inland and explore the mountains as well so not sure if the Big Island has that. Reading on these forums in seems alot of people are high on Maui and Kauai. Any other thoughts than Mauna Kea so that way I can compare. I appreciate the help.

jamie99

Here is the specials pricing for Mauna Lani:
http://www.maunalani.com/hawaii-vacation-package

Everyone has their favorites, mine is Kauai, but Big Island has excellent snorkeling and diving. Remember to factor in almost 14% tax plus Mauna Lani and most others have a resort fee as well per day.

FrankS

I think 8k is enough, but I don't know your dining habits or excursion interests. FaceintheCrowd offered an excellent option with the Mani Lani, and it will be $150 less per night if you want your money to go further. I would call both hotels high end at 4.5 stars
There is plenty of hiking, jungle, waterfall, opportunities on the Island, but it will be a drive but manageable for daytrips.

Comparables would be the 5 star Ritz on Maui and 4.5 star Grand Hyatt on Kauai. If you want to increase your budget, consider the Four Seasons

Inakauaidavidababy

What are your dates? You sound like you would like some adventure included with some resort pampering stay.

I would consider Maui and Kauai first for scenic beauty, mountainous. I would first consider Maui doing 5 nights at a resort with amenities in either Kaanapali or Wailea or Kapalua and then spend two nights here and adventure around Hana. I have stayed here in January. Great hosts, space and now it has AC which is nice - just in case in July it is hot.

https://www.vrbo.com/572934

Depending on your flight out, enjoy the morning, go back to check out and stop in Paia for lunch casual or eventful at Mama's Fish House and watch some great surfing and windsurfing, browse some shop and head to the airport.

There is snorkling off shore in the vicinity of all the other resort areas.

RollTide_Houston

We will be there July 17th - 24th. Unlike the Caribbean, Hawaii has so many choices on so many different islands. The sheer number of luxury hotels is overwhelming. Snorkeling is a plus and nice water views. But we will most likely take some off shore excursions to snorkel as well. My fiance will really like to explore the mountains and go hiking some. She seems to be obsessed with finding a waterfall pool to jump into haha. We really love great food and I usually shy away from just eating at the resort as this gets repetitive and usually the best eating can be found at private restaurants off property. Hope this helps narrow down what we are looking for.

sf7307

I think you should look at some pictures on line to understand how different each island is from the others. Lots of people on this forum love the Big Island, but frankly, it's my least favorite. Although the topography is interesting, interesting isn't what I'm looking for on a tropical island, I want it to look and feel tropical -- Palm trees, and bougainvillea. But again, there are loads of people for whom the Big Island is number one.

sylvia3

Remember that a lot of those waterfall pools have leptospirosis. Ridetherim.com on the big island does have a waterfall swim stop that is supposed to be safe, though.

Inakauaidavidababy

sylvia, you are warning about lepto while recommending an area that has been shut of due to dengue fever - although july is a way off.

sylvia3

FYI, ridetherim is just that, the rim; they don't go into the valley.
(As evidenced by the fact that they are operating now.)

Inakauaidavidababy

duly noted sylvia, and not to be argumentative, but I see nothing on rims website that makes you think the waterfall is lepto free. Do they test the water daily?

sylvia3

No, I have no idea if they test the water ever. The website has only the implication (to me) that they are high enough that there is no grazing contributing to the water at that point:

"Swimming – We swim under a secluded waterfall at the top and back of the valley before the same water goes over the pali (cliff) as Hi’ilawe Falls; the water is about 72 degrees year-round. Our changing facilities are quite primitive, so wear your swimsuits under your clothing and bring a towel. Water shoes, water socks, reef walkers (however you might call them) are suggested as the smooth river rocks are slippery The waterfall pool is usually only chest deep in most spots." http://ridetherim.com/tour-info/

I thought the fact that they advertise a waterfall swim would be of interest to the OP, whose bride to be "seems to be obsessed with finding a waterfall pool."

Also, seeing as how the BI is composed of five mountains, the chance to "explore the mountains and go hiking some" seemed more a possibility.

FaceInTheCrowd

My first thought in agreeing with the Big Island recommendation is that it best meets your "bit quiet" and "great snorkeling" criteria. But I also agree that Kohala coast resort properties probably don't fit your mind's eye view of Hawaii; from the air they sort of look like oases of green surrounded by seas of lava and ocean. That relative seclusion and isolation is part of the appeal for us though.

That said, we'd probably choose Kauai 9 times out of 10 if the snorkeling there were anywhere close to as good as on the Big Island. It's what you imagine Hawaii to be: lush, green, soaring Pali...a more exotic tropical island feel. Lots of good hiking options too, and more accessible than on the Big Island (don't have to drive as far). The issue on Kauai is that there are few (if any?) beachfront resorts on the north shore, where you'd want to be at that time of year. Maybe you'd settle for a cottage in picturesque Hanalei, or perhaps one like this at Hale Makai Cottages in Haena 5 miles west: http://jalbum.net/en/browse/user/alb...hh3xmt7jloocw?

As for Maui, it's too developed and commercial for our liking.

sf7307

I agree with everything Face said - and if snorkeling were very important to me (it's not, I probably snorkel 5 minutes out of a week-long trip), I might choose the Big Island again.

RollTide_Houston

Well there is an update to our budget. My boss and owner of the company I work for is giving me a very generous wedding gift. He offered to pay our hotel, up to $500 a night. This should give us a pretty decent budget. I do not mind paying a little on top of this, maybe $150. So our nightly accommodation budget will max out at $650 a night. Snorkeling is important but it will not be the ONLY thing we do. We do not mind taking day trips/excursions to go snorkeling.

So from what it sounds like most people on here recommend Big Island or Kauai. Is Maui and Kauai that much prettier than the BI? Does the big island not quite have the stunning "Hawaii" tropical/mountainous look to it?

RollTide_Houston

Also good food is a huge plus. I love great food, especially seafood. I will be wanting to take a snorkeling excursion or two, a fishing trip, and then a trip or two to hike some great mountain trails. The other days we will just veg at the resort. Being at a resort that is on the water is a big plus. But at $650 a night budget I would expect we could get a small room with an ocean view.