Better scenery in Kauai, Oahu's North Shore, or BI?
Feb 10th, 2004, 01:32 PM
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Better scenery in Kauai, Oahu's North Shore, or BI?
Hi everyone,
My honeymoon is scheduled for Aug. 7-20, flying from Boston into Oahu and out of Maui. We have the plane tickets set, and are staying at the Maui Hyatt (through Hotwire for $208/night) for the last 7 nights. My original plan was to spend 2 nights in Waikiki, 4 nights BI, and 7 nights Maui, but except for Maui, nothing is set in stone. Where do you all think is the "best" scenery in Hawaii -- Kauai and its North Shore, Oahu's North Shore, or the Big Island? Since we are from MA, it is unlikely we will go back anytime soon, and are hoping to see the types of landscapes and scenery that we would never experience here. Would you rate Waipaio Valley about the Na Pali coast or vice versa? We are big beach/water people, if that helps. Thanks for your opinions!
My honeymoon is scheduled for Aug. 7-20, flying from Boston into Oahu and out of Maui. We have the plane tickets set, and are staying at the Maui Hyatt (through Hotwire for $208/night) for the last 7 nights. My original plan was to spend 2 nights in Waikiki, 4 nights BI, and 7 nights Maui, but except for Maui, nothing is set in stone. Where do you all think is the "best" scenery in Hawaii -- Kauai and its North Shore, Oahu's North Shore, or the Big Island? Since we are from MA, it is unlikely we will go back anytime soon, and are hoping to see the types of landscapes and scenery that we would never experience here. Would you rate Waipaio Valley about the Na Pali coast or vice versa? We are big beach/water people, if that helps. Thanks for your opinions!
Feb 10th, 2004, 02:47 PM
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IMHO, I think you should skip Waikiki and split your time between two islands. Definitely include Maui and then either BI or Kauai. I love Kauai for the breathtaking scenery and beautiful beaches, but you will find BI devotees on this site as well.
Feb 10th, 2004, 03:47 PM
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I have been to all four major islands and in my opinion Kauai is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The north shore is so green. The beaches are beautful. We saw many rainbows and lots of waterfalls. It's a great place to just sit back and relax.
Feb 10th, 2004, 09:18 PM
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hi Beachgirl,
If you love the beach, I'd opt for the Northshore of Kauai, especially in August when Hanalei Bay is calm and glorious and there are tree-ripe mangos at the little roadside fruit stands along the northshore. (We'll actually be there and Maui during the same period.) One of my favorite places is the Waipio Valley but it is a very different experience. You can almost play Robinson Crusoe down there. We stayed in a treehouse at the back of the valley several years ago with our kids. It was so magical. It felt like Eden; no real roads, no cars, just footpaths and geckos and fruit hanging from the trees. If you could still stay in the valley, I'd recommend a few days there but the two places that used to offer accommodation have closed (in part due to pressure to keep the valley a very special, somewhat hard to get to place.) I would really consider, if you can tweek your hotwire reservation, splitting your time between the BI, Maui, and Kauai. The Big Island has a lot of territory to cover and is hard to see in a couple of days so if you did visit, I would consider staying on the Hilo side, either at a great B&B on the Hamakua coast or up in Volcano. The big resorts on the Kohala coast are great but you can do the big resort thing on Maui. Maui is loads of fun,and quite developed. There are lots of things to keep you busy there. The northshore of Kauai is really beautiful and romantic. I'd do a 4/5/5 (BI/Kauai/Maui) split if you're not getting back soon. You'ld have a great mix of experiences and landscapes.
If you love the beach, I'd opt for the Northshore of Kauai, especially in August when Hanalei Bay is calm and glorious and there are tree-ripe mangos at the little roadside fruit stands along the northshore. (We'll actually be there and Maui during the same period.) One of my favorite places is the Waipio Valley but it is a very different experience. You can almost play Robinson Crusoe down there. We stayed in a treehouse at the back of the valley several years ago with our kids. It was so magical. It felt like Eden; no real roads, no cars, just footpaths and geckos and fruit hanging from the trees. If you could still stay in the valley, I'd recommend a few days there but the two places that used to offer accommodation have closed (in part due to pressure to keep the valley a very special, somewhat hard to get to place.) I would really consider, if you can tweek your hotwire reservation, splitting your time between the BI, Maui, and Kauai. The Big Island has a lot of territory to cover and is hard to see in a couple of days so if you did visit, I would consider staying on the Hilo side, either at a great B&B on the Hamakua coast or up in Volcano. The big resorts on the Kohala coast are great but you can do the big resort thing on Maui. Maui is loads of fun,and quite developed. There are lots of things to keep you busy there. The northshore of Kauai is really beautiful and romantic. I'd do a 4/5/5 (BI/Kauai/Maui) split if you're not getting back soon. You'ld have a great mix of experiences and landscapes.
Feb 11th, 2004, 04:34 AM
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Thanks for your responses so far!
(By the way, in my OP, I meant to ask "would you rate Waipaio Valley ABOVE Na Pali Coast or vice versa?")
Kip, your post was very helpful! BUT, it made me wish I could do all 3 -- Kauai, BI, and Maui!! Although I can't tweek my hotwire reservation, so I will have to be in Maui for 7 nights. We did that b/c we wanted to make sure that with the island hopping, we still for got time to relax, too!
I am always open to more opinions since we are still deciding what to do with our first 6 nights!
(By the way, in my OP, I meant to ask "would you rate Waipaio Valley ABOVE Na Pali Coast or vice versa?")
Kip, your post was very helpful! BUT, it made me wish I could do all 3 -- Kauai, BI, and Maui!! Although I can't tweek my hotwire reservation, so I will have to be in Maui for 7 nights. We did that b/c we wanted to make sure that with the island hopping, we still for got time to relax, too!
I am always open to more opinions since we are still deciding what to do with our first 6 nights!
