Big Island VS Kauai
 

We 'll be in Hawaii for 14 days next February<BR>-our first time there.<BR>We 'll spend 5 days in Maui at the beginning<BR>of our stay and 3 in Ohau at the end. <BR>Where should we spend the remaining 6 days? <BR>KAUAI or BIG ISLAND?<BR>Which is more likely to offer nice weather and swimmable beaches at this time of the year? Is it true that Kauai's beaches are not<BR>at their best in Winter? and that it might get very wet at this time of the year? Can one still hike Na Pali Coast in wet weather? <BR>Would you consider 3 days in each island?<BR>Would 3 days be sufficient to get enough taste of both Kauai and B.I.?<BR>Grazie / Thank you,<BR>P Mazzadi, Florence, Italy

Do you really need 3 days in Oahu? Oahu is nice but it's a busy city &amp; so crowded! You may not experience that laid back hawaiian feel. If possible I would suggest 4 days ea on the BI and Kauai. The South shore of the BI gets very little rain no matter what time of the year whereas rain can happen for short intervals every day on Kauai. Sometimes Maui can get very humid in the summer, during the winter the winds can really kick up but anytime it is pure heaven there! The weather is always managable and pleasant.

Both Kauai and the BI have a lot to offer. The surf does to tend to kick up in the winter. We visited Kauai this winter (live on Oahu) and found most of the time the water wasn't great for swimming. The Poipu area on Kauai is fairly dry - and Feb isn't a the wettest month typically. We hiked along part of the Na Pali coast without a problem. Often the rain is fairly light - so you can still hike. Use caution, though, on any hike that involves crossing streams in the rain. Either island offers a lot to do and I wouldn't break those 6 days into two 3 day trips ( too much time at airports, etc. to make it worthwhile). If I had to choose one - Oh, it is really a toss up. Overall, Kauai is prettier but the National Volcano Park on the BI is spectacular.... Hard to choose. I don't think you can go wrong with either.<BR><BR>BTW - Oahu is an island. Honolulu is a city on the island of Oahu - in one small area of Oahu. Waikiki is a small area of Honolulu. There are loads of things to do on Oahu outside of Honolulu - if you want to escape from the city. Waikiki tends to be fairly touristy (hotels, restaurants, etc.) Other parts of the island include beautiful beaches, great places to hike, etc. You'll have no trouble filling 3 days on Oahu - I highly recommend taking time to visit Pearl Harbor and also the north shore.

A vote for planting yourself on one island and exploring what it has to offer. I have been going to Kauai in August for about 8-9 years now. God I can't beleive it has been that long. I think I skip a year or two in there somewhere. I still find new trails, swimming holes etc. I always have the experienced of finding something that seems too large to have missed. This pass year it was the trail end of awawapuhi, no canyon trail, no Anini beach park, no secrets beach, no kayaking the Hanalei river. I really don't sit in hotels all day long but you pay a price when you visit favorite spots over and over. Anyway my point to you is there is a lot to see.<BR><BR>I always liken my trips to Hawaii as a deep massage that lasts for two weeks. I come back as loose as jello. Of course I am all wound up by DECEMBER!!! In any event I don't want to get up from the massage table to take a plane ride.<BR><BR>I miss going in Feb but if I went back that time of year I would go to the big island for two weeks. If one island is really not your cup of tea than split with Maui. I do think three islands in that time span would be a mistake but if you are a hopper than don't completely cancel out Oahu, maybe Waikiki but not Oahu. You still might catch the sight of those famous North Shore winter waves, the sea/landscape view from the top of the lighthouse trail at Makapu is incredible! I did it two Martin Luther king days ago, cool when there is an overcast a stormy billiance in the sky too. One of those top of the world experiences with a paved trail!!

I definitely would not split the time between kauai and BI - not enough time to do justice to either. It truly is a toss-up between. We had such a hard time choosing that we are spending a week on each island this winter.

<BR>Dear: <BR>AnAmericanaItalianToo, Scigirl, Sarah, Julie,<BR><BR>thank you so much for taking the time and pain to offer your views. <BR>They sure did help make up our mind... But, I'm afraid that contrary to what most of you are suggesting we are going to SPLIT our stay (3 nights in Kauai and 4 in Big Island). My partner shares your view AGAINST island hopping but I feel that since we are coming such a long way and because them &quot;mythical&quot;, far away, exotic Hawaii are almost a a dream for every European, ON OUR FIRST TIME we should at least get a feeling of what each single island has to offer and leave more in-depth &quot;explorations&quot; to our next visit.<BR>'Cause we ARE DEFINITELY GOING BACK! The more we travel the more we find that vacationing in our beloved U.S. of A. is very pleasant and relaxing... because of the sights, the organization, but especially because of <BR>the warmth and openness of the peaple! You Americans are really special! <BR>However, back to our Hawaii trip:<BR>If you care, I 'm going to let you know how our trip went by posting a note in this great forum once we are back at the end of February -F.Y.I. we are also going to be 5 nights in Maui, 3 in Kauaui, 4 in Big Island and 2 in Waikiki -don't &quot;kill&quot; us!!!..;-))) Again GRAZIE/thanks to all of you <BR>and Buon Anno Nuovo / Happy New Year!<BR>-a special thank to Scigirl who helped me also at the very beginning of my HI trip planning... Scigirl you are really the Angel of Hawaii Travelers!...;-)))

I think the way you split up the dates is great! You'll find the inter-island flights are very short &amp; it's a great way to find out which islands you might like to revisit some day in the future. Have a wonderful vacation!

pier-mauro mazzadi:<BR><BR>I agree, your iteneray is just fine. If well planned, it will be action packed.<BR><BR>Again...scigirl..like to read your posts...you know your subject...thank you for sharing your knowledge.<BR><BR>Just a note: Carefully plan your lodging locations, especially on the Big Island. Suggest that you spend at least one night in Volcano, or Hilo if you plan on seeing the Volcanos Natl. Park and/or the &quot;lava flow&quot;.<BR><BR>Lots of the beaches on the North Shore of Oahu are quite, uncrowded, and just <BR>beautiful. You will enjoy all of the islands....Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks for the compliments!! :)<BR><BR>Have a great trip!

When you go to either the Big Island or Kauai (I've been to both)...consider staying at B&amp;B's. Much better way to save money and get a real feel for Hawaii. In fact, my wife and I like them so much, we're searching for a B&amp;B to buy on one of these two islands!!

Thank you all -again.<BR>One night near Volcano Nat.l Park sounds like an excellent idea -especially because our accommodation is in Kona, which, I understand, is some 3 hour drive from the Park.<BR>Donald, apart from Maui -where we are staying at an inn (in Wahilea)- and Waikiki -(Queen's Surf &quot;Hotel&quot;(?))- we<BR>picked what looks like nice B&amp;Bs in both Kauai and the Big Island -I 'm glad you are confirming our feeling that B&amp;Bs might give us a more &quot;authentic&quot; experience of the places we are visiting, especially 'cause we are spending there so little time... -we are really trying hard to &quot;squeeze&quot; the most out of them Hawaii....;-))) <BR>Again, THANK EVERYONE. Pier-Mauro (Peter)

if you are looking for an authentic experience in Waikiki. I would consider the Sheraton Moana or the Royal Hawaiian. The Moana is the oldest hotel in Waikiki. You really get a sense of the whole cruise period here. Just a thought if it is in your price range.<BR><BR>You want to remember also that Waikiki is a city beach so don't expect small town feel. I hope you will be going to Iolani Palace to check out Hawaiian history. The guides are very good story tellers and will put you in the know of 1895.