Mikey

I've decided to spring for a couple more nights in the islands so we have a total of 12 days to dole (no pun intended) out between three islands. We're looking at doing the BI, Maui, and Oahu. How many nights should we consider on each? Some of the activities we plan to take in are fishing, snorkeling, watch the surfers (Oahu), shop, keep our 15 year old daughter entertained, etc.

kim

Okay, Mikey. I like telling people what to do. First of all, if you are going to go to Oahu make it the first leg of your trip or you will be sorry. Also make it a brief leg. 3 days max. You can drive around the island to the pipeline but it is flat as a board this time of year. So plan accordingly. Honolulu is a big city that happens ot have a beach. Don Ho was surprisingly good though and the luau at the pink Royal Hawaiian on Wakiki Beach is the best. Then get out of there and go on to the Big Island for 3 days and get your fill of volcanoes (we did a one night trip and were perfectly content) and then on to Maui where you will just be as happy as bugs in a rug. Lots t do for your teenager. If you go to Oahu last you will be kicking yourself. I know from personal experience. We loved Kaui too but stayed in Princeville and it is way laid back and shuts down very early at night. Have a great trip.

jayne

Why do you say it would be bad to make Oahu the last leg of the trip??

becky

This is why people are so fascinating:
all these differing viewpoints. Pearl Harbor is a" must do"---especially for your 15 yr old daughter, who probably (if she is like my kids) has been taught 'way too little about history. Oahu is at least as wonderful as any other island --there is tremendous variety there. It is not "just" Waikiki--which has great fun and swimming, incidentally. Also Oahu has great shopping--(you mentioned that) incredible scenery, wonderful little towns.A different school of thought says Honolulu is better as your last stop precisely because it is a big city--it helps you "re-enter" reality. Also--I think you might be doing too much traveling in 12 days. I would suggest instead 6 days on Oahu and 6 days on Kauai or Maui. Also, a lot depends on what kinds of things your teenager enjoys. Feel free to email me for more of my humble thoughts. Aloha.

becky

This is why people are so fascinating:
all these differing viewpoints. Pearl Harbor is a" must do"---especially for your 15 yr old daughter, who probably (if she is like my kids) has been taught 'way too little about history. Oahu is at least as wonderful as any other island --there is tremendous variety there. It is not "just" Waikiki--which has great fun and swimming, incidentally. Also Oahu has great shopping--(you mentioned that) incredible scenery, wonderful little towns.A different school of thought says Honolulu is better as your last stop precisely because it is a big city--it helps you "re-enter" reality. Also--I think you might be doing too much traveling in 12 days. I would suggest instead 6 days on Oahu and 6 days on Kauai or Maui. Also, a lot depends on what kinds of things your teenager enjoys. Feel free to email me for more of my humble thoughts. Aloha.

Marcia`

Just to keep this interesting - people say to do Oahu first because it is so un-paradisical! My kids took one look at the mobs in mid-april and after lunch on the beach and a trip to Pearl Harbor (an absolute must-see for everyone, and especially if you have a teenager - delay the plane to see it!!), they were only too happy to blow town for Hawaii and Maui. They were 19 and 15 when we went, and had never been. They loved the big island and Maui, altho the older one decided he did not like salt water! We could have spent more time at Kilueau Volcano. We would have liked to be situated hotel-wise so that we could have gone down to the coast to watch the flows at night. You almost need to stay in Volcano, or certainly Hilo, to do that. We wandered around Hilo and then sauntered up the coast towards Parker Ranch - they played in a waterfall with a bunch of kids - the waterfall was coming out of an old RR tunnel. We were invited by two locals to visit their exotic fruit orchard - if we would have spent to time to go down into Waimea (I think this is it) Canyon at the end of the road north of Hilo, they would have loved it. They liked kayaking across the Bay to Captain Cook monmument, and except for the non-sea water person, we loved the snorkeling. Both boys golf, so they golfed. They loved the Waikoloa (Hilton? Hyatt?) - where the dolphins are. and on Maui, they loved the beaches, the water, the golf and the trip up to Haleakala - and they would have been delighted if we had let them take the bike trip down - we ust didn't hvae time. Also, shopping in Lahaina and at the Whaler is not bad, just north of Lahaina. I didn't hear anyone saying they were in a hurry to go home!! Part of the trick with a teenager is to deflate any expectations of "cruising" or "hanging out" etc., so that if they do happen to meet some other kids that's good, and if they don't it's OK. We weren't into going to places that fed the "let's hang out" mode, and they knew that limitation ahead of time. We had good food, great beaches and lots of relaxing time and curious sites