mphiebig

Hi! My fiance & are I are looking into eloping to Hawaii and spending our honeymoon there as well. We want to perhaps find a hotel or cottage that is on the water & romantic rather than a mainstream busy hotel in a big city.

There are so many islands and different sections of each that we're not sure where we should stay or spend most of our time!

Any suggestions??? Thanks!!!!!

DB

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I really should be directing you towards Maui, everyone knows it's the BEST island, but take a look at these:

http://www.hanaleihouse-kauai.com/index.html
http://www.kauaivacationrentals.com/
http://www.kauai-hawaii.com/

8-)

mphiebig

thanks! that's a great help....my coworkers who've gone to HI recommended the north part of Kauai such as Hanelai but my question is- how far is the closest airport?

DB

You don't say when you plan to go, but Hanalei/Princeville tends toward more secluded and slower paced.

The Kauai airport is in Lihue ~gt;, at the middle of the eastern coast. There are direct flights there from the mainland west coast (e.g. LAX,), but it's common to go through Honolulu on Oahu. Staying in the Lihue area is most convenient for getting around Kauai (going north or south). A few of the more affordable places near Lihue/Kapaa are the Radisson (hotel or villas), the Aloha Beach Resort, and one of the cheapest (okay, reasonable) is Kal's old haunt & home way from home ...The Islander. More upscale would be the Hyatt Regency in Lihue, or Priceville (The Princeville) which is not in Lihue. Condos/rentals tend to be a better deal than hotels, but it's a matter of taste. Of course, I haven't mentioned the plethora of hotels/resorts/condos in the south, or Poipu/Lawai area, which tends to be drier and possibly a fee degrees warmer ...even if you don't stay here, you will want to visit. I suggest not looking to stay on the west side of the island for your first stay, perhaps take a day trip over and check it out (such as Waimea Town)

For Kauai you will need to get a rental car as well, available (essentially) at the airport. Check all major rental companies online for their specials.

The problem is that not only are there so many islands to choose from, but they all have too many choices when it comes to hotels/condos. Don't get too hung up on shopping for a "perfect" place, you'll most likely be fine if you just throw darts at a list within your budget.

Just go and enjoy your honeymoon.

Another reference:
http://www.hotelonsale.com

;-)

Kal

DB,
It's haunted???

While we were there we saw a wedding party walking across the grounds headed down towards the heiau by LeiLani.

We were having a mai tai at The Royal Hawaiian on Oahu and spotted some guy who looked like he was up to something...yep..he was getting ready to propose to his girlfriend.
So cool...she did say yes, btw.

cmcfong

Best wishes on your upcoming wedding, mphiebig. My husband and I did the same thing about twenty years ago. It was wonderful and we still regard it as a great decision. Be sure you check on legal requirements before you go. We needed to pick up our wedding license three days before the wedding. That may have changed, of course, but it does bear checking out.
Our wedding was performed by an Hawaiian minister who incorporated Hawaiian tradition and Christian tradition in the service. It was beautiful, very moving. My only real regret is not having hired a professional photographer. We were married at sunset on a gorgeous beach while beautiful Hawaiian music played. Our pictures came out very dark and hard to discern detail. Not so much an issue with digital cameras perhaps, but it would have been a wise investment for us.

alanwar

This place is not on the water, but is up from Kapaa and on a tropical flower farm. It is very beautiful and secluded.It had a private pool and hot tub and the house was very comforable if not luxurious. I stayed here in 2001.

http://www.leapingwaterfalls.com/

Alan

mphiebig

thanks so much for the great advice!!!

kauai sounds like a perfect place to get married! we do want to take at least 1 day trip (or spend a night or 2 there) to another island....if you guys could choose another island to visit- which one would it be? (hard decision!)

are the volcanoes worth seeing?

cmcfong

Well I got married on the Big Island so maybe I am partial to it. I think the volcanos are worth a visit. Hawaii is such a varied and complex state. I could stay there for months and never go to the beach. It has so many natural attractions. By the way, my favorite island is Kauai and I think it will be perfect for a wedding. To get in the mood, rent South Pacific!

alanwar

If you think you'll come back to Hawaii again then I'd suggest skipping a visit to another island. One exception to this rule would be if you are changing planes in Honolulu and can time your day so you get an early flight in and a late flight out. Its just too much of a pain doing the airport security and waiting for your flight. I also don't think there are any non-stops from Kauai to the Big Island so you'd need to change planes in Honolulu.

Alan

mphiebig

hmmm...i didn't think of all the airprt security, etc. i heard there are some inactive volcanos on oahu- are they worth island hopping for? maybe we should spend our whole 8 nights in kauai and just stay in the north shore and south shore?

since we live in nyc and aren't that close- i can't see us traveling there in the near future if we love it so i want to make the most out of this trip.

suze

with only 8 nights and a wedding included, i would stick to 1 island this trip, sounds like you've chosen Kauai. that will be much more romantic and memorable then running to and from hotel and airport to squeeze in 1 day on another island, to what point really?

ALL the islands are wonderful and each offer an incredible variety of things to see and do. that doesn't mean you need to try to fit them all in this trip!

mphiebig

thanks everyone for your help! we decided to spend our wedding/honeymoon in kauai and stay on the north shore 1/2 the time and the south shore the other 1/2. can't wait!!!!!!

trippinkpj

You've chosen the best of both worlds, on Kauai. Congrats!

Igalf72

Congrats! We exchanged our vows on Shipwreck Beach! The Pastor at The Church of Koloa helped arrange almost everything for the two of us including the leis and photographer.

We also took a helicopter ride after and it was worth it. The views between Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast, etc. were breathtaking!

Splitting the time between the North and South part of the island is good, but we liked being in the middle, Lihue/Kapaa. Enjoy the Bubba Burgers!!!

Have a wonderful time!