Note that it is only a 37 minute flight from Honolulu to Maui. I don't think you need to call that a travel day.

I recently went to Oahu and BI and liked both places.

Pearl Harbour is an EXTREMELY moving experience and is a major reason for seeing Oahu. We did stay in the Waikiki Beach area. But, if I had to do it over again, I would rent an apartment in Kailua or Lanikai Beach area. This is absolutely one of the prettiest beaches in the world, and there is a more authentic Hawaiian feel here than in Waikiki Beach.

Oahu also has great museums, like the Bishop Museum. This houses the largest collection of Polynesian artifacts in the world. I greatly enjoyed learning about Polynesian culture, which was far more complex and sophisticated that I had ever believed. Another good museum is the Academy of Fine Arts which offers a tour of the Doris Duke estate.

Oahu offers really good snorkeling at Hanauma Bay where the fish just jump at you. And, Oahu is famous for the towering waves on the North Shore, although the waves will probably be calmer in July.

One reason to limit your stay to two islands is that you have to be at the airport one and one half hours before your flight. An inter-island flight takes up about 3 to 4 hours of your day.

However, Hawaii is introducing a ferry service for next year. www.hawaiisuperferry.com Starting in 2007, there will be daily service between Oahu and Maui or Kauai. This might be a more pleasant alternative to an inter-island flight.

As for the sights on the BI, there are some gorgeous places besides the volcano. We did not see lava when we went, even though we drove down the chain of craters road. But, the volcano was still pretty and interesting.

There are gorgeous waterfalls like those at Akaka and Rainbow falls. The Polulu Valley is gorgeous, and there are some colorful and authentic Hawaiian towns along the way there. We also visited the Place of Refuge with the re-created tiki statues. We did not bring swimsuits, but other people there said that the snorkeling was quite good.

Finally, the best thing that I could say about the Big Island is that there are relatively few crowds there.

I stayed a month in Oahu, the dream of my life. I went on March 20th. I have also been in May. I had the best weather in March. I think July would not give you the best weather because in May it was hotter than I expected. I went when the Iraq war just started. No lines, very few tourists. Spring break could have caused trouble I guess, but this was the best vacation of my life. I went to Kuaui for a day on a helicopter ride. This was the #1 attraction I have ever experienced. Kuaui is beautiful and an hour's ride you can see it all. I want to go back there because it is so laid back and the Princeville Resort is something to be on the not to miss list. We rented a car and saw as much as possible. Maui is nice, but I agree expensive and the beaches we saw were filled with coral that hurt your feet in the waves. The Hana trip was terrific, wouldn't have missed that. I have not been to the Big Island, but I saved it for last and will spend the entire time there when I return. Everyone should see Hawaii before they die, it's just to awesome to miss. I hope you have the time of your life!

I have not yet been to Haraii but I am so looking forward to it in the future. One of the things I am eager to see are those enormous waves that roll in (up to 80 feet at breaking point!) at a certain time of year. The site of the most extreme surfing in the world, I am definitely going to travel to Hawaii at that time of year! Just a though...:)