First time Hawaii- 2 wks in October
 

Flying in and out of Honolulu so the plan is to spend several days in Oahu, then thinking about Kauai, or any other suggestions- include Maui or just the 2 islands? We're in our mid 50's, nightlife not a priority, scenery is. Looking for moderate price hotels, nothing fancy. Appreciate any advice on areas to stay, hotels, or good websites to browse. Thanks.

Hi Beatle. You don't need to repost your question. Click on your name and your original thread will pop up.

5 nights Oahu
5 nights Maui
4 nights Kauai

or

5 nights Oahu
4 nights Maui
5 nights Big Island

Lots of info including sites with free brochures:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

Aloha Beatle,

I think Kauai is an excellent choice (it's my favorite neighbor island, so I might be biased). I would stay in Kapaa, not Poipu as the latter is more like a tourist town. We usually stay in Kapaa and head into town or Lihue to have meals. DH loves Kauai because it still feels quite rural, and beware all the wild chickens running around on the roads while you drive. Take a day to spend at Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park, and possibly hike around the high-altitude Alakai Swamp (take plenty mosquito repellant and water). Breathtaking views!

Check airfares often on Aloha Air (alohaairlines.com) and Hawaiian Air (hawaiianairlines.com). Go! airlines often run special promotions for a one-day sale and the other airlines match it, and you still might get airmiles credit (I've got Hawaiian Miles and I get credit for even the cheap fares). Fares a few weeks ago was $9+taxes o/w if flying on a weekday, but it was on sale for one day only. Another popular sale is the $19 o/w fare, with taxes cost us about $26 o/w.

A nice, reasonable place to stay on Oahu is the Breakers Hotel on Beachwalk, if you're looking for something different. It's a small property but feels very lazy when you get there, as opposed to bustling like the Hyatt or Sheraton. Same with the Hawaiiana Hotel next door.

Not too sure about moderate places on Kauai, we stayed at the Kauai Beachboy which is actually a timeshare condo/hotel, but it was wonderful to lie out on the hammocks and prepare breakfast in our room's full kitchen with a washer/dryer in the bathroom to wash all clothes before going back home to Honolulu. Can check Outrigger hotels, sometimes they run a special. I start start at Expedia and then look up the hotels separately to see if there is a special offered direct.

Do you like hiking? There are some good, moderate hikes around Oahu for reat scenery, and some driving tours. It's easy to get around and hotel staff will help with directions. When are you coming? Whale-watching starts in winter. You can take the Makapu'u Lighthouse trail (actually a paved road), drive the 'little circle island' loop (Waikiki to diamond Head to Hanauma Bay to Kailua to Pali Lookout, to Downtown's Chinatown, Iolani Palace, etc and then back to Waikiki. Or a full circle island that goes around Laie and through Haleiwa.

A good website to start with is the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, or gohawaii.com. It'll also list the goings-on around town (cultural, festivals, shows, etc) for the dates you plan on coming.

That's all I can think of right now, good luck in your planning!

Iamq- thanks for letting me know that, I didn't think my post went through.
dusty- yes, ton of info there, thanks!
machbird- Great info! I have 2 weeks, and am leaning toward just Oahu and Kauai. Dusty mentioned 3 islands, what do you think?
Also would you prefer Kapaa to Hanelei?
Last question(promise)- On Oahu- we may stay the 1st 2 nights closer to Honolulu and see Pearl one of those days. Then maybe drive to the No. Shore and stay there? Any thoughts on that, or just stay in one place?? Thanks so much!

I would second dusty's idea of going to a 3rd island if you can manage it. You can choose Haleakala/Hana on Maui or enjoy Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Late summer I plump for the former to see the silversword plants, when they're not blooming (most of the year) I take visitors to the latter first for the volcanoes (we get a lot of people come to visit us here!). Depends on what you would like to see.

I would stay in Honolulu the entire time on Oahu. Pearl Harbor is only about a 30 min drive from Waikiki (well worth going, can take around three hours though) and the north shore maybe 90 minutes. Then again, I'm sufficiently lazy enough to not keep packing/unpacking all the time. I forgot in my other post that the smaller hotels I mentioned have limited parking. I did go to the Maile Sky Court (Ohana hotel) the other day and it was decent, though not near the beach and a bit rough around the edges.

Same with Kauai, I find Hanalei a bit too touristy these days, and prefer Kapaa for the more 'local flair' and also being roughly in the center of the island (road-wise) it seems easier to get around to Hanalei/Princeville (north) and Waimea Canyon (south). but Hanalei is lovely and very relaxing if you prefer to stay there.

hopefully you're enjoying the planning of the trip!

Thank you machbird, now I guess I have to decide 2 islands or 3, and then choose hotels. Welcome any/all suggestions! Thanks...

OK so how about:
5 nights Oahu
4 nights Kauai
5 nights Big Island

I would also just stay in Honolulu. The day you go to Pearl Harbor, you might want to stop through downtown Honolulu (this is NOT Waikiki) for all the other historic stuff (in order of appearance from Pearl harbor to Waikiki): Chinatown, Aloha Tower, Iolani Palace...then if you have time take a detour up to Punchbowl.

I just feel like the time it takes to get to the North Shore is so long that it warrants a whole day! Allot 1.5 - 2 hours out, then the same amount to get back in. While out there, you can explore Haleiwa, enjoy the beach, eat, etc. at a leisurely pace.

Thanks Melissa, I think I'm leaning toward staying near Honolulu- Is there an area/hotel or condo, even if it's not right in Honolulu, that might be a little laid back, not too hectic?
In Kauai I'm undecided between Hanalei and Kapaa, any thoughts out there on this?
One last decision is whether or not to visit a 3rd island- would love to hear opinions and for anyone who favors including a 3rd island- would you pick Maui or Big Island? Thanks!

I prefer staying in Hanalei over Kapa'a, but there is a wider variety of moderate places to stay in Kapa'a. If scenery is truly a priority then I'd try to find a vacation rental in Hanalei close to the beach. There are no condos in Hanalei, but there are in Princeville a few miles away. Take a look at kauaivacationrentals.com as a great starting place for finding places to stay in Hanalei.