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First time Hawaii in June - Hiking and beaches - need planning help please!

First time Hawaii in June - Hiking and beaches - need planning help please!

Old Mar 28th, 2012, 06:56 AM
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m_v
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First time Hawaii in June - Hiking and beaches - need planning help please!

Hello,
My husband and I are planning our first trip to Hawaii this summer (June or July).
I turn to the Fodor forum once again for help Some questions are Canada-specific, so I hope there are some fellow Canadians who can help

Here is what the plan is (it's still early in the planning process, so not all the details have been worked out):
- We have decided on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai
- The trip would be 2 weeks or a few days longer
- We want to hike as much as possible and see as much nature as possible (mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls, swim holes, forests, animals, plants)
- We want to go snorkeling and hang out on beaches for a few days at the end

Here are my questions:
- Flying out of Toronto (and keeping in mind the places we want to visit), what is the cheapest airport to fly into/out of? Which airline?

- Is 3 islands too ambitious for 2 weeks?

- On which islands do you recommend renting a car? I was thinking BI for sure, but not sure about other islands

- Is it worth it to try to camp on one of the hikes? We hiked in Australia and camped in the wilderness and it was amazing! But, it's a big pain lugging camping equipment around to only camp once or so

- Is it helpful to have a book with trails and hike maps or are the trails well marked? Is there a website that lists trails in Hawaii? (I am getting the LP Hawaii book to help us decide exactly which regions of the islands to go to and to book accommodations, but I'm not sure how useful it will be for specific hikes)

- I would love to know what everybody's favourite hike was on these three islands? We are avid hikers not easily deterred by rough terrain, steep slopes and altitude

- Finally - everyone's favourite beaches?

It would be great to hear everybody's opinions - please feel free to throw in your $0.02 on any aspect of visiting Hawaii!

thanks a million!!!!
m
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 07:08 AM
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I'm of the opinion that a week per island is the best choice. Others don't mind trying to fit in three islands in two weeks.

It probably isn't worth it to camp for only a couple of nights. You might consider staying in one of the basic NPS cabins on Maui's Haleakala National Park:

http://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisi...ess-cabins.htm

However, you would have to self-cater. I don't know if you can get reservations at this late date. There is camping available in both of the large National Parks, but it is at higher elevation and you need to be prepared for cold at elevation, and possibly rain at Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 07:10 AM
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You need to rent a car on Maui and Kauai, also. You would be marooned there without a car.

My favorite beaches are Maluaka on Maui, Anini on Kauai, and Hapuna on Hawaii.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 07:53 AM
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Just back from 10 days in Maui.
Not sure about hiking there- maybe hike into the crater at Haleakala- would have to check with park to see if permits needed and other details. It doesn't look like that much fun to me really.

We stayed in the Kahana area - just north of the Kaanapali area and liked it there- a little more laid back than Kaanapali.

We snorkeled with the Pacific Whale Foundation- were supposed to go to Molokini but too windy so they took us to 2 spots off the Lanai coast- Shark Fin Cove was spectacular and one of the nicest snorkel spots I have been to. We were the only boat there.

We also snorkeled from the beach at the Napilli Kai resort-

Check out Merrimans restaurant at the Napilii Kai resort- beautiful spot- we did not have dinner but went for happy hour- saw lots of cavorting whales while we imbibed.

Best meal I had while there was at Kimo's in Lahaina -
Also enjoyed Aloha Grill Lahaina for more local ambiance and fairly inexpensive

Instead of hiking maybe try out wind surfing in Paia- cute beach town and center of wind surf activities- amazing to watch some of them do complete flips.

Loved our time there- used to live in Honolulu but always enjoy going back

I am a fellow Canadian from Sask but live in the US now
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 07:54 AM
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I think the best hiking is on Kauai and on Hawaii. I do like Pipiwai trail on Maui, but it entails a drive to Hana which makes the trailhead access a long drive. Not that it isn't worth it to go to Hana. The hiking inside the dead caldera of Haleakala on Maui is impressive, although very tiring due to altitude, loose gravely lava,the need to carry all your water, and cold.

Hawaiian Volcanoes NP and Poloulu Valley on Hawaii have the best hiking, I think. I really like Hilina Pali hike in HVNP, although it also suffers from the no-water issue and may close if the gas issue from the active Haleuma'uma vent is particularly bad. The Petroglyph Trail, although short is well worth a couple of hours' exploring because it is so very fascinating and gives a glimpse of what was really important to ancient Hawaiians. It wasn't a lazy tropical paradise for them.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 09:21 AM
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placename, thanks for the tip on the cabins. It never even occurred to me to look into that! And for the info on the hikes. Did you have a map of all these hikes in advance or is it easy enough to navigate without?

To be honest, I don't even know why chose Maui - I guess because everyone goes there I definitely need to do more research, but we will probably keep it in the itinerary. Thanks for the info on Maui to my fellow Canuck - esp. regarding restaurants and the pacific whale foundation
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 10:43 AM
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Welcome Canucks: I just posted this on another webpage - where this type of discussion is going on for Honeymooners spending two weeks on various islands. People have different opinons - but I think you can easily do 3 islands without rushing it too much, and still enjoy beach time/nap time back at the pad.

The North Shore of Kauai - Princeville/Hanalei is our favorite, with Big Island a close second, but we love all the islands, and they each have something special.

There is great hiking at the end of the road - at Ke Beach/Haena State park (http://tinyurl.com/6njtfpl you have to travel over 7 cute/one lane bridges) - and also up at the Grand Canyon of the Pacific - Waimea. Here is one page that could help: http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/guideb...iking-on-kauai


(From my other post) Geesh: Getting from one island to another is easy: Wake up early - coffee up and have some fresh fruit and maybe Hawaiian Bread or fried rice - or even sushi - and get to the airport - enjoy the scenic hop to another island - and then you can be checking into your new pad before noon.

If you can fly into Hilo - that is easier to get up to the Volcano area - as well as drive north of Hilo to see some of the beautiful rain forest, including at Akaka Falls. http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/park....cfm?park_id=2

You might stay a night or two up at Volcano (check out the Volcano House at the Visitors center and also the Volcano Village - and the Volcano Village Inn is great - a former artist's retreat in a rain forest http://emmaspencerliving.com/volcano-village-lodge/ - and then finish by driving over to Kona for a few days. Lovely drive - but it will take a couple of hours.

And then you could fly from Kona to say Maui from Big Island, or back to the Inter-Island terminal on Oahu and over to Kauai.

BTW - on Maui - for a quiet - reasonably priced place - I love the Napili Sunset - very reasonable and right on the beach - with a lawn area in front. They even used to have a cam out in front on one of the Palm Trees and you could wave to friends back wherever. http://www.napilisunset.com/

If you can arrange diving with the Manta Rays at night, super. When we were there - for some reason it wasn't happening. They used to turn the lights on by the old Hilton - just south of Kona town and they would come in.

Years later - I did dive with 22 foot gentle-giant Manta Rays of the NW coast of Costa Rica - by Flamingo - and it was mucho fun.

Oh yes: Check with the various rental car companies so you can sign up on the first island you go to and then streamline the process when you arrive on the next island. You can do a two week rental and probably get a pretty good rate. I always use www.carrentals.com, but you can also check directly with all the various rental car companies.

And depending on how much snorkeling/diving gear you want to pay for lugging along - check out the Snorkel Bob's (and others) of Paradise - where you can rent on one island and turn in on another. http://snorkelbob.com/cgi-local/Soft....htm?E+scstore

When you first arrive - just pick up the tourist mags at the airport and there should be plenty of coupons/deals, and they also have good maps for driving around the islands.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 10:56 AM
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Info for camping on Oahu w/out gear:

http://www.malaekahana.net/default.asp?file=Home

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/accom/occpcc.htm

Trails on Oahu:

http://oahuhiking.com/index.htm

http://htmclub.org/trails/olomana.html

My kids do a lot of hiking. They say the best is the Olomana trail. Other favs are the Maunawili trail and Tantalus. For a nice, but easy hike, go to Waahila ridge. You can take a bus to the trail head then another at the bottom in Manoa valley. Combine this with the very easy walk to Manoa Falls.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 10:57 AM
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The trails in the National Parks are all well-signed, but it is important to check regularly for updates on trail conditions and closures. Especially with Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii because of the ongoing volcanic activity.

There is nothing wrong with going to Maui. I love love Maui and it is a really easy island to deal with- not too much driving, lots of great beaches with easy access, lots of nice places to dine and shop, plus a great big national park.

Make sure and review the park websites carefully- all the trails and information you need are in there:

http://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/index.htm

You can't go wrong, you just have to make some decisions, and usually, I find that budget is the one factor that makes most decisions for me.

Tom has some great ideas. The manta ray snorkeling or diving on TBI is a very unique thing to do. The only thing that makes TBI more difficult is that it is bigger and entails more driving and more planning to do various things.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 12:49 PM
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Link to the restaurant I recommended on Maui-

http://merrimanshawaii.com/maui.htm

We just did happy hour- great place
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 12:56 PM
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I love the Merrimans on Hawaii.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 04:40 PM
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I think two weeks will work for those three islands.
Best hiking on Kauai and Big Island, but there is hiking from the road to Hana on Maui ... and of course, Haleakela. Most of the hiking on Kauai is in the places mentioned in the other posts. Be prepared to get wet and muddy there.
The blue book guides "Maui, Kauai Revealed" etc. for each island can give you an idea of some out of the way hikes. Big Island has hikes all over, not just near the volcano.

We liked going into "town" in Lahaina on Maui, and getting away from town on Kauai. Staying in bed and breakfasts can help keep costs down if you're not set on staying directly on the water.
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Old Mar 28th, 2012, 09:49 PM
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Hard to pick a favorite beach, but the north shore of Kaua`i is heavenly. the Ke`e/Tunnels beach should not be missed. aerial photos http://directoryofkauai.net/blog/tag/ke‘e-beach
http://www.hawaiigaga.com/kauai/beac...els-beach.aspx

Ke`e is the beginning of Kalalau trail on Na Pali coast which you might want to consider doing part of. it is in Na Pali state park http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/kauai/

Limahuli garden is close to Ke'e and is part of the national botanical gardens, and features plants native to Hawai'i. very interesting to tour.

You might want to spend a few days on the north shore, staying in Hanalei, or in a rental in the Ha`ena area, or at Hanalei Colony Resort http://www.hcr.com/

You can't drive all the way around Kaua`i, there is no road through Na Pali. the other side of it is Koke`e state park where you can also hike.
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Old Mar 29th, 2012, 03:04 AM
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aloha - love the "handle". And one can't forget about hiking up at the Kokee State Park/Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/park....cfm?park_id=7
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Old Mar 29th, 2012, 03:51 AM
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The Kilauea Iki hike across a small crater in Volcano National Park is interesting(e.g., steam coming up through cracks in the crater floor) plus you get to walk through the rain forest before you descend into the crater. http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisi...kilaueaiki.htm

A couple of beaches we enjoy on Kona side of Hawaii--one very easy to get to and the other a little more difficult--but neither are ever very crowded.

the easy one is the beach at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park--between Honokohau Harbor and the airport. You can park in the lot on the north side of the harbor and a short walk gets you to the beach. There are the remains of an ancient Hawaiian fish trap and ruins of a heiau.

the more difficult one--Kekaha Kai State Park--access is over a 1 1/2 mile bumpy, lava road. (We've done it many times in a rental sedan--just go slowly). The road is north of the Kona airport off the Queen K highway. You can hike from this beach north to Makalawena Beach--a beautiful white sand beach (about a 20 minute walk--take water and wear good shoes). Kakaha Kai is closed on Wednesday. Once we were there during on a week day and the only other people there were a photographer, his assistant, and a swimsuit model taking some photos--fun to watch.

There is good snorkeling on the Big Island (per my husband)--lots of fish and coral.

Honounou Bay by Puuhonua o Honounou (Place of Refuge) in south Kona--called Two Step by the locals (though you will never see a sign with that name)has wonderful coral and the dolphins often come into the bay.

In Puna, on the east side of the island there are the Waiopae Tidepools (google for some nice youtube videos). Protected from the ocean and filled with gorgeous coral, be sure to do at high tide.

There is another area off Ke'ei in south Kona with lots of coral. There are no signs to help you get there--but, if you're interested, I can give you directions.
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Old Mar 29th, 2012, 01:58 PM
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Hawaii (State of) is full of great hikes.

As somebody mentioned on Maui, there are three cabins in the Haleakala Crater that you can rent for $75 a day. You have the cabins totally to yourself. There is water but it needs to be boiled or sterilized. There is a wood stove and there is wood. It was a little cool in January but not so cold in May. My wife thinks the hikes are easy and we are in our 60s. The entire loop is 24 miles with elevation gain and loss of 1800 feet. However, it depends on your conditioning and if you are avid hikers. This is not for newbies. The cabin at Paliku is spectacular and the entire hike is very worthwhile. Check about reservations early like 90 days because at times they are rented within minutes of coming open. You will need sleeping bags, a backpack, food and clothing everything else is provided.

On the Big Island there are many great hikes. The Byron's Ledge hike into the caldera looping over to Kilauea Iki is a super hike, both rain forest and volcanic.

For a backpack (you need to bring everything) the hike to Halape, Keauhou Landing, Apua Point and out to Chain of Craters Road is really interesting. Keauhou Landing has some of the most pristine coral on the island. Yes I backpack my snorkel and mask.

The hike into Waipio Valley crossing the creek and up the pali on the other side (Z trail) is a long, long hike but he views are super. Lots of elevation gain and if you are not in shape, this is not the hike for you.

The Tax Trail of 1822(?) is an interesting hike. It starts at the Place of Refuge (Pu'uouou Honounou (sp)). This is a beautiful park.

The coast hike at the National HIstoric Park by the small boat harbor just south of the Kona Airport is very pretty and rarely used.

On Kauai, there are many hikes out of Alakai Swamp. Those hikes to the coast are breathtaking, both literally and figuratively. Of course, there is the Napali Coast hike out of McKee Beach. Beautiful.

I like to do one island per week. I think you need a car on every island you visit.

Enjoy.

Bill
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Old Apr 9th, 2012, 08:40 AM
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thanks all for the replies! I finally got the Hawaii LP book and will start creating an itinerary. your comments and suggestions are super-helpful with this! especially hotel/rental suggestions!

thanks a million again!
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Old Apr 9th, 2012, 09:50 AM
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Volcano House is closed for renovations, but there's lots of lodging in the vicinity of the National Park.
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