first trip to Hawaii - your advice please
 

I'm planning again - this time for a trip to Hawaii. This will be our first visit. As some of you know, the four of us have varied interests: big cities, history, culture, nature, wildlife, hiking. We are not interested in water activities or beach time other than a couple of walks along the shore. Right now we are aiming for 9-10 nights divided between two islands and are leaning towards Oahu and Kauai.

Are we making the correct choice of islands given our interests?

We are thinking early July or early August - is one better than the other?

On Oahu, we hope to stay on or near Waikiki. On Kauai, is there a recommended part of the island to stay?

I will probably have more questions as I continue my research, but this is it for now. Thank you, as always, for your help.

I don't think July or August would make any difference. They should both be great times to visit.

With your interests, Oahu and Kauai are the two islands I'd recommend. They would have good contrast. I'd suggest staying on Kauai's North Shore. The hiking and natural beauty are awesome.

I'll start my reply by telling you we are Big Island people...and enthusiastically recommend it as part of any trip to Hawaii if you have time.

It's primary draw for many is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But, because of it's sheer size, it offers so much more than many other islands. 300,000 acres with several days of things to see and do for those who wish to do more than a drive by visit.

There are few other places in the world where you can be on a snow covered mountaintop and a surfing beach in the same day.

Outdoor activities? Too many to choose from.
Hiking? Do you feel like rain forest hiking or are you more in the Arizona or Utah desert feeling that day?

Do you want to visit America's rainiest city? America's southern most point? How about a rare green sand beach hike? Black sand beach?

Science? An astronomy center, the world's most advanced telescopes. The terrain on the Big Island was selected for Mars mission training.

Have you ever visited Texas cattle country? Parker Ranch - over 200,000 acres - is like visiting just that.

Cultural interests? Check. Ancient Hawaiian civilization started here.

The terrain alone is amazing and so varied. Vast fields of black lava, lush groves of tropical trees, coffee farms, rows and rows of macadamia nuts...even cacao...and more.

I could go on and on! It will depend on your amount of time for the visit...if you only have a couple of days for your neighbor island visit, you'd be smart to stick with Kauai...it's small and easy to see in a couple of days. If you have more time, though, consider Hawaii Island. It's awesome!

Each island has its own personality. I think the choice of Oahu and Kauai is perfect, but then unlike TJM, we are NOT Big Island people (like parts, especially north of the Kohala Coast), but dislike parts (I’m more a fan of a traditional tropical look and feel, the lava fields are interesting to me, but when I go to Hawaii, I want palm trees and gorgeous sandand). Overall, can never get over the sheer lushness and beauty of Kauai.

as for where to stay on Kauai, the north shore is unbelieveably beautiful, but we always stay on the south shore because most accommodations on the north shore are in the Princeville development, which isn’t at all to our taste - too suburban and manicured, plus everything is high on a cliff, and we like to be “at” the ocean. The south shore is also beautiful, just not quite as stunningly so as the north shore.

On Oahu, for a first trip, probably best to stay in Waikiki, but do rent a car and drive west to Pearl Harbor and northeast to Kailua-Lanikai (great kayaking) and then northwest across the H3 to Haleiwa and the north shore beaches. The H3, in parts, is a visually amazing highway.

Songdoc and SF7307, thank you for your feedback and suggestions.

TJM_70, thank you too. A lot of what you describe appeals to me although I feel I would need at least 10 days for the Big Island. Next time!

Sounds like a good choice, on Kauai I also vote for the North Shore, there are some nice condos in Princeville, my personal pick would be Hanalei Bay Resort.

I feel the exact way about the Big Island as sf7307, but I know people who love it.

But I disagree on Princeville. I love Princeville so much I moved there! Yes, Princeville is on a cliff, but I don't mind that and the views are stunning. There is also a (newly expanded) walking path alongside the golf course with breathtaking mountain views.

The South Shore/Poipu feels more like generic beach resort than "Hawaii" to me. Some people feel Princeville is too pristine or manicured, but It's not as if Poipu is set in the jungle or has the feel of old Hawaii. The places to stay in Poipu are either modern, manicured condo complexes or resorts and it feels less Hawaiian to me than the North Shore, but there are certainly some pretty places all over the island and you can drive to them.

Only Kauai's North Shore matches my fantasy of how Hawaii is supposed to look.
But there are people on this forum who prefer Maui, BI, Oahu, and Kauai--and different parts of each island. Different strokes for different folks.

Friends of mind stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort and loved it. It looked fantastic when I visited--and you can walk to the beach from there. If budget is an issue, there are lower priced options such as Sealodge and Alii Kai, and even lower prices if you forego the ocean views.

Jamie99 and Songdoc, thanks for both of your suggestion of the Hanalei Bay Resort. I will take a look.

I should also add that we will rely on a combination of walking, public transport, and tours, hopefully of the smaller group variety, given that we don't drive.

So far, for Oahu, we have on our sightseeing agenda, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Downtown Honolulu, the North Shore, and what guidebooks describe as the southeast. For the latter two, we are looking at both public transport as well as small group tour options. If there are any operators that you know and trust, please recommend.

On Kauai, we hope to experience Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast, which I understand we would need to visit on tour given the lack of public transport options. Here are some options we're considering if you have first-hand experience with them:

http://www.kauainaturetours.com/hiking-tours/

https://kauaihikingadventures.com/it...-destinations/

https://www.tombarefoot.com/things-t...king-tours/16/

We also hope to do a helicopter tour on one of the islands, and partake in a luau.

Thanks again.

I'm crazy about Honolulu/Waikiki and it is where I have spent most of my total Hawaii time (5-6 trips to date).

I love the city meets ocean, spectacular DiamondHead and mountain views, plus all the cultural opportunities (museums, historic sites, music and dance, art, food, etc.) and normal tourist amenities (restaurants, cafes, bakeries, shopping, tours, etc.).

I travel solo and it's easy to get around without a car on foot and The Bus.

While I have never been to Kauai myself I do think those two islands are a perfect fit for your wishlist and time frame and group's interests.

Suze, thank you. It is good to know that someone else has visited Oahu without a car.

IMO you can do without a car on Oahu for most of your stay (But do get a car for a day or 2 and drive around Oahu) The BUS is great! On the outer islands I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend renting a car from arrival to departure.

Accommodations on Kauai. While Princeville is lovely and many like Poipu, I prefer Kapaa, It is not far from Lihue and you could go north or south on any given day.

Hpeabody, thank you for your advice. I wish we could heed it; unfortunately we don't have driver's licenses.

I have been to all the islands (except Molokai) and I love Oahu and Kauai the best. I agree about the North Shore of Kauai but it is a small island and easy to get from the North to South Shore quickly.

You definitely can do Oahu without a car rental. If you want to get beyond Honolulu/Waikiki (which The Bus works for beautifully) you can sign up for a day tour with a company like Robert's. There's no shortage of companies or drivers offering a "circle tour" if you have time to see more of Oahu. I'm always too busy in Waikiki, and honestly have zero personal experience with that part.

Oh and if you can't drive/rent a car, I might rethink the Kauai idea. That would be trickier to figure out because they don't have the public transportation network like Oahu does.

<but it is a small island and easy to get from the North to South Shore quickly>

Even without a car, nanabee?? These folks don't drive.

It isn't how I'd want to do it, but Robert's operates on Kauai too.

I have been on a Roberts Tour my first visit to Kauai in 1991 for a work reward trip. They are on a big bus and only stop at the main lookout and do not visit Koke'e State Park, the Kalalau lookout, etc. They did stop at Spouting Horn (worth maybe 10 minutes) and the usual obligatory shopping stop.
Unless they have added some small vans to their fleet they would not be able to travel much past Princeville due to the many one lane bridges.

Nanabee, Suze, SF7307, and Jamie99, thank you for the additional information. Looks like we will likely be okay on Oahu, even with the North Shore, using public transport. On Kauai, we will likely use day tours, but aim for the ones that offer active hiking and in smaller groups; we're definitely not interested in the big bus variety which mostly consist of photo stops and shopping.

We are looking for a full-service hotel on Kauai that is walking distance to shops and restaurants. Somewhere with beautiful views would be welcome but not required and we don't need to be on a beach or have easy access. Some suggested Hanalei Bay Resort, which looks lovely, although I'm hoping for some of the hotel service and a location that allows us to walk in the surrounding areas given that we won't have a car. Suggestions? Thank you.

I've heard good things about Hike Kauai with Me over on TripAdvisor but have no personal experience since developing mobility problems two years ago which cut my hiking down to zilch. Might want to check them out.
You'll need to take a taxi or shuttle from the airport, since you cannot take luggage on the Kauai Bus (limited schedule).
Both the Kauai Marriott in Lihue and I think Kauai Beach Resort have a free shuttle. The Marriott has several restaurants onsite and there are two small shopping centers with restaurants in walking distance.

Jamie99, thank you. Would you recommend one hotel over the hotel in terms of locations? I'm interested in being able to walk to places.
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Hey there, I'm a Oahu born and bred girl and I'm going to be very blunt with you. Please know that Waikiki will not give you an authentic view of the islands as it's completely culturally divorced from the rest of the island. It's also very expensive and the traffic is rough. I highly reccomend staying in a condo somewhere between Ala Moana shopping mall and the downtown area...china town, kakaako, ward, and most of Ala Moana Blvd is a good bet. Staying just outside of Waikiki will give you access to better restaurants (China town is definitely home to Oahus foodie scene) and there is ample public transportation. I would suggest a combination of the Bus and Uber to get most places. Avoiding Waikiki will likely shave off 15 to 20 minutes off of your transportation time for most of the must see sights. You can do so and see so much without a car on Oahu.
Some suggested day plans.
Day 1: Breakfast in Chinatown (scratch kitchen for contemporary American with local Hawaii flavors, or go for dim sum at Legends)
explore downtown and Chinatown area on foot (there are some pretty cool historical buildings and some awesome galleries) and check out Iolani palace
Take the bus or use Uber to head to lush Manoa Valley --- if you are hungry or need a coffee boost stop at Morning Glass (excellent Kona and Kau coffee and great sandwiches) then spend your afternoon at Lyon Botanical Gardens (be sure to skip Manoa falls since they will be a trickle during the summer lol) be sure to take all the little trails --- its an absolutely amazing collection of plants and the mountains that surround it are so gorgeous! Uber or bus back into town.
Grab dinner downtown- for contemporary riffs on local favorites in the downtown area I suggest Pig and the Lady, Senia, Fete, Lucky Belly or Livestock Tavern. For excellent Japanese -sushi sasabune for sushi or nanzan Giro Giro for omakase.

Day 2:head to the windward side via BUS in the morning for Hiking and breakfast---do them in whatever order works best for you --- though I'd suggest trying to get on the trail before 10:30am or wear lots of sunscreen. Highly reccomend Mokes for breakfast for their lilikoi pancakes :)
For trails I'd suggest Lanikai Pillboxes (depending on what you are used to, I would grade this trail somewhere between easy and moderate---there are a couple of eroded steeper sections, but nothing too bad as long as you have appropriate footwear). Be sure to go to at least the 2nd pill box to have more of the trail to yourself---technically the trail continues all the way down to enchanted lakes if you are so inclined. The trail offers views of Kailua Bay, Waimanalo, the Mokolua islands, the Koolaus, and Mt. Olomana.
after you finish your hike wander about a quarter mile down the road for Lanikai Beach Access. Find a shady spot if you can and enjoy the cool water and gorgeous views of the Mokes (mokuluas)
For a great and local lunch grab a plate lunch at K and K Barbeque (Korean style bbq basically) and get a Teri beef plate or a BBQ chicken plate....or if you want amazing fried chicken go to Fatboys in Kailua town and grab a Garlic Chicken Plate. If you want to have something a little healthier Lanikai Juice (also in Kailua town center) has great fresh fruit bowls and smoothies.
if you decide to make a full day of it in Kailua---there are lots of cute little shops and boutiques and several pretty good restaurants for dinner ( cactus, fromagios,lemongrass, and buzzes are probably the best restaurants for dinner)

Day 3:
Take the bus that goes to the University of Hawaii . Get off the bus near Pucks alley (just ask the bus driver for help) and then grab an amazing breakfast at Nook--- pork belly eggs Benedict yes please :)
Then grab an Uber and head up towards tantalus(Hawaii's only historic road) on the way up ask your driver to go via Round top drive and make a quick stop at the lookout at Puu Ualakaa State Park and maybe pop into Nutridge (historical house) for photos then continue via uber another 4 miles or so to the top of the mountain. Ask your uber to drop you off just before the one lane bridge where the Kalawahine trail begins. From here you can take a series of trails that snake down along the mountain side offering gorgeous views of Pauoa and Manoa Valley. You will also pass through a very special area of endemic native plants that is maintained by the university ---looks a little like jurassic park. Take the Kalawahine trail to Manoa Cliff trail then cross the road and take the Moleka trail to the Makiki Valley Loop trail ending at the nature center. Total distance is probably 7 miles or so, but most will be relatively flat or downhill, there will only be a few areas with uphill sections. The views will be quite beautiful for most of the hike. Walk down the road about a quarter mile to Nehoa street to catch Bus back into town
Day 5:
take bus 52 to Haleiwa/wahiwa (this one is a longer bus ride) and head up to the North shore---about half the drive is scenic, half is less so lol. Enjoy walking the town of Haleiwa and walk Ali'i beach (look for turtles resting near the tides---i see turtles 9 out of 10 times I walk that beach) grab Breakfast at Cafe Haleiwa....if you are adventurous go on one of the shark cage dive tours (needs to be booked in advance)...ive done several shark dives and would reccomend the shark dive in Haleiwa to anyone. You are in a sturdy cage and the sharks are relatively small and not aggressive---its just a beautiful sort of surreal experience --- this is not the terror inducing great white shark experience like you are on shark week (done those also---wouldnt reccomend those generally lol). From Haleiwa you can catch the bus (#55) and gradually make your way down the coast line--- i believe the bus comes every 30 min or so---but depending on your interests you might consider getting off at Waimea beach (for a little beach time) or Laie (for polynesian cultural center) Take the bus into Kaneohe and get off at the Haiku bus stop and walk to Haleiwa Joes for cocktails and a meal with a view :) bus or uber (approx $25) back to Honolulu...

hopefully this gives you a little taste of the possibilities beyond Waikiki :) feel free to message me if you want any other ideas

Bookmarked...great detailed post!

With no car, I would pick the Marriott, stayed there quite a few times, Kauai Beach Resort is kind of set off by itself. I've visited Hanalei Bay Resort a few times to see friends, it is in Princeville and is a beautiful place, but only a few restaurants in walking distance. Most restaurants are in Hanalei which is not walking distance so you would need to take taxis.

Thank you so much, trailandtide; appreciate your time with all the details. And thanks to you too, Jamie99.

bookmarking as well.