This will be my first trip to Hawaii and as I read alot of peoples comments about Hawaii I want to know is the bugs as bad as everyone keeps saying, or is the beauty so overwhelming you don't even think about it? Also, what would be your choice 2 days on BI and 4 days on Maui, or 3 days on each? This will be the only trip I ever get to Hawaii and I want it to be the best.
Thanks everyone!

I would rate the bugs in Hawaii to be similar to what one finds in Florida (large beetles), though not as bad as Alaska (muchos mosquitos).

If you only have 2 days on the Big Island that leaves time for 1 afternoon/night to try to hike and see the lava flows at Volcanoes National Park, or do a helicopter tour if you're OK with the risk. Also recommend an early morning snorkel tour aboard Fairwind II near Kona, to Capt. Cook Monument, book well in advance of your arrival. The Big Island is double the size of all the other Hawaiian island put together so consider driving time from where you choose a hotel vs where you're activities will be.

Four days on Maui, allows time for touring the Road to Hana, Sunrise at Haleakala, a whalewatch or snorkel cruise from Lahaina and some beach time-Maui has the most beaches in Hawaii. Also highly recommend breakfast at Charlie's in Paia, and dinner at Mama's Fish House.
Enjoy your stay in Paradise!

JohnD thanks for the information, we need all the help we can get to have our vacation be the best it can be.

Look on the bright side, there may be large bugs, but there are no snakes in Hawaii!

This may not be representative, but I spent 11 days on the Big Island in November, and got about 5 mosquito bites, using no repellant. I spent about 4 days on the wetter side. If you plan to spend a lot of time in a wet area, you'll get more. I had expected more, but was pleasantly surprised. I didn't see any large cockroaches or other disgusting bugs, just a few pretty beetles.

There are bugs in paradise. Roaches happen. I always get bitten up by mosquitoes. It has never kept me from going back again and again.

We live in Michigan and have so mosquitos at night in the summer you can't sit outside. I'm also afraid of cockroaches or any bugs in the house, so it was with a little trepidation we took our first trip to Hawaii. I had read horror stories about cockroaches in rental cars, etc. The only creatures we encountered were cute little gekkos that somehow got in the door at night, but they stayed hidden or on the ceiling and never bothered me. The evenings on our lanai were blissfully balmy and mosquito-free.

I also had this fear of cockroaches as I am from Michigan and had never experienced one. I saw one in Maui a few weeks ago at the 4 Seasons when husband was gone and had to kill it myself. I'm actually glad that I did because now I realize that my fear was much worse than reality! Never saw any bugs in Kauai, even under the car floor mats (I looked!).

We have been to Maui 4 times and only once (at the Sheraton) I saw a cockroach. There are huge! There are a lot of little lizards running around but.. dont bother them..they eat the bugs. In December we even had a ground floor unit at the Whaler and I never say a bug. Lots of birds around also. Of again.. Im not looking for the bugs either.

I've been to Hawaii 4 times and have never been bothered by bugs. There are no more there than at home in Portland, Oregon.
With only 6 days, I would consider staying on one island. You will waste a half day or more traveling between the two. There is plenty to keep you occupied on either island for six days.

I agree a Fairwinds snorkel tour to Captain Cook is a great idea, but when we were on the Big Island in January last year, we did not need to book way ahead. We called when we arrived in Kona and booked a trip for the next day.

I think you would be hard pressed to do both the volcano and the snorkel tour with only three days unless you fly into Hilo, see the Volcano, then drive to the other side of the island, do the snorkel tour, then fly out of Kona.

What are the bugs everyone is talking about? I lived there, travel there yearly. People are either staying in dives or making up stories.

You know you really need to pick and choose what info you take in on this board. You have trolls, you have travel industry people, you have plain don't get around much people. Sprinkled in there you have sophisticated, well traveled, well fed people. That is the kind of poster I seek out and they are here.

I have just learned when I ask a question to click on the name of the responder if I don't know them. We all have different ideas about quality. If it is a way out response that sounds like a troll, dimes to donuts they only have listed once. Or you can pick up other indicators about their responses that just suggest them to be someone with VERY Different lifestyle than your own. This is a forum, in public you could probably make better assessments just by looking at someone. ?Ok not all the time but sometimes.

Still good stuff to be found here but you really should not put all your eggs in one basket. This forum being the basket. If you are an experienced traveler, gourmet or simply sophisticated, find several resources and be discerning.. TOOTLES!!

PS in Hawaii on Oahu I really enjoy the suggestions of Melissa, PakPokChop, Celeste (although rarely here), and at least one other I am forgetting here . PakPokChop unless I am confusing is a food writer with a website. Help me out here Melissa if I have mistaken him for someone else. They all live there and temper their suggestions so you don?t feel that it is a blanket endorsement of every establishment in Hawaii. I kind of need that in order to trust the source.

BTW HAPPY NEW YEAR
EVERYONE!

Hi Sarah! PakePorkChop is, indeed, a food writer and more so a food EATER! hahaha You can check out his latest column at http://hawaii.rr.com/leisure/reviews...matoaichef.htm

My niece & I are featured in his column about Panini sandwiches.

As for bugs....If you go to wet areas (Lyon Arboretum, hiking in the Koolaus, etc.) you will encounter mosquitos, for which you just need to apply repellant.

Thanks Sarah I was hoping you would come on and leave a link. I will keep a look out for that article!

Wow I just thanked meself. I meant to say thanks MELISSA!!!!

TOOOOOOO FUNNY Sarah.

I think maybe you're spending too much time at the computer.

KEn

There was a large cockroach in the bathroom at the Kaanapali Alii the first night we were there. That was the only one I saw indoors.

I wouldn't call the Four Seasons a dive and it's in dryer Wailea. That's where I saw my cockroach. There were many mosquitos in Kauai as my daughter's legs were covered in bites when we went on the ATV tour...we stopped a lot to view the sights.

I hope to head to Hawaii again in a few months and bugs are not a deterrent, however with reports of some cases of dengue fever in recent years (mostly Maui-see Honolulu Advertiser, mosquito repellant seems advisable. In fact when we toured Limahuli gardens in Kauai they provided us with repellant free of charge.

I think if you use common sense with the bug issue you are fine. Any time we have food in our room or unit we make sure it is stored well, in the fridge or in an airtight container, sealed plastic bag, etc...I have a child who swells dramatically when bitten by mosquitos so I am never withour repellant, after bite to neutralize a sting and polysporin cream (obviously not every one need all of these but we do!). It is so hard to choose how many days on each island, but I would be tempted to do an even number on both of your chosen islands as there is alot to see and do on both. Have a great trip!

Again I have been going for 11 years. I have hiked all over Kauai even in the Alakai swamp and have not used repellent. I also have taken this trip with kids 4-5 times no one has needed repellent. We brought it because we are not the type that hang out at the pool every day but we ended up trashing it (full can) before the flight home. We had our share of time in hotels at the Hyatt, all the hiltons all the islands, turtle bay, Moana Surfrider, Royal Hawaiian, Hyatt Kuaui. NEVER EVER SAW A BEETLE in these hotels . I think if you saw anything Ashly it was a beetle or palm meadow bug not a roach easy mistake. If it was a roach than yes follow alohamoms instructions but I think it was highly unlikley that you saw a roach.