Hawaii advice please
 

I'm looking into trips to Hawaii for me, my husband and our infant daughter (will be 8 months). We want to go in late Nov. or early Dec., and can probably stay no longer than 7 days. We've never been to Hawaii before but have traveled (sans child) to several islands in the Caribbean and Tahiti and loved them all. We like beautiful beaches, a very nice hotel, and an island that has a few things besides the resort. We don't like moving around too much, but might consider two islands in 7 days. Night life will not be too much of an issue this trip. Our budget is under 5K for the whole trip. Any thoughts on which island(s) and/or hotel(s) might be best? FWIW, we've looked at several of the Hawaii tourism sites, and some other websites as well, but are having trouble deciding so thought we would get some real life traveler advice.
Any help is appreciated!

if you want a lot of things to do and beautiful beaches, go to Oahu for your first time to Hawaii. Yes, crowded but beautiful beaches, nice hotels many other activities.
if you want less things to do and beautiful beaches, go to Maui. Yes, crowded but beautiful beaches, nice hotels and some other activites.
if you want nothing but beautiful beaches, good hotels and less things to do, go to Kauai or the Big island. You'll find beautiful beaches and hotels on all the islands. Look into a flight/hotel/car package which will probably be cheaper and fit your budget.

There is more to see & do on Oahu than any other island. But, you can't go wrong with any island.

Lots of info including sites with free brochures for all islands:

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

With 7 days, and a 1st trip, I'd encourage you to pick just one island. Oahu or Maui would be my suggestions.

When I was new to Hawaiian travel, I checked out a pile of travel guides from the library, and read about each island, to get an idea what would suit me best.

We've done Kauai, BI, and Maui - based on your input, I'd recommend Maui. It has gorgeous beaches and a lot of other activities - we did the Road to Hana, sunrise at Haleakala, snorkeling at Molokini, Old Lahaina Luau, etc. Also were able to snorkel right off the beach in Wailea. We spent a week in Maui for our honeymoon, and it was just about the right amount of time - I wouldn't try to do another island in only 7 days. Of all the islands we visited, Maui seemed the most posh and sophisticated. Kauai has amazing natural beauty, but not as many activites as Maui offered; BI was amazing, but huge driving distance involved that would really cut into your time and might get tiresome with an infant. Have a wonderful trip.

matnikstym said it best: Oahu has the most crowds and most non-beach options; Kauai and the Big Island have less-crowded beaches but also fewer non-beach activities (barring a volcano or two). That makes Maui the perfect balance of both! Depending upon where you live, you should look into a direct flight to Maui's airport.

Have fun!

I recommend Maui's Napili Bay. There are several places to stay, and since your daughter is so young, you can go during times other than school holidays so you will get better rates. Check out Napili Kai Beach Club and Napili Shores. You can probably find both on the internet in packages, or book directly. We went to Napili Kai for the first time when our son was 3 1/2, and it was soooo relaxing. Most units have at least a kitchenette, plus there are several pools. They also provide beach chairs, which is important. We have been there 4 times, and the last was last Christmas and he was 14 and still loved it.

You'll get lots of suggestions, everyone has their own idea, so I'll add mine. Every island is beautiful & you'll love them all. One week on an island is good, don't try to do 2 in one week. When we go to one island, we always go back to O'ahu for the 2nd week. There is so much to see & do. Definitely rent a car and drive all around the island, take more than one day & go in different directions, or just spend the whole time relaxing or seeing Honolulu. There are some beautiful things just a few miles from Honolulu. I wouldn't try the hike up Diamond Head with a baby, unless you are really fit! Which ever island you chose, go to amazon.com (cheapest) and order a "... Revealed" book by Andrew Doughty & Harriett Friedman. There's one for each island. They are titled O'ahu Revealed, Maui Revealed, etc. Excellent, excellent books. The author gives an account of everything on each island, from mile post to mile post, along every road. Tells about things you MUST see, things to avoid, best times to do things, all the beaches, scenic stops, best views, places to eat & prices, things a normal person would never find or see. It also has very good maps. You can't go wrong with these books. I have loaned them to several friends before their trips & they agreed they would have missed out on so much without them. As for our favorite things, snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, Dole Plantation (your daughter will like the train ride), Turtle Beach (not to be confused with Turtle Bay) where we saw lots of big sea turtles, Valley of the Temples was interesting & pretty, driving thru the tunnels on Likelike & Pali highways, lighting of the torches ceremony every night along Kalakaua at the park near Kuhio Beach. There's just so much in Honolulu & O'ahu. Get the book, it will easily help you make a decision.

I'm partial to the Big Island as I'm from there. With a baby and the budget, I'd go to the Big Island though, for sure. Stay on the Kona side for the beaches, and rent a car and travel to the Volcano for a whole day. I adore the Hilo side but the beaches are not traditional white sand and so that may put many off. Waimea for a day is a lovely trip, eat at Merrimans. Farmers market in Hilo on Saturday is a must, and combine that with a trip to Akaka Falls, a lovely short hike. Missing Hawaii nei!

I love the Big Island too. You can drive around the island and see the volcano. It doesn`t seem quite as commercial as Maui.

Thanks so much for the replies! I'm sure I'll be back to post more questions after we make our decision and start planning an itinerary. Thanks again!

I love Oahu but I would not send someone with only 7 days here. Unless, I knew shopping was critical. I would not think that someone with your experience in the carrib and tahiti would find this the best destination of all islands either.

Would say stay on 1 island in 7 days but ask you to try to pull that 7 days into 10 with both weekends.

Maui is great that time of year because of the whales. I have not been to Maui in about 10 years though because I prefer Kauai and Big Island. So go figure? When I want to decide on any destination I see which destination receives the most enthusiasm from guide books that provide an opinion. You can identify a book like the because they won't recommend EVERYTHING, serving more as a phone and address book than a guide.
For the islands picking hikes go to Youtube some are on amatuer video the Kalalau trail on Kauai is there. Also look up stills of any trail.

Choosing which island, another easy option is go to book store pull all wizard pub guides and see which destination pulls you by photo and or options. That is what I do if I don't have enough time to decide.