After reading through tons of Hawaii posts it is starting to sound like there aren't too many resorts that are on swimmable beaches. It sounds also like people like to spend lots of time at the pools. I have never been to Hawaii, so maybe I am missing something here. My initial impression is that if I am flying 15 hours to specifically go to an island and spending almost $400/night at a resort, then isn't it reasonable to want to stay somewhere with a beach where I can actually?

Are there restrictions on keeping the best (for swimming) beaches public so that the resorts can't build there? Or is the water so rough everywhere that most tourists who aren't used to it stick to the pool?

Hopefully someone can help me and my fiance. We are interested in Hawaii for our honeymoon (very original, I know). We are particularly interested in the big island and Kauai. Hawaii looks great as far as activities (hiking, kayaking, biking, touring, etc.) but we also love the beach and swimming in the ocean. I am not a huge pool person, although I'm sure the pools are great at some of these resorts. We don't care much about nightlife and don't play golf.

We are looking for resorts that have good service, nice rooms, activities on sight (hopefully included in the prices) and that are located on swimmable beaches. I am not adverse to big resorts but don't need a huge fancy lobby or anything too over the top.
Any suggestions?

For the Big Island I am looking at the Fairmont Orchid. The Four Seasons sounded like a fun splurge until I read posts about the beach not being great.

For Kauai we are thinking about the Princeville and the Hyatt. How are the beaches there?

These are just some initial thoughts to give you a sense of our budget and level of hotel that we are looking at. We are open to all suggestions though.

Thanks

For Kauai some say for summer go to north to Princeville, for winter go south to Hyatt. I like Princeville year round because of scenic lush tropical ocean views framed by inspiring mountains. Many excellent beaches near Princeville Hotel, though the beach in front of Pville Hotel is not as large as what you will find in southern Kauai near Hyatt (e.g. the renowned Poipu Beach).
On Big Island many resorts on the upscale Kohala coast have their own beaches. Harder to find sandy beaches in the Kona region due to lava. Still worth going into the water for snorkelling on BI even though lava present (i.e. Captain Cook Monument).
Congratulations on your honeymoon!

Hmmm......you're not a pool person, don't care much about night life, don't golf, looking for swimable beaches...

I think you should consider French Polynesia.

The beach in front of the Hyatt Kauai isn't really a swimming beach as the water is usually a bit rough. There are swimming beaches nearby but not directly in front of the Hyatt (which is probably why they built the extensive pool/lagoon complex).

A-Bay in front of the Marriott Waikoloa on the BI is a swimmable beach. Mauna Kea or Hapuna (can't remember which one, maybe both) sits on a nice swimming beach.

I must say I like beachbum's idea best though.

Anini Beach near Princeville on the North Shore is reef protected and swimable/snorkelable much of the time. Fair amount of fish there. My favorite beach on Kauai.


However, Beachbum has a good point. What you are looking for sounds a lot more like the islands of the SOUTH Pacific. I think that the lagoons of French Polynesia would suit you fine, but you might also consider the Cook Islands. They are similiar to the islands of French Polynesia, but a WHOLE lot cheaper.

I recently posted an Epinions article comparing the 3 locations (at least as I see them). If you are interested you can read it here:

http://www.epinions.com/user-lordbal..._~View_Profile

I have also posted many photos from these places on Webshots here:

http://community.webshots.com/user/lordbalfor

You might want to take a look and see what Beachbum and I are refering to.

I love Hawaii, but it pales next to French Polynesia or the Cooks -especially in regards to water conditions.

Ken

Big Island consider Hapuna Prince or Mauna Kea Beach resort. The are sister properties and have the best two beaches on the whole island. Some consider them among the best on all the islands (I probably wouldn't go that far).

Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club is the best! It is in Lihue with a good beach and a fantastic pool with about 4 hot tubs. Overall a very nice resort with very friendly staff. If you stay in Princeville, you will spend most of your time in Kauai in a car as it is located on the north side (top) of the Island.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I especially enjoyed looking at LordBalfor's online photos and comparision of Hawaii, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands sound fantastic and we'd love to go but given our time frame (2 and half weeks), the distance (traveling from East Coast), and the cost, Hawaii makes more sense.

If we are worried that staying at the Princeville on Kauai will involve too much driving (to restaurants and sites), can anyway recommend a good resort on the other side of the island with a swimmable beach at the resort, nice rooms and for under $400/night?

On the Big Island, I looked into the Mauna Kea and the Hapuna Prince and both looked great. I read the rants and raves and people certainly seem to have strong opinions about which they prefer between those two. Are they that different? Do either/both offer kayaking, snorkling, etc. on site without extra charges? As far as service, rooms, overall hotel quality, how do they stack up to the Fairmont Orchid.

Again, thanks for all the replies. I can't wait to go to the cook islands one day!

I believe most will agree that the top two resorts on Kauai are the Princeville Hotel (ranked #2) and the Hyatt (ranked #4 of all resorts in all of Hawaii). Both hotels are 5 star rated and contain a few respectable restaurant choices. Many other hotels are available for under $400/night some on or close to beach, but I would not personally make that big an issue out of staying at a hotel on Kauai simply because it has its own swimming beach.

Princeville Hotel has a decent beach with good snorkeling, if you want outstanding snorkeling, a 15-20 minute drive to Kee Beach through the scenic town of Hanalei, and past taro fields, beaches, and lush mountainsides is a treat in itself. Poipu beach is about 5-10 minute drive from the Hyatt and has been ranked in Americas top 10 beaches.
Good luck with your decision!

The Big Island and Kauai are both beautiful and are good honeymoon destinations, but if you are a real beach person, they aren't the best choices. If you're going that route, The best bet would be the Hapuna Beach Prince and the Mauna Kea on the Big Island, as both front outstanding beaches. If you check the Big Island Revealed, which has a section on beaches, you will be warned that the Big Island is not filled with good swimming beaches. I have stayed at both the Hyatt and Princeville on Kauai and neither faces a good swimming beach.
For beaches, Maui is a better choice (the resorts on Wailea, Kapalua and Kaanapali face good beaches). Since you live on the East Coast, you might consider the Caribbean. Caneel Bay, for example, is a beach lover's paradise (seven very attractive swimmable beaches with soft sand and clear water that can't be found in Hawaii). The only Hawaiian beach that in my experience compares is Hapuna Beach.

Sally,

Well enjoy your trip to Hawaii. As you know from the article, I think pretty highly of that place too. Do try and check out Anini on Kauai (it's just east of Princeville, below the plateau). it's quite a nice beach and was apparently featured in part of the film "Honeymoon in Vegas". Also, one of the stars of "Friends" (Matt Le Blanc ?) was recently married there. It will give you a little preview of what to expect in the Cooks in regard to the lagoon environments (more or less anyway)

Finally, while I'm on the subject of Hollywood stuff, you might want to rent "The Other Side of Paradise" (out on video - fairly recently release). Set in Tonga, but film on Rarotonga in the Cooks. Gives a good idea of the place. Nice movie too. Get it on DVD and watch the "Making Of" feature AFTER seeing the film.

Ken

The Sheraton Kauai is located on a swimmable beach. I haven't stayed there though so can't comment on the resort. The Kauai Marriott does sit on a swimmable beach but I didn't think the beach was nice enough to be a primary reason to stay there.

I just returned from my honeymoon last week. We went to Maui, Oahu, The Big Island and Kauai. You're right in your thinking about a lot of beaches not being swimmable. My husband and I were greeted by that fact the moment we entered the water on our first day in Maui and were blasted by a wave that almost washed us back to our hotel room. It's much different than what we were used to. The waves are crazy strong (that's why it's a surfing paradise)! It' fun to watch the water, but it can be tricky getting in. You just have to be patient and make it past the first wave! But, if you're looking for beautiful beaches, you need to go to Kauai in my opinion. The best beach that I have ever been on in my life was on the Na Pali Coast! The sand was like butter...it was so soft, the beach had it's own little lagoon that felt like a hot tub. But again, you couldn't really get in the water, because it was way too powerful! But, it was so nice to lay on the beach and let some of the water wash over you. You have to hike about an hour over rugged terrain to get to it, but it's so worth it! It is one of my favorite memories from my two weeks on four beautiful islands. Have fun!

Regarding waves in Hawaii....

My sister and her best friend went to Maui several years back. The way I heard it, a huge wave knocked them both down, then the suction of the outgoing water was so strong, it pulled down both the top and bottom of her friends' bikini... and this was on a public beach in front of their hotel!

The friend still turns red just telling the story. Says she didn't know what to cover.

Ken

First you have to state your definition of "swimmable". Do you want a pool like place for doing strokes, or snorkeling, or playing in waves such as body-surfing or boarding?

For instance, Lydegate Park in Kauai is great for swimming and some basic snorkeling, and there are many hotels in that area. The Princeville Hotel has a nice beach, and is an interesting place to snorkel because of the lava/coral flows that create some dramatic underwater valleys/caves from 5-20 ft deep. However because of these rocks, it is not a great place to just swim (but they do have one of the nicer pools for this). If you go up to Hanalei (or beyond to the caves), you will see many sandy beaches suitable for swimming or surfing. Poipu has a mixture as well, although it tends to be rocky, you can find areas near Brennecke's for snorkeling or for little ones to play. If you want to go further out to the break, then you can surf or boogie-board. It is all seasonal and weather dependent, for a nice swim beach in the summer, try Kalihiwai beach next to the river on the north shore not too far from the lighthouse.

But, I would not pay hundreds/nt extra just to be at a certain beach. Better to spend some of that on renting a car and enjoy exploring the different beaches.

I should have mentioned that one of the better places to just swim, and jump, is the Hanalei pier.

Hapuna Beach;
We had a great time swiming here, but were surprised how many yards out of surf are fulled with churning sand. Is that typical, or current conditions that day? It was so unpleasant to be so fulled with sand, thankfully we had washer/dryer to clean.

Just a serious note:

It is wise not to go into the water if it is not clear, such as after a storm, because sharks are much more likely to mistake you for a seal and go after you when they can't see well.