DebitNM

Nothing special in Kona, Courtyard King Kam.

Tomsd

Generally speaking - going way back to the "old days" - down Kiehei way was thought to be more windy.

And again, as for A/C - there is a difference IMO - between being a bit hot v. sticky humidity. Rarely in "Paradise" - aka Hawaii - have I felt "sticky".

And on our honeymoon in '86 - we rented a Kona beachfront condo for 5? days - about 4 miles down Ali drive - and it was great. It even had a grassy area in front - and we had Mongoose (Mongeese?) - cavorting about - and they are very quick/coordinated - much like cats/foxes.

Tomsd

BTW Utahtea: You are getting increidble - and extended - advice.

utahtea

edjim, I'm looking at VRBO places in Kihei on Maui now.

Tomsd, You are right, I'm getting a lot of great advise and I really appreciate all the feed back.

Utahtea

Tomsd

BTW - did you have a chance to check out the Napili Sunset - and the Kapalua areas? I love those places and you are closer to lovely Lahaina - which also has the ferries to Lanai and Molokai.

http://www.napilisunset.com/

Tomsd

BTW - you also look across at Lanai and Molokai from the Kapaluya/Napili areas.

MichelleY

Great advice for Utahtea. Paying it forward for all the great advice she has given all of us regarding the Southwest over the years

utahtea

Thanks MichelleY!

Utahtea

edjim

If you stay in Kihei, I would suggest South Kihei. The beaches are better b/c they are part of Kamaole park -- no condos on a long stretch by the water. Kaanapali/Kapalua areas on west side are good, too. When we stayed in Kihei, we split time between south side and west side beaches. Good snorkeling all around.

There are some stunning views from the beaches on both shores. On south side in front of Makena resort, you can see the west side of Maui, the island of Lanai, and the island of Kahoolawe. On west side, you can see Lanai and Molokai.

Kauaichris

Aloha Utahtea. There is definitely some awesome advice here. Not to pimp our own site too much, but there is some very useful info there. We don't sell anything on the site, so I'm not spamming. We are going to do a redesign, but for now it is very functional and has probably more info on Hawaii than any place online. www.aloha-hawaii.com . You'll have to check it out and let me know if it is helpful.
I would definitely vote for Kauai. That is where I am from, but I have been to all the other islands and although they are all beautiful in their own right, there is no place in the US like Kauai. www.kauaiexplorer.com is a great Kauai resource site as well. Good hiking and beach info. Whatever way you go, I hope your Hawaii trip is unforgettable.

dusty56438

Kauaichris

I contacted you (or another person from your site) on a few personal messages about a year or so ago.

Until you redid your site a year or so ago, you had a great set of maps for each island. Then they disappeared.

I asked you to put the maps back on your island info.

You put them back on Oahu but not for the other islands.

This is a link to the Oahu maps:

http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/destinations/maps/

Can you put a link for maps for each of the other islands similar to the Oahu maps?

TAW

I've been to Maui many times and would not recommend Maalaea either. Either stay Wailea/Kihei area or Kaanapali/Kapalua area. You won't be sorry. Enjoy your stay.
Also, for the BI we like the Waikoloa area...nicer beaches.
Hopefully next time you'll get to Kauai.
Enjoy your trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!

utahtea

Planning this Hawaii vacation has turned into a full time job! Ok, Hilo and Kona are booked and deposits sent. Done deals.

I'm going crazy trying to decide where to stay in Maui. Tomds, I checked out Napili Sunset Beach Rooms. The place looks great but it's more than what we wanted to spend per night.

I'm still torn between S. Kihei and West Maui. Has anyone had experience at Hale Pau Hana, South Kihei or Hoyochi Nikko Honokowai, Maui.

Utahtea

DebitNM

Where did u end up in Holo and Kona.

utahtea

Hi DebitNM,

Hilo we are staying here http://www.vrbo.com/130102
Kona we are staying here http://www.vrbo.com/392575

I'm now thinking of one night in Hana before going to either S. Kihei and West Maui. I have heard there is VOG in Kihei now

How long is the drive to Hana from the airport if you are just taking your time without stopping? I figure we can do our stopping on the second day as we drive back.

Utahtea

DebitNM

utahtea - we are at the condo now - it is lovely. glad you found places you liked. It is wonderful here, we are on the 6th floor and there is lush vegetation off the lanai and it ls like being in a treehouse!

utahtea

DebitNM....enjoy you vacation. I can't wait to come!

I want to thank everyone who helped give advise and make recommendations.

We have booked a condo at Hale Pau Hana and got a unit in the tower. The condo we found on VRBO didn't have an up to date calendar and we couldn't get it for the time we were there. That's fine, I'm sure we will be happier away from the noise of the street in the tower. We rented right from Hale Pau Hana for the same price, get a little bigger unit and towel service. I now the places I chose are not for everyone but they are the kind of places DH and will like and all are going to have ocean views.

Airline tickets to and from Hawaii...CHECK
Accommodations in Hilo, Kona and S. Kihei ...CHECK
Puddle jump flight from Big Island to Maui....CHECK
Rental Cars....CHECK

Now to research all the places I want to see and the things I want to do!

Did I mention I love to plan trips

Utahtea

sassy_cat

Have fun planning! The little house in Hilo looks gorgeous
I'm starting my packing today with 12 more sleeps until HI (Maui)

Aloha Deb, enjoy!

jeremy001

It sounds like you need to go to Hawaii (the Big Island) for the volcano. Parts of Maui are fantastic, non-tourist traps as well. If in Maui, you have to go to Hana. You can explore beautiful hiking trails, water falls, and white, red, & black sand beaches. I would recommend Kauai for the rest of it. Kauai has it all, especially if you like hiking. You can hike in to see some really beautiful waterfalls that are only one or 2 miles in. But seriously awesome. As far as places to stay. We have had a lot of luck renting condo's and houses through VRBO. We have also gone through http://www.parrishkauai.com/

If you go to Kauai, I love the south side, near Poipu. However, it is typically more affordable to stay on the north side. You can often find a house/cottage on the beach on the north side of the island near Princeville/Hanalei. One thing to note is that the weather and the waves/surge are not as pleasant on the north side of the island.

jeremy001

I should also mention, you should probably go to Oahu for a day, just to see Pearl Harbor. I wouldn't spend more than a day here as it is just like any other large U.S. city. But you can't go to Hawaii without seeing Pearl Harbor.