My wife and I will be visiting Hawaii next summer.(It's never too early to plan!) We will be there for 14 days. We like to snorkel, sightsee, light hike, and catch some sun on the beach. We would like to stay in hotels that are under $120 a night. They do not have to be on the ocean but should have a nice pool.
We would appreciate ideas about how many and which islands to visit. Any other information would be greatly appreciated.
Rick

Rick, You're right - it's never too early to plan, especially when going to Hawaii! I confess that I am partial to Kauai, but it might not be for everyone. It is pretty laid back, but sooooo beautiful! My advice is to skip Oahu altogether, but that's me. It's too "touristy" and crowded for me, but if it's your first time to the islands it's worth a day or two of your time. Get your sight-seeing out of the way there. And then for hiking and catching sun, head straight for Kauai. Like I said, Kauai is pretty laid-back, so you might get bored after a week. Everyone says not to miss Maui, but I think it's getting a bit too commercial. There's really something for everyone and it depends on your personality and what you like to do before someone can suggest activities and islands for you. My vote goes to Kauai. When you're there, you MUST DO a helicopter ride! Best thing to do is start visiting the tons of web sites out there and buy a couple of books. Start with www.visit.hawaii.org to get your free vacation planner. (also, discoveringhawaii.com, cyber-hawaii.com, planet-hawaii.com, and the list goes on!) Can't help with the hotels under $120 - - I splurged a little. You might think about renting a condo - some are very reasonable! Kauai has everything from B&B's to houses to condos to elite hotels. Hope you have a fabulous time!

Rick - I agree with the above...I'd spend only a few days on Oahu & move on. I know it's touristy, but I still LOVE the Polynesian Cultural Center. I insist on going back every time we go, even though my husband says, "but we've seen it all!"

We love the Big Island (Kona coast)...small communities, volcanoes, beautiful snorkeling, etc. Kauai is incredible, but not a lot to do. Maybe spend some time there at the end of your trip to really relax? Maui is pretty commercial, but it does have Haleakala Crater, wonderful beaches, etc.

We've had good luck with the Aston hotel chain...they run a lot of specials & package deals. The Aston Royal Sea Cliff was reasonably priced & wonderful when we stayed there, but it was in '90 or so. Have fun!

Rick, We are headed back for our 7th trip this winter, seen all the islands. I agree with most of the above. 14 days= 4 days on teh Big Island, 3 days on Kauai and 7 days on Maui. Just change planes in Honolulu. The outer islands are the real Hawaii. The hotels in general run a little more than 120 but there are lots of options. Talk to your TA as there are some pretty good rates early in the summer. You have plenty of time and I'm sure you can find what you are looking for.Whatever you decide, don't try to do more than 3 islands, you'll spend too much time moving from 1 island to the next. We only do 2 islands at tthe most in 2 weeks. e-mail any questions.

Rick: Just returned from 10 days in Maui; it was our first trip to Hawaii. I will try not make this message too long, because we had a GREAT time! There's so much to do there--I could have stayed another week. Or if you choose, you can just sit by the pool or beach and read. We stayed in 2 places to see which would be best. Both were 1 bedroom condos because we took the 2 kids with us. It's the only way to go. Both were about $125/night and were great--a one-minute walk to the beach. Both had beautiful grounds and pools. They were Aston Kaanapali Villas and Wailea Ekahi. We visited the gorgeous hotels, but would still pick these condos. Less touristy and much more peaceful. The hotel rates do go down the end of August, but you have to wait till after Labor day for the lower air fares. I could go on and on . . . let me know if you have questions!

Rick: My husband and I are leaving in two weeks for our first trip to HI. I'm a real bargain-hunter and found a great deal for accommodations. In the back of my Entertainment coupon book (which are published in many US cities)was a coupon for an ITC50 travel card. It cost $14 and includes a directory of hotels that will give you 50% off their rack rates. There are many choices for Hawaii on all the major islands. The best deal I found was 50% off an oceanfront condo in Princeville (on Kauai) at Pali Ke Kua, a Marc resort. (Marc is a chain that has resorts on most of the islands.) The condo is $105 a night and includes an economy rental car for FREE. From what I can tell this is a nice but not lavish resort that is located on a cliff above the beach.

If you prefer a hotel, there are many chains represented in the ITC directory, including Outrigger, Aston, and Marc. Good luck planning your trip! (To me, that's half the fun!)

kc