Have researched this and am getting overwhelmed by all the info so I'm taking the easy way out and asking YOU. My love-to-shop-eat-and-listen -to-good-music daughters and I are going to Hawaii sometime this fall. What's the best island to take them to?

I went to Hawai'i twice while in my 20's. Oahu will be the most cosmopolitan island as far as shopping and nightlife. Waikiki and Honolulu are full of great shopping, restaurants & fun bars. The lounge at the W Hotel is quite popular and Duke's at the Outrigger hotel is fun and right on Waikiki Beach. Be sure to get out of the city a bit though. Oahu has gorgeous natural beauty as well. Rent a car and drive over the mountains to the North Shore. Visit the beautiful Byodo-In Temple in the Valley of the Temples and Lani Kai Beach. There are plenty of little spots to stop for lunch and watch surfers along the North Shore too. I took 2 tours with www.oahunaturetours.com for a little adventure - hiking to the top of Diamond Head and another to see some waterfalls. They were both terrific and affordable. Have a great trip!

I had the same problem with teens I am planning for. We split up a 3.5 week stay Oahu, Kauai and Big Island. I am concerned about slicing out Maui but hey the entire trip is not about them either.

Someone came on here and told me to slice out Kauai and include Big Island. Kona area has a lot of activity.

I guess my gut now goes with (thinking about young people) Oahu and Maui as best choices.

If your teens like to ride bikes, they'd probably love an excursion to Haleakala National Park on Maui. Bike companies drive you up to the summit either for sunrise or during the afternoon. They set you up with a bike & gear and you ride all the way down the volcano - an easy ride on a paved road.

The scenery is beautiful & it's great fun to have such a long bike ride that's all down hill. They could go home & brag to friends that they biked down the side of a volcano.

I did the trip with the Haleakala Bike Company (www.bikemaui.com). They're the only company that lets you go at your own pace. The other companies have you at high speed, on their schedule & you can't stop for photos when you want to. T-shirts themed on the bike ride make great souvenirs for teens too.

Another great Maui excursion is snorkeling at Molokini Crater. www.pacificwhale.org offers day trips for that.

My 22 year old daughter loved Oahu--plenty of city and country things to do.

Aloha sallyjane,

O'ahu hands down... I've been to Maui, Kauai, BI and O'ahu and for 20 somethings Waikiki and the north shore would be perfect.

How long are you thinking?

They would probably love Chinatown and some of the other awesome attractions and nightlife of Waikiki... the north shore for surfing action in the winter months is mesmerizing! Very fun time and much to do on the island.

Happy planning!

Gotta be Oahu! There are a ton of clubs to go to at night, and of course many different malls. Whether you're shopping at Ala Moana Center, Ward Centers, Aloha Tower Marketplace or Waikele, you'll find lots to do, see, buy, eat, and hear.

OAHU!!!
MelissaHi took the words out of my mouth. My 18 yr old daughter loves Honolulu for shopping, and has since 1997. Just say "Ward Warehouse" and she starts drooling. (Mango Moon for cheap but lovely clothes, great home shops, bookstore, etc. )
People head to No Shore forshave ice, burgers, but know that there is another branch of the burger place nr Ward Center (Kua-na Burgers?) and great shave ice at Waiola Shave ice--local type place around the corner from an excellent Thai restaurant, Chiang Mai
lots of live music and good food at the restaurants/bars at Aloha Tower Market Place. It's a lovely open air mall where the breeze from the ocean goes through the shoping arcades. Nearly all the malls have live entertainment at some point during the day. If you stay in Waikiki, for ex, check out Royal Hawaiin Market Place. And there's a branch of Cheesecake Factory nr Duke's (true, not a "local place, but young' uns seem to love it!) PLEASE Don't miss a drink in the Sherton Moana Surfrider, under the tree out back, preferable in the evening s=sa the sun sets.

Sorry about typos. see, that's what remembering Oahu does to me--thinking faster than I type!

whoooo calinurse!! I got whiplash reading your post, I could tell you were VERY excited!

The burger place is called Kua 'Aina and it's always packed, no matter which store you're in!

Honolulu to me is SanFrancisco with nice weather. Yes it has a lot of action, but I don't see it as paradise.
Rows and rows of high rise hotels. Hundreds! Traffic, noise, people everywhere.

I prefer Maui. The Kaanapali Resort Area had a string of big hotels in a couple of areas. Shopping malls and the quaint old whaling town of Lahina.

Way less crowded but still lots of people, clubs, shopping. Kaanapali beach is a 3 mile long beach.
Lots of snorkling, sailboats, & nature besides the night life.
My fav place is ... www.mauikai.com
Good priced, spacious condos, smack on the K beach.

Waikiki/Honolulu win by a landslide! Great shopping, interesting tours, loads of places with free music, tons of restaurants of all stripe.

If you go to Maui at least choose a town (Lahaina would be my pick) so there's something to do.

Now if you had described nature loving outdoors types, my answer might be different. Their interests sound more like my own (as an older but single female traveler) and these are my two favorite spots.