britomart

Hello all! DH and I have been talking about finally taking our nieces somewhere... They have never flown on an airplane and haven't really traveled that much. We have been contemplating Hawaii for our first trip with them and would probably choose Maui. We are wondering if it's a good idea to have this as our first trip with them? They are 13 and 15. I'm a bit nervous about watching them when they are in the water and making sure they don't drown/get sunburned. Other trips we are considering are the Grand Canyon, NY and DC, or maybe Tofino and Vancouver B.C. We're in the Seattle area so the latter wouldn't involve flying. They really like the idea of going to Hawaii though and I think we'd have a lot of fun hanging out at the beach, reading and seeing some sights. We have some miles available from Hawaiian Airlines and some 20% off "coupons" for flights so it wouldn't be too $$. I guess overall I'm a bit worried about taking them so far from home for so long... What do you think?

DebitNM

Check Air Alaska -- they have some really good deals.

sylvia3

Teen girls adore the beach; Maui would be perfect. Try one of the myriad condo complexes in the Kihei area (for example, http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...uth-maui/kihei ; right across from the beach. Lots of management properties, if you don't want to deal with owners directly]]; there's lots of shopping (including open-air crafts, jewelry, etc.), groceries, good location for outings, great snorkeling and many other beaches nearby, and most complexes have pools and barbeques.

sylvia3

p.s. I recommend condos for folks with kids because of the room to spread out, hide out and chill if they (or you) have a sulk on, fix meals/snacks/picnics when/how you want, plus there are always pools.

britomart

Have a sulk on--exactly! They are definitely getting moody... one more reason we are wondering what we will be taking on with a trip!

This will be our 4th trip to the islands and we've used VRBO for every trip. A condo is definitely the way we will go!

Alaska is yet another option... We've considered a cruise that would leave from Seattle but even with airfare, it seems like Hawaii would be around the same price. They are really excited about flying.

Another concern is one of my nieces is quite overweight. I'm worried she might be self-conscious about her size in Hawaii.

nytraveler

They are definitely at possible sulk age - esp the younger. I would be hesitant to take them somehwere that you all have to be togehter 24/7. I think you are better off taking them somewhere they can do some teen things on the own without you having to be joined at the hip the entire time.

If the condos are someplace where they can go off shopping or whatever that would work. If in a secluded area I would be hesitant.

(Any group of people who don;t always live together - or even who do - having to be joined at the hip 24/7 for a week or more can be difficult.) When we traveled with our teen/tween daughters we always set aside time for them to do things without us - or us without them.

sf7307

For that reason (not being forced to be together 24/7) you might consider Kaanapali Beach - with the beach path, and Whaler's Village dead center, it's perfect for "space".

britomart

I don't think I could let them do their own thing, I am actually quite nervous about taking them so far from home and to an environment where they can get hurt if I'm not watching them 24/7...

emalloy

This is a trip they will remember forever and an opportunity for you to really get to be a special person in their lives. I would encourage you to just go for it. Plan a couple of side trips and talk them to what they would like to do/ see. Will they want to do a little hiking, snorkle, etc? There will be plenty of overweight folks there and I would play that waaay down if she is sensitive at all and focus on the activities you can do.

MP07950

So, since this is the first time you've traveled with them and you sound nervous, I would suggest a more local trip for a trial run (ie Vancouver). If it goes well....Hawaii will always be there!

nytraveler

They are teens - not toddlers. And i f you try towatch them every minute I can guarantee you will get a lot worse than cranky.

Have you never heard the OH MOOOTHER! of the teen girl at every tiny restriction? No suggesting yousend them to bars at night - but wherever it is - you can;t be holding their hands everyminute.

britomart

I would probably check with their parents about whether or not they could be "let loose" for a few hours. If they say it's all right, then I'd be all right with it too. Although they seem to act differently around me than they do their parents, there have been a couple of minor sulk-fests when they've stayed here on the weekend and haven't gotten their way about something. I know it won't always go perfectly and that there is bound to be some disagreements, that always happens with travel, but like emalloy said, I would really like to give them the opportunity to go somewhere fantastic. I'll keep an eye on airfares and if it doesn't work out, do the Vancouver trip and keep Hawaii in mind for later.

pdx

Relax, britomart, relax. It doesn't matter if they're 100 miles from home or 3,000, they're still getting away from their parents and they become different children.
I can't imagine anyone going to Hawaii and sulking, but I suppose some do, so let them know in advance that it's lesson learned for you and you won't be inviting them again on a trip if that's the behavior you're to expect.
Beach trips tend to take on a wonderful schedule of their own and I'm sure the girls will fall into it themselves. Pool or beach in the a.m., lunch, activity, nap, beach in the afternoon, dinner, walk on the beach after dinner, and movies or board games in the evening.
It would be nice if you are in an area with a small shopping town because those girls are going to want to shop. I think they are old enough to let them wander up and down the street shopping while you plop down with a book in a coffee shop.
As far as the overweight child, I hope she can lose herself in fun digging in the sand, looking for shells and floating in the water and not restrict herself because of her concerns. Do they swim?
One more thing, I've noticed the kids today are a lot more aware of sunburns and sun damage and they tend to use sunscreen automatically and at least don't resist it's application.

britomart

The things they sulk about have been primarily food and exercise. Both are picky eaters and if the food isn't exactly right, the younger one won't eat and has cried about her food not being right. The overweight one always complains about any exercise, for example, if we take them to a museum, she complains about her feet hurting. If the trip happens, I plan on sitting them down beforehand and talking to them about things that come with traveling, like having to exercise, inability to control everything, and how it's not always possible to have food choices that are familiar.

They do love water, the overweight one has never had issues with wearing a swimsuit and getting in the water until last summer. We went to a lake and she didn't bring a swimsuit and refused to swim in shorts and a t-shirt which she could have borrowed. I am hoping this is not going to become an issue with her.

So would the area of Maui that you're describing (i.e. access to shops/restaurants) be Kaanapalli? That was the only part of Maui that we didn't like, it felt so touristy. We found ourselves driving to the Napili Bay area quite often, that was our favorite "relaxing on the beach, going for a swim" type of beach. And there was a restaurant there that had amazing macadamia nut pancakes!!

Tomsd

My favorite area is just north of Kaanapali - Napili - which is very quiet and has a nice bay/beach/snorkeling area.

My favorite place - although there are others - is the Napili Sunset has 1 and 2 BR condos I believe - with a nice grassy area right in front of the place - which is right on the beach. There is a big market/small shopping complex as you turn from the main road to get to it.

They even used to have a webcam on a Palm tree by the beach.

Or - Kaanapali is also great - a bit busier but the girls may like that.

In Hawaii - a lot of the locals are big - and are quite comfortable with their size, so wouldn't worry too much about that.

I think the girls will just fall in love with Hawaii - as many of us do when going to Paradise - and have the trip of their young lives.

Hey - let them explore a little bit - even go into the town of Lahaina - but also be clear about when/where you expect them back, how far they should wonder, yada yada.

I assume they have cell phones, oui?

Tomsd

Oops. Here is the page for Napili Sunset: http://www.napilisunset.com/

sf7307

Napili is gorgeous -- I suggested Kaanapali (which is more "touristy") because it will easily give you a chance for time apart, since there's a paved beach path and Whaler's Village.

kikkoman

"Teen girls adore the beach"
well that's a crock of presumptuous doodoo.

"Alaska is yet another option... We've considered a cruise "
well that is the retired blue haired circuit as well as the Hawaii cruise

"Napili - which is very quiet"
well actually Napili is very densely populated

sf7307

It's all relative -- Napili is about 2/3 as dense as Kihei, and about 1-1/2 times as dense as Hanelei.

britomart

Yes! That is the beach where we hung out a lot and I was so envious of the people staying in those beachfront units... This place is pretty $$ but the location is great. We'll keep it in mind if we end up booking airfare.

Troll alert!