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Hawaii Honeymoon-island and hotel advice needed

Hawaii Honeymoon-island and hotel advice needed

Old Jan 7th, 2001, 04:07 PM
  #1  
Cathy and Eric
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Hawaii Honeymoon-island and hotel advice needed

We are planning to visit Hawaii on our honeymoon. We need to know what islands/ hotels offer what we are looking for. To begin, we want to RELAX. We would like to stay at a four or five star hotel with incredible restaurants within a short distance. The first couple of days may be spent on the beach, but we get restless easily and would like to go horseback riding, snorkeling, hiking. We would also like to visit interesting towns. I (Cathy) would like to be pampered a little, but we get annoyed at overly attentive staff that won't leave you alone. It may be an impossible mission, but we would love to hear what your thoughts are....
 
Old Jan 7th, 2001, 05:29 PM
  #2  
David
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Mauna Kea, Mauna Kea Prince or Mani Lani on the Big Island. I've stayed at the first two and would highly recommend the Mauna Kea resorts. I know a couple of people who have also given the Mani Lani glowing remarks. The big island and these hotels are very relaxing and very nice. The only draw back is that like a lot of the resorts, dining is pretty much at the resort otherwise you'll have to drive. However, the food at the Mauna Kea is superb! Enjoy and have fun.
 
Old Jan 7th, 2001, 08:44 PM
  #3  
kalena
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Yes. The Mauna Kea, the original exclusive Hawaii resort, is consistently good, as are the Mauna Lani and The Kohala Prince. From there you can drive up to Hawi and Kamuela, which is paniolo country.

There are so many options, though. Hawaii has some top notch resorts. We had a fabulous experience in Lanai at the Lodge and at the Manele Bay, although little Lanai City is not much to speak of. However both kitchens were outstanding. Lanai is a REAL get-away. Hey, if it was good enough for Bill Gates....

On second thought, Maui might also fit the bill. Upland Maui has a lot of charm, and although resorts in Maui tend to be more crowded, you have many options to choose from.

And then there's Kauai...The Hyatt and the Princeville. However, neither of these would be as equestrian-oriented. But you could do some incredible hikes, and snorkeling is easily accessible in all the islands.

Sorry, I'm not being much help, am I?
 
Old Jan 11th, 2001, 12:28 PM
  #4  
Cathy and Eric
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Thank you David and Kalena! We've been doing a little bit of research and are leaning toward Kauai and Maui, but we haven't heard much about Lanai. I was worried that there may not be enough to do there? Any suggestions? Too expensive? I did like the 4x4 adventure package...has anyone tried it? It would be nice to be lost for a week and then come back to the real world. =) Thanks in advance.
 
Old Jan 11th, 2001, 12:51 PM
  #5  
ben
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If you get restless hanging out at a resort the whole time, then the Big Island is probably not for you...there is not a lot to do beyond the resorts in terms of shopping or activities. The island is very scenic and very big and somehow very suburban.

Maui offers the most standard touristy options...Kauai offers less of that (but enough so you are not bored), but is more of an outdoors/sports kind of place...the beaches on Kauai are not always good for swimming (same goes for the big island)...unless you find Maui too commercial then I think it has the most to offer
 
Old Jan 11th, 2001, 05:21 PM
  #6  
Margot Harris
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Hi Cathy & Eric -

My husband and I have visited all 4 of the major Hawaiian islands, but Kauai is our favorite by far, for the reasons you are looking for. We bought time share there 12 years ago, and we now spend 2 weeks there evry year, one week on the Poipu (south) side and one week on the Princeville (north) side. That way, we are able to enjoy and explore each end of the island without spending all our time driving to get there! Kauai is the most unspoiled and undeveloped of the 4 major islands, and therefore is quieter. However, there are soooo many things to do, so many adventures, including horseback riding (stables can be found on both ends of the island), whale watching adventures, hiking, biking, a fabulous ATV tour through the back country, and so much more. Depending on when you'd be going is what determines which resort would be best for you, as the Priceville side is best in summer (Princeville Resort would be recommended) and Poipu side is best in winter (Hyatt is best in that case). Both resorts are top notch. While my heart and soul are with Kauai, probably best that you visit another island as well, and I think Maui probably would be the best second pick, beecause it gives you contrast to Kauai, much more developed, but still has lushness and activities that would meet your needs. I've never been to Lanai, but I understand that it is VERY expensive and may be too low key for your tastes. If you want to know anything else, please feel free to e-mail me and I'll go on and on about Kauai! Best wishes and aloha!
 
Old Jan 12th, 2001, 06:11 AM
  #7  
dave
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Why do you think that the Poipu side of the island is not preferrable in Summer ? I am planning a stay at the Hyatt in late June.
 
Old Jan 12th, 2001, 12:41 PM
  #8  
annemarie
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The north side of the island is more scenic and, in the summer, the water is the most placid on the north shore. Poipu is too wavy for swimming.
 
Old Jan 12th, 2001, 01:09 PM
  #9  
DO
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HI CATHY AND ERIC
THE BEST HOTEL TO STAY IS IN MAUI, IT IS CALLED THE GRAND WAILEA RESORT (LOOK AT THEIR WEB-SITE). THEY ARE RATED ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. IN THE SUMMER THERE TENDS TO BE TO MANY KIDS FOR A HONEYMOON. NEXT STORE IS THE FOUR SEASONS, A BIT MORE TOWARDS LUXERY AND (hard to explain) ADULT UPPER CLASS (not snobby) I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND.
GREAT RESTAURANTS IN HOTEL AND AREA. FOR HORSEBACK RIDING TRY OHEO STABLES, THEY LET YOU GO RIDING ON YOUR OWN WITH AMAZING SCENERY.
I WOULD TRY TWO ISLANDS. KAUAI FOR RELAXING AND TROPICAL FOREST, THEN MAUI FOR FUN, BEAUTY, RELAXING, SHOPPING AND MORE FUN.
 
Old Jan 12th, 2001, 01:31 PM
  #10  
Margot Harris
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This is in response to Dave's question about Poipu in the summer - the odd thind about Kauai is that the conditions on the island are opposite depending on which side you're on which time of the year. It is pretty well known that the Princeville side id rainier and has rougher seas in winter, thus all the lush greenery, while calmer in the summer, while Poipu is most reliable for calm seas and sunny weather in the winter. However, overall, the Poipu side is the drier side of the island, so I'm sure you'll be fine in late June. Have a great trip and don't forget to spend some time on the Priceville side, especially since it's ideal conditions that time of year.
 
Old Jan 12th, 2001, 08:03 PM
  #11  
David
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I'll start by saying I don't feel you can make a bad choice as all the islands have something to offer. However, I strongly disagree w/ Ben when he says the big island has a "suburban feel." That's comparable to saying that Montana used to be nice but now it's a lot like NY. I used to live in Hawaii and usually try to recommend Kauai or the Big Island w/ a one or two night stop on Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor and snorkel Hanauman Bay. Either way, enjoy and have a great time. PS: If you're looking for night life (and that's ok) go to Maui, Oahu, or Los Angeles - just kidding about LA
 
Old Jan 14th, 2001, 06:52 AM
  #12  
Tifany
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Congratulations! I would also suggest Kauai. We stayed there two years ago on our honeymoon and look forward to returning in the future. If you are looking for something quiet and romantic, stay Gloria's Spouting Horn B&B in Poipu. It is right on the ocean and the place is beautiful. Each room (only 3) are beautifully decorated with huge private baths. They have a wonderful new web site

http://www.gloriasbedandbreakfast.com/

They are minutes from top restaurants like Roy's and the Beach House (our favorites) and within an hour to almost anything that you would want to see. We spent our time driving around and watching countless whales and dolphins from our private balcony. Hope this helps.
 

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