lramos30

I need help planning a June honeymoon. I am planning a week long honeymoon from Texas to Hawaii, around the second week of June; however, I am having trouble deciding on an island. I would like to spend no more than 2600 dollars for hotel and flight. I am interested in a location that has plenty of land activities (culture, nature, activities); however, we are not really interested in main of the water activities other than relaxing on the beach.
I need help deciding on an island and a hotel that will fit my needs. Please let me know if you have an suggestions, anything will be appreciated. Thanks.

SquanNJ66

I would recommend the Hyatt in Kauai. I would look for a sunshine on sale package that includes a car. (costco has a great deal if you belong) It will usually come with a breakfast buffet daily too. You won't want to go anywhere else after you have been to this resort. Service is great. Pool is fantastic.

Shar

Just returned from the Hyatt in Kauai for our 25th anniversary and what a fabulous hotel but I don't think you can get a room there for your budget especially flying in from Texas. Our air fare alone from California direct to Kauai was 1500. But then we flew United which isn't cheap - what you will do to get that mileage! It would be cheaper to fly thru Honolulu and connect with "Fly Go" (I think that is the name)airlines which offers $40.00 inter-island fares. www.iflygo.com also offers package deals. Met a pilot with that airline at the Kalapaki Burger Hut (really good burgers)and he was telling me about the cheap fares.

IMHO Kauai is the most romantic island and so beautiful with lots to do. We went "tubing" this time around. YOu float down the old sugar plantation canals on large tubs. 3 hours from start to finish with a lunch that is provided at the end of the trip.

The Sheraton is also very nice if you are interested in the Poipu area. Aloha and congratulations on your marriage.

anna_roz

First, congratulations on your upcoming marraige.

As far as your honeymoon, I will just go ahead and chime in with the Grand Hyatt idea on Kauai. An absolutely stunning property! However, you can expect to spend +/- $1,800.00 per person for a garden view room for a week stay at the Hyatt, which will not include any meals, drinks, tours, gift shopping, etc. Kauai is not an inexpensive option and June is at least a shoulder season, meaning there will be no great price breaks available.

Equally--if not more so--romantic and culturally intriguing is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I realize that this is not Mexico forum and that you were inquiring about Hawaii. However, your $2,500.00 will easily (June is low season in Puerto Vallarta) buy you a week-long honeymoon at the Dreams Resort, which is an all-inclusive, beachfront property. Personally, with your budget limitations, Dreams would be my preference.

Anna Roz

bcirish

I personally liked Maui but understand tha Kauai is lovely too. We usually stay in a condo rather than a hotel - guess it depends on what you have in mind. When our sons got married - they both went to Hawaii for their homeymoons Our youngest son stayed at the Westin in Maui and our oldest son stayed at the Marriott in Oahu - both had a wonderful time - hmmm they were on their honeymoon- where ever you go - you will love it - because you are celebrating your new life. We are on our way to Oahu Friday from Chicago and our flight was about 1100 so I guess it depends on the airline you use or maybe we just got lucky although they just posted a price drop for Hawaii from here to 540 rdoun trip in the last week - do some shopping and go from there. Good luck

csupdike

congratulations on your wedding!

I would suggest Oahu because there is a wide range of activities other than just beach time. I especially like the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Polynesian Cultural Center...wonderful day event and the luau and Horizons show are great. Also on the North Shore there is plenty of hiking and swimming. Plus Oahu offers a vibrant city life at night or the quieter life on the North Shore.

Aloha.

dusty56438

More to see & do on Oahu than any other island. It is also generally the least expensive island:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

www.visit-oahu.com free brochure They have over 400 websites for lodging, restaurants, attractions in the brochure & on the site. Click on: OVB Yellow Pages

www.visitmaui.com free brochure

www.mauihawaii.org

www.bigisland.org free brochure

www.kauaidiscovery.com free brochure

www.kauai-hawaii.com

Get the free brochures. Maybe they will help you decide which island.

girlonthego

I would recommend Oahu. It has everything Hawaii in one island. It has famous Waikiki beach, Pearl harbor, snorkeling at Hanumana Bay, watching the surfers on the North shore, etc...
I think Kauai is beautiful, but will cost a lot more and be more expensive to fly to. With only 7 days, Oahu would be the main island to fly into and you are there. There are many hotels to choose from so I am sure there is a nice one to fit the budget.
We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and it was great. There was lots to do and it is wonderful hotel/resort. See if you can get a deal there.
Congrats and good luck!

lramos30

Thank you for all the great suggestions. The Hyatt on Kauai sounds wonderful, but might be slightly out of my price range. I am very interested in Oahu and the Royal Hawaiian. Please let me know what other hotels would be recommended, or any other locations. Also, do I need to rent a car, or can I get away with using public transportation (taxi, shuttles, etc.).

dusty56438, thank you for the great information and forum link. Thanks.

elsiemoo

Iramos30, I would stay on Oahu, where you will get the most bang for your buck. You could get an Entertainment Book (entertainment.com), which has tons of Oahu discounts, and use one of the hotels discounted in there. I'm thinking you'll have less than $200/night to spend on hotel if you stick with that $2600 budget. I doubt that you could get the Royal Hawaiian for less than $300 night, even with some sort of discount (AAA, i.e.)

Oahu is great, with some of everything the other islands offer!

ricebird

I am also from Texas and have been to all the Hawaiian islands on five different occasions. Of all the islands, I like Maui the best. Of course all of them are beautiful and each one is different from the others. I agree the Hyatt in Kaui is very nice. If looking for a hotel in Maui, I would suggest you look for one on Kanapali Beach ( even if you aren't interesed in the water activities, but just for the beautiful sunrises and sunsets) or something in the Wailua area. Our Texan friend, Michael Dell, owns the Four Seasons Hotel in the Wailua area. As far as transportation, I would rent a car through Hotwire and even check on a hotel with them also. On our last trip to Hawaii which was a cruise, my wife and I decided to use public transportation on each island instead of renting a car. We will never do that again because the city buses in Kauai are like airport shuttle buses and they are not in the best of condition (very rough riding). I'm sure $2600. will be sufficient if you check out the different discount travel agencies. Good luck...and I know you will enjoy your honeymoon and trip, whichever island you choose.

elsiemoo

I think ricebird meant to say "Wailea" on Maui ...

Iramos30, I would not try to get by with public transportation on any island. I'd say if you decide to stay in the heart of Waikiki (Oahu) and don't want to rent a car the whole time, rent one for at least three to four days to get out and about around the island. Why don't you check out PleasantHolidays.com, and look at the packages they have for Hawaii, combining air, hotel & car? You will see what level hotel you can afford, and you can almost never beat their prices; they have a nice reputation for good value!

lramos30

Do anyone have any personal experience with Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa or The Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach on Oahu.

I have read several reviews on Fodor's and Tripadvisor, and I was hoping someone might have some personal experience staying at these hotels. Pros, Cons, Room Differences. Anything will help. Thanks.

Ag3046

Check with the Maui Prince Hotel on Maui. A low-key hotel with a fabulous beach. You really need to rent a car.

saxbe

Iramos,
The Royal Hawaiian is fantastic and would be perfect for a honeymoon. It really is the pink palace - everything is pink - the towels, the sheets, even the in-room toiletries. You will have an awesome time on your honeymoon if you stay at this hotel! Keep in mind though, that Waikiki beach is still located in the city and is not as romantic as a quiet beach elsewhere. Think NYC on the water - seriously. We're from small-town Ohio, and we were shocked by how big Waikiki is. It's also very commerical....

With your budget, it might be more economical to visit the Caribbean or Mexico instead. We paid over 2700 for the car/room alone in Maui, not including the flights. We booked using travel-hawaii.com, and they were outstanding! You can also pay as you go which helps as well.

bggirl

I've stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, it's a great hotel. I would stay there again if I were to return. Centrally located, you don't need a car to do much unless you want to see other parts of the island. I've been three times and only had a car once, but didn't wander too much further than from Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor. I'll be going to Oahu in May and staying at Turtle Bay and will be getting a car to see everything I've missed out on in the past. Be aware that Waikiki is like Las Vegas on an island, very crowded with people and buildings. If you're looking for nature, you may want to try another island or at least the north shore of Oahu.

I like Maui much better than Oahu. Consider a condo if you want to save some $$ on Maui. I've heard Kauai is amazing, but haven't made it there myself because I like Maui so much.

ThePalmwood

Aloha,
You might want to take a look....
http://web.mac.com/eddihenry

bcirish

Just returned from our trip to Oahu and I would say this much- read what others say and then read between the lines to see who you may match in personality to determine which isand may work for you. This island has 80% of the population of Hawaii. If you like big cities and shopping then Waikiki is your mecca. On the other hand if you are looking for a quiet romantic place - I wold not choose anything I saw in Waikiki. We live outside of Chicago and the traffic in Hononlulu area rivaled rush hour in Chicago which in my oinion is not a good thing. On the other hand our son and his wife stayed at the Marriott on their honeymoon and loved it.

I love to travel and we did a lot of sight seeing while we were there but after 7 days I was ready to come home and could have come home earlier. When we went to Maui several years ago - we loved it. I think it has a lot to do with your expectations. I was really disappointed and had looked forward to going back to Hawaii. After this experience we probably won't bother with Hawaii again. I would have enjoyed the Caribbean or Belize ( Ambergize caye) far more than Hawaii.

Most of the time I wanted to find a place where there was not tons of people milling about - never happened until we rented a car and drove out north of Waikiki quite a distance. On the other hand if you decide to go there - you would probably have a good time - the beach is entertaining - 40 a day for an umbrella and a pair of chairs _ great for people watching and chilling. We had fun climbing Diamond head and also spent two days at the Cultural Center ( they let you in for three days so thought we would get our money's worth) but only rented a car for one day because most of the hotels charge 25 or more a day to valet your car and who wants to drivein the traffic. It took forever to get anywhere in town. Here is a warning - do not jaywalk - this is a big issue there - 70 fine if walking and 90 if driving. WHile we ewre there there were several pedestrians killed while jaywalking. Discovered Beard Papa which has great cream puffs ( 2 for coupon in best of Oahu) yummy - filing is vanilla chocolae and specialty each week We stayed on the Waikiki beach Walk and there are several very popular new restaurants there and more to be open by the time you would be there- particularly liked Holokai Grill which was right across the street from us and the Backyard was busy all of the time.

I think it all depends on what you are looking for - one person said they picture Hawaii as quiet secluded and romantic and to me none of those words describe Waikiki. There was a group of college kids staying where we were and they had a great time - really enjoyed the night life. Hope this helps. I am sure that no matter where you chose - you will have a wonderful time - don't worry too much - good luck and if there is anything I can help you with let me know.

dusty56438

bcirish

Nothing against you personally, but your post is a prime example of why I always recommend getting a car for the entire time on Oahu.

You can see the island much better with a car & get out of Honolulu/Waikiki if you do not like being in a city.

If you stick with most of your driving not in rush hour, Oahu is not bad at all to drive.

Time after time, I see trip reports that claim Oahu is too congested & nothing but a big city. And in reading the trip reports, they mention they didn't rent a car or they only rented a car one day. And they rarely left the city.

For anyone else reading this thread, rent a car on Oahu. Get out & see the island.

The parking rates at the hotels and condos range from $8 to $25 per night. Some condos have free parking.

By the time you pay for airport transportation, cabs, buses & tours that you can do on your own you won't save any $$ by not renting a car. Plus you will have spent hours on slow public transportation.

You could have rented a car & could have had the freedom to go anywhere on the island and stayed as long as you want.

azhiker

My hubby and I went to Maui for our honeymoon and enjoyed it tremendously. Try www.hotwire.com for hotels in Wailea. Buy the Entertainment book before you go http://hawaii.entertainment.com/disc...maui,%20hawaii for great local coupons. Definitely rent a car, and dont book your excursions through the hotel. If you go to Lahaina, there are great booths set up with people selling excursions at half the price of the hotels. Also, we bought a book at Borders called "Maui Revealed" and it gave us great tips, hiking places and restaurant suggestions. One last thing - our favorite excursion was to the top of Haleakala (not sure if I am spelling it correectly). We took a bus up at about 3 AM, watched the sun rise and then rode bikes all the way down to the ocean. They were special bikes provided by a tour company with disc brakes. Fantastic! Good luck & Happy Life!