My sister and I and a couple of friends (and maybe my daughter) are going to Hawaii in February for our first time. We range in age from 28 (if my daughter goes) to 60, and mostly want to relax on the beach, but also maybe do a few drives to take in the scenery. Pearl Harbor is a must. And maybe the Polynesian Center? (What do you all think - is it worth it?) We have 8 or 9 days - budget is more of a consideration than time.

We're thinking about Oahu, since we arrive there anyway, so it seems easy. We want to rent a house, preferably right on the beach. It looks like the North Shore area is inexpensive and less hectic than Waikiki, but I don't want to be on a beach where the waves are so big that we can't get in the water! On the other hand, I'd like a few small waves for some mild boogie boarding. Suggestions on a good location for us? Possibly Kailua? Laniki?

Kaui looks lovely, but maybe a little too laid back. Maui? I haven't been that interested in it - my impression is that it's more upscale.

We plan to rent a car. Would appreciate any/all ideas!

(Should we go to two islands? I'm reluctant to move....)

<Would appreciate any/all ideas!>

OK, i'll bite. Take a look at my favorite place, Kona Village, and see if it's of interest. I'm a big fan and put up a website that tells all about it in detail--266 pictures and 5 movie clips. Take a look: www.davidskvr.net. Can't hurt to look...
David

David - I actually already looked at your site! Saw it in a previous post. I think the place looks nice, but we'd like to have our own private house. I think it's cool that you found a place you like so much. Thanks for responding.

Althom, thanks for looking in on it... I do love KVR--my friends call it an obsession, but I call it a hobby. It's probably somewhere in between. Now I'm working on putting more video clips up, since the lu'au clips are so well received (thanks to a poster on TA who gave me permission to use them). I can't do it until I get back in February. I'm sorry I can't be of much help otherwise. Figure that going to a second island is essentially going to cost a day. The first time over you've gotta do the sighseeing, and there's plenty to see. (I've done mine, so I'm content to veg at KVR.) Oahu is a bit busy for me, but don't discount Maui. Good hunting.
See you at KVR in a couple of years...;-)
David

Hi althom, I have visited all the islands and while I love the isle of Hawaii and Kauai, For the first visit I would visit either Oahu or Maui. The reason is there so many different activities on those two island. You get culture, beaches, food and shopping.

On Oahu, we stayed at a house west of Haleiwa. There is a reef that protects the beaches there. However, the beaches are not as beautiful as on the windward side. East of Haleiwa you get to Sunset and as you know, those beaches can be dangerous in the winter.

On Oahu, definitely do Pearl, Bishop Museum, if surf is high go down to the manmade beaches of Ko olina. I also recomend the Doris Duke house tour and the art museum in honolulu. Just walking Waikiki and having a drink at the Pink Palace is fun. Great shops there. I can't comment on the luau you mentioned. Most of the hotel feature free music and some have well known Hawaiian artists.

If you want info on Maui, just ask, but I think there are more house to rent on Oahu than Maui. Maui is condo world.

Bill

It sounds to me like you'd be very happy on Oahu, as long as the rest of your group feels the same way. There are some good, recent threads about Oahu.

I think the Polynesian Cultural Center depends on your mood and inclination. It can be lots of fun, or kind of tedious. And, with a bunch of you, it will be expensive.

My suggestion is to schedule it for a day later in your trip, and see how you feel. Maybe you'll hear from other people how much they like it, or maybe you'll really love exploring the beaches and other sites instead. I don't think it is going to be hard to get tickets.

The evening show is excellent, but kind of "showy". We took the bus ride there because I didn't want to drive an unfamiliar road at night, so we were there about 10 long hours!

I went with my husband, and he was ready to leave after 15 minutes, so that put a damper on it for me. If I'd gone with one of my female friends, I bet we would have had more fun.

When I went as a teenager, it was the highlight of my trip. Here is a link with more discussion http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...r-261532-2.cfm

I like the Hawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum which is newly reopened, I think. I also enjoyed the tour of Shangri-La, Doris Duke's estate.

I thought the Hau Tree Lanai was a very pretty restaurant right on the beach in Waikiki.

I'm not an Oahu expert, so I can't recommend where to stay. If you really like Hawaii, you can try another island next time.

Kailua/Lanikai is a good alternative to the North Shore. I think there's more shopping & dining options in Kailua/Lanikai without being too hectic. Also, there may be more for your daughter to enjoy on that side. I'm not saying the North Shore isn't lovely--I think it's great!--but I'm just considering access to as much as possible without being exposed to too much hustle & bustle.

Lots of info:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...trip-to-hi.cfm

I don't know anything about getting a house on the beach but read here plenty of people who do that using VRBO... but I do think Oahu sounds perfect for your group for an 8-9 day trip with a rental car. I'm headed there this week myself -whoohoo!

Melissa is correct that the windward side has more shopping and dining options. My experience is the houses are more expensive. What I can't say is if the area is more exposes to high surf during the winter. Lanaki is one pretty place.

I also agree with suze that VRBO is an excellent source of houses. I rented four or five houses on the site. My experience has been positive but I also have read some unpleasant stories. If you do rent make sure you use your credit card, no cash or checks.

Enjoy.

Bill

Thanks, everyone! I've been scouring VRBO and have found some good possibilities. We're pretty settled now on Oahu, and leaning toward Kailua. Thanks for the tip on the Bishop Musuem - we'll definitely check it out. I'll be back later with more questions later.
Karen

We've settled on Kailua or Lanikai - the beaches appear to be gorgeous. We are also probably going to move our trip to March because one of the women teaches at a university and wants to wait till spring break. Is that time much busier or will it not make much difference? I noticed it will cost a couple hundred more for airfare, which is giving us pause. Will it likely stay that way or might March prices come down? (I know there's no way to know for sure, just wondering if anyone has seen a pattern like this - is it just typical that prices go up significantly in March?)

althom, February/March are HIGH season for Hawaii. Don't think you will see any airfare come down for that period ...

March must be significantly higher season that February. Over $200 difference!

We're booked! We found a house through VRBO almost right on Kailua beach with ocean views for $300 a night. We're really excited. We're going in March.

Oh my, that sounds fabulous! If you're up for it, a kayak trip with Kailua Sailboards was a ton of fun.