Hawaii, Kauai, or both???
 

I'm really having a hard time deciding whether to spend a week on either Hawaii or Kauai, or about 4 or 5 days on each.<BR><BR>I'd love to hear what you experienced Kauai and Hawaii people have to say about those possibilities.

Hey Tom,<BR><BR>Recommend more on Kauai as there is more to see. After all, Hawaii is the 'newest' so it doesn't have the lush vegatation etc that is on Kauai. So 3 days on Hawaii, rest on Kauai. If you have to choose between one or the other, choose Kauai.<BR>

Tom,<BR><BR>I have never been to Hawaii, but twice to Kauai and are booked again for May 23. There is plenty to do on Kauai. You won't have done it all in a week. It's a beautiful island with vast differences in ecosystems. There are also three National Tropical Botanical gardens. You'll have a great time whichever decision you make, but you will save a little time and money by not traveling to both. Aloha.

We just did a 10-day trip with 4 days on Hawaii and 5 days on Hawaii, and I thought it was perfect. There is plenty to do on either island to keep you busy for a week. I am really into geology and so a visit to the big island for me was essential, and I actually liked it better than Kauai. I really loved being in the shadow of the two big volcanoes (Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea), and seeing the active Kilauea was great too. Kauai is very beautiful and also has a lot of fun stuff to do, but it is a lot more touristy and thickly populated (and much, much smaller). The big island seemed much more "native" to me.<BR><BR>It really depends on what you want to do. Kauai is great for going to the beach, kayaking up the river, going for a helicopter ride... The big island is great for checking out the observatories on top of Mauna Kea, visiting an active volcano, seeing a perfect example of a classic shield volcano (Mauna Loa), and getting away from the crowds. Both islands have incredible coastal vistas and waterfalls, dry and wet sides and beaches where you can watch the sea turtles playing in the waves. Also, it is absolutely not true that Hawaii doesn't have lush vegetation like Kauai. Drive north of Hilo on the rainy side of the island - it's VERY lush and very beautiful. Waterfalls and rocky cliffs with crashing blue waves galore.<BR><BR>Have a great time - you'll have fun no matter where you end up!

We spent five days on Kauai and 7 on Hawaii. The north shore on Kauai is spectacular in the summer, I can't comment on winter. We enjoyed the beach, scenery, Waimea Canyon and just relaxing. Then we moved onto the Big Island. The first two nights we spent in Volcano National Park. We could have actually used more time here. We loved the Volcano and the Hilo side is gorgeous. We then moved to the Kona side, more sun, beaches, shopping, etc.<BR>That was our second trip to the Big Island and enjoyed it as much as the first.

I recommend both. There is a great deal to do and see in Hawaii. There is the Waipio Valley, on the north side, which is absolutely beautiful, great botanical gardens in Hilo, lots of sights on the north side of the island, the Volcano National Park, the Place of Refuge near Kona (a national park); great snorkeling in the Kona area; and wonderful resorts north of Kona. I would recommend 5 days on Hawaii and 4 on Kauai. The north shore of Kauai is absolutely beautiful, as is Waimea Canyon. There also are great beaches on the North Shore. Overall, though, there is not as much to see in Kauai as in Hawaii.

Remember that every time you change location you use and lose the best part of a day. So don't change spots too often.Enjoy!