Hawaii - What time of year?
 

I have been thinking about Hawaii as a possibility for a vacation next year - neither my husband nor I have been there, but it is on the list of places we'd like to visit. We can travel pretty much any time of the year except December - between the holidays and end of year work stuff, December is very full. What is your favorite time of year for Hawaii and why?

If I could pick my time it would be Feb or March = peak whale watching season. I've been in summer and it was wonderful but I'd love to see the humpbacks.

any day... any time... with anybody... I'm there...

I am a May fan.

Why:

1. It the low season, i.e. the fewer tourist. Lines are shorter, less waiting for restaurants, more sales for resorts and airline tickets.
2. The weather is great. The rain and high waves of winter are for the most part gone but the heat and humidity of the summer has not arrived.

But anytime is the right time for Hawaii.

We have mostly been October-going to Maui end of March so I'll let you know

Spring or fall. Not summer, as it is more humid and the trade winds die down, which are what keeps Hawaii so pleasant most of the year. But the temps don't really vary that much. Low to mid eighties almost every day. Evenings are still over 70 degrees. I usually only need a thin sweater once on any trip, and could also get away with an extra shirt layer instead.

Obviously, Easter is going to be busier, but it's not too bad on the Big Island, where we go every year. By the end of March the whales are pretty much gone to Alaska, although there may be a few still hanging around. We are seeing a few now, as we are in Kona at the moment. Be sure tp bring binoculars!!!

have only been in October and the weather was perfect-didn't seem to crowded.

I enjoy my visit in September every year.

We love to go in February - we get to escape the bitter cold and snow and see the whales, which is always the highlight of our trip. I really don't think of the high season as being too crowded, or at least the number of people there at that time have never bothered us.

We've also been there in late Sept./early October, and it just wasn't the same for us - seems like a much more luxurious vacation in the dead of winter.

We go mostly in the summer, July/August and love the exrta bump in teperature (2-5 degrees). Compared to places like the Caribbean and Wesern Mexico, Hawaii isn't really that humid. The trade winds blow year round and we've never experienced a trip without them. There CAN be periods in August and September when they stop for a few days or for a week, but it does'nt happen every year,I've neve heard of them disappearing for the entire summer, but I may be wrong about that. An advantage to going in the summer is if you are beach people and the snorkelers as we, many of he best places are safer and much more accessible in he summer than in the winter as currents and surges make them dangerous. Honuloa Bay in Maui, Makua Beach (Tunnels) on Kauai are places you just can't get to normally in the winter or early spring months. There are time in the spring and fall where conditions calm and these place are usable. Check the local surf reports for the lastes information.

Seeing the whales is a highpoint of any trip to Hawaii in the winter. They were very active this February when we were there.

Thanks everybody. Great information. If anybody has anything else, definitely let me know.

February might be nice - esspecially to combat the post-holiday doldrums. It isn't bitterly cold, or even really very cold, in the winter where we live, but it is still quite chilly. Nice to be able to go someplace warmer.

October sounds nice too - nice weather, not so crowded.

Summer would be ok - we don't mind the humidity, but we aren't snorklers, so it probably wouldn't be worth putting up with the additional crowds to go that time of year. I love the beach, by my beach time is usually spent with a hat on sitting under an umbrella, with an occasional walk along the sand or wading in the water. Or alternatively, climbing around on rocks, looking for tidepools and that sort of thing.

We've been to Maui three time in February and love it there at that time. We stay in the Wailea/Makena area or over in Hana find it the perfect escape from the Bay Area duldrums.

I go anytime I can! Seriously. Mostly I think I've been in November, early December, late January.

We enjoy going in March, April or May. We like to go when the kids are still in school and aren't underfoot everywhere! Plus, usually in March, we get to see some real whale action! Woohooo, one more sleep and I'm on that wonderful island of Kauai((r))

Bon Voyage you Wicked Wahine!

I just got back from Waikiki on Tuesday. The weather was wonderful. Warm but not hot and great breezes. There were quite a few people (because of the Honolulu Festival and its showcase of Pacific Rim culture) but not crowded.

I was in Maui appx 10 years ago in early July and remember being hotter on that trip.

We were on O'ahu Feb 14-March 7. During most of that time, the trade winds were not blowing, and some days there seemed to be no breeze at all. I was surprised how much difference that made to me. Usually when I've been in Hawai'i, there has been constant breeze making the foliage dance. Without the breeze, it just didn't quite FEEL like Hawai'i. My friend who lives in Honolulu told me he has observed that Jan-Feb are the most likely months to not have the trades, and this article seems to bear that out http://www.pdc.org/iweb/high_wind.jsp?subg=1

There was also vog on O'ahu, which caused a visible haze and irritated my nose and throat. I understand that normally vog would be blown away by the trades. But instead we had the Kona wind.

If you don't have a freezing winter to get away from, I think fall is a great time to go. We've had great weather on our trips in Oct. and Nov. It's "low" season so rates may be a little better.

In previous trips, we've gotten rained on in December, January, and May. Hoping we have better luck in September this year.

Aloha, we were on Maui during part of that same time frame and had those glorious trades the whole week. In fact it seemed windier than usual. I was worried we would get the vog too, but not a hint.

We've been to one or another island in January, March, May, July, August and September. We generally stay in the Waikiki area on Oahu, the Kaanapali Beach area on Maui, Poipu Beach area on Kauai (although after reading Fodors incessantly, that might change for our next trip) and we've been to Molokai (was a Sheraton resort at the time). My absolute favorite of those times was September on Maui, mostly because the weather was glorious and the crowds were non-existent. But honestly, the only time we were even "cool" was Oahu in January, and that was only for part of each day when it was quite windy (we were still in bathing suits at the beach). Of all the times we've been, I recall only one day when it poured rain all day -- Kauai in August 1978 (it obviously made an impression on me LOL). If you go to Oahu, take a kayaking trip with Kailua Sailboards - first, the Kailua area is absolutely gorgeous, and the kayaking is so much fun. We did a 4-hour trip, they do longer and shorter ones.