Hi all this is my first post, I would like some recommendations for where to go/stay in Hawaii during my family's very first vacation together (oldest kid is 30, youngest is 16). We want to arrive around the 19th of December and leave the 4th of January. Ideally we'd like a great beach for swimming/snorkelling and possibly surfing - my dad is a beach bum as am I...I've been to Thailand's islands so I am not easy to please when it comes to finding a nice beach. I'm thinking of splitting time between Oahu and the Big Island. How should I go about this, does anyone know good websites where to find deals for hotel/car or hotel/car/air other than the obvious choices (expedia, pleasant holidays etc)? Ideally we would like to avoid Waikiki and find a beachfront resort/hotel with bungalows (on the water would be great), kind of similar to what you can find in Thailand (tropical feel). Any suggestions? I'm already aware of places like the Hilton Waikoloa and the Halekulani, Prince Resort etc...

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I think Kauai sounds most like what you describe.

one huge difference between bungalows on the beach in Thailand and Hawaii will be the price (but i'm guessing you know that already)

This is a second-hand condo recommendation from a reliable source (my hairdresser!)

www.kapaasands.com

Oahu and Maui would be great for you.

Here's a lot of info for Oahu:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34652188

For Maui:

www.mauihawaii.org

www.visitmaui.com

For alternative lodging on any of the islands:

www.vrbo.com

Kaikua and Lanikai areas are nice lodging alternatives for Oahu.

For Big Island:

www.bigisland.org

For Kauai:

www.kauaidiscovering.com

www.kauai-hawaii.com

Have you thought about Luxury Link? I have never used them myself but they have some interesting and unique offerings. I also am of the opinion that Kauai might be more of what you are looking for based on your Thailand criteria. There is a resort on the Big Island between Kona and Waikoloa that is upscale and offers private thatched roof bungalows but I know they do not offer tv, phones etc in the units as they want you to be able to unwind and get away from the day to day. fdecarlo or another BI expert might be able to recall the name of that place.

I looked it up and it is called Kona Village Resort.

Kona Village has a great tropical feel, but its beach is narrow and rocky, and doesn't begin to compare to Thailand's beaches. In fact, if you're expecting to find the same kind of beach (vast stretches of shallow/turquoise water with no lava rock) anywhere in Hawaii you're going to be disappointed. The closest you'll find is Lanikai on Oahu, and Hapuna/Kauna'oa (Mauna Kea) on the BI. The Hapuna Beach Prince and Mauna Kea Resort are adjacent to these beaches, but they are not bungalow-type properties. Mauna Lani on the BI offers private bungalows but they're $5000/night.

Also, since you're going during the holiday season you should steer clear of Waikiki and Kailua-Kona. You'll spend much of your time sitting in traffic.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, yeah I guess I was a bit naive trying to recreate my time in the Thai islands to Hawaii, but I'm bound to have a great time nonetheless. I'm thinking perhaps, the Hilton Waikoloa might be a good option but I would lke something with a great beach but not like Waikiki, and also a little more Polynesian/Asian influenced then just a lame golf resort. If anyone knows a good hotel/resort like that I'm all ears...

The closest thing I know of on the BI that meets your criteria is the Mauna Kea Resort. And even though it's chock full of Asian art, and tourists, the Hilton Waikoloa is one of the furthest things from a Thai-style resort on the BI. You can use any number of adjectives to describe the Hilton, but peaceful, serene, uncrowded, friendly etc definitely aren't among them.

I've never been to Thailand so I'm not sure the "feel" you are trying to recreate. However, by far, the best beach is Lanikai on the island of Oahu. The water is clear and the sand is so very soft. I've lived here all my life and I can not stand the sand at Ala Moana and Waikiki - it is so coarse, it hurts my feet! The sand at Lanikai is very fine - it gets into everything but it's easy on the feet. If you do a search for Lanikai Beach rentals, you'll find some nice houses for rent but VERY EXPENSIVE! Not much for waves but good swimming and snorkeling.

If you're looking for surf, then you may want to rent a cabana or beach house near Turtle Bay.

You can just book an interisland flight from Oahu to the Big Island using Aloha Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines and then find a hotel using any of the search travel sites (expedia, travelocity, etc).

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!