HONEYMOON

Travel Arrangements – Islandspree.com
They were great – everything worked very smoothly. One complaint – we were told that the hotels would be notified ahead of time that we were honeymooners so that we could get the little extras – they weren’t. Upon realizing this at the first one, we called the next two ourselves and it was fine. That aside, Miriam at islandspree.com was quite patient with our questions and changes and we feel we got a good package.

Princeville in Kauai
This hotel is beautiful. We were given a room facing both the ocean and the beautiful mountains of Bali Hai – the strange thing is that we had only paid for a mountain view. I’m not sure if we were upgraded and they just didn’t tell us, but if that was in fact a mountain view room, it was spectacular. I would strongly recommend getting a room with a view – it really is worth the money. We had fun with the opaque/clear window and enjoyed the infinity pool, although it is a bit small. The private dinner on the beach at the Princeville was the most amazing thing. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, although it is really expensive. We were served our dinner just feet from the ocean by tiki torch light on china plates with silver and crystal. There were flowers and candles everywhere, and our waiter was so nice and the food was delicious. They let you go at a very slow pace so it lasts for hours and was one of the most romantic things I’ve ever done. We had cocktails outside off of the lounge and watched the sunset over Bali Hai – awesome. Then had dinner at Café Hanelei which was lovely. One thing – the kitchen is the same for Café Hanelei and the private dinner on the beach, so be sure to order something different if you do both.

We took a helicopter ride with Interisland helicopters- EXCELLENT. Landed in a waterfall for a (very uninspiring) lunch – eat first but other than that I would DEFINITELY suggest going with this company. They have no doors (they’re the only company that doesn’t) and it is simply amazing. We drove to Waimea Canyon – very cool – and spent a day exploring the beaches and sights of the North Shore. This was really fun – Tunnels Beach is the prettiest beach I’ve ever seen. Hanelai was cute – we went there for breakfast a few times.

I’ve been asked about the north shore vs. the south – I know some people prefer the south shore but my in my opinion, the north shore was DEFINITELY the right place for us. We were blown away by its lush beauty and incredible views, which we didn’t see as much in the more arid south. We had no problems with rain – when it did rain it lasted about 2 minutes then passed, and we even saw a rainbow over Bali Hai which was amazing. That being said, we also didn’t think it was a big deal at all to drive from one side of the island to the other, and did several activities on that side. We also paid a visit to the Hyatt – there always seems to be a question as to which is better – and while it was quite lovely, we far preferred the Princeville and the beauty of the north shore. We were even happier with our decision when we got to the Fairmount in Maui, which seemed quite similar to the Hyatt on Kauai and allowed us the best of both worlds.

Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui
We were happy with the hotel when we first walked in – far more tropical feeling than the Princeville (not that it is better or worse, just more movie-Hawaiian). Then we got to our room with a lovely lanai – looking right at the parking lot. Whatever you do, GET OCEAN VIEW at this hotel. We were so disappointed. We had been told that we were NOT getting a view of the lot, but rather the mountain and gardens when we booked it. This may be the fault of the travel agent. However, no one told us before hand just how important the view is, especially when you have a lanai. DO IT. You won’t regret spending the extra money. We called and they said we could pay either 70 a night for a partial ocean or 140 (I think) per night for a full ocean. We decided to go with the partial. Big mistake. Maybe we’re “view people,” but this was extremely disappointing. It overlooked a road, was on a very low floor, and you couldn’t really see the ocean unless you leaned over the balcony. We called again (I swear, we’re normally not at all complainers!) and they told us that they would upgrade us for the rest of the time (beginning the next night) in an ocean suite for no additional charge (other than the 70 per night). That was great service and they were nice as can be. The pools were lovely – a surprising number of kids, however, (maybe it was the season??) so we kept to the adult pools most of the time. There we were served fresh pineapple slices, cool towels, the works. Very nice. We ate at Nick’s Fishmarket– thought it was great. I thought it was so important to book these special romantic restaurants at sunset – not so. You can watch the sunset over cocktails and then settle in to the restaurant when it is illuminated by the tiki torches outside for a lovely atmosphere. That way you don’t end your day quite as early, either. We did that a few times and regretted having to be showered and dressed by 5:30 pm – we would have preferred a little more leisurely time by the pool. Ate another night at Mama’s Fish House – this is the one place where it was nicer to eat there at sunset. We had a REALLY early dinner at around 5 pm, and it was so nice to see the beach during daylight as well as getting to watch the sunset. That also allowed us enough time to go home and enjoy our lanai with a bottle of wine.

We went to the Old Lahaina Luau which was great. Surprisingly good food, fun show, fun people. Drove the Road to Hana – thankfully there was no traffic and we LOVED it! Leave very early in the morning and it is a fabulous day. We stopped all along the way at the waterfalls, etc. and it was a great time. Drove up to Heleakala Crater for sunrise – I’m not sure if I would say that it is necessarily worth it. We left our hotel at 1am to get there in time for our 3am bike ride check in. Well I was so exhausted and slept in the car and when I woke up we were at the top of the crater… only problem is that our bike company started at the bottom, quite far from where we were. Once the riders joined us at the top, we were pretty relieved not to be embarking on that adventure. We were simply too tired!! The sunrise was pretty cool though – how many times do you get to watch the sunrise over a crater in Maui? We drove back to our hotel (loooong drive) and crashed in bed until about noon. Again, not sure if it was completely worth the 4 hour round trip drive, but maybe if you’re staying closer to the crater it’s a good idea. Went on a morning snorkel trip to Molokini with Four Winds II – LOVED this trip! The boat itself was a lot of fun – it was more of a BBQ booze cruise with the added bonus of beautiful snorkeling and swimming! The people who worked it were great. It was a surprise highlight.

We went to Warren and Annabelle’s on our last night. I didn’t book this before we left but we somehow got in anyway. I had heard mixed reviews and therefore figured we’d decide once there if we really wanted to go. We loved it. It was a lot of fun. People had complained that it was cheesy – well it’s a dinner theater! And we thought a quite fun one at that. Our food and drinks were great, and we thought the ghostly piano was cool. The magic show was awesome! Warren was hysterically funny – we would go again just to hear him. He’s like a stand up comic as well as an amazingly talented performer. Book early and get the front row – that would enhance the experience by 100 percent. Highly recommended regardless.

4 Seasons Haualalai – Big Island
Ahhh… words do not describe this place. We were told to save it for the end because nothing would compare. And boy is that right. This is pure paradise. You land in Kona and drive through this other worldly, lava-coated landscape, and wonder how in the world someone ever thought to build a 5 star resort in this place! As you pull up to the resort, you know it is something special. The guy at the gate must have called ahead to the valet and the lobby, because we were greeted by name by every single person there. There is no ‘large resort’ feel here as there is at the others. Instead there are 2 story bungalows spread out over this gorgeous resort. All rooms have a view of the ocean, even the ‘golf course view’ which we had because it was less expensive. GET A GROUND FLOOR ROOM – they have these amazing outdoor lava showers that are to DIE for. We shared ours with a few geckos, so keep that in mind! The room was lovely and the service impeccable. We got dinner reservations at Pahu i`a – the resorts ‘signature restaurant’ for our first night. This was the nicest restaurant I have ever been to. You eat under the stars as the waves lap the shore just feet away from you. There are spotlights attached to the palm trees, illuminating the ocean. The food is incredible. The prices are INCREDIBLY high, but it was so worth it. What a night.

We chartered a deep-sea fishing boat through the resort – they hook you up with a captain in the marina. This would have been really fun – unfortunately we didn’t catch anything! It was still a great morning though. That night we drove to the top of Mauna Kea for stargazing. This was the runaway surprise hit of the Big Island. The resort refused to tell us how to get there because the main road, ‘Saddle Road’ which takes you to the mountain is not allowed in rental car contracts. Even the Blue Book said ‘Only a fool would drive this road at night.’ We still are scratching our heads over that one. Only a fool would drive to the top of Haleakala at night like we did in Maui – driving Saddle Road and the road up Mauna Kea was NOTHING! (don’t tell Alamo.) We found it to be well paved and picturesque – no problems whatsoever. We just drove up to the Vistors center (they don’t want the public going to the summit because it interferes with observation, and I think you need a 4W drive to get there. Perhaps this is the treacherous part of the trip?? Anyway… the Visitors center was really neat with interactive computers, hot chocolate and soups, and there was a volunteer there who gave a lecture on the various constellations. It was really neat. They had a telescope focused on Saturn and you could clearly see the rings. We rolled the top down on our convertible and ate a picnic dinner under the stars, even seeing shooting stars go by every once in a while. Even if you are not interested in astronomy, I thought this was an incredibly romantic way to spend the evening and a highly recommended activity. To our advantage was the fact that there was no moon at all that night, which should perhaps be a factor in choosing your night to go.

We drove to the volcanoes – fun trip. Paid a visit to the volcano winery – cool idea – not such great wine, but fun nonetheless. To hike or not to hike to the lava… not my idea of fun, but I agreed because he really wanted to do it. What a day. I recommend this activity only to the serious hikers in the bunch. I was hot, thirsty and tired and hating life. That having been said, a lot of people loved it, and I have to admit it was cool to see the hidden black sand beach next to the explosion of steam where the lava was hitting the ocean. Not cool enough to make me do it again, but a once in a lifetime experience, certainly.

We rented sea kayaks and kayaked across to the Captain Cook Monument. What an experience. Unfortunately, we were informed that we would be among the last 100 or so people to be able to make the journey because they would be closing it to the public shortly thereafter. That is a shame because it was so much fun. Other people saw spinner dolphins along the way but we weren’t as lucky. We did snorkel once over there, which was lovely. We were told it was the best snorkeling in the world… hmmmm. Not sure about that. However we were not extremely impressed with Molokini either – we only saw one type of black fish the whole time! Perhaps our snorkeling expectations were too high, not sure. Either way, it made for a really fun activity.

We spent the rest of our time relaxing at the resort, which was fabulous. They have a lagoon stocked with fish and manta rays which was ironically the best snorkeling we did while in Hawaii. We went back to Pahu i`a yet again (after much begging on my part) for our final dinner. I can’t rave about this restaurant enough.

That is sadly the end of our trip – it was the honeymoon of a lifetime.

What a lovely honeymoon and report! Thanks for all the great details.

Great Report!

but . . . "honeymoon of a lifetime"?

I should hope so!

Great trip report! (And it was so enjoyable to read because of your writing style, highlighting and paragraphing...) I'm saving it for future reference!

Were you cold up there at the visitor's center on Mauna Kea? Or did you take warm clothing? My husband wants to take one of the tours that go up to the summit and they provide parkas! But, some people don't recommend taking children younger than 16 the top and we have a 12 year old. Would hate to pay the expensive tour rate and then stay at the visitor's center! Was it scary driving down the mountain or on Saddle Road in the dark?

Thanks guys! And yes, honeymoon of a lifetime cause I plan on making my husband take me on many more honeymoons! ;-) Same guy, different trips!

hawaiimoon05,

Thank you! Did you get a chance to see the FS and Grand Wailea resort? If so what are your thoughts? We are planning to go in the end of September or December. We cannot decide on which resort to stay at?

In my opinion - DEFINITELY not worth it to take the Mauna Kea tour!! If I remember correctly, it's really expensive whereas we did it all, and at our own pace, for free. My husband and I commented on this soo many times to one another. There is nothing to see at the summit other than the observation centers (which granted, would be really cool). At least that's what they tell you at the visitors center because, as they explained, they don't really like people going up there because the dust from the cars and hikers disturbs the observation. I would have liked to have seen the sunset from up there, which is what I think the tours allow. But I also think you could save a couple hundred bucks and watch the sunrise from the Visitors Center. It was not scary AT ALL driving that road - I swear - I'm a pretty nervous driver and I almost had a heart attack driving up Haleakala. There are guard rails the whole way on Mauna Kea and Saddle Road was really just like any other road! We could not for the life of us understand what the big deal was! I can't speak to the top part which was 4WD only - but if getting to the Summit is important to you, that is always an option. It was definitely cold, so you would need to bring warm clothing.

There were quite a few signs warning that children, pregnant women, etc. should not go to the top... I don't know if the top is that much different in terms of oxygen levels - I think the visitors center is pretty high up there as well - but then you probably don't want to take my word for it! ;-)

I really think the main question is whether you really want to reach the summit. If so, I would recommend driving yourself in a 4W Drive (might want to check with someone who has done it to vouch for the safety of that part) or to pay a heck of a lot for the tour.

Otherwise I would highly suggest you save the money and drive yourself to the Visitors Center, bring a dinner picnic and enjoy the most incredible stargazing of your life! I think the tour groups only spend a few minutes at the top and then join everyone else at the center as well. Either way, your son will LOVE the displays they have in the center as well as the telescopes they have set up! My husband was on cloud nine, but then he's just a big kid himself. Oh and they have astronaut ice cream there.

One other word of advice... I think I read in the blue book that the center is not always open... you should DEFINITELY call first to make sure that they are! That was a key part of the fun we had.

What a wonderful report, hawaiimoon! It made me want to be a honeymooner again. I agree with "gottagetaway", your formatting made it a very pleasurable read - and to top it off, the (normally) annoying ad that Fodor's pops onto my screen was a photo of a couple lying on a gorgeous beach - I think it was you two!

Hi clear,

Yes, we went to both. I would make that decision based on where else you were staying, i.e. if you are also staying on a different island at another resort. The reason I say this is because had we stayed at the Hyatt on Kauai and gotten the 'tropical resort' experience, then I would say to choose the 4 Seasons on Maui. It was GORGEOUS and just looked so pampering.

It is, however, less 'Hawaiian' feeling than the Kea Lani or the Grand Wailea. It seems more sophisticated and 'zen' - less tiki torch and wild flowers if that makes sense... If I were to go back, I would probably choose it, but if it's a real 'Hollywood-Hawaiian' ambience you want, then I would choose either the Kea Lani or the Wailia. I personally would NOT choose the Grand Wailea though.

It was (no offense to those who love it) completely overrun with kids when we were there. I would LOVE to go back there once I have kids of my own, but for a honeymoon it would be the complete wrong atmosphere.

This is of course an opinion gathered from a brief visit, and I'm sure there are many people who have had lovely, romantic stays there. It just wasn't our cup of tea.

If you are looking to have that exotic Hawaiian

Thanks Joan! Those darn paparazzi followed us to Hawaii?? ;-)

We are thinking about going to the Visitor's Center on Mauna Kea too. What clothes would you recommend for warmth? Are we talking jeans and a sweatshirt, or would that not be enough? When we went to the top of Haleakala at sunrise we were cold with a sweatshirt and jeans. Is it similar in temps? We could bring a blanket with us.

I was inappropriately dressed - I wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and an ill-fitting windbreaker jacket that I stole from my husband - I was freezing. I think it's pretty much the same as Haleakala - I was cold there too. I think if you throw a blanket from the hotel in your car it wouldn't be a bad idea!

Hi, What a great trip report-thanks for sharing! I was very dismayed to hear the info. about the closure at Capt. Cook...can you please clarify and can anyone else jump in if they've indeed heard this is true? Is it kayaking from the ramp that will be closed and will snorkeling from a boat or hiking down to Capt. Cook still be allowed? Or will the area be shut down in general?

I read recently on www.konaweb.com that Kealakekua Bay will be closed only to rental kayaks, unless you are with a tour. You can still snorkel at Captain Cook if you walk down or go with a tour boat. However, the poster on KonaWeb got this info from Kona Boys kayak rental as well. I have yet to see it posted anywhere "official."

Unfortunately I'm not sure of all of the details - we rented our kayaks from the place that the Blue Book recommends (can't remember the name right now but it is the book's first choice) and the girl who rented the kayaks to us was the source of my info. She said that it was due to people leaving trash over there, stepping on the coral, etc. She gave us an exact date this summer (can't remember what that was either) which would be the last permissible time to visit. I'm not sure if this refers just to independent trips or to group snorkeling excursions as well...

I posted my response before seeing the above poster's response... Kona Boys was the name of the place we went as well.

I found it interesting that you thought the Kea Lani to be the more Hawaiian/tropical hotel, since the Kea Lani is decidedly mediterranean in style. From the all-white decor and old-world cherub statuary, the mosaic tile floors and wrought iron accents to the quadrafoil fountains and Moorish archways, there is in reality very little about the Kea Lani that says Hawaiian or even tropical. I'm just curious as to what is about this hotel that made you feel it was more Hawaiian in flavor?

That's very true - I think I was thinking more about the tiki torches, tropical flowers, and general 'paradise' vibe that the resort has. It just fit more into my preconceived notion of what a tropical Hawaiian resort would be as opposed to the elegant and formal Princeville, or the subdued and sophisticated 4S Maui.

By the way Heretoday - you were a great help in my early stages of planning so I thank you!