Hello,

My fiancee and i are trying to figure out which hawaiian island to visit. We have never been to any of them. Whcih island, Honolulu, Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, or Maui is the best and what are the differences?
Some things we are interested in doing are snorkeling, diving, sightseeing, and culture(little towns).

Are there any all-inclusive packages that anyone knows about? We are also looking to get married there as well. Thanks for any help you could give us.

Cord and Dedra

We just got back from our first trip to HI. We spent a week on Oahu, which includes Honolulu, and had a great time. Oahu is great for sightseeing, shoping, snorkeling, etc., but parts of the island (Waikiki) are VERY busy. Other parts (North Shore, Winward Coast) are very quiet. A good mix, IMO.

Cord

If you do a text search here for "Hawaii AND guidebooks" you will not only get info on which books people like (to help you answer your question)but you'll also see lots of other threads with answers to your question.
Depending upon how long your trip will be, you might consider hitting 2 different islands if you have more than a week.

All of the Islands have something special, but my favorite is Maui. My husband & I were married there in July and it was fabulous!! I have a billion things I could tell you to do in Maui if you are interested. Oahu is fun but very much like a tropical Vegas. Loved the Big Island. It's definatly worth going to see the Volcano (very cool) and night time snorkeling with Mantarays (unbelievable). Kauai was gorgeous and very mellow. The whole Island shuts down at like 8:00pm but much to do during the day. Maui is my first choice.

Anyone who thinks Oahu can be summed up as a "tropical Las Vegas" has certainly not spent enough time outside of Honolulu and Waikiki!

I agree that Oahu is NOTHING like a tropical Las Vegas. I spent a few hours in Waikiki and is was ok, but we spent the rest of the week in the north shore, which was peaceful, laid back, and absolutely beautiful.

If this is your first HI trip than Oahu is for you. If you make a habit out of going back several times, than exploring the other Isle's would be cool. Between the Waikiki, Honolulu and the North shore you have plenty to see and do on Oahu.

For your first trip to the Hawaiian Islands, I'd say go to Oahu and stay in one of the resorts of your choice in Honolulu on Waikiki Beach. I highly recommend the Hilton Hawaiian Village, I've stayed there twice. There are many things to see and do on Oahu. Some examples are Pearl Harbor, climbing Diamond Head, snorkeling at Haunauma Bay, a trip to Lanikai Beach, a drive to the North Shore, and a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. For your first time in Hawaii I would go that route. After that, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island are definitely islands you do not want to miss. They are each very unique in their own way and there is many things to do and see on those islands as well. I don't think I have a favorite island of the Hawaiian Islands. They are all fascinating. Sorry to ramble on, I think I just started day-dreaming of paradise. AAHHH, the warm breeze and the swaying of palm-trees. Have a safe trip.

I'm taking my first trip to Hawaii this April too, and after researching, decided to stick to Oahu for now and check out the other islands on later trips. As far as I could tell, it wouldn't be worth it to go all-inclusive because Hawaii is known for it's diverse, great restaurants. You'd be missing out just eating at the hotel all the time! Just my opinion though...

I've been to all the islands. For a first visit, especially a wedding/hoenymoon you should try Maui. It has lots of activities but is still tropical and laid back. Lots of wedding consultants available there too. Try to pick the off season so that you have a slower pace.

Not aware of any all inclusive but the hotels have restaurants on site . Good luck.

I agree with Suzi and Dollface that Maui would be the most enjoyable island for you as it is very beautiful, lots of things to do, wonderful restaurants and really good snorkeling. Kauai is my favorite, but it is much quiter than Maui. I did not enjoy Oahu at all, too congested with traffic and people in Honolulu. It is interesting to note how many different opinions there are on which island is best. The time of year is also a consideration as the northern areas of most (if not all) of the islands usually have rough surf during the winter months.

One more Maui vote for first time visitors. It has a bit everything and would be beautiful wedding spot. I love Oahu too & go every year to the north shore. But for a first visit, Maui has what you're looking for including some great little towns like Paia, Makawao,
& Hana. The best inclusive package would probably be an air/resort/car package. As was said, stay free to eat where you want.

I should corrrect myself. I thought Waikiki was overly crowded. I did not make it to the North Shore which I wanted to but not enough time. I'm sure it's lovely, I personally like the idea of no freeways on Maui, Kauai and The Big Island.

I'd personally stay in Oahu for only a night or two, then go to one of the other islands. Honolulu is basically a big city with a beach in my opinion. I believe you will derive a more authentic experience on the other islands. My first suggestion is Kauai, Maui second, Big Island third.

I agree with Brenda about a short stay on Oahu and then spending the rest of the time on another island. My choice of which other island, however, differs from Brenda. My first choice would be Maui, followed by the The Big Island, and last choice Kauai. I hope you'll change your mind about staying the entire time on Oahu. The other islands have so much to offer.