Hal

My wife and I are wondering if Oahu will work out as an island to meet our needs...we're both 30, no kids, are not seeking wealthy accomodations, on the go seeing and doing things rather than sitting still, would prefer a luau to quiet restaurants, no golf, love lush tropical areas, beaches, boogey boarding. Lot of Oahu bashing out there, but the island seems to have a variety of things to do with reasonable prices. All postings seem to be about Maui. Is Maui that great or is it just the more "popular" place to go nowadays? Please help!

kris

You might consider choosing several islands instead of just one. Interisland flights are quick and not too expensive if you use a travel agent on the island instead of buying tickets at the airport. We went to Maui, Oahu and the Big Island. We also like to stay active and liked Maui the best. Oahu, Waikiki in particular, was a little too metropolitan for a tropical paradise. You may find a different flavor if you go further out on Oahu. I think Maui has more active things to do-snorkeling, driving the road to Hana, going to the top of Haleakala. You don't need to bust your budget to stay there-we stayed out of the real touristy areas in a town called Kihei and got reasonable hotel rates and food that wasn't too expensive. We also liked the Big Island. Volcanoes National Park, especially when the lava is flowing, is really cool. I hope this is helpful.

kris

You might consider choosing several islands instead of just one. Interisland flights are quick and not too expensive if you use a travel agent on the island instead of buying tickets at the airport. We went to Maui, Oahu and the Big Island. We also like to stay active and liked Maui the best. Oahu, Waikiki in particular, was a little too metropolitan for a tropical paradise. You may find a different flavor if you go further out on Oahu. I think Maui has more active things to do-snorkeling, driving the road to Hana, going to the top of Haleakala. You don't need to bust your budget to stay there-we stayed out of the real touristy areas in a town called Kihei and got reasonable hotel rates and food that wasn't too expensive. We also liked the Big Island. Volcanoes National Park, especially when the lava is flowing, is really cool. I hope this is helpful.

Cheryl Z.

Hal - for the activities and environment that you mention, you can't bea Oahu. Just be sure to go around the island and experience the other areas. My best friend and her family just came home from Maui. She couldn't decide which island to go to and having been to Oahu and finding it "touristy and expensive", decided on Maui. Now she says she'd never go back to Maui - too touristy and expensive... Yes, Waikiki and Honolulu are like big cities with palm trees but theres more to that island than those two cities. Try it, you'll like it!(best bet would be if you had time to get a taste of two islands.) Aloha

MJ

Everybody talks about Maui, but it really depends on the kind of person you are. My husband loves it; I can do without it. I like Oahu. It's a pretty big island; you could rent a car and drive around it in about 3 hours, but there are lots of interesting places. I even like Honolulu--lots to do and see. If you want to see another island, my personal favorite is Hawaii, the big island. Most of it is unspoiled, no big cities, great snorkeling, lava fields that make you feel like you're on the moon, and of course, the volcano, which is fascinating. Have fun.