Kauai or Maui?
 

We are looking at going to Hawaii in April and we have a choice to go to either Maui or Kauai. Has anyone been to both places? If so which one would you recommend?Why? <BR>Please Help!

We have been to both islands on several occasions and here is the scoop. It depends on what you are looking for. Kauai has more spectacular scenery on many different levels and feels more like a tropical island because it is not as commercialized as Maui. The weather can be more unpredictable, but rains are usually short and if you stay at the southern tip of the island- poipu beach area it is usually sunny, while northern areas such as Princeville, have more clouds and rain. If you are an outdoorsy kind of person, there are a lot more opportunities on Kaui. Shopping and nightlife are not on a large scale on Kauai, but there is still plenty to do and many fabulous restaurants. <BR> Maui is very different. It has a lot of beautiful scenery, but is much more deveolped which you will be able to tell by the sheer crowds at certain locations. Maui has much more of a nightlife and has much more shopping and general commericalization. Maui also has better opportunities to go whale watching (which I am not sure of for April). The weather in Maui tends to be sunnier than Kaui, but if I had the choice of a true island experience Kauai, all things considered, would be our choice. <BR>

Sam, above, gives good advice, but I think he was a little hard on Maui. Maui is a great place to visit and in a sense provides a broader range of experiences than Kauai (but I'm not knocking Kauai at all). My point is that you can find a pristine tropical beach with practically no company on Maui and then walk through the splendind main shopping street of Lahaina that evening. Whalers Village at Kaanapali is very pleasant for browsing shops, but maybe take a jeep excursion to nearly vacant Lanai the next morning. Want breathtaking canyons? Fly over Molokini with AlexAir or one of the other great helicopter guide services. For sheer variety, go to Maui. If you want to park in a lounge chair today then go on a beautiful hike tomorrow, go to Kauai. Either way you can't really lose!

Depends what you want. Maui has valcano trip, alot of tourists. Kauai is less developed, more laid back. If you want the best beaches, away from it all, try Colony Bay Resort on the north side near the end of the road. Best beaches and snorkeling I have ever experienced.

EVER HEARD OF THE GARDEN ISLAND INN NEAR KALAPAKI BEACH? WE WILL BE ON KAUAI FOR THE MILLINIUM AND WANT THE BEST OF LIFE. LOTS OF SNORKLELING, WHALE WATCHING AND LOTS OF PEACE, ANY HINTS PLEASE SEND THEM MY WAY, THANKS

We just returned from the islands 1-19. <BR>This was our third trip to Maui and our first to Kauai. We like Maui the best. We find more to during our vacation there. So much of Kauai in not acessable by road. If you are a backpacker or like to spend a lot of time sunning on the beach then Kauai might be just what you are looking for. We ran out of things to see and do and in fact left Kauai a day earlier than planed. If you do choose Kauai try to schedule a helicopter tour for really spectacular views of otherwise unreachable parts of the island. We used Safari and were well pleased with our tour. You are sure to enjoy either island but even the locals call Maui the best. Aloha

Lived on Maui for five years and loved it. I know Kauai and it's very pretty but if you have only one choice, go for Maui. Sure, it's got commercial areas--people live there, but go upcountry or to Hana and you'll feel like an explorer. Stay away from Kaanapali unless you love San Diego. <BR>

We spent one week at the Kaui Hyatt in Poipu and one week at the Maui, Grand Wailea for our honeymoon last year. Both islands were beautiful with much to see and do. There's more nightlife in Maui, but I must say...that when I think back, my most memorable experiences were in Kauai. There's just a magestical beauty about this tropical laid back paradise, that I will always treasure. Maui is beautiful but cannot compare to the beauty of Kauai, IMO. Have fun!