My wife and I are have about 7-8 nights to spend in Hawaii - of which we're doing 3 nights in Oahu - staying away from the crowd at the JW Marriott.

The last 4 nights are a toss up between Maui and the Big Island. (We've already done Kauai and loved it.) We're not particularly into water sports, but like to spend a lot of time at the beach, sightseeing, going to good restaurants/bars, etc.

From what I've read on this message board, Maui can be a busy and touristy vacation, while BI promises more natural beauty and things to see. Key question about BI is whether we'll get bored there after a couple of days of seeing everything.

Advice please!!!

If you like a decent show and a lot of humour, try "Warren and Annabelle's" in Lahiana. It is simply a great night. I'd recommend Maui over the Big Island. You may get some ideas from "Hawaii for Less" under Joyful Journeys at www.senior-infosite.com

Aloha HVN,

Truthfully, 4 days on the Big Island will only scratch the surface. Of note are
-the Volcano National Park,
-the numerous waterfalls of the Hamakua Coast,
-Waimea - home to the largest privately held cattle ranch in the US,
-historic old Hilo town - location of some great museums and botanical gardens filled with orchids,
-the multicolored beaches - white, salt and pepper, black and green sand beaches - not to mention the #1 and #2 rated beaches in the US
-Waipio & Pololu Valleys - rivals the spectacle of the Na Pali coast
-Mauna Kea, tallest mountain in the world if measured from its base. Snow on its peak during the winter months and home to of many country's telescope arrays.
-extensive coffee and mac nut plantations

If the above isn't enough to keep you busy, remember of all the Hawaiian islands the King's and Queen's of Hawaii chose this location above all others.

Which ever you choose, have a wonderful vacation.

Mauna Kea--tallest mountian in the world??? Gee, I thought that was Mt. Everest, at 29,035 feet. Where did I get that idea?

I believe Mauna Kea IS the tallest if measured from the sea floor!

Correct.
Mauna Kea would be the tallest mountain if you removed the earth's water and measured absolute height from base.

BTW, BI is much less touristy than Maui.
But if you stay at one of the nicer resorts in Wailea (excepting the Grand Wailea which is a zoo) or even the Maui Prince (by itself further south) you won't feel like Maui is overly touristy.

The big island has much more to see than Maui. It's also less developed and has fewer restaurants (outside of Hilo). The beaches on Maui are better because they're sandy and long where much of the big island is lava. So if you want nice beaches and restaurants/bars, go to Maui. If you want more sightseeing and a quieter atmosphere, go to the Big Island.

Same question but for a family with kids , ages 10 and 12. We like active things: hiking, swimming, snorkeling, rafting, and not too huge crowds. We're not into shopping, arcades, theme parks. Also, which hotels would you suggest?
P.S. Our kids don't like long drives.

We've been to the four major islands of Hawaii - I would agree that although Maui is loads of fun with a lot to see (whale-watching cruises, road to Hana, Lahaina shops,bars/restaurants, beaches), it has a more active, "fun" atmophere. The BI, for us, felt more laid-back with a lot less traffic/crowds. We found less active nightlife, but enjoyed the relaxing atmophere of sightseeing the natural/historical sights. We enjoyed the Kona area (stayed that side of island couple nights), then stayed at Hilo - thought the location was better for exploring the volcano area, then not having so far to drive back to the room, but did feel the accomodations are better on the other side of island. Another hint - try some of the locally made wines with dinner - they're delicious! And don't forget to take home some world-famous Kona coffee - splurge for the better quality; also discovered coffee-flavored ice cream there. GREAT!!!

I love the Big Island but if I had only four days to spend on an island I'd definitely choose Maui. The Big Island offers a huge variety of experiences, many of them wonderful but the size of the island means spending a lot of time in the car. The Kohala coast resorts are beautiful but a pretty good drive from Kona and the landscape is barren until you drop right down into the resorts. Hilo side is nice and the Volcano is really interesting but if you are looking for great beach time, a variety of good restaurants, and some great scenery, I'd go for Maui. The Big Island really deserves at least a week. Maui is busier than the Big Island and Kauai, but still a great place to vacation and easy to get around and play.

When we went to Hawaii a few years back we split out time between Maui and the Big Island. Although Maui has beautiful soft sand beaches, and we had a good time, we got bored (we don't play golf). We actually wished we had just gone to the Big Island. The volcano is awesome, lots of areas to hike and explore, snorkeling & scuba are both wonderful.

You definately need a car there (Don't try and do the island in one day - it's too big!!!), but you do on most of the islands. We stayed in a condo (Vista Waikoloa) on the Kohala coast. The Shores at Waikoloa is another condo complex nearby. There's a georgeous beach within walking distance, a small nearby shopping area, and they're close to several of the big hotels. Most of the condo's have completely outfitted kitchens, washers & dryers, etc... which is ideal when you're going to the beach or exploring alot.

Whichever island you choose, I know you'll have a great time.