DrToonz

15 nights on 3 islands.
Oahu followed by the Big Island followed by Kauai.
Looking for comments on timing, excursion recommendations and plans. What have we missed that is essential? What are we doing that will be a bust? I predict that snorkeling will be a hit for us so we may want lots of time doing that. Hmmm.... Any input is welcome.

Thanks, Fodorites!

We can be early risers and get a jump on the day. Then early to bed or play at night. Either way.

We're an energetic family w/two teenagers and we're used to GO GO GO.
Here we go...on day....

(2 nights Waikiki area; 3 nights near Kawela Bay; 2 nights Kona area; 3 nights Kapoho; 5 nights near Wailua. All accommodations and flights are aleady booked).

Other than the accommodations being booked, no scheduling is written in stone. Let me know your thoughts!

1. Arrive Honolulu; find hotel near Waikiki. Explore Waikiki Beach. Be mellow.

2. Get up early and take bus to USS Arizona and environs. Spend most the day there. Bus back to Waikiki and spend the afternoon lazying around.

3. GEt up early (again) and taxi to Diamond Head to hike it. Return to hotel, get gear (backpacks for everyone + one carry bag) then go and get a car.
Drive to Kawela Bay to find rental condo with stops at Punchbowl, Kapela Falls, Pali Lookout (more stops? Is this too many?)

4. Drive the big drive to Hanauma Bay first thing in the AM to try to beat the crowds and go snorkeling around. (our first Snorkeling experience; we'll bring gear with us). After that, maybe Koko Crater then drive the North Shore stopping at Byodo-In Temple. Mess around on our way back to the Kawela Bay area.

5. Morning hike on Kalalau Trail to beat the heat and cthe crowd. Maybe drive to Polynesian Cultural Center for the rest of the day and the 'Ha' show?

6. Early morning return to Honolulu to return the car and get to the airport to fly out by 11:00am to the Big Island. Pick up car at airport. Hit Costco for food/water supplies and settle in to Kona hotel for a 2-night stay. Drive North to poke around and see stuff. (ideas?). Pololu Lookout? Maybe a hike to Pololu beach?

7. Beach hopping/ lazying/ snorkeling?. Maybe a good long hike to Captain Cook Monunent to do some snorkeling? Other ideas in the area?

8. Drive to Kapoho to find rental bungalow. Drop gear and go to the National Park to find out about seeing lava flows either daytime or nighttime or both.

9. Drive the NE coast and ses kaumana Cave. Maybe Mauna Kea stargazing at night?

10. Norkeling the Kapoho Tide Pools in the AM or midday? More of the national park? How about the Makuu Farmers' market (this is Sunday)

11. Drive to Hilo and drop car to fly to Kauai. Arrive Kauai about 1:00pm. Drive to find condo. Explore.

12. Drive to the "End of the Road" at Ke'e beach and hike to Hanakapi'ai beach (4miles RT). Explore beaches and snorkeling opportunities on the way back 'home'.

13. Kayak up Wailua river to the park areas (recommendations?) Maybe the Smith Family Luau at night? Probably not this luau if we do the PCC one on Oahu. Maybe? Recommendations?

14. Drive to Kalalau Lookout and hike the Pihea Trail to the Alaka'i Swamp Trail and Kilhana Lookout (7.6m RT)? Recommendations?

15. Do whatever today. Lay on the beach? Revisit a place we liked? Get a snorkeling tour on the Na Pali coast? (Na Pali Coast touring recommendations REALLY wanted. Snorkeling off a catamaran? HElicopter? Fixed wing tour? Expense for fam of 4 is a consideration, but if AWESOME we'll spend the cash!.

16. Drive to airport and fly home in a state of vacation-induced exhaustion. AAAhhhh!

sylvia3

RE: Big Island
The lava isn't really flowing right now (except under a layer of solid rock). Hiking to the glowing lava isn't great now, for the same reason; if you will be at kapoho, you can drive to the end of the road (a few miles from Kapoho) to see steam from the sea entry if you look southwest along the coast.
Pololu lookout is a nice drive; the hike down to the (unswimmable) black sand beach is about 20 minutes.
The "hike" to Captain Cook is an unrewarding slog; better to take a boat snorkel tour (Cook and Place of Refuge snorkeling, nice coast view trip, you can deal for a price); you can also rent kayaks for the Captain Cook (Keakalelua bay) snorkeling.
Check a map for checking in at Kapoho first vs. National Park. In that part of the world, check out Lava Trees State Monument, a tropical paradise with cool geology in the Pahoa area.
Kaumana Cave (25 miles long!!), and has no lights and very rough footing; make sure you have very good lights and shoes. It's on Saddle Road a few miles outside Hilo; you could substitute Thurston Lava Tube in Volcano National Park for the lava tube cave experience. North of Hilo, make sure you visit Akaka Falls; the Oneama Bay drive and Lapakahi State Park are (also) stunning.
Early is best for tide pool snorkeling, but any time is great!

DrToonz

Thanks, Sylvia! I'll check out all those options and put the 'slog' on the back-most burner.

sf7307

OMG, I'm exhausted! My days (and there have been many) on Hawaii are spent like this -- coffee and newspaper on the balcony, pool/beach/walk, perhaps a stroll to another hotel or maybe a drive to another area to see something (which, except for Pearl Harbor, never ever involves anything man-made in Hawaii, back to the pool/beach, exercise, drinks, dinner, sleep, repeat!).

I really just wanted to comment on one thing - Pearl Harbor is NOT a full day excursion, a half day at most. If you're on the first boat, you'll be out of there by noon.

jamie99

I don't see what time of year you will be in Hawaii or where your condo is in Kauai, but if close to the North Shore, Na Pali Catamaran is highly recommended. It is a smaller boat so you do need to make reservations in advance. Otherwise just lying on the beach and snorkeling at either North Shore (Ke'e or Tunnels) or South Shore (Lawai) is pretty good, better thann off the tour boat. Go on the tour boat to see the coast not for the snorkeling.

willowjane

I am planning as well, keeping track of what you are doing. Looks great to me. When are you going?

DrToonz

OK, I did not, as I can see, say what time of year.
August.

@sf7303: Your note about Pearl Harbor is a great tip. We'll try to be 'first boat' in order to do that. that will give us some more "pool/ beach/ walk" time .
We are frenetic travelers and we know it. I can appreciate relaxation but we all appreciate the frenetecism just as much (and to the kids "relaxation" is synonymous with "boredom". hehe.)
We have, however, been known to make a plan then just scrap it entirely for a day just to do something relaxing! Maybe that'll happen, who knows!?.

@jamie99: I'll put Na Pali Catamaran on my list. Thanks for the tips!

DrToonz

Additional question I thought of: Should I be worried at that time of year (August) about sea sickness? It's never bothered me too much, but my kids might be affected.

charnees

If you go to Hawi and on to Pololu, stop in Hawi for lunch at Bamboo restaurant, a funky place with good asian/Hawaiian/American food, friendly staff. (Their coconut sauce is divine!! Try it on the veg stirfry with or without fish.) Across the street, if you are not stuffed, is a store that sells Tropical Dreams Ice Cream, the yummiest on the island. They also have a haupia flavor (coconut custard).

Pololu Valley is gorgeous. The trail is short but steep and can be slippery if it's wet.

The hike to Captain Cook is not long, but also very steep, and hot in the full sun much of the way. If you want an easier access, take either the Fairwinds or Hula Kai snorkeling tour out of Keauhou Bay at the south end of Kona (www.fair-wind.com/). If you go to Honaunau for snorkeling, you can also go to the picnic area in the park and take a trail that leads you through some old Hawaiian structures and up a small cliff to an old village. Only about 2 miles but very pretty seaside hiking.

DrToonz

@Charnees: Cools. Thanks. Hey, can you elaborate on the Honaunau trail? Is that the picnic area at the Place of Refuge park?

That Pololu Valley trail: If slipper is it 'death by falling' or 'annoying might get muddy' slippery?

martym

When snorkeling the Kapoho Tide Pools--go at high tide--per my husband--who also says they have the best coral on the BI.

sylvia3

There are several boat tours from Kona and Keauhou docks that are on smaller boats with way fewer people than Fairwinds. They all do the Cook to Place of Refuge snorkel, for varying prices (we got it down to the $70s for an early a.m. tour, but there are coupons, last minute deals, other discounts you can arrange directly, depending).

DrToonz

@sylvia3: I'll check out that, thanks!
@Martym: Great tip! I'll be sure to get me a tide table.

Songdoc

5. Morning hike on Kalalau Trail to beat the heat and the crowd. Maybe drive to Polynesian Cultural Center for the rest of the day and the 'Ha' show?

Re: the above ...
That's going to be a VERY long, tough day ... because the Kalalau Trail is on Kauai -- and the PCC is on Oahu ;-)

FYI, if you do the first couple of miles of the Kalalau Trail be forewarned that it's VERY strenuous. You're climbing over jagged boulders and huge tree roots. It can easily take 4 hours to hike 2 miles in -- and 2 miles back -- so that should give you an idea of the hike. I wouldn't even consider it unless the trail is dry.

If you enjoy hiking and want something less strenuous I recommend the Canyon Trail in Koke'e State Park (with gorgeous views of Waimea Canyon).

DrToonz

@Songdoc. Hehe. Yes, that will be a VERY long day.
I must have got some details mixed up and will tweak that. Good catch. I'll check out the Canyon Trail and keep my eye on weather (and exhaustion) for Kalalau. Thanks.

charnees

Doc, I can't find a map of the park, and the one on the NPS web site won't load on my IPad for some reason, but the trail is called the 1871 trail or something like that. It starts near where the park road leaves the main parking lot to go to the picnic area. It is level for most of the way except fpr one very short, steep causeway that apparently was hand-built years ago. I hope they now have copies of the self-guided tour that explains what the structures along the way are. A branch of the trail about half a mile in goes off to the end of the picnic area which is quite beautiful. You can take that branch on your way back if you want. The picnic area is beautiful.

By the way, our favorite sandwich source for day trips out of Kona is the KTA supermarket in the Keauhou shopping center. Not expensive, plenty of filling, with a small bag of chips included.