fun_in_sun

My husband and I are going to Hawaii at the end of April (using miles which is good but you are so limited). So, we have to fly in/out of Honolulu (not terrible). Anyway, based on my research so far we want to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Rainbow tower. I've checked out comments on Trip Advisor with 50/50 good/bad. However, I have friends who have stayed there are recommend it since it's the first hotel and the beach has the most sand and the property is suppose to be beautiful. On Kauai we are thinking of the Marriot, but also heard nice comments about the Grand Hyatt. We will be there for from April 18 - 28 and are thinking 5 days for each island??? However, we are also thinking of squeezing int the BIG island to break up the trip a little more. Any recommendations? Also I have checked Hawaiian Airlines online for airfare to/from Kauai to Honolulu and it's not cheap $400 RT..is that about right? Look forward to any feedback please!

dmlove

Also I have checked Hawaiian Airlines online for airfare to/from Kauai to Honolulu and it's not cheap $400 RT..is that about right? Look forward to any feedback please!

NO, that's not right!! You should be able to go one way for $39!!

elsiemoo

fun_in_sun, dmlove is right about those fares ... check again! With 10 days, I would stick to two islands. We stayed at HHV years ago, in the Tapa Tower, and loved it.

fun_in_sun

Just to clarify the $400 RT was for 2 people RT Kaui/Honolulu on the Hawaiian Airlines website? Should I be booking directly on HA online or is there a better source to book my inter-island traveling....Thanks so much!

suze

I would never want to try to squeeze in 3 islands, in only 10 days myself.

kauai_aka

directly. i just booked today at 70 tot with ha. next week. $29-1wy.

fun_in_sun

Thank you all for the helpful insight and especially the good news on the inter-island flights. I will check HA again..

NW_Native

While Hawaiian and Aloha are the two main inter-island carriers. You could also check iflygo.com (Go/Mesa Air) as an alternative. A quick check found $49 (without tax and fees) one-way per person rates on all three carriers if you book early. I have read about some baggage transfer issues with Go Air when traveling to and from the mainland so be sure to research that aspect and allow time for baggage transfers.

NW_Native

While Hawaiian and Aloha are the two main inter-island carriers. You could also check iflygo.com (Go/Mesa Air) as an alternative. A quick check (for late April dates) found $49 (without tax and fees) one-way per person rates on all three carriers if you book early. I have read about some baggage transfer issues with Go Air when traveling to and from the mainland so be sure to research that aspect and allow time for baggage transfers.

beth_fitz

I really like the Hilton. Both times we stayed there we were in the Rainbow Tower.

On Kauai, I like the Marriott as it has a great beach and good restaurants in the area.

Packed2Go

If you wanted to squeeze in the Big Island, I would do 2 nights HNL (1 day to relax at the beach and one to see Arizona Memorial), with late afternoon flight onward (if possible) on day 3, 5N Kauai and 3N in Kona - do a helicopter sightseeing trip to the volcano on the Hilo side. On Kauai stay in Poipu where the weather is less rainy. But, be sure to also venture north to Princeville and Hanalei as it's very lush and beautiful at that end of the island.
Have a great time.

Knowing

We've stayed at the Hilton in the rainbow tower and were very happy. The only thing we would not do again is to do one of the orientation breakfasts that some package deals offer. They usually come and get you, bring you an awful breakfast and insist you do the tours with them.

dusty56438

There is more to see & do on Oahu than any other island. Don't limit Oahu to a couple of days.

With 10 days stick to Oahu & Kauai & save Big Island & Maui for a different time.

Lots of info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

fun_in_sun

Thank you all for the great info! Will provide back a trip report

LisaRex123

2 islands is plenty in 10 days. Traveling takes almost an entire day, especially given that check-in isn't usually until 3pm.

I've stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV) twice. The hotel is great if you like mega-resorts. It takes up an entire city block and has tons of restaurants and shops inside the village. Parking is expensive but I'd still rent a car because you'll have the flexibility to do what you want when you want.

I wouldn't miss the Arizona Memorial.

My advice is to stay for at least 2 or 3 nights on Oahu. On the first morning, while you're still on mainland time, get up early and arrive at the Arizona Memorial no later than 7am. That way you shouldn't have a long wait to see the movie and be transported to the memorial. Then when you're done, I'd highly recommend booking the Adventurer Tour of the USS Missouri. A guide takes you throughout otherwise inaccessible parts of the ship and gives facts, etc. I found that to be very interesting and much more valuable than the audio tour. The tickets are sold next door to the Arizona.

If you're into night life and don't mind an urban atmosphere, stay longer in Oahu. Oahu is like a mini NYC with a nicer beach. The other islands tend to have very little night life.

I would definitely recommend booking the HHV at the beginning of your trip. The 2nd time we went we booked it at the end of our trip. After spending a leisurely week on Maui, the culture shock of Oahu and all the traffic and noise was jarring.

fun_in_sun

Thank you for the great feedback. We are looking forward to our trip it's right around the corner! Mahalo!

gyppielou

Time for you to hone up on island safety!

http://www.survivingparadisehawaii.com/

have some wonderful adventures and report back.

Safe journey

g/ou

fun_in_sun

Trip Report (a bit late but better late than never!) Our trip to Hawaii was wonderful! One of the best trips we have taken.

First stop was Hilton Hawaiin Village - rainbow tower with ocean view of Diamond Head. The property was amazing and choices of restaurants were plentiful. We visited the Polynesian Cultural center which was well worth the trip up to the North shore. The luau was our first ever and the food was delicious. All of the staff were friendly and very accommodating. Pearl Harbor is also a must see if you see nothing else. The documentary film was very moving. A couple of good eats was "Top of Waikiki" and "Ocean Reef" on Waikiki beach. We missed Hanauma Bay since it was closed on Tuesdays but did get a chance to visit Kalia beach which was very nice.

In Kuai (our favorite island)we stayed at the Grand Hyatt which was superb! Everything from the property location, accommodations, buffet breakfast (don't miss the macadamia nut pancakes!) and evening shows and the spectacular luau dinner and show was wonderful. Waimea Canyon was also amazing but we were too afraid to drive on that winding road and only got up to 3,000 feet. Maybe next time. We also did a sunset cruise to the Napali coast (again a must see if you see nothing else!)

Overall great trip and we look forward to going back very soon!

kauaitahoe

The Hyatt in Poipu is a step up from the Marriot, but both are nice. You can get a full kitchen at the Marriot, so it really depends on if you like to cook or not. There are more restaruants and a very nice spa at the Hyatt.
Vacation rentals are also a nice way to go. You usually get more for your money, but they lack the service of a hotel.
You should also be able to get roundtrip airfare for about $65 from Honolulu to Lihue last time I checked on Hawaiian.
Aloha!

sarah825

Here are a couple of tips if you are flying inter-island. (1) On the Hawaiian Air web site (hawaiianair.com) you will see where you can earn 20,000 HA miles if you get their credit card for $50. Two people get 40,000 miles and flights are an average of 7,500 miles so that gives you 5 flights for a total cost of $100. Get a friend who is not going to Hawaii to apply and they can transfer their miles to you. (2) You can also get a roundtrip ticket on HA for 10,000 Continental or American Air miles. We did this and did a day trip to the Big Island. Sarah