We are planning a trip to Hawaii this May...working with a travel agent now...and finally about to book.

However, we were initially just going to do Maui. 10 nights...split between Kapalua and Wailea areas. We are now thinking about Kauai.

What would you do?

10 nights in Maui - Kapalua Bay Hotel (ocean front room, breakfast included, jeep or convertible rental)

or

5 nights on Maui (Kapalua Bay) and 5 nights on Kauai (Sheraton) I was all set for the Hyatt on Kauai but apparently there is no availability. sniff sniff

My concerns --
there is a lot we want to do on Maui and I'm not sure 5 nights will be enough time so maybe it would be best to spend the entire time there. But, there is something about Kauai now that is drawing me to it....but I'm not sure about the Sheraton.

The prices for both packages are about the same.

Any thoughts...or other ideas/suggestions?

Thanks!

I would spend maybe 7 days on Maui and 3 days on Kauai. Kapalua is lovely and somewhat distant from tourist spots, so it takes some travel time to get to Haleakala, Paia, and other central places on island. I definitely prefer it to Wailea though, which gets congested with people & traffic --not the same feel of a private paradise as Kapalua. By the way, in Kapalua, you can get a great breakfast or go for happy hour at the golf course clubhouse with views overlooking pines, ocean & Molokai. We would drive up from Kaanapali almost every day for this treat!

Kauai cannot be missed. The overall beauty there is breathtaking and there are some unique things to see like Waimea canyon and the Napili coast by helicopter. We stayed at the Sheraton in Poipu, and while I don't recommend it as a favorite (see hotel review on this site), it does have a beach and is supposed to be sunnier. If I had it to do over, I would have stayed at the Princeville on the north side. The view there takes your breath away (kept singing "Bali Hai" to myself there!), and again, it is much less crowded.

You have likely gathered I prefer more remote, quiet and private settings for a getaway. I've traveled throughout the Caribbean & Mexico, love beaches, and also find Hawaii to be the best for sheer beauty, great water & sand and value.

Just returned from 5 nites Maui, 6 nites Kauai and we definitely could have spent a week more on each. So I think you could definitely spend a week on Maui no problem.

However, if it was me I would try to get over to Kauai....my wife and I fell in love with the island. It is so lush and beautiful that we liked it better than Maui. Don't know much about the Sheraton though to ease your concern......but if you're not adverse to staying on the north, might I recommend The Princeville. It was terrific with the most gorgeous views of Napali Coast. In my opinion, the north is the prettier side of Kauai and May is essentially after the winter season so rain shouldn't be a concern. We were there in Feb. and had no rain at all.

If you do end up all 10 nites on Maui, though, I would still recommend looking into splitting your time between Kapalua and Wailea....there's enough to do and see on each part of the island to fill 4 or 5 days and this way you would cut down on a lot of the driving. We stayed at the 4 Seasons and loved it.

I would suggest 7 nights in maui, and 3 in kauai. You will need 1 full day for road to hana, drive all the way arround, a lot to see on the other side and in my opinion easier. maui has so much more to do, like kannapalli beach ( with whalers shopping and black rock, 1/2 day ) and wailia beaches with there great snorkeling and beaches. then you will go on snorkle trips and whale watching trips and dinner sail boat trips, there all great.Also bike the mountain down early morning and go on some beach hikes or beach lounging.

On kauai you can easely see the island in 3 days. Plan the helicopter trip along with the drive up the canyon and you can also hike the canyon all in one day and that late afternoon stop by sproting horn to conclude that side of the island. the mid day you arrive take in the fern grotto boat ride and see the giant water fall, and go to the beach of your choice. the 2 nd full day go to kee beach hike the mountain ridge ( about 45 minutes- or till you stop smilling) and after you do hike , the beach there has great snorkleing and many turtles and fish, with safe water. hint go early parking is at a preminum.then on your way back stop by all the beaches ( like the beach in south pacific) and others in the prince ville area. There is my in put. nick

I am actually leaving for Hawaii next week. We are staying one week in Kauai (at a condo on the beach) and a week on the Big Island. Kauai is my favorite island because of the beauty and laid back attitude. Last time I stayed in Kauai, I stayed at a B&B on the beach, so I don't have much experience as far as the hotels go. With all that said, I have read alot though about accommodations and I get the impression that the Hyatt in Kauai is considered one of the best hotels to stay at. It is in Poipu, which is on the south shore. The Princeville, mentioned above, is beautiful and has a great view, but is on the north shore which I believe doesn't have as good weather as the south shore. I definitely would make some time on your trip for Kauai if possible.

Bogart;

Did the same trip last year. 5 nights at the Kiahuna Plantation in Kauai (property next to Sheraton) and 5 nights at the Grand Wailea. This was my first trip to Hawaii and I was very pleased with my decision to see both islands.

Sheraton is on Poipu beach which is outstanding. The Sheraton pools are small but the beach is EXCELLENT. The Sheraton property was very nice, I believe a very good value for the price. We did travel to Princeville, very nice area, but preferred Poipu beach. Kauai is a beautiful island and not as "busy" as Maui.

On Maui we stayed in Wailea due to recommendations that the weather in March was windy in the Kapalua region. A number of great properties...Grand Wailea, Four Seasons etc...

You have a nice problem, what ever you decide you will have a memorable time. If this is your first visit my personal recommendation is to find a way to see both islands.

I would recommend going to Kauai. We went there last year and stayed at the Sheraton. This hotel was good for us because we had our kids and the beach was great. We stayed in the deluxe ocean category which I would suggest otherwise you may end up on the backside of the resort across the road.

We took our best pictures on the drive to and from the North Shore and I would definately stay in a cottage or home up there but I'm not exactly sold on the Princeville area itself. I'm not quite sure why. Just my opinion.

We did the Na Pali coast tour by boat.
Awesome. It was nice because we left out of Port Allen at 5:45 a.m and returned at 2:00 p.m. which gave us a chance to go swimming. Actually I think I took a nap on the beach.

We are planning to go to Maui in Dec.
Haven't been there for 14 years so hopefully you'll share your experience with us when you get back. Have a great time!

Oh wow! I just talked to our agent...she can get us a garden/view room at the Princeville for the same price as what she quoted us for the sheraton, ocean/deluxe room. We will have oceanfront in Kapalua so I don't mind the sacrifice...the views from the princeton I heard are amazing!!!

Ideally, we would like 7 nights on Maui and 3 on Kauai..but unfortunately that's not how the package pricing is set up so we can't.

eek! need to make a decision by Saturday...

either way, I'm sure we'll have a spectacular time..and I promise to post all about it.

thanks everyone for your help!

Hey bogart,

The Princeville is spectacular....if you decide to stay there you won't be disappointed.

Also, it sounds like you're disappointed that if you do choose to go to Kauai you'd have to stay there 5 nites instead of your "ideal" 3. IMHO, the more time you can spend on Kauai the better. Not that my wife and I didn't like Maui, but we fell in love with Kauai.

Anyway, wherever you go and for however long you'll have a terrific time.

You are going to have a wonderful time-regardless of what you decide to do, because its not gonna be enough time anyway! If you do split your vacation up and go to both islands, save Kauai for last, you will love its beauty and hang loose attitude.