Hi everyone,

My family (2 adults, 2 kids... ages 13 & 9) is going to the Big Island (Kona & Hilo), Oahu, Kauai, and Maui in August.

We will probably only do 1 or 2 ocean snorkeling trips (catamaran, zodiac, etc.) throughout the trip. The rest of the time we will snorkel from the beach.

If there is excellent snorkeling from the beach at a given island, I'd just as soon save the money... I want to only book the "must do" tours.

I was thinking about the following trips:
(1) Kealakakua Bay (Sea Quest Rafts & Snorkeling)
(2) Kona (Manta Ray Dives - for snorkeling only)
(3) Na Pali Coast (Na Pali Catamaran)
(4) Molokini or La Perouse Bay (not sure which tour operator/s)

Also, would you recommend a condo in the Napili area, or the Wailea area, of Maui for the best local snorkeling?

I haven't been to Hawaii in many years so any recommendations would be much appreciated!!

Thanks!

I went on Sea Quest recently and would recommend it.
I also snorkeled from Kahulu'u from the shore and that was great. You can snorkel from shore near the Place of Refuge also. For Kealakakua you would need to be on a tour, do a difficult hike, or kayak on your own. There are also tons of other places which have "good" snorkeling. While I was at A-bay beach I could see fish swimming nearby so all along that coast you probably won't be disappointed.
The manta ray thing you need to be on a tour for.
Maui also has a ton of places to snorkel from shore.
If I had to pick two I think I would choose the Manta ray and Na Pali coast trips and just snorkel from shore other places.
The "Revealed" series of guidebooks have a lot of info on good places to snorkel from shore and info on tour companies too. (Among all the other info - they are great guidebooks!)

Great, thanks!! And yes, I've purchased all 3 "revealed/ultimate guide books"... I guess the one on Oahu isn't coming out until December.

On the Big Island there is terrific snorkling on the Kona side from the shore at Kahalu'u and Place of Refuge (Two Steps). We love to kayak in Kealakakua Bay to Cpt. Cook (usually see dolphins), the snorkling there is terrific also. My husband loves the night manta ray snorkle (I don't like to get into the ocean in the dark), so that is the one I would suggest a tour to see. On the Hilo side, in the Puna District, the Kapoho lagoons have wonderful snorkling with beautiful coral and lots of fish. I'm not a fan of snorkling at A-bay on the BI - other places are much better; and when I went on the Pacific Whale Foundation from Maui to Molokini, I was very disappointed after the great snorkling from the Big Island, but the boat trip was nice and we did see some whales from the boat. Have a wonderful time.

Spend a day snorkeling at the various beaches along the south coast of Maui. We used Maui Revealed and really enjoyed Big Beach, Makena beach and the black sand beach along with Mokapu beach in front of the Renaissance hotel. The beaches vary drastically and are all within a few miles.

We had a blast at Kahalu'u (had difficulty not getting in the turtles way!) and Honaunau (sp?) is a must do. The clarity was amazing. Intended to hit the Kapoho tidepools but didn't make it. Until next time.

Have a great trip.

Great... so it looks like we have the Big Island covered... both east and west sides!

Still not sure what to do about snorkeling on Maui... sounds like there are plenty of areas to snorkel from shore... but is South Maui the best... better than Kapaula or Kaanapali / Black Rock area?

While we're in Maui, we'll be traveling to different beaches, but I'd also like us to have a great location for our accomodations, such that we can just walk out and snorkel (without having to drive). Any recommendations?

We're thinking about Ekahi Village on the south side, and the Mauian on the west side.

Thanks for any advice!!

Aloha cawhite,

On O'ahu don't miss Hanauma Bay (8 miles from Waikiki) & Shark's Cove on the north shore.

Have fun!

Yes, we've been to Hanauma Bay and will do so again... I recall having to go EARLY in the a.m.; is that still the case?

We've never been to Shark's Cove that I recall... will put that on the list!

On BI we did Kealakakua Bay with Fairwinds (VERY impressed with their attention to safety). The snorkeling was good.

Hanauma Bay is best early AM before the crowds... 6:30am or so and you'll have the beach to yourselves.

The snorkeling in South Maui is awesome, but be sure to go as early as possible because the wind REALLY kicks up down there around midday. Last July, we liked Palauea and Po'olenalena beaches, south of Wailea. A lot of people recommend Ulua Beach too, but we didn't make it there. The coves at Ahihi-Kinau (Fishbowl, Aquarium) are awesome, but difficult to hike to, and there's something recently about the preserve area being closed to kayak tours/everyone??

If you look at Maui Revealed, they show the dark blue areas of "good snorkeling" on their maps and you'll notice that there's an abundance of them from Wailea onward. Honolua Bay was fun too, lousy entry and crowded by 10am, but not crowded in the water, only on the rocky shore. From our position on La Perouse Bay, Molokini looked very crowded with big boats. For how expensive those Molokini trips can be for four people, you might consider spending money elsewhere when excellent snorkeling is so readily available off shore in Maui.

love
roxy

love
roxy

Well, now... it certainly sounds like Wailea is the place to be... but where to stay? I know everyone likes some of the big resorts (Grand Wailea, Kea Lani, Four Seasons), but we really prefer a condo.

Any recommendations for something right on / near the beach, that would be a good place for kids? Is there a nice condo around Ulu'a beach? I know that's near the Renaissance.

We stayed at the Kihei Surfside condos, on the oceanside, and a very short walk next door to Keawakapu Beach, which is wonderful, and the first of the Wailea beaches. It was $125/nt for a one bedroom with a sofa bed, with AAA discount (which was only 10% though I think). Every unit has a stunning ocean view. It's very kid-friendly, with a pool right by the ocean crashing on the lava rocks, and on an enormous manicured lawn, like bigger than you would believe, this lawn, plenty of room to play. And these awesome barbecues. The whole atmosphere is laid back and friendly.

I wrote about it last July in a very detailed trip report here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34436140 It really is a little gem, this place.

Let me know if you have any questions!

love
roxy

There a few nice to extremely nice condominium complexes in Wailea, all a fairly short walk to Ulua/Mokapu: Ekahi, Elua, Palms and Grand Champions. Keep in mind that those beaches are crescent shaped, and strung together, stretching south from Keawakapu (Roxy's Surfside is steps north of Keawakapu, itself a very good snorkeling location). There is a paved beach patch connecting the resorts. Ulua is just one of the good sites for snorkeling, though all those sites in front of the resorts can be crowded, especially during high seasons. Snorkeling at those sites yards from shore is normally better than that at Molokini, which is just too crowded. Wailea is a world above Napili in terms of amenities and space. Napili is a beautiful bay, but the accommodations are on top of each other and far more modest.

cawhite,

If you have the opportunity to snorkel on the BI, make sure you do it rather than waiting for snorkeling on Oahu and Hanauma Bay. The snorkelling at Place of Refuge, where you just walk in from the beach and Kealakakua are so much better. Coral is completely dead at Hanauma and it is so crowded. Definitely prioitize your $ and time at the Captain Cook location as it is far superior to Hanauma. Also, be sure to spend $ to rent "dry" snorkels as it is so much better.

Maria

Thanks for the info. on Place of Refuge too. And yes, I picked up 4 snorkel sets at Costco... and they do have dry snorkels... can't wait to use them!!