Uhhhhhhhh, honeymoon and Pearl Harbour memorial should not be in the same sentence. Terming something as not a must do, DOES NOT denigrate the honor of US Soldiers.

I completely support suze's comments.

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Karina123 : While on Maui, have you considered a nice kayak/snorkel "tour"? We had the greatest time kayaking to Ahi'i Cove and snorkeling with the exotic fish there. We then kayaked along the coast and swam with sea turtles (we did not violate the laws, etc) and took an expensive camera in a "dry bag" to protect it. I still reflect on those photos.

Have you also considered doing the Trilogy "tour" on a catamaran sailboat? We went with 30 people on a good sized boat with 4-man crew to Lana'i and snorkeled there, played volleyball, suntanned, BBQ was prepared and served by the ship's crew on the island, and we had a chance to see dolphins and whales. Depends on the season of course.

Have you considered golf?

Have you considered the Ulalena theatre show?

Have you considered shopping in Wailea?

Have you considered dancing at Tsunami at the Grand Wailea Resort?

While we enjoyed the round trip Road to Hana, it might be exhaustive for your 4 days there. I must say that one of the highlights was buying fresh starfruit and coconut, etc. from a farmer's stand.

Have you considered renting bikes and a tour guide for a downhill ride beginning at the top of Haleakala?

Have you considered Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea Resort? Out of this world luxury. It may not be necessary to be a guest at the hotel to make reservations there...

These are all great things for honeymooners.

I strongly recommend sidestepping any of the hecklers who offer discounts and incentives for listening to a timeshare presentation. On my honeymoon? Fehgeddaboudit!!

Sheraton and the nearby Westin are both under Starwood management so you have free access to the Westin pool as a Sheraton guest. The Westin pool is nicer.

Actually, I gave the US Navy eight years of my life. A small contribution compared to those who gave their very lives... I have reread this thread and still haven't seen ANY negative comments about the memorial at Pearl Harbor???

We took the Trilogy tour to Lanai. The boat ride was fun but rough. The snorkeling was not as good as that we experienced offshore at the south Maui beaches. And it took a whole day... But it was a fun excursion.

I would not miss Pearl Harbor. Also, we took surfing lessons in Maui while there. I recommend that. Very fun and they give Lots of personal attention to beginners. You have to do a luau too. There's great snorkeling in Maui at a place called Black Rock. I think it's right near the Sheraton. Hawaii is such a romantic place. You cant go wrong no matter what you do. You will have a great time!

I was three weeks in Hawaii for work, but had plenty of time to tour around. I flew to the Big Island also for a couple of days on Aloha Airlines. It was a short (40 min.) flight. They don't assign seats, only general boarding so it's first come first serve. Sit on the right side of the plane if you want to have a view of Honolulu. You'll see some of the other islands from either side.

Here are some things to do in Honolulu and around the island:

Honolulu

Waikiki Beach – Most of my time was spent on the beach, swimming, or just walking up and down.

Arizona Memorial – Very moving, go early or plan to wait around the visitors center until your timed ticket.

Battleship Missouri – Interesting tour, even though it is next to the Arizona you have to take a bus into the base to see it.

Aloha tower and marketplace – The view from the tower is not what it once was. The maritime center in the marketplace is a rewarding visit.

Diamond Head – A moderately difficult hike to the top. This is where you get the best views. Absolutely breathtaking.

Creations at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani – This is the best of the Waikiki Hotel shows. We didn’t do dinner, just the show.

Catamaran ride – I took the Mai Tai catamaran on a one and a half hour cruise. It was a fun trip.

Oahu

Polynesian Cultural Center – This is probably the most interesting thing to do. Every Polynesian culture has a small village with a show and different activities. It really is an all day excursion. We didn’t have time to see all the villages and the Horizons evening show is specatular. The Lu’au buffet was pretty good, but you have to eat quickly, when I went back for seconds everything had been cleared and dessert was set out.

Pali pass – Great views of the winward coast from here.

Manoa Falls – A nice hike though the rain forest to the waterfall. You can’t go into the water here because of some sort of tropical parasite, but it is beautiful.

Hanauma Bay – Snorkeling is good here, lots of fish, but also lots of dead coral. I was disappointed after all I had read about it. If you’ve gone somewhere where there is a pristine coral reef, you’ll probably be disappointed here too.

Halona Blowhole – Interesting to look at for a short while. The spurts are intermittent so stay a few minutes to be sure to see a big spout.

Shrimp Trucks – There are a lot of shrimp farms on the coast around Laie. Stop for lunch at one of the trucks, we stopped at Kaya’s which was painted yellow and had big signs.

Turtle Bay – The Turtle Bay Hilton has public beach access. A calm beach between the resort and golf coast was totally deserted and very peaceful.

Paradise Cove – A different kind of lu’au. Drink tickets are included with your admission. A few activities, nothing on the scale of the Polynesian Cultural Center, but still a lot of fun.

I don't think it is for us to tell people what they "must do" on their vacation. When I post a suggestion, either pro or con, I have thought about it and try to match the activities with what the OP asked about... interests they expressed, occasion of the trip (in this case a honeymoon).

"Because I am not interested in military history Pearl Harbor is not a must do in my mind."

Suze, you said a lot when you made the above statement. You wanted to make a statement because otherwise there was reason to say it at all. Why would you? Why would you mention Pearl Harbor except that you wanted to slide in your little anti-military tidbit?

Funny how people can read the same sentence and come to such different conclusions. I fail to see any "anti-military" sentiment in Suze's statement.

tom42 -

I'm with you! Someone must have forgotten to take their "crazy pills" this morning...

Jeez, I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something else going on here - like a personal dislike that has spilled rather bizarrely into a thread.

I didn't see anything wrong with suze's comments, either.

Whether you decide to visit Pearl Harbor or not is up to you. Everyone has different interests.

You might want to try renting a 2 person kayak in Kailua and kayaking off Kailua/Lanikai beach. The beaches are my favorites on the island - the last time we did this I had a turtle swimming next to me for a little bit.

"Because I am not interested in military history, Pearl Harbor is not a must do in my mind."

and

"Because this is a honeymoon trip I was trying to suggest *romantic* activities."

I believe visiting the memorial is a "must see". If it is not to some, I can also see that.

If you don't recommend spending a couple of hours at something as important as the USS Arizona Memorial, just don't say anything about it rather than implying that it isn't important enough or romantic enough.

Leelane:

>>Why would you mention Pearl Harbor except that you wanted to slide in your little anti-military tidbit? >>

Anti-military? WHAT? I didn't see that at all. So let's see. When they erect the 9/11 monument to honor the people who lost their lives, and I don't go when I'm in New York, will that make me "Pro-Taliban?" Please!

I just got back from Waikiki last week. We went to Pearl Harbor and the zoo. In addressing this post to a honeymooning couple in their 20's who only have 2-3 days, I'd recommend the zoo. I learned a lot at the memorial, but I had a more romantic time strolling the near empty zoo with my husband. BTW, I am not a commie!

Karina did not say anything about wanting to do "romantic" things, Suze did. It is laughable in this day and age when most married couples have been living together for months or years before marriage to consider a honeymoon such a sacred, "romantic" time that you cannot pay your respects to the people who are responsible for your freedom. I cannot even comprehend your attitudes. Such ingratitude is truly sad.

So then you're saying that anyone who visits Oahu and does not visit Pearl Harbor is ungrateful?

I can't comprehend that attitude.

Honestly, there was NOTHING wrong with Suze's comments. Sometimes the way people jump to the wrong conclusions about people they don't even know on this board is ridiculous. She was hardly being anti-military. Get a life, people.

I have no problem with suze or anyone else who does not visit the Arizona Memorial. I don't know if she has been there or not.

My problem with suze is the way she recommended not seeing it. She shouldn't have mentioned it at all.

For me this also goes back to her being against going to Polynesian Cultural Center. First it was because it was too commercial. The next thread about PCC it was because it was run by Mormons and "some of us have a problem with that". She also stated she has never been there.

Religion should play no part in a travel forum. Nor should the comments she made about the memorial. I am not religious at all, but I wouldn't think about bashing a place because of religion.

Its a dagger through the heart of any veteran to read "Because I am not interested in military history Pearl Harbor is not a must do in my mind." or "You're on your honeymoon".

I didn't see anything in her comments that were anti-military. Just a lack of respect!

I have been to Maui numerous times, including our honeymoon 11 years ago. Although we have never stayed at the Sheraton, some suggestions that I would have for Maui are:
1. Snorkel! I find the best snorkeling right off the beach. Go to any dive shop for wonderful, detailed maps of where to go and level of difficulty. Morning is better visibility, by far. I have gone on snorkeling and diving trips to Molokini, and find them very time consuming and you don't see much more than what you do from the beach. The exception to that would be, that if you scuba dive, the wall dive on the back of Molokini is quite an experience.
2. If your budget allows, a helicpoter ride around the island is very special. We did a sunset flight and landed on the slopes of Haleakala for a glass of champagne. Beautiful scenery. Especially if you decide not to drive to Hana (very, very long and winding road), the helicopter will fly you right over that part of the island as well. You will see the lush vegetation and waterfalls. We flew with Blue Hawaiian, and they were excellent.
3. Hookipa beach - it's world famous for wind surfing. This is where the Big Dogs go! Unless you are an expert, just go and watch. It's unbelievable.....and free! If you do the helicopter tour, allow time before or after to go to this beach. They are very close together.
4. Tandem parasailing (behind a boat) with your honey. Certain times of year it is not allowed due to whale migration, but I believe you can do it in June.
5. Luau - Our favorite is the Old Hawaiian Luau, but there are other good ones, too.
6. Enjoy the sunsets. Find your special spot on the beach and remember the moment. Time goes by fast.

I haven't been to Oahu as often as Maui, but some things for you to think about:
1. North Shore - check out the surfing! You can stop at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the way.
2. Pearl Harbor - I went there thinking that it seemed like a "good thing to do", and left there with a whole new perspective and appreciation for our servicemen. Was it "fun"...no. Was it moving, thought provoking and significant...yes.
3. Take a surfing lesson. Waikiki is a great place to learn. It's a kick in the pants. Just be sure to wear a rash guard or t-shirt.

Above all, do what YOU want to do. You can't have a bad time in Hawaii! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

With regards to the Sheraton Maui, get a Starwood card now if you don't already have one. It will get you free candy, calendar and most importantly a FREE UPGRADE. Once you have your card #, call the Sheraton and tell them that: 1) you are a Starwood member and 2) that you will be there for your honeymoon.

>>A negative statement that implies that the Arizona Memorial isn't a place to see on a trip to Hawaii is a sacrilege to any veteran. It should offend any veteran.<<

Hmm. Well, my dad, who is a verteran visited last year. I asked him if he wanted to visit Honolulu and see Pearl Harbor. His response? "Nope. Not interested. I saw enough war in my time. I want to go fishing. This is my vacation."

I guess my dad just insn't a good American.

Here Today: Don't forget, he's "ungrateful" too! (wink wink)