O`ahu vs. Maui
 

I'm planning my first trip to Hawaii and I'm not sure which Island to visit. I want to experience body boarding, yoga, chilling out on the beach and good food... Any ideas?

Anyway, you could visit both...do you have the time? I would recommend maybe 3 nights on Oahu and the rest on Maui.

Both are great experiences, though both are different. IMHO Waikiki Beach has the best waves anywhere for body boarding or when learning to surf, although it is more crowded. Your best shopping and food is on Oahu. Maui is better for whale-watching and Haleakala is enjoyable. I don't know about yoga.

IMHO if you want to relax, sit on beach etc. go to Maui, but be prepared for quiet evenings compared to Oahu. Waikiki is a 24 hour city, I have to wear earplugs to sleep, but it is my choice because I want to relax at beach (North Shore, etc.) and have some people watching/nightlife to entertain myself (no kids to deal with)

I would have to disagree that Oahu has better shopping and restaurants. I have been to both and have found much better restaurants on Maui. And the shopping is plentiful there too. I suppose that because Honolulu is a major metropolitan city, it does have more shopping than Maui, but who wants to go to Hawaii to spend time in shopping malls.<BR><BR>Most of the people I know that have only been to Oahu, come back saying they were disappointed in Hawaii. It was not the lush, tropical, relaxing place they imagine. Kauai, by far, is probably the most relaxing, tropical and underdeveloped ... but I personally like Maui the best ... it offers the best mix of beauty and things to do. If you can add in a night or two in Oahu, that's all you need ... it's worth it to go to Pearl Harbor. But, while Waikiki Beach does have great waves, it is also packed with wall to wall people. My husband and I could barely find space to put down our towels ... and we felt like we were the only Americans everywhere we went! The Japanese strongly outnumber the Americans.

Amy how can the Japanese outnumber Americans in the US? Just because people don't look like you doesn't mean they're not Americans.

Amy is right about the Japanese far outnumbering Americans and other tourists in Waikiki. If they speak Japanese, look Japanese, and claim to be Japanese chances are that they ARE Japanese.

who cares if Japanese tourists outnumber American tourists? why would you even mention that?

Very good point Tom. Why is that an issue? We spent 10 days in Hawaii a couple of years ago and found the Japanese people nothing but friendly and a pure joy to be around.

Amy, all you have to do is get out of Waikiki and you'll see Oahu's lush, tropical side. Waikiki is a city so I don't understand why people complain that it's overdeveloped with a lot of tourists. For best bodysurfing, it's Oahu. If you just want to chill out at the beach, I could tell you numerous beaches in Oahu that are private and not packed with people. You just have to get out of Waikiki and know where to find them. We spent July 4th in Oahu and though there were literally hundreds of people at Waikiki beach, we were at Ko Olina Cove which is one of the most scenic beach in Oahu, and there were only a handful of us. Just don't be lazy and do some research on the place that you visit.

Amy sounds awfully racist. Has she ever heard of Asian-Americans or Japanese-Americans? The people she is sticking her nose up at are probably as American as she is. Over half of the population of Hawaii can claim ancestry to somewhere in Asia.

I'd definitely stay in Maui over Oahu. Oahu is much busier and city-like, particularly in Waikiki. There are some pretty locations on the north shore, but Maui is a prettier island overall with plenty to do. I just wasn't very impressed with Oahu, whereas I loved Maui! The Wailea/southern area of Maui has the sunniest weather, but it is quieter than the Lahaina/Kaanapali area. The snorkeling and beaches in Wailea/Makena are excellent I think it would be fun to stay in the Wailea area for part of your vacation, then move up to the Kaanapali area for more restaurants and activity. Have a great time!

Haven't been to Maui, but want to second Gwen's assessment of Oahu. We thought it a perfect slice of paradise. Seems like so many people just stay in Honolulu and miss the rest of this georgous island. <BR><BR>We stayed in a cottage on the north shore - affordable, oceanfront, lovely beach, palm trees, friendly people. Did two day trips to Honolulu/Wakiki which was very fun, saw a lot, had our "gourmet dining". But spent most days driving the north and windward shores which have countless beautiful beaches, and all practically deserted. <BR><BR>Just want to warn you not to listen to people who say they hated Oahu and it's just a crowded beach with a city attached - Wakiki is just a small part of this lovely lovely island.....