We've just returned from two weeks on the islands...We learned some things, so I thought the comments might help future planning.

Day One, Two on Oahu. Stayed at Marriott Waikiki which was across from the beach. Nice hotel, nothing fancy, food marginal. Felt disconnected from the beach and will stay beachfront next time. -Day two, arrived at Pearl Harbor at 6.45am July 4th. We were on the first tour. If you don't want PH to take all day, I'd recommend getting there early. We were through by 9.30am, so we drove to the Northshore and around the perimeter of Oahu. Done with the Oaho island tour by 1pm...Yes, it's possible to do the island and PH in one day.

Went to Dole Plantation (no big deal, but worth a quick stop) and enjoyed the scenery on the Winward side of the island.

Honolulu is a vibrant city with all that goes with a vibrant city...traffic, tons of people and tons of tourists, good restaurants...There is an energy here that is fun, but it's not paradise.

Off to Four Seasons for a week on the Big Island. This is our second trip, so we're pretty big fans of this resort. There's nothing they haven't thought of. We were travelling with a 3.5 month old and Four Seasons had the crib waiting, special amenities for the baby and even cookies and milk waiting in the fridge...There's no reason to leave the resort for food as no restaurant in Kona compares to the quality of the F.Seasons restaurants. My favorite part of the resort is the spa/gym...there's a reason why Hualalai just earned the top hotel spa in Travel & Leisure.

After a week of pampering, we headed to Kauai. The beauty of this island contrasts the arid landscape of Kona...It's incredible and took us by surprise. We rented a Villa in Princeville which was a great option. No AC in July got a bit warm, but the nights were cool. Special restaurant recommendations in Hanalei include Postcards Cafe, Dolphin Restaurant, Zelos...Incredible sushi at the Princeville Hotel Lobby Bar...Special recommendation would be the sailing trip with Rick, Bluewater Sailing Company. Beaches to visit include secret beach, Tunnels, Annini and Poipu on the South Shore.

Pass on the fern grotto thing if you're pressed for time...it's not that big a deal, but worth it if you need to kill time.

Please send questions while the trip is fresh on my mind....

Hi Bellis, I have posted this question on the message board before but, since you graciously volunteered to answer questions, and you were so recently there, I thought I would get your opinion. Should I spend 6 nights at Four Seasons Hualalai and 1 night in Volcano, or 5 nights at FS and 2 nights in Volcano? Also, having been to both the North and South shores on Kauai, should I spend most of my time at Princeville, or most of my time at the Hyatt in Poipu. I am going to split my time on Kuai, just wondering how many nights at each. This will be in August.

Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the report. We are off to Kauai in 10 days and really cannot wait. Our accommodations (condominiums) do not have air conditioning. Do you think it is a problem? Were there tradewinds and were they sufficient to cool off the place at night? We are staying a week in Poipu and a week in Princeville - one condo is oceanfront, the other is ocean view not far from the ocean so I was hoping for good ocean breezes.

sorry Bellis sounds like you had air-conditioning throughout so I thought I would answer.
Iza I am not stalking you J just happened onto your question. It is very windy due to El Nino if you have been checking weather at weather channel.com. It will be breezy. I know my friend on the North Shore Oahu said it has not been as humid as other summers. I have not had a problem without air-conditioning on any of my trips. Sometimes in summer it might get hot during the day but that is when you will be in the air-conditioned car, store, blah blah blah. At night on the NS it often rains and you know how it is sometimes cool after a summer rain, same effect on Kauai. I have air-conditioning in NYC so it is a convenience I am use to.

Lived without on Oahu, no problem

Thanks, Sarah. Bellis said she had no AC in Princeville and it was hot so that's why my question. I guess I am just getting a bit paranoid and nervous before our trip.

Bellis, we will be renting a villa in Princeville also, in September. Which one did you stay at? How did you like it? This will be our first try renting a private home. Did you go over to the Princeville Hotel often? I envision us going over for sunset drinks and appetisers. We will be only a five minute walk away. Did you go to Hideaways Beach and/or Queen's Bath? Thanks in advance for your reply.

Lisa-

I would spend as much time as possible at the Four Seasons, but visiting Volcano National Park might be a good diversion from all that luxury..ha! I'd save the drive, take a helicopter tour of the island and actually fly over the volcano...You'll see more. Also, FS has a sixth night free promotion...we took advantage of this and saved a great deal.

Kauai...Beauty is on the North Shore, but I hear the Hyatt is nice. You'll get more pool time at the Hyatt as the NS is very rainy...Out of five days there, it rained about 1/2 the time.

Have a great trip...let me know how the Hyatt is..

Maggi-

We used Kauai Vacation Rentals to rent our Princeville Villa, Hanalei Bay Villas #20. The property is right next to the hotel and we ventured over to enjoy their AC during the day, beach during the day and bar for sunset drinks. The villa was very enjoyable, had 2.5 bedrooms, 3 baths, INCREDIBLE VIEW and was well equipped with all the supplies for beach outings, picnics etc...The only negative was lack of AC and relatively slow tradewinds...towards the end of the trip, we were all ready to bask in AC..it does get humid, even with good winds, but it's not unmanageable...seek AC if available. If not, have many drinks and hang close to water.

Thank Bellis for the reply! I, for one would like to hear more about your experience on Kauai.

Bellis weren't you out at the beach or car during the day. I can't recall a day I spent hanging at a condo or

Maggi-

Kauai was/is awesome...especially the North Shore. Princeville is a great, secluded resort area that feels like you are staying in a country club/bedroom community. Our days were occupied by picking a different beach each day, packing picnics and snorkeling until our hands wrinkled...The water is great and special beach recommendations include Annini/Secret Beach, Tunnels and the beach in front of the Princeville Hotel is great..it's public, so it can be enjoyed by non-hotel guests...the public is allowed to use the beach bar at the hotel, so it's kind of like you get the best of both worlds if you're not staying at the hotel...There are quaint shops in Hanalei, several places to shop for groceries (prices are high, but not unreasonable)and a couple of fun bars...We liked Zelos for happy hour, Dolphin Restaurant for Dinner and Postcards Cafe for breakfast. On our way back to Lihue on our last day, we did the river cruise thing to the Fern Grotto...it's a fun, two hour tour and the guides are informative. Then, we headed to Poipu Beach b/c we heard this was 'the' beach...it was/is...very nice and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the south shore is equally beautiful as the North..well, maybe not as pretty, but we thought it was great...We'll be returning to Kauai and would like to see Maui next time. Hope this helps.

Hi, on the volcano 1 or 2 nights deal, I suggest this...drive over w/o stopping & stay 1 night (check in). If you leave early, you can get to the park in time to do everything at the caldera. Then you can see the lava flows that evening..the next day drive back & stop for all the sights...such as Akaka Falls, scenic drive, Laupauhoehoe Point, etc. Hope this helps. Aloha, Linda

Thanks for the details, Bellis! I made note of them to add to my trip info. Is there public parking at the Princeville or did you walk there? We also plan to take advantage of our proximity to get "the best of both worlds". Just wish I could figure out how to enjoy their pool. Might just sign up for a cabana massage and see if I can get in that way. We will most certainly frequent the restaurants there often. I have read the Friday seafood buffet is great, as well as the Sunday brunch. (Some might say, why not just book a room there? But we prefer more private accomodations and the option of cooking for ourselves.) How are you faring since your return home? Have you "come down" yet?