Torn between a month in Kailua-Kona area of BI or Kihei, Maui area. We are "young" retirees, like to walk the beach, take occasional drives to see the scenery and countryside, visit unique shops, little snorkelling and husband would love to sea kayak. We want to stay in a more populated place on one of the islands in order to rent a car only when we want to head out exploring. Your recommendation would be ??
Thanks.

Forgot to mention (in case it's relevant) that we'll be going February and March.

Hi Canuck,

I cannot comment on the BI, but I can tell you that the Kihei area of Maui is not an area I found 'desirable'. It was kind of seedy. It just was not like the rest of the island. I could elaborate, but I will just leave it at that for now.

You will be in Hawaii during great whale watching time!

Enjoy! Tiff

Have to disagree with Tiff as we did not find Kihei at all "seedy" - though it is admittedly a big step down from either Ka'anapali/Kapalua or (especially) Wailea. The latter areas are extremely ritzy and very beautiful indeed, whereas Kihei is a 'regular' place where average people live and work - with the difference being that Kihei is on Maui and on the beach. I suppose next to the other, fancier places it does look 'seedy' - but that is only in comparison and the fact is that 98%+ of most places in America would come off poorly compared to the fancy resort areas of Maui. Compared to most beach towns I've seen across the country, Kihei is probably about average. If in doubt, simply stay in South Kihei and be very close to fancy Wailea. Don't really need a car there as there's lots of shops and restaurants nearby and all three of the Kamaole Beaches are terrific - though the beachs north of them up to (but not including) Sugar Beach are not that good for swimming.

Ken

Totally agree with you LordBalfor!

I would say got to the Big Island just because it's very, very different from Oahu. All the islands are different, but in my opinion Maui is more similar to Oahu than the BI is.

My husband and I did the month thing twice in the Kihei area and loved it. You can walk to the store, the beaches and all kinds of restaurants. We did it once in April and once in February. The February trip was our favorite because it was during whale season. Snorkeling during whale season and hearing the whales singing is a real trip. We also went kayaking and a mama and baby whale came within 100 feet of us. What a thrill.

Isn't there a lot less rainfall in Kona area in winter months than Kihei area? Might factor in the decision?

If you're going to Oahu first, I think the big island would be more of a change. To us, Maui is similar to Oahu in terms of shopping, commercialization, and crowds. The big island felt more relaxed and less touristy. Our first trip we did Oahu, BI, and Kauai; we have also been to Maui and BI separately. We discovered more Hawaiian culture on B.I; Hilo, Kona, Volcano area, Mauna Kea, and the north country are all so different. However, if you are going to stay in only one place on B.I. (we did not do this) you will spend a lot more time driving. I think the beaches and snorkelling in Kona and South Maui are equally good. Since Maui is a smaller island, unless you head for Hana, it is quicker to get around and the public transportation is very good. Makawao has some wonderful shops and galleries, which I thought were more unique than Lahaina.

While we were on Maui, a Hawaiian suggested the month long stay at a condo would be the most economical way to go in the future. She suggested $1,800/mo.

Is this a sound price for a fairly nice condo? Belle