Oahu or Big Island?
 

I plan to vacation sometime in April and want to make the most of my visit. It sounds as though there is more to do in Oahu, but more to see on the BI ie: volcano and black beaches. I am having a very difficult time deciding - Please help! Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This will probably be a once in a lifetime trip so which island do I go to?

Hi, I think that you need to address what type of vacation you want. Yes there is a lot more to do on Oahu. I am not sure I agree that there is more to see on the BI but I happen to like Oahu. Of all the islands BI is my least favorite.

Do you want dining, shopping etc? Or could you care less about those type of activities? It sure is a personal decision. Or could you visit both islands? Not sure how much time you have for this vacation but that might be a good comprise. Have fun explorering the possibilies.

Personally, I liked the BI a whole lot more. I am not into crowds and big cities, so the wide open spaces on the BI were really nice. The volcano was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We managed to do a different activity every day of our 10-day stay, and we never got bored! :-)

I did take a day tour over to Oahu for a day to see Pearl Harbor and the MO, and they were truly amazing. The tour included some sights on Oahu, including Waikiki. If I never go back there, that will be OK with me.

As stated the islands are very different.

Oahu has Honolulu, which means more and better restaurants, more shopping, more nightlife, etc. If you are concerned about staying in Honolulu, there are hotels on the outskirts or even the other side of the island.

Because Oahu is a smaller island, it is easier to get around and see everything. Hawaii is so large you could easily split your stay between the east and west coasts. I got very tired of spending so much time driving to get around. I felt that in a sense I wasted a lot of time in the car. Of course, the sights were great once we got to them.

My girlfriend liked Hawaii the least of all the islands we have visited because it is the least lush because of the volcanic rock, etc.

If you are staying long enough, you could split the trip between two islands. Four or five nights on each would be great, and it might be economical because many hotels have packages that offer an extra night free if you stay a certain number of nights (usually four, the last time I checked). These packages also may throw in breakfast, snorkeling, a car or other perks.

If I had to recommend only one island, it would be Maui, because it offers the most and best of both worlds -- beauty and activity (restaurants, shopping, etc.)

I were to recommend a combo, it would be Oahu for the activity and Kaui for the beauty and serenity (but Maui would still be a close second).

If you do decide to stay on Hawaii, I would highly recommend the Mauna Lani Hotel and Bungalows. It was fantastic.
It would be the main reason we would consider going back the Hawaii.

Aloha Mrscopper,

We love all of the Hawaiian Islands for the diversity and beauty of each.

I think LoveItaly is right, it would be helpful if you shared more of your travel likes/dislikes... length of stay... etc.

Personally, I can't imagine judging O'ahu harshly based on a 1 or 2 day stop to Pearl Harbor & Waikiki... the island is wonderful. We enjoy to stay on the north shore for the bulk of our stay, with a few nights in Waikiki... honestly, you could spend a month on O'ahu and not do everything that your heart desires. ((R))

I also enjoyed the BI, but with everything so spread out, a good amount of driving is involved. If you opt to stay in the Kona or Kohala area do not expect lush green landscape... it is lava, lava, lava... nothing wrong with that... but it's good to know going into your trip, especially for the first time.

I prefer O'ahu for the diversity, and the ease of exploring with less driving and lush beauty... much to do with many many options... again, like LoveItaly, I love O'ahu... esp. the north shore...

What are you looking for? It may help to narrow down your decision.

Especially for a first and maybe only trip---IMHO, Oahu!
Yes, there are things to see on BI. It is a very different kind of experience than what you'd have in Oahu. But driving times seem sooooo long from wherever you are based. Your time is precious! As for the volcano, there is no guarantee of lava flow when you go; I think now it is a 6 mile rond trip hike to see any lava.
Oahu has incredible beaches, stunning mountains, lush tropical areas, a great cosmopolitan city, villages, etc. Circle the island by car--there are wonderful vistas, quiet spots, views. I've been to 4 islands on 7 trips, and of them all, Oahu most has my "heart." And Honolulu is a great city!!! There is so much more than Waikiki...but Waikiki, with its main boulevard (Kalakau) its beautifiul sidewalks and shops, that border on Waikiki Beach...the fun of people watching and late nights...a sunset stroll on the beach with the sounds of music, hula and glow of tiki torches from the beachside hotels and bars as the breeze blows in from the ocean...is a lovely, unforgettable experience. Try to get "Driving and Discovering Oahu" by Richard Sullivan, check out the photos (he gives speicifc driving and walking directions to get to these places)and see if Oahu looks like the kind of place you'd enjoy!

Sorry about typos. The "boulevard" in Waikiki is Kalakua Ave.
It was "refurbished "a few yrs ago and looks wonderful now. Each time I'm there it looks better, cleaner, and brighter.
I should add, as others have, that it'd be easier to make a recommendation based on your interests, e.g if you are a wide-open spaces kind of person, vs shopper, vs history buff, etc etc.

Calinurse - a gentle correction: it's Kalakaua, not Kalakua.

I absolutely love both islands, but if I were choosing one for my first visit, it would definitely be Oahu. It is a wonderful, diverse island, as other posters before me have indicated. Someone who has only been on Oahu for a day or two, unfortunately, has not had time to even skim the surface of that fabulous place....... If I were going for more than a week, I would include a day trip or overnight trip to Volcanoes National Park, and get a taste of the Big Island that way. Then you could plan your *next* trip there! :-) Have a wonderful visit, whatever you decide!

oops-TWO typos. Only excuse is late night t typing.Thanks for correcting them!

Been to both several times. If you have longer than one week available, I'd stay three nights in Waikiki and the remainder on the Big Island. The additional airfare shouldn't be that much and it would give you a good feel for what Hawaii is all about. If you have one week or less, spend it on the Big Island. The Big Island has always been my personal favorite but Oahu has a lot to offer. We recently visited Oahu and enjoyed the Arizona Memorial, Ilani Palace and a one day car rental tour of the island. We stayed at the Sheraton Moana in Waikiki and loved it. Great location and staff.

Consider a one day BI tour- you will fly out of Oahu early am...pick up a full day circle island tour and be back to your hotel by 8pm... that will give you a look at the volcano as well as the high points of BI...

Aloha <u><font color="blue">mrs<font color="brown">copper</font></font></u>,

Expanding on the preceding poster's suggestion, we find it very convenient to visit two islands by scheduling a roundtrip flight from the mainland that connects through (HNL airport) Oahu to the Big Island.

For example on the first day you fly mainland to HNL and then connect on to the Big Island.

On the last day, you take the very first flight from the Big Island to HNL to later ((o))connect with the((s))evening((*)) flight to the mainland, (having checked your bags to mainland) this allows all day for you to visit Pearl Harbor, go shopping, drive along the coast etc.:S-

If you have any frequent flier miles at all, a hop to another island is a super deal. We went from Maui to Oahu this summer but split our family onto two different airlines. We used Northwest Airlines miles &amp; United Miles. A hop one way was only 5000 miles. Our round trip tickets on United took us into Maui and out of Oahu. They treated it like a roundtrip - not two one-ways.

Just a possibility...

I just wrote a trip report on the Big Island that gives only a slice of the million things there are to do there: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34542623

On the BI, if you want lushness, you can explore the Hamakua coast area and all its waterfalls, or Waipio Valley, or the Puna area. The area around Volcanoes Nat'l park is studded with warm pools and natural steam rooms, unusual phenomenon you won't find elsewhere. There are a few true black sand beaches which are very cool, and the sand super soft. The Kona/Kohala side has tons of sunshine and awesome snorkeling, right offshore. You could spend several days exploring Volcanoes Nat'l Park without even seeing the volcano! And don't let anyone tell you the BI has no beaches, it has so many I didn't get to see and the ones I did were pretty awesome, especially in Kohala.

And I haven't yet visited Oahu, but I've been reading Oahu Revealed and from that and from people here I can tell you that Oahu is definitely more than just Waikiki, there are tons of adventures to be had out in paradise.

I'm not sure why you're excluding the other islands, but I've also visited Kauai, http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34508517, and Maui, http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34436140.

Let us know what kinds of activites you are interested in specifically so we can better direct you, and what exactly your vision of &quot;Hawaii&quot; is (everyone pictures paradise differently). There is a ton of nature and a ton of guided activities to be had on every island, don't listen to anyone who says there's not! You will be neither bored nor disappointed wherever you go!

love
roxy

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to reply to my dilemma. To clarify my idea of Hawaii is lush green landscapes, waterfalls, a lu'au beaches, and of course volcanoes. I'm interested in at least some night-life. and just want to get the most out of a weeks vacation. I hope to go snorkeling and maybe a helicopter tour. Also I want to get the feel for the polynesian culture what can I say I want it all, anyway thank you once again for your responses they were very helpful.

If you're looking for lush and green and constant waterfalls, you'd probably love the north shore of Kauai. Just driving the main highway there exposes you to a gorgeous verdant mountain backdrop, literally streaked with waterfalls. It is also home to some glorious tropical foliage- and mountain-backed beaches, several with excellent snorkeling. Hanalei would be the main nightlife area, which is tiny, but bustling when I was there. And Kauai would probably be the best for a helicopter tour, with Mt. Waialeale and the dramatic Na Pali coast. No volcano there, but still an incredible place. Maybe you could spend a day or two on the Big Island and the rest somewhere else...but be aware that you may not get to see flowing lava, it is often many miles' hike to get there, and conditions change often.

Again, check out my trip report from the link about for Kauai info; we stayed on the north shore in June 2004.

love
roxy

mrscopper - Oahu is my favorite place on earth - there is SO much to see and do there. I'd recommend you do a day trip to BI. Some friends of mine did that last summer when we were there and they loved it - a great solution and good way to see the volcano and some of the BI.

Reply to <font color="blue"><u>mrs<font color="brown">copper</font></u></font>,

IMHO, Maui is the island with the best blend of what you are seeking, substituting a dormant <i>drivable</i> volcano over an <font color="red">active</font> volcano (only on the Big Island).

Additionally, less $) Ferry boat day trips from Maui can allow you to visit additional islands of Lanai and Molokai. :S-