planning 1st trip to Hawaii
 

We fly into Honolulu on Saturday (in early April) and fly home on Saturday. Please help me plan the trip.
Thinking of doing 2 nights on Oahu (where to stay???) so we can see Pearl Harbor, etc.
Then, the other nights on Kauai. BUT, I am thinking of splitting up the Kauai part into 2 different places. (we usually don't sit still very long). I am thinking of a few nights in a bed and breakfast on the beach, and the other nights in a resort hotel such as the Hyatt, Marriott, or Princeville.
Please, let me hear your ideas!!
Thanks

If you are talking 1 week stay, then you are wasting precious time changing locations!

One week at one location is my recommendation! (I just got back from a 2 week visit which included Maui and Oahu, and did not 'see it all').

Belle.

We did this similar trip in May 2005. We stayed at the Princess Kaiulani for one night and then went to pearl harbor for the day and then to Kauai. We stayed on the south shore and just drove to the different sides of the island on day trips. We stayed at the Hyatt and loved it.

Hello ekellyga, you like to move from spot to spot but I second OldSouthernBelle's suggestion. With one week I would strongly suggest that you decide which island you want to visit and make that your headquarters and then enjoy the various sites that are on that island. With two weeks than two islands would be fine IMO. You will lose so much time flying from one island to another one. And then if you also move from one hotel to another on the same island you will lose a lot of precious time also. I truly think you will not get the relaxation that Hawaii offers. Best wishes to you whatever you decide.

Belle - You're back home.

How was your trip?

You can do a day trip to Oahu and see Pearl Harbor. I did this through Polyneisan Adventure tours from the Big Island. Yes, it is a bus tour, but the tour price includes airfare and they handle all of your transportation on Oahu. It's a full day's trip (leave around 6AM and get back around 6 PM), but it was really worth it.

Are you sure you want to change islands once and hotels 3 times with barely 6 days in Hawaii? Assuming you fly in and out of Honolulu? 2 days will be at least 1/2 each taken up getting to and from airports for the Kauai flights.

You could stay on Oahu, rent a car, and stay on-the-move and go all around the island. There's tons of great stuff to see and do. The logistics would give you more time having fun and less time moving island/hotels. You could even split your time between 2-3 hotels, but by staying on Oahu maximize your vacation time.

I was thinking the same thing as suze. I would stay on Oahu and you could break up your week there with stays in two areas of the island. You mention wanting to stay at a b & b on the beach. There is a place on the north shore that gets great reviews on tripsadviosr called Santa's by the Sea. There are also lots of b & b options in Lanikai and Kailua.

If you are absolutely set on seeing both islands, maybe you should fly directly to Kauai upon arrival at Honolulu on Saturday. Then fly back to Oahu on Thursday for your last couple days. I think that would be a tiny bit more streamline and time savings than what you sketched out.

dusty; It was fantastic!! So sorry that I wasn't able to connect with you while we were there! Balancing conference things and pleasure was abit of a juggle...plus the traffic in Oahu got us tied up a few times!

Had thought I'd try to meet you and Pake at Indigo just before the plane trip back, but got lost trying to find Manoa Falls, which put us late for that. So, was glad I had not called after all.

I had already embarrassed myself on Maui trying to connect with ...gone_toMaui. Late return from Hana...no cell...phone booth at Winery didn't go thru.

Anywho, thank you every so much for all your assistance in planning....many here were invaluable to us....I passed along info I had learned here all along the way to anyone interested!!...Which were quite a few!! Belle

^^^

I also suggest just one island as packing/unpacking and transfers take almost one whole day !

you can fly to Honolulu but you do not have to fly back still from there if you want 2 islands !!

Consider that each island is connected directly to L.A. and/or San Francisco, therefore you even might skip Honolulu completely if you do not choose Oahu !!

Last year we had more time to visit 4 islands in 3 weeks and we flew from San Francisco to Kona (Big Island), then Oahu, Kauai, Maui and we flew back from maui to L.A. !!

Our favourite is Kauai. Highlights: Na Pali coast is one of the most beautifull spot I have ever seen in 5 continents in 20 years of travelling !!
Also Waimea Canyons is well worth !!

A lot depends on where you are from.

If you are from the west coast, and have only one week, then stick with one island because you'll probably be back to Hawaii.

If you are from the east coast and this is a once in a lifetime visit and you have only one week, then I would probably do what you are thinking. It would be nicer if you could stretch it out to 9-10 days for 2 islands though.

Because I like Oahu, I would spend most of the time there and just three days or so on Kauai.

But, nothing wrong with the way you suggested either.

I would stay at one place on Kauai though. As others have mentioned, too much packing and unpacking.