Please help with trip to Hawaii June/July 2003 with 2 kids
 

My husband and I have always heard rave reviews about Hawaii, but from our friends who are older (we are older parents) and are going without kids. Of course, it is a big honeymoon place too. Can anyone help me in creating an itinerary, including which islands, hotels, activities that would be good with children ages 7 and 8. My husband loves to golf and on those days the kids and I can be at the beach. We enjoy hiking, biking, walking, scenery, etc. Also, is the weather any hotter in June/July? Thank you ahead of time for any suggestions you may have regarding specific islands, hotels (we would rather stay at a hotel due to pools for the kids, etc.), kid-friendly activities, and golf.

My sister and I stayed at Embassy Suites at Kaanapali Beach in Maui. We both want to take our children back here in 2 years. We stayed in a 1 bedrm condo w/a mini kitchen. They serve breakfast there (included w/the condo price) which was fantastic! (eggs, pancakes, ham, bacon, cereal, fruit and etc) The beach was awesome and the pool too. They have minature golf & a kids program. Across the street is a small shopping village where you can rent gear to boogie board, snorkel, dive. We have always loved booking snorkel trips and our favorite one is a day long trip to Lanai where we saw whales, spinner dolpins. It was around $135, but we'll do it again because it was the nicest trip by far. I believe the name was Paragon. Very professional and fun. (we had previously went w/Bossman Frogs which was good .. but not great) Your kids will love the beach there and you can even snorkel there although you can pick up any guide books that can direct you to better places to just drive to and snorkel. Golfing is everywhere around there and you can not drive anywhere (at least around Kaanapali) without seeing a golf course. Good luck

If you stay on the Big Island, you MUST stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village (http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/). It's an amazing place for kids and adults. The hotel consists of three separate towers - one for families, one for couples and one geared toward Asian travellers. The pools are amazing, you can get the chance to swim with dolphins - and you can travel to and from your hotel tower by foot, via monorail, or on board miniature boats. <BR><BR>If you tire of the fantasy, it's time for a drive down the coast to visit Volcanoes National Park. Pick up &quot;The Big Island Revealed&quot; for more kid-friendly stuff.<BR><BR>In my opinion, Maui is much more geared toward honeymooners, though the whale-watching is great. Kuaui is perfect for outdoors folks who are into hiking, kayaking and the like.<BR><BR>I prefer the Big Island because of all of the day trips available to interesting places.<BR><BR>Any way you chop it up - you can't go wrong visiting any of the islands - they're fabulous!<BR><BR>

We make an annual trip to Hawaii with our three kids, and our favorite family resort is the Hyatt in Kauai. They have a riverpool with waterfalls that lead to a fun waterslide. At the bottom of the slide, there is another large pool and behind that is a swimming lagoon with a man made beach. Then behind that is the regular ocean. We went horseback riding to a hidden beach and had a picnic. While we were eating we spotted a seal coming to shore. We also took a snorkle trip to see the Napali Coast where we spotted spinner dolphins. Back at the hotel that staff had a special parrott show where the kids could ask questions about the birds. It was a great place for kids! Also, in Oahu, we stayed at the Kahala Mandarien Oriental. They have a dolphin training program at the hotel and Sea Life Park is only a 10 minute drive away. The Kid's club gave the kids surfing lessons and they had a 4th of July celebration for the kids. They had a doughnut eating contest and water balloon toss and such. In Maui, we stayed at the Kea Lani. It was really nice because we had a big suite. One day they had a juggler at the hotel. The pool had a waterslide though not as fast as the Hyatt. The beach was perfect for boogie boarding. Though expensive, Roy's resturent on all the islands treat your kids very well! They get a 5 cousre meal that they like. The kid's dessert is my favorite. That is my experience with Hawaii and kids. I think it is a great trip!

We just got back from Hawaii with kids. One tip for kids: stop at Walmart or Kmart when you arrive and buy your kids boogie boards (about $25). My kids boogied for hours. Renting the boards at your hotel, to use every day, is very expensive. We even brought ours home, checked through wrappped in a garbage bag and duct tape.<BR><BR>If you go to Maui, take the kids on the Road to Hana. There are great beaches along the way, and they will love swimming in the waterfalls at the Seven Sacred Pools. We even hiked into some more remote pools. <BR><BR>Get a copy of Maui Revealed if you like hiking and outdoor activities.

We went to Kauai last March with 2 kids. I loved it. We stayed at a terrific condo called Lae Nani in Kaapa. Had a great pool, great beach. When the waves were too high for the kids to swim in, we went to the lava pool right on the beach. Keeps the waves out, but you're still experiencing ocean. Lydgate is right down the road - a sheltered swimming and snorkling beach. We saw an octupus, crabs, etc. in the tidal pool in front of our condo, as well as a ton of whales and sea turtles. I suppose the whales will be gone by June. The view from our Lanai was incredible. We were able to eat a lot of meals right on our Lanai, which I think is a huge plus when you're with kids. Lots of golf courses to the south and north of Kaapa, too. What a great vacation place to accommodate so many different styles of vacationers, huh?

Thank you all for your suggestions. After we get back, I will post our trip and experiences to hopefully help others as you have helped me!