Senior 2008 Trip
 

We would like to begin the planning of our childs Senior Trip. The vacation will be in June 2008. We would like to visit Hawaii. Which island would be best for a family of 5? Childrens ages will be 12,15,18. We want to obviously have water activities, see a volcano, and we really don't know what else. Also any recommendations for a hotel? Any advice would be appreciated!

familyof05, You're going to have so much fun planning your trip!

We are also a family of 5. The first time we took our kids to Hawaii, they were 11, 13 and 16. We went to Maui and stayed at the Embassy Suites. We were able to stay in one room (husband and I in bedroom, girls on pullout sofa in living room, son on rollaway bed). This worked out really well for us. Maui has lots to do, but it's the second most crowded island (Oahu is most crowded). There are also lots of condos you can rent.

On Maui, we enjoyed the Hyatt luau (Drums of the Pacific), two snorkeling trips, visiting the aquarium, driving the road to Hana, playing on the beach and in the pool.

If you want to see an active volcano, you need to go to the Big Island (the island of Hawaii). My husband and I went there (without the kids) a few months ago and stayed 10 nights. The Big Island is very big (hence the name!) and it was great that we had 10 nights to explore it. We stayed 3 nights near Kona, 2 near volcano, and 5 on Kohala Coast.

The snorkeling is great on the Big Island, and there are lots of hiking opportunities. But to get from one side of the island to the other takes a couple of hours, even without stops.

We took our kids (then ages 16, 18 and 21) to the island of Kauai a couple of years ago. It's a beautiful island.

Kauai would be a good choice if you like hiking, snorkeling, outside activities, but it doesn't have much of a nightlife. We stayed at the Marriott timeshare property on the south side. My husband and I have also stayed at the Hyatt on Kauai, but it's probably not a good option for a family of 5, unless you can afford to get 2 rooms. Kauai is one of the quieter (and more beautiful!) islands.

Oahu is nice, too, but we usually prefer quieter places. The north shore of Oahu would be quieter, but there aren't as many restaurants, etc., in that direction. If you are on Oahu, I think that Pearl Harbor is a must-see; if you go there, try to go early in the morning (because of crowds). It is a very moving experience.

A good place to start your research would be to go to the library and looked at the "Revealed" books. Some people don't really like these books (because they feel they give out too much info regarding previously unknown places)but they're really easy to read and will give you lots of info. Another thing to do is do a search on Hawaii here on this forum, and you will get more information than you ever imagined!

If you click on my name, and keep searching, you can read my Big Island trip report from last Oct/Nov.

Let me know if I can help you any more.

Hi, familyof05 - we've been to the BI, Maui, and Kauai. We loved all of them, but I think the BI might be best for you. It's a really diverse island, so if you wanted to you could stay in a couple different locations. We stayed at the Kilauea Lodge in a cute little cottage by Volcano. If you want to see a volcano, the BI is the only place to go; we hiked out to see the lava flow at night, and it was amazing to watch the hot lava flow into the sea. It was a loong hike, but I think your children are old enough to do it, and it's an experience they will always remember. Bring water and flashlights and wear good walking shoes if you want to do this.

We also stayed at the Hapuna Beach Prince and loved it; the beach there was one of the most gorgeous I've ever seen, and they provide free umbrellas, lounge chairs, etc. There's supposed to be good snorkelling right off the beach there, but it was rough surf when we were there, so we didn't get to try it. The BI also has Akaka Falls - a 400 foot waterfall that was amazing.

Maui struck us a a little more sophisticated and upscale - a romantic sort of place and seemed a little more expensive than the other islands. It has a lot to offer though: Haleakala, Old Lahaina Luau, snorkelling at Molokini, the road to Hana. We stayed in Wailea and would highly recommend it.

We thought Kauai had the most natural beauty - our favorite memory is taking the helicopter tour and seeing the Na Pali coast. Also did a sunset sail of the Na Pali coast and went to see the Spouting Horn, an ocean "geyser" that sprays up through the rocks on the coast. We found excellent snorkeling all over Kauai and went to Tunnels, Ke'e, and Poipu. We stayed at the Marriott in Lihue because we had enough points to stay for free; the pool at this resort is the biggest one in Hawaii and really amazing.

Do you know how many days you'd like to stay? If you stay a little longer, you could take in a couple of different islands. No matter what you choose, you will love it. Have a wonderful trip!

Okay, BI is a must! Yes to seeing waterfalls and hiking. Our family loves to snorkle as well. I don't think nightlife is super important. Kauai might be the right choice for us. I'm not against 2 rooms. Being that we are a family of 5 we have had to get 2 rooms in the past. The cost of a big family.

Hi, family - you could do a combo of
BI and Kauai; we did that for our last trip, and we loved it - felt like we got the best of both worlds.

I'd vote for a combo of BI and Oahu.

BI: for the volcano, the snorkeling, the killer hikes, the kayaking, and the crazy landscape changes.

Oahu: for the North Shore, the shrimp trucks, slacking off at Kailua Bay, pancakes at Boots 'n' Kimos, wandering around Beachwalk in Waikiki, and the view at Kualoa Ranch.

((R))

Oh, and also in Oahu: The iconic view down Waikiki Beach looking towards Diamond Head. :)

familyof05, how long will you be able to stay in Hawaii? That would determine which island(s) I'd recommend.

Hi family,
Because you have a big family have you ever considered renting a condo or house? I have done this before through www.vrbo.com -- it is vacation rentals by owner. I checked out Hawaii really quickly and there seem to be hundreds of opportunities. The only house I actually looked at was a 2003 3BR beach house on BI for $1750/wk. Talk about having lots of space and not running into each other! It is great if you want the option of cooking once in awhile and not have to go out for every meal. My family tried one of these places in the Tennessee Mountains and loved it!
Chilepepper

Big Island is the only island with an active volcano. However, you may or may not be able to see live lava unless you take a helicopter ride or are willing to hike at night to the live lava. Even with a night hike you may only get as close as 1/2 mile & only see a glow. The lava flow changes daily.

The other islands have volcanic craters including Diamond Head on Oahu & Haleakala on Maui.

Bishop Museum on Oahu has an excellent Volcano House where kids can learn about & create volcanoes & tidal waves.

Lots of info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

www.gohawaii.com Free brochure

www.visit-oahu.com Free brochure. There are over 400 websites for lodging, restaurants, attractions in the brochure & on the site. Click on: OVB Yellow Pages.

www.mauihawaii.org

www.visitmaui.com Free brochure

www.bigisland.org Free brochure

www.kauaidiscovery.com Free brochure

www.kauai-hawaii.com

Get all of the info & then decide which island(s) you want to visit.

Our time frame is rather short. We will probably only be in Hawaii for 7 days. The condo idea is interesting. We generally aren't too concerned about the facility we stay in because we don't spend much time in our room.