Hello! I am thinking about tacking on a trip (5-7 days) from a conference in LA. I will be on my own and know that I will need some down time- is Kauai the place for me or should I think Maui?
Never been to Hawaii- do not really feel like renting a car-looking for beautiful beach and a little sightseeing of local life.
Am I on the right track?
Thanks!!!

If you don't plan on renting a car, I'd pick Maui over Kauai.

If you won't have a car, then it is essential to pick a hotel that fronts a really nice beach. Many in the two islands don't. Hotels I know of that are on good beaches are

Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club on Kalapaki Beach.

Sheraton at Kaanapali Beach, Maui

Grand Wailea Resort Hotel on Wailea Beach, Maui

Those are all hotels. Are you also interested in condos?

Ditto. If you don't want to rent a car, I'll go one step further and suggest Oahu. It's the island with the best public transportation system. Second would be Maui.

I think doing Kauai solo and without a rental car will be a bit tricky to plan. Not impossible, but limiting.

I've been to Waikiki/Honolulu 4 times, 3 of those solo. And once to Lahaina area of Maui on a family trip.

Thanks so much for all of the informative and thoughtful replies. I am going to check out the hotels mentioned- and look into Oahu, too~!

You really need to rent a car to be able to enjoy any place other than Oahu.

I've gone to all the islands solo. Maui and Kauai are both lovely, with some great beaches. However, I really feel that for a 5-7 night trip, you need to rent a car on both places. You could stay in one place like Kaanapali solo, and take a shuttle into Lahaina. I would not go to Kauai if you are not going to rent a car.

I would not recommend Waikiki or Honolulu for down time. It is too big city, too busy, too noisy, the beaches are too crowded. You are much better off on Maui or Kauai.

I second O'ahu for the best public transportation and I think some of the best beaches.
Plus, there is so much to do or not to do.
What is your budget for hotels?
Great deals for hotels on expedia.com.

Maui, Kauai you really need to rent a car..both islands are wonderful.

Why don't you feel like renting a car? Other then staying in Waikiki or Lanai a car is a great advantage and you can try pricelining an economy on the other islands for the cost of hotel transfers. The freedom it brings you is well worth it, if you can do that.

Kaanapali on Maui is doable without a car, but you said you want to get a little local and it is a very touristy sanitized area. I think Kihei or Napali or Paia are more local in feeling on Maui. On Kauai, if you could find a one bedroom rental in Hanalei, that is a great walking town with beaches, but again, you would do yourself a disservice not having a car to see other beaches a few miles away in either direction. Ka'apa also has a local feel and affordable lodging.

Good luck

I'm going to disagree about Waikiki. Yes it is a busy place. But I have NO problem kicking back and relaxing there. Maybe because I live in an urban center (Seattle) but I can find my own "down time" even in a crowded area. I much prefer it because, while I like to go solo, I don't really desire sitting around by myself on a deserted beach for a week. I like to have things to see and do. And I love being able to get around without having to rent a car.

Lahaina on Maui, for me would be the only other spot I'd go solo. For anyplace else I'd want a car, and preferrably a friend or two along.

Compared to LA, you won't have a problem with "downtime" on Oahu, even in Waikiki. But the there islands are very different. The Waikiki area of Oahu is very very busy (main thoroughfare with tons of shopping (ex. three Coach stores within about a mile), hotels, and of course the beach. The beach is busy, but it's still the beach in Hawaii, not very "city-like" once you're on the beach. Around Oahu (outside of Honolulu and Waikiki) there are other towns (very laid back like Haleiwa) gorgeous beaches like Kailua and Lanikai, and spectacular scenery (the Pali Hwy) but it is easiest to see those by car. Maui is more developed than Kauai - Froderick described Kaanapali perfectly, as being a "santized" development, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful for me. Once you're in Kaanapali, you can walk the length of the beach on a path, there's a shopping center in the middle for a little shopping, incidentals and restaurants, excellent snorkeling at the north end (Black Rock in front of the Sheraton), and it's just 3 miles from Lahaina town, which is an old whaling town that's now more of tourist-central, but still lively and fun. The other parts of Maui have their fans, too, of course. Kauai is much much less developed - some hotels and condos on the beach (south) and above the beach (north), spectacular flora, tiny towns, some fantastic "views" (Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali Coast), but again, you have to drive there.

So, it kind of depends what you're looking for. I think if I were going alone, I'd probably choose Waikiki - but I'd still get a car to drive around the island, at least one day.

It all depends on your taste. I don't like a lot of commercialism nor crowds. Oahu Waikiki is very much that. I love Lanai it is very remote only 2 hotels there and they are both high quality Four Seasons. You can use both facilities when staying at one of the resorts and they will drive you to the other. Manele Bay is the hotel on the beach http://www.fourseasons.com/manelebay/
Koele Lodge is the hotel in the mountains Look at the amazing gardens and Plantation Lodge. See photos.
http://www.fourseasons.com/koele/pho...resort-KOE_005

In Maui you will get more action than Lanai but also beautiful beaches.
http://www.maunalani.com/a_gr_overview.htm
http://www.fourseasons.com/maui/photos_and_videos/
These hotels are next door to Grand Wailea so you can always walk over for dining and cocktails if you want. As far as staying at the Grand Wailea in my opinion it is Disneyland by the Sea. Very commercial and expensive for what you get.

Kauai is great and there are some hotels where you could stay put. Such as The Sheraton http://www.sheraton-kauai.com/ or Marriott http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...rriott-resort/ There are great little local dining spots across the street to east as well.

I guess I'm different from many, but I just don't get going somewhere like Hawaii and then lounging around the hotel pool and eating in the hotel restaurants all week. I'd rather stay home and do that (but admittedly we have some great resort hotels here). I did four islands (well, 5 counting the day on Molokai) last October over 5 weeks all solo, and other than not having a car in Honolulu, I rented cars everywhere and LOVED it. I loved getting out and seeing the islands on my own time. To me, getting away to an exotic destination means driving around and seeing things, not hanging out at a big hotel -- but to each his own.

Incidentally, driving was easy everywhere (well, maybe except for going to Hana on Maui). And I probably spent no more than taking a bunch of taxis and shuttles would have been if I had wanted to see much.

Wow, that sounds like a great trip report in the making! Did you visit the colony on molokai? Did you not like Hana? Off to find your trip report!

I definitely am not 'lounging around the hotel pool and eating in the hotel restaurants all week' when I go to Honolulu! That's part of my recommendation of Waikiki for a solo person, it's so easy to see so much, with or without a car. And it has more 'cheap eats' than other places. Oahu is an incredibly diverse island.

I think you would be more "stuck" going to a resort somewhere like Kauai or Big Island. There will likely just not be much else nearby without putting some effort into it.

I like lounging around the hotel pool, beaches and eating in their restaurants if they are fabulous resorts. Along with touring the islands and eating in local eateries.