Hi,
I write you from Italy.

I am starting first evaluations for next August summer vacations. One of places I would like to visit are Hawaii islands. I could have savings on flghts using frequent flyier rewarding.
Some questions:
- wheater in August, is it ok?
- any suggestions / advices for the islands / places to visit in a 12/ 14 days trip?
- Hawaii are really expensive?

Grazie for any info / help.

Arrivederci.

Gianni P.

Number one response: Hawaii will not disappoint you.
Do you have a particular type of island setting you want? Each Hawaiian island has its unique personality.
In August it will be warm just about everywhere in the state, but it's still quite comfortable, especially with ocean breezes.
What is your dream vacation there? Do you want water sports, nightlife, solitude, adventure, scenery, hiking, ... It's all there. Narrow down your wish list with specifics and you'll get lots of good advice on this forum.
Book your frequent flyer quickly, though. At least from the states, those award flights are gone a year in advance.

Welcome! After four straight years of going to Hawaii for Spring Break we will be going to your wonderful country this March (Rome, Venice & Florence).

I have never been to Hawaii in August so can't speak directly about the weather.
For 12 -14 days I would probably do atleast 2 islands, depending on what you want to do . The Big Island has the volcanoes if you want to see those, but the beaches are not as good as Maui and Kauai. Oahu has Waikiki, more crowded but more nightlife. Oahu also has Pearl Harbor and Iolani Palace if you are interested in some history.

We personally go to Maui every year and stay in Wailea. Beautiful beaches, great snorkeling, hiking. Also has Haleakala which is a volcano, but not currently active. You can bike down the volcano which is fun. Also Maui's upcountry is beautiful which you can see on your way to Haleakala.

You will find many other opinions on this board. Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

On our first trip to Maui in 2000 we met a German couple who were on their annual trip - latest of many. I commented that it must be an expensive trip from europe and they said once you had the plane tickets "everything else is cheap" by their standards. Now they weren't staying in the Hyatt, rather in a simple condo (Noelani). That's a roundabout way of saying Hawaii need not be very expensive, there are many choices.
To make specific suggestions need to know likes & dislikes, approx budget etc.
Good hunting

Aloha Gianni,

There is no where on earth quite like the Hawaiian Islands... each island has unique flavor and highlights. Once you taste, you may forever return.

It is difficult to recommend which islands without knowing your taste & expectations. My suggestion to you is to visit your local library, check out travel guides for the islands and begin your research there. Also, if you search this forum for information... specific islands, etc. you will find a wealth of information. You will be reading literally for days. I find the search feature on this board to be invaluable.

Many will recommend different islands because of their own experiences... this may become confusing. I believe it to be wise to do your own research as to which islands appeal to you the most, and then post questions specific to your desires.

Personally, I love each of the islands in different ways... I have not been to Lanai or Molokai... my hope is to enjoy returning to Hawaii as long as I'm breathing!

Happy planning to you...

Since you will have two weeks I would definitely suggest to include Kauai on the trip because of it's vegitation and unspoiled beauty. A lot of Americans choose Maui as their first island because it can be both relaxing and still have things to do. The Big Island is unlike any other island because of it's volcanos and lava shores.

Terrific savings on the hotels can be had through using Priceline.com, where you name your own price for a hotel room. Biddingfortravel.com will teach you about the bidding process, winning hotels, and how to bid from out of the country.

Meals on the islands can be expensive but you will be able to find cheaper restaurants named "Denny's" and such on the islands. Once you've made your choice, come back and I'm sure many will be able to help with more specific info. Welcome to the states.

Ciao, Gianni, yes the weather in August in Hawaii will be OK.

Yes, Hawaii can be expensive. But because your Euro is much stronger than our US Dollar, for you it will not be as expensive.

What do you wish to do and see in Hawaii? What is the amount of money that you wish to spend each night for a hotel room? What is the amount of money you wish to spend each day for restaurants and for activities? What activities do you want to do?

For 12/14 days I would see 2 islands. At the most 3 islands.

You must remember that when you go from island to island you lose almost a day to do this. Also you have the cost of flying from island to island.

Felice anno nuevo

Of course we don't know what the situation will be next August. But a LoveItaly says, if the € remains strong against the $ you can have a wonderful holiday for a relative bargain.

You can't really make a mistake no matter which islands you choose. All are wonderful - but in 12-14 days you should pick two. Actually, I'd recommend 3 islands - a couple of days on Oahu at Waikiki in Honolulu and then the rest of the time divided between Kauai and Maui. The Big Island (Hawaii) is great - but for a short stay I think you'd get more out of Maui and Kauai.

Does the 12 - 14 days include the travel to and from Italy, or is that how much time you'd have actually in Hawaii? If you meant 12-14 days INCLUDING travel time then you would really only have 10-12 days on the islands. if this is the case - drop Oahu and split your time between Maui and Kauai.

Thanks to all of you.

Our main interest are adventure, scenery, hiking, beaches... no nightlife etc.

We can afford a 12 /14 days stay in Hawaii, the elapsed time including travel from Italy and relatd stop-over could be 18 / 20 days.

Which is the "average" cost of flights between islands?

On main islands is better to rent a car?

Grazie, again.

Arrivederci.

Gianni P.

If you're not interested in nightlife, you might not want Maui. I could be wrong, but Maui seems to serve a younger, honeymooner, more nightlife-oriented tourist, and to be more crowded with traffic and people in spots. While there once, we did enjoy a snorkel trip out to the Molokini Crater on a sailboat that was pretty amazing.

Kauai is the beautiful 'garden island', with a green and tropical appearance. It could be a good fit for your desire for adventure, scenery, hiking and beaches. You can splurge on a spectacular helicopter ride to view the coastline. (I think the other Hawaiian islands will offer helicopter tours, as well.)

The "Big Island" of Hawaii has a little bit of everything, but in a low-key sort of way. We personally have visited the Big Island for our family trips, about 4 times, and have stayed there 10- 12 nights, but moving between two different resorts/condos there. People who fly into it for the first time can be a bit put off by the scenery near the airport, because it's more dry and not tropical looking, with black lava rock-- until you drive where you're going. You can find about any type of scenery you want on that island, as well as good beaches.

Then there are two islands that most people don't visit: Molokai and Lanai. We went to Molokai for a week several years ago, and it was very undeveloped then (don't know if it is still that way). It had long stretches of empty beaches, but very few restaurants and resorts to choose from. It was fine then for about a 4 night stay. Could be different now.

Lanai I think has developed a very few major resorts, so they would tend to be newer properties and maybe more expensive. Again, I'm not sure about that. I think it is one island where the native Hawaiians particularly wanted development to be very ecologically sensitive and minimal. I think it has shores that are protected wildlife preserves.

Haven't stayed in Oahu; just changed planes there several times. It has a lot to offer-- beautiful scenery and beaches-- with historic war memorials and high-density/ high-end hotels, etc.

You might be able to get between Maui and Molokai and Lanai on ferries. Flights between the islands are easy to find, but I'm not sure the cost.

Everyone has their own ideas about what island they prefer. But you won't be disappointed wherever you go, so long as you keep asking questions and find what you're most interested in. It's all your personal choice. Have fun researching the Hawaiian Islands.

With as much time as you have, you could even see three islands if you like to move that much. For your first visit there, I'd definitely see at least two different islands, because the contrast between them is fun to see. You can't go wrong whatever you choose.

P.S. Forgot to advise you to definitely get a rental car. No mass transit to speak of and so many places to see on each island.

This caught my eye for you:

Author: gyppielou
Date: 01/04/2005, 04:40 pm

Message: Just changed my $320 rm at The Lodge to $260 at SPG.com. Actually called the hotel whcich changed the rates for my current reservation over the phone as soon as I mentioned SPG. Just in case anyone's interested in Lanai.

Gianni: With your new information I'd probably recommend Kauai and the Big Island. They are VERY different and would both fit your wish for hiking/scenery. With a full two weeks you would also have time to visit one of the other smaller islands (Lanai or Molokai) if you wanted to.

Waikiki is definitely crowded, a super-developed -- but you still might want to consider staying there for a couple of days. But if you don't, you would still have a marvelous trip.

I ditto the comment to try Kauai and the Big Island. Both would be very much to your liking. And then Oahu for a day or two if you want to see the city.

I think Lanai or Molokai may be a little too off the beaten track for a first time experience.

A car rental is a must to enjoy all the islands have to offer.

Average cost between islands is $150-175 round trip per person, or $85 or so one way.