What I should cover in Hawaii
 

I want to know from people who have gone to Hawaii, where or what were the things you definitely liked and recommend to a young couple. We are going to fly from LA and maybe spend 4,5 days there.

Which island?

What are your tastes, likes or dislikes?

As you are a brand new poster, have you looked at previous posts on the various islands of Hawaii? That would help a lot.

I have only been to Hawaii once, when I myself was a young adult, younger than you are now. I went to Oahu, so I am going to tell you about things there, although Maui might be the better place for a romantic getaway.

In Oahu, it's all about Waikiki beach. That is where you want to spend most of your time if you go there. You also should try to go to a Hawiian luau, the one I went to was really good. You also should have a fresh pineapple there, if you can. There were lot more pineapple fields in Hawaii when i went there.

I had my first taste of Korean food when I was in Hawaii. I did not like it then, but I have since had better, so I hope they have better now too.

If you like to shop, the International Trade Center is a very interesting place, much more so than the mall in Honolulu. I know it's still there because I see it in episodes of the new Hawaii 50 show.

I also went to the Diamond Head volcano and to Pearl Harbor, but I am not sure how interested you would be in either one of those places. Diamond Head is a completely dormant volcano, we just had a picnic there. I know there is now a state park in Hawaii where a volcano started erupting after I visited there. I think it is on one of the other islands thouh.

With only 4-5 days there, you will probably want to visit only one island. And they are all different and all beautiful.

Please give us a little more information about what you like to do. Examples-- Do you want an active vacation with hiking, snorkeling, sightseeing etc or do you want to spend lots of time lazing on a beach? How much do you want to spend for lodging per night? Do you prefer hotels, resorts, condos, cottages/houses? How important is nightlife to you? How important are good restaurants?

If you answer those questions, there are many people on this forum who could give you good advice.

Looking at previous threads on this forum about Hawaii, as rastaguy suggested, is really a good idea or buy a guidebook and do some research.

Hiking, charm, lush beauty and beaches - north shore of Kauai
Hiking, tropical, great beaches, but less charm - south shore of Kauai
Planned resort - Kaanapali Beach, Maui, or Wailea, Maui
Low-key Maui, but not beautiful (but nice beaches) - Kihei, Maui
Aging hippie surfer-dude vibe - Paia, Maui
City on a beach (big hotels, lots of restaurants, but still totally tropical and fun) - Waikiki
Volcanos - Hawaii island

etc.

That is a very short amount of time and I would question whether it was really worth the expense.

I'm going to assume you have 5 nights, but that is unclear from your question. That is essentially only 3 free days.
Stay on Oahu, on Waikiki.

You don't have enough time for anything else.

Hawaii is not a long-weekend type of place.

With such a short visit I think you need to pick only one island. Either Oahu or Maui are great for a 1st-timers.

As long as you're there, I think I'd check out a beach.
You might like that....

<b>What I should cover in Hawaii</b>

My first thought.... your head... with a hat... while you're on that beach Paul suggested you check out. My second thought.... have a snorkel, mask, and fins along with you.

My third thought.... when did Hawaii become a place where visitors felt it necessary to create a checklist of "must dos"?

>>>Hawaii is not a long-weekend type of place.<<<

From the West Coast, it is. I can leave SFO and be on the beach on Oahu, Maui or Kaui by noon.

22tango- It's the dumbing down of travel. Programmed must-do's. Full videos of hikes, hotel rooms, scenery. Seems like there are fewer and fewer people willing to just travel and imprint and invent their own travel experiences. It's kind of a cruise ship mentality.

explanation, It's not really polite to insult what other people choose to do with their vacation time. What's the good in that? How about a helpful suggestion instead of an insult?