WARNING:
Stay away from the BI with a small child! The vog ("volcanic smog") is really bad -- crops are dying, people are moving away. Not suitable at all for an infant.

Aloha,
-- Hawaii Resident

Even though it's an old thread, I have the same question, which island?

What activities do you enjoy (snorkeling, diving, hiking, beaches, shopping) and is it just the parents traveling? It was important for us to have quick and easy access to the water (for instance) so we could take turns snorkeling while the baby napped, etc. When you have limited time windows, you don't want to waste 20 min getting to and from the water.

I think your preferred activities largely dictate which island makes sense for you. Both the Big Island and Maui had excellent & affordable baby gear rental services (they delivered and set up cribs, high chairs, even meet you at the car rental with a car seat, etc.)

Traveling with all the gear is one of the worst parts for me. Baby backpack carrier for hikes, stroller, car seat - it helps if your origin airport has curbside check-in so you don't have to haul all of that into the airport.

fishee, it's two parents plus two children (10 year old and 1 year old) traveling. We've been to Maui and all other islands before. I am thinking of staying in Kihei, next to Kamaole beaches. We stayed at Maui Banyan before and something like this would be perfect, I think, but I don't want to exclude other possibilities. the vacation is a spring break for the 10 year old.