My husband and I are going to Hawaii in May/June and have scheduled 3 days honolulu, 5 days maui, however i'm undecided on the last 3 days, should it be kauai, molokai or lanai. I'm very torn as I read the reviews posted here and they all sound like very interesting islands. We are 30 and very urban, celebrating an anniversary and a birthday on this trip. what islands do you recommend for 3 nights.

Curious as to why you are not considering the Big Island of Hawaii for a visit, the home of the only active volcano in Volcanoes National Park?

Assuming the Big Island of Hawaii, is out, I would recommend 3 days on the scenic north shore of Kauai (e.g. Princeville area).

Have not been to Molokai, but have been to Lanai and would only recommend Lanai if you have the irresistible urge to explore off-pavement, isolated beaches and bumpy road trails via jeep. Please note both Molokai and Lanai can be reached by ferry from Maui, for a day trip visit for example.

John,
the reason not considering the big island is 3 days are not enough, or do you think is enough, 3 days in the big island. very confused.

Next month will be our 5th trip to Hawaii, and we never feel like we spend enough time there. Do you have any special activities in mind(e.g. scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. or do you prefer checking out a large city?)?

It depends what you are looking for, Oahu has the most people, traditional Hawaii, and nightlife action, but personally I prefer the less crowded, more pristine areas of Hawaii. I think Maui is a great choice, and it is the 2nd most visited Hawaiian island.

On our first visit to Hawaii we flew roundtrip into HNL airport on Oahu and connected on via interisland Hawaiian Airlines flight to spend 3 days on the Big Island to mainly to see Volcanoes National Park. We then flew interisland (Hawaiian Airlines) to Maui for 5 days to explore the US's largest tropical rainforest by car on "The Road to Hana." We then flew interisland to scenic Kauai for 4 days to visit Poipu and Kee beaches for snorkeling and hiked a little along the stunning Napali coast trail, and also visited Waimea Canyon(a.k.a. Hawaii's Grand Canyon)-does not require hiking. On our last day we flew interisland back to HNL for the flight to the mainland, if you take the first interisland to HNL and the last flight or an evening flight back to the mainland, this allows time for a "day trip" to see Pearl Harbor and encircle part of Oahu by rental car.

Another aspect to consider is hotel vs condo expenses. We prefer condo's over hotels to save money, but they generally require a few nights or more minimum stay. In general all the islands have something to offer, it depends how much you want to pack it in versus just relax, for first time visit would narrow choices to Maui, Kauai, Big Island, Oahu(HNL) in that order.

Feel free to ask more questions!

thanks all for the advice, I think we have decided, 3 days in honolulu, since we are flying in from the mainland to HNL international. Then 5 days Maui, taking the boat to Lanai for 2 nights of relaxation and flight back to Honolulu for the trip back to the mainland. how does this sound. We are active City people who would probably enjoy Honolulu and Maui busy scene and then need a couple of days to unwind before heading back to the mainland.

Sounds like a great trip!!!
Hope you are so kind as to share your experiences here in a trip report.