Any recommendations for Hawaii

Amanda65

Hi all

Looking to do a special trip in September. The current plan is 3 nights in Vegas, 9/10 nights in Hawaii then an overnight stop somewhere (possibly LA?) on the way back.

If anyone has recommendations / comments for Hawaii I'd be really grateful. I have already stumbled across the fantastic Vegas thread so got that covered.

TIA

Alan_Bowen

Best advice I can give is to get off the main island and do not spend too long in Waikiki Beach, it is just like any US city with skyscrapers and far too many tourists. My favourite island, by far, was Kauai but you might also enjoy the Big Island with its volcanoes. I was disappointed with Maui which I thought was heavily over commercialised. Flights between the islands are relatively cheap and short (30 minutes to Kauai) but take the shortest route to the Hawaiian islands because they are a long way. make sure you get a direct flight to Las Vegas because after 3 nights, and that is about right in my view, it is another 6 hours to Honolulu and if your flight from the UK was via an intermediate point you will be zonked by the time you arrive in Hawaii.

Vegas may still be very hot in September, stayed in a variety of hotels in Hawaii, first time many were part of the Outrigger chain for simplicity's sake, second time went slightly more upmarket to Sheratons, but in Waikiki you should be able to find hotels at various price points, on the outer islands hotels tend to be more expensive. No need to a car in Honolulu but basically essential if you want to get around easily on the outer islands.

novelty-socks

Hello! I have lots of ideas for Hawaii, have visited twice after it hugely exceeded my expectations the first time. For that sort of time period, you'll probably want to visit one or maybe two of the islands. Each has its own personality and sights, so it's best to choose based on your own holiday preferences. I've visited:

- Oahu: the most populated island, includes Waikiki (main tourist area), Honolulu, Pearl Harbor and the North Shore. Bags of accommodation options in and around Waikiki, which is good for a couple of days. It feels very resort-y though, and actually reminded me of Vegas in some ways!

- Kauai: full of greenery, hikes and rainforests. Really verdant, but with some nice beaches too. Mix of high-end resorts and more reasonable accommodation. Much less built-up and more laid back than Oahu,

- Maui: honeymooners and high-end accommodation. I think this is the second most-popular island. Wasn't my favourite and I didn't enjoy some of the must-sees. You'll read a lot about the Road to Hana but in my opinion this was way overrated.

- The island of Hawaii (The Big Island): definitely my favourite, it is big compared to the others but there's a diversity in landscapes and climates you don't get on the other islands. You can stay at nice resorts on the Kona coast, drive from sea level to nearly 14,000 feet in a couple of hours, see some of the clearest skies in the world, view flowing lava, visit coffee plantations … in short, there is a lot to do.

Let me know what sort of things you're into and might be able to offer some more specific recommendations!

Edit to add a couple of points on flights:

- It is a long way to Hawaii from mainland US, yet these flights generally still count as internal flights. This means that, in economy, you can expect little to no refreshment / meal service. (Food usually available to purchase.)
- A stopover on the way home is a good move. To make a west coast connection back to Europe, you have to get a painfully early flight from Hawaii (6/7am or so). Splitting your journey will give you a more leisurely start.

zagubov

Torbrex who used to post in the arms did a thread on this as he spent three weeks there. If you can break your journey on the way back I don't know what's the thrill of LA when San Francisco might be possible. Or, if New Orleans was possible it would be a nice city to visit.

Sicard

The only advice I can give is don't let your grass skirt catch fire.

Amanda65

Thanks everyone, loads of food for thought xx

Contessa

I've been to Hawaii twice and am going again at the end of the month.

We go to the Big Island (Hawaii). It's unfortunately only a short visit and we stay at the same lovely hotel.

It's an island of contrasts-the East coast having beautiful beaches and surf while the West coast is more wooded and there's an active volcano.

A car is needed and it is a big island. There's plenty to do but it is expensive.

It's a very long and tiring trip so a good idea to break the journey if you have time.

Have a wonderful trip!

[Deleted User]

Choose your shirt carefully

vivatifosi

I too found Maui disappointing. I think its worth visiting Honolulu, the most remote large city on the planet.

My favourite islands were Kauai and The Big Island.

It's very expensive for the USA.

We were there about 15 months ago. Our highlights... Big Island, Mauna Kea, Volcanoes Nat Park.. Didn't get over to Kona side so not sure about that part. Kauai.. I think that's the island with Waimea Canyon, which is pretty impressive, but also liked driving along the coast. Oahu we really liked visiting the sites from Hawaii 5 0. This may be sacrilege, but I didn't really feel Pearl Harbor. Its interesting, but didn't tug at my heartstrings in the way I expected. Dh says same.

Hawaiian Airlines had a new A330 that we flew on. It was economy but really comfy. The seat pan slides as the back rakes back, making it easier to sleep.

And don't do what we did and fly consecutive night flights home, it was hell. Two night flights play havoc with your body clock and LAX is possibly the most boring airport known to mankind

Amanda65

Thank you everyone. Another question (in fact 2)

- are there any all-inclusive hotels available
- if not what sort of prices are we looking at for food / drink?

novelty-socks

Amanda65 wrote: »

Thank you everyone. Another question (in fact 2)

- are there any all-inclusive hotels available
- if not what sort of prices are we looking at for food / drink?

No all-inclusive hotels in Hawaii, to my knowledge. There is a huge range of accommodation available though, from all the big chains from budget to luxury, plus a bunch of smaller chains and lots of independent B&Bs.

With food and drink, it runs the gamut too. If you're staying in a luxury resort then you're going to pay resort prices: $5 a coffee, etc. But you're in the US, so in urban areas you can find many familiar chains. Honolulu has some downright fantastic budget options (especially downtown) and there are lots of other reasonable independent cafes and restaurants too.

If you're on a budget, lots of accommodation will include catering equipment/kitchenette (even many hotels), so you can always shop and cook for yourself.

(That said, it's relative: most of the stuff sold in Hawaii has to be shipped there from elsewhere, so you will pay a premium for almost everything compared to the mainland US.)

These are some places I would definitely recommend for food/drink/accommodation - you could Google and check their websites to get a feel for prices:

• Kua Aina burgers, north shore fast food classic frequented by Obama
• Livestock restaurant, genuinely great lunch deals in downtown Honolulu
• Roy's, upscale dining in Waikiki beach, really great sushi
• Eggs n Things, stalwart breakfast joint in Waikiki
• Kona Brewing Company, they have a few branches but there's a great one on Oahu on a marina
• Parc Hotel Waikiki - fairly luxurious hotel, I stayed here for 5 nights
• Aston Islander on the Beach - more budget accommodation on Kauai, their oceanfront rooms were a relative bargain
• Under the Bodhi Tree, good fresh fare near Kona coast resorts
• Mauna Lani Bay hotel, nice laid back resort on The Big Island, I stayed here for 5 nights too
• Island Taco, there are a few branches dotted around, good value fresh poke

I am dreaming of the seafood again just writing this…