AGC

Guys,

I have been thinking about going to Hawaii this August for about 10 days, I have two boys ages 6 and 4. My wife and I have never been to Hawaii and wanted to know where to go/stay. We don't really want to be in the big city, but also don't want to be in the middle of no where.

Any auggestions

Thanks in advance

patela

Anywhere is Hawaii is nice. The best place for someone like you may be Maui, depending on budget. It's a bit more expensive, but it's a good mix of things going on (thanks to lots of tourists) and not a big city (as opposed to Honolulu - esp. Waikiki). You can stay in one of the resorts, or in Lahaina, which is the main "tourist" area -- there you can walk around to shops and galleries, go to the beach, and it's pretty central to other things on the island to do.

10 days is quite a while, so you might also consider spending time on two islands or making your trip a bit shorter.

CAHRERA

Honolulu = Busy City very Touristee
Maui = little less busy but can be real Touristee.
Kaui = very beautiful and green but pretty wet
Hawaii (aka Da Big Island) = Very nice. Great Diving

I would definitely do a couple lslands to give you the real taste of .....ALOHA. I would start off with the outer islands and then end the trip with a few days in Honolulu. Just my .02

95 C4 993

The Westin in Ka'anapali was a great place to stay and I would highly recommend it from personal experience.

They have a kids club there---for ages 5 to 12---pretend your 4 year old is 5!!

simpateko

maui maui maui.
go to www.redweek.com, pay $15 to become a member.
rent a timeshare by the week at the maui marriott.
incredible property, great for the family, unbelievable pool.
you can get rooms that rent for $400-$900 per night for $100-$200 per night.
not timeshare promo. they treat you like an owner.
wish i could live there.
aloha!

95 C4 993

BTW---I just saw Costco had a specail to the Westin Maui which was pretty good based on the general overview I saw on the monthly coupon book. SMOKING DEAL!!

http://www.costcotravel.com/#13_____...MVM20090305___

Cupcar#12

maui is my Fav, but we usually head to the Hilton Grand vacations club on Hawai'i - ok location good snorkling, good pool, right on the golf course (not on the water) - killer boat dives off shore (do the Manta and Black water dives!!). Volcano is cool and hte lodge there is a peice of history well worth it for a night.

2 weeks with 2 kids you need a condo.

after the next kid is born were headed over there for a month.

just depends on what you want to spend really.

Maui is our favorite though over in Wealia not in Kaanapali'i

Kika

I am actually vacationing in Hawaii right now.

My dad is from Honolulu, and I spent many summers here growing up. Waikiki is quite busy, so if you don't want crowds, that is not the place to go, but the beaches here, Kuhio and Ala Moana Park are great for kids, they are very sheltered. There are many other beaches that are just as nice without the crowds. Kailua is very nice, I was kayaking there yesterday and saw some turtles. Kailua is about a 40 minute drive from Waikiki. I am here for a cousins wedding, and all of my family lives in Honolulu, so it was much more convenient for us to stay here. I am at the Waikiki Banyan, which we rented through vrbo.com. About $1100 for the week, and we have a kitchen, 2 blocks from Kuhio beach. We can walk to all the hustle and bustle of Wakiki, or go east to Kapiolani park and be away from it all.

If you really want to get away, Molokai or Lanai are it.

Kauai is my wife's favorite island, all the old hawaiian charm with out the crowds.

Maui is an excellent comprimise, as it has Lahaina and Ka' anapali for dinner and stuff to do, and Hana if you want to get away.

I can give you tons of info on Hawaii, as many others can as well.
let me know if you have specific questions.

Aloha

98_993_cab

We've been to Oahu, Maui & Kaui & our favourite thus far was Kaui. We stayed at Sheraton Kauai @ Poipu Beach last fall & had a great time (however, this was just as the wheels were falling off the economic wagon & the hotel was almost deserted... which suited us just fine). They had a kids program that our two still talk about, and we loved the laid back vibe/look of the whole island. Did some hikes, played on the beach, etc.

We've also been to Maui, and it's ok. Maluaka Beach was the best area we've found for the kids. But as noted by others, it's half-way to being Oahu... Outback Steakhouse, Wal-Mart, etc. Some of the more 'popular' spots were aimed at folks w/o offsping in tow.

Have fun!

c993k

The Kona Surf hotel on the Big Island is really beautiful and priced right. You're away from the big city and it's amazing. You can rent a car and go everywhere. The volcano is active and very nice to see from a Helicopter. I was fortunate enough to go on an unlimited expense account for two weeks. I was encouraged daily to spend as much as possible of RCA's money just before the GE takeover.
They had an excess of finds that had to go! I'll never forget that trip, it was incredible!

WPOZZZ

If you come to Oahu, there's lots of things to do and we do have a night life here as opposed to other islands. If you want to stay away from the crowds, you can try and reserve a bed and breakfast in Kailua, Oahu.

texas911

Maui! +1. Love that place. Lot's of friendly kids adventures to do. Not just hanging at the beach either.

95 C4 993

I order flowers 2x a year from www.tropicalflowersdirect.com They are somewhere on the road to Hana.

Been there, toured the place, and if you want to do something other than generic roses, take the above route. I have ordered over a dozen times from them.

g_murray

Having been to Oahu and (just recently this last May) to Maui, I will tell you that, due to the economic downturn, you will find both places somewhat 'subdued'. This will be very good for you wallet !

10 days is a LONG time to be on one island!

For lots of things to do, I would steer towards Oahu. Definitely go and do the 'touristy' things like Waikiki and Diamond head and Pearl Harbor, etc. There are MANY other areas (in particular 'Gardens' and 'Museums') that you can get to merely by hopping on the buses! (Only a buck!) I would also, definitely, do one or more 'day tours' e.g. the 'Rain Forest' tour so that you get to see other parts of the island, not just the 'sandy parts'! Also, spend at least one day devoted to snorkeling / kayaking / surfing.
And, fer chrissakes, remember to stock up on the sun-block !!!

Back in May, we stayed on Maui for 10 days and stayed in two condos (vrbo - vacation rental by owner) by Lahina and Kiehei. Maui is definitely 'ratcheted down' compared to Oahu and may be a little 'too quiet' for the kiddies but ideal for (just) wifey and yourself. BTW, I totally agree with my compadre, that, unless someone else is paying for your hotel, you REALLY should (SERIOUSLY) look into renting a condo. I'm really serious about this! It will be like staying in YOUR OWN PLACE - a home away from home rather than ya'll being 'stuffed' into a hotel room (or two.)
Walking from Kiehei down the 'shoreline' towards Makena - along the 'backends' of all the hotels was a hoot. (Yes, a long walk, but, hey, we're on vacation!)

We also took a plane over to Kuai and visited the Dole (Pineapple) plantation and also took a guided tour of this island (the "dragon's roar" - water-spout etc. etc.).

Bring your digital cameras and LOTs of CF cards!!! ...also, don't be too surprised, if, by the 4th. or 5th. day, you feel the urge to just tear up your return-airline tickets and just stay there forever.

Cordially,
Gerry

k722070

we're Big Island fans because of the relatively smaller crowds and less traffic than Oahu or Maui. so I'll add my Big Island info.

check into renting a beach house in the Keauhou area, tons available and prices are getting cheaper every month. houses available all over, but along the Kohala coast more golf course type condos.
with a kitchen your cost of vacationing goes down dramatically. grocery shop at KTA when you can, Safeway is priced for tourists. eat the beef, the cattle is raised right there so its cheap.

there's not much you can do about the vog from the volcano except avoid it. it will blanket all the beach area along Alii drive from 1pm to sunset. north of the airport will stay clear.
but seeing the volcano spewing into the sea is amazing and makes living with the vog trivial.
you can stay in Waimea and actually need a sweater in the evenings, so you won't have to live with airconditioning every night. you'll only be a 20 minute drive to amazing beaches, (Anaehoomalu)A bay and 69 are spectacular.
august is big game fishing month on the big island, for 400 bucks you can take a chance on getting a marlin strike.
10 days isn't enough, you'll need 2 weeks of snorkling and surfing at Kahaluu, another week in Waimea for Kohala coast beaching and golf, at least one night in volcano village(make reservations early) and maybe a day in hilo and the east coast.