A week in Hawaii - tips sought

[NsXMas]

So I am planning a week in Hawaii.

I have been to Maui a long time ago, and have been to Oahu a few times more recently.

I am debating on how to plan out my week in Hawaii. I am thinking of renting a hotel for an entire week in Waikiki (Oahu) - so as not to have to worry about check in/check out, and carrying all my luggage with me when island hopping, and then taking 2 days out of the week to fly to Kaui & Maui.

My days are Monday through Sunday, so I'm thinking arrive / enjoy Wakiki Monday - Tuesday, Wednesday morning fly out to Kaui, Wednesday night fly to Maui, Thursday all day enjoy Maui, Thursday night fly back to Oahu / Waikiki. If there are better days to fly to Kaui / Maui please let me know.

Of the 2 days, in the morning of day 1, I would fly out to Kaui, rent a car, and drive to the beaches of Kaui to check out the island since I've never been there.

On the evening of day 1 to Kaui, I would fly to Maui, spend the night in Maui, and then drive around the island checking out the beaches on Maui. On that evening then I would fly back to Oahu and enjoy Waikiki some more.

Is this a do-able plan, or is it unrealistic?

Not having been to Kaui I don't know if I should just hit the best beaches. On Maui I may just go to the Grand Wailea area since that is my favorite area where I stayed previously, but I'd be open to other feedback on where to go in Maui.

I wish I could plan a 2 week trip so I can properly hit all 3 islands, but I only have 1 week to spend in Hawaii...

 

[RedWings]

I wish I could plan a 2 week trip so I can properly hit all 3 islands, but I only have 1 week to spend in Hawaii...

Highly recommend that you don't try to squeeze 3 trips/islands into 1 epic headache of a week. You can go back, right?

Kauai, Maui, and Oahu are very different experiences.

Kauai - less is more and nature prevails - take a helicopter tour

Maui - buy the book "Maui Revealed", plan a very early morning 3am to see the sunrise at the top of Mt Haleakala (unforgettable). Probably my favorite island... although Kauai is right up there

Oahu - Do you speak Japanese and like traffic? Okay, just kidding... there are really nice places on Oahu, away from downtown Honolulu.

By the way, if you tip a hotel baggage guy well, they will store your bag for you so you don't have to rent a room every night you are gone. I do it quite often when on the road for business.

Whatever you decide, think island speed... enjoy and relax

-

 

[NsXMas]

Thanks for the advice Chase.

I may just do Kaui if it's too hectic to do Maui. I may go to Maui later this year for a separate vacation if I can find a decent airfare.

Having never done Kaui I'm really curious to check it out. I love Waikiki and the night life, so it's my favorite place just to hang out.

I have stayed at the Grand Wailea area in Maui many years ago and loved it, but recall the island did feel a bit desolate, and I tend to like more of a social scene.

 

[ChrisK]

You are going to need more than half a day on Kauai to do anything. Personally I think it would be a waste of a day and money to fly into Kauai only to fly out in the evening. You'll get nothing done. Either spend the night and fly out late afternoon the next day, or skip Kauai and spend more time on Maui. Or spend the time on Maui and skip Kauai.

If you thought Maui was desolate and had no social scene, Kauai will feel like ancient Hawaii under King Kamehameha in comparison. You go to Kauai to relax and enjoy the scenery.

When exactly ate you planning your trip and how many bags? I work some weird hours, but if the timing is right I could store some of your luggage at my house while you're off Oahu. Problem is the timing would have to work out since you wont be able to get your luggage back if I'm stuck at work. LOL. Plus I live about 30 miles from Waikiki. It's just an option to consider and could save you a bit of money.

 

[SilverStone05]

If you do plan on going to Maui, you must go whale watching if it is in season, and also take a snorkling trip off the coast. Just a reminder, though, Maui has nearly 0 night life.

 

[NsXMas]

You are going to need more than half a day on Kauai to do anything. Personally I think it would be a waste of a day and money to fly into Kauai only to fly out in the evening. You'll get nothing done. Either spend the night and fly out late afternoon the next day, or skip Kauai and spend more time on Maui. Or spend the time on Maui and skip Kauai.

If you thought Maui was desolate and had no social scene, Kauai will feel like ancient Hawaii under King Kamehameha in comparison. You go to Kauai to relax and enjoy the scenery.

When exactly ate you planning your trip and how many bags? I work some weird hours, but if the timing is right I could store some of your luggage at my house while you're off Oahu. Problem is the timing would have to work out since you wont be able to get your luggage back if I'm stuck at work. LOL. Plus I live about 30 miles from Waikiki. It's just an option to consider and could save you a bit of money.

Thanks for the insight Chris, I will be sending you a PM to bounce some ideas off of you. :smile:

 

[synth19]

Been to Maui already and loved it, heading out to Kaui soon!

 

[BATMANs]

I was in Lanai - even better and for high rollers (to keep the beach rats out) at the 4 seasons since it was close to $1k/night.

Bill gates is co owner of the island and was married there.

 

[Big_D]

Yeah you definitely need more than a week if you plan on visiting more than one island. I spent a week on Maui and it wasn't really enough to take in all the sights and to relax on the beach.

 

[NsXMas]

Yeah you definitely need more than a week if you plan on visiting more than one island. I spent a week on Maui and it wasn't really enough to take in all the sights and to relax on the beach.

Agreed. I just wanted to get a taste of Kaui because I want to figure out if I will want to spend a week in Kaui in the future or not.

 

[Big_D]

Agreed. I just wanted to get a taste of Kaui because I want to figure out if I will want to spend a week in Kaui in the future or not.

From everything I have heard...yes you do!

My next trip I plan on staying a week in both Maui and Kaui!

 

[NSX2398]

Well, for a start, you (and others) should probably get the spelling right. It's Kauai (the real Hawaiian spelling is Kaua'i) or you might be coming up light in your searches. And I don't know if you're aware of it or not but the average rainfall is like an inch a day and they've had a much as 800-900 per year so be prepared. But as you might expect, a lot of it is very lush .. although Waimea canyon is breathtaking and dry .. the Grand Canyon of the Pacific in the most unusual place. We did a one-day, all inclusive sightseeing tour and it was a rushed but hit most of the 'tourist-y' highlights. Definitely not like Waikiki though.

 

[Aero]

Like some others have said I would suggest making Kauai more of a priority than Oahu and Maui since you've been there. We spent 4.5 days there last year (before moving on to Molokai and Maui) and it was enough to do what we wanted but could've seen the highlights in probably two days if rushed. The #1 thing to do on Kauai without a doubt is to do a helicopter tour as it was the highlight of the island. Then do a drive up to Waimea Canyon (the road is fun too). You do have to try to schedule things around the rain cause it usually rains everday somewhere on the island this time of year but not for very long. If you got there in the morning, spent 1 night and flew back to Oahu the next night or the next morning that would probably work for you.

Check the cruise ship schedules because you do not want to be getting to Kauai or Maui when 1 or 2 cruise ships arrive.

 

[NsXMas]

Awesome tips on Kauai, thanks - very much appreciated! I will definitely make a separate island trip for Kauai in the future then. I think we may just chill on Waikiki for this trip, as there's so much to do on Oahu alone just for a week. :biggrin:

 

[TANTO]

My wife and i have been three times and have covered the common islands. You do want to experience Honolulu, but we recommend you fly into lulu and spend only two days there. And then get out to Maui spending two days at a south hotel and then two days at a north hotel. We like to jump around and experience different hotels and we like the south unless you are looking for dates. You must take the road to hana and do take it all the way around the "forbidden" route. Ditto the volcano although we didn't do the sunrise. Quite an experience, but do take some dramamine. You won't have time to do more islands. If you have the bucks, rent an exotic on Maui. Try to talk them into a 12 hour rental as opposed to the standard 24 to save a bit. I've done a F348 and and Esprit Turbo. Much fun. Enjoy.

 

[Big_D]

The road to Hana on Maui is awesome, but plan to spend the whole day doing the complete loop. We really enjoyed twin falls. 3/4s of the way around, there is also a black sand beach with a blow hole nearby and also a lava tube you can hike and explore. So much to see..so little time!

 

[akira3d]

Frank, look at my travel section photos for inspiration. Note how many times I've been to Hawaii...and how many of those trips were on Maui. When I go, I rarely go for less than a week and often want to stay for a lot longer. In other words, if you're going for a week, stay on one island.

http://www.akira3d.com/Travel

I don't have any photographs online from my one visit to Kauai (went for my honeymoon...many moons ago). Those photos were all pre-digital and not very good. That said, Kauai is the most beautiful of the islands...I do need to go back with my good camera. Our helicopter tour was the highlight of that trip. A great place to relax. A week is about the right amount of time for Kauai.

Maui is the most well-rounded. You can't go wrong. Adventure, relaxation, good eats...Maui has it all. I prefer staying on the west side. My most recent visit was actually the first time I stayed in or spent much time in the south.

The Big Island is just too large to do on a short visit...we spent a week there and felt we barely saw anything (it didn't help that we were there when weather provided challenges for seeing the volcano park). It's hard to relax when you want to do a lot of things...and have to drive a good amount of time to get there.

I had a good experience during my one visit to Honolulu because I was there during low season. I am sure Waikiki isn't nearly as much fun when it is super crowded with tourists.

 

[91 X]

one week on one island isn't even enough...your plan is a bit crazy...you'll spend more time in airports and airplanes then you will on the islands...We have a timeshare is Maui(kaanapali beach club) and have been to every island...Maui is my favorite, Kauai is beautiful but quiet and wet, the BI has best weather but beaches are so spread out(too much driving) Oahu is nice, but Waikiki is not, try to stay at a resort near Ko Olina..

we always try to make a two week trip out of it, cuz the first week blows by so fast, especially if you plan on island hopping...which is fine once in awhile, but I prefer staying on the Island we fly to...usually Maui....

I'd say fly to Kauai and stay there the entire week....Stay near Poipu for the best weather...the North end is very rainy....

 

[Viper Driver]

+1 on all that has been said about Kauai. I've been fortunate enough to visit there about a dozen times (for work! :biggrin and know the entire island by this point. When you do decide to make the trip, let me know and I'll fill you in on my favorite things to do/go see.

If you REALLY want to get away from it all, take 4 days and hike the Kalalau trail on the Na Pali coast of Kauai into Kalalau Valley. Easily the most beautiful place I've ever been, and being on the most isolated spot of one of the most isolated archipelagos on earth. The trail is not for the timid, and it's "roughing it" in paradise, but it's well worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was lucky to have done it three times, and would go back again in a heartbeat.

At the very least, you must take a helicopter tour of the island. The Na Pali coast is something you have to see in person to truly appreciate.

 

[NsXMas]

Thanks guys, awesome information, very much appreciated!!! :biggrin: