Hawaii Trip Suggestions

Wow.. I'd suggest spending more time on one island. There's a lot to see and enjoy.

-Oahu will have the best beaches and the most to see and do. 1 night won't give you time to see anything except for a few silly touristic attractions in places like Waikiki.. so much you're missing by not spending more time here.
-Maui will have the 2nd best beaches and 2nd most to see and do. Check out some water falls on this one.
-Big Island isn't really for tourists, but.. there's a few fun spots. Head to Kona and enjoy the sunshine.
-Kauai has the least amount of things to do, but is a beautiful island. I suggest trying to relax a bit here. Definitely take a catamaran around Na Pali Coast if you get the chance and drive up North to the caves and beautiful beaches at the Northern tip of the island.

Quote from xpete911 : Wow.. I'd suggest spending more time on one island. There's a lot to see and enjoy. -Oahu will have the best beaches and the most to see and do. 1 night won't give you time to see anything except for a few silly touristic attractions in places like Waikiki.. so much you're missing by not spending more time here. -Maui will have the 2nd best beaches and 2nd most to see and do. Check out some water falls on this one. -Big Island isn't really for tourists, but.. there's a few fun spots. Head to Kona and enjoy the sunshine. -Kauai has the least amount of things to do, but is a beautiful island. I suggest trying to relax a bit here. Definitely take a catamaran around Na Pali Coast if you get the chance and drive up North to the caves and beautiful beaches at the Northern tip of the island.

Thanks for the quick response!

Where to see the Volcano(es), Big Island? or are those also on Maui or Kauai?

Haven't been there for quite some time, but one of my favorite spots was Volcano National Park on the Big Island. Higher elevation cools off nicely at night, beautiful tropical rainforest. I stayed at Kilauea Military Camp, can't speak to hostels. The big island pretty much takes a day to drive around without hardly stopping to look at anything. There used to be a black sand beach near Volcano National Park that got covered over but I think there is a new one; and cowboy country up north. Parker Ranch used to be the largest privately owned ranch in the US. Nearby is beautiful Waimea valley; nice waterfall near Hilo, lava tubes, and some botanical gardens; lots of golf courses; beaches and resorts on the west side of the island. Used to be able to drive up to the top of Waikaloa mountain. Not much to see there, except to be on top of the island and see the outside of the observatory. There's another military training area up there, Pohakuloa Training Area, used to laugh thinking about the guy who got orders to Hawaii and ended up there on top of the mountain with a bunch of lava rock.

Big Island for volcanoes - Kauai for natural beauty. Actually, unless this is a bucket trip I would skip all the others and just go to Kauai but I'm partial that way. Honolulu (Oahu) is so incredibly different than anything on Kauai, it's a culture shock. The real Hawaiian beauty is in Kauai, IMO. And I agree - that is way too little time on each island. You'll be spending as much or more time travelling as you would be sightseeing.

The volcano on the big island is not currently "flowing" you are not going to see any active lava flowing. You might be able to get a helicopter tour to look into the crater, but thats about it.

At best you will be able to stand at the visitor center, looking out into the distance and see some smoke.

I say stay in Kauai. Lots of hiking, waterfalls, beaches.

Get a lets go or lonely planet book for Kauai. You can easily spend a week+ there exloring the trails, hikes, waterfalls, swimming holes, secluded beaches. Hostels can still be pricey out there. You may just try priceline and see if you can get a cheap hotel. It might be about the same.

Kauai is the most beautiful island. Volcanoes are on the big Island. If you need to do more then 1 island I would make it these 2. Honestly a week is not enough to hop to other islands you wil spend half your time in airports. The flights are short but you still need to get there early, then get your luggage, find a car etc etc.
Just go to Kauai and enjoy the beauty of the place.

Go snorkeling at tunnels beach. Every day I saw sea turtles and so many fish. One day I was arms reach from a monk seal. It was something I will never forget

Quote from xpete911 : Wow.. I'd suggest spending more time on one island. There's a lot to see and enjoy. -Oahu will have the best beaches and the most to see and do. 1 night won't give you time to see anything except for a few silly touristic attractions in places like Waikiki.. so much you're missing by not spending more time here. -Maui will have the 2nd best beaches and 2nd most to see and do. Check out some water falls on this one. -Big Island isn't really for tourists, but.. there's a few fun spots. Head to Kona and enjoy the sunshine. -Kauai has the least amount of things to do, but is a beautiful island. I suggest trying to relax a bit here. Definitely take a catamaran around Na Pali Coast if you get the chance and drive up North to the caves and beautiful beaches at the Northern tip of the island.

I find this response odd and to contradict every other person I have ever talked with about hawaii.
I have never met a single person who visited or lived in hawaii who preferred oahu.
Also I have spent a good amount of time on Kauai and Maui and I think kauai has better beaches and more to do for outdoors stuff.
The big island isn't for tourists? This makes zero sense.

If it's your first trip I'd limit it to two islands max but I'd suggest spending it all on Oahu. I think Oahu gives you a mix of all the good Hawaiian experiences. There's the busy nightlife of Waikiki but there's also the nature side of the islands too. I think you'll have a much better experience there. If you plan your trip right, you probably won't need a rental car for more than half of your trip. Waikiki and Honolulu have great public transportation and you can do the northshore in a day or two.

Quote from xpete911 : Wow.. I'd suggest spending more time on one island. There's a lot to see and enjoy.

What this guy said

We went to Kauai about 5 years ago...
Words can't describe it. I would live there if I could afford it.
Positive you will love it there.

There is a book out on the Hawaiian Islands.
Frommers (SP) puts it out....MUST Own

Quote from rachael_9667 : Big Island for volcanoes - Kauai for natural beauty. Actually, unless this is a bucket trip I would skip all the others and just go to Kauai but I'm partial that way. Honolulu (Oahu) is so incredibly different than anything on Kauai, it's a culture shock. The real Hawaiian beauty is in Kauai, IMO. And I agree - that is way too little time on each island. You'll be spending as much or more time travelling as you would be sightseeing.

With all of this post.

I loved Oahu, but Kauai was just soooo beautiful! The waterfalls, mountains, beaches. It has everything, and just so

Also, OP - are you planning to fly from island to island? It seems like the only route to go, but I really have no clue if there are other options, or how long they would take. Just curious because I'm kind of tempted to do a little bit of island hopping on my honeymoon.

Quote from Majide : With all of this post. I loved Oahu, but Kauai was just soooo beautiful! The waterfalls, mountains, beaches. It has everything, and just so Also, OP - are you planning to fly from island to island? It seems like the only route to go, but I really have no clue if there are other options, or how long they would take. Just curious because I'm kind of tempted to do a little bit of island hopping on my honeymoon.

There is cruises that go from island to island, but I don't think there is normal charter type boats that do it for tourism. I could be wrong but I have never been offered this and I lived on kauai for awhile

Kauai is beautiful. Our favorite thing to do on Kauai is kayak the rivers. Hanalei River is fantastic. Get a kayak and paddle down river to the coast, hang a right and have lunch at the hotel (Princeville resort). Hang out and snorkel for a while and then head back. Kayak rental company will let you drop the kayak off after hours. If you Kayak the Wailua, you can cliff jump and hike back to waterfalls. Lots of waterfalls to see on Kauai and as others have said, Na Pali coast is worth a visit.

We went to Kauai a handful of times before going to Maui. Once we landed on Maui, it quickly became our favorite island. Just the right amount of stores and restaurants without going overboard. Maui has many good beaches to choose from and plenty to see and do. Several good places to snorkel.

Flew over to Oahu for a few days over the 4th of July. It was fine. Enjoyed visiting Pearl Harbor but there were too many people in Waikiki for my liking.

As others have mentioned, with the number of days you have, I would suggest going to one island and enjoying it. Find a good book about the island you decide on and start planning. Set aside time to enjoy the sites. We always made the mistake of trying to do too many activities. Missed out on the enjoyment of relaxation.

Have a great trip and let us know what you decide.