Talk to me about Hawaii

[Deleted]

Where's the best place to stay with a young child (DS is 2)? What activities do you recommend? What time of year?

[ihearyou2]

All the major islands have plenty of resorts that will cater to young children. I think the main thing is what do the adults want out of the vacation. Rainy season is typically November through March but hasn't been all that bad the past decade. Temps will not vary that much that it should be a deciding factor unless you plan on hiking all day. I look at it like this:

1. Oahu-most populated and urban, minimal get away feel.
2. Maui-most touristy but plenty of opportunities to get away from it all if you hang out in the resort.
3. Kauai similar touristy feel not quite as bad and lots of lush vegetation
4. Big Island-Most natural and diverse

Other islands will not have the resorts and will be more of a real get away place to do nothing but probably wouldn't be attractive with a little one.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I get bored in Maui and Molokai, and really prefer Oahu ~ but most people don't (lol!) There's a great zoo in Honolulu, an OK aquarium (Maui's is better), wonderful military attractions, and a gazillion things to do around there ... restaurant, shopping, tours, museums, etc. We also like to go to the north shore when the sea turtles are around.

Our favorite month to visit Hawaii? Definitely December.

[lurkyloo]

Hanauma (Hana-OOma) Bay on Oahu is very cool--beach by a coral reef with LOTS of very colorful fish (you rent snorkeling gear there or can take it with you). Your son might be a little young for it, though.

Hilton Hawaiian Village has a lagoon attached, and I think rentals (paddle boats, floaty things, etc). The lagoon looked like a good place to take a kid swimming; nice and quiet and no waves but a little more exciting than a pool. (We stayed next door, so I don't know what the hotel itself is like...it was beautiful in Oct, btw).

LOTS of sunblock! I got a beauty of a burn even with SPF 50, reapplied every two hours Go for a recognizable brand.

Finally...my boss advised me that there are regular jellyfish...swarms, maybe? I forget the technical term, but there are apparently a few days every month when there are large numbers of angry jellyfish around and no one's allowed in the water. Not sure if that's an Oahu-specific thing, though.

Prepare yourself for ridiculous prices, too. Our friends are regular visitors and I think they shop exclusively at Costco when they go--they also try to get suites with kitchenettes to keep costs under control.