goldensam
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Joined: Jul 6, 2012 11:40:27 GMT -5
Posts: 295
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Hawaii
Mar 24, 2014 19:53:52 GMT -5
Post by goldensam on Mar 24, 2014 19:53:52 GMT -5
DF and I are planning a trip to Hawaii this fall. What is your favorite island and what did you do there? Any recommendations on where to stay are also welcome (if it is a Marriott property, all the better so we can use points). It will be just the two of us and we will want to swim, snorkel, golf, hike, eat, drink, and drink
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 2:18:19 GMT -5
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Hawaii
Mar 24, 2014 21:48:51 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 21:48:51 GMT -5
Well, I would go to Maui, even though that's the only island I've never been to. LOL I have a lot of family on the islands and have been to all the other ones at least once, and Kaui is my favorite, but (I'm told) Maui has more going on and is still quiet and peaceful like Kaui. Great for all the things you listed. Oahu is a freaking zoo, but if you like being around a lot of people, "unique" roads which I would compare to spaghetti thrown on a map, and all the touristy stuff like Pearl Harbor and such, you might like it. There's a lot to do there. I also like the Big Island because it reminds me of Minnesota, but if I was only choosing one island it wouldn't be that one. It has the volcano and swimming is good on the Kona side, but the Hilo side is just black sand beaches and lava.
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whoami
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Post by whoami on Mar 24, 2014 23:03:44 GMT -5
If you want to go to Pearl Harbor out to the memorial, get there early. There are only so many tickets that they give out each day and they go fast.
We snorkeled on Maui out at Molokini. It was pretty cool but it was very rough on the way back to shore and I ended up seasick. It pretty much ruined the rest of my day. I never experienced that before so it didn't occur to me to take preventative measures.
We also did the bike ride down down Haleakala volcano. It was a lot of fun and its all downhill so not much work. We did the helicopter tour on Maui as well. Pricey but worth it.
Hanauma Bay on Oahu is ok....we didn't see many fish and its a tourist trap.
If you plan on doing a lot of snorkeling you might consider your own gear. The ones the boat supply are pretty junky and we were glad we brought ours.
The sea life aquarium is also pretty cool...we did the backstage thing and got to hang out with the dolphins and take pics with them.
We did more "activities" on Maui and more "hanging out" on Oahu.
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kittensaver
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We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
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Post by kittensaver on Mar 24, 2014 23:23:10 GMT -5
Go to Maui.
Go to Maui.
Go to Maui.
We are going to retire there (so sorry, YMers, we don't care if it's expensive, we love it there).
They no longer offer the bike rides down Haleakala. But there IS a zipline now on it. I also highly recommend at trip to Hana. Gorgeous scenery and Hana is relaxed and beautiful.
Go to Oahu just to say you've done it. Yeah, Pearl Harbor is an important piece of history. And frankly, Waikiki Beach looks like a million other beaches in seaside resorts all over the world. Honolulu looks a LOT like many, many major world cities. It's crowded and dirty. It's when you get away from the city that you see the beauty of the island.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Mar 24, 2014 23:23:50 GMT -5
We were on Kauai in November and could have done everything you want to do. But many people find Kauai a little too quiet outside of Poipu. We loved it and will probably do it again.
For a first trip to the Islands I'd recommend splitting time between Oahu and the big Island. Oahu to do those cliché touristy things that you have to do and the big Island to get a feel for the diversity. Kona gets about 10" of rain and Hilo about 330"!
You'll be coming back!
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 2:18:19 GMT -5
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Hawaii
Mar 24, 2014 23:44:38 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 23:44:38 GMT -5
Maui. Wailea Beach Marriott Resort. Loved it. I went to Kuai too, but that was more remote and quiet so I think I'd stick with Maui next time. A friend of mine rented a condo in the Lahaina area of Maui and it was lots cheaper than the resort. The area is very scenic and the sunset whale watching cruises were fabulous.
kitten, are you sure they canceled the bike down Haleakala? I'm probably too old to do that anymore, but there were tons of rules you had to follow.
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kittensaver
Junior Associate
We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
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Hawaii
Mar 24, 2014 23:53:25 GMT -5
Post by kittensaver on Mar 24, 2014 23:53:25 GMT -5
Maui. Wailea Beach Marriott Resort. Loved it. I went to Kuai too, but that was more remote and quiet so I think I'd stick with Maui next time. A friend of mine rented a condo in the Lahaina area of Maui and it was lots cheaper than the resort. The area is very scenic and the sunset whale watching cruises were fabulous. kitten, are you sure they canceled the bike down Haleakala? I'm probably too old to do that anymore, but there were tons of rules you had to follow. Yes, I'm sure When we go to Maui, we rent a condo in Kihei. Laid-back, non-snobby, non-touristy beach town. Kinda the Venice Beach of Maui (the vibe, not the tourists or colorful people!).
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 2:18:19 GMT -5
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Hawaii
Mar 25, 2014 7:17:05 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2014 7:17:05 GMT -5
I agree with the Maui theme. We have been to the Big Island, Maui and Oahu. They are all great and all a little different. Maui give you the best off all with beaches, mountains, quiet hikes in the forest, night life, high end resorts, funky little towns, amazing nature scenes, great snorkeling right from the beach, etc.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Mar 25, 2014 9:11:48 GMT -5
I loved Kaui...but we didn't go to Maui so maybe I would have liked that, too. I hated Oahu, too crowded...it reminded me of NYC with a beach.
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souldoubt
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Hawaii
Mar 25, 2014 10:13:40 GMT -5
Post by souldoubt on Mar 25, 2014 10:13:40 GMT -5
My first time to Hawaii we went to Oahu and stayed in Waikiki. It wasn't summer so it wasn't that crowded but it still doesn't give you a great feel for island life because it seems like many other crowded cities. It just happens to be next to the water with beautiful sunsets and averaging 70 degrees year round. The last time we went we went to Kauai and that was a much different experience. For me though I live in a beach community and hate the summer crowds and Kauai wasn't crowded even in August while you have the west side of the island which is dryer, the east/north which are wetter and more jungle like and uncrowded beaches all over the island. Between those two I'd go Kauai again 99 times out of 100 but for our next trip we're trying to do Maui.
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CarolinaKat
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Hawaii
Mar 25, 2014 10:49:47 GMT -5
Post by CarolinaKat on Mar 25, 2014 10:49:47 GMT -5
I went out there to visit my friend who as staioned there. She lived on Oahu so I stayed there to visit with her. I went sight-seeing during the day and we hung out at night. I went in September, so it wasn't super crowded and really enjoyed a lot of it.
I really enjoyed the Waimea botanical gardens (although I did get lost there for about an hour or so). You can go through the catalouged gardens and then wander back into the trail part. So much fun. I also did a circle island tour with one of the companies early in my stay so I knew which parts of the island to go back and visit later.
Then it turns out i'm allergic to tropical flowers, so I was MISERABLE after Day two from allergies. My friend lived in a house with no AC (very common) so you open the windows and the breeze cools the house bringing in the pleasant smell of plumeria. Which then disrupted my sleep, made my nose run and my eyes itchy.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 9, 2024 2:18:19 GMT -5
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Hawaii
Mar 25, 2014 12:11:44 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2014 12:11:44 GMT -5
Love Kauai. The Marriott there is an old property, but they may have remodeled since I was there 6 years ago. Pre-remodel I thought it was a .
The Grand Hyatt on Kauai was a very nice property.
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goldensam
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Joined: Jul 6, 2012 11:40:27 GMT -5
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Post by goldensam on Mar 29, 2014 15:11:38 GMT -5
Thanks for the great replies! (And sorry for the delayed response). We decided on Maui thanks to recommendations here, from friends, and maybe an online quiz to help us pick the best island Any suggestions for things to do or must see or eat are welcome! @lillylake that is the hotel we chose.
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