Going to Hawaii...suggestions?

1) Rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle - something with a little ground clearance. You will find that there are some beaches where you can jump the curb and easily (and legally) drive up to a nice spot to hang out. Also handy for exploring remote reaches.

2) As much as you'll be in a hurry to relax and enjoy, bite the bullet for a few hours the first day and head straight for a local WALMART and gear up - prices are surprisingly as cheap as the the mainland, but they are fucking zoos out there. Get a cooler, bag chairs, beach blankets, flip flops, a few cases of bottled water, !maps! etc. Spend a couple of hundred bucks and have all the gear you like to roll with on board your island assault vehicle. By the way, they've got all the same cheesy T-shirts and post cards you'll see in the gift shops at 3x the price. Cuts down seriously on the logistics of finding shit when you're out exploring and relaxing.

3) Awesome sushi.
 


I go to Kauai once a year usually. Very peaceful and less tourists than other islands. I stay in Poipu at my parents place, it is beautiful. But also take a drive up to the North Shore it is awesome. Hanalei Bay, Princeville resort, and snorkeling at Tunnels beach. Also a must to take the hilicopter tour and check out the Na Pali coast.
 
1. If you want to visit that battleship that got sunk at Pearl Harbour (ah, I forget the name) see if you can book in advance 'cause you aren't going to get in without a long wait otherwise

2. Don't feed the fishes. They bite

3. Don't take the taxi until you are POSITIVE the guy speaks English and takes a credit card. Especially if you are going to the airport and they know you have to catch a flight. (Grunts don't count)
 
Kauai was amazing. The canyon there is a great view, the beaches are more authentic (not commercialized), it's a larger island but small population due to people only living on the outskirts of the island. The center of the island is the rainiest spot on the planet, over 400 inches per year. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu Beach, which is absolutely amazing. The breakfast room outlooks the ocean, there's a lounge for jazz music at night.



Waimea Canyon

I absolutely loved Kauai.

When you're in Honolulu, be sure to eat at Ono Hawaiian Foods. It's the most authentic Hawaiian food you can find (was on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations a year after I was there):

Ono Hawaiian Foods - Honolulu, HI - Ratings and Information - TravelMuse



Honolulu was nice, but it's still just another big city. Pearl harbor, Waikiki beach, yeah, but after that it got old. We spent a couple days there, then went to Kauai.

Oh and as bad as this sounds: Beware of Japanese women shoppers in Honolulu. Good God. They will trample you to get into a luxury boutique. So rude.
 
This is a pretty good time.
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I hate all things touristy: tour groups, guides, tour buses, etc, but this was worth putting up with that stuff.

Went out on a small boat with like a dozen people.

Paid $60 for that freaking picture. Had to buy like 100 photos of shit I didn't care about, but I wanted it bad.
 
AdExLeads said:
I go to Kauai once a year usually. Very peaceful and less tourists than other islands. I stay in Poipu at my parents place, it is beautiful. But also take a drive up to the North Shore it is awesome. Hanalei Bay, Princeville resort, and snorkeling at Tunnels beach. Also a must to take the hilicopter tour and check out the Na Pali coast.
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This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say (except for staying at my parents house. Why do my parents live in NJ?).

I can't wait to go back to Kauai. The waimea canyon is also a great place in Kauai. They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It's the greenest canyon you'll ever see with amazing waterfalls.

If you do a helicopter ride, you have to fly with a company that has the Hughes 500 helicopter which flies with no doors. It's so sweeeet.
Here's the company we used Jack Harter Helicopters - OUR AIRCRAFT - The originator of helicopter tours in Hawaii. Narrated tours of Kauai's scenic wonders.

Have fun, take me.
 
I would like to throw a vote in the ring for Kauai as well. We stayed at the Princeville Resort St Regis Princeville - Suites . If I had to stay again I wouldn't stay at Princeville as it is away from everything.

The buffet was excellent and would be worth a visit to have it if you do decide to go to Kauai. I am planning to go back in the fall as well and am looking to stay at a Condo great deals and rates from people that own Condo's/Timeshares on Kauai due to the economy.

It is a great place to go for younger couple with no kids and not really into a strong party scene. Lot of great activities one of the highlights was Tubing down the Sugar Plantation dikes and water system. Have a great trip !!
 
ok - i say the Big Island --- beaches are amazing (way better than Kauai)

3 coolest things to do and exlore
- Waipio Valley - amazing valley you can walk down or drive down into with a 4x4 then explore the black sand beach, the river into the jungle and the amazing waterfalls
- Mauna Kea - drive up to the top around sunset and then be amazed at the stars you can see, including seeing satelites even without a telescope. It is cold as hell up there at night, so bring a jacket or you can buy a sweatshirt up there
3 Helicoptor ride to see the active Volcano

Great hotels and restaurants in town in Kona, or stay up near Hapuna beach (amazing beach) and can stay at Family Friendly Hotels Hawaii | Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows | Family Vacations in Hawaii
 
Stay home. There, there's my advice. Hawaii sucks. The people are assholes and shit is expensive. OR, you could get on another flight to Asia. The Philippines is a tropical paradise where things are cheap and the people are nice. Compare their 7100+ islands to Hawaii's handful of overdeveloped islands.
 
Waikiki/Honolulu area is nice and has the best nightlife and restaurant options but if you hate crowds it might not be very relaxing for you. The North Shore area is beautiful and much less crowded. I find it always fun to stop by Sunset Beach and the Pipeline to watch the huge wave surfers. You really can't have an appreciation for the size of the waves until you see them in person.

Maui might be more for you guys if you are seeking to explore and just relax on the beach. I'd recommend staying in Kaanapali. The Maui Kai condos are pretty reasonable and literally right on the beach.

mauikai10.jpg


When I travel to Hawaii I usually use Priceline, Expedia or Hawaii4Less -- they usually have some good travel packages.
 
turbolapp said:
...On exactly where to go? We're going during off season around November, but haven't decided on the exact island. It's mostly going to be a relaxing by the beach type trip but certainly wouldn't be opposed to doing some volcanic exploring. Any suggestions on specific islands, resorts, beaches, activities...etc?
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Been to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island -- if you want super relaxation - like going back in time --> The Big Island (they have the valcanos - and helicopter tours)

If you want some crazy fun - do the shark cage and sky diving on the North Side of Oahu and the nightlife of Waikiki - the middle ground would be Maui - relaxing and beautiful beaches.

cheers
 
I loved Kauai... North is lush green, wetter... Hannalai (sp) South is dryer, Poipu. I think you can only access the huge like 7 mile beach (can't remember the name) from the south.
 
Nice choice! Hawaii is an enchanting place and I've been there 4 times each filled with unforgettable fun and adventure. Kauai's a must see and try to join their luaus or if you want top sightseeing experience, enlist to kauai helicopter tours and you'll be touring around Hawaii seeing the islands(don't forget your camera or you will regret it deeply). It's best to fly in the morning. Hope this helps!
 
Hawaii is overrated...one of the only nice things I like about Hawaii is you don't go through customs to get there...other than that it's not as great as it is hyped up to be. Virgin Islands (especially british, shrooms are legal!) are extremely nice, not too many people and snorkeling is incredible. The bahamas are also nice, the abacos, not Nassau. Nassau is over populated and will be similar to Hawaii. If you're not into large amounts of people one of these places will be great, especially if it's just you and the husband. If you go in the off season some places you and 12 other people have to share a two mile beach...It's pretty awesome. Every time I have gone down there I have rented a sailboat and lived on that, not sure if you are into that. Most islands besides the main one have less than 300 people living on them, some have none and everyone goes home to another island at night.


Those are my two favorite tropical places, i'm still wanting to go over to europe, asia and many other places...
 
If you like tourists and shopping there's no better place to be than Waikiki.

If you dislike tourists and shopping, I can't think of anywhere worse.
 
turbo i sent you a pm, my parents live there I'll get some stuff around for you
 
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